Elissa Sussman’s “Once More with Feeling” is a delightful and heartwarming read that explores the complexities of love and second chances. The characters are relatable and their journeys are both touching and entertaining. This book is perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good story with a lot of heart.

I really loved Elissa Sussman’s other book, Funny You Should Ask, but unfortunately, this book just didn’t hit the same. It was much more serious, however with less depth than I would have hoped for. Additionally, I didn’t feel the romance was as focal or strong as I would prefer in a romance book.

Reviewing so late, but I did so enjoy this one, and have loved selling it. Excellent for the Daisy Jones and Rachel Lynn Solomon lovers!

I love Elissa Sussman- her debut is one of my all time favorites. Once More with Feeling is a wonderful sophomore novel. I will be recommending this for my library's book club!

This contemporary romance offers a refreshing twist on the familiar friends-to-lovers trope, which happens to be my favorite! The author's vivid portrayal of the glitz and glamour of the music industry is captivating, and the characters' internal struggles provide a relatable depth to the story. Katee and Cal's complicated dynamic is both intriguing and heartwarming. Their shared past and mutual resentment create a palpable tension that really worked for me. The author's ability to blend humor, drama, and heartfelt emotion made this a well-crafted romance that I think is an easy one to recommend for readers in the genre!

2.5

While this was never straight-up BORING, it still was very bland. Everything felt rushed and surface-level. There wasn't a lot of depth to the characters or the story itself. Such a disappointing read. I cannot believe this is the same author as Funny You Should Ask (which was FIVE whole stars for me). I'm very interested to see how I feel about Sussman's upcoming release because that will definitely determine if I ever pick up one of her books again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my very own.

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pre-release:

i have a major book hangover from Funny You Should Ask. need this nowwwww <3

#coffeeandcurrentlyreading I’m wayyy behind on one of my most anticipated reads! 🙈 I love me some @elissa_sussman 🤩💙📖 so I’m super excited for ONCE MORE WITH FEELING - a huge thanks to @randomhouse for my #gifted copy! Paired with an iced tiramisu cold brew coffee and strawberry cheesecake poptart from @valsdayton and I KNOW I’m going to be having a great start to my week 🥰 what are you reading and sipping?

This was a fun book, and I really appreciated the opportunity to read it! I will recommend this book.

Short Synopsis: Katee Rose is a world famous pop star dating Ryan LaNeve of the hottest boy band, but her career explodes when she falls for Cal another member of Ryan's band. 10 years later, Cal approaches her with the opportunity of her life staring in a Broadway show.

My thoughts: I absolutely adored Sussman's first book, so needless to say I was so excited when I had the chance to read this one. While I really enjoyed the premise, overall I just didn't feel a deep connection to the characters like I'd hoped. I just felt like we got the surface level of the characters and wanted more.

That being said, I am always a fan of second chance romance and celebrity romances and that really worked for me! I especially enjoyed watching Katee make her comeback after her initial career imploded. I also really enjoyed watching the Broadway show process and couldn't wait to see whether it was a success or a flop.

Read if you love:
- Celebrity romance
- 90s pop vibes
- Past/Present timelines
- Second chance romance
- Broadway shows

Didn't love this book as much as the first, but Elissa Sussman always writes fun, beautiful romances with fun pop culture plots. I liked the characters a lot!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
🌶️🌶️ 2/5

I have a love/hate relationship with second chance romance, but Elissa Sussman wrote this trope SO WELL! I loved the back and forth between past and present and the way the relationship between Kathleen, Ryan, and Cal was slowly revealed through flashbacks. We love it when a dual timeline is done right!

I really loved to see Katleen’s character grow from when she was a driven teenager to an adult wanting to prove something to herself and the world. In the flashbacks, it made me so mad to see the behind-the-scenes manipulation of Kathleen as a young performer in the music industry. How her management team pulled her strings, and especially how her boyfriend used her fame for his own personal gain. It was hard to read at times as I just found myself so mad at the people in her life.

That is, everyone but Cal.

His presence in her life was the one real thing and it broke my heart how, as a teenager, Kathleen didn’t appreciate him as much as she could have. Fate, of course, has a sense of humor, and in many of the books we love, we tend to see those characters come back around. And thank god for that!

Overall, I did think this book was a bit long, creeping in at about 400 pages, which, was too much for me. There is, in fact, a sweet spot! But this story was filled with fun, light-hearted scenes, and moments that brought the story full circle.

I definitely recommend this book, along with Elissa Sussman’s first - Funny You Should Ask. Celebrity romances continue to have a hold on me!

Thank you to Dell for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked Sussman's first novel, but WOW - she blew me away with Once More with Feeling! This slow burn friends to lovers to enemies to lovers story grabbed me from the start and I loved the summer camp musical and NYC vibes! I also loved the dual timeline, Jewish representation, and the fantastic cast of characters. Kathleen and Caleb completely stole my hear and Sussman did another excellent job with a second chance romance!!

I loved this book. This was the second book from this author I have read and she did not disappoint. I loved the characters and the storyline in this book. I felt like I was almost there with them. I would definitely recommend this book.

This was such a fun read! I loved the way this second chance romance played out! The only thing I would change was that the ending was a little rushed

This book was not for me. I appreciate the publishers and netgalley giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really liked this one--maybe even a little more than Funny You Should Ask! I don't mind the structure with the then/now chapters because I feel like she quickly fills in the missing pieces that each section creates. Plus, I thought the writing was a bit more honest, punchy, and realistic. The nostalgia of this was also top notch.

Read like a YA novel, I was totally intrigued by the drama. Such a quick read filled with so much nostalgia. I enjoyed all the pop culture references that were intertwined into the novel. It was interesting to see the second chance romance unfold alongside enemies to lovers. I really enjoyed reading this novel.

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: Special thanks to Elissa Sussman for providing me an ARC copy to share my honest review.

Another cute, uplifting romance from Elissa Sussman! I ended up listening to the audiobook version, and it was such a treat.

This one had such potential for me! Sadly, I couldn't get into this book enough to finish it so I'm opting out of it for the time being and hope to return to it down the road!

While I didn't love this book quite as much as Funny You Should Ask, it was still fantastic. I am a huge musical theatre nerd, so this plot and setting was right up my alley. This second chance romance told with a dual timeline kept me engaged, and helped the slow burn build perfectly.
I loved the character development in this story. There are so many little details that added delicious layers, like how FMC Kathleen was known as a pop star when she was young, with a very distinct nasal voice. However, as she reinvents herself as a Broadway star, she uses her natural chest voice, and distinguishes herself as Kathleen, not Katee Rose. So many tropes are touched on throughout the book. You can certainly consider this to be a friends-to-lovers story, while simultaneously considering it an enemies-to-lovers story. There's plenty of forced proximity, and it built the sexual tension until it was leaping off the page.
I really liked MMC Cal and Sussman certainly had me rooting for him.
This book and it's HEA were really satisfying. I can't wait for her next book!