Set in the same town as [b:Don't Date Rosa Santos|41717246|Don't Date Rosa Santos|Nina Moreno|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538424422l/41717246._SY75_.jpg|59507842] with some crossover characters, Our Way Back to Always definitely stands on its own. I actually enjoyed this one much more than Moreno's first YA. The premise of the book really worked for me. Two childhood friends who grew apart due to middle school romantic misunderstandings and different lives coming together again to complete a bucket list they had made as children. The book spans the entirety of their senior year with many time jumps, yet the story felt consistent and had a flow. I loved both the individual character development of Lou and Sam and how they grew back into each other over their course of the year. I also really appreciated both of their families and best friends as well. While a romance, at its core this is really a story about the need for community in both good and bad times.