Molly Morris, Rewind to Us, HarperCollins GB, July 2025, 384 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780008756123
Rewind to Us by Molly Morris is a vibrant summer romance with a dash of magic. This friends-to-lovers rom-com delivers equal parts charm and bittersweet reflection, exploring the complexities of timing, teenage love, and the truth that not everything can be undone.
Every summer, Dixie Mulligan returns to Cielo Springs, the sunny Californian town where her beloved Aunt Kate, cousin Bunny, and best friend Sawyer live. This year, she’s heading in with one goal: to finally confess her feelings to Sawyer. But a few too many missed moments, and what-ifs later, she’s in the kitchen watching him kiss someone else.
Lucky for Dixie, she’s a Mulligan and Mulligans get one ‘Rewind’. One chance to redo a single moment from the past 365 days. Determined to fix the conversation that doomed their maybe-relationship before it began, Dixie sets things into motion. But what unfolds is far more complicated than a second chance at love. The stakes aren’t just romantic, they’re personal. Dixie must confront not only her feelings for Sawyer, but also her fear of vulnerability, the pressure of impending adulthood, and the fact that no magic, Rewind or otherwise, can make people feel something they don’t.
Dixie already lives between two worlds: the fast-paced life of New York City with her wealthy parents, and the slower, golden summers of Cielo Springs. It’s a duality she’s desperate to preserve, even as she realizes that keeping everything separate might be holding her back.
The novel’s magical premise opens space for deeper questions: If you could change one moment, would you? And more importantly, should you? In our lives there are no perfect fixes, just the messy, magical work of growing up, taking risks, and learning to let go of the version of a story you wanted. This book is a reminder that sometimes the greatest love story is the one where you learn to be honest with yourself, and with the people you care about.
Rewind to Us is a heartfelt YA romance recommended for readers aged 14 and up. For fans of Jenny Han, Lynn Painter, and Casey McQuiston, this novel blends first love and missed chances.
Reviewed by India Boon
