Ten years. Two hearts. One love story that never forgot how it began.
Ten years ago, Erin Campbell left Texas without saying goodbye to the only boy she'd ever loved.
Ten years later, he's the biggest name in country music... and every song he's ever written is about her.
After losing her mother at eighteen, staying meant facing a life she no longer recognized. So Erin left – her hometown, her grieving father, and Jake Ingram, her best friend, first love, and the future she'd always imagined.
A decade later, Erin has built a successful career as one of New York City's most sought-after photographers, creating the life she always thought she wanted. But no amount of distance – or success – has been enough to silence the memories she left behind.
When her father needs surgery, Erin returns to Texas expecting to stay only long enough to help him recover.
Instead, she comes face to face with Jake.
The boy she left behind is now one of country music's brightest stars, known for writing songs that have captivated millions. Fans have spent years wondering who inspired the heartbreak woven through every album.
Only Erin knows the answer.
As old memories resurface and long-buried truths finally come to light, Erin and Jake must decide whether the love they never stopped carrying is strong enough to overcome the heartache they never healed from – or whether ten years is simply too much time to ask two hearts to begin again.
Play It Back is a heartfelt second-chance romance about first love, grief, forgiveness, and finding your way home.
Because some love stories don't end, they simply wait for you to come home.
Review
This is simply a gorgeous book with the most lyrical prose.
This is a dual PoV narrative, though we spend the most time in Erin's head - and she's the one who walked away and broke both their hearts ten years ago. Don't worry, there's some good grovel and what feels like a slow growing back together, even if in story it's only about a week. Every page feels considered and deliberate, the weight their of shared history giving each interaction meaning. I also loved that Erin was able to reconnect with everything and everyone she left behind, not just Jake.
If you're down for a second chance romance packed with yearning and healing, I can highly recommend this one.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions and words are my own.
Author Bio – My name is Sara Palacios and I write contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotional depth, layered family dynamics, and characters who are messy, hopeful, and just a little bit stubborn. Outside of writing, I’m usually reading, watching baseball, trying to keep up with my two kids, and pretending I can squeeze one more book into my already mile high TBR pile. I live in Texas with my husband, and our two kids.
