If school bands/musicals do not interest you, don't pick this up. If they do well this might be the story for you.
Sadly, for me, everything was too much(maybe I’m too old). The side characters, the school background, and the family members, everything except, the chemistry between the characters. Felt like it had more of a drama than an early 2000s romcom. The romance between the main leads was not the best as well.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I though this book would be the perfect recipe of all my favorite tropes, namely, the academic rivals to lovers. I had a lot of trouble getting into the book at first, partially because the main character wasn’t my favorite. If you are a theatre/choir/band kid, I think that this book will be enjoyed by you. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me (but I think my expectations were a little to high for this one). I was not a fan of the main characters actions AND the lack of repercussions she faced. I found myself struggling to finish the book and was extremely close to DNFing. Overall, while it wasn’t a favorite book of mine by no means, I still think that there’s a certain audience that would love this book.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for a copy of this e-arc in return for an honest review, all words in this review are my own.

I'm going to admit here first, I let As If on Cue sit on my NetGalley shelf for a long long time and I'll tell you, that was a mistake. As If on Cue follows childhood family friends Natalie and Reid, the two have been rivals since forever, from who's the first chair playing the clarinet to literally everything else they're always in a battle of wits, brains and pranks. Now, Natalie vs Reid, as it's been aptly dubbed, has some rules, but when their pranks go a little far in their junior year of high school, they're forced together as a punishment in order to help save the arts at their high school, and what is that punishment you may ask? None other than co-directing a musical together, taking Reid's sway with the band and Natalie's strongly written Frozen rewrite, together they have to rally the entirety of the arts student body to try and save everything from being taken away.

I know that this book is a sort of love letter to the arts departments in high school, a look at the struggle they face every day, I went to an arts high school, had friends in arts programs but was never really privvy to this side of things so it was interesting to see. From the very beginning it is so easy to see that this whole Natalie vs Reid thing, well.. it may just be one sided (oblivious female MC anyone). Overall this novel really was sweet and fun, nothing in the novel really felt unnecessary, not one kiss, not one angry comment, while there was some dialogue that felt a little awkward (Which feels common when it comes to writing teenagers these days), it really didn't feel like it took away from the actual story. Let me tell you though, when the main big conflict/climax hits, I almost DNFed this book, Natalie's actions in this scene felt childish and dated and caused me a lot of anxiety but I was able to push through and really I felt like Marisa was able to clear it up really well and make it feel believable. While NetGalley and Goodreads only let me rate on whole stars I'd actually give this novel a 4.5 stars, the whole issue in the end with Natalie was what bumped it down (you'll find out what it is when you read, but trust me, it's not as bad as I'm making it seem)

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was ok. It felt a little bit cheesy which is to be expected in this type of book but it was a little too much for me.

This had so much potential and I genuinely loved it so much till the 80% mark when it all went to shit. I was always a little on the fence about Natalie cause she seemed to cross some lines and had a huge woe is me thing going but I wrote it off cause she's like 17 and 17 year olds are like that but what she did at around the 80% mark to Reid was totally non forgivable and I couldn't bring myself to root for her after that. This was a geniune 3.5-4 star read before that moment but now it's a solid 1 star for that alone.

As If on Cue is a cute high school rivals-to-lovers full of theatre references and music lingo. The story follows Natalie, a theatre lover, Reid, a band wizz, and their friends as they are forced to put on the school musical as the last resort to save the arts program at their school.

The Jewish representation in this book is incredible, showing the struggles of antisemitism so well and how Jews battle microaggressions. It wasn't just a side note, but one of the most relevant themes. I've read a few books lately that have done well with showing Jewish representation, but there is always progress to be made, Kanter is already a step ahead.

I had fun reading this book with all the musical theatre references, seeing the opposite of Frozen come to life as a musical in this book. As If on Cue is definitely a high school romance, and I think that needs to be emphasized. The language and the fights that happened between Natalie and Reid make sense for teenagers who don't know how to deal with everything on their shoulders.

I felt this book was a little too long, but the pacing was well thought-out and I still really enjoyed reading it. If you're the type of reader who loves a good romance book and musical theatre, this is definitely for you! Out September 21st!!

My rating: 3.5 ⭐

I LOVE the enemies to lovers trope and this one was definitely well done! Natalie and Reid were the absolute cutest and I overall loved how the story progressed. Cute light read.

This story was a super cute enemies to lovers one with high school drama and musicals mixed in. Definitely check this one out if you enjoy romance and being highly entertained by shenanigans.

Two Jewish childhood rivals find love as they play pranks and are forced to work together on a high school drama production. The book does a good job addressing parental pressures, having the support to follow your dreams and the damage caused by micro aggressions and casual anti-semitism. Heartfelt and highly recommended for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon, Emma Lord or Laura Silverman. Great on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

I prefer to not write a review, as I feel this story could work for a lot of people. Unfortunately for me I couldn't connect with the characters, which left me disinterested in the story.

A cute easy read with splatters of angst!
I really felt for the main character Natalie, and although some of the thing she did were very juvenile, i understand why she felt that she needed to do them.
I likes the relationship between Natalie and Reid, how they had grown up together, the rivalry, their back and forth between disliking each other and falling for each other.
Some good representation, the two main characters being jewish and antisemitism being called out as well as some LGBTQ+ representation.
I really enjoyed this read and would recommend!

(Copy provided for review by the publisher via netgalley.)

I read a lot of YA books (even though Im in my 30s) so I quite enjoy the genre. This particular read felt especially young though. It was a romance though a very clean one and it dealt with a lot more of the high school experience than some of the other more mature YA books Ive read (ie: band practice, drama club etc). I enjoyed the book though and would recommend it to anyone who likes a younger YA book and anyone who loves the arts (music, theatre and drama) as it has a strong emphasis on that. I also appreciated the jewish representation in this book as well.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC via netgalley for an honest review.
4/5 stars
This was such a fun and mostly lighthearted YA contemporary, and I flew through it. CWs for some antisemitism through comments and character discussions of experiences with antisemitism.
Natalie was a really good character. I liked and related to her a lot, but there were also times where I was appalled by her actions. This made her feel more real to me because she was flawed, but she had actual character growth and was able to recognize her flaws and confront her problems. Natalie’s fears over her passions were relatable, and I also really related to her desire to share something with her dad in order to be able to spend time with him.
The banter, the pranks, and the pre-established relationship between Natalie and Reid was excellent. Their back-and-forth relationship between disliking each other, competing, friendship, cooperation, and something more was fun to read about. I also liked Reid’s character, and I liked learning more about him through Natalie as she began to see him in different ways.
Though the plot primarily focuses on the loss of funding for the arts, and the eventual production of Melted: The Musical (a Frozen opposite play), I really enjoyed the parts about Natalie’s family and her sister. The holidays were interesting to read about, and I liked the discussions about the ingrained and casual antisemitism that many of the characters had experienced. It was a small part, but it left me thinking.
The writing style was easy to follow and Natalie’s voice felt and read to me like it was coming from a 17-year-old. The pacing was also good with a balance of the different elements that made up this story. If you’re looking for an easy YA contemporary read with good characters, I’d suggest As If On Cue!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this book! this was a truly adorable young adult romcom. It features two Jewish main characters who are rivals, but end of falling for each other. The banter was adorable and the conflict were real high school issues that I could sympathize with. I would have liked another chapter of resolution at the end, but overall I enjoyed the ending and the book as a whole.

DNF 45%

There was so much LGBTQ+ and POC rep in this book. I really enjoyed the author's previous book, What I Like About You, which I why I requested the eARC for this one. But it took me a whole month to get through HALF this book : the two main characters are constantly bickering and I mean, I get it.... to a certain degree. But at one point, I just couldn't.

(3 star review to keep it neutral since I DNFed the book)

I absolutely loved Marisa's first book "What I Like About You", it was fast paced, emotional, fun, and I couldn't put it down.

I liked As If on Cue but I didn't love it, I had a really hard time not being super frustrated with Nathalie and her inability to communicate. I enjoyed the romance story arc between Nathalie and Reid (their ship names were ridiculous but fun). I love that Marisa included antisemitism in the book and Reid did a fantastic job of dealing with it.

I am looking forward to reading the next book Marissa publishes.

I don't usually rate YA contemporary romances five stars, but this book is exceptional. As If on Cue is one of my new favorite books for several reasons. The chemistry between Natalie and Reid reverberated off the page. Their relationship progressed at the perfect pace, making it captivating and authentic. Natalie and Reid are Jewish, and they attend public school, which adds a layered dimension to their characters. Their Jewishness touched my heart meaningfully. I also loved the storyline between Natalie and her father and her friendship with Henry. The stakes were incredible, which made the plot compelling. I could not recommend this book more highly.

This review will be a posted as part of my Monthly Wrap-Up, which you will be able to find on my blog within a couple of days.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for a complimentary digital review copy of As If On Cue. It publishes this Tuesday, September 21, 2021.

This YA romcom follows arch enemies Natalie and Reid. They are starting eleventh grade when they learn that the budgets for almost all of the arts extra curriculars at their school have been. This is fine for Reid, who is a first chair in the band that Natalie's dad instructs. Natalie, on the other hand, sees her plans for how this year will go quickly falling apart as the drama club is officially disbanded cancelling the school play, which she has written the script for.

Natalie hatches a plan together with all the arts clubs that have been effected and lobby the school to give them a chance to prove they deserve to continue to exist. This results in Natalie and Reid needing to work together to build something bigger than either of them expected for the sake of all the arts going forward.

This was a really cute book, but I did need to keep reminding myself that it was set in a high school, and I couldn't expect the characters to make totally logical adult decisions. Natalie and Reid's rivalry runs mostly through prank wars. Yes, prank wars.

I particularly liked the Jewish representation in the book. Both Natalie and Reid's families are Jewish and we got to see holidays, traditions and general Jewish culture throughout their lives. There's one scene where their families are celebrating Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) that I read on my way to my families Rosh Hashana celebration. There's also a part in the book where a antisemetic comment is made towards Natalie. Natalie is prepared to pretend it hasn't happened, but Reid immediately stands up for it not being acceptable. (Go Reid!)

The romance part of this book also seemed to develop naturally, in a realistic way. It wasn't a flip of the switch, but also allowed the main characters to realize their nemesis-ness, wasn't actually them disliking each other.

This is one of those books I can see being turned into a Made for Netflix YA Hallmark-esque movie, and I'd be there to watch it.

(3.5 stars rounded to 4)

a good romance although was a bit slower paced which can be frustrating for some. still enjoyed it though.

I think this is a high three/solid four out of five stars for me? I loved the premise of it and the stress of how important art is to students in high school. I feel like our world is so stressed about what is profitable that they forget what they're doing to young minds, so I definitely enjoyed a book that is meant to stress how important it is.

Natalie and Reid have been in each other's lives since birth. Their fathers are childhood friends and everything has always been shared and Natalie grows to resent Reid more and more because of it. Their families may be close but if were up to Natalie, she'd probably try her best to not have to see Reid as much as she has to. After he stole her music from her, Natalie fell in love with writing (as a hobby, she's sure to emphasize) and grew into writing plays. But when everything but the band gets cut (lucky for her Dad and Reid), all eyes are on Natalie and Henry's Frozen-inspired play Melted as a means to show the school and community just how important art is to all of them. Natalie and Henry are thrilled but then there is a prank war and a disaster concert and a storm and all this puts the band and the 'Save the Art' team together to create something that combines all efforts.

Reid and Natalie have never been able to stop this competition between the two of them but now they may have no choice.

I'm going to just say this and lay it all out here but if Natalie just communicated even A TINY BIT then this aggressive nature would have been squashed when they were KIDS. My god, this was good but Natalie was infuriating because everything was a personal attack on her even when it literally had nothing to do with her. In Natalie's world, the sun rose and set on Reid but she always fought like it was supposed to be her in his place. She didn't like when things didn't go her way ever and threw hissy fits over it or strongarmed people until it did. I honestly didn't really like her as the main character until the last few chapters of the book and even THEN she wasn't winning any awards.

Her Dad was kind of clueless but AGAIN, ALL SHE HAD TO DO WAS TALK TO HIM. I had a big problem with this lack of communication and I was trying to remind myself that she was supposed to be like 16/17 years old but even then I thought it was too much. I do not remember being that bad when I was younger.

I did like the writing itself. I couldn't put this book down and when Natalie wasn't annoying me, I enjoyed her relationships with her friends (Fitz in particular) and the addressing of the microaggressions and antisemitism that go on in middle and high school. This was quick but very important as I think it's not often addressed in YA but over the past few years I definitely am noticing it come up more and more and although I wish it didn't have to be said at all, I'm glad teens are seeing it more in the books they're reading.

Overall, I mostly enjoyed this book but Natalie definitely was the root of my frustrations. I think if she dialled it back a notch or two she would've been easier to read but I mostly wanted to shake her.