Back Where We Started

by Becca Freeman, Unknown Author

A 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.

Genres: Romance, Holiday, Fiction, Contemporary, Second Chance, Adult, Christmas

Paperback

Expected publication October 13, 2026

About the author

Becca 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

Reviews

[Becca Freeman]

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.

[Lindsay]

If you are a fan to friends to lovers and enjoy the lights and cameras and behind the scene looks at celebrity life you will love this. This book was extremely intriguing, I didn’t want to put it down at times. It does an excellent job of providing background information to our couple’s relationship through the use of flashback scenes which were so adorable and I really liked that they were in chronological order by age. I love it when the romances I read have depth to them and this one sure has that. Not only is there depth to the relationship itself but also to our characters. We get to see them grow from the age of 9 years old looking up at the plastic stars on the ceiling to living out their dreams in their 20’s. I also thought this book touched on the difficulties women face in the public eye very well and how you dream of being famous/an actress without realizing the later difficulties down the road that come with it. The only part I wish we had dug a little deeper into is their relationship in the current timeline, I wish was had gotten to see our main couple together a bit more to dig deeper into the romance but overall this was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it!

[MrsHarvieReads]

Thank you to Viking Penguin for a gifted advanced reader copy of Back Where We Started by Becca Freeman in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have been a devoted listener to Becca’s bookish podcast, Bad on Paper, for the past 6 years. I have enjoyed following along with her writing journey these past several years, and jumped at the chance to read an advanced copy of her sophomore novel. Getting a rare, behind-the-scenes look at her inner thoughts made it impossible not to root for her success.

Back Where We Started is a childhood best friends to lovers, second chance, famous person-normal person romance featuring Katie and Drew. There’s a lot to like about this story. I especially appreciated the emphasis that was placed on Katie and Drew achieving their personal goals. They each knew what they wanted and didn’t compromise their ambitions for the other. This isn’t a giddy, lighthearted romance with a simple happily ever after. But the work and compromises they needed to make gave their relationship a grounded, authentic feel. I just wish that I had felt a deeper connection to them and there was a more satisfying resolution for the story's two villains. Overall a solid second-chance romance that fans of the trope will thoroughly enjoy. And I look forward to reading the author’s next novel! 3.25/5⭐️

[Shibani Faehnle]

✅ Blair (stage name) / Katie, actress & Drew, small town mayor of the town they both grew up in
✅ celeb-normie, second chance romance
✅ dual timeline- then and now
🌶️: a little

After years of avoiding her hometown (and her ex) Katie returns for her sister’s pregnancy.

Overall a very fun sexy Hallmark with insidery looks at both Hollywood & politics

[Lauren]

I liked this book! I really enjoyed the childhood friends to lovers of it all. I will say I felt like the flashbacks dragged at times and that there could have been more about the two main characters during the present day chapters. Overall, it was a nice little read!

[Mel]

I liked parts of this book but I think the hyper specificity of the time period really threw me off for some reason. Normally, when I'm reading a contemporary romance, there's not much alluded to in terms of real world events but this book had so much of it (from Obama running for president in the flashback chapters to Hilary NOT winning in 2016 and then references to the pandemic) that it actually took me a bit out of the story. Also, the dual timeline wasn't a deal breaker but so many of the chapters were about things in the past and I wish there had been more stuff in present day because the speed at which they went from seeing each other at the grocery store to making out in the pantry seemed very, very quick, especially in light of the fact that in present day, he did have a girlfriend.

I also didn't like the part where the truth came out about her fake relationship with Cam and Drew's reaction to learning that seemed a bit disproportionately over the top. He was way too judgmental and morally righteous about it. Like, dude, you work in politics, pretty much a hotbed of bad choices and secrets and lies.

Anyway, it was ok but it didn't blow me away.

Content Notes: MMC's dad dies in a car accident. Slut shaming of FMC in media and online.

ARC from publisher, review is all mine.

[Hannah Burke]

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an ARC of this book!

This was such a sweet second chance romance! Full of depth, hard life decisions, emotional connections, and familial ties. I loved reading about Katie and seeing her develop and change from then, at sixteen, to current day. She had some big dreams at a young age and she pretty much achieved what she wanted! Then there was Drew. He was fiercely loyal from day one. He also had many high hopes and ambitions that he wanted to achieve in life. Only, when Drew and Katie see each other back in their small Pennsylvania town, she realizes he didn’t quite achieve what he was hoping for.

I did feel like Becca Freeman did a great job with the two timelines and giving the reader a good picture of who they were as kids and who they have become as adults without each other. Drew was an all around sweet character. And, the fact that The Olsen Twins made it into this novel was a huge plus 😆.

Katie definitely achieved what she wanted but as time goes on, it can look different than what you previously thought. Which is the same for Drew. This is a book you need to push through and read until the end to really understand both characters and why they ultimately made the decision they do.

[Kate Rose]

I really liked this one!! I loved our main character of Katie and honestly, I really enjoyed all the time we got to spend in her thoughts, something I don’t always feel. I also really liked Drew, though I did wish he had been maybe explored a bit more because he did come across just as perfect, while Katie was a lot more dynamic. I also loved the world building both of Katie’s life in LA and Dutch Ridge. Overall, really really enjoyable and a great spin on friends to lovers.

[Lauren]

This is a very cute friends to lovers, celebrity/normie story. I’m a huge fan of Becca Freeman and am always happy to support her.

[Tatiana]

4.5

[Nienke Schuitemaker]

Could not put this down, great read!

I loved how original this was. Romance as a genre can sometimes feel a bit tired and formulaic. Back Where We Started definitely wasn't that! I like how the author hits all the right spots of the genre, while also delivering something really fresh. Loved it.

[Andrea Samacicia Mullan]

As a longtime listener of the Bad on Paper podcast, and someone who considers Becca Freeman a friend in my head, I was thrilled to get an early copy of Back Where We Started from NetGalley.

To my reading, this book was spectacular. Right from the first pages, I was yanked into Katie Eubanks’ world, where I stayed right through to the last page. I especially loved the coming-of-age arc and even found myself tearing up when Katie achieves her dream and finally realizes that she can be—really, she is—the architect of her own dreams. That realization comes alongside another: that home and family are rarely perfect, and not always how we would have necessarily drawn them up, but in their own way, they are often exactly perfect for us.

I also really appreciated how the complexity of each character comes to life. There are no perfect people, and there were multiple times during my reading when I wished I could slap some sense into Katie and Drew, but that very quickly became part of the story’s appeal. Back Where We Started tells a story that reminds us that we are not perfect, but in most cases, we’re all just trying our best. The road we travel is bumpy and full of obstructions, and it’s how we find our way around them, I think, that adds up to a life well lived.

I think Becca’s second book reads more literary than a standard rom-com. It belongs alongside Annabel Monaghan, Emily Henry, and Elin Hilderbrand—well-written, compelling stories that are easy to get swept up in but that tackle complex issues.

5 stars!!

[Allison]

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. And as we eventually come to find out, they didn't even have a dramatic breakup as much as they had a slow fizzle out each time their lives sent them in separate directions.

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 dumped a perfectly nice woman out of the blue. That distaste grew a lot stronger when he got extremely weird and judgmental about Katie getting outed for being in a PR relationship a whole decade earlier.

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 Katie's former co-star, Cam, outs her for participating in a PR relationship with him intended to hide his true sexuality. As an avid consumer of celebrity media, I just didn't agree with the public reaction to this revelation whatsoever. Many of our Millennial faves have come out over the years and nobody thinks any less of their former hetero partners who may have been helping them create a cover. In fact, I think Katie could have easily spun this as her being an ally protecting him from a homophobic world. It feels like a major missed opportunity to not bring back the reporter Ren to help her spin this in a positive light.

One final nit: the Oscar win was also just very stupid and unrealistic. This also felt very rushed, as if the author couldn't figure out how to wrap things up.

I'll be interested to see how others received it!

[Elle]

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.

[Madeline]

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!

[Aura C]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am such a sucker for a second chance romance, but give me childhood best friends to first loves to exes who have spent years pretending they’re completely fine without each other??? Yeah. I’m done. 😂

I absolutely loved Back Where We Started. Katie and Drew were once each other’s person. They grew up together, dreamed about their futures together, fell in love, and then life did what life does. Their dreams took them in different directions and loving each other wasn’t enough to make everything magically work.

Years later, Katie has the Hollywood career she always wanted and ends up back home, where of course the one person she can’t avoid is Drew.

And THE HISTORY between these two. 😭

The dual timeline worked so well for me because I didn’t just have to accept that this was some great lost love. I got to watch it happen. I saw the friendship, the falling in love, the dreams they shared, and all the little cracks that eventually became too big to ignore. By the time we’re back in the present, I wasn’t casually hoping they’d figure it out. I was emotionally involved in these people’s business.

I also really loved Katie. She’s ambitious and she actually accomplished the thing she dreamed about as a kid. The story never made me feel like she needed to apologize for wanting that life. Instead, she has to figure out whether the dream she chased for so long is still the dream she wants now.

And Drew?

Listen.

The man who knew you BEFORE everyone knew you will get me every damn time. 😂

He knows Katie without the fame, without the Hollywood version of her, without all the noise. But what I loved most is that this isn’t simply about her going home and picking the safe guy who stayed behind. Drew has changed too. They both have to deal with the fact that they’re not those kids anymore, even if some of those feelings never really went anywhere.

There is so much nostalgia here too. Going home. First love. Old dreams. Family. Christmas. Seeing places that haven’t changed when you feel like you’ve changed completely. It made the romance feel bigger than just “will they get back together?”

And YES, I wanted them back together.

Obviously.

I was rooting for these two idiots like I personally attended high school with them. 😂

This was romantic and messy and sweet and emotional without feeling like it was trying too hard to make me cry. It just quietly got me.

Five stars. Sometimes the person you need isn’t someone new. Sometimes you just have to meet each other again as the people you’ve become. ❤️

[Laura Vaughn]

4 stars! This was such a sweet story and very much reminded me of a classic Hallmark movie, which is what sparked my interest in the first place. I’m a sucker for a small-town, feel-good romance. Sure, those stories can be wildly predictable, but they work for a reason.

First of all, I loved Katie and Drew. From a young age, they both have big goals and aspirations. They’re the classic childhood friends-to-first-love story. High school sweethearts who care deeply for each other but become so focused on their individual dreams—and so worried about holding each other back—that they ultimately drift apart. Katie heads to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming an Oscar-winning actress, while Drew moves to New York and D.C. to build a career in politics.

The Hallmark comparison is hard to ignore: a successful actress returns to her small hometown for Christmas and is forced to confront both her past and the life she left behind. The holiday setting creates that cozy, sentimental atmosphere that fuels the story’s small-town nostalgia and second-chance romance. Unlike many Hallmark movies, though, this story digs deeper. I appreciated Freeman’s exploration of ambition, identity, sexuality, and sexism in Hollywood. Life rarely follows the path we imagine for ourselves, and sometimes finding happiness means reevaluating the plans you thought you wanted most.

I also enjoyed the dual timeline that shifts between Katie and Drew’s childhood, college years, and present day. It added depth to their relationship and helped illustrate how they became the people they are. That said, I occasionally found it difficult to follow. There were moments when I had to flip back and double-check the chapter date to reorient myself in the timeline.

My biggest issue was with the pacing near the end of the book, which felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the story. I would have loved a few more chapters to let certain developments breathe and spend more time with the characters as they moved into the next phase of their lives. And honestly, I just wanted more Drew.

Overall, though, I had a great time with this one. The plot was fun, the romance was charming, and it gave me major Sweet Home Alabama vibes—which is a movie I absolutely love!

Thank you to NetGalley, Becca Freeman, and Viking Penguin for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Carrie Everette (a_spine_line)]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to Viking Penguin and Netgalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review! I am a huge fan of Becca Freeman and love her podcast Bad on Paper. I adored Becca's debut The Christmas Orphans Club and was really excited for her sophomore novel. This story had it's moments, but missed the mark for me.

Katie and Drew are childhood best friends who grow up next door to each other, fall in love, and then make a plan for their future (her becoming an Oscar-winning actress and him fighting for change as a politician)--but then, they have a falling out. Our story begins when Katie and Drew haven't spoken in five years, and Katie must go back to her hometown for the holidays. And guess who still lives there!? You guessed it (also a good time to bring up that Becca shared on her podcast that the original working title was 'Tis the Damn Season').

What worked for me: I love Freeman's writing style. As a millenial, she sprinkles in so many fun references into her books (Mary Kate and Ashely Olsen's Holiday in the Sun!!!) as well as banter and humor. She adds little details that say so much. It's reminiscent of romance queen Annabel Monaghan. I also always enjoy a main character in Hollywood. There's Katie's glitzy celeb status but also commentary on being a woman in the entertainment industry.

What didn't work for me: the story started out so promising but then lost focus. The reveal behind the five year radio silence mentioned above was a nothing burger. I didn't buy the 'insurmountable' problems for why they weren't together, especially with her being a successful actress. Why couldn't she live bi-coastally? Their separation would make sense if Katie was a struggling actress with no money, but that wasn't the case. I also felt like the pacing was off in the last half. There was time spent on plot lines that didn't really go anywhere or serve to help us learn more about the characters. And, everything wrapped up in a way that I didn't find realistic or satisfying.

I know it took Freeman a long time to finish this story, and I do think there's some great stuff here! But this still read like a rough draft to me. I think more editing and focus would have gone a long way. I'm still a huge fan of Becca and will be going to see her on tour, though!

Thank you again for the opportunity to read prior to publication. All opinions are my own.

[Hanna]

I was a huge fan of Becca Freeman's debut novel "The Christmas Orphans Club" and have been anxiously awaiting her follow-up ever since. When I heard it was a celebrity/normal person romance, I was extra excited. So it pains me to say that "Back Where We Started" felt a little like a sophomore slump.

Katie and Drew grew up together in Dutch Ridge, PA — neighbors turned best friends turned high school sweethearts. But their dreams pulled them in different directions. Hers toward acting, his toward politics. Until one Christmas, Katie comes home and finds herself face to face with Drew again for the first time in years. Can they finally make it work?

My biggest issue with the writing is that it felt like there was a lot of telling versus showing. We're told Katie is a great actress, that she and Drew have undeniable chemistry, that she's funny and adventurous. But I didn't feel any of it. She reads mostly just as very anxious, and I couldn't tell you a single interest she has outside of acting.

Also, if she can't get parts in school plays or do well in her acting program at NYU, how exactly does she win an Oscar before 30? And if she can't make friends in high school, at NYU, or in LA... is Katie maybe a little lame?

The pacing didn’t quite work – the ratio of flashbacks to present day didn't quite click. And a fight between Katie and Drew three-quarters of the way through felt strange — I couldn't understand why he was as upset as he was about what he was upset about. (staying vague here to avoid spoilers!)

What did work: the people who populate Dutch Ridge, Katie and Drew's families, her agent and publicist. All good. The ending, too – unexpected and well done.

Freeman was really great at writing friendship in her debut. Romance with steam feels less natural coming from her (there's one sexy scene ) and given how many romance writers there are and how few writers focus on friendship, I'd genuinely love to see her lean back into that territory in her next book.

My reaction to “Back Where We Started” may be a victim of overly high expectations. I feel sure many romance readers will really enjoy this one. I remain a big Becca Freeman fan and am excited to see what she does next.

PS: Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

[Caitlyn Stern]

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!

[Jori Broad]

Another second chance romance to add to your TBR list.

Back Where We Started by Becca Freeman
⭐ 4 stars

Katie Vaughn and Drew Delgado grew up together in Dutch Ridge, a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania, both full of big dreams and even bigger expectations. Katie was always chasing her future as an actress, while Drew had plans that once included becoming President. Like so many friendships and first loves, life in your late teens and early twenties does not always unfold the way you imagined.

Years later, Katie has built a life far away from home and has spent plenty of time avoiding both Dutch Ridge and Drew. But when she returns home for the holidays, she is forced to confront the people, memories, and unfinished feelings she left behind.

As Katie reconnects with Drew, old emotions resurface and both of them are left questioning the paths they chose. What happens when the life you worked so hard for is not actually the one you want? And what if the person you left behind was the right one all along?

This story really shines in its character development. Katie and Drew both feel layered and realistic, and their growth feels earned rather than rushed. I loved how the story explored ambition, disappointment, identity, and the complicated reality of realizing adulthood does not always match the dream you had when you were younger.

The small town setting adds so much warmth and nostalgia, and the holiday backdrop makes it feel even more emotional. There is longing, tension, reflection, and that bittersweet feeling of wondering if you can ever truly go home again.

If you love emotional second chance romances with hometown returns, personal growth, and characters figuring out what really matters, this is definitely one to pick up.

Tropes and themes:
Second chance romance
Childhood friends to lovers
Small town romance
Hometown return
Holiday romance
Right person, wrong time
Coming of age into adulthood
Emotional growth
What if love story
Nostalgic romance
Slow burn tension
Finding yourself
Figuring out what really matters

[Rebecca]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

The latest by Becca Freeman is a classic destined-to-be-together-but-it-wasn’t-the-right-time romance. Katie is a rising Hollywood actress who begrudgingly returns to her hometown for the holidays after years of avoidance. Shortly after arriving, she runs into Drew, her former neighbor and boyfriend with whom she’d dreamt of becoming a star (her) and the president of the United States (him). The same ambition that brought them together drove them apart years earlier, but it quickly becomes apparent their love remains.

The story is a cute second-chance romance, but I struggled to connect with the characters and, therefore, wasn’t all that invested in their relationship. Katie is consistently unhappy, with no explanation why. She struggles to fit in in high school, college, and Hollywood, but much of that is her own doing — early on, she’s way too attached to Drew and essentially closes everyone else out. She’s also fixated on getting people to like her, even those who are rude to her from the start, like Drew’s sister.

Men in romances are usually a little too good to be true, but Drew is an extreme case and tough to find believable at some points. For example, what sociable college sophomore male wants to stay in every weekend with his girlfriend, watching romcoms? At another point, he suggests matching love bird tattoos and gets his on his (very visible) forearm.

Some of the supporting characters don’t seem realistic, either. Drew’s sister is mean to Katie, and the reason, which we learn close to the end, feels immature for a woman in her thirties. Additionally, one of Katie’s close friends does an abrupt about-face that feels out of character.

I also struggled with the novel’s dual timeline structure. The story jumps back and forth, and some parts are confusing because the time period is unclear until a page or two into the chapter.

TL;DR: If you’re simply looking for a fun holiday romance, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

[Collyn Bradley]

read if you like:
📖 books about going back home
🏘️ small towns
🥰 high school romances

summary:
A friend recommended Becca Freeman to me, and since I loved THE CHRISTMAS ORPHANS CLUB, I wanted to check out her upcoming book, BACK WHERE WE STARTED. This book follows Katie and Drew, childhood best friends and high school sweethearts, who both dreamed of leaving their small town to become a famous actress (Katie) and the President (Drew). But years later, only Katie left, and their paths drifted apart as they became adults. Katie has transformed herself into a successful Hollywood actress who goes by Blair Banks, while Drew remains in their hometown, serving as mayor and living in his parents’ home. When Katie returns home for the holidays to see her family, their reunion forces them to address the feelings they left behind and what, if anything, lies in their future.

I loved this second-chance romance. The chemistry between Katie and Drew is so apparent, and both characters are extremely likable, which is an added bonus. Both of their backstories really add to the story though — their ambition, identities and the pressure to succeed while still remembering where they came from. The book is written from both the past and present timeline, flashing back to when Katie and Drew met, which shows how two people can love each other deeply but also be torn apart. There are plenty of nostalgic and beautiful moments in their relationship that don’t feel overdramatic, and the story doesn’t suggest that rekindling an old flame will solve all life’s problems. Instead, it feels more like a journey of growing together, and whether your lives can intertwine enough to stay connected.

If you love a good second chance romance in a small town, this book will give you all the feels. Thanks to Viking Penguin and Penguin Books for the advanced copy, and don’t miss this book when it comes out on October 12.

[Katie Katieneedsabiggerbookshelf]

Katie has made it…she made her dream come true. She is a successful actress, and is nominated for an Oscar. The typical misogynist Hollywood vibes are of course there, but this is what she has always wanted. When her very pregnant sister means she has to head home for the holidays, Katie dreads seeing Drew. As always though, when the two see each other, their connection is undeniable, leaving both once again heartbroken when they have to part. Their dreams keep them on opposite coasts, but could it ever work?

Ok so I have to start by saying that I was listening to @badonpaperpod and was really excited when Becca said her main character was named Katie. She then followed it up by saying she was looking for a very generic name of the time period. Welp. Thanks for keeping me humble, Becca! 😂 I also did not have the same full circle moment with this one. When I read Becca’s debut, The Christmas Orphans Club, I was in Holbox with my friend, at a hotel we heard about from Grace and Becca on the podcast! Not only that, but the island is mentioned in that book! That said, I was anxiously awaiting Becca’s sophomore novel, especially having followed her writing journey on the podcast. I immediately fell in love with Katie and Drew, and just wanted the two of them to figure it out and be together! That said, I just adored that each of them knew what they wanted to do with their lives, and didn’t hold back on their dreams for the other. Becca talked a lot about the struggles with this book, but you couldn’t tell while reading! While I enjoyed The Christmas Orphans Club slightly more, I think it was more because romance is a tough genre for me these days and friendship stories are my sweet spot. That said, I still love every second of this read and cannot wait for what Becca is working on next!

Thank you to @vikingbooks for my gifted copy of this book!

[Erica]

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.]

[Tori Boudreau]

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin | Penguin Books for the ARC! 🙏

Katie’s dreams have come true as a Hollywood actress 🎬⭐, but she always imagined achieving them alongside her high school sweetheart Drew, whose dream was to go into politics. Life didn’t go as planned, and when Katie returns home for the first time in years 🏠, she runs into Drew again…which of course means drama is about to follow 👀.

The story alternates between present day and flashbacks to when Katie and Drew first fell in love in high school 💭❤️. Unfortunately, the transitions weren’t always very clear, so it could be confusing at times trying to figure out where we were in the timeline 😅. The flashbacks also lacked tension for me. Katie and Drew felt like normal, likable people I probably would have been friends with in high school, which I appreciate in real life, but it didn’t always make for the most compelling reading experience 📚.

In the present, both characters are going through personal crossroads, but even Katie’s Hollywood fame never really added much excitement or drama to the story 🎭. She felt incredibly down to earth and ordinary, which again is nice, but made the book feel low stakes overall. I could feel that Katie and Drew cared deeply for each other 💞, but after so much time apart, their reconnection felt a little too instant for me.

Overall, this is basically the story of high school sweethearts who break up, grow apart, and eventually find their way back to each other 💕. It’s sweet and comforting, but for me it lacked the spark and emotional depth needed to really stand out ✨📚.

[Amy Daily]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 stars rounded up)

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin books for an ARC of this book.

Back Where We Started had so many ingredients that usually make me want to devour a book. I got little glimmers of some of my favorite storylines and tropes, including the famous-person/regular-person setup that reminded me of Nora Goes Off Script and the childhood-to-adult romance vibes of Love and Other Words.

I liked the different timelines and flashbacks. I enjoyed slowly getting pieces of Katie and Drew’s history and seeing how everything came together. The mystery elements also kept me interested, although I was definitely waiting for a big twist that never really came.

We get a lot of Katie’s drama and backstory, which I liked, but I really wanted more of Drew. I think having a better understanding of him would have made it much easier for me to root for their relationship. Unfortunately, I never quite got the butterflies I was hoping for, and that kept the romance from completely landing for me. I also had a hard time believing Katie and Drew could reconnect and get back together so quickly after years of not speaking. Drew breaking up with his girlfriend after two days felt especially rushed.

That said, I really liked the ending and the way everything wrapped up. It left me feeling satisfied and gave the story the closure I wanted.

Overall, this was a fun read with a lot of elements I love—second chances, complicated history, multiple timelines, mystery, and romance. While I wanted more development from Drew and the central relationship, I still really enjoyed the book and am rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4. 💕

[Brittany Rader]

✨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.

[Jessica]

This was a good read for me overall—I flew through it and really liked the whole “what if you went back to the person who knew you before you became who you are now” setup.

I was genuinely invested in seeing how Katie and Drew’s history would collide with their present. That said, I’m a pretty harsh romance reader, especially when it comes to sex scenes. Anything that refers to a woman’s body part as her “center” or his body part as his “length” is a hard ick for me, and in general I don’t love on‑page sex, so those parts mostly pulled me out of the story instead of adding to it.

My bigger issue was the relationship dynamics. The apologies felt very one‑sided, like one character kept carrying the emotional weight while the other skated by with far less accountability and a lot of blame overall. The “will they / won’t they” wobble didn’t feel organic to who these people are—it played more like a required plot beat than something that grew naturally out of their choices.

I also didn’t love that both POVs seemed a little divorced from reality, and no one ever really stands up and clearly names what actually happened. By the end I felt like both characters were a bit lost about what they wanted and what would genuinely make them happy. So while it was a good second-chance romance, part of me still kind of wants to say “okay, but screw both of you for how we got there.”

Enjoyable, compelling enough that I cared (and got annoyed), and I’d read the author again—but this one left me more frustrated than swoony.

[Wendy]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars

Back Where We Started by Becca Freeman was such a sweet and heartfelt read.

The story follows Kate and Drew, high school best friends turned sweethearts, as they navigate life after graduation while chasing the dreams they’ve always imagined for themselves. Kate is determined to become the next big thing in Hollywood, while Drew has his sights set on becoming President of the United States. As life takes them in unexpected directions, they must figure out whether their relationship can survive the highs, lows, and everything in between.

One of my favorite things about this book was how realistically it portrayed life after high school. So many of us leave home with big dreams and carefully crafted plans, only to discover that life doesn’t always unfold the way we expected. This story captures both the hope and the uncertainty of that journey beautifully. I found myself rooting for Kate and Drew every step of the way. They are both lovable characters with flaws, ambitions, and so much heart.

The only reason I occasionally struggled was the timeline structure. The story moves between the present and the past, and there were a few moments where I found myself a little confused as I tried to keep track of both storylines. However, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

This was an emotional, hopeful, and charming story about growing up, chasing dreams, and finding your way back to the people who matter most. I highly recommend it and give it 5 stars.