This is one of the books where I go "Did the author look inside my head and write this for me." A rom com with three timelines - #1 about kids at musical theatre camp, #2 about said musical theatre kids now older in the pop world (oh how I love a good boy band!) AND #3 as adults auditioning and in rehearsals for a Broadway show? WHAT??!!

This musical theatre girl's heart just grew 6 sizes!!! I knew I was all in with this book the minute I read the quote "It was as if the patron saint of musical theatre - Stephen Sondheim - was smiling on me."

I enjoyed Sussman's previous novel and was so excited to dive into this one, not really knowing much about the plot. I was incredibly invested in the characters and their journeys. not only from a will they/won't they aspect, but also from a friendship, career, and life aspect as well. I devoured this in less than 24 hours and found myself relating with these characters in so many ways - I personally went to musical theatre camp, have also performed in a live showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in college, had movie musical marathons with my friends, and am still obsessed with the patron saint Mr. Sondheim!

Thank you - thank you - thank you Elisa Sussman for making this musical theatre nerd's heart so happy with this adorable, unique, witty, tender, and beautiful novel. You nailed the audition anxiety, the joy of being on stage, and also the beauty of those friendships (and rivalries) that are made in the performing world that last a lifetime.

I truly wanted to just hug this book when I finished it (while singing Memory at the top of my lungs, of course).

After her first novel and now this one - Sussman has just become an auto read author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House/Ballantine/Dell for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!.

I had a really hard time getting into this book and connecting with the characters. To.the point where I had to put it down for a bit before picking it back up. Fun dialogue, interesting characters for sure, but it fell a little.flat for me.

I was a bit nervous about this one...
I think the most important thing to know about this book is that it does involve the cheating trope.
Do I like this trope? No. I honestly hate it.
But did I hate this book? No.
Knowing that this book had the cheating trope in it, I tried to focus on other aspects of this story.
I liked the then and now timelines, which provided insight into our female main character and her motivations with regards to her career. I also appreciate an underdog story, which is exactly what the main character is in her career. She's giving everything she has to try an "make it," which is compelling to read about.
I liked the exploration of the main character's relationship with her best friend and their dynamic from teenage years, into young adults, and now. I do wish the story would have focused even more on this relationship because it was a standout for the book as a whole.
With regards to the romantic storyline, I think Elissa Sussman does a good job of making the audience love the male main character and wanting us to root for him and our female main character in both the then and now timelines. Unfortunately, there is cheating. As much as the reader can try and sympathize with the characters involved, I'm never going to enjoy that trop and it's never going to sit well with me.
I think if the cheating trope isn't a negative for a reader they will likely really enjoy this story. The author does a great job with some much of it and it really is an enjoyable read overall. If you know you dislike the cheating trope, you may want to skip this one.

DNFed at 15%

Thank you to netgalley and Ballantine random house for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who didn’t adore funny you should ask but enjoyed some aspects of it I went into this hoping this one would build on the highs, rather than the lows, of that novel.

I’m sorry to say that, unfortunately, in my opinion, that didn’t occur. I found the characters unlikeable, besides Harriet who seemed to have the most inviting personality out of everyone.

I often times felt like I was reading celebrity fan fiction and found the characters shallow and self centered.

However, I did enjoy Harriet’s and Kathleen friendship, along with their love for musicals, I found myself wishing the rest of the novel shared the amount of depth and detail that went into these traits. I wished the author had played more into the emotional aspect of Kathleen’s personality, with more detail. How deeply her time away from the spotlight had changed her and molded her. While we do get scattered lines of this here and there I just don’t find it having the depth to really stick and make us feel for this character and why she truly deserves this second chance she is getting. I personally didn’t see any character development and because of these reasons I had to DNF this one.

While this book wasn’t for me, I do believe other readers may get something out of this read that I was unable to.

I think the premise of this one will attract some of my YA readers, but I didn't get as much romance as I did realistic fiction from it.

Thank you #netgalley for the advance reader copy of "Once More With Feeling" by Elissa Sussman. This was the first book I've read by the author and I really enjoyed how she constructed the story. It was very easy to know when it was a flash back.  The way she weaves the tale of childhood friends and intimate relationships. She writes in such a way that I was interested in all the characters and where their decisions take them. And I really enjoyed the Jewish referencea!! I looking forward to reading her other book!


#netgalley #sussman #random house #OnceMorewithFeeling


@netgalley @randomhouse

A smart, unique writing style with all the witty and charming dialogues and the characters that I love in a romance. I seriously so loved and enjoyed it.

Thank you so much Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this story of second chance romance between Cal and Kathleen and I love a good dual timeline! Especially with second romance aw we get to follow the trail of the entire story of how they met, where it went wrong and they came back together!

Once More With Feeling vibrant musical spins a tale of a fallen pop star and her trusted songwriter, both on a mission to reclaim their glittering world. But here’s the small twist: no cliché misunderstandings here. Katee, the former pop sensation, commits a genuine mistake that the narrative fearlessly confronts. Through its “Then” and “Now” narrative, this book goes through the motions and backstory of Katee Rose.

Katee Rose once stood as the reigning pop sensation in America and beyond, drawing fervent fans to her concerts and captivating the media’s attention. However, her superstar status crumbled under the weight of a misogynistic campaign led by both the media and her then ex-boyfriend, Ryan. The pivotal moment arrived when she cheated on her boyfriend Ryan, a member of a beloved boyband CrushZone, with his bandmate Cal Kirby—a secret affection she had harbored, dating back to their summer theater camp days.

Fast forward many years and enter Kathleen Rosenberg, content with leaving behind her brief stint as a pop star. Big on the content. That is until Cal, now directing her best friend’s soon-to-be Broadway production, reappears with an irresistible offer: the starring role, on the condition that she auditions for the producers. As old emotions resurface and tensions escalate between the two who haven’t spoken since their fall from grace, the question hangs in the air: should they rekindle their old flame, or can they resist the temptation that still lingers?

Beneath its surface, “Once More with Feeling” tells a tale of redemption, tracing a woman’s journey from a grave mistake to accountability and self-forgiveness. As Kathleen’s story exemplifies, granting second chances can be a powerful act. I felt some areas of this book fell short. Cal never truly apologized to Katee yet she seemed so okay with it? There were also times where Katee felt unrelateable BUT that could have been her big diva personality, since she grew up in the spotlight.

If you’re looking for a spicy romance, this isn’t for you. Also, I should mention, I kind of wish Katee’s cat Fish had a few more cameos since there’s a cat on the cover of the book.

Elissa Sussman is one of my favorite authors. Once More with Feeling is a dream come true in book form for lovers of pop culture and theater. I love how Sussman uses the flashbacks between their days touring together where Katee and Cal become close and the present where they have to work together on Cal's new show. This book is fun and swoony and should be your next read!

This one is for all the theater kids who heard “one more time” from their director more times than they care to remember.

After a fall from fame due to a love scandal with a pop star and his band mate, Kathleen Rosenberg has stepped away from the limelight. Once a beloved pop star, she’s now an “ordinary” person attempting to avoid the spotlight. Enter Cal, the aforementioned band mate and drama camp friend. When Cal recruits Kathleen to star in a Broadway musical, the two will either combust or set their issues aside to make performance magic.

A friends/enemies to lovers that will leave you believing in second chances. If you enjoyed Sussman’s first book, you’ll love these characters as well. A perfect summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

As a musical lover, I really enjoyed that aspect of this romance. I haven't read much in that line and the parts of the story that occurred during practice and musical summer camp filled me with nostalgia for theater productions. The romance element was steamy and the history/background of the characters was revealed at a good and interesting pace alongside the current day story. The various timelines element was well done.

I got a little frustrated with the characters and their choices, but for the most part I thought they were realistic. Third act breakups aren't my favorite and I felt the ended seemed a bit rushed in terms of resolving relationships. But the ending still has sufficient swoon.

This second-chance romance told in two times, the optimistic past and the wary present, is entertaining from beginning to end not just because it's full of emotional interactions but because it's written in a very charming manner that endears you to Kathleen and Cal.
Kathleen met her best friend, Harriet, and her crush, Cal Kirby, at musical summer camp. Kathleen and Harriet remain friends even as Kathleen becomes pop sensation Katee Rose and she embarks on a world tour with the hit new boy band, CrushZone. The problem is that even though her boyfriend Ryan is a member of CrushZone, so is the crush from her past, Cal. Things happen and Katee Rose's career is destroyed and everyone heads their own way. Except Harriet is still her best friend and writes a Broadway show with a part made for Kathleen. The only problem is that the director is none other than Cal Kirby. Can the problems of the past be resolved in time for there to be a successful present and happy future?
Reading about a singer's rise, fall, and comeback is nothing new. Even adding a love interest returned from the past to it, it's a story that's been told before. Yet there's something about the way that Sussman tells a story that everything feels like you're right there with them experiencing all the emotions and cheering for them to succeed. It's not just that it jumps from the past to the present at just the right moment to give deeper context to both timelines, it's that the characters are genuinely interesting and feel like real people you might actually know. It's not something many authors can manage, but I'm starting to think it's something Sussman excels at.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Dell for the exciting romance read!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Ballantine for this advance reader copy of Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman - this one is out in stores now!

I’m landing somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars for this one - was it a bad book? No, not at all. But it was definitely forgettable and I really had a tough time connecting with the main characters, and they felt very underdeveloped. I’m going to land on 3 stars purely because of the length, because if it was any longer, I likely would’ve DNFed. Unfortunately this is my second book in the “meh” range from this author so I’m going to chalk it up to her not being for me.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

I am a huge fan of the "second chance" troupe so I was super excited to read Once More with Feeling from Elissa Sussman. The connection between Kathleen and Cal was great and I adored the childhood friend-to-lover troupe that was also in this story. I was a huge fan of Elissa's first book and I really liked that in this novel both main characters had a fame background, it felt far more authentic. This is the perfect beach read!

I had really high hopes for Once More With Feeling but I unfortunately had the same issues with this one as I did with Funny You Should Ask. I love celeb romances and the synopsis sounded amazing but I just can't get into Sussman's writing. It is in my opinion, boring. Her FMCs are unlikable and there is absolutely no chemistry between the two characters. I feel like they just say lines at each other and there's absolutely no emotion there. Wanted to love but I think it's a no for me.

I was really looking forward to this book as I liked the author’s previous book, however I ended up DNFing this one. The plot just wasn’t enough to keep me interested, but that could have been overlooked if it weren’t for the characters also being so unlikable. Both Kathleen and Cal come across very immature. Specifically when they are fighting and Harriet tells them to stop and they immediately start arguing again. Kathleen gets mad at Cal for doing exactly what she wanted him to do with the dance routine. I unfortunately wasn’t rooting for any of these characters.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book.

Once More With Feeling
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Elissa Sussman

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Then. Katee Rose is living the dream as America's number one pop star, caught in a whirlwind of sold-out concerts, screaming fans, and constant tabloid coverage. Everyone wants to know everything about her and her boyfriend, Ryan LaNeve, the hottest member of adored boy band CrushZone. Katee loves to perform but hates the impossible demands of stardom. Maybe that's why she finds herself in the arms of another CrushZone member, Cal Kirby. Quiet, serious Cal, who's always been a good friend to Katee, is suddenly Cal with the smoldering eyes and very good hands. One unforgettable night is all it takes to blow up Katee's relationship with Ryan, her career, her whole life...

Now. Kathleen Rosenberg is okay with her ordinary existence, and leaving her pop star image in the past. That is, until Cal Kirby shows up with the opportunity of her dreams--a starring role in the Broadway show he's directing and a chance to perform the way she's always wanted. The two haven't spoken since the joint destruction of their careers, and each of them blames the other, making their reunion a tense battle of wits and egos. Katee reluctantly agrees to the musical, as long as she keeps her guard up around Cal. But rehearsals are long, those eyes still smolder, and those hands are still very good. Despite everything, Katee can't deny the chemistry between them. Is it ever a good idea to reignite old flames? Especially if you've been burned in the past?

My Thoughts: This was a cute, beautiful, poignant story than spans over a few decades. I was really looking forward to this story after devouring the first one, which was exceptional. While I throughly enjoyed this novel, some of the other reviews are not the best and I believe that is because our MC, Kathleen is not a likable character for a good part of the story. This story follow the tropes of second chance romance and enemies to lovers.

This story is narrated in past and present tense by Kathleen. Pop star Katee and present day Kathleen are really two different women. When Katee was a pop star, she was only a child and made some decisions that were not the best, same rings true for Cal. Now they are grown up and their roads cross again doing a broadway play. Even though they do everything to remain professional through the broadway play, feelings start to reemerge again. The characters were developed well, with witty banter, chemistry, and creative passion. Even though the MCs were not likable at times, they really grew on me and I was rooting for Kathleen and Cal. The author’s writing style is complex, beautiful, poignant, and engaging.

I would recommend this one and the previous one, as they are sweet, heartwarming, and just makes you feel good reading. A beautiful, poignant, yet happily ever after story of mistakes, love, and how to move on. I highly recommend this story!

Elissa Sussman is a wizard when it comes to crafting story. And this was a gem! I absolutely loved the premise of this book…the gift of coming back to love after growth and time to become one’s truest self. The setting (musicals????) couldn’t be better. This was a perfect read during my week at the beach and I am so thankful to have been gifted a copy to enjoy!

I love, love, loved this!! I’ve heard great things about Elissa Sussman’s writing and was so excited to dive into it. Every character was so beautifully developed. I was iffy on Kathleen - she was relatable in some ways, but she also annoyed me with her celebrity persona. She was also a terrible decision-maker, but it drove the storyline in mostly a fun way. Now Cal - oh Cal, I love him. He is so warm and sweet - from the start he was a perfect character. The then-and-now perspectives gave great insight into each of the characters and allowed Kathleen and Cal’s relationship to build into something believable. I actually preferred the past scenes, they showed young love and indecision in an engaging way!

Overall, it was such a great and engaging story that I didn’t want to put down!

Thank you Elissa Sussman, Netgalley, and Random House Publishing for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!