The Road Trip Rewind by Kate & Danny Tamberelli

Hello reader friends! I’m back today to share my The Road Trip Rewind book review. It’s a fun contemporary romance packed full of 90’s nostalgia, witty banter, and tons of fun references. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I really enjoyed The First Date Prophecy (Married writing duo Kate Tamberelli and Danny Tamberelli’s first release last year) and this book sounded similar, but also completely different. My hopes were that even with the time travel aspect, the romance would take center stage.

But I was pleasantly surprised because while this is a contemporary romance, it’s also so much more. There’s so much feeling and emotion in this book.  So keep reading for my full book review of The Road Trip Rewind by Kate and Danny Tamberelli. And if you enjoyed today’s review, you can read more of my book discussions here.

What is The Road Trip Rewind About?

Readers of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry will adore this standalone follow-up to The First Date Prophecy from 90’s Nickelodeon star of The Adventures of Pete and Pete and his real-life wife, as Back to the Future meets 10 Things I Hate About You when the past, the present, and two hearts (with unfinished business) collide in the most epic, hilarious, and downright poignant way . . .

Up-and-coming screenwriter Beatrix Noel’s dream project is finally a reality—her 90s-era script is in production. Less dreamy is the A-list actor in the starring role—none other than Rocco Riziero, who jilted Beatrix on New Year’s Eve back in 1999. Without his celebrity status, the project would likely still be withering on her hard drive, but that doesn’t mean Beatrix won’t shame him at every opportunity
on-set—especially when it becomes painfully obvious he doesn’t even remember her . . .

Boxed-in as a Hollywood pretty-boy, Rocco is thrilled to tackle a genuinely dramatic role. But he’s perplexed about why the screenwriter treats him like a maggot. And awkward becomes irksome when their bickering results in a car crash right outside the famed Roxy Theatre on Sunset Boulevard—site of the New Year’s Eve party where everything went wrong . . .

Shockingly, Beatrix, Rocco, and the car, are uninjured. The twist? They’re clearly, truly, somehow, still in December, still on Sunset—but in 1999. Their mission? They’ll have to work together to correct their old mistakes—which just might bring them closer than either expects . . .

But can they change the past without altering their future selves—and hold on to what they’ve found together? Only time-travel will tell . . . (from Amazon.com)

Who are Kate & Danny Tamberelli?

Kate and Danny Tamberelli are the wife and husband writing team of The First Date Prophecy, and now The Road Trip Rewind. Kate has also published under the name Katelyn Detweiler and is a literary agent. Danny is an actor (you may remember him from All That and The Adventures of Pete & Pete) as well as a musician.

My Initial Thoughts

To be completely honest, this story had a slow start. We are introduced to Rocco and Beatrix right away and it is clear that while Rocco has nothing but neutral feelings towards Beatrix, she is not so neutral. She definitely doesn’t like him. But it’s a slow reveal so as readers, we are left to wonder why. I didn’t love that. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get into a story where the female protagonist was so negative.

You Really, Really Have to Suspect your Disbelief

*Spoiler Alert*

Beatrix is annoyed with Rocco because the two of them dated when they were younger, and he doesn’t remember her.

That’s fine, but in the beginning it seemed like they kissed and maybe hooked up once and then they both got busy and moved on with their lives. But then as the story progresses, we learn that the two of them were legit dating and that as an adult, Rocco had noooo idea who Beatrix was because she went by a different name when she was younger: Trixie.

​I found this VERY hard to believe. Lol. As the story progressed more and more memories were uncovered between them and they apparently had very deep feelings for each other, and I just find it so hard to believe that Rocco didn’t remember her at all. Even with different haircuts people don’t look that different as they get older. I know 17 years has passed, but come on.

That was a difficult thing for me to get past. Haha. I really had to suspend my disbelief.

What I  Liked About The Road Trip Rewind

But with that being said, once I put that small detail aside I found this to be a really hilarious tale of time travel and second chance romance.

One fun fact about this book is that the main character Rocco has a couple of scenes with Lucy and Rudy, who were the main characters of Kate and Danny’s first book, The First Date Prophecy. In this story they are living in LA where their new business venture gives live comedy show nostalgia. It makes me think of how when my brother lived in LA I visited him and he took me to see a show at The Comedy Store.

I really enjoyed the 90’s nostalgia of this novel. I could tell that the authors really knew their stuff with all of the references and pop culture moments that they added into their writing. There were also a ton of LA hotspots and locales that were mentioned that sounded familiar, even though I’ve never been to them.

What Surprised Me About The Road Trip Rewind

I felt such a heartfelt emotion for both Rocco and Beatrix by the end of the book. Like I said, I had a hard time getting into this story at first But once they started revealing their back story, I felt so invested in them and their family drama and personal situations. Beatrix especially. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say that the things that she works through with her family made me tear up by the end of the book. It was such a satisfying ending.

In Conclusion

I thought this book was such a good combination of second chance romance and fixing past mistakes. For a time travel novel, it actually felt very real life. I know that sounds crazy but the things that the characters were going through were equal parts realistic and futuristic. I really hope for more books from them in the future. Both of their books have had laugh out loud comedy, with cool settings and interesting characters.

I feel like they really appreciate their characters’ eccentricities and try to write top-notch humor with a compassionate look at each character’s situation. I can’t wait to find out what writing projects they’ll be working on next.

But Wait, There’s More!

If you enjoyed today’s book discussion, you can read more of my review here.