Q&A: Liz Tomforde, Author of ‘Rewind It Back’

We chat with author Liz Tomforde about Rewind It Back, which is the fifth book in the phenomenal, tiktok sensation, Windy City series and a spicy sports romance, following the fan favourite character of Rio…

Hi, Liz! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I am a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Windy City series. I write contemporary, sports romances that portray healthy relationships, witty banter, found family dynamics, and plenty of steam. I am from Northern California and enjoy spending time at home with my golden retriever, Luke.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve always been a romance reader. Prior to becoming an author, I worked as a flight attendant for an NHL team and when the pandemic happened and the NHL season was postponed, I found myself with newfound free time on my hands. I was reading more than ever and decided to try writing my own romance novel, but just for me – I truly never expected anyone else to read it. And here we are 5 years later with an entire series completed!

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Definitely not the first book I remember reading, but the first book that had me obsessed with reading as a hobby was The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants. It was told from four different points of view of four different friends, with one of the main characters having a somewhat romantic storyline. I remember being so eager to get back to her POV, just so I could follow the romance!
• The one that made you want to become an author: I don’t remember there being one book in particular, but instead a collection of quite a few! I re-fell in love with reading again as an adult and I wanted to give a go of writing my own story.

Your latest novel, Rewind It Back, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Nostalgic, angsty, sweet, emotional, & complete!

What can readers expect?

From Rewind It Back, readers can expect to see all their favorite couples from the Windy City Series, to feel lots of angsty tension, and to possibly shed a few tears while also falling in love with Rio and Hallie along the way!

Where did the inspiration for Rewind It Back come from?

A lot of the inspiration actually came from the title. As soon as that title popped into my head, Rio and Hallie’s story came together for me. I knew music had to play a big role in the book since Rio has been carrying around a boombox for the last 4 books. And I also wanted to pick a storyline that felt unexpected to readers. Rio in books 1 through 4 of the series is known as the hopeless romantic who desperately wants to find love. I think readers were expecting a “teach me” trope, but that wasn’t what I wanted to write for him. I felt like a second chance romance made the most sense for Rio and with only one book to give readers the opportunity to fall for Hallie too, the history of their relationship was important for me to showcase.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I really enjoyed writing Rio from his perspective. Up until this book, readers only knew Rio through other people’s points of view. So it was fun for me to write from his point of view and share his backstory and thoughts with readers so they can get a deeper understanding of who he is.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Well, when I was writing this book my mom became really sick, so my personal life made writing really challenging. A lot of Hallie’s story about being a caretaker for a sick parent was based on my own experiences. There were many times while writing Hallie’s chapters where I thought about scrapping her entire backstory and picking something new, just because it all felt very real and heavy for me. But I also knew that was the story I wanted for her, so I pushed through, shed some tears, and ultimately I hope why readers have connected with Hallie is because of how authentic her story feels.

What’s next for you?

Writing Monty and Reese’s book! This will be a standalone Windy City Series spin-off and it’s set to release on March 3, 2026. This story has been living rent-free in my mind since the day I introduced Monty in Caught Up, and I’m so excited to finally have the time to write it! And after that… Well, if you’ve read Rewind It Back, you get a sneak peek into the family I’ll be writing about in my next series. This will also be a sports romance series based in Northern California– where I’m from!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Any you are looking forward to picking up?

I’m currently reading Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry, and loving it! My next read is You, Me, and Forever by Laura Pavlov.

Will you be picking up Rewind It Back? Tell us in the comments below!