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The Edge of Everything
Back to You
An exhausted career woman on the verge of death has the opportunity to redo her life in this enchanting short story about miraculous second chances from New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang.
Burned out and working a postcollege job she hates, Allison Yang drops dead in her office—and wakes up three years in the past. Back at college. She has one chance for a redo at from switching majors and facing toxic friends to being fearless with her parents. And, perhaps, approaching the popular athlete she’d always loved from afar. Fingers crossed that this time will count.
Ann Liang’s Back to You is part of The Edge of Everything, a collection of short coming-of-age stories of first love, messy choices, and self-discovery. Each story can be read or listened to in one sitting.
Burned out and working a postcollege job she hates, Allison Yang drops dead in her office—and wakes up three years in the past. Back at college. She has one chance for a redo at from switching majors and facing toxic friends to being fearless with her parents. And, perhaps, approaching the popular athlete she’d always loved from afar. Fingers crossed that this time will count.
Ann Liang’s Back to You is part of The Edge of Everything, a collection of short coming-of-age stories of first love, messy choices, and self-discovery. Each story can be read or listened to in one sitting.
2 pages, Audible Audio
First published June 23, 2026
About the author
Ann Liang
17 books17.1k followersAnn Liang is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the critically acclaimed YA novels This Time It’s Real, If You Could See the Sun, and I Hope This Doesn't Find You. Her books have sold into over twenty foreign territories. Born in Beijing, she grew up traveling back and forth between China and Australia, but somehow ended up with an American accent. She now lives in Melbourne, where she can be found making overambitious to do lists and having profound conversations with her pet labradoodle about who’s a good dog.
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Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of advance copy from the author. All thoughts are mine and I received nothing from no one.
Note: not sure if yall noticed but I haven’t written a single review in 2026 (as i am in a reviewing slump) and this is my first one so I’m sorry if it’s not good. Also writing this from my phone excuse me.
“For her respect is a prerequisite for love. She doesn’t respect me and so she can’t love me.”
Allison is a shy girl and she’s a wet dream for asian parents, she’s worked hard all her life and is a straight As student after her college she finds herself in a job she thought she liked and later on from exhaustion and other factors she dies.
“All this time and i wasted it, trying to convince myself to want things I didn’t.”
Allison finds herself back in time she has been given a chance at life again, and she wants to enjoy it rather than waste away. The second chance everyone wishes to have, so she, allison, feels like she’s on top of the world now here i had my first problem as she is portrayed as a shy ash girl but after her death she becomes like this bold idgaf about you girl, she was giving identity crisis here. I get it you rose from the dead but still.
“Maybe being bad at something wasn’t as big of a deal.”
My second problem was how choppy the writing felt it felt extremely rushed which i get cuz it’s like 48 pages but the writing could have been better. I liked luke but he had nothing special about himself. He’s your typical college sport guy with a shit ton of charm.
“I’m tired.”
But at the same time i did relate to her character and enjoyed the concept of this book, so yeah it’s nice extremely nice but not something to write home about.
Note: not sure if yall noticed but I haven’t written a single review in 2026 (as i am in a reviewing slump) and this is my first one so I’m sorry if it’s not good. Also writing this from my phone excuse me.
“For her respect is a prerequisite for love. She doesn’t respect me and so she can’t love me.”
Allison is a shy girl and she’s a wet dream for asian parents, she’s worked hard all her life and is a straight As student after her college she finds herself in a job she thought she liked and later on from exhaustion and other factors she dies.
“All this time and i wasted it, trying to convince myself to want things I didn’t.”
Allison finds herself back in time she has been given a chance at life again, and she wants to enjoy it rather than waste away. The second chance everyone wishes to have, so she, allison, feels like she’s on top of the world now here i had my first problem as she is portrayed as a shy ash girl but after her death she becomes like this bold idgaf about you girl, she was giving identity crisis here. I get it you rose from the dead but still.
“Maybe being bad at something wasn’t as big of a deal.”
My second problem was how choppy the writing felt it felt extremely rushed which i get cuz it’s like 48 pages but the writing could have been better. I liked luke but he had nothing special about himself. He’s your typical college sport guy with a shit ton of charm.
“I’m tired.”
But at the same time i did relate to her character and enjoyed the concept of this book, so yeah it’s nice extremely nice but not something to write home about.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
By all accounts, Allison Yang was living the collective dream of every Asian parent whose love language is academic prestige and a hefty salary. She had the Stanford degree, the straight As and the flashy corporate title to prove it.
Too bad "happiness" turned out to be suffocating on a piece of chocolate almond, dying entirely alone on her office floor over a half-finished spreadsheet. Mercifully, fate granted her a hard reboot. With a violent gasp for air, Allison woke up not in the afterlife, but three years in the past, given a miraculous second chance to rewrite her life.
There is a raw, relatable realism to Allison Yang. Watching Allison navigate her second chance at life- free from the crushing weight of everyone else's expectations felt both liberating and deeply envious. It left me with a quiet ache of my own- a profound wish for a second chance in my own life. Just once, to start over.
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍: 2 June 2026
╰┈➤ˎˊ 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍: 2 June 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Ann Liang for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 23 June 2026
Too bad "happiness" turned out to be suffocating on a piece of chocolate almond, dying entirely alone on her office floor over a half-finished spreadsheet. Mercifully, fate granted her a hard reboot. With a violent gasp for air, Allison woke up not in the afterlife, but three years in the past, given a miraculous second chance to rewrite her life.
There is a raw, relatable realism to Allison Yang. Watching Allison navigate her second chance at life- free from the crushing weight of everyone else's expectations felt both liberating and deeply envious. It left me with a quiet ache of my own- a profound wish for a second chance in my own life. Just once, to start over.
╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍: 2 June 2026
╰┈➤ˎˊ 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍: 2 June 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Ann Liang for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 23 June 2026
June 2, 2026
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ After accidentally dying at the job that she hates, Allison Yang finds herself not in the afterlife but back at college three years prior. Seeing this as her second chance to make her life her own, Allison decides to make each decision count, whether it be switching majors, letting go of toxic friends, or finally approaching the guy she’s had a crush on for years. After all, life's too short to waste it on doing things we don't love, right?
⋇⊶⊰❣⊱⊷⋇ ⋇⊶⊰❣⊱⊷⋇
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Wow, I think this was made for me, ngl. I related a lot to Allison. All my life, I’ve been too scared to do what I want or love, so I just tend to do what other people think I should do. But I’ve learned to speak up and grow a bit of a backbone recently (because, let’s face it, I’m just a big, old coward 😂), so it made me smile to watch Allison utilize her do-over to find out what she wants from life. It made me sooo happy to see her not only tell her parents what she really wants, but also her leaving that toxic friendship made me fist bump the air because, wow, may that kind of friendship never find me. 😭🙏🏼 And, of course, I enjoyed the interactions between her and Luke. Obviously, it doesn’t go too deep because this is a short story, but I was happy with what I got because they were sweet together. 🤭 That’s all I want in a romance nowadays.
To be honest, I don’t know if I’d want a full-length novel. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved this, but I think it’s because it was so short and straightforward that I had such a good time. I didn’t have to worry about the story dragging or me losing interest because my attention span sucks, or a possible third-act conflict ruining everything. It was just a short, sweet, and to-the-point story that I will always remember as one that pushed me to take more control of my own life and not worry about what other people will say, think, or want me to do. 💜 But if it ever did become a longer book, I wouldn't be mad about it at all. 😏
♥ Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. ♥
❗Content Warnings❗
Death
Swearing: No...?
Spice: No
⋇⊶⊰❣⊱⊷⋇ ⋇⊶⊰❣⊱⊷⋇
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Wow, I think this was made for me, ngl. I related a lot to Allison. All my life, I’ve been too scared to do what I want or love, so I just tend to do what other people think I should do. But I’ve learned to speak up and grow a bit of a backbone recently (because, let’s face it, I’m just a big, old coward 😂), so it made me smile to watch Allison utilize her do-over to find out what she wants from life. It made me sooo happy to see her not only tell her parents what she really wants, but also her leaving that toxic friendship made me fist bump the air because, wow, may that kind of friendship never find me. 😭🙏🏼 And, of course, I enjoyed the interactions between her and Luke. Obviously, it doesn’t go too deep because this is a short story, but I was happy with what I got because they were sweet together. 🤭 That’s all I want in a romance nowadays.
To be honest, I don’t know if I’d want a full-length novel. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved this, but I think it’s because it was so short and straightforward that I had such a good time. I didn’t have to worry about the story dragging or me losing interest because my attention span sucks, or a possible third-act conflict ruining everything. It was just a short, sweet, and to-the-point story that I will always remember as one that pushed me to take more control of my own life and not worry about what other people will say, think, or want me to do. 💜 But if it ever did become a longer book, I wouldn't be mad about it at all. 😏
♥ Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. ♥
❗Content Warnings❗
Death
Swearing: No...?
Spice: No
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
vaishnavi try not to mention "relatable character" in an ann liang book review challenge FAILED!
the book was kinda cheesy but cheese = snack and snack = novella and novella = this book so what I'm saying is it was perfect.
the book was kinda cheesy but cheese = snack and snack = novella and novella = this book so what I'm saying is it was perfect.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🦋🌸💜🌿Back To You written by Ann Liang is a short story full of first love, messy choices, and self discovery🦋🌸💜🌿. Ann's writing is utterly beautiful, she just has a way with words that flow right through your veins and has you questioning all of your life decisions. I mainly wanted to read this novella because of that stunning cover, it was written by Ann Liang, and of course because it's a short story. There's two things I love about Ann Liang, she writes the most relatable characters and her book covers are always so stunning and extremely detailed. I'm so blessed and deeply thankful I had the chance to read this beautiful book early, because it truly made me feel seen and heard, and it made me feel less alone in life. Life isn't all rainbows and sprinkles, we are human beings, we aren't perfect by any means, everyone makes messy choices at some point in their lives. Back To You was no exception, Ann has outdone herself once again. This author has never once disappointed me, but there is just one book she has written that I couldn't get behind, If You Could See the Sun. If you are look for a novella to read in just under an hour, a novella that's relatable, and a novella that reminds you it's okay not to be okay, then y'all better have your calendars marked for June 23rd, 2026 for the publication of Back To You, because you definitely won't want to miss out on a book that was written just for ✨YOU✨.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND AMAZON ORIGINAL STORIES FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!
🎧𝄞ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Back To You by Selena Gomez🎧𝄞
0:56 ───ㅇ─────3:28
💌💘Back To You is for the ones who try and try again💌💘.
"💗🌈I thought you could only impress people by achieving difficult things, by being perfect, and making no mistakes💗🌈".
"♥🌱All the extraordinary beauty of a normal life♥🌱".
Allison Yang is an investment banker who is always the last one to leave her work office. Allison wants to be like her manager Tara, a badass woman who is successful in life. Allison graduated from Stanford Summa Cum Laude as an economic major. Allison never wanted to study economics, but with strict parents, they chose Allison's major, college, and job, but Allison has a hard time sticking up for herself. Allison is afraid to disappoint those around her, saying no is so hard for her to do. Allison is such a relatable character, as a people pleaser myself, I saw so much of myself in Allison's character. Allison has only slept for two hours in the last couple of days because she was working herself tirelessly trying to get a PowerPoint done for her job, but one day Allison starts choking on chocolate almonds and dies over her unfinished work project. After dying over chocolate almonds, Allison wakes up in her junior year economics course lecture from three years ago. Allison obviously goes back in time for a reason, maybe it's for a second chance, or maybe it's a chance to do things differently.
Allison has always wanted to study English, but when her parents picked her major and job, Allison was afraid to disappoint them, but now that she has the chance to do things differently, as she went back in time, Allison switches to an English major, where she's her happiest. When Allison woke up in her economics lecture, she meets Luke Blythe. Allison and Luke went to the same high school, Allison was just a year younger than Luke, but Allison had a major crush on Luke when she was a freshman in high school. Luke was also a track and cross country champion. Allison is stuck so deep in her own head, but with Luke's wholesomeness he teaches Allison how to live her life unapologetically. I absolutely love how Luke never once judged Allison, he was always there to help her, despite Allison running out of her lecture in tears, Luke never made her feel dumb or that she was wrong for switching majors, in fact Luke told Allison that it was okay to choose something different. Luke was such a breath of fresh air, he's the type of hype man every girl needs in their life.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND AMAZON ORIGINAL STORIES FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!
🎧𝄞ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Back To You by Selena Gomez🎧𝄞
0:56 ───ㅇ─────3:28
💌💘Back To You is for the ones who try and try again💌💘.
"💗🌈I thought you could only impress people by achieving difficult things, by being perfect, and making no mistakes💗🌈".
"♥🌱All the extraordinary beauty of a normal life♥🌱".
Allison Yang is an investment banker who is always the last one to leave her work office. Allison wants to be like her manager Tara, a badass woman who is successful in life. Allison graduated from Stanford Summa Cum Laude as an economic major. Allison never wanted to study economics, but with strict parents, they chose Allison's major, college, and job, but Allison has a hard time sticking up for herself. Allison is afraid to disappoint those around her, saying no is so hard for her to do. Allison is such a relatable character, as a people pleaser myself, I saw so much of myself in Allison's character. Allison has only slept for two hours in the last couple of days because she was working herself tirelessly trying to get a PowerPoint done for her job, but one day Allison starts choking on chocolate almonds and dies over her unfinished work project. After dying over chocolate almonds, Allison wakes up in her junior year economics course lecture from three years ago. Allison obviously goes back in time for a reason, maybe it's for a second chance, or maybe it's a chance to do things differently.
Allison has always wanted to study English, but when her parents picked her major and job, Allison was afraid to disappoint them, but now that she has the chance to do things differently, as she went back in time, Allison switches to an English major, where she's her happiest. When Allison woke up in her economics lecture, she meets Luke Blythe. Allison and Luke went to the same high school, Allison was just a year younger than Luke, but Allison had a major crush on Luke when she was a freshman in high school. Luke was also a track and cross country champion. Allison is stuck so deep in her own head, but with Luke's wholesomeness he teaches Allison how to live her life unapologetically. I absolutely love how Luke never once judged Allison, he was always there to help her, despite Allison running out of her lecture in tears, Luke never made her feel dumb or that she was wrong for switching majors, in fact Luke told Allison that it was okay to choose something different. Luke was such a breath of fresh air, he's the type of hype man every girl needs in their life.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 ⭐
This was beautifully written, I never thought a 40 page novella could make me tear up, but here I am..
Allison dies unexpectedly, far too young and having lived a life she never enjoyed.. Suddenly she's transported three years back, to her junior year of college and she's determined to do it differently this time. Changing majors, talking to her crush Luke, finally telling her parents what she wants to do and just trying to enjoy her life for once..
It was such a wonderful novella, showing you that you can always make changes to be happier, that sometimes things that scare us, aren't really that scary, that speaking to your crush is the right move, that doing something, even if you do it badly, it's better than not doing it at all.
Allison was so focused on being successful, always under pressure, that she wasn't truly living her life and she used that second chance to begin again, this time doing the things she wanted and doing them boldly. Implementing the long awaited changes, cutting friends that didn't serve her, going out and having fun and realising that sometimes it is that simple.
Her and Luke were so cute together and at the end of the day, they were a lot more similar than they thought. I loved that she helped him see some things more clearly too.
Life can be a beautiful thing, especially when you stop overthinking everything and stop living with regrets. I wish I could relate, but this sends an important message, maybe I'll finally hear it some day. I absolutely loved this and the epilogue was adorable. My only complaint is that it was far too short, I would love a full version of this.
I was planning on finally reading books from this author, so I'm really happy this was my introduction to her writing. I'm even more excited now!!
*Thank you to Netgalley and to Amazon Original Stories for providing me with an ARC.*
This was beautifully written, I never thought a 40 page novella could make me tear up, but here I am..
Allison dies unexpectedly, far too young and having lived a life she never enjoyed.. Suddenly she's transported three years back, to her junior year of college and she's determined to do it differently this time. Changing majors, talking to her crush Luke, finally telling her parents what she wants to do and just trying to enjoy her life for once..
It was such a wonderful novella, showing you that you can always make changes to be happier, that sometimes things that scare us, aren't really that scary, that speaking to your crush is the right move, that doing something, even if you do it badly, it's better than not doing it at all.
Allison was so focused on being successful, always under pressure, that she wasn't truly living her life and she used that second chance to begin again, this time doing the things she wanted and doing them boldly. Implementing the long awaited changes, cutting friends that didn't serve her, going out and having fun and realising that sometimes it is that simple.
Her and Luke were so cute together and at the end of the day, they were a lot more similar than they thought. I loved that she helped him see some things more clearly too.
Life can be a beautiful thing, especially when you stop overthinking everything and stop living with regrets. I wish I could relate, but this sends an important message, maybe I'll finally hear it some day. I absolutely loved this and the epilogue was adorable. My only complaint is that it was far too short, I would love a full version of this.
I was planning on finally reading books from this author, so I'm really happy this was my introduction to her writing. I'm even more excited now!!
*Thank you to Netgalley and to Amazon Original Stories for providing me with an ARC.*
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
★彡 4.25 stars 彡★
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈ I had given up all faith on any “short and cute” romcom-sized novellas.UNTIL THIS HAPPENED.
All this time, it was false marketing left and right.UNTIL THIS HAPPENED.
I witnessed these really big names pumping out meet-cute typa novellas and guess what? They forgot to be cute ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵) I had given up.UNTIL THIS HAPPENED.
Of course Ann Liang was my knight in shining armor, because not only was this novella adorable, it was doused in LIFE-ADVICE.
It’s beautiful in its simplicity.
So don’t expect a loud romance, or big declarations. This story is about living life and learning to be happy along the way ❤︎
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᏖᏒᎧᎮᏋᏕ ᏗᏖ ᏇᎧᏒᏦ ⋮ ⌗ ┆
➳❥ Big Epiphanies
➳❥ Coming Of Age
➳❥ Healing From Burnout
➳❥ Do-Over At Life
➳❥ College Setting
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᎷᎩ ᏖᏂᎧᏬᎶᏂᏖᏕ ⋮ ⌗ ┆
: ̗̀➛ 🅣🅗🅔 🅢🅣🅞🅡🅨 & 🅣🅗🅔 🅕🅔🅔🅛🅢: Allison Yang is working a big corporate job that she should be totally content with. After all, it is every Asian parents’ dream to have their daughter graduate from Stanford with some flashy As and get into a brag-worthy, well-paid job. Allison should be happy.
But choking on a piece of chocolate almond and dying alone over your unfinished work-project on your office floor was a pathetic definition of happiness really…
Thank god, she wakes up and finds herself transported back to 3 years in the past!
Time to tweak and tinker with that timeline (≖⩊≖)
The point of this story was to look the readers in the eye and tell them:
It’s really just that simple to live.
Sometimes we love to blow things out of proportion. Sometimes we really love to hypothesize about all the things that could go wrong if we don’t do what is expected instead of what we want.
Allison is a reflection of all the things you’re ashamed of talking out loud about.
She lives for others, she lives for meeting expectations. She is afraid of being a disappointment, she is afraid of spontaneity.
She is just a girl whose mind is riddled with what ifs because she’s too scared to go the extra mile and DO what she wants.
Most Asian kids grow up with this built-in guilty conscience. And yet again, Ann Liang expressed this in such a heartbreakingly raw way that I can’t help but be rendered speechless.
Deep down, this story felt like a quiet reassurance. Telling that scared part of us that it’s okay.
What’s particularly lovely about this novella is just how many things it talks about. It’s one life advice after another-
For example, ideas like:
An idea ingrained into most. An idea so wrong that we don’t come to realise it’s wrong until it’s too late-
There’s also that topic of friendships discussed. How Allison is afraid of breaking out of friendships that aren’t really worth her time and effort.
It’s interesting how it takes people almost dying or rather just dying to understand these things.
This is why Allison got so much bolder in her do-over life. And it was bracing to accept the part of her that wants a change.
Because if we think about it, there’s loads to learn from her do-over -
The fact that she changed her major from economics to English. But her parents didn’t disown her.
The fact that she walked out of a friendship that wasn’t quite fruitful. But her social life didn’t die at that.
The fact that she told her long-time crush that she had a crush. But he didn’t kick her or mock her or throw his nail clippings at her.
The moral of the story is that your life is yours to live.
No one will take the hard decisions for you. No one will vouch for the wrong choices you once made. You’re the one who has to live with them for the rest of your life.
If you let your anxiety take the wheel 24/7 then you might as well be missing out on things you could have easily won in life had you been a little braver.
: ̗̀➛ 🅣🅗🅔 🅡🅞🅜🅐🅝🅒🅔: The romance is a spillover effect of Allison’s new boldness.
Not a plot point we are striving to have, but a little something that Allison got for herself because she learnt to think, “Oh well. I almost died. Came back from the dead. What’s the worst that could happen?”
That’s what amused me the most.
The romance part of the plot came from the fact that in her second chance at life, Allison wasn’t afraid to ask her crush out.
She didn’t have to go through a series of:
“What if he likes someone else?”
“What if he hates my existence?”
“What if his grandma hated mine?”
She just went for it! And it was okay! She got herself a guy named Luke Blythe.
Can you imagine?
Luke Blythe.
So the next time you’re giving in to your anxiety and being all scared, remember you could’ve easily bagged a guy with the last name Blythe if you only tried!
»»——★ fιnαℓ тнσυgнтѕ ★——««
➳ Ann’s books make me feel happy to be alive.
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
ﾒ𝟶ﾒ𝟶
｡･ﾟ♡ﾟ･｡｡･ﾟ♡ﾟ･｡
❝ All the extraordinary beauty of a normal life. ❞
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈ I had given up all faith on any “short and cute” romcom-sized novellas.
All this time, it was false marketing left and right.
I witnessed these really big names pumping out meet-cute typa novellas and guess what? They forgot to be cute ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵) I had given up.
Of course Ann Liang was my knight in shining armor, because not only was this novella adorable, it was doused in LIFE-ADVICE.
It’s beautiful in its simplicity.
So don’t expect a loud romance, or big declarations. This story is about living life and learning to be happy along the way ❤︎
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᏖᏒᎧᎮᏋᏕ ᏗᏖ ᏇᎧᏒᏦ ⋮ ⌗ ┆
➳❥ Big Epiphanies
➳❥ Coming Of Age
➳❥ Healing From Burnout
➳❥ Do-Over At Life
➳❥ College Setting
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᎷᎩ ᏖᏂᎧᏬᎶᏂᏖᏕ ⋮ ⌗ ┆
: ̗̀➛ 🅣🅗🅔 🅢🅣🅞🅡🅨 & 🅣🅗🅔 🅕🅔🅔🅛🅢: Allison Yang is working a big corporate job that she should be totally content with. After all, it is every Asian parents’ dream to have their daughter graduate from Stanford with some flashy As and get into a brag-worthy, well-paid job. Allison should be happy.
But choking on a piece of chocolate almond and dying alone over your unfinished work-project on your office floor was a pathetic definition of happiness really…
Thank god, she wakes up and finds herself transported back to 3 years in the past!
Time to tweak and tinker with that timeline (≖⩊≖)
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
The point of this story was to look the readers in the eye and tell them:
It’s really just that simple to live.
Sometimes we love to blow things out of proportion. Sometimes we really love to hypothesize about all the things that could go wrong if we don’t do what is expected instead of what we want.
Allison is a reflection of all the things you’re ashamed of talking out loud about.
She lives for others, she lives for meeting expectations. She is afraid of being a disappointment, she is afraid of spontaneity.
She is just a girl whose mind is riddled with what ifs because she’s too scared to go the extra mile and DO what she wants.
❝ I’m just tired of feeling like I’m in trouble all the time and everybody holds power over me and I have to wait for permission to do anything. ❞
Most Asian kids grow up with this built-in guilty conscience. And yet again, Ann Liang expressed this in such a heartbreakingly raw way that I can’t help but be rendered speechless.
Deep down, this story felt like a quiet reassurance. Telling that scared part of us that it’s okay.
What’s particularly lovely about this novella is just how many things it talks about. It’s one life advice after another-
For example, ideas like:
❝ Who cares if I’m not happy as long as I’m successful? ❞
An idea ingrained into most. An idea so wrong that we don’t come to realise it’s wrong until it’s too late-
There’s also that topic of friendships discussed. How Allison is afraid of breaking out of friendships that aren’t really worth her time and effort.
It’s interesting how it takes people almost dying or rather just dying to understand these things.
This is why Allison got so much bolder in her do-over life. And it was bracing to accept the part of her that wants a change.
Because if we think about it, there’s loads to learn from her do-over -
The fact that she changed her major from economics to English. But her parents didn’t disown her.
The fact that she walked out of a friendship that wasn’t quite fruitful. But her social life didn’t die at that.
The fact that she told her long-time crush that she had a crush. But he didn’t kick her or mock her or throw his nail clippings at her.
The moral of the story is that your life is yours to live.
No one will take the hard decisions for you. No one will vouch for the wrong choices you once made. You’re the one who has to live with them for the rest of your life.
If you let your anxiety take the wheel 24/7 then you might as well be missing out on things you could have easily won in life had you been a little braver.
: ̗̀➛ 🅣🅗🅔 🅡🅞🅜🅐🅝🅒🅔: The romance is a spillover effect of Allison’s new boldness.
Not a plot point we are striving to have, but a little something that Allison got for herself because she learnt to think, “Oh well. I almost died. Came back from the dead. What’s the worst that could happen?”
That’s what amused me the most.
The romance part of the plot came from the fact that in her second chance at life, Allison wasn’t afraid to ask her crush out.
She didn’t have to go through a series of:
“What if he likes someone else?”
“What if he hates my existence?”
“What if his grandma hated mine?”
She just went for it! And it was okay! She got herself a guy named Luke Blythe.
Can you imagine?
Luke Blythe.
So the next time you’re giving in to your anxiety and being all scared, remember you could’ve easily bagged a guy with the last name Blythe if you only tried!
»»——★ fιnαℓ тнσυgнтѕ ★——««
➳ Ann’s books make me feel happy to be alive.
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
ﾒ𝟶ﾒ𝟶
｡･ﾟ♡ﾟ･｡｡･ﾟ♡ﾟ･｡
July 5, 2026
My first ever Ann Liang book 🙊
…and, I LOVED IT 😍
I was instantly captivated by Liang’s writing style. Written from Alison’s POV, this was a charming novella that brought a great deal of emotion and meaning in a mere 40 pages.
‘Back to you’ is a beautiful and profound story of second chances.
Alison’s working all hours at a corporate job, beyond exhausted, she dies unexpectedly whilst working late one night. Miraculously, she wakes up to find herself transported back three years earlier - back into college. She is being given the chance to do things differently. To live a meaningful, happy life. From changing majors, to approaching her crush Luke, and stepping out of her comfort zone into what she truly enjoys. This time, she will make it all count.
"But that was how I had been living, I realize now, for years and years, stuck so deep inside my own head that I had managed to miss everything."
I was surprisingly affected by this novella. It was an easy read that carried a strong message: "Maybe it’s worse to not do it at all, to never even try, for fear of looking stupid." 💭
Allison was such a relatable FMC. I instantly connected with her and found her easy to root for from the beginning. The thing I really appreciated about this story was that although she was given a second chance to live the life she wanted, the changes she made were actually very accessible and achievable. In fact, most of them were very simple but it was a matter of consciously choosing the option that made you happiest.
I also enjoyed the romance that lay alongside the storyline. Luke was a charming, kind character, who helped her to step into a more enjoyable way of living. Their romance, albeit short, felt genuine and effortless.
Overall, I was very impressed with Ann’s ability to convey such a strong and important message in so few pages. It is certainly a lesson I need reminded of frequently and I will do my best to hold on to this story. It is safe to say I will definitely be reading more of Liang’s books in the future 👏🏽
4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
…and, I LOVED IT 😍
I was instantly captivated by Liang’s writing style. Written from Alison’s POV, this was a charming novella that brought a great deal of emotion and meaning in a mere 40 pages.
‘Back to you’ is a beautiful and profound story of second chances.
Alison’s working all hours at a corporate job, beyond exhausted, she dies unexpectedly whilst working late one night. Miraculously, she wakes up to find herself transported back three years earlier - back into college. She is being given the chance to do things differently. To live a meaningful, happy life. From changing majors, to approaching her crush Luke, and stepping out of her comfort zone into what she truly enjoys. This time, she will make it all count.
"But that was how I had been living, I realize now, for years and years, stuck so deep inside my own head that I had managed to miss everything."
I was surprisingly affected by this novella. It was an easy read that carried a strong message: "Maybe it’s worse to not do it at all, to never even try, for fear of looking stupid." 💭
Allison was such a relatable FMC. I instantly connected with her and found her easy to root for from the beginning. The thing I really appreciated about this story was that although she was given a second chance to live the life she wanted, the changes she made were actually very accessible and achievable. In fact, most of them were very simple but it was a matter of consciously choosing the option that made you happiest.
I also enjoyed the romance that lay alongside the storyline. Luke was a charming, kind character, who helped her to step into a more enjoyable way of living. Their romance, albeit short, felt genuine and effortless.
Overall, I was very impressed with Ann’s ability to convey such a strong and important message in so few pages. It is certainly a lesson I need reminded of frequently and I will do my best to hold on to this story. It is safe to say I will definitely be reading more of Liang’s books in the future 👏🏽
4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
November 8, 2026
The rating seemed appropriate since it's just 48 pages, and the writing felt a bit rushed in my opinion
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
࣪ ˖ ֪ꮽ᱖܄ 3.5 stars˚ִִ꒱꒱ ִ݂
⤻ no spoiler review !
་ 💭 ⊹ ࣪୨୧ preface. allison yang gets the chance to go back 3 years in time to once and for all decide what she wants her future to look like. before she went back, she was living a life that her parents wanted her to live, but now she gets to go after the guy she always, go out, and choose the major that she always wanted 🥹.
𐑺゛🦩 general thoughts. this short story was the perfect depiction of the first gen immigrant kid story. we all feel the need to make our parents proud and feel like they made the right choice to move to "x" country, and it turned out to be such a heartwarming and encouraging story. ann liang will never fail to create the most relatable characters 🫶🏻. i only gave it 3.5 stars since it's only 40 pages long. if this was longer, i most probably would've given it 4+ stars🩷
⋆ big thanks to netgalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review <3
![Profile Image for Szee Ning [ semi-hiatus ].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1767268290i/177714050._UX200_CR0,33,200,200_.jpg)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I worked and worked and worked for her until I died, right inside her office.
short and sweet, ann liang never misses!! 3.5★
ᰔ.ᐟ allison yang was so realistic, as all ann liang fmc’s are, and i was so happy for her, seeing her live her life right the second time around. i love this concept of a second chance at life, one that she controls and where she makes her own decisions.
though i’d love more pages of this novella, it was a good length—enough to keep you invested and rooting for the characters—and perfect if you’re looking for a fun, quick time. back to you is a precious coming-of-age story that tells you to go for what you really want and just live your life to the fullest. ⊹ ࣪ ˖
“What?” Luke asks, studying me.
“Nothing,” I say. “I’m just happy.”
p.s. i love luke blythe
⌯⌲ huge thanks to amazon original stories for providing this arc via netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
June 26, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW😍🙏
I needed that…like alot🥺.
THANK YOU ANN FOR BLESSING ME WITH THIS🥹🙏.
Had no idea 40 something pages could be THAT good👏👏🥹.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read an Ann Liang book so this was SO refreshing AH I love her writing SO FREAKING MUCHHH AHH🤭🤭🤭.
I was screaming throughout this novella like a maniac- and it was only 40ish pages😚👍.
It was fast-paced (duhh) but it also didn’t feel rushed at all…😍.
⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊
Characters ! 🌷
Allison : Amazing character👏🥹. The character development was PRESENT AHHHHH🤭. I loved how she learned to take the risk if it meant she would be happy🥺🙏. Only thing is- girl fr? A chocolate almond?😭 OF ALL THINGS?👹 I know she couldn’t rlly help it but like-😭😭😭. Anyway I guess the chocolate almond played a big role bc the ending wouldn’t have even been there without it🤷♀️. You probably think I’m going insane if you haven’t read this novella bc I’m talking abt a literal chocolate almond but dw you’ll understand if you read this😉. Holy crap I need to stop yapping abt an almond- ANYWAY Allison was a spectacular character and she honestly reminded me a lot of my sister🤭. So I definitely felt that connection to her <3 .
Luke : GUESS WHAT👏👏😍. HE HAS DIMPLES AHHHHHHHHHHHHH🗣️🔥🔥🔥. Gosh I’m a sucker for dimples🤭. Annnddddd to top the dimples he has a rare condition called A KIND PERSONALITY🥹🙏. Very few guys in this world have this andddd let’s just say they need to take notes from Mr. Luke Blythe😍👍. Just one problem- I know someone named Luke THAT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THE BOOK DESCRIPTION…but I’m related to him😭😭😭. So that would be gross- so I totally altered him in my head🤭. He had lighter brown hair and blue eyes😚👍. But yeah I LOVED him👏😍. And like every other Ann Liang MMC I absolutely do wanna marry him :D
Victoria : IF YOU HAVE A “FRIEND” LIKE HER…LEAVE HER RIGHT NOW👹.
⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊
Quotes ! 🥣
Check out my Kindle Highlights and Notes if you’d like
to see some quotes from this novella and my comments! <333
⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊
Overall ! 👛
If you are wondering heh I did in fact read this novella in one sitting😏😏😏. As a person with an attention span of a fly I’m VERY proud of myself hehe🤭👍.
And the ending didn’t leave me staring at the wall or feeling empty like I sometimes do when I finish books😭. The ending left it for you to decide what their future would look like and I LOVED that about the ending🥹🙏
Also I will be doing an inspection of my house and property for cameras bc ain’t no way Ann is writing this without some research on me-😰. BC NO WHY DO I FEEL LIKE ITS DIRECTED TOWARDS ME😭🙏.
I feel like Ann always tries to put some type of life lesson in her books/novellas bc I lowk feel accomplished and wiser after finishing smth written by her…🥺🤷♀️.
But yeah! I DEFINITELY recommend this cute little novella <333
I would recommend this to you if you enjoy…
🫐 Time Travel (idk what else to call it-)
🌷 Shy FMC
🫐 Athletic MMC
🌷 Clean Romance
🫐 Short Stories
🌷 Cute Endings
🫐 Second Chances <3
Also a little warning - there’s minimal language in here but I do remember 1 f bomb👹, and also there is a bar scene in this novella so if any of that bothers you, I wouldn’t recommend this to you😉👍.
*cue the cutie music hehe*
*cue me doing donuts in my pink car😍*
💃🚗🔄
( pretend the car is pink👹🙏 )
⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊
Post-read ! 🫐
STOP THAT WAS ACTUALLY AMAZING RTC😍🙏
WOW😍🙏
I needed that…like alot🥺.
THANK YOU ANN FOR BLESSING ME WITH THIS🥹🙏.
Had no idea 40 something pages could be THAT good👏👏🥹.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read an Ann Liang book so this was SO refreshing AH I love her writing SO FREAKING MUCHHH AHH🤭🤭🤭.
I was screaming throughout this novella like a maniac- and it was only 40ish pages😚👍.
It was fast-paced (duhh) but it also didn’t feel rushed at all…😍.
⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊
Characters ! 🌷
Allison : Amazing character👏🥹. The character development was PRESENT AHHHHH🤭. I loved how she learned to take the risk if it meant she would be happy🥺🙏. Only thing is- girl fr? A chocolate almond?😭 OF ALL THINGS?👹 I know she couldn’t rlly help it but like-😭😭😭. Anyway I guess the chocolate almond played a big role bc the ending wouldn’t have even been there without it🤷♀️. You probably think I’m going insane if you haven’t read this novella bc I’m talking abt a literal chocolate almond but dw you’ll understand if you read this😉. Holy crap I need to stop yapping abt an almond- ANYWAY Allison was a spectacular character and she honestly reminded me a lot of my sister🤭. So I definitely felt that connection to her <3 .
Luke : GUESS WHAT👏👏😍. HE HAS DIMPLES AHHHHHHHHHHHHH🗣️🔥🔥🔥. Gosh I’m a sucker for dimples🤭. Annnddddd to top the dimples he has a rare condition called A KIND PERSONALITY🥹🙏. Very few guys in this world have this andddd let’s just say they need to take notes from Mr. Luke Blythe😍👍. Just one problem- I know someone named Luke THAT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THE BOOK DESCRIPTION…but I’m related to him😭😭😭. So that would be gross- so I totally altered him in my head🤭. He had lighter brown hair and blue eyes😚👍. But yeah I LOVED him👏😍. And like every other Ann Liang MMC I absolutely do wanna marry him :D
Victoria : IF YOU HAVE A “FRIEND” LIKE HER…LEAVE HER RIGHT NOW👹.
⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊
Quotes ! 🥣
Check out my Kindle Highlights and Notes if you’d like
to see some quotes from this novella and my comments! <333
⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊
Overall ! 👛
If you are wondering heh I did in fact read this novella in one sitting😏😏😏. As a person with an attention span of a fly I’m VERY proud of myself hehe🤭👍.
And the ending didn’t leave me staring at the wall or feeling empty like I sometimes do when I finish books😭. The ending left it for you to decide what their future would look like and I LOVED that about the ending🥹🙏
Also I will be doing an inspection of my house and property for cameras bc ain’t no way Ann is writing this without some research on me-😰. BC NO WHY DO I FEEL LIKE ITS DIRECTED TOWARDS ME😭🙏.
I feel like Ann always tries to put some type of life lesson in her books/novellas bc I lowk feel accomplished and wiser after finishing smth written by her…🥺🤷♀️.
But yeah! I DEFINITELY recommend this cute little novella <333
I would recommend this to you if you enjoy…
🫐 Time Travel (idk what else to call it-)
🌷 Shy FMC
🫐 Athletic MMC
🌷 Clean Romance
🫐 Short Stories
🌷 Cute Endings
🫐 Second Chances <3
Also a little warning - there’s minimal language in here but I do remember 1 f bomb👹, and also there is a bar scene in this novella so if any of that bothers you, I wouldn’t recommend this to you😉👍.
*cue the cutie music hehe*
*cue me doing donuts in my pink car😍*
💃🚗🔄
( pretend the car is pink👹🙏 )
⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊⋉⋊
Post-read ! 🫐
STOP THAT WAS ACTUALLY AMAZING RTC😍🙏
July 17, 2026
i’m already done 🤭
i literally love luke, please marry me
i also loved the message
im so sorry, i just have no effort to write a full review on a book that wasnt even 50 pages 😭
•❃°•°❀°•°❃• pre read •❃°•°❀°•°❃•
because i’m nothing if not an impulsive bitch
i literally love luke, please marry me
i also loved the message
im so sorry, i just have no effort to write a full review on a book that wasnt even 50 pages 😭
•❃°•°❀°•°❃• pre read •❃°•°❀°•°❃•
because i’m nothing if not an impulsive bitch
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
|💘| post~read |💌|
this was so good! I honestly truly believe Ann Liang can’t write a bad book. It was very short but I still enjoyed it a a lot, I loved the writing style so much and the premise was interesting and unique! it wasn’t boring at all and away a fast, easy read. The only reason it wasn’t 5 stars is just that I don’t read short stories often and tend to prefer regular length books! tysm to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this <3
|💌| pre~read |💘|
AHHH I GOT AN ARC OF THIS OMG I literally love Ann Liang books so muchhh I can’t wait to read this 🤭
this was so good! I honestly truly believe Ann Liang can’t write a bad book. It was very short but I still enjoyed it a a lot, I loved the writing style so much and the premise was interesting and unique! it wasn’t boring at all and away a fast, easy read. The only reason it wasn’t 5 stars is just that I don’t read short stories often and tend to prefer regular length books! tysm to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this <3
|💌| pre~read |💘|
AHHH I GOT AN ARC OF THIS OMG I literally love Ann Liang books so muchhh I can’t wait to read this 🤭
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, & Ann Liang for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
♡₊˚ 🍫・₊✧ girl chokes on chocolate almond and dies ♡₊˚ 🍫・₊✧
a groundhog day academic romance that wastes no time. i can so easily picture sadie wen as allison in this. while the moral was clear and important, the story felt rushed and didactic. the ending also missed out on tying up some loose ends. ultimately enjoyable but nothing extraordinary ⋆｡‧˚ʚ🧸ɞ˚‧｡⋆
p.s. i found a typo at 81%: it should be "six words", not five (ur welcome publishers 🤭)
⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ⋆˚࿔ 💙 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
reading this solely for the ann liang fomo
♡₊˚ 🍫・₊✧ girl chokes on chocolate almond and dies ♡₊˚ 🍫・₊✧
a groundhog day academic romance that wastes no time. i can so easily picture sadie wen as allison in this. while the moral was clear and important, the story felt rushed and didactic. the ending also missed out on tying up some loose ends. ultimately enjoyable but nothing extraordinary ⋆｡‧˚ʚ🧸ɞ˚‧｡⋆
p.s. i found a typo at 81%: it should be "six words", not five (ur welcome publishers 🤭)
⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ⋆˚࿔ 💙 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
reading this solely for the ann liang fomo
August 8, 2026
Thoughts
This is my second reading experience with this author and I definitely need to devour the rest of her books! I absolutely loved this one, lowkey wish I could get another chance at rewriting certain phases in my life and how I reacted knowing what I know now.
Plot Summary
After becoming miserable in her post-university job, Allison unexpectedly dies at work and wakes up three years earlier, back in college. Given a second chance at life, she decides to make different choices—from changing her degree and cutting off toxic friends to being more honest with her parents. And this time, she might even have the courage to get closer to the athlete she has always secretly loved.
My Bookstagram
This is my second reading experience with this author and I definitely need to devour the rest of her books! I absolutely loved this one, lowkey wish I could get another chance at rewriting certain phases in my life and how I reacted knowing what I know now.
Plot Summary
After becoming miserable in her post-university job, Allison unexpectedly dies at work and wakes up three years earlier, back in college. Given a second chance at life, she decides to make different choices—from changing her degree and cutting off toxic friends to being more honest with her parents. And this time, she might even have the courage to get closer to the athlete she has always secretly loved.
My Bookstagram
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 .ᐟ review #20
i really enjoyed back to you. the short story was extremely relatable as a girl with parental expectations and as someone who holds herself to impossible standards. i empathized with allison a lot, and i see myself in her character. this book is a reminder to everyone that its more important to chase your dreams and find happiness than to have a high paying job! short stories are different from what ann liang usually writes, but i find myself liking it and im excited to read more stories in her edge of everything collection! 3.5 stars rounded up xx
i really enjoyed back to you. the short story was extremely relatable as a girl with parental expectations and as someone who holds herself to impossible standards. i empathized with allison a lot, and i see myself in her character. this book is a reminder to everyone that its more important to chase your dreams and find happiness than to have a high paying job! short stories are different from what ann liang usually writes, but i find myself liking it and im excited to read more stories in her edge of everything collection! 3.5 stars rounded up xx
June 9, 2026
I wish so badly that this was a full length novel and not just a novella. I love the premise of her waking up three years in the past after dying at her work to remodel her whole life. I’m honestly so proud of her for taking that step. Also for the first time ever I read a book with my name just for the character to be the toxic friend. If this book was longer it would definitely be a 4 star or even more.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
——————————————
𐙚⋆°. preread
I’m surprisingly in a romance mood what a shocker and also in a slump, so I’m hoping that this novella will get me out of my slump.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
thank you @netgalley and amazon original stories for the arc in exchange for an honest review
౿ back to you (the edge of everything)
⤿ 3 stars ⭑.ᐟ
💐 no, the opposite. i want you to mean it ❀
🫂 thoughts
thank you so much @netgalley for the arc!! i'm so grateful i was able to get a copy of this 💗 allison and luke were so cute, and i really liked the concept behind allison's rebirth. her death was kind of funny (choking on a chocolate almond) but i do like how she decided to live her life, the way she wanted to once she was given the chance to redo the past three years. i really like allison and her changes of thought throughout this, and i like how ann liang keeps similarities between her fmc's (sadie, leah, etc). i so wish this was a whole novel or slightly longer, allison and luke are so adorable 💖 i admire allison's new go for it attitude alot and there's so many life lessons tucked here and there throughout this, it's truly a great book. i feel like even without the physical writing, you can imagine how allison and luke's relationship will develop and grow, along with allison's bravery and confidence. the reason this was a 4 star was because it was pretty short but all in all it's incredibly well-written 👏 we love ann liang 🫶
🍫 quotes
nothing. i'm just happy
i wanted his gentleness, his easy, smiling manner, his confidence and calm. his attention. i wanted him
what happened to that crush you had on me in high school? who said anything happened to it?
🌹 ꒰ preread
omg i'm so excited to read this (i will read anything ann liang) 🤭 thank you so so much @netgalley for the arc!! it's my first one 🫶 the moment i saw this i went to go apply for an arc, anything by ann liang i will read 🥹
౿ back to you (the edge of everything)
⤿ 3 stars ⭑.ᐟ
💐 no, the opposite. i want you to mean it ❀
🫂 thoughts
thank you so much @netgalley for the arc!! i'm so grateful i was able to get a copy of this 💗 allison and luke were so cute, and i really liked the concept behind allison's rebirth. her death was kind of funny (choking on a chocolate almond) but i do like how she decided to live her life, the way she wanted to once she was given the chance to redo the past three years. i really like allison and her changes of thought throughout this, and i like how ann liang keeps similarities between her fmc's (sadie, leah, etc). i so wish this was a whole novel or slightly longer, allison and luke are so adorable 💖 i admire allison's new go for it attitude alot and there's so many life lessons tucked here and there throughout this, it's truly a great book. i feel like even without the physical writing, you can imagine how allison and luke's relationship will develop and grow, along with allison's bravery and confidence. the reason this was a 4 star was because it was pretty short but all in all it's incredibly well-written 👏 we love ann liang 🫶
🍫 quotes
nothing. i'm just happy
i wanted his gentleness, his easy, smiling manner, his confidence and calm. his attention. i wanted him
what happened to that crush you had on me in high school? who said anything happened to it?
🌹 ꒰ preread
omg i'm so excited to read this (i will read anything ann liang) 🤭 thank you so so much @netgalley for the arc!! it's my first one 🫶 the moment i saw this i went to go apply for an arc, anything by ann liang i will read 🥹
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
‧˚꒰🍬୭ ˚. back to you ౿ 4.5 stars
⤿ spoiler-free arc review!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀₊˚ ꒰ ⟢﹕thoughts ꒱ ˚₊ 🪻
📼 𝑵𝑶𝑾 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑰𝑵𝑮 ♬⋆.˚ ... 𝒖𝒏𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 - 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅
⠀⠀⠀⤿ “live your life with arms wide open / today is where your book begins / the rest is still unwritten, yeah,”
WOW WOW WOW! this was such an amazing short story! i knew going into it that i would love it, since ann liang is incredibly talented at creating characters and stories that effortlessly capture hearts, but i didn't know it would impact me this much. i'm in awe at how this novella could pack such a huge punch in so few pages. i really wish it was a full-length story because i want more right now 🤭
╭₊˚๑ back to you is a story about choosing passion over success and security, learning to choose your own path rather than following someone else’s, living without regrets, and realizing that doing 'scary' things only seem scary until you do them and realize how easy they really were. ₊˚੭
i deeply resonated with allison and her hesitation to live the life she wants, knowing it goes against what her parents expect from her. watching her grow and choose to create the life she wants to live this time around was so heartwarming and inspiring. her relationship with luke was also so sweet to watch unfold. gosh, i want a luke in my life! he was so charming and kind. i loved how, when they opened up and were vulnerable with each other, they realized they weren't so different after all.
life is short, and you want to spend it doing things you love, things that make you happy, so when you look back, at the end of your life, you can rest easy knowing you would do it all over again the exact same way. you never know what could happen if you're brave enough to take a risk. that's what i took from this stunning story 🥹🤍
i immensely enjoyed reading this novella. it captured my heart in such a short amount of time, and i can definitely see myself re-reading it in the future. ann liang, you've done it again, queen!
— ୨୧₊˚ 💌 thank you to amazon original stories, netgalley, and ann liang for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
⤿ spoiler-free arc review!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀₊˚ ꒰ ⟢﹕thoughts ꒱ ˚₊ 🪻
📼 𝑵𝑶𝑾 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑰𝑵𝑮 ♬⋆.˚ ... 𝒖𝒏𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 - 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅
⠀⠀⠀⤿ “live your life with arms wide open / today is where your book begins / the rest is still unwritten, yeah,”
WOW WOW WOW! this was such an amazing short story! i knew going into it that i would love it, since ann liang is incredibly talented at creating characters and stories that effortlessly capture hearts, but i didn't know it would impact me this much. i'm in awe at how this novella could pack such a huge punch in so few pages. i really wish it was a full-length story because i want more right now 🤭
╭₊˚๑ back to you is a story about choosing passion over success and security, learning to choose your own path rather than following someone else’s, living without regrets, and realizing that doing 'scary' things only seem scary until you do them and realize how easy they really were. ₊˚੭
i deeply resonated with allison and her hesitation to live the life she wants, knowing it goes against what her parents expect from her. watching her grow and choose to create the life she wants to live this time around was so heartwarming and inspiring. her relationship with luke was also so sweet to watch unfold. gosh, i want a luke in my life! he was so charming and kind. i loved how, when they opened up and were vulnerable with each other, they realized they weren't so different after all.
life is short, and you want to spend it doing things you love, things that make you happy, so when you look back, at the end of your life, you can rest easy knowing you would do it all over again the exact same way. you never know what could happen if you're brave enough to take a risk. that's what i took from this stunning story 🥹🤍
i immensely enjoyed reading this novella. it captured my heart in such a short amount of time, and i can definitely see myself re-reading it in the future. ann liang, you've done it again, queen!
— ୨୧₊˚ 💌 thank you to amazon original stories, netgalley, and ann liang for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
July 14, 2026
4.5 ✰ I love this so much :( time travel storylines never disappoint, I love them with my whole heart.
June 2, 2026
🍰✮⋆˙ 2026 reading log #16
🗒 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥: june 2nd
┆♡┆𝙥𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙
eekkkk got the arc of this book ahh I am exited to start this!!!!!!!!! I LOVEE my queen ann linag smmm and will read everything by her hehe 🤭🤭💓and tysmm netgalleyyy for the arcc🙏😻
🗒 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥: june 2nd
┆♡┆𝙥𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙
eekkkk got the arc of this book ahh I am exited to start this!!!!!!!!! I LOVEE my queen ann linag smmm and will read everything by her hehe 🤭🤭💓and tysmm netgalleyyy for the arcc🙏😻
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
꒰📈꒱ 𝓟𝓸𝓼𝓽-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓡𝓮𝓯𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼:
Dawn: June 02, 2026 | Dusk: June 02, 2026
— no rating☆! (a novella)
Thank you to NetGalley and Ann Liang for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I NEEDED MORE.
OKAY, THIS WAS WAY TOO FREAKING SHORT.
I know it's a short story, but still. I couldn't get enough. The moment I started settling into the characters, the atmosphere, and everything that was happening, it was over. Absolutely criminal behavior, Liang.
Every page had me wanting just one more scene, one more conversation, one more chapter. Instead, I reached the end and was left staring at my screen like a Victorian widow waiting for a letter that will never arrive.
And somehow, even with so few pages, I absolutely adored Allison Yang. One thing about Ann Liang's FMCs is that they're always so relatable. They're messy, awkward, overthinking their way through life, and somehow that makes them feel incredibly real.
Was it cute? Yes.
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely.
Am I now irrationally upset that there isn't more of it? Also yes.
My only complaint is that it ended before I was ready to let it go.
Dawn: June 02, 2026 | Dusk: June 02, 2026
— no rating☆! (a novella)
Thank you to NetGalley and Ann Liang for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I NEEDED MORE.
OKAY, THIS WAS WAY TOO FREAKING SHORT.
I know it's a short story, but still. I couldn't get enough. The moment I started settling into the characters, the atmosphere, and everything that was happening, it was over. Absolutely criminal behavior, Liang.
Every page had me wanting just one more scene, one more conversation, one more chapter. Instead, I reached the end and was left staring at my screen like a Victorian widow waiting for a letter that will never arrive.
And somehow, even with so few pages, I absolutely adored Allison Yang. One thing about Ann Liang's FMCs is that they're always so relatable. They're messy, awkward, overthinking their way through life, and somehow that makes them feel incredibly real.
Was it cute? Yes.
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely.
Am I now irrationally upset that there isn't more of it? Also yes.
My only complaint is that it ended before I was ready to let it go.
July 27, 2026
4 stars
This was definitely one of the better books in this collection!
This was definitely one of the better books in this collection!
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Mirai
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 1h 22m
June 25, 2026
this was a super cute novella!! it’s a good reminder that we should spend our lives doing something we want to do and what makes us happy, rather than choosing something that is just safe and doesn’t make us happy! we don’t want to live life with regrets. luckily for this woman, she got her second chance at life to go back in time to make different choices. she transformed with her new decision and was so much happier 🥹
overall super cute ! 🤭 i only rated it 3.5 💫 since its only 40 pages, but it would be higher if it was full length for sure!!
i only picked this up because i wanted to read some short novellas to help with my reading goal, but im glad i picked this up! it was my first ann liang story and certainly will not be my last 🥰
overall super cute ! 🤭 i only rated it 3.5 💫 since its only 40 pages, but it would be higher if it was full length for sure!!
i only picked this up because i wanted to read some short novellas to help with my reading goal, but im glad i picked this up! it was my first ann liang story and certainly will not be my last 🥰
July 28, 2026
A simple, quick, beautiful read. In Ann Liang, we trust.
September 27, 2026
I received a gifted copy of this book to listen to in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
Back to You is a really sweet and thought provoking novella about the choices we make that are not always what we want but what others want us to take and in the case of Alison, the MC, a sliding doors moment that gives her a second chance with ones she's made.
This was such a lovely story that makes you ponder on your own past and makes you wonder what differing roads your own life would look like if you had made different choices or stood more firmly and bravely for what you desired (especially if you do things to keep the peace or are a people pleaser).
I think this is one of my favourites in this series so far. I loved the narrators voice and it helped endeer me to the character of Alison so much more than I expected.
***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
Back to You is a really sweet and thought provoking novella about the choices we make that are not always what we want but what others want us to take and in the case of Alison, the MC, a sliding doors moment that gives her a second chance with ones she's made.
This was such a lovely story that makes you ponder on your own past and makes you wonder what differing roads your own life would look like if you had made different choices or stood more firmly and bravely for what you desired (especially if you do things to keep the peace or are a people pleaser).
I think this is one of my favourites in this series so far. I loved the narrators voice and it helped endeer me to the character of Alison so much more than I expected.
July 18, 2026
Estuvo muy buenooo
Por qué no hizo algo más largo 😭😭
Por qué no hizo algo más largo 😭😭
June 2, 2026
An incredible heavy punch to the guts for the ones who feel like they've wasted their lives and lie in bed every night wondering about their what-ifs.
↠ 5 stars
Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
↠ 5 stars
Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
September 4, 2026
It's my first book by ann liang and I loved her writing and the whole idea of the book was something, it was like heartbreaking and learning; how Allison's past life was not her choice and how she was focused on things that get her out of this job, she didn't get to confess her love to the man she liked, she didn't get to do a lot of stuff.
But when she got a second chance she changed EVERYTHING and learned that she deserved to be happy and enjoy what she do whatever it was🤍✨
But when she got a second chance she changed EVERYTHING and learned that she deserved to be happy and enjoy what she do whatever it was🤍✨
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