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Back Where We Started
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26A rising Hollywood star explores the road not taken with her first love in this tender second-chance romance by the author of The Christmas Orphans Club
Katie’s wildest dreams have come true. She’s a Hollywood actress, booked and busy, and campaigning for her first Oscar. Sure, she still struggles with sexist media malignment and unimaginative roles, but from where she stands today, her hometown of Dutch Ridge, Pennsylvania feels far away—and that makes it all worth it.
Because Dutch Ridge can only ever represent Drew. Every street is filled with memories of their shared adolescence, how they were each other’s first everything, the hours they spent planning for the future. Drew was the only person in Dutch Ridge who didn’t make Katie feel crazy for dreaming big, because he did, too. Was it their extraordinary level of ambition that brought them together at sixteen? It was definitely what drove them apart in the years after.
But now, a promise to her sister forces Katie to return for Christmas to Dutch Ridge, where she runs into Drew, who seems to have followed a different path from the one they once dreamed up. And strangely, he seems...happy. As their run-ins heat up and the two can't keep themselves away from each other, Katie begins to wonder whether her accolade-filled Hollywood life really fulfills her after all. Back Where We Started is an emotional second-chance romance, a story about allowing oneself to change, the addictive nature of achievement, and how we make room in our lives for what matters most.
Katie’s wildest dreams have come true. She’s a Hollywood actress, booked and busy, and campaigning for her first Oscar. Sure, she still struggles with sexist media malignment and unimaginative roles, but from where she stands today, her hometown of Dutch Ridge, Pennsylvania feels far away—and that makes it all worth it.
Because Dutch Ridge can only ever represent Drew. Every street is filled with memories of their shared adolescence, how they were each other’s first everything, the hours they spent planning for the future. Drew was the only person in Dutch Ridge who didn’t make Katie feel crazy for dreaming big, because he did, too. Was it their extraordinary level of ambition that brought them together at sixteen? It was definitely what drove them apart in the years after.
But now, a promise to her sister forces Katie to return for Christmas to Dutch Ridge, where she runs into Drew, who seems to have followed a different path from the one they once dreamed up. And strangely, he seems...happy. As their run-ins heat up and the two can't keep themselves away from each other, Katie begins to wonder whether her accolade-filled Hollywood life really fulfills her after all. Back Where We Started is an emotional second-chance romance, a story about allowing oneself to change, the addictive nature of achievement, and how we make room in our lives for what matters most.
368 pages, Paperback
Expected publication October 13, 2026
About the author
Becca Freeman
2 books4,578 followersBecca is the co-host of the hit lifestyle podcast BAD ON PAPER and the author of THE CHRISTMAS ORPHANS CLUB (out now!). Follow on Instagram @beccamfreeman
She's based in Brooklyn, NY
She's based in Brooklyn, NY
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
I poured my whole heart into writing this book (and then some). I hope you love Katie and Drew as much as I do.
Think: A starlet from a teen soap and a young, idealistic Ice Town-era Ben Wyatt from Parks & Rec. Think: dual timelines. Think: NOTTING HILL meets EVERY SUMMER AFTER meets SWEET HOME ALABAMA. Think: ’Tis the Damn Season by Taylor Swift mashed up with Stick Season Noah Kahan.
Think: A starlet from a teen soap and a young, idealistic Ice Town-era Ben Wyatt from Parks & Rec. Think: dual timelines. Think: NOTTING HILL meets EVERY SUMMER AFTER meets SWEET HOME ALABAMA. Think: ’Tis the Damn Season by Taylor Swift mashed up with Stick Season Noah Kahan.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. As a longtime listener of Becca's podcast and an Instagram follower, I was so excited to have the opportunity to be an early reader of her second book after following her journey.
Katie Eubanks, known to the masses by her stage name Blair Banks, leaves Hollywood to visit her small town in Pennsylvania for the holidays. Once back in familiar ground, she crosses paths with her ex-boyfriend Drew and finds herself reevaluating what she really wants out of life as they reconnect.
I've now read both of Becca's books, and it's clear that she has a talent for putting words onto paper. The descriptive language in Back Where We Started is particularly strong, and the dialogue is engaging and mostly realistic. The pacing of the chapters is well-done. I honestly struggled between two and three stars, eventually deciding to bump it up based on the quality of the writing itself.
Unfortunately, the book couldn't convince me to invest enough in Katie and Drew's relationship in order to really feel connected to the outcome of their relationship. When the present-day story picks up, the pair are both around 30 and feeling pretty medium about their lives. Neither one of them is going through a particularly difficult period. There is no looming disaster ahead or a ticking clock pushing their decisions.
Just like in her previous book, the story primarily alternates between chapters set in the present day and the past. But without any particularly dramatic history between the two, the backstory chapters felt unearned and came to grow boring. Spending that much time in the past would make a lot more sense if present-day Katie and Drew started off at a point where they weren't speaking, for example, to give the reader some intrigue in figuring out what went wrong between them. I really feel like this book would work better if a large portion of the backstory was cut and their history was instead told through exposition, eliminating the back-and-forth altogether.
There's a concept of insta-love in romance books, and this book qualifies for the categorization of insta-resolution. Even in their early teenage days, there is no build-up to their relationship, no strong "will they/won't they" to build interest. They just simply decide to be together with the same low energy they use to decide when not to be together every time.
I wish Becca had taken a lot more risks with Katie and Drew to make them more dynamic and interesting. Let Katie have a proper party girl phase in Hollywood instead of sitting at home like a nun! Give them a knock-down, drag-out argument and make that the cause of their five-year estrangement! Don't be afraid of messy characters!
As far as a romantic interest, Drew was a total snore for me. I just didn't see the appeal, and I started to actively dislike him when he
Katie and Drew's relationship kind of just meandered, which seems fitting as a lot of the chapters just seem to fizzle out without any resolution or relevance to the plot. I also had a lot of problems placing the book in time. Eventually, there was some mention of it being two years since Covid, but it took a long time for that to be established and I'm not sure if I'm convinced that the timelines worked out entirely. An entire plot point revolves around Trump's 2016 election without ever naming him at all, and it's not like I'm ever desperate to read that man's name, but it was a very curious choice.
The biggest conflict seems to come near the end when
I'll be interested to see how others received it!
Katie Eubanks, known to the masses by her stage name Blair Banks, leaves Hollywood to visit her small town in Pennsylvania for the holidays. Once back in familiar ground, she crosses paths with her ex-boyfriend Drew and finds herself reevaluating what she really wants out of life as they reconnect.
I've now read both of Becca's books, and it's clear that she has a talent for putting words onto paper. The descriptive language in Back Where We Started is particularly strong, and the dialogue is engaging and mostly realistic. The pacing of the chapters is well-done. I honestly struggled between two and three stars, eventually deciding to bump it up based on the quality of the writing itself.
Unfortunately, the book couldn't convince me to invest enough in Katie and Drew's relationship in order to really feel connected to the outcome of their relationship. When the present-day story picks up, the pair are both around 30 and feeling pretty medium about their lives. Neither one of them is going through a particularly difficult period. There is no looming disaster ahead or a ticking clock pushing their decisions.
Just like in her previous book, the story primarily alternates between chapters set in the present day and the past. But without any particularly dramatic history between the two, the backstory chapters felt unearned and came to grow boring. Spending that much time in the past would make a lot more sense if present-day Katie and Drew started off at a point where they weren't speaking, for example, to give the reader some intrigue in figuring out what went wrong between them. I really feel like this book would work better if a large portion of the backstory was cut and their history was instead told through exposition, eliminating the back-and-forth altogether.
There's a concept of insta-love in romance books, and this book qualifies for the categorization of insta-resolution. Even in their early teenage days, there is no build-up to their relationship, no strong "will they/won't they" to build interest. They just simply decide to be together with the same low energy they use to decide when not to be together every time.
I wish Becca had taken a lot more risks with Katie and Drew to make them more dynamic and interesting. Let Katie have a proper party girl phase in Hollywood instead of sitting at home like a nun! Give them a knock-down, drag-out argument and make that the cause of their five-year estrangement! Don't be afraid of messy characters!
As far as a romantic interest, Drew was a total snore for me. I just didn't see the appeal, and I started to actively dislike him when he
Katie and Drew's relationship kind of just meandered, which seems fitting as a lot of the chapters just seem to fizzle out without any resolution or relevance to the plot. I also had a lot of problems placing the book in time. Eventually, there was some mention of it being two years since Covid, but it took a long time for that to be established and I'm not sure if I'm convinced that the timelines worked out entirely. An entire plot point revolves around Trump's 2016 election without ever naming him at all, and it's not like I'm ever desperate to read that man's name, but it was a very curious choice.
The biggest conflict seems to come near the end when
I'll be interested to see how others received it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Technically, this should be a 2.5/5 rounded down. But I don’t wanna because vibes. So we’re rounding up.
I’m too tired to write coherent good paragraphs right now, so we’re doing numbered rants.
1. The Characters
A. I really liked our FMC. I don’t know, I just felt so bad for her constantly. Like the getting bullied as a kid? I think this book showed really good representation of the kind of lifelong impacts bullying can have. Really felt for her. I found the MMC… fine. Until the end. Which is why I wanted to round down initially. He was an okay character, but I found some of the things he did rather gross. For example, why did we need Charlotte’s character? She added nothing to the story, as she was only there for what? 10%? Frankly, I skipped all of her scenes. I mean, he did nothing wrong in breaking up with her, but I still found it kind of gross… why’d he date her in the first place if he was still so obviously in love with Katie? Also, the fact that he had the audacity to get mad at Katie for the PR relationship??! And her being the one who had to grovel??? Get the fuck out dude. Idk, didn’t care for him much, and I thought she deserved better. Can’t say he’s the worst MMC I’ve read though.
B. The side characters. My gosh, fuck Jessie and her lil posse. I was so mad Blair never ended up confronting her and her shit behavior. In fact, the author even tried to throw in a lowkey redemption arc for her… no. Bullying is never okay, and there’s no justification for it. Fuck a tree you asshole.
Also Cam. Literally what the fuck? The way he threw her under a bus like that and just… got away with it in the end??!!!??? Why did she just let him get away like that, the hell. I would’ve been threatening him with a lawyer. Man the way the Cam wrapped up (or rather, didn’t. Cause the author just kind of. Let it go) pissed me off SO DAMN BAD. Fuck Cam for real. Katie really just let him ruin her reputation like that…
2. The plot was fine. I thought there were a lot of times where our characters were just making their lives harder on purpose, but it’s a book that needs drama, so whatever I guess. I really liked the flashbacks. In fact, I probably enjoyed the flashbacks more than the present plot. But tbh, looking back on it, I’m not even 100% sure what happened in this book? They just kind of… fell back together??? Like all of a sudden they were fucking again???
3. I already said above the ending pissed me off. But more than that, it just felt unfinished??? It’s like the author’s editor/publisher/agent went “wait it’s too long, you can’t write anymore. But don’t go back and delete anything. Just finish it.” The ending literally had me scratching my head, because nothing was resolved other than them getting back together. Jessie and co still deserved to be pushed off a cliff. Cam just… got away with being a shitty person. Drew never redeemed himself (although, I don’t think the author even saw anything wrong with what he did, so maybe she didn’t think he needed to). Katie never even tried to clarify anything with the media/the public. The Oscar came out of nowhere??? Idk. Just confusing. An awful ending for what could’ve been a pretty good book.
4. Said it before but I’ll say it again. FUCK CAM. FUCK CAM. FUCK CAM. made literally negative sense that he did that. Zero. Katie really just let him walk all over her.
5. Writing was okay. No complaints there.
Idk overall 2.5/5. But there’s no… empirical reason I’m rounding up. I just genuinely don’t think it deserved a 2.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC.
I’m too tired to write coherent good paragraphs right now, so we’re doing numbered rants.
1. The Characters
A. I really liked our FMC. I don’t know, I just felt so bad for her constantly. Like the getting bullied as a kid? I think this book showed really good representation of the kind of lifelong impacts bullying can have. Really felt for her. I found the MMC… fine. Until the end. Which is why I wanted to round down initially. He was an okay character, but I found some of the things he did rather gross. For example, why did we need Charlotte’s character? She added nothing to the story, as she was only there for what? 10%? Frankly, I skipped all of her scenes. I mean, he did nothing wrong in breaking up with her, but I still found it kind of gross… why’d he date her in the first place if he was still so obviously in love with Katie? Also, the fact that he had the audacity to get mad at Katie for the PR relationship??! And her being the one who had to grovel??? Get the fuck out dude. Idk, didn’t care for him much, and I thought she deserved better. Can’t say he’s the worst MMC I’ve read though.
B. The side characters. My gosh, fuck Jessie and her lil posse. I was so mad Blair never ended up confronting her and her shit behavior. In fact, the author even tried to throw in a lowkey redemption arc for her… no. Bullying is never okay, and there’s no justification for it. Fuck a tree you asshole.
Also Cam. Literally what the fuck? The way he threw her under a bus like that and just… got away with it in the end??!!!??? Why did she just let him get away like that, the hell. I would’ve been threatening him with a lawyer. Man the way the Cam wrapped up (or rather, didn’t. Cause the author just kind of. Let it go) pissed me off SO DAMN BAD. Fuck Cam for real. Katie really just let him ruin her reputation like that…
2. The plot was fine. I thought there were a lot of times where our characters were just making their lives harder on purpose, but it’s a book that needs drama, so whatever I guess. I really liked the flashbacks. In fact, I probably enjoyed the flashbacks more than the present plot. But tbh, looking back on it, I’m not even 100% sure what happened in this book? They just kind of… fell back together??? Like all of a sudden they were fucking again???
3. I already said above the ending pissed me off. But more than that, it just felt unfinished??? It’s like the author’s editor/publisher/agent went “wait it’s too long, you can’t write anymore. But don’t go back and delete anything. Just finish it.” The ending literally had me scratching my head, because nothing was resolved other than them getting back together. Jessie and co still deserved to be pushed off a cliff. Cam just… got away with being a shitty person. Drew never redeemed himself (although, I don’t think the author even saw anything wrong with what he did, so maybe she didn’t think he needed to). Katie never even tried to clarify anything with the media/the public. The Oscar came out of nowhere??? Idk. Just confusing. An awful ending for what could’ve been a pretty good book.
4. Said it before but I’ll say it again. FUCK CAM. FUCK CAM. FUCK CAM. made literally negative sense that he did that. Zero. Katie really just let him walk all over her.
5. Writing was okay. No complaints there.
Idk overall 2.5/5. But there’s no… empirical reason I’m rounding up. I just genuinely don’t think it deserved a 2.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC.
April 5, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.25 Stars!
Some spoilers throughout the review. Be aware.
I thought this book was a very decent romance read! It reminded me of People We Meet on Vacation (one of my favorite romance books ever!), and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys second-chance romances!
The Characters:
Katie - I feel like she was very well developed. The childhood experiences that led her to not want to come back to the town she grew up in were very relatable to me. I've felt like sometimes, no matter what I do, there's someone who doesn’t like me, even when I try my hardest to get them to. This also relates to PWMOV because Poppy became a travel influencer/agent because she didn’t like coming back home to relive old memories of being bullied. Katie becomes an actress and lands a hit role on a TV series. Through this series, she dates a guy named Cam, and somewhat through those connections, becomes a character named Eddie for an indie movie (this is important later). I feel like she pushes her traumatic experiences away while working towards her childhood dream. I felt like she struggled to keep people close to her because she was afraid to get hurt. But overall, her character arc felt deserved and driven.
Drew - I felt less connected with Drew. He was a run-down version of Alex from PWMOV. I felt like his character arc wasn’t very impactful. When Katie comes back to town, our Drew is dating a woman he gets along with well. But as soon as she comes to town, he decides to gamble on his relationship with Katie and breaks up with his current gf. I also thought his/everyone's reaction to finding out that Katie and Cam were in a lavender relationship was a bit strange. I also find it strange that the event was used to progress to the overall climax of the book. I feel like if a modern celeb came out of the closet, their past lovers would not be shamed for dating them. More than likely, they wouldn’t be mentioned. I didn’t find it very realistic that people began to hate Katie and said she used Cam to get ahead in her career by dating him.
The Plot:
The plot was overall good. I read this book in less than 2 days because it was so fast-paced. The chapters were relatively short, and the back and forth to the past/present was entertaining. I felt like the relationship between Drew and Katie was somewhat strange. Instead of a buildup to their ultimate reason for breaking up and not speaking to one another in the past, their relationship slowly fizzled out into not talking to each other after taking a break. I thought this reason made the book feel anti-climactic.
As well as this, the lead-up to the climax felt rushed and unsure. The reason why everyone didn’t like Katie was again confusing and felt unrealistic to me. Then her winning the Oscar hit it home. She realized after that, everyone acting as if they loved her the whole time and congratulating her made her realize that the only people who truly cared about her were Drew and her family back home. This felt contradictory because Drew got super angry and judgmental towards Katie when he found out she “used΅ Cam to get ahead in her career when he found out he was actually gay.
The ending:
The ending was really sweet, and I actually liked the epilogue. I saw some similarities between this book and PWMOV. Obviously, it didn’t hit as hard as PWMOV, but it was a fairly decent read. Despite my issues with this one, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes second-chance romance. Overall, 3.25 stars! Thanks for reading my review, and thank you to NetGally for the ARC e-copy of Back Where We Started!
3.25 Stars!
Some spoilers throughout the review. Be aware.
I thought this book was a very decent romance read! It reminded me of People We Meet on Vacation (one of my favorite romance books ever!), and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys second-chance romances!
The Characters:
Katie - I feel like she was very well developed. The childhood experiences that led her to not want to come back to the town she grew up in were very relatable to me. I've felt like sometimes, no matter what I do, there's someone who doesn’t like me, even when I try my hardest to get them to. This also relates to PWMOV because Poppy became a travel influencer/agent because she didn’t like coming back home to relive old memories of being bullied. Katie becomes an actress and lands a hit role on a TV series. Through this series, she dates a guy named Cam, and somewhat through those connections, becomes a character named Eddie for an indie movie (this is important later). I feel like she pushes her traumatic experiences away while working towards her childhood dream. I felt like she struggled to keep people close to her because she was afraid to get hurt. But overall, her character arc felt deserved and driven.
Drew - I felt less connected with Drew. He was a run-down version of Alex from PWMOV. I felt like his character arc wasn’t very impactful. When Katie comes back to town, our Drew is dating a woman he gets along with well. But as soon as she comes to town, he decides to gamble on his relationship with Katie and breaks up with his current gf. I also thought his/everyone's reaction to finding out that Katie and Cam were in a lavender relationship was a bit strange. I also find it strange that the event was used to progress to the overall climax of the book. I feel like if a modern celeb came out of the closet, their past lovers would not be shamed for dating them. More than likely, they wouldn’t be mentioned. I didn’t find it very realistic that people began to hate Katie and said she used Cam to get ahead in her career by dating him.
The Plot:
The plot was overall good. I read this book in less than 2 days because it was so fast-paced. The chapters were relatively short, and the back and forth to the past/present was entertaining. I felt like the relationship between Drew and Katie was somewhat strange. Instead of a buildup to their ultimate reason for breaking up and not speaking to one another in the past, their relationship slowly fizzled out into not talking to each other after taking a break. I thought this reason made the book feel anti-climactic.
As well as this, the lead-up to the climax felt rushed and unsure. The reason why everyone didn’t like Katie was again confusing and felt unrealistic to me. Then her winning the Oscar hit it home. She realized after that, everyone acting as if they loved her the whole time and congratulating her made her realize that the only people who truly cared about her were Drew and her family back home. This felt contradictory because Drew got super angry and judgmental towards Katie when he found out she “used΅ Cam to get ahead in her career when he found out he was actually gay.
The ending:
The ending was really sweet, and I actually liked the epilogue. I saw some similarities between this book and PWMOV. Obviously, it didn’t hit as hard as PWMOV, but it was a fairly decent read. Despite my issues with this one, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes second-chance romance. Overall, 3.25 stars! Thanks for reading my review, and thank you to NetGally for the ARC e-copy of Back Where We Started!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
DNF at 70%
Katie Eubanks (better known as Blair Banks to her fans) vowed never to return to her hometown after her relationship with her high school boyfriend Drew shattered 5 years ago. But of course, fate has a funny way of working and when her sister is put on bed rest for a difficult pregnancy, that’s right where she ends up and of course she runs back into Drew. Immediately, the sparks between them start flying but Hollywood already killed their relationship once, so they really want to do this again?
Take this 2 star review and DNF lightly. The plot and most of the characters alone give a really solid 4, but this book just was not for me personally for a couple of reasons.
First and foremost, I am terrible with dual timeline books (this one jumps back and forth between Christmas in the present and Katie and Drew’s childhood and early relationships). It took me out of the story and I really wasn’t able to connect with the characters all that well. Katie and Drew are cute together but I wasn’t so invested in this relationship. I can handle a few flashback chapters but this book was pretty close to an even 50/50 past/present split, sometimes even leaning more in favor of the past.
Second, there were a few plot points that really turned me off, without spoilers, a few micro tropes were present that I just personally don’t vibe with.
Third, the pacing was off, which I guess does relate back to the dual timeline issue. The present takes course over about a week where as the past spans more than a decade so the present day chapters felt like they dragged and the past chapters felt too rushed and all over the place. It made the book feel…I’m hesitant to say sloppy but I think it could have definitely benefited from more formatting and editing.
But as I said at the beginning, take my opinions lightly. As far as the actual plot goes it’s a really good cozy romance even surrounded by the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. If you like second chance romances and don’t mind a few pacing issues, I think you’ll really enjoy this!
Katie Eubanks (better known as Blair Banks to her fans) vowed never to return to her hometown after her relationship with her high school boyfriend Drew shattered 5 years ago. But of course, fate has a funny way of working and when her sister is put on bed rest for a difficult pregnancy, that’s right where she ends up and of course she runs back into Drew. Immediately, the sparks between them start flying but Hollywood already killed their relationship once, so they really want to do this again?
Take this 2 star review and DNF lightly. The plot and most of the characters alone give a really solid 4, but this book just was not for me personally for a couple of reasons.
First and foremost, I am terrible with dual timeline books (this one jumps back and forth between Christmas in the present and Katie and Drew’s childhood and early relationships). It took me out of the story and I really wasn’t able to connect with the characters all that well. Katie and Drew are cute together but I wasn’t so invested in this relationship. I can handle a few flashback chapters but this book was pretty close to an even 50/50 past/present split, sometimes even leaning more in favor of the past.
Second, there were a few plot points that really turned me off, without spoilers, a few micro tropes were present that I just personally don’t vibe with.
Third, the pacing was off, which I guess does relate back to the dual timeline issue. The present takes course over about a week where as the past spans more than a decade so the present day chapters felt like they dragged and the past chapters felt too rushed and all over the place. It made the book feel…I’m hesitant to say sloppy but I think it could have definitely benefited from more formatting and editing.
But as I said at the beginning, take my opinions lightly. As far as the actual plot goes it’s a really good cozy romance even surrounded by the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. If you like second chance romances and don’t mind a few pacing issues, I think you’ll really enjoy this!
April 3, 2026
I do not like second chance romance. I am tired of love stories that begin in the characters' adolescence and culminate in their late 20s. I despise celebrity / "normal" person relationships. But even though it is all of those things, I ignored everything else on my TBR to read Back Where We Started in a state of feverish bliss.
The writing really steals the show in this story. Katie's narration is emotional but grounded, and I happily followed it through the somewhat convoluted web of her life history, equally enthusiastic about chapters sent in the present day and those in the past (detailing Katie and Drew's adolescent friendship, love affair, and breakup). I liked both of the leads and was rooting for their romance even neither of the characters seemed to agree.
Back Where We Started is like People We Meet on Vacation but with no vacations and a small-town high school instead of college, and the male lead is Ben Wyatt from Parks and Recreation. It's emotionally expansive in a way that is unusual for a romance novel, and the final third of the book is more about compromise and acceptance than grand gestures (although there are some of those, too) and magic fixes. Part of me wanted to see everything wrapped up in a neater bow - and Katie's enemies given their comeuppance - but I also appreciated e more thoughtful, realistic ending.
[I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions are my own.]
The writing really steals the show in this story. Katie's narration is emotional but grounded, and I happily followed it through the somewhat convoluted web of her life history, equally enthusiastic about chapters sent in the present day and those in the past (detailing Katie and Drew's adolescent friendship, love affair, and breakup). I liked both of the leads and was rooting for their romance even neither of the characters seemed to agree.
Back Where We Started is like People We Meet on Vacation but with no vacations and a small-town high school instead of college, and the male lead is Ben Wyatt from Parks and Recreation. It's emotionally expansive in a way that is unusual for a romance novel, and the final third of the book is more about compromise and acceptance than grand gestures (although there are some of those, too) and magic fixes. Part of me wanted to see everything wrapped up in a neater bow - and Katie's enemies given their comeuppance - but I also appreciated e more thoughtful, realistic ending.
[I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions are my own.]
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
✨ARC review✨
I really liked Becca Freeman’s writing style. Her prose is light and immersive, and I found myself getting sucked into the world she was creating for her characters. This book followed a tried and true second-chance romance formula and it was very well executed in terms of plot and pacing. I live for books where a couple has broken up and we slowly watch them fall in love (and fall apart) through decade-spanning flashbacks. This book did a really great job of revealing just enough of the story at the beginning so that I had to read the whole thing to see how the pieces came together in real time.
Where this failed to pull me in was the characters. Katie and Drew were both… fine? Despite seeing them and their relationship develop over the course of 10+ years worth of flashbacks, they both felt incredibly flat. Their personalities didn’t come through and that made it hard to care about either of them. I felt the same way about them as a couple, but it was somehow worse. I understand what drew them together as teens, but I felt no chemistry between them, and the back-and-forth of their relationship was repetitive and mild. As for the side characters, I felt neutral about most of them and infuriated by the rest. A lot of the characters were inexplicably nasty and it made a few side plots feel a little incomplete by the end.
Overall, this book had a lot of potential and I really did like the writing style, but the characters didn’t pull their weight and it fell flat for me. I would definitely be open to reading more by this author though.
I really liked Becca Freeman’s writing style. Her prose is light and immersive, and I found myself getting sucked into the world she was creating for her characters. This book followed a tried and true second-chance romance formula and it was very well executed in terms of plot and pacing. I live for books where a couple has broken up and we slowly watch them fall in love (and fall apart) through decade-spanning flashbacks. This book did a really great job of revealing just enough of the story at the beginning so that I had to read the whole thing to see how the pieces came together in real time.
Where this failed to pull me in was the characters. Katie and Drew were both… fine? Despite seeing them and their relationship develop over the course of 10+ years worth of flashbacks, they both felt incredibly flat. Their personalities didn’t come through and that made it hard to care about either of them. I felt the same way about them as a couple, but it was somehow worse. I understand what drew them together as teens, but I felt no chemistry between them, and the back-and-forth of their relationship was repetitive and mild. As for the side characters, I felt neutral about most of them and infuriated by the rest. A lot of the characters were inexplicably nasty and it made a few side plots feel a little incomplete by the end.
Overall, this book had a lot of potential and I really did like the writing style, but the characters didn’t pull their weight and it fell flat for me. I would definitely be open to reading more by this author though.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Becca Freeman’s second novel is one I’ve been eagerly awaiting, and it met every expectation! This one is such a gorgeous second-chance romance, complete with a swoony male main character who’s utterly devoted to the female main character.
Katie and Drew were inseparable for half their childhood and fell in love before the responsibilities and struggles of college and careers eventually broke them apart. Now, as she returns to her smallish hometown for the first time in five years, everywhere she goes, there’s Drew. He’s stepped back from grandiose political ambitions to serve as mayor of Dutch Ridge, the town that never fully accepted her, while she’s struggling with the constant pressures of stardom and people’s perceptions of her.
Every bit of this book felt like a warm hug (even the painful parts). It’s got the sweetness of a going-home-for-the-holidays book, but it’s not a simple, formulaic Hallmark-movie story at all. The conflicts threatening Katie and Drew aren’t easily solved, but the pull between them is as irresistible as ever as they reconnect.
Told in alternating timelines showing Katie and Drew today, then scenes from their childhood friendship, young love, and as they branch out into the world to pursue their dreams, we see these two cheering each other on, but unsure of how to make it work forever. It’s nostalgic and tender and heartbreaking and sweet. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC of this lovely romance.
Katie and Drew were inseparable for half their childhood and fell in love before the responsibilities and struggles of college and careers eventually broke them apart. Now, as she returns to her smallish hometown for the first time in five years, everywhere she goes, there’s Drew. He’s stepped back from grandiose political ambitions to serve as mayor of Dutch Ridge, the town that never fully accepted her, while she’s struggling with the constant pressures of stardom and people’s perceptions of her.
Every bit of this book felt like a warm hug (even the painful parts). It’s got the sweetness of a going-home-for-the-holidays book, but it’s not a simple, formulaic Hallmark-movie story at all. The conflicts threatening Katie and Drew aren’t easily solved, but the pull between them is as irresistible as ever as they reconnect.
Told in alternating timelines showing Katie and Drew today, then scenes from their childhood friendship, young love, and as they branch out into the world to pursue their dreams, we see these two cheering each other on, but unsure of how to make it work forever. It’s nostalgic and tender and heartbreaking and sweet. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC of this lovely romance.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is a second chance romance with an actress and a politician. The story opens when they are in high school in their small town and they have big dreams. Katie wants to be an actress and Drew wants to be the president. Katie was in the drama club and Drew did debate club. Katie gets bullied by some mean girls (one of them is Drew’s twin) but she and Drew stay close (he will do anything for her) and they go to college in New York. We don’t find out the details until later in the story about why they broke up, but Katie ends up in Hollywood and becomes famous, playing the part of a villain in a TV show.
Ten years later, her sister is having complications with a pregnancy and they ask her to come home for the holidays, instead of meeting in Turks and Caicos. When she gets home, she is surprised to see Drew is in town, he’s the mayor and he lives in his family’s basement. I wondered how he ended up back home, but I won't give it away! He’s got a girlfriend but it isn’t long before he and Katie are seeing each other again. Unfortunately, something happens that drives them apart. The story is lighthearted but also angsty in places. I got a little confused towards the end with the back-and-forth timelines but I was up reading it late, not wanting to put it down. I really enjoyed this romcom and look forward to reading more from this author. 4 ½ stars. 10/13
Ten years later, her sister is having complications with a pregnancy and they ask her to come home for the holidays, instead of meeting in Turks and Caicos. When she gets home, she is surprised to see Drew is in town, he’s the mayor and he lives in his family’s basement. I wondered how he ended up back home, but I won't give it away! He’s got a girlfriend but it isn’t long before he and Katie are seeing each other again. Unfortunately, something happens that drives them apart. The story is lighthearted but also angsty in places. I got a little confused towards the end with the back-and-forth timelines but I was up reading it late, not wanting to put it down. I really enjoyed this romcom and look forward to reading more from this author. 4 ½ stars. 10/13
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Back Where We Started tells the story of Katie, a misfit who feels completely out of place growing up in her small town in Pennsylvania. Always a misfit and labeled a weird kid, she is dying to escape and has goals of being a famous actress. The only positive is her next door neighbor, friend, and eventual boyfriend, Drew.
The book alternates between flashbacks and present which I always really enjoy — I appreciate getting some of the history on the page as it happened. Present occurs with Katie forced back to her hometown for the holidays and reunited with Drew, who she hasn’t seen in five years and hasn’t dated in even longer.
I loved this second-chance romance with elements of figuring out a career and what you want in life, not just making decisions based on what works for your significant other. I thought it was thoughtful, well-written and fun to read. Katie’s experience growing up was so relatable to me personally, as someone who had one goal of escaping, and I think it will be relatable for so many readers.
A lot of authors experience a sophomore slump and all seem to mention it as a challenge in writing a second published novel. For me, Becca’s second book outshone her first — as a true lover of romance, the friend-oriented plot of The Christmas Orphans Club never grabbed me but I really loved this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC.
The book alternates between flashbacks and present which I always really enjoy — I appreciate getting some of the history on the page as it happened. Present occurs with Katie forced back to her hometown for the holidays and reunited with Drew, who she hasn’t seen in five years and hasn’t dated in even longer.
I loved this second-chance romance with elements of figuring out a career and what you want in life, not just making decisions based on what works for your significant other. I thought it was thoughtful, well-written and fun to read. Katie’s experience growing up was so relatable to me personally, as someone who had one goal of escaping, and I think it will be relatable for so many readers.
A lot of authors experience a sophomore slump and all seem to mention it as a challenge in writing a second published novel. For me, Becca’s second book outshone her first — as a true lover of romance, the friend-oriented plot of The Christmas Orphans Club never grabbed me but I really loved this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I loved and hated this book. The problem that I thought the problem was ultimately wasn't the problem they were facing. I was a little bit confused as to why the MMC would react the way he did once him and FMC decided to give it a go. What the FMC had as a fictional relationship with someone else wasn't really any of the MMCs business to do with in the first place. But the way he reacted and left then on her most special night something that she has mentioned would be a dream, his pride was more than the love he could have felt for the FMC. Not to mention the sister of the MMC constantly being the mean girl to the FMC and the MMC not really standing up to her and setting her straight was annoying. I felt that the FMC bent over and backwards to have the MMC in her life and she moved back, got the house the next door and he was making it hard for her. Both him and his sister blaming her for breaking his heart when they both wanted different things out of life and at the same time not impede the other from attaining those goals was ultimately hurtful to the FMC. They blamed her for the failed DC job he had. From the FMC finding what she truly wanted to be and where she wanted to be, it felt like she was guilted into coming back home to make it work with her first love.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this book! Podcasts are weird because I feel like Becca is a close friend and I’m just so proud of her that I was tearing up reading the acknowledgments! As a BOP listener, there are so many Easter eggs that made this already fantastic book even more special: Ruby the golden retriever, Glen Powell, and knowing how much Becca loves a famous person/normal person romance. Plus, listening to how much time and effort she put into this book just made me love it even more.
But even if you’re not a BOPper, there’s so much to love about this book. The writing and specificity of the language is masterful, as are the pacing and the back and forth timeline. I loved the political storyline: the effervescent hope of the Obama era spiraling into the utter dejection of 2016 while still landing on a somewhat upswing.
Knowing the original title was Tis the Damn Season, I loved all the Taylor Swift nods: Tim McGraw on the radio; Dive bar on the east side; Squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi. I think Becca struck a great balance between using that song as inspiration and creating a story that was entirely her own.
Back Where We Started is out in October and I highly recommend preordering it. I’ll be ordering it as a trophy since the arc is on my Kindle 😂
But even if you’re not a BOPper, there’s so much to love about this book. The writing and specificity of the language is masterful, as are the pacing and the back and forth timeline. I loved the political storyline: the effervescent hope of the Obama era spiraling into the utter dejection of 2016 while still landing on a somewhat upswing.
Knowing the original title was Tis the Damn Season, I loved all the Taylor Swift nods: Tim McGraw on the radio; Dive bar on the east side; Squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi. I think Becca struck a great balance between using that song as inspiration and creating a story that was entirely her own.
Back Where We Started is out in October and I highly recommend preordering it. I’ll be ordering it as a trophy since the arc is on my Kindle 😂
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5
Wow wow wow.
I had a bit of a hard time getting into this one but quickly discovered how relatable and real the characters were.
At first I found our fmm Katie/Blair shallow and self absorbed but soon realized that I saw a lot of myself in her. People are complex and I loved how she was written and how though flashbacks we got to see how she changed as she grew up. I felt like I related to her hardships of building friendships and struggling to find a place to call home.
I also really like our mmc Drew, he was smart and charismatic and definitely what Katie needed. I do however wish that we got to see a few more layers to him. I understand though that this is a single perspective first person written book but man I would kill for a couple chapters from Drew’s POV
Overall the pacing was good, I do wish we could have gotten some more time spent with the characters families, those dynamics seemed a little confusing to me but I guess all families are a bit confusing. I also felt that certain plot points weren’t realistic.
It was a good read overall and I’ll probably read more of Becca freeman’s books in the future.
🔥Spice🔥: 🌶️🌶️.5-🌶️🌶️🌶️
🤐Language🤐: moderate with 5 uses of the F word.
Wow wow wow.
I had a bit of a hard time getting into this one but quickly discovered how relatable and real the characters were.
At first I found our fmm Katie/Blair shallow and self absorbed but soon realized that I saw a lot of myself in her. People are complex and I loved how she was written and how though flashbacks we got to see how she changed as she grew up. I felt like I related to her hardships of building friendships and struggling to find a place to call home.
I also really like our mmc Drew, he was smart and charismatic and definitely what Katie needed. I do however wish that we got to see a few more layers to him. I understand though that this is a single perspective first person written book but man I would kill for a couple chapters from Drew’s POV
Overall the pacing was good, I do wish we could have gotten some more time spent with the characters families, those dynamics seemed a little confusing to me but I guess all families are a bit confusing. I also felt that certain plot points weren’t realistic.
It was a good read overall and I’ll probably read more of Becca freeman’s books in the future.
🔥Spice🔥: 🌶️🌶️.5-🌶️🌶️🌶️
🤐Language🤐: moderate with 5 uses of the F word.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
#BackWhereWeStarted
By: #BeccaFreeman
A BIG thank you to #NetGalley #BeccaFreeman and #VikingPenguin for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion an review.
About the book: Katie Eubank is a Hollywood star, know to her fans as Blair Banks. She decides to take a much needed break from Hollywood and go back to her hometown for a visit for the holidays. While she’s there she ends up bumping into her ex, Drew and she starts thinking about the their past, and what could’ve been. During this time they reconnect.
Katie begins to reevaluate her life and must decide what she wants, going back to Hollywood or rekindling a relationship with Drew, or perhaps both.
What I thought: This story gripped me in right away. I was so into it, but I realized it went back and forth between the past and present and I definitely preferred the past over the present. I found myself just wanting to hurry through to get back to where I found the story interesting. I really didn’t care much for Drew, he seemed really boring to me. He had very little personality. So I didn’t really care if him and Katie ended up together or not. All in all this was an easy read and quick read. I would recommend it and I’m giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
This book will release October 12, 2026
By: #BeccaFreeman
A BIG thank you to #NetGalley #BeccaFreeman and #VikingPenguin for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion an review.
About the book: Katie Eubank is a Hollywood star, know to her fans as Blair Banks. She decides to take a much needed break from Hollywood and go back to her hometown for a visit for the holidays. While she’s there she ends up bumping into her ex, Drew and she starts thinking about the their past, and what could’ve been. During this time they reconnect.
Katie begins to reevaluate her life and must decide what she wants, going back to Hollywood or rekindling a relationship with Drew, or perhaps both.
What I thought: This story gripped me in right away. I was so into it, but I realized it went back and forth between the past and present and I definitely preferred the past over the present. I found myself just wanting to hurry through to get back to where I found the story interesting. I really didn’t care much for Drew, he seemed really boring to me. He had very little personality. So I didn’t really care if him and Katie ended up together or not. All in all this was an easy read and quick read. I would recommend it and I’m giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
This book will release October 12, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Holy crap! This book was amazing! As an avid listener of Becca’s Bad on Paper podcast I have heard her highs and lows regarding writing this book for the past few year. While I was interested to read it (I loved The Christmas Orphans Club) I honestly had mediocre expectations based on what she’s shared.
But I was blown away! The world she has created with Katie/Blair and Drew is perfection. Katie’s uncomfortable high school years were painful to witness, and her time after school was also rocky! Nothing was simple or sewn up with a bow. But that made the ending all the more satisfying.
I loved the famous person/regular person romance trope. I loved the deep, decades-long friendship between Katie and Drew, I loved the Hollywood relationships Katie had (some which were more true than others- loved Janine and Lonnie!) and seeing how PR relationships work.
I couldn’t put this book down and I didn’t want it to end. I hope they turn this into a movie. Such a great job, Becca!
Thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
But I was blown away! The world she has created with Katie/Blair and Drew is perfection. Katie’s uncomfortable high school years were painful to witness, and her time after school was also rocky! Nothing was simple or sewn up with a bow. But that made the ending all the more satisfying.
I loved the famous person/regular person romance trope. I loved the deep, decades-long friendship between Katie and Drew, I loved the Hollywood relationships Katie had (some which were more true than others- loved Janine and Lonnie!) and seeing how PR relationships work.
I couldn’t put this book down and I didn’t want it to end. I hope they turn this into a movie. Such a great job, Becca!
Thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
📖 Genre: Second Chance Romance
🔥 Spice: Low
🏷 Tropes: Second chance, small town, friends to lovers
I thought Katie and Drew's story was sweet, yet rushed at times. The plot hooked me emotionally because Katie's character had a lot of depth. It was easy to feel what she was feeling and empathize with her. While this is predominantly Katie's story, I wish we could have had more character development from adult Drew throughout the book. I felt he was a little bland (sorry). The other female characters were strong, deep, and well-written.
Their childhood moments were more meaningful and gripping (i.e. their second kiss 😍) than their adult moments. I loved seeing their transition from childhood best friends to lovers. But as adults, the plot began to fall short with a rushed timeline, characters/situations that didn't contribute to the plot, and a lack of resolution between specific characters that could have been rewarding.
This book has a lot of potential and is perfect for those who enjoy second-chance romances with strong yet flawed female characters we can all learn from.
🔥 Spice: Low
🏷 Tropes: Second chance, small town, friends to lovers
I thought Katie and Drew's story was sweet, yet rushed at times. The plot hooked me emotionally because Katie's character had a lot of depth. It was easy to feel what she was feeling and empathize with her. While this is predominantly Katie's story, I wish we could have had more character development from adult Drew throughout the book. I felt he was a little bland (sorry). The other female characters were strong, deep, and well-written.
Their childhood moments were more meaningful and gripping (i.e. their second kiss 😍) than their adult moments. I loved seeing their transition from childhood best friends to lovers. But as adults, the plot began to fall short with a rushed timeline, characters/situations that didn't contribute to the plot, and a lack of resolution between specific characters that could have been rewarding.
This book has a lot of potential and is perfect for those who enjoy second-chance romances with strong yet flawed female characters we can all learn from.
March 22, 2026
Oh, that ending. Chills! 🥹🥹🥹
This book is such a gem. In it, we follow Katie and Drew, through their kid, teenage, college, and adult years. They become neighbors around age 10, and instant best friends. This story has dual timelines: their growing up years into college and adulthood, and the present time.
This second chance romance/best friends to lovers trope was utter perfection. 💅 Katie and Drew were best friends until high school when it became something more. Their relationship was so sweet and pure, it just melted me! Is Drew the most perfect male love interest in a book- EVER? Probably. Their relationship throughout the years isn’t without complications though, as Katie pursues her dream of becoming a successful Hollywood actress, and Drew, making it in politics. Everything about this story and the characters (both main and ancillary) are so authentic and genuine, as a reader, you just fall
in love with all of them. Their hometown and the community of Dutch Ridge, PA are utter perfection too. 🥰
Ugh, this book is just so good. It doesn’t release until October, but please mark your calendars! It’s so worth the wait!
This book is such a gem. In it, we follow Katie and Drew, through their kid, teenage, college, and adult years. They become neighbors around age 10, and instant best friends. This story has dual timelines: their growing up years into college and adulthood, and the present time.
This second chance romance/best friends to lovers trope was utter perfection. 💅 Katie and Drew were best friends until high school when it became something more. Their relationship was so sweet and pure, it just melted me! Is Drew the most perfect male love interest in a book- EVER? Probably. Their relationship throughout the years isn’t without complications though, as Katie pursues her dream of becoming a successful Hollywood actress, and Drew, making it in politics. Everything about this story and the characters (both main and ancillary) are so authentic and genuine, as a reader, you just fall
in love with all of them. Their hometown and the community of Dutch Ridge, PA are utter perfection too. 🥰
Ugh, this book is just so good. It doesn’t release until October, but please mark your calendars! It’s so worth the wait!
April 9, 2026
Although in the end I did enjoy reading this small-town second chance romance, I found it a very slow read and thus difficult to read sometimes.
The premise of this story is cute - a second chance for a well-known actress to fall back in love with her first love. I wasn’t a fan of how the book swapped back and forth between present tense and past tense. I found some times having to double check what time period I was in because of the language fitting in both times. That being said, I think the swapping back and forth is what kept me hocked and dying to find out why the MCs broke up in the first place and how their distance became so loud.
I would recommend this book to people who love a small town love story with MCs who never forgot each other. I, unfortunately, am not a huge fan of said tropes and with it being a slow read, rated it to my own interests. I think other would enjoy this book a lot and thus I rounded up in my score.
Huge thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
3.5⭐️ 1.5🌶️
Tropes to Expect:
🤍Second Chance
🤍Small Town
🤍Mayor x Actress
The premise of this story is cute - a second chance for a well-known actress to fall back in love with her first love. I wasn’t a fan of how the book swapped back and forth between present tense and past tense. I found some times having to double check what time period I was in because of the language fitting in both times. That being said, I think the swapping back and forth is what kept me hocked and dying to find out why the MCs broke up in the first place and how their distance became so loud.
I would recommend this book to people who love a small town love story with MCs who never forgot each other. I, unfortunately, am not a huge fan of said tropes and with it being a slow read, rated it to my own interests. I think other would enjoy this book a lot and thus I rounded up in my score.
Huge thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
3.5⭐️ 1.5🌶️
Tropes to Expect:
🤍Second Chance
🤍Small Town
🤍Mayor x Actress
April 14, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advance copy of Back Where We Started in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 ⭐️⭐️💫- rounded up
Katie, known as Blair professionally, is a small town girl turned hollywood starlet. Drew, her childhood love, is an aspiring politician, turned hometown mayor.
This is a classic childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance. While I typically love a dual time line, I think the formatting of this one did not always lend itself well to the romance we were supposed to be rooting for. I felt like we never got enough of the past or present to be fully bought in to the relationship
I loved the small town, hallmarky descriptions of Drew and Katie's hometown. Flor was especially a favorite!
I have never read a "one of them is famous" romance trope, so this was a fun new territory for me! However, I think I would have preferred this if it was based in the 90s or early 2000s (or just any time before social media). Often, when books talk a lot about modern technology, like TikTok or social media slang, it takes me out the story.
Overall a pretty quick and fun read.
2.5 ⭐️⭐️💫- rounded up
Katie, known as Blair professionally, is a small town girl turned hollywood starlet. Drew, her childhood love, is an aspiring politician, turned hometown mayor.
This is a classic childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance. While I typically love a dual time line, I think the formatting of this one did not always lend itself well to the romance we were supposed to be rooting for. I felt like we never got enough of the past or present to be fully bought in to the relationship
I loved the small town, hallmarky descriptions of Drew and Katie's hometown. Flor was especially a favorite!
I have never read a "one of them is famous" romance trope, so this was a fun new territory for me! However, I think I would have preferred this if it was based in the 90s or early 2000s (or just any time before social media). Often, when books talk a lot about modern technology, like TikTok or social media slang, it takes me out the story.
Overall a pretty quick and fun read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Something about me is that I generally enjoy watching romance/love stories, but dislike reading them. For some reason, I'm often unable to suspend my disbelief while reading romance tropes and it kills the experience for me. When I read this book, it actually felt like watching a romantic movie, in the best way. I could picture everything in a way that I was able to let go of reality and really be in the story, which is a huge credit to this book. This story of Katie and Drew is told in two timelines. In high school, Katie has big dreams of becoming and actress and leaving their small down of Dutch Ridge, PA behind, and Drew wants to be the president. The current timeline shows Katie, working under the stage name Blair Banks, living a glamorous life in Hollywood, and Drew is mayor of their small hometown. When Katie comes home for Christmas one year, they reconnect. Tale as old as time, but this was done in such a fresh way I can wholeheartedly recommend it to readers who might not normally gravitate towards romance.
April 4, 2026
" And I realise that in buying my parents a house, I accidentally exiled myself from the one place in the world that felt lke home"
Becca Freeman really did a fantastic job with her sophomore novel. I adore a normie x celebrity romance. This also is about a tender first love, second chance, small town vs big city, and there is a LOT to love here.
I won't rehash the book synopsis, but instead, I will get to the heart of what I truly loved here. Katie's ambition, though misguided at times, was necessary to make it in Hollywood. But, the toll on her mental health and the contstant online judgment wore her down. More importantly, the piece of this novel I loved the most was heart of what many women struggle with. The pressure to push and have it all verses slowing down and loving community and others. Freeman did such a wonderful job threading that needle with Katie!
I also loved the nod to the polictal component of Drew and his position in the Obama administration. This was so nostalgic. I also loved all the fun characters in the small Pennsylvania town of Dutch Ridge.
Check this one out for sure!
Becca Freeman really did a fantastic job with her sophomore novel. I adore a normie x celebrity romance. This also is about a tender first love, second chance, small town vs big city, and there is a LOT to love here.
I won't rehash the book synopsis, but instead, I will get to the heart of what I truly loved here. Katie's ambition, though misguided at times, was necessary to make it in Hollywood. But, the toll on her mental health and the contstant online judgment wore her down. More importantly, the piece of this novel I loved the most was heart of what many women struggle with. The pressure to push and have it all verses slowing down and loving community and others. Freeman did such a wonderful job threading that needle with Katie!
I also loved the nod to the polictal component of Drew and his position in the Obama administration. This was so nostalgic. I also loved all the fun characters in the small Pennsylvania town of Dutch Ridge.
Check this one out for sure!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Back Where We started is a second chance romance between an actress and an aspiring politician. Katie makes her way back to her hometown because of her sister's pregnancy and from there Katie and Drew reconnect. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the format where one chapter is in the past and the next in the present. It kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what caused our couple issues in the past. I think the level of him being involved in politics could have been more highlighted in the summary as it is a very integral part of his character. But apart from that the summary is very faithful to what we get in the book. They are both flawed, unperfect characters doing their best and making their way back to each other. The HEA felt earned and it felt like they didn't give up their personal ambitions or wants to be with each other which I also liked. Definitely recommend giving this book a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Drew and Katie were high school sweethearts that never stopped loving each other, but their lives took them different ways. Life brought them back together in their small hometown over Christmas and the relationship rekindled.
I was looking forward to the sweet romance movie, but I found myself never really liking the characters. Katie is so insecure she can never develop friendships with almost anyone but Drew through out school and into adulthood. She talks so often about putting on a fake mask to please others. It became redundant in the story. She never discusses these feelings with Drew or anyone in her family. When she comes home for Christmas she is there to be with her family that shows her complete love, and yet she doesn’t ever integrate her life into her families’ lives.
At the end, Katie finally realizes her safe place and takes control of her life. I would have loved more of that story told instead of the quick wrap up in the Epilouge.
I was looking forward to the sweet romance movie, but I found myself never really liking the characters. Katie is so insecure she can never develop friendships with almost anyone but Drew through out school and into adulthood. She talks so often about putting on a fake mask to please others. It became redundant in the story. She never discusses these feelings with Drew or anyone in her family. When she comes home for Christmas she is there to be with her family that shows her complete love, and yet she doesn’t ever integrate her life into her families’ lives.
At the end, Katie finally realizes her safe place and takes control of her life. I would have loved more of that story told instead of the quick wrap up in the Epilouge.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the chance to review this title early!
3.7!
It only didn't reach four stars for me because the resolutions at the end didn't hit as hard as I hoped they would. I really enjoyed the story up until the last 2-3 chapters, with all the drama and what it means for Katie to finally be in the spotlight; I love second (third?) chance romances so the flashbacks were fun, to watch their relationship develop and fall apart. The big family that her and Drew's family basically are was interesting; each member had a distinct personality, making them stand out in their roles in both their lives. (I wish I had closure with Charlotte.)
I also really enjoyed experiencing both their career arcs, from their motivations, to setbacks, to trying to make comebacks.
I'm still obsessed with the cover.
3.7!
It only didn't reach four stars for me because the resolutions at the end didn't hit as hard as I hoped they would. I really enjoyed the story up until the last 2-3 chapters, with all the drama and what it means for Katie to finally be in the spotlight; I love second (third?) chance romances so the flashbacks were fun, to watch their relationship develop and fall apart. The big family that her and Drew's family basically are was interesting; each member had a distinct personality, making them stand out in their roles in both their lives. (I wish I had closure with Charlotte.)
I also really enjoyed experiencing both their career arcs, from their motivations, to setbacks, to trying to make comebacks.
I'm still obsessed with the cover.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars
Back Where We Started is a gem of a sophomore novel by Becca Freeman. The story follows Katie and Drew, two close friends in a small Pennsylvania town, as they navigate life from their teenage years into their 30s. Katie dreams of becoming the next Julia Roberts, while Drew aspires to be the next Barack Obama. As expected, life rarely unfolds in a straight line. Their paths weave in and out of each other’s lives, building a heartfelt second-chance romance.
What a cozy, comforting read. This is the perfect book to unwind with after a long day, and I truly enjoyed Freeman’s writing style. Fans of Annabel Monaghan or Katherine Center should absolutely have this on their radar ahead of its October release.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the advance digital copy of Back Where We Started.
Back Where We Started is a gem of a sophomore novel by Becca Freeman. The story follows Katie and Drew, two close friends in a small Pennsylvania town, as they navigate life from their teenage years into their 30s. Katie dreams of becoming the next Julia Roberts, while Drew aspires to be the next Barack Obama. As expected, life rarely unfolds in a straight line. Their paths weave in and out of each other’s lives, building a heartfelt second-chance romance.
What a cozy, comforting read. This is the perfect book to unwind with after a long day, and I truly enjoyed Freeman’s writing style. Fans of Annabel Monaghan or Katherine Center should absolutely have this on their radar ahead of its October release.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the advance digital copy of Back Where We Started.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This book was one of my most anticipated titles of the year, and it delivered on every level. This is a friends to lovers / second chance / famous person normal person romance, with a smattering of small town charm. But this story is so much more than the tropes! Katie/Blair is vulnerable in a way so many women can relate to - she is an exploration of regret, impostor syndrome, celebrity culture, and is just trying to find her identity in a world that is so difficult to navigate for any woman. Drew is a golden retriever with principles, and through him Becca Freeman comments on justice and how hard it is to navigate the current political climate and state of this world. I highly, highly recommend this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of advanced copy received from NetGalley.
This is a second chance romance that tells the story of childhood neighbors turned sweethearts (Katie and Drew). Their story is told from Katie’s perspective through alternating timelines of flashbacks and the present.
Given the pace of the earlier portion of the book, the last 25% of the book felt rushed. The bulk of the story is about how their life decisions through young adulthood affected their relationship. There is a “pivotal moment” in the present that causes a rift between the two that is then repaired rather quickly.
Overall, if you’re looking for a cute story about growing into who you’re meant to be and falling in love, you’ll find that here.
This is a second chance romance that tells the story of childhood neighbors turned sweethearts (Katie and Drew). Their story is told from Katie’s perspective through alternating timelines of flashbacks and the present.
Given the pace of the earlier portion of the book, the last 25% of the book felt rushed. The bulk of the story is about how their life decisions through young adulthood affected their relationship. There is a “pivotal moment” in the present that causes a rift between the two that is then repaired rather quickly.
Overall, if you’re looking for a cute story about growing into who you’re meant to be and falling in love, you’ll find that here.
March 30, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
Love me a second chance and celebrity romance!! I’d say this book is a 3.75 rounded up to a four star.
There was a lot to love with this book! The romance was sizzling and a second chance always makes me feel the tension right away. I also liked how realistic this couple felt with how difficult it can be to navigate a relationship amongst two very ambitious career paths, it was very refreshing. Though there was some miscommunication (SPOILER: I didn’t fault her really for being a beard, I thought Drew was too harsh with that. Also wasn’t a fan of Drew being in a relationship right before), I still really rooted for the couple overall!
Bonus points for the author being liberal and having a male main character fight for human rights we loooovvveee!
Love me a second chance and celebrity romance!! I’d say this book is a 3.75 rounded up to a four star.
There was a lot to love with this book! The romance was sizzling and a second chance always makes me feel the tension right away. I also liked how realistic this couple felt with how difficult it can be to navigate a relationship amongst two very ambitious career paths, it was very refreshing. Though there was some miscommunication (SPOILER: I didn’t fault her really for being a beard, I thought Drew was too harsh with that. Also wasn’t a fan of Drew being in a relationship right before), I still really rooted for the couple overall!
Bonus points for the author being liberal and having a male main character fight for human rights we loooovvveee!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m a huge fan of Becca’s, from her podcast to her Substack to her debut novel that I loved, and BWWS is no exception! I just love her writing; it’s immersive, relatable, and laced with the quick wit we all love.
I’ll admit, I don’t typically care all that much for the famous person-normal person romance trope, but I do very much care for the first-love/it was always you trope and Katie and Drew’s story was the best of both worlds. I especially loved the throwback POVs of the two of them that led to where they were in present day. I also particularly loved the last chapter; it was so sweet and wholesome!
Looking forward to book 3!
*many thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the advanced reader copy
I’ll admit, I don’t typically care all that much for the famous person-normal person romance trope, but I do very much care for the first-love/it was always you trope and Katie and Drew’s story was the best of both worlds. I especially loved the throwback POVs of the two of them that led to where they were in present day. I also particularly loved the last chapter; it was so sweet and wholesome!
Looking forward to book 3!
*many thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the advanced reader copy
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was so excited to get my hands on this, as Freeman’s debut novel, The Christmas Orphans Club, was one of my favorite reads. This story was so heartwarming! It was an easy read about young loves Katie and Drew trying to see if they could give their love a second chance after prioritizing their careers and growing apart. There were a lot of themes in this book and elements of the story that kept things interesting. At times I wished certain elements of the story could have been developed a bit more, but all in all this was an enjoyable read! Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
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