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The Rewind
After a decade apart, two exes have to decide if they will overcome their complicated past in the span of 24 hours in this whip-smart rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch.
When college sweethearts Frankie and Ezra broke up before graduation, they vowed to never speak to each other again. Ten years later, on the eve of the new millennium, they find themselves back on their snowy, picturesque New England campus together for the first time for the wedding of mutual friends. Frankie’s on the rise as a music manager for the hottest bands of the late ’90s, and Ezra’s ready to propose to his girlfriend after the wedding. Everything is going to plan—they just have to avoid the chasm of emotions brought up when they inevitably come face to face.
But when they wake up in bed next to each other the following morning with Ezra’s grandmother’s diamond on Frankie’s finger, they have zero memory of how they got there—or about any of the events that transpired the night before. Now Frankie and Ezra have to put aside old grievances in order to figure out what happened, what didn’t happen...and to ask themselves the most troubling question of all: what if they both got it wrong the first time around?
When college sweethearts Frankie and Ezra broke up before graduation, they vowed to never speak to each other again. Ten years later, on the eve of the new millennium, they find themselves back on their snowy, picturesque New England campus together for the first time for the wedding of mutual friends. Frankie’s on the rise as a music manager for the hottest bands of the late ’90s, and Ezra’s ready to propose to his girlfriend after the wedding. Everything is going to plan—they just have to avoid the chasm of emotions brought up when they inevitably come face to face.
But when they wake up in bed next to each other the following morning with Ezra’s grandmother’s diamond on Frankie’s finger, they have zero memory of how they got there—or about any of the events that transpired the night before. Now Frankie and Ezra have to put aside old grievances in order to figure out what happened, what didn’t happen...and to ask themselves the most troubling question of all: what if they both got it wrong the first time around?
355 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2022
688 people are currently reading
33290 people want to read
About the author
Allison Winn Scotch
13 books1,970 followersI'm the bestselling author of eight novels including, CLEO MCDOUGAL REGRETS NOTHING, IN TWENTY YEARS and TIME OF MY LIFE, currently in development at Sony. My latest book, THE REWIND, will be released in Nov 2022 by Berkley Books.
As an author, I know how brutal reviews can be, so I'll only post about books I've enjoyed. (Just in case you're wondering why all of my reviews are positive!)
As an author, I know how brutal reviews can be, so I'll only post about books I've enjoyed. (Just in case you're wondering why all of my reviews are positive!)
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November 10, 2022It’s been a decade since Ezra and Frankie broke up, but when they’re reunited at a friend’s wedding, they do everything they can to avoid each other and their lingering emotions. When they wake up the next morning in bed together, with no idea how they got there, they’re forced to put old hurts aside to figure out what happened. A wonderfully nostalgic read.
March 4, 2023
I shed my ugliest tears, my emotions are everywhere! Ezra and Frankie’s love-hate- unfinished story is one of the best angsty, heart wrenching, touchy, saddest stories that hurts you and heals you at the same time!
They were lovers in their twenties and after sudden break up they swore not to talk and see each other again ! Now they will meet ten years later after their traumatic breakup with full of mistakes, hurt feelings, misunderstandings and unsaid words that restrained, locked deep inside their hearts. They moved on with your lives, chasing their dreams, fulfilling their expectations. Frankie becomes a successful music manager of the hottest bands and Ezra quits law school for chasing his lifetime dream.
He also finds his other half Mimi: he decides to propose her at the same wedding night when Ezra and Frankie’s mutual friends unite their lives for happily ever after!
But on the eve of millennium, at the picturesque, snowy New England campus where their story began, Ezra and Frankie have an eventful night and when they wake up at the same bad. Frankie wears Ezra’s grandmother’s ring! The same ring Ezra planned to prose his girlfriend whose plane was cancelled because of weather conditions!
Did they get marry? How drunk were they? Could they rewind the entire night back to take back the mistakes they’ve made? What about rewinding the time for 10 years back to make things better for their unresolved issues?
As they slowly start remembering everything about the last night, they not only dealing with things they’ve made under influence, they also have to confront their secrets, things they held to themselves to make peace with both of their pasts and futures!
I loved this angsty, pure, genuine, beautiful story! Both Ezra and Frankie were flawed, sad, deeply layered characters. It was so easy to love them! I cannot say the same for Mimi!
Overall: definitely worth to my angsty screams, heartbreak and ugly cries!
So many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
They were lovers in their twenties and after sudden break up they swore not to talk and see each other again ! Now they will meet ten years later after their traumatic breakup with full of mistakes, hurt feelings, misunderstandings and unsaid words that restrained, locked deep inside their hearts. They moved on with your lives, chasing their dreams, fulfilling their expectations. Frankie becomes a successful music manager of the hottest bands and Ezra quits law school for chasing his lifetime dream.
He also finds his other half Mimi: he decides to propose her at the same wedding night when Ezra and Frankie’s mutual friends unite their lives for happily ever after!
But on the eve of millennium, at the picturesque, snowy New England campus where their story began, Ezra and Frankie have an eventful night and when they wake up at the same bad. Frankie wears Ezra’s grandmother’s ring! The same ring Ezra planned to prose his girlfriend whose plane was cancelled because of weather conditions!
Did they get marry? How drunk were they? Could they rewind the entire night back to take back the mistakes they’ve made? What about rewinding the time for 10 years back to make things better for their unresolved issues?
As they slowly start remembering everything about the last night, they not only dealing with things they’ve made under influence, they also have to confront their secrets, things they held to themselves to make peace with both of their pasts and futures!
I loved this angsty, pure, genuine, beautiful story! Both Ezra and Frankie were flawed, sad, deeply layered characters. It was so easy to love them! I cannot say the same for Mimi!
Overall: definitely worth to my angsty screams, heartbreak and ugly cries!
So many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
December 2, 2022
1 star
So the characters were all awful and literally nothing happened the entire book. This is supposed to be a romance? Yikes.
I honestly don’t know what else to say. The audiobook narrators were great, I just wish they had been reading a better book.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
So the characters were all awful and literally nothing happened the entire book. This is supposed to be a romance? Yikes.
I honestly don’t know what else to say. The audiobook narrators were great, I just wish they had been reading a better book.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
October 27, 2022
This is a surprisingly emotional and insightful novel about looking back ten years after a relationship ends to examine the past and how time has allowed the couple to think and grow.
Frankie and Ezra dated throughout college and broke up in a stunningly dramatic fashion on the day of graduation. At 22, they thought they knew themselves and each other, but it ended up that they didn't know either of those things. Now at 32, on the eve of the new millennium, both of them have returned to their college campus to attend the wedding of some mutual friends. The morning after the rehearsal dinner, they wake up in Ezra's old dorm room--in bed together and both wearing wedding rings--and neither one has any memory of the night before. As they retrace their steps through campus, they have to figure out what happened and maybe re-look at what occurred in the past as well.
I really liked this look back at the characters' pasts and their realizations that both of them were at fault for their relationship issues. The ten years' worth of life experience has allowed them to have more insight into their issues, but some of the discoveries come as they journey about campus. The chapters are from alternating points of view of Frankie and Ezra. I was rooting for them, not necessarily as a couple, but as individuals who needed to confront their own shortcomings and learn from them.
The whole book is filled with a lot of 90s nostalgia, and as I graduated from college right around the same time as these characters, so much of the book felt so familiar and wistful for me. It made me wish I had been as strong as Frankie to pursue my own path at the time.
Scotch has written another wonderful character driven novel. The only quibble I had was that there was WAY too much energy spent on "Did we get married last night?" and trying to find the friend who was ordained to find out if he performed the ceremony, ignoring the pesky issue of a marriage license and other logical things like that. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and the ending is sweetly wonderful.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Frankie and Ezra dated throughout college and broke up in a stunningly dramatic fashion on the day of graduation. At 22, they thought they knew themselves and each other, but it ended up that they didn't know either of those things. Now at 32, on the eve of the new millennium, both of them have returned to their college campus to attend the wedding of some mutual friends. The morning after the rehearsal dinner, they wake up in Ezra's old dorm room--in bed together and both wearing wedding rings--and neither one has any memory of the night before. As they retrace their steps through campus, they have to figure out what happened and maybe re-look at what occurred in the past as well.
I really liked this look back at the characters' pasts and their realizations that both of them were at fault for their relationship issues. The ten years' worth of life experience has allowed them to have more insight into their issues, but some of the discoveries come as they journey about campus. The chapters are from alternating points of view of Frankie and Ezra. I was rooting for them, not necessarily as a couple, but as individuals who needed to confront their own shortcomings and learn from them.
The whole book is filled with a lot of 90s nostalgia, and as I graduated from college right around the same time as these characters, so much of the book felt so familiar and wistful for me. It made me wish I had been as strong as Frankie to pursue my own path at the time.
Scotch has written another wonderful character driven novel. The only quibble I had was that there was WAY too much energy spent on "Did we get married last night?" and trying to find the friend who was ordained to find out if he performed the ceremony, ignoring the pesky issue of a marriage license and other logical things like that. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and the ending is sweetly wonderful.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
November 16, 2022
2.5⭐️
My reaction to the ending: No fucking way!
Per the description, you will know that this is a second-chance romance. Second-chance romance is arguably my favorite trope! My favorite thing with this trope is seeing the genuine love and tension that is between the two characters that hopefully are going to reconnect. Not once was I rooting for Frankie and Ezra!!!
Yes, no relationships are perfect, but at a certain point especially after the 22nd argument, I think I had enough confidence to say that these guys had nothing in common and shouldn’t be together. Something I considered was that maybe their initial relationship could have revealed more of that chemistry, but we didn’t even get enough of that.
I don’t necessarily hate any of them, but I think the main problem was communication. I’m no counselor and I still figured that out. They both had a lot of different experiences concerning issues such as family and personal struggles with their true passions. I don’t want to explicitly say that they never realized that lack of communication was a problem, but I think what could have worked better would have been spending more time on that in this story.
Nevertheless, I was still really invested to see how this would end. All these factors made the ending quite unrealistic for me. Wouldn’t necessarily recommend it!
My reaction to the ending: No fucking way!
Per the description, you will know that this is a second-chance romance. Second-chance romance is arguably my favorite trope! My favorite thing with this trope is seeing the genuine love and tension that is between the two characters that hopefully are going to reconnect. Not once was I rooting for Frankie and Ezra!!!
Yes, no relationships are perfect, but at a certain point especially after the 22nd argument, I think I had enough confidence to say that these guys had nothing in common and shouldn’t be together. Something I considered was that maybe their initial relationship could have revealed more of that chemistry, but we didn’t even get enough of that.
I don’t necessarily hate any of them, but I think the main problem was communication. I’m no counselor and I still figured that out. They both had a lot of different experiences concerning issues such as family and personal struggles with their true passions. I don’t want to explicitly say that they never realized that lack of communication was a problem, but I think what could have worked better would have been spending more time on that in this story.
Nevertheless, I was still really invested to see how this would end. All these factors made the ending quite unrealistic for me. Wouldn’t necessarily recommend it!
October 31, 2022
2.5/5
I struggled with this one so I’ll just keep this fairly brief. I went into it thinking it was gonna be this fun nostalgic romance and really it was more fiction, not a lot of romance and missing the nostalgia I was hoping for. I found both Frankie and Ezra to be frustrating and frankly, annoying characters so I wasn’t able to connect to them or care about them. The story also dragged for me and it felt like it was an endless cycle of trying to piece together the night before and I just didn’t care eventually. I have enjoyed the authors past books but this was just a miss for me.
I struggled with this one so I’ll just keep this fairly brief. I went into it thinking it was gonna be this fun nostalgic romance and really it was more fiction, not a lot of romance and missing the nostalgia I was hoping for. I found both Frankie and Ezra to be frustrating and frankly, annoying characters so I wasn’t able to connect to them or care about them. The story also dragged for me and it felt like it was an endless cycle of trying to piece together the night before and I just didn’t care eventually. I have enjoyed the authors past books but this was just a miss for me.
October 27, 2022
Nothing happened and I didn’t care about Frankie or Ezra. I guess having a 2 yr college relationship that ended badly really and rekindling it 10 years later works for some people, but I just found it really unrealistic. Both of them were annoying and their banter wasn’t entertaining. I’m not sure why but it bugged me that the story was set in 1999. 😆 I just didn’t like this book.
June 2, 2022
I devoured this book. I will read anything Allison Winn Scotch writes!
February 9, 2023
I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded great. Two people that dated in the past, meeting again after 10 years. Frankie, managing mega bands and Ezra, getting ready to propose to his girlfriend.
But...
Suddenly, as the story goes, the wake up in the same bed with wedding rings and zero recollection of how they got there. Now, they are forced to confront the past, but also try to figure out how they got to this point.
I really struggled with this read, only pushing through to find out how they got there. The ending was unrealistic and extremely anticlimactic. The biggest issue, these two insufferable characters hated each others guts. There were hardly any moment I thought they should be together. I tried to find underlying moments when Frankie and Ezra could like each other, but it just didn't happen.
The story took too long to develop, revisiting the same topic over and over, leaving the plot dangling.
2.5 stars.
But...
Suddenly, as the story goes, the wake up in the same bed with wedding rings and zero recollection of how they got there. Now, they are forced to confront the past, but also try to figure out how they got to this point.
I really struggled with this read, only pushing through to find out how they got there. The ending was unrealistic and extremely anticlimactic. The biggest issue, these two insufferable characters hated each others guts. There were hardly any moment I thought they should be together. I tried to find underlying moments when Frankie and Ezra could like each other, but it just didn't happen.
The story took too long to develop, revisiting the same topic over and over, leaving the plot dangling.
2.5 stars.
November 1, 2022
A chance for a do-over at the dawn of the new millennium? Y2Yay of Y2Nay? I remember that night so well. I was just a couple of years older than Frankie and Ezra are on the book. My life was very different as I had three kids and a husband. Nevertheless, I found this to be a fascinating study of a relationship. Is it possible for Frankie and Ezra to "rewind" and revive a very broken relationship? What happened in front of the library in 1989 that caused them to separate? And, what happened last night? Neither one of them seems to be able to remember how they came to be waking up in a dorm room -- in the same small bed. This book kept me turning the pages to find out the what and the why for both "Whens." There were times that identifying where we were in time was a bit tricky. My linear brain would have been aided by some clarifying labels. I will say, though, that the discussion questions at the end were a wonderful wrap-up for me -- giving me a greater appreciation for the story in the end. Nostalgic and insightful.
Thank you to Berkley and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Berkley and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2022
Summary: When former college sweethearts Frankie and Ezra return to campus for the wedding of their mutual friends, their lives could not be further apart. Ezra is on the cusp of proposing to his girlfriend and Frankie is gaining success as a band manager for some of the hottest 90’s bands.
The last thing they expect is to wake up together wearing wedding rings. On the eve of the new millennial, they are forced to figure out what happened both in the past 24 hours and in their relationship.
Thoughts: This was such a charming second chance romance, rich in 90’s nostalgia. I have to say I laughed at the thought of New Year’s Eve 1999 and how fearful we all were of the Y2K “glitch”.
My favorite aspect of this book was how the main characters were forced to navigate the complexities of their relationship. I love how the author sent the characters back to college in a sense, using their friends wedding as a backdrop, to re-examine what went wrong in their relationship and how their lives veered off from what they had imagined for themselves.
I listened to this on audio, and as always the incomparable Julia Whelan steals the show. The dual narration was a bonus as it allowed both of these characters to shine equally.
This is a great romance, with a lot to heart, perfect for the holiday season. I cannot wait to read more by Allison Winn Scotch.
Read if you like:
•second chance romance
•college reunions
•dual timelines
•the 90’s
•character driven stories
Thank you {partner} PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
The last thing they expect is to wake up together wearing wedding rings. On the eve of the new millennial, they are forced to figure out what happened both in the past 24 hours and in their relationship.
Thoughts: This was such a charming second chance romance, rich in 90’s nostalgia. I have to say I laughed at the thought of New Year’s Eve 1999 and how fearful we all were of the Y2K “glitch”.
My favorite aspect of this book was how the main characters were forced to navigate the complexities of their relationship. I love how the author sent the characters back to college in a sense, using their friends wedding as a backdrop, to re-examine what went wrong in their relationship and how their lives veered off from what they had imagined for themselves.
I listened to this on audio, and as always the incomparable Julia Whelan steals the show. The dual narration was a bonus as it allowed both of these characters to shine equally.
This is a great romance, with a lot to heart, perfect for the holiday season. I cannot wait to read more by Allison Winn Scotch.
Read if you like:
•second chance romance
•college reunions
•dual timelines
•the 90’s
•character driven stories
Thank you {partner} PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
January 19, 2023
you guys may not already know this, but i have a personal mission to read every second chance romance book pretty much ever written. something about it fascinates and exhilarates me, the history between two people, the way that forgiveness has to come into play, the way that people can be seemingly meant to find their way back to each other.
and i really enjoyed this!!! i was really fascinated by the concept of it and i enjoyed the execution. i loved the way that the past and the present were woven together, it felt like i was walking though these characters minds as memories of the past came to them, unbidden.
i will say, i always find a disconnect when romance is written in third person pov, but that might just be a me thing. also, near the beginning of the book i was actually concerned because it didn’t really seem (to me) like these two characters belonged together. but by the end, with all their history laid before me, it all made sense. i think for me, forgiveness is such a fragile and important thing and for a while i did question if it was possible for these two but they proved it was. and i believe the forgiveness was deserved. i loved seeing these two reach their happy ending ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
and i really enjoyed this!!! i was really fascinated by the concept of it and i enjoyed the execution. i loved the way that the past and the present were woven together, it felt like i was walking though these characters minds as memories of the past came to them, unbidden.
i will say, i always find a disconnect when romance is written in third person pov, but that might just be a me thing. also, near the beginning of the book i was actually concerned because it didn’t really seem (to me) like these two characters belonged together. but by the end, with all their history laid before me, it all made sense. i think for me, forgiveness is such a fragile and important thing and for a while i did question if it was possible for these two but they proved it was. and i believe the forgiveness was deserved. i loved seeing these two reach their happy ending ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
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June 29, 2022DNF @ 22%. I really didn't like this. The characters were awful. Ezra was slightly more likable than Frankie, but not enough to make up for how terrible she was. I really tried to get through more of this, but I just couldn't make myself read any more. I really don't want to see them get back together.
July 8, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip down memory lane, and the epic romance of Ezra and Frankie all the way back in 1999. Put this on your to-read list!
March 1, 2025
My last read of 2022! Finished right on time since the story takes place on New Years Eve.
Oh my did this book give me all the nostalgic feels! I remember using Netscape, cd player Walkmans, participating in scavenger hunts (stealing toilet paper was as crazy as it got 😝), celebrating New Years Eve in 1999 and the radio playing Prince’s song incessantly! My NYE ‘99 was quite tamer than this one. LOL.
I’ve seen mixed reviews for this one but I liked it. Not a fan of Frankie until I couldn’t help but cheer for her and the relationship. All in all, a fun, easy read.
Excited to hear that there will be a Netflix adaptation!!!
My favorite quote:
“Face your demons head on. That’s really how you free yourself.”
December 30, 2023
Will read this again, next year.
I hope this book will give me all that late 90's vibes that I always crave and feel nostalgic to.
I hope this book will give me all that late 90's vibes that I always crave and feel nostalgic to.
November 8, 2022
It was difficult to invest in these characters and I had a hard time believing that Frankie had ever loved Ezra, despite how often we are told from her POV that she "really had" given how aggressively angry she seems. I found them to be insufferably, childishly competitive (Frankie mostly); too compliant (Ezra) and lacking in critical thinking skills (both).
So much of the plot hinges on the question of whether or not they, in a compromised state, get married the night before their friends' wedding. Ezra went to law school (though he did not sit for the Bar) and it never once occurred to him, at least, that even if they had said vows they couldn't recall making, that without applying for a Marriage License and then formally submitting/filing that license that it would not be legal and so the question is moot. Instead of trying to remember how they ended up next to each other in a dorm room bed, they should have immediately gotten a bar of soap and liberated the heirloom engagement ring from Frankie's finger then gone to find any friend of theirs who could have filled in some details about the night before. Problems solved.
With these qualms on record, I will say that two people who had a bitter breakup and haven't spoken to each other for ten years suddenly finding themselves thrown together in a nostalgic context is a premise with so much possibility. I would have loved to read some version of this story without the plot device of a current girlfriend to work around. She was so obviously there to be nothing more than an obstacle. And when that obstacle is finally removed, it's as though she was never there. I know the engagement ring plot point sort of falls apart if there isn't a would-be fiancee to contend with, but if it was that critical, I could think of other ways the author might have worked it in.
If you are going to write a second chance romance, the first go-round needs to be compelling and rootable, and the principals have to be likable. I didn't find either to be the case in this one. If it weren't for Julia Whelan's narration, I might have abandoned this.
So much of the plot hinges on the question of whether or not they, in a compromised state, get married the night before their friends' wedding. Ezra went to law school (though he did not sit for the Bar) and it never once occurred to him, at least, that even if they had said vows they couldn't recall making, that without applying for a Marriage License and then formally submitting/filing that license that it would not be legal and so the question is moot. Instead of trying to remember how they ended up next to each other in a dorm room bed, they should have immediately gotten a bar of soap and liberated the heirloom engagement ring from Frankie's finger then gone to find any friend of theirs who could have filled in some details about the night before. Problems solved.
With these qualms on record, I will say that two people who had a bitter breakup and haven't spoken to each other for ten years suddenly finding themselves thrown together in a nostalgic context is a premise with so much possibility. I would have loved to read some version of this story without the plot device of a current girlfriend to work around. She was so obviously there to be nothing more than an obstacle. And when that obstacle is finally removed, it's as though she was never there. I know the engagement ring plot point sort of falls apart if there isn't a would-be fiancee to contend with, but if it was that critical, I could think of other ways the author might have worked it in.
If you are going to write a second chance romance, the first go-round needs to be compelling and rootable, and the principals have to be likable. I didn't find either to be the case in this one. If it weren't for Julia Whelan's narration, I might have abandoned this.
January 12, 2023
I never DNF a book but I was close with this one. Boring characters, horrible and confusing story to follow, and I was left wondering where the fuck was Alec?
January 11, 2023
Set during Y2K with lots of nostalgic 90s references, I really wanted to love this second chance, enemies-to-lovers romance.
The setup was fun! After a decade apart and now attending the same wedding, Frankie and Ezra wake up in the same bed wearing matching rings—and zero memories of the night prior.
But oof, Frankie and Ezra were so, so hateful and downright unlikable.
As they go on a search for clues of the mysterious night, there's interjected flashbacks giving a glimpse into their past. Individually I felt for these two, both having been through trauma in their lives. And I really liked the anxiety representation through Ezra. But overall, there wasn't enough to convince me Frankie and Ezra should be together.
I usually thrive on stories with realistically flawed characters, but I never felt a sense of happiness in this romance. It felt a little toxic, to be honest.
(heat level: one brief fade-to-black / open-door scene)
The setup was fun! After a decade apart and now attending the same wedding, Frankie and Ezra wake up in the same bed wearing matching rings—and zero memories of the night prior.
But oof, Frankie and Ezra were so, so hateful and downright unlikable.
As they go on a search for clues of the mysterious night, there's interjected flashbacks giving a glimpse into their past. Individually I felt for these two, both having been through trauma in their lives. And I really liked the anxiety representation through Ezra. But overall, there wasn't enough to convince me Frankie and Ezra should be together.
I usually thrive on stories with realistically flawed characters, but I never felt a sense of happiness in this romance. It felt a little toxic, to be honest.
(heat level: one brief fade-to-black / open-door scene)
February 26, 2023
3.5 ⭐️. Cute book. Kinda like the Hangover—trying to figure out what happened.
October 17, 2023
This was just sort of ridiculously bad and it got siller and less comprehensible as it went on. I really hate offending an author who clearly pours their lifeblood into a story. So I will add, that perhaps it just struck me that way, and you might find it hits the spot for you.
I sort of loved what the eventual story of the minor character turned out to be. That reminded me of an Elinor Lipman novel. Like just a little off the wall and quirky. Minor character, but that little piece made me laugh and sort of hit the spot.
*Fits the Winter Tag as the hijinx take place on New Years Eve weekend, at a wedding held at the college our exes and the happy couple all went to over a decade earlier.
I sort of loved what the eventual story of the minor character turned out to be. That reminded me of an Elinor Lipman novel. Like just a little off the wall and quirky. Minor character, but that little piece made me laugh and sort of hit the spot.
*Fits the Winter Tag as the hijinx take place on New Years Eve weekend, at a wedding held at the college our exes and the happy couple all went to over a decade earlier.
December 31, 2022
Loved getting to go through memory lane with Ezra and Frankie. I struggled a bit to get through this because it’s in third pov but nonetheless it was a very beautiful story. I always love a good second chance romance.
December 30, 2022
I’ve seen mixed reviews for this one, but I was determined to read it right around New Years since the story takes place on NYE! BOTM had this listed as a romance, but I would say that it’s definitely more contemporary fiction.
Ten years after they broke up, Frankie and Ezra find themselves back where it all began. They had vowed to never speak to each other again… but when they wake up in bed next to each other with no memory of what happened, Ezra and Frankie have to work together to get answers. Along the way, they are forced to revisit their painful history that they’ve kept buried.
Read if you like
🥂 90s nostalgia & vibes
🥂 scavenger hunts
🥂 second chance romance
🥂 alternating POV
The beginning drew me in right away and I thought it was a fun & easy read. The more I read, the more annoyed I got with the flashbacks. The execution of flipping between past and present wasn’t my favorite. The character development was great and I enjoyed the raw emotions. I’d def recommend skipping this one if you don’t like plots with cheating.
Ten years after they broke up, Frankie and Ezra find themselves back where it all began. They had vowed to never speak to each other again… but when they wake up in bed next to each other with no memory of what happened, Ezra and Frankie have to work together to get answers. Along the way, they are forced to revisit their painful history that they’ve kept buried.
Read if you like
🥂 90s nostalgia & vibes
🥂 scavenger hunts
🥂 second chance romance
🥂 alternating POV
The beginning drew me in right away and I thought it was a fun & easy read. The more I read, the more annoyed I got with the flashbacks. The execution of flipping between past and present wasn’t my favorite. The character development was great and I enjoyed the raw emotions. I’d def recommend skipping this one if you don’t like plots with cheating.
January 8, 2023
3.5 stars
Frankie and Ezra weren’t my favorite characters. I’m
always roped into 90s nostalgia, but the whole time I
was reading I didn’t really feel like I was in 1999
except being told it was. The middle of the story
seemed drawn out. But I will say I did enjoy the
ending. I may not have cared for Frankie and the way
she wanted to do things, but given her background I
had sympathy for her and was glad to see that both
her and Ezra realized where they went wrong in their
relationship.
I gave it a 3.5 stars and I think that was really generous given my feelings. Maybe I just didn’t want my first review of the year to be bad.
Read if you like 90s themed reads and second chance romance.
Frankie and Ezra weren’t my favorite characters. I’m
always roped into 90s nostalgia, but the whole time I
was reading I didn’t really feel like I was in 1999
except being told it was. The middle of the story
seemed drawn out. But I will say I did enjoy the
ending. I may not have cared for Frankie and the way
she wanted to do things, but given her background I
had sympathy for her and was glad to see that both
her and Ezra realized where they went wrong in their
relationship.
I gave it a 3.5 stars and I think that was really generous given my feelings. Maybe I just didn’t want my first review of the year to be bad.
Read if you like 90s themed reads and second chance romance.
April 26, 2023
For some reason, I went into The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch thinking it would have Groundhog Day elements but that is in fact not the case at all. I would compare it to a version of What Happens in Vegas except more romantic and with 2 people who used to be in love. Even though it wasn't what I was expecting, that didn't stop me from immensely enjoying it and have I mentioned how awesome I think Frankie's job is? She is one bad bitch and I loved her for it. I also hadn't realized that I have previously read a book by this author (Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing) and looking back I enjoyed that just as much. This has me wanting to dive more into her backlist now and thank you to Bookstagram for putting her back on my radar!
Besides the writing and the story, the other thing that I couldn't help but love was the audiobook thanks to my girl Julia Whelan as the narrator for Frankie. MacLeod Andrews voices Ezra, and the pair together was absolute fire. I loved Andrews' voice and cadence, and they both did a wonderful job with the audio. I did catch some repetition with certain words (mainly the use of the word bleated) and I think that it is such an uncommonly used word that it really stood out to me. I didn't really care for that but hey, it did fit the situations it was used in. The end gave me the opportunity to get into some ugly tears, and it was honestly the most moving part of the entire book for me. I really enjoyed the balance of humor, romance, and heartfelt topics, and I will have to make it a priority to read more of Winn Scotch's books now. Especially if Julia Whelan narrates them!
Besides the writing and the story, the other thing that I couldn't help but love was the audiobook thanks to my girl Julia Whelan as the narrator for Frankie. MacLeod Andrews voices Ezra, and the pair together was absolute fire. I loved Andrews' voice and cadence, and they both did a wonderful job with the audio. I did catch some repetition with certain words (mainly the use of the word bleated) and I think that it is such an uncommonly used word that it really stood out to me. I didn't really care for that but hey, it did fit the situations it was used in. The end gave me the opportunity to get into some ugly tears, and it was honestly the most moving part of the entire book for me. I really enjoyed the balance of humor, romance, and heartfelt topics, and I will have to make it a priority to read more of Winn Scotch's books now. Especially if Julia Whelan narrates them!
November 5, 2022
Frankie Harriman and Ezra Jones fell madly in love in college and had a horrible breakup before graduation in 1989. Ten years later, the two are back at their college for an on-campus wedding of two of their friends as 1999 becomes 2000. While Ezra and Frankie loathe one another, the day after a pre-wedding get together, they awaken together in bed in Ezra's old dorm room. And Frankie is wearing the diamond ring Ezra was planning to give to his girlfriend in a romantic proposal as part of the millennial celebration. Frankie and Ezra have no idea how they ended up together and fear they may have gotten married the night before.
The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch tells of the couple's efforts to retrace what happened the night before as neither have any memory of it. And while they take steps to figure out what happened, they also have the chance to review their past and their bad breakup. It's a cute book with some emotional moments. It was a little too slow-going for me at parts. The back and forth from the present to the couple's past as they went to different places on campus blended too much into one another making it often unclear if the scene was in the present or the past. And the complete lack of memory when the couple woke up in bed together was a bit too far-fetched for me. But I still couldn’t put it down. I'm always excited to read a book about second chances and while it didn't quite live up to my high expectations, I enjoyed it. It has some very clever parts and I suspect many people will love it, so check it out.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this book before its publication.
Rated 3.75 rounded up.
The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch tells of the couple's efforts to retrace what happened the night before as neither have any memory of it. And while they take steps to figure out what happened, they also have the chance to review their past and their bad breakup. It's a cute book with some emotional moments. It was a little too slow-going for me at parts. The back and forth from the present to the couple's past as they went to different places on campus blended too much into one another making it often unclear if the scene was in the present or the past. And the complete lack of memory when the couple woke up in bed together was a bit too far-fetched for me. But I still couldn’t put it down. I'm always excited to read a book about second chances and while it didn't quite live up to my high expectations, I enjoyed it. It has some very clever parts and I suspect many people will love it, so check it out.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this book before its publication.
Rated 3.75 rounded up.
June 16, 2022
(I received an advance copy from Netgalley).
Two ex-lovers are forced to face each other again a decade after their emotional split.
Romance is just really not my genre. I think to truly get into romance novels or films, you have to have a higher suspension of disbelief than when dealing with a thriller or mystery. Frankie and Ezra are two angry, broken people that really don't want to be at a wedding held at their old college campus. (Also, who gets married at their old college campus???) They spend a reckless night before the wedding which then leaves them with no memory of said night the morning after. I just couldn't really stand Frankie or Ezra and the way they treated/interacted with just about everyone around them. The whole book was them being angry in the present or them remembering their relationship together and about 75% of it was all inner turmoil/thoughts/worries rather than actual dialogue. The lack of communication, the stubbornness, the frustration between the two of them. It just became exhausting to read about! For a romance novel I just didn't find very much about The Rewind that was actually romantic. That and the premise was just a little too over the top.
Two ex-lovers are forced to face each other again a decade after their emotional split.
Romance is just really not my genre. I think to truly get into romance novels or films, you have to have a higher suspension of disbelief than when dealing with a thriller or mystery. Frankie and Ezra are two angry, broken people that really don't want to be at a wedding held at their old college campus. (Also, who gets married at their old college campus???) They spend a reckless night before the wedding which then leaves them with no memory of said night the morning after. I just couldn't really stand Frankie or Ezra and the way they treated/interacted with just about everyone around them. The whole book was them being angry in the present or them remembering their relationship together and about 75% of it was all inner turmoil/thoughts/worries rather than actual dialogue. The lack of communication, the stubbornness, the frustration between the two of them. It just became exhausting to read about! For a romance novel I just didn't find very much about The Rewind that was actually romantic. That and the premise was just a little too over the top.
April 4, 2023
I misread the synopsis and thought there was going to be a time travel/Groundhog day element to this story. I was wrong. It's a romcom version of the Hangover set in 1999.
This better not count as historical fiction.
Anyway, the main characters in this book are my preferred demographic, which is a flawed 30-something with a reasonable amount of parental scarring and charm. Especially when you can see their personal growth. I also thought the theme of being more gracious and forgiving to our younger selves was just nice.
This better not count as historical fiction.
Anyway, the main characters in this book are my preferred demographic, which is a flawed 30-something with a reasonable amount of parental scarring and charm. Especially when you can see their personal growth. I also thought the theme of being more gracious and forgiving to our younger selves was just nice.
November 2, 2022
This is Allison Winn Scotch at her best- smart, witty, with a heaping dose of big-hearted love story. When exes Ezra and Frankie wake up in bed after a drunken night together, the pair must re-visit the past and a romance that never quite died. Told in Scotch's fresh voice and brilliant prose, readers will devour this tale of first love, second chances and the 90s music that touched our souls.
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