Celebrities … they’re just like us, right? Right?!

This is the story of a girl named Lucky. Actually, her name is Katee but the Britney vibes are strong. And her love triangle with members of the boyband, Crushzone, gave off some obvi NSYNC vibes in a way that I’m assuming was intentional.

But the story examines the “next chapter” for Lucky, errr Katee. Or, Kathleen rather. Theater, broadway, authenticity … all goals and aspirations that are unlike those of a decade ago,

This was a fun change of pace for me and also the first book I’ve read by this author so it felt fresh and new to me. Great beach read and will appeal to Britney and/or boy and fans I’m sure!

Another second chance romance from Elissa Sussman and it’s solid… mutual pining, banter, sexual tension you need a chainsaw to cut through… this time we have a pair of former pop stars who were friends to lovers to enemies to reluctant co-collaborators to lovers again.

When they were teens at the height of their careers, Kathleen Rosenberg aka Katee Rose was pop culture’s IT girl (think Britney) and Cal Kirby was part of CrushZone (think NSync) and her boyfriend’s Ryan’s bandmate. When the pair go from friends to lovers, while she’s still with Ryan, the world turns on her and she slithers away from the limelight to lead a quiet normal life. Years later, Kathleen is determined to finally make a name for herself in music the way she always intended… Broadway. But imagine the shock when she turns up at the first meeting about the production to find out the director is none other than Cal! With neither of them willing to give up their dream - hers to perform on Broadway and his to produce and direct - they’re forced to put aside their feelings and history in service of a common goal. But as they spend more and more time together, it’s impossible to ignore the past and their lingering mutual attraction. But with everything in the line… can they manage to keep it together?

This was a good read! I really enjoyed it as a summer read. I would recommend it to others and read more books from this author.

Second chance romance has quickly become one of my favorites. Elissa is nailing it! I really loved the connection between the male and female MCs and their childhood sweethearts like past. There was so much pining and I’m here for it. This was truly a sweet story.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I tend to adore whatever Sussman writes, and this was no exception.

Kathleen Rosenberg, former pop star, Katee Rose, has always wanted to be on broadway. However, after a cheating scandal years ago, the former pop icon's celebrity status has plummeted.

However, when her best friend writes a musical with Kathleen in mind to star, what else can go wrong. Well, that is until they get Kathleen's former friend, now enemy, and former boy band member, Cal Kirby to direct the new show, only chaos can ensue.

I usually stay away from dual timelines, as I often find them unnecessary. But Sussman did a wonderful job with Kathleen and Cal's past, and slowly revealing details of where and why everything came crashing down so long ago.

Highly enjoyable read.

Elissa Sussman has become a must read author for me. I love her writing style, her book covers and her characters! Cal and Katee chemistry had me unable to put this book down!

If you are a child of the 90s like I am, you'll definitely love this book. Katee = Britney. CrushZone = NSYNC. You get the idea.

This was a really fun, cute book and I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were great and the story was well-paced. Katee/Kathleen was a liiiiiiiittle too defensive for my taste, but I guess that's what you need to create the tension. I would definitely recommend this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Calling all thespians and musical lovers, do I have a book recommendation for you!

This book was such a fun read for me. As a person who has been known to love a good musical this book felt like such a warm hug on a cold winters day. We had amazing pining, a second chance romance, all with a dash of enemies to lovers. How could this not be amazing?

The beauty of this story is how easy it was for me to imagine it all and at times all I wanted was the soundtrack to be available to I could truly immerse myself into this story completely. I pictured it all in my head and if somehow this book doesn’t get itself turned into a musical then there is no justice in the world.

Another second chance celeb romance from Elissa Sussman and as expected I loved it! While this book is mostly told from present day, we get a peak into the time that Cal and Kathleen first meet at summer camp and where they meet again as popstars on tour together. Overall it left me wanting more, it didn't feel like we got enough time or development between Cal and Kathleen, to really see them together. But none the less I throughly enjoyed this book!

Once More With Feeling follows ex pop star Katee Rose as she tries to reclaim her life and fame after a scandal in her younger years brought her career to a screeching halt. She finds herself poised to star in a new show set to hit broadway, but the only problem is the director is Cal Kirby, the man who played a role in the toppling of her career.

This book was highly anticipated for me after Sussman’s prior novel Funny You Should Ask, but it didn’t quite live up to it. While overall still enjoyable, I struggled to like Katee and had a hard time rooting for her throughout the novel. Cal was only slightly better. I liked the dual timelines and the enemies to lovers-esque plot line. As with the prior novel it was fun to live in the entertainment industry through the main characters and follow the rise and fall of their fame.

If you liked her previous book, or rom coms in general, I would still recommend this title! Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of this book.

i finished this after the pub date but wow! elissa sussman is definitely a new favorite author for me! even without the writing being absolutely amazing, the covers?!?! masterpieces on their own!

This was such a fun read! As someone who grew up on 90s pop stars and boy bands, the vibes and environment this book threw me into were terrific. I also love musical theater, so being a central theme was a pleasant surprise. Elissa Sussman can write a second-chance romance like no one else! Definitely recommend.

I read 77% of this book and then I set it down for nearly two weeks and just to be honest, I'm just not even remotely interested in picking it up. Sussman's writing is engaging enough when you're reading it, but I just cannot bring myself to care about any of the characters she's created. I don't care to find out what the third act conflict will be. I don't even care if these two people wind up together because I don't really understand why they should. I'm 77% into this book and I could not even tell you why they like one another. I wish I liked this, but it's just not for me and I'm going to go ahead and call it.

I loved Funny You Should Ask, so I was so excited to receive an ARC of Once More With Feeling. The plot was so much fun. Who wouldn't adore a boyband gone Broadway? I've always been a big fan of both boybands and theatre, so I was hooked! The jumping between time tenses was fun and especially exciting whenever we got to see so much in the past to help with the story in the present. Truly loved Katee and Cal's story! I will definitely be reading Elissa Sussman's work in the future!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Once More with Feeling! I went into this one not expecting to like it as Funny You Should Ask didn’t do much for me, but I really enjoyed this one!

Once More with Feeling is the Britney/Justin fanfiction of our millennial dreams. Elissa Sussman serves up a fun, flirty rom-com with some substance and characters that, despite being world famous, remain relatable. They're world-weary, insecure, and struggling to make that next step in life. Would definitely recommend this to lovers of the genre and of pop culture in general.

Elissa Sussman has done it again! I enjoyed FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, but I loved ONCE MORE WITH FEELING even more. Sussman's latest second-chance, celebrity romance follows Kathleen Rosenberg, who was once Katee Rose, a world-famous pop star...until she cheated on her boyfriend, adored boy band member Ryan LaNeve, with Cal Kirby, fellow band member and Katee's longtime friend, and her career fell apart. Now, years later, Kathleen is content being out of the spotlight, until her best friend Harriet and Cal himself propose an opportunity Kathleen can't refuse: a starring role in the musical that Harriet is writing and Cal is directing. It's a chance for Kathleen to shine on a Broadway stage and be the performer she's always wanted to be, but she and Cal haven't talked since everything that happened all those years ago, and she isn't about to forgive him for contributing to her fall from grace, letting her face the scrutiny of the press and the public alone. Can Kathleen and Cal overcome their past to put on a stellar show? And do old flames ever really burn out?

ONCE MORE WITH FEELING includes so many things I love in a story—a celebrity romance, the enemies-to-lovers trope, Jewish representation, dual timelines, an entertaining theater setting (plus plenty of musical theater and pop culture references!), and all of these things are woven together perfectly. The relationship and chemistry between Kathleen and Cal is well-written and feels so authentic—I loved the flashbacks to the development of their friendship and the progression of their mutual feelings and pining, as well as the chapters set in the present day, where even after years of distance and hurt, they fall for each other all over again. Similarly, the friendship between Kathleen and Harriet feels very realistic, and I so enjoyed the moments where readers really get a sense of their bond. The celebrity commentary was also a compelling aspect of the story—the portrayal of Katee's career was so fascinating, and the book doesn't shy away from depicting how unfairly female pop stars were often treated by the media at the time. In some ways, I wish the book had dug into that a little more, and also included some more of the mixed media elements throughout, as those were such great additions to the storytelling style. Overall, ONCE MORE WITH FEELING is truly a pitch-perfect romance—I can't wait to reread it someday, and to see what Elissa Sussman writes next! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was such a fun, sweet contemporary romance. Katee and Ryan were young pop stars with an enviable romance. Until Katee cheats with another member of Ryan's band. After the fallout from her mistake, she builds a quiet life away from the spotlight. Then Cal (the other half of the cheating scandal) shows up with an amazing opportunity for a show on Broadway. I loved the relationships and peek at a life of fame that this book presents. Katee and Cal have tons of chemistry and their banter is great. I really enjoyed this book and it will perfectly lend itself to summer vacation reading. I highly recommend, especially for romance story lovers. Thank you Elissa Sussman, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell books for the ARC in return for my honest review.

sussman's formula is repeated from FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK to ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, but the second time around it doesn't work as well. i'm also just personally not a fan of cheating and it immediately makes me want to put down a book, so this one was not for me. the dual timeline wasn't very impactful and got boring/confusing at times. none of the characters were very well developed or made me want to keep reading about them.

I think I’ve said it before: I’m not usually a second chance romance fan, but in the case of Once More With Feeling, it worked for me.

Kathleen and Cal both being a little older than your average romcom characters is probably why this worked so well, plus their backstory really gave them a lot more depth. We see glimpses of how they met in flashbacks and as the present day love story begins to bloom we see what led to that fateful day a decade earlier that ruined both their careers and their almost relationship.

Also, yes, cheating is so wrong and I do not condone it but in the case of Kathleen Rosenberg and Cal Kirby, I find them innocent because Ryan was a piece of 💩 and I did not root for him at any point because he was so clearly just using her and piggybacking off her career to get a leg up. The proposal scene was so fucking cringy as well, she should’ve said no in front of all those millions of people but I guess I understand why she didn’t 🤭

I loved the overall premise of two has-beens reuniting to relaunch their careers and the conversation around how women are usually the ones to take all the blame and hate and suffer consequences more than a man would if they make a mistake in the public eye.

Overall, I really enjoyed and do recommend.