Our Way Back to Always

by Nina Moreno

Luisa (Lou) Patterson grew up across the street from Sam Alvarez in the small, quirky town of Port Coral. They used to be inseparable--spending every holiday together, shooting silly YouTube videos, and rescuing stray cats. But then middle school happened, including the most disastrous (and embarrassing) serenade ever, and Lou and Sam haven't talked in the four years since. Sam is now the golden boy with plenty of friends, while Lou is an introverted romantic who's happy playing video games and writing fan fiction. But it's also the summer before their senior year, and life is knocking on Lou's door.

With her older sister having given up a scholarship to Princeton to have a baby and work at the local botanica, all of their mother's expectations are now riding on Lou's shoulders. She's retaking her SAT's, signed up for way too many AP classes, and her sights set on colleges with fancy names like Duke and Vanderbilt. But when she finds the bucket list she and Sam wrote together as kids, before Sam's father was diagnosed with cancer, she's shocked to see that she hasn't accomplished any of the goals she'd set for herself. Go to a party? Nope. Pull the greatest prank of all time? Still no. Learn how to be a really good kisser? Definitely not.

Torn between the future that her mother, sister, and younger self planned for her, Lou sets out to finish the list, and in a stroke of destiny or fate, Sam decides to tag along. Still trying to stay afloat amid the grief of losing his father, Sam himself is staring down a future that feels all too close, and is coming far too fast. But with the bucket list to guide them, Sam and Lou might just be able to find a way through the future, and also a way back to each other.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, Young Adult Romance, Audiobook, Friends To Lovers, Fiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2021

About the author

Nina Moreno writes books that are somewhere between Southern fiction and a telenovela. A University of Florida graduate, she lives with her family by a swamp outside Orlando where she enjoys listening to carefully curated playlists, hunting through thrift stores, and drinking too much Cuban coffee. She is the author of Don’t Date Rosa Santos (Disney, 2019), Our Way Back to Always (Little Brown YR, 2021), and the Maggie Diaz series (Scholastic, 2022/2023), and has participated in a number of anthologies including Reclaim the Stars, a YA anthology of genre-blending fiction

Reviews

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooo. This is an October book and I can't believe I already read this. But tbh I kinda can believe it because I've been waiting for this book since Nina revealed what it was about. I grabbed it and didn't let go until the very last page. I still feel a *umf* in my heart even though I finished it but it's because of the characters, the story that Nina crafted, and just the vibes this book gives you.

This story is about Lou and Sam, two childhood besties who fell out years ago. Now in their senior year, Lou finds their bucket list from middle school and Sam is ready to help her. I love how this story was written truly. Short chapters~ just how I love my books! Lou and Sam easily made me love them immediately. Their voices were so enchanting and I wanted to keep reading more and more about what was happening with them.

I love seeing them get back to their friendship because it's clear they really are meant to be in each other's lives. Neighbors and childhood besties, Lou and Sam have lived together so many moments, and now in their senior year, they find themselves back to that place called home between them.

The romance? SUPERB. It's sweet, swoony AF. These two are adorable and I ate this ROMANCE UP. So many cute moments, I swear, my heart grew ten thousand sizes while reading Nina's book. There is also kissing lessons. YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT. I am obsessed, still obsessed, will never get over this scene.

It was so great to see Latinx culture so alive in this book. It was like a big warm hug from a member of my family. I saw my life as snapshots in the pages of this book. I laughed because some stuff reminded me of my own experience and it just felt w o n d e r f u l.

It's about grief. It's about finding yourself. It's about being afraid. It's about being a teenager in your senior year. Lou and Sam will take you on a ride that will feel like a warm summer day~

PS. I do really need to read Don't Date Rosa Santos at some point. GOSHHHHH!!!

[Helena (helenareadsxx) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL CAPS BECAUSE I FUCKING ADORED THIS BOOK. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO SUM UP THIS UNDERRATED MASTERPIECE!!!

[jocelyn]

Nina Moreno gets my love forever and always. WE'RE GOING BACK TO PORT CORAL, PEOPLE.

[aarya · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021 Fall Bingo (#FallInLoveBingo🍂): Latinx MC

4.5 stars

Content Notes: parental death from cancer (months before the book starts); on-page car crash with non-life threatening injuries

This is wonderful. Nina Moreno is so good at the precarious balancing act between grief, romance, and comedy. It's been years since I applied to college (undergraduate), but my mirror neurons must've been working overtime. My anxiety was spiking through the roof!

A+ practice kissing scene between ex-best friends. The book lived up to all the tropes listed in the marketing and blurb. Read via audio (narrated by Natalia del Riego and Adan Rocha).

Disclaimer: I received a free audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Aj · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute and sad
edit: I can’t stop thinking about this book. I want to reread it so bad.

[Belle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a really cute set up, but I just felt like I was being told to care about the characters and their emotions instead of actually feeling it. Everyone also just felt really young for 18-year-olds. RTC

[book bruin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall 4 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 3.5 stars

This was a great young adult coming of age story. The narration by Natalia del Riego and Adan Rocha was really wonderful and they fit the characters so well. Natalia del Riego was especially amazing as Lou and her performance was quite emotional. I thought the depiction of grief was really well done and my heart broke for Sam as he struggled to reconcile his feelings and recalibrate his life after the loss of his father. I think many readers will relate to the different themes in the novel, like living in a sibling's shadow, the ups and downs of High School, the sting of rejection, and the magic of first love. I do wish that Sam and Lou's falling out/past would have been addressed a bit more, but I really enjoyed seeing them reconnect and navigate their renewed friendship and relationship. Both Sam and Lou have fulfilling character arcs and my heart was left happy and hopeful in the end.

CW: death of parent, grief, ADHD, teen pregnancy (secondary character), secondary character hit by car (on page, non-life threatening injuries)

*I voluntarily listened to a review copy of this book*

[Cande · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything I was hoping for and more. A story about love, growing up and giving second chances to your friends, to your family and even yourself. It’s about finding your path after high school. And about grief, the constant moments of sadness and joy.

Ultimately, Our Way Back to Always is a story about love. Two latinx kids that get all the best rom-com moments; “i’m not in love with my childhood best friend”, practice kissing, rivalry, pranks, parties, forehead kisses, “we can’t be vulnerable and talk about feelings”, and some swoon-worthy dialogue. It feels like such a celebration; an incredible hopeful and romantic journey. With an anxious Colombian-American girl and a soft Cuban-American boy at the center.

Full review to come.

Favorite character? The very minor side-character named after me!!! Love you, Port Coral Cande <3

[nitya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing better than best friends to lovers? ESTRANGED best friends to lovers with mutual pining 🤩 (and kissing lessons, ahem)

And I LOVED the Rosa character cameos!!!

Content warning: death of a parent (off page)

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been meaning to read this book since I loved Moreno’s debut but it slipped my mind until I saw the audiobook in the library’s catalog. And it was great! I loved the use of dual POVs and all the family dynamics. Of course, the super swoon worthy romance helped my cause too!

[Kiret · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute read, nothing more

[Ekene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a good good friends-to-lovers stories, especially when they meet as kids and this delivered. It was so good

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a charming summer read! And I'm always such a sucker for when past main characters make a cameo

[Tennessee Draper · Rating 3 out of 5]

So basic, wouldn’t read again

[Micaela]

When Harry Met Sally (one of the best rom-coms ever) + reminiscent of Sarah Dessen (one of the best YA contemporary writers ever) + literary bucket list = CAN I HAVE THIS YESTERDAY PLEASE

[Brandy Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the same town as Don't Date Rosa Santos with some crossover characters, Our Way Back to Always definitely stands on its own. I actually enjoyed this one much more than Moreno's first YA. The premise of the book really worked for me. Two childhood friends who grew apart due to middle school romantic misunderstandings and different lives coming together again to complete a bucket list they had made as children. The book spans the entirety of their senior year with many time jumps, yet the story felt consistent and had a flow. I loved both the individual character development of Lou and Sam and how they grew back into each other over their course of the year. I also really appreciated both of their families and best friends as well. While a romance, at its core this is really a story about the need for community in both good and bad times.

[Clau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hace rato que no leía un Young Adult así, "sin apellido", por decirlo de alguna forma (no voy a negar mi obsesión con el Young Adult Mystery). Ciertamente, nada memorable (lo último del género que leí fue The Hoodie Girl, libro que sentí como una total pérdida de tiempo). Este, en cambio, me recordó bastante a Kasie West.

Es un libro lleno de momentos tiernos, pero también de amistad y crecimiento.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: death of a parent (in the past), grief, panic attacks, cancer, car accident.

I really love Nina Moreno's books. The characters and relationships in this one were so endearing. Definitely recommending it to contemporary fans :)

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[Anderson Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay so I love a good best friends to lovers plot. Especially when they’re childhood best friends who go through a period that they don’t talk. This book was just so heartwarming and adorable. It was like a nice cute hug. I loved the way that it showed how special the friends that you make when you are in your early growing years are as well as the unexpected ones that you make. Lou and Sam had such a loving friendship turned relationship that i was doing a little happy dance on my walk as i finished it ❤️

[dovesnook · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little hidden gem 💕. I loved this so so so so much and I’m excited to finally have read it after having it in my collection for a while! Pulled at every heartstring. This really had it all, from family relations to dealing with grief and first love. Such an adorable coming-of-age story. Lou and Sam were amazing characters and idk idk idk like I can’t say enough good about them! It was also nice to see how people can succeed in different ways because life is different for everyone.

[Morgan (The Bookish Beagle) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So gooooooooood!! Absolutely loved the dual POV (I feel like that's still rare in YA contemp!) and in some ways I feel like we got to know Sam even better than Luisa. I'm a sucker for a list so I liked that their middle school bucket list was the catalyst for them become friends again (and mooooore). I also love that Nina Moreno is able to strike the perfect balance between heavy topics (grief, family pressure) and nerd jokes, the sweetest romance, a town that feels like its own character, and sparkling dialogue. I hope we get more Port Coral books in the future!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my lord was this adorable and fun. I think I liked this even more than Don't Date Rosa Santos. Such a cute romcom, seriously.

[meagreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is more than 5 ✨ , welcome to the all times favourite shelf 🥹

[er · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might not be 18 anymore, but this was so relatable. And it was also so adorable!!

[Nikola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nina Moreno can make a reader both laugh and cry, sometimes on the same page.

[Marianne (Boricuan Bookworms) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure excellence. Childhood best friends to strangers to friends to lovers slowburn.

Practice kissing scenes, explorations of grief and trauma, figuring yourself out once you graduate high school... this book had it all. Nina Moreno excellence.

[Alicia (A Kernel of Nonsense) · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: death of a parent, cancer, grief

Nina Moreno delivers another heartwarming YA contemporary with her sophomore novel, Our Way Back to Always. Lou and Sam are entering their senior year with all the uncertainty of adulthood at their doorstep. When Lou uncovers a bucket list she and Sam made when they were kids, she is determined to finally check things off. Then Sam decides he wants in too, even though the two haven’t spoken in years. With the bucket list as their guide, Sam and Lou embark on an unforgettable year where they discover both new and old things about themselves and each other. Lou and Sam are struggling with decisions that will impact their future. Lou knows her grades and test scores leave a lot to be desired, but she is determined to get into a prestigious school. After his father’s passing, Sam can’t imagine leaving his family for college, but in order to stay, he has to let go of so many of his own dreams. He wants to be strong but his grief sometimes weighs him so far down. I really appreciated Moreno creating space for both of these characters to explore new paths for themselves. For Sam, in particular, this is important because his world has been irrevocably changed and moving forward, he has to find a way to form new dreams for himself. Lou is pushed beyond her comfort zone. It’s hard for her to trust people and let them in. I really enjoyed her new friendship with Rocky as Lou doesn’t find it easy to make new friends. As important as it was to see her open up to Sam again, I’m glad that she also found someone else to bring into her fold. Port Coral, the small sea side town shines once again in this companion novel to Don’t Date, Rosa Santos (loved the cameo as well!). From the sights and sounds to the people, this place is so full of love. Fans of Don’t Date Rosa Santos will rejoice with this one and those just being introduced to Port Coral with fall in love. Our Way Back to Always is sure to be adored by fans of small town romance and childhood friends to lovers.

[USOM · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the beginning I was absolutely obsessed with the premise of Our Way Back to Always. Friends to lovers, second chances, and all in that fraught moment before graduation. The strength of Our Way Back to Always is the characters. It's in the way Lou charms our heart with her determination, with her tendency to jump, while also balanced by her love for her family. And it's in Sam's experiences with his grief, with him coming to terms with the past, and his new family constellation. Our Way Back to Always being dual POV is pure *chefs kiss* because we're able to see the tension (un)raveling. The differences in opinions, misunderstandings, and expectations between Lou and Sam. This friends to lovers is done so beautifully. Combined with this second chance romance, Moreno takes us on an emotional journey of forgiveness and bravery.

full review; https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...

[Maisie Bayly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so cute! I seriously admire an author who can take a cliché (finishing a list, childhood friends falling in love) and make it feel fresh and new. Nina Moreno does an excellent job.

I loved that they didn’t finish the list quite as expected. Lou and Sam also felt real, and their issues and problems felt realistic rather than forced or artificial. I loved hearing about Sam’s healing from his father’s death through EMT training and Lou not getting accepted into every single college she applied to. I also really liked the fact that Lou was “not like the other girls” rather than the trope of being “quirky.” I love their relationship and communication.

Port Coral was such a fun place to read about. Moreno’s descriptions really made the place and people come to life and I enjoyed reading about the Latinx and Cuban influences on the town.

This is one of my new favorite romance books. 5 stars!

[michelle (magical reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

rep: biracial (Colombian, white) protagonist with ADHD, biracial (Cuban, white) protagonist, bisexual Chinese-American side character, Afro-Cuban-American side character, Cuban-American side characters; (Cuban-Colombian-American author)
cw: mentions of death of a parent (father) by cancer

I'm crying rn