Day’s YA: REWIND TO US

REWIND TO US by Molly Morris
9781250289728
6/17/2025
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Dixie Mulligan is in love with her best friend Sawyer, and she’s finally ready to tell him as soon as she lands in Cielo Springs, California for her annual summer vacation. She’s certain that she can fix what happened between them over spring break—until she sees him kissing someone else. Luckily, the Mulligan family has a secret. They each have been given one “Rewind,” allowing them to redo any  moment or mistake from the last 365 days. All Dixie needs to do is submit her Rewind application and go back to redo spring break, the moment that doomed their relationship and left them not speaking. But as family secrets are uncovered and high emotions are revealed, she begins to wonder if the Rewind will be enough to save them, and if the potential fallout from using the Rewind will be worth the gain. Can they get one more chance, or is it too late to get their perfect ending?

This might be one of the sweetest and most charming young adult books I’ve ever read. A contemporary romance with a magical realism twist, it has all of my favorite tropes—friends to lovers, a second-chance romance, and a perfect slow burn (with plenty of will they, won’t they to go around). There were twists around every turn that I never could’ve expected—especially one of the reveals, which left me with my jaw on the floor. Molly Morris weaves her characters and her plots together effortlessly—each twist was a surprise and yet worked perfectly to further the story; every character had their own motives, dreams, and fears; and everything was impeccably paced. The idea of the Rewind was explained in detail, including the rules one must follow to enact their Rewind, such as submitting paperwork, getting approval to carry it out, and reading over an impact statement to see how others may be affected by it. Throughout the story, you follow Dixie as she discovers the possible impacts that her Rewind may have, questions what else it may change, and has to decide whether or not it is worth it.

On top of the magical element to the story, Dixie and Sawyer had me rooting for them the whole time. They’ve been best friends for years, slowly falling for each other, and are two of the most compatible love interests I’ve ever seen—they’re both diehard movie buffs and film industry hopefuls, they care about each other so deeply, and of course, they have the best banter. The side characters had me just as invested as Dixie and Sawyer—from Bunny, Dixie’s cousin, to Harvey, Dixie’s dad’s assistant, every character had a detailed backstory and found themselves over the course of the book in their own ways. They all had each other’s backs, even when arguments and drama ensued. I flew through this book in one weekend—it was nearly impossible for me to put it down. From fun movie references and commentary, to family dynamics and dilemmas, and jaw-dropping reveals, this is a story I won’t soon forget. If you’re a film buff, or a fan of stories like MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE and Ashley Poston’s magical books, be sure to pick this book up.

Happy reading!
<3 Margo

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