I would give this book a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars. I thought this book was everything and more. It had the cute teen drama of the past tied in with the brewing love of the present. Kathleen and Cal were super SWOON worthy. I mean finding love at summer camp, becoming a major pop star, only to have a major down fall that totally obliterated her world but Kathleen got back up eventually. When she was ready, for her best friend's first ever broadway show. The main role was written with her in mind and she's ready to make her big comeback. But to her surprise, the director is Cal. Man of her past, but they have history and it's not all good.

I loved that back and forth of the past and present. I wish I had read this sooner but I'm so glad I finally got around to it.

Such a good summer read! I loved it! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review im exchange for an honest review. 5 stars!

This was so cute! I’m definitely not a faithful romance reader. I’m obsessed with thrillers but this held my attention and I loved it!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

I loved Sussman's debut and thoroughly enjoy her writing, so I was looking forward to picking this one up. Especially with her world-building in the Hollywood and theatre scene. Her characters always feel so three-dimensional and the chemistry is always popping off the page.

While I enjoyed Once More with Feeling, I didn't love it quite as much as Funny You Should Ask. I enjoyed the commentary on fame and the effects of being so immersed in the world of pop culture. I had a hard time with the tropes, especially only getting the story from one point of view (Kathleen's). Romance is different for everyone, and different things and characters resonate and Kathleen was not it for me.

I look forward to seeing future titles from Sussman, though!

This book centered a lot around musical theater and that didn’t interest me. I thought it was going to be more celebrity focused but the musical theater part doesn’t really interest me. Just a preference issue!

This is my second time reading Sussman's work, and again, I truly enjoyed her way of describing the lives of the rich and famous. However, and this might be personal bias, I second-chance romances are not my favorite. Further, Kathleen, as main character, was hard to root for. I wish we had some more backstory with her bio family or less fighting with Harriett.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story! I am a fan of Sussman!

I love a second chance romance and Elissa Sussman did not disappoint with Once More With Feeling. I was a huge fan of Funny You Should Ask and feel the same way about this one as well. Sometimes two timelines are hard for me to follow but I’ve loved how Elissa Sussman weaves them into her stories bringing both the past and present together.

Finished this one late but thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have mixed feelings about this book! On the one hand, I utterly devoured it in two sittings. Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and I loved Cal and the plot pretty much immediately.

I do wish we got more of the show, if that makes sense. The entire revival was based on this epic Rosie the Riveter themed Broadway show and it feels like we barely got to peek behind the curtain to see it. There was so much build up to the Broadway opener but it felt like the show itself wasn't a core component of the plot.

Nonetheless, this was a cozy and enjoyable read about two teenage stars who messed it up the first time and had the chance to make it right the second. I loved the dual timelines between then and now (although I felt like it took a loooong time to learn the details behind their original falling out) and I loved the ride nonetheless.

Second chance romance AND Broadway!? Sign me UP! Once More with Feeling was such a cute lil book, showing the reality of chasing your dreams and the consequences of when they come true.
I didn't love some of the drama, which is why it wasn't 5 stars, but this was such an easy read and I felt like it was real, whereas some other rom com books glaze past the hard things. I loved the communication between Kathleen and Cal, and the banter--the BANTER. I was cheesing hard. Elissa Sussman is a auto-read author for me at this point!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Elissa Sussman has done it again.

I absolutely enjoyed this book so much. I felt things that other books don’t give me sometimes, and that’s being able to understand why a character does something and getting mad at them, but also again, understanding.

The friendship and romance in this books was enjoyable to read, yet also stressful, but the drama was CRAZY. If you love celeb romances, nostalgic references, musical theatre, boy bands, and drama, definitely read this. I am looking forward to Elissa’s next book, and is an auto buy author for me, after Funny You Should Ask and Once More with Feeling. I also love the title connection to the story, and is something to pay attention to.

4 stars!

"Once More With Feeling" by Elissa Sussman is not quite as good as "Funny You Should Ask," but I still really enjoyed it! Sussman LOVES a second chance romance. She might be the queen of that trope at this point. I think the dynamic and the dual timeline friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story/relationship between main characters Kathleen (formerly known as pop music sensation Katee) and Cal (a former member of the pop boy band CrushZone) is well worth the wait. Sussman really makes her readers ache and yearn for her characters to get together it each and every time. Personally, I felt like the payoff was worth the wait, but I can see why others might disagree. You really get a sense that these characters weren't just a thing that happened in the past. There is clearly more between them that has to be resolved in the present. I felt Kathleen and Cal's trepidation with exploring and untangling the genuine spark that still exists between them years later when they are thrust back together to work on a mutual friend's Broadway play. Also, while the initial premise will throw off a lot of readers (spoiler: cheating is involved, and I know that is a hard line for a lot of people), if you stick with it, you might have your mind changed because it slightly deviates from other books featuring that plot point. I also appreciated what happens with Kathleen towards the end regarding this aspect of the story. The commentary on the commodification of female bodies for the world stage and how they are crucified and vilified when they make a misstep in the public is something more romance novels (heck, just more novels in general) need to explore. What can I say? I thought this book was great. I felt the longing here. I like Sussman's writing style, and I know it's not for everyone, but it is very much my jam.

Thank you to NetGalley, Elissa Sussman, Dell, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

This was a fun romance. I enjoyed the characters and the back and forth between past and present. I like a "second chance" romance meets "enemies to lovers".

Overall, I enjoyed this read, but it wasn't super memorable or outstanding to me.

Stayed up way too late last night reading this and finished it off today. A delight from start to finish. This was similar in format to the author’s first — but with new characters and a boy band for fun’s sake. I loved the yearning, and double yearning with the flashbacks. A solid good time.

Katee Rose was the world's biggest superstar, until she gets caught up in a dramatic, juicy cheating scandal and her career comes crashing down around her. She suddenly has the chance to return to her musical theatre roots, but the only issue? She'll have to work with one of the key players in her popstar demise to make it happen. We get to come along on the making (and downfall of) Katee Rose, as well as the making of her new Broadway show.

I liked but didn't love Funny You Should Ask, and Im definitely not a huge Broadway geek, so going into this I definitely had mixed expectations, but I was actually surprised by how much I liked this book! I think the overall story line was much stronger in this book than in Funny You Should Ask, but I didn't like the romance as much in this book - something about Kathleen and Cal felt forced to me! When our main characters in funny you should ask had SO much chemistry.

Overall though, I highly recommend this book and think it's worth the read, especially if you're a big Broadway fan!

I could not get into this book. There were some cute parts, but I wasn’t a fan of the miscommunication. I couldn’t get invested in Kathleen’s and Cal’s relationship. It all just fell kinda flat for me.

Let's start out with the name "Once More With Feeling" THANK YOU ES for that much needed Buffy reference.

Now onto the rest:
Once again ES doesn't disappoint with the second chance romance / friends to lovers / enemies to lovers tropes.
The way she writes her characters and the dual timeline got me hooked from the get go and made me read this one (like the last one) in one sitting. Her characters are captivating, complex and simply human which is no small feat considering they come from the entertainment world, where it's so easy to just pretend to be something other than human. Something polished and perfect.
Cal was such a sweet sweet character. I loved every single piece of him. Kathleen on the other hand, I have conflicting feelings about. I wanted to love her as a character but her impulsivity to say and act out before she thinks and even while realizing that it's the wrong thing to do irked me the wrong way. We all do this sometimes. React in that way but she was doing it ALL. THE. TIME. It made me like her less than I wanted. That being said everything else was so great.
I especially loved the we address that women have to be more perfect than men in every way in the Industry and the abusive and toxic environment these people (especially child stars) grow up in. It's all very real and very messed up.
Lastly, I can't not mention all the musical theater references and the fact that this book was set up against the backdrop of creating a Broadway show. It was glorious. My inner theater kid thanks you ES!

This was kind of a middle of the road book to me. I didn't personally feel their chemistry like I did in the author's previous books. I am wondering if it was because there was a third person involved in this one and less celebrity elements. Nothing wrong with the book, just personal preference for this rating.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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I read Funny You Should Ask last year, and it was just plain fun. I could not wait to pick up her new book. Elissa Sussman has a really distinct writing style, and I find it really easy to keep turning the page. I loved how she incorporated her love of musicals into this book. Ultimately, I think this book was not wildly compelling. It's great for a beach read, but it isn't going to stick with me for years. If you're looking for a quick fun book, pick this up.

StoryGraph review in link. Thank you for the book!!!

I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot was well written as well as the characters. The progression of their relationship was shone well by using the then and now chapters.

Once More With Feeling follows Kathleen and Cal, exes who now have to work together in a theater play written by their mutual friend, Harriet. The book navigates between dual timelines and perfectly displays the friends to lovers, second chance romance that unfolds. Although their first try at love ended Kathleen’s career as Katee Rose (America’s number one popstar), she knows that being cordial with Cal now is crucial since he is the director of the play she is now staring in.

I absolutely loved the banter throughout, from the time they were teens to adulthood. I will officially say that I will read anything that Elissa Susanna writes, this was beautifully done.

Thank you to Elissa Susanna, NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, and Dell Romance for the digital Arc copy of this book, I am eager for more from this author.