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Retro
Not yet published
Expected 25 Jun 26Brought to you by Penguin.
Ash is a failed actress who is done trying to ‘make’ something of her life. Until a golden opportunity drops in her a job at Retro, an agency who organise trips into the past for the ultra-wealthy.
Energised by her new role, Ash throws herself into leading bachelorette parties in the Old West, birthday parties at Woodstock and a situationship with a hard-drinking detective from 1937. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that Retro’s shadowy founder Ro has terrifying designs for the company’s future – and for the part Ash herself can play in it.
Jessica M. Goldstein 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Ash is a failed actress who is done trying to ‘make’ something of her life. Until a golden opportunity drops in her a job at Retro, an agency who organise trips into the past for the ultra-wealthy.
Energised by her new role, Ash throws herself into leading bachelorette parties in the Old West, birthday parties at Woodstock and a situationship with a hard-drinking detective from 1937. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that Retro’s shadowy founder Ro has terrifying designs for the company’s future – and for the part Ash herself can play in it.
Jessica M. Goldstein 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
- GenresFictionScience Fiction
Audible Audio
Expected publication June 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 24, 2026
I read Retro as a buddy read and really wanted it to click for me, but overall it fell short of my expectations.
Jessica Goldstein sets up an intriguing premise and a very specific atmosphere, but the pacing dragged for a large portion of the book. It felt like the story could have been significantly tighter, and I often found myself waiting for the plot to truly move. There’s a lot of setting and scene detail layered in, and while I can see what it was trying to establish, much of it didn’t feel essential to my experience as a reader.
The strongest element for me was Ash. Her character development is solid, and I appreciated watching her evolve from the moment she lands the job at Retro through everything that follows. That said, I wanted more depth and sharper emotional payoff. A lot happens across the timeline, and while the slow build is clearly intentional, the eventual delivery didn’t hit as hard as I expected.
It wasn’t until around the last 20% that I felt fully engaged, and by then I was wishing the earlier sections had been trimmed or given a stronger sense of forward momentum.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Goldstein, and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and shared voluntarily.
Jessica Goldstein sets up an intriguing premise and a very specific atmosphere, but the pacing dragged for a large portion of the book. It felt like the story could have been significantly tighter, and I often found myself waiting for the plot to truly move. There’s a lot of setting and scene detail layered in, and while I can see what it was trying to establish, much of it didn’t feel essential to my experience as a reader.
The strongest element for me was Ash. Her character development is solid, and I appreciated watching her evolve from the moment she lands the job at Retro through everything that follows. That said, I wanted more depth and sharper emotional payoff. A lot happens across the timeline, and while the slow build is clearly intentional, the eventual delivery didn’t hit as hard as I expected.
It wasn’t until around the last 20% that I felt fully engaged, and by then I was wishing the earlier sections had been trimmed or given a stronger sense of forward momentum.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Goldstein, and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and shared voluntarily.
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February 18, 2026I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest evaluation of its merits.
One of the challenges with this book is solely the fault of the reader: I am from a different generation from the protagonist. I don't think Ash is a bad character aside from the fact she struggles with the nihilistic hopelessness that seems to take hold of people in their 20s and 30s and doesn't let go. It got a bit much at times, which is why I appreciated when the author used others to provide a solid check on this "it's the end of the world"-ism.
If you are looking for a voyeuristic examination of times past, you will have to accept that this is more of a behind the scenes look at the magical (or not so magical at times) invention of time travel. Also, the ending left me wanting to know where (or SPOILER ALERT, when) Ash ended up.
Aimed at a millennial audience, this story hits different readers differently. Taking all that into account, the premise makes it worth the read.
One of the challenges with this book is solely the fault of the reader: I am from a different generation from the protagonist. I don't think Ash is a bad character aside from the fact she struggles with the nihilistic hopelessness that seems to take hold of people in their 20s and 30s and doesn't let go. It got a bit much at times, which is why I appreciated when the author used others to provide a solid check on this "it's the end of the world"-ism.
If you are looking for a voyeuristic examination of times past, you will have to accept that this is more of a behind the scenes look at the magical (or not so magical at times) invention of time travel. Also, the ending left me wanting to know where (or SPOILER ALERT, when) Ash ended up.
Aimed at a millennial audience, this story hits different readers differently. Taking all that into account, the premise makes it worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews