Review - Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein

 

 Title: Retro

Author: Jessica M. Goldstein

Pages: 407

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Release Date: 25th June 2026

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Ash is a failed actress who is done trying to ‘make’ something of her life. Until a golden opportunity drops in her a job at Retro, an agency who organise trips into the past for the ultra-wealthy. 
 
Energised by her new role, Ash throws herself into leading bachelorette parties in the Old West, birthday parties at Woodstock and a situationship with a hard-drinking detective from 1937. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that Retro’s shadowy founder Ro has terrifying designs for the company’s future – and for the part Ash herself can play in it. 

 

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My Review:  

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph* 

 

 

Ash's life isn't going the way she expected - she's in debt and an unemployed actress - meanwhile, her best friend has become a film star. 

When Ash sees a job advertisement for Retro, a company that sells time travel experiences to the past, she applies. 

Now a Time Travel Agent, Ash takes journeys to the past with clients and finds herself swept up in the fun of time travel. Ash also finds romance on the cards. 

But when strange things start to happen to her memory and her life in the present, Ash discovers that maybe there's more to Retro than she thought. 

 

The time travel element of this novel intrigued me, so I thought I would give it a try. 

Ash was a relatable and mostly likeable protagonist. She was going through a rough patch and missed her best friend who she wasn't able to see as often as before. Whilst I did feel sorry for Ash, I didn't fully connect with her and so wasn't really that invested in what happened to her. 

The plot was enjoyable to begin with, but after a while I found my attention drifting as not much was really happening. The pacing was definitely off, and it could have been structured better. There were some interesting concepts and themes, but none of them really hit home for me. I found the ending quite frustrating.  

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more. This was one of those novels where the execution didn't work for me. 

 

Overall, this was an okay read.