Backslide by Nora Dahlia

The author of the “sexy, smart, and sweetly satisfying” (Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Pick-Up returns with a second chance romance perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez! Exes are thrown together at their best friends’ wine country un-wedding and forced to reckon with their past…and lingering sparks.

Nellie Hurwitz doesn’t have a first love. She has a first hate. And she has refused to talk about what happened with Noah since their high school graduation. For two decades, they’ve managed to avoid seeing each other—until their respective best friends, Ben and Cara, plan an intimate vow renewal at a vineyard compound in Sonoma, California.

Nellie is determined to keep ancient history from ruining the trip Cara has worked so hard to plan but close quarters bring up feelings both Nellie and Noah have locked away for twenty years. Even amidst the awkwardness of their forced proximity, the two can’t shake the heady attraction they’ve always shared.

Written in alternating timelines, teenage Nellie and Noah fall together and apart in 1990s New York while in the present day, they wonder whether there is still something real between them. Ultimately, can they find a way to move forward? Or will they backslide and blow things up for good?

My Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 — Backslide by Nora Dahlia

I’m not usually a big fan of second-chance romances, but Backslide surprised me in the best way. It blurs the trope line beautifully—turning what starts as a lovers-to-enemies teenage romance into something that feels more reflective, a little messy, and very human. Add in the forced proximity of a vineyard un-wedding weekend, and you’ve got a setup that practically hums with unresolved tension.

The alternating timelines between present-day Sonoma and 1990s New York add so much depth. The flashbacks feel slower and weightier, tinged with nostalgia and the ache of youth. Noah and Nellie’s breakup wasn’t just a simple miscommunication—it was a collision of immaturity, bad timing, and unmet expectations. Dahlia doesn’t romanticize their mistakes or brush past the pain; she lets the story sit in it, and that honesty makes their potential reconnection feel earned.

The writing itself is gorgeous—sentence after sentence that lingers. Dahlia has this rare ability to capture emotion in a way that feels sharp and true, and the humor threaded throughout keeps it from ever getting too heavy. I knocked off half a star only because the male lead, Noah, was a little too much for me—I saw more flaws than redemption—but that’s also part of what made the story feel real.

Cute, quick, and full of chemistry, Backslide is a heartfelt, humor-driven second-chance story for readers who like their romance a little bruised but beautifully written.