REVIEW: Back to Before by Tracy Solheim

In Back to Before (Second Chances #1) by Tracy Solheim, Ginger is a former dancer turned soap star now working with her friend Diesel as a make up artist/assistant for a home renovation show on location in Chances Inlet. Both of them hope the success of this show will give their careers a boost. He is her very good friend, but only that. Together they have had dreams crushed, and together they are trying to move forward. Ginger does not feel very welcome in Chances Inlet when she arrives. Most people in the small town seem convinced she is just like the character she played on the soap opera. All Ginger wants is to fit in and be accepted…and she’s just about given up hope until she meets Gavin.

Gavin carries a big load on his shoulders. He finds himself back in small town Chances Inlet only dreaming of his life in the big city of New York. He is dealing with the family business and the problems with it after the sudden death of his father. He’s keeping it all to himself though, hoping to solve everything without anyone finding out. A stint on a reality show as they film Gavin and his crew doing a major home renovation seems to be the answer to his problems. Suddenly Gavin finds himself not only a star on social media, but very attracted to Ginger. The attraction is mutual, but both of them have a lot going on and neither of them plans to stick around. A night out and Gavin to the rescue soon brings them much closer than they anticipated. But Ginger is pretty sure the town and Gavin’s family will not be happy if they find out about their relationship. She is determined to keep it a secret. Gavin is not happy about this, but he goes along with it for Ginger.

As they get to know each other better, there is a lot going on around them with numerous secondary characters. Tracy gives us a great sub plot with Diesel, and I felt like he was as important to the plot of Back To Before as Ginger and Gavin. I really liked how she made Diesel such an solid part of the story. There are a lot of other secondary characters who help bring Chances Inlet to life, from Gavin’s mother to Cassidy, the teenage girl and more. They are not just side characters, they have a lot of interaction and appearances in Back to Before and I loved all of that and the dynamics of how they played off of each other. This made the story multi dimensional without clogging up the main plot, and made it realistic.

Gavin and Ginger’s relationship becomes stronger, but they really lack communication on some key issues, such as the future and what it looks like for them if they stay together. Ginger slowly feels accepted in Chances Inlet and has unexpectedly found just what she needs there. But Gavin still has plans to leave. When the show is over will Gavin have accomplished what he set out to do and will he stay or will he go?

Back to Before is about unexpected chances and finding love when you aren’t looking for it. It is about how when you find your dreams sometimes they are better than you imagined them. It’s not an easy road to get there though, and there is a lot of emotion and conflict in Back To Before that Tracy weaves in very well. Gavin and Ginger are great main characters who I couldn’t help but like and hope for. Ginger is really sweet, cautious, and just wants people to be happy…herself included. Gavin is very responsible, almost too much so with the secrets he’s keeping. I loved how they were together.

The small town setting of Chances Inlet is a perfect setting for Back To Before, and Tracy describes it and the people in it very well. She kept my interest through out with everything that was going on, writing smoothly, keeping things clear and the plot well paced.

Very modern with all the social media references, Back To Before was a very enjoyable read that I’d recommend to contemporary romance readers who like small town romance.

Book Info:

Published January 6th 2015 by Berkley | (Second Chances #1)

Chances Inlet, North Carolina, has an infamous power for second chances. But its charms are lost on the town’s favorite son—until she comes along…

When his father’s sudden death puts his family’s construction business in serious debt, architect Gavin McAlister is forced to put his dream career in New York on hold. Making matters worse, his fiancée calls it quits. Desperate to return to his big-city life, he discovers an opportunity to save his family, one that has him reluctantly starring in a home restoration TV show.

Former soap star Ginger Walsh hopes this job as a TV makeup artist will lead to better things. So far it’s only brought her to a hamlet full of people who don’t like her—except Gavin. After a wild night out leads to Ginger waking up in Gavin’s loft—and the rest of town talking—the two of them soon wonder if getting back to before is what they want. Because being in each other’s arms certainly feels like what they need…