There seem to be a lot of theater books this summer and I am not mad about it.

This one, is not the very popular Much Ado About Nothing, though. This one is an original musical written to take both a disgraced pop star and her songwriter best friend back on the scene.

I really enjoyed this book. In so many books these days, our main characters can have flaws, but they can't be too bad. If it looks like they made a mistake or did something they shouldn't have, it has to eventually come out as a misunderstanding. They can't have actually made a bad mistake or judgement call. This is especially true in second chance romances (like this book). There had to have been a misunderstanding or misreading of a situation back in the day. There can't be a straight up mistake.

Not in the book. Katee made a mistake. Was she young? Yes. Were there a lot of other circumstances around her? Totally. Was in typical media fashion, she treated much worse than a male in her situation would have been? 100%. Did she still make a mistake and there's no half way through the book magically explaining away that it was different than what it seemed? Yep. And I appreciated that so much. The ability to tell a story about a flawed character who has grown up and changed without explaining away the mistake she made in the past. This was helped tremendously by the the "Then" and "Now" chapter and story structure.

Friendships, relationships, growing up, navigating life and set backs. This book had a lot of great topics and addressed them well and had a fun musical flair while doing so. (Also I was bracing myself for a cringe last act breakup, but it didn't happen the way I was bracing for, thank goodness. And one other part that I thought was going to be super cliche and wasn't at all, although that did leave to one plot thread that I felt was left hanging. But at the same time, that's how life is. Everything doesn't get all wrapped up at the same time.)

I'm so glad I read this book and will be thinking about it for a while (and heavily considering grabbing the B&N Exclusive Edition so I can have the list of Broadway songs to go with each chapter 😍).

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for an advanced reader's copy of this book. All of the opinions are my own.

Sussman is a great second-chance romance author, and she delivered another great summer read. I love Kathleen & Cal’s live story and the sweet, enduring friendship between Kathleen and Harriett. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I really expected to not like this, but I was proven wrong. I wasn’t the biggest fan of her first book, but still liked it fine. This one being about the musical theatre world and actors and pop stars? Not usually my thing. I fully expected to hate it, but ultimately it was decently written, had a compelling story, flawed and real characters, and felt a little bit like smash (not glee). I think MT / Acting people will be icked occasionally, but it’s fun, a little sexy, and I loved it! It's a refreshing take on the romance genre and fans and non-fans alike will love it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy. All opinions are my own. This book kept my attention and made me want to continue reading. I ending up starting and finishing in 1 day. I didn’t really love the FMC or MMC as much as I wanted to and felt like their relationship needed more depth. It was good, but not my favorite and not as good as the author’s previous book which I adored.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions are my own. This book kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. I ended up reading it in one day. I didn’t really love the FMC or MMC as much as I wanted to. I felt like their relationship wasn’t fully developed by the time they had the first kiss. I wanted more. It was good, but not my favorite and not as good as ES’s previous which I adored.

Another great second chance celebrity romance from Sussman!

I love when authors use the then/now format when writing second chance because it really lends itself well to drama and build up. Not only did we get a "then", we also got a "then then" timeline–when our MCs first meet each other at theater camp, way before they both become famous. That really added depth to the story by showing us just how intertwined Cal and Kathleen were.

I found this book to be very entertaining and totally binge-worthy. Highly recommend it when of you're in the mood for a celebrity romance, or if you love musical theater!

Thank you, Random House Publishing, for the ARC.

Oh boy, I positively adored this book. It’s the second of Elissa’s that I’ve read (after “Funny You Should Ask”) and I feel confident in saying this will be one of my most recommended in 2023. Witty, smart, sharp, romantic… I just loved it all. I’ll read every book Elissa writes forever now - the feels she evokes are unmatched! Bravo!

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

Once More with Feeling is a really quick read and would probably make for a good summer read. Unfortunately, I really didn’t connect with any of the characters and it seemed like the story just jumped around too much. Kathleen was just kinda of sucky to me. I didn’t care to root for her. We didn’t get enough details to really understand each character which was a bit disappointing. I enjoyed it enough, and it didn’t feel like it was really dragging, so it’s not below a 3 star read for me, but it just didn’t feel super special.

Probably wouldn’t recommend. I think there are much better short romance books out there.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy!

The first part of this book was slow for me, but it picked up! I loved Funny You Should Ask and was dying for the 2nd book by Elissa to come out but this one just didn’t hit the same with me. If you are a theater fan, I think you may feel different!

I loved the author's first book so i was excited to read this one as well. It used elements in the first book like the Then and Now scenes but made it even better if that was possible. I really loved this book and how well it does enemies to lovers. There is a valid reason to them being enemies in the beginning and the way the author progresses their story to being lovers flows very well. As someone who's not a theater fan and didn't understand any of the theater references, this book was still enjoyable and fun so don't let that be a reason you don't read this book! This author excels at writing time jump chapters and I'd pick up any other book this author writes!

I sort of love when a plot calls me out in the way this one did. Subtly, but in a very real way on how we perceive celebrity and take in information from the press. As much as we try to say we give people a chance to tell their story, we rarely do, and this book really threw that in my face. We don't see them as people, but consumption. We don't give them the same rules that we apply to ourselves.

But they're as human as we are, and they deserve a chance to learn from their mistakes. Once More With Feeling was so very clear on that point, and I loved it. Because I know I've fallen into the category of hearing something about someone I don't truly know anything about, and holding that against them for... well, as long as I can. It's easy to blame people you don't know for things that don't affect you, but that's the thing: it does affect them.

Kathleen makes a mistake when she is old enough to know better. She never denies that, nor does she hide from the fact that it was her mistake. I love that she owned that the entire story and never pushed it to the side as someone else's. I love that she held those accountable in her life that should've been there, and I loved the honesty of her feelings towards Cal. I love that her forgiveness of him was earned, rather than just given. The plot felt completely realistic. If it were about anything other than cheating, I probably would have given it five stars.

I just can't, in good conscience, give a book about cheating five stars.

But I can tell you that it's worthy of them. The plot revolves around Kathleen constantly putting herself down, feeling like she hasn't earned her spot in this new life she's created for herself. She's still beating herself up for decisions she made when she was anything but herself. Mistakes that allowed her to figure out who she is, and who she wants to be. She holds them over herself like a bomb, just waiting for the chance to use them to ruin this second chance she's been given by the one person she feels she doesn't deserve one from.

I loved watching her realize that the only forgiveness she needed the entire time was her own. That making mistakes is human, and it doesn't mean she was a bad person, or didn't deserve to be happy. It was a story about healing, and I really enjoyed watching it come to fruition.

“oh please,” i said. “again. with feeling.”

wow. this book was SO. MUCH. FUN !!!!!!!!!! this is every theatre kid reader’s romantic dream book, myself included in that category. i’m absolutely floored. i simply adore this novel, it really shows both the glitz and glam of the theatre and the harder, more emotional side of doing theatre. i absolutely loved the flashbacks, and how the pop star post intertwined with the broadway darling present. i am simply obsessed with disgraced pop star turned broadway diva kathleen herself, and i adored her relationship with cal. overall this was a super fun story, perfect for anyone with a song in their heart and romantic dreams in their head.

thank you to netgalley & random house for providing me with an e-arc of this book to review.

One of the quintessential aspects of a good romance novel (in my opinion) is excellent chemistry between the characters. This book was chock full of excellent dialogue and fabulous chemistry that swept me completely up in the story.

Kathleen and Cal… and Harriet too, were characters whose world I’d love to continue existing within. I liked the aspect of them working in various areas of the entertainment industry as well. Fun, flirty, and also steamy read!

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

Kathleen and Cal were a flawed and interesting couple who kept me engaged with the story. So much so that I read it in one sitting. The celebrity has-been/ attempted comeback plot arc was a great setting for a redo of romance. And while there were not many surprises within the story, I still enjoyed it from start to end. I give this book 4/5 stars.

There's book was fun to read. But I didn't like how any woman was written. There was so little depth to all the characters, but the women all felt like they were written by someone who hates women.

Cute! Cute! Cute! This one gave me vibes of Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. Brittney and Justin. All those insanely talented Mouseketeers who were hooking up with each other back in the day. This was such a great light hearted romance about second chances and dreams coming true. It also teaches us to remember the humans behind the scandals the paparazzi conjures up! Pack this one in your beach bag!

I generally don’t seek out celebrity romances nor second-chance romances; nevertheless, I gobbled up Once More with Feeling like candy and am already ready for Sussman’s next novel! A pop phenomenon as a teenager, Kathleen (or rather Katee Rose) lost her career when the world learned she had cheated on her boy band boyfriend (think Britney and Justin vibes). After keeping her head down and living like a normal person for half her life, Kathleen is offered her dream role in a Broadway-bound musical. The catch? The guy that helped wreck her career fifteen years ago will be her new director.

This book reads like a love letter to 90’s boy bands and Broadway showstoppers. It’s not perfect – some of the qualities that make Kathleen an excellent actress make her a slightly less likable heroine, and the finale wrapped up a little too quickly for my liking. Even so, I loved the topic and this book was so much fun!

Thank you to Dell Books, Ballantine and Netgalley for the ARC – this book is now in bookstores!

Portions of this book were fun and engaging, second chance romance and celebrity/boy band. The female main character was not very likeable which affected my enjoyment of the story. Some issues with pacing and integration of past/present tineline was difficult to follow at times. Not a terrible read but not a favorite

This book was just okay for me. I've read other books by Sussman and didn't think it was her best work. It's especially hard to get into when I don't feel invested or like the characters too much, especially Kathleen. I couldn't get past her infidelity.

Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman
Genre: contemporary romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: ebook

I loved Funny You Should Ask, so I was so dang excited to get an e-ARC (advanced reader’s copy) of Once More with Feeling! I loved this one just as much.

First off, can we take a moment to admire this cover?! I love that it’s the same style as her previous book.

Second, this book is perfect for any musical theater and pop lover.

You’ll like this book if you enjoy…
⭐️ dual timeline
⭐️ pop stars
⭐️ musical theater
⭐️ NYC setting
⭐️ cats named after other animals
⭐️ guys that can dance
⭐️ second chance romance
⭐️ celebrity drama
⭐️ realistic friendships
⭐️ friends that are like family

The only reason I didn’t rate this 5 stars is because of one main plot point I really don’t enjoy ever. HOWEVER, I think the way the author handled this was appropriate (with the way the character admitted to her mistakes) so I still enjoyed the book despite it. If you have more questions, feel free to DM me, I just don’t want to spoil the book for others!

I think you’ll especially enjoy this book if you’re a millennial - I loved the boy band and female pop star dynamic when reading the “then” chapters. It felt very early 2000s.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review!

My review will be posted on Instagram on my account (@lorireadsastory) on Saturday, June 10th!