Warning: Wild enthusiasm ahead in The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch
Netflix – Featured Film Coming Soon!
Starting my 2023 romance reading with The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch was an accidentally genius idea on my part. I chose it because it has a New Year’s theme; former flames Frankie and Ezra are reunited on their college campus for the NYE wedding of mutual friends. Christmas and Halloween romances are easy to come by, but the second-tier holidays, not so much, so I was thrilled to learn of The Rewind.
At its core, the novel is a mash-up of the second-chance and enemies-to-lovers tropes. Ezra and Frankie were best friends in college and, eventually, a couple. They had a bad (is there a good kind?) breakup and have not spoken in a decade. They arrive at the pre-nuptial activities with a clear goal to avoid each other as much as possible.
Frankie and Ezra’s richly drawn portrayals elevate the book from a fun romance to a complete swooner. Chapters are narrated alternately by Frankie and Ezra. Their different perspectives on the same events simultaneously illuminate why they’re perfect for each other and why they drive each other bonkers.
The reviews universally reference the fun of the novel’s ’90s nostalgia trip.
I enjoyed the reminders of my Walkman and inexplicable affection for a campus dive bar I’m sure hadn’t mopped the floors since Hoover was in office. What I found the most original, however, was the glimpse into Frankie’s childhood as a piano prodigy and the isolation and later rebellion it inspired in her. While the piano element is specific, the theme is universal, pushing against the sides of a box that begins to feel too small to hold us.
My wild enthusiasm stems from the layers of the story and Allison Winn Scotch’s ability to create entirely believable characters. If you’re a fan of Jojo Moyes or Marisa de los Santos, make room for Winn Scotch on your bookshelves.
Find a copy of The Rewind from your favorite retailer.
Praise for The Rewind:
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick
One of Amazon’s Best Romances of November!
“The Rewind is as much an endearing love story about the one that got away as it is a love letter to all things 90s, including Doc Martens, Y2K and dial-up Internet. Fresh, original and compelling, this book is Allison Winn Scotch at her absolute best.”—USA Today bestselling author Colleen Oakley
“Sassy, engaging and warm, The Rewind is a sharp and witty rom-com about the road not taken—and the people who find their way back to us anyway. Ezra and Frankie are magic together. You won’t be able to put this down until happily-ever-after.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Laura Dave
“Nineties nostalgia is alive and well in this moving story of a lost first love and second chances. Readers will enjoy piecing together both the story of the forgotten night and the reasons behind the relationship’s disastrous first ending.”—Library Journal
About the Author
Want more romance reads? Get the best love and romance novel recommendations, handpicked by our experienced editor, straight to your inbox each week. Sign up for little infinite’s Romance Newsletter, here.
