Rewind it Back (Author Edition) (Windy City, 5)

What a way to end the series! I’ve ADORED this series since the first book, and every love story that followed was an EASY 5-star rating for me. The cast of characters, the playfulness, the chemistry…. it all combines into something truly stunning and addictive. As a second chance romance hater, I was very worried that this would be the book that broke that streak, but it was executed in a way that was angsty, swoony perfection. You could feel the deep love between these characters, and the flashbacks reinforced just how much history they have together. The tension was palpable, and the hard-fought HEA was well worth the wait. It’s not the story that I would’ve predicted for our hopeless romantic hero, but it was an immensely compelling, bingeworthy read. I loved it! The story follows Rio, the last single guy in his friend group. Rio wants to believe that love is out there waiting for him, but secretly suspects that he already met - and lost - the love of his life. So when she moves into the house next door, it’s a shock to the system. Rio and Hallie once had the kind of love that could last forever, but they haven’t spoken since the fight that tore them apart. Now filled with heartache and resentment towards each other, the two must navigate the complexity of getting to know each other again without the past getting in the way. Like many other readers, I’ve been a big fan of Rio since we met him, and I admit that I expected something totally different for his book. He’s been desperate to find love and has a sweet teddy bear personality, so I was kind of shocked by the man we meet in this story. Once I wrapped my head around the differences, it made a whole lot of sense to me. Rio is terrified that he’s already lost the love of his life, and seeing Hallie again only reinforces that. They understand each other on a deep level, despite the fact that they haven’t seen each other in years. The angst and tension had my eyes glued to the page, and then there would be a tender moment that flayed my heart wide open. I loved the little swoony pieces that showed how much they’d been thinking of each other, and I LOVED that they were truly each other’s one and only. My heart broke for the time they’d lost, but mended itself back together piece by piece as they found their way back together. It’s a powerful, engaging story that made me feel ALL of the emotions, and another stellar read from Tomforde. Audio note: Highly, highly recommended in the format! Not only is it duet-style narration, but both narrators did a fantastic job. The performances allow you to feel the emotion, and it had me absolutely hooked. I’m not super familiar with Megan Wicks, but her voice was incredibly easy to listen to. Connor Crais is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine, with a voice that’s gruff and tender in all the right ways. At 13-14 hours, this was a full-day binge and then some, but I was impatient to get back to the story every time I was forced to set it down. The spice gets pretty smokin’ later on, but you could probably listen to the earlier chapters at the office. Overall, I’m very glad I got to experience the story in this format.

I really loved that we finally got to read Rio's story and share in his journey as he finally found what he'd been searching for all along. He has been such a wonderful character throughout the previous books in the series, so I was excited to see him finally get his happy ending. That said, this book was different from the others because it centres on a second-chance romance. Hallie, the girl Rio loved years ago, unexpectedly moves back into the house next door, and by complete coincidence, Rio unknowingly hires her to renovate his home—six years after they last saw each other. The story alternates between the present day and their younger selves, and I loved watching how their relationship first blossomed. There were so many emotional moments that genuinely made my eyes sting. It was also heartwarming to see familiar faces from the previous books make appearances, giving the story a lovely sense of coming full circle. Overall, I found the pacing a little slower than the earlier books in the series. Even so, I still adored both Rio and Hallie, and I loved the gentle, heartfelt way their story unfolded. It felt like a fitting conclusion to the series—a love story that had endured since they were twelve years old, finally getting the ending they both deserved.

Love it! Great series. A must read. The stories are great, sweet, loving and funny. Highly recommend. Love the writing style.

I LOVED IT! This is a perfect 5th book for a practically perfect series. I just love the Windy City Series so much! Rio is one of my favorite characters in this series. I've loved him since the first book and his interactions with his friend group. A 20-something man looking for love and failing. In Rewind it Back, we get to see why. He was just waiting for Hallie. I loved the second chance romance and how Rio and Hallie built back their once close relationship piece by piece. The flashbacks were key to the story and was a love story all their own. If you're looking for a feel good, believe in love again story with a bit of hockey and found family, this is it. Just.....start at the beginning to experience the series in the best way. Happy Reading!

Rewind It Back is the 5th and Final book in the Windy City Series. I completed an immersive read of this new release - reading the text while listening to the audiobook. I just have to say wow. I’m rarely left speechless after I finish a book. I’m rarely left with tears still streaming down my face upon reading/listening to the final line in the story, and yet, that is what happened as I read the words “The End”. The emotional journey that this book took the reader on was unmatched for me this year. This wasn’t just a finale for this couple of main characters, but it was a goodbye to all the characters and couples I fell in love with while reading this series. Every step of this book was a beautiful journey that explained the complicated relationship of the lovable hockey player, Rio Deluca and his childhood best friend turned stranger, Hallie Hart. And while we learned about their past and how that fit into the people they are today, we still saw plenty of glimpses of the beloved characters and couples of the prior books in the series. Rio and Hallie were both characters you wanted to root for and side with even when they were fighting with each other. The complications of their past were heartbreaking and I may have cried (sobbed) at so many points in this book, but there were plenty of lovable, silly, humorous and steamy moments throughout. If you love audiobooks like I do, you need to listen to this one on audio. This is a duet style narration by Connor Crais and Megan Wicks. Their voices and performances added the perfect amount of vulnerability and emotion at all the perfect times. All while bringing up the heat during the more intimate scenes. After listening to it, I could not imagine any other narrators bringing these complex characters to life. Overall while this could be classified as an enemies to lovers story based on how things look in the beginning, it is a second chance romance at the heart. If you have read and loved the Windy City Series. This is truly a love letter to us fans and readers. I may have highlighted the last 2 full pages in my book because the epilogue was that perfect. If you haven’t read the series yet, you will not regret reading this series and falling in love with these characters and visiting Chicago for these 5 books. There are literally not enough stars in the sky to rate this book with enough love. ♾️⭐️ This book was perfection on page.

What a charming and adorable story! The characters were easy to root for, the romance was sweet, and the story flowed effortlessly. It was a fun, feel-good read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rewind it Back came out a little bit ago, but I put it off because I didn't want the series to end. If I didn't read it, then it could go on forever, right? But alas, I needed to dive into my baby, Rio's story. Was this man going to find love like all of his friends did? Or was he going to be the extra wheel forever? If I didn't have a soft spot for Rio DeLuca before, he made me fall for him all over again. He's always been the fun, Ryan Shay lover of the group that always got invited to girls nights because he was "one of the girls". I loved seeing his relationships with the girls, especially Indy, and how they grew and evolved over time while they found their partners. Their forevers. But I couldn't help but feel a little sad for Rio. It seemed like he was out there trying, but to no avail. And little did we all know that Rio had been hiding a past from us that was filled with so much love. I know what I'm looking for because I had it once, and now the only girl I've ever loved is moving into the house next to mine. Again. Told from dual POV and dual timelines, with literally "the girl next door" (2 times), this second chance romance brings "the one that got away" vibes, and not because they ever fell out of love. When Tomforde takes us to the past, we get to see two kids become friends and experience all their firsts with one another from the moment Hallie and her brother move in next door to Rio. My heart could've exploded with each year we got to see Hallie and Rio become closer and closer. I loved how much music played a role in their story and I loved how innocent Rio was and the fact that he needed a connection and the words to even explore more. This boy was always perfect. He made my heart soar with the simplest of actions. While I'm not always the biggest fan of second chance romances because I don't always get the angst that I think is needed to warrant a second chance, Tomforde gave us something else. We got to see a love grow and develop between two kids over the years and then we got to see outside forces ruin a future that they thought they had. Never, not once, did Hallie and Rio stop loving each other and to experience it by the dual timelines made everything much more clear. I felt like I got everything I could've wanted and more. I got to fall for Rio and Hallie as young kids and I got to see them connect and fall for each other all over again as adults. I felt the giddiness as their relationship progressed as teens and I loved their banter and their ease of conversation as adults. My favorite thing was the love these two had for each other, even after their time apart. They just continuously show up for each other in the small moments and the big moments. They are each other's family. Rio and Hallie were just made for each other. Plain and simple. And the little things they did for each other and parts of the past they held on to? My heart! WIth that said, the first part of the story did seem to feel a little long. I wanted to "get to the good part", but also was so thankful to get so much of their past (marked by Hallie's birthday and her music she would share with Rio) and how deep their love truly was, even if it was first love. But once they commit to making it work? I knew it was going to be special. And it was. Each interaction, each touch, each kiss, each drive, each small thing was even bigger and brought them closer. "Getting the opportunity to fall in love with you is my best memory, and all I can do is hope that one day you'll let me do it again." Rewind it Back was such a good ending to an already amazing series and I couldn't have loved it more. Having all the past characters show up and seeing the found family they created in Chicago was pure magic. Am I sad it is over? Heck yes. But knowing that I can reread or relisten to the books? Priceless. 4.5 stars.

5⭐️ | 4🌶️ | 5🎧 This book is the forerunner. The crown jewel. The crème de la crème of the Windy City series. Rewind It Back was such a beautiful, emotional, full-circle ending to this journey. Watching Hallie and Rio fall back in love felt genuinely special. And honestly, how lucky are we as readers to get two love stories in one book? We get the magic of first love AND the ache, growth, and beauty of finding each other again later. It was gorgeous. Seeing them slowly break down their walls and lay down their armor to become safe places for each other again wrecked me in the best way. And Rio? That man folded almost immediately. The second they were back in each other’s orbit it felt inevitable that he’d fall all over again. I loved every second of it. I also really loved the added layer of mystery surrounding their breakup. Trying to piece together what happened had me completely invested, and getting to form theories along the way made the story even more fun. And for once, being right felt SO satisfying. Connor Crais and Megan Wicks absolutely delivered with this audiobook. Their performances brought so much emotion and tenderness to Hallie and Rio’s story that it honestly felt impossible not to get swept up in it. What made this book even more special was getting to see all the couples from the previous books again. It felt like coming home one last time. This series became such a comfort to me. These characters feel vibrant and alive and full of love, and saying goodbye to them is bittersweet. I’m sad this journey is over, but so incredibly happy I got to experience it. Until the next one, Liz!

An interesting and yet somewhat sad story. Two families torn apart by thoughtlessness. Two young people whose hearts were broken. Sometimes it's hard to forgive, understand, and move on... I was truly touched by this story.

Great ending to the series ❤️ I might even say that it was my fav

This was such a bittersweet read for me because it was a lovely book and everything really came full circle but I’m so sad that the Windy City series is over. I’ve been following this series since 2023 and I’ve loved Rio since we first met him. The goofy guy who was a safe space and best friend to so many of my favourite girls has finally gotten his happily ever after and I loved every moment of it. Against all odds, the girl next door moved in next door again and we got the chance to watch Rio and Hallie fall in love as children and as adults. Seeing Rio in love is both so different than he normally is and yet exactly what I expected from him. I loved all the things that he did for Hallie and how soft and real he is with her. Also the moment that he decided that he was going to get his girl back he really went for it and wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of that. While Rio is the sweetest man ever, Hallie is amazing in her own right. She’s so incredibly strong and talented, even after everything that’s she’s been through she’s still standing. And just like Rio even when she should’ve hated him she still cared for him and wanted to protect him. One of my favourite parts of this book was how proud both Rio and Hallie were of one another for making their dreams come true. It was so sweet to see them supporting each other from beginning to end even if it took them a few years to get there. There’s also this soul deep understanding between these two that was built from growing up together and knowing everything about one another. I love those habits that they have that are just for the two of them, the music, the coffee, the sleeping. The fact that Hallie is Rio’s home and even after everything that happened he never stopped thinking about her or loving her, all the things we find out that he did with her in mind had me tearing up and so happy at the same time. And while Hallie is strong and capable I love how she found her way back to the person who holds her and takes care of her so she doesn’t need to do everything alone. This book might not have any magic in it but if there was then there’s no doubt that Hallie and Rio are soulmates. With this final couple the Windy City family is finally complete (for now) and I loved seeing them all together. The last few pages of this book had me crying, it was such a beautiful ending. I loved seeing all of my favourite characters throughout this book. The way they supported Rio and accepted Hallie as one of their own because he loved her was amazing. Watching all of these characters fall in love with someone who is perfect for them and not only makes their life better but loves them wholeheartedly exactly the way they are makes me so happy. This series has been such a big part of my reading journey that I am sad it’s over but I can’t wait to go back and reread their stories and stay in the Windy City forever. I can’t wait to see where Liz Tomforde takes us next and I’m so excited that Monty is going to get his happily ever after.

Great product!! send the send me original book not some random pirate reprinted version

Haappppyyy release day @liztomforde.author 💐🎉 I can't wait till i get my physical copy of Rewind it Back. It's too good to be quiet. I love every book of Liz sooo much. 📖 How does it work, that the books of Liz are getting better and better? Mile high was above 5 stars and keeps getting better. What can we expect from the next series or from the story of Reese and Monty? 📚 But let's stay with Rio and Hallie. When it was announced that Rio gets a second chance romance, i couldn't imagine how things will work out. So i was really wondering what would happen/ what happened to Rio before. He's been so goofy and cute in the previous books. It was impossible to think that he's been heartbroken, mad or angry. But you can be mistaken. There's been so many surprises and turns, i didn't see coming. The puppy love of two teenagers greew up to the love of soulmates. For me its one sitting read. You start the book and that you want to now what happened six years ago. You're curious and start to think what might happen but you have to keep reading just till you find out. And in the end everything comes together and you start to understand. So i definitely gonna reread it not right now but someday just to connect all the dots. The epilogue is so good 😍 i wanted to highlight every word of it, cause every word feels sooo important. It's the perfect ending of a book series