Kathleen Rosenberg is Katee Rose, pop star when she’s younger. She dates Ryan from a boy band but seems to connect with Cal in the band as well. She had know him since they were in summer camp together. This leads to a night together & a major blow up with Ryan that derails her career. Her best friend, Harriet, has written a musical that she wrote the lead for Kathleen. The question is can Kathleen get beyond her past & have Cal as her director. This was a good read & entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for advanced copy, & I give my opinion freely

Kathleen Rosenberg, or as she was once know as Katee Rose, was a pop star till her career ended after a huge scandal involving her boyfriend and his band mate Cal. Now, they are much older and working to get a show on Broadway. The attraction between them might cause just as much of a scandal now as it did back then.

This was a cute story. I loved the before and after layout for the story. The characters were nicely written and shows some of the issues of getting older in the spotlight. This book was a cute and easy read but not at the top of my list.

Elissa Sussman is now two for two on delivering lighthearted yet emotional celebrity romances. It says a lot that I really love her books because second chance is one of my least favorite tropes. But I love how Sussman doesn’t bog down her stories by rehashing the past too much and making it as painful as possible. She keeps the ‘Then’ chapters short and sweet and focuses on the present and untangling the character’s histories with each other.

The romance was sweet and the friendships were awesome. I’m only dropping one star because I wanted Cal to fight for her more. Yes, most of what happened between them was Kathleen’s fault but he was just a little too passive for me.

<I>Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book!</I>

📖 Contemporary Romance
⭐ 4.25/5
🌶️ 🌶️

➡ Teen pop sensation Katee Rose had it all: the moves, the hit songs, the worldwide tour and the perfect romance with boyband heartthrob Ryan LaNeve until she blew everything up by cheating on him with his bandmate Cal Kirby. Years later, now living in NYC under her given name Kathleen Rosenberg, things are much quieter. Her career never recovered from the scandal and she and Cal haven't spoken since the day that everything fell apart. When the opportunity to make her real dream of being on Broadway is presented in the form of Cal directing her best friend Harriet's musical, Kathleen reluctantly agrees to audition despite her hesitations about working with Cal.

They begin work on the musical and while their past is never fully out of their minds, rehearsals run long, touches turn to something more and the reasons they fell for each other in the first place seem to resurface. Will their past be too much to overcome or will their deep connection and chemistry with each other finally be too much to resist?
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🙏 Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books (Random House) for the eARC of Once More with Feeling in exchange for an honest review.
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🎯 What I loved: If the TV show SMASH had a baby with Britney & Justin's romance, this would be it! This was such a fun premise for a romance- theater camp friends to teen pop stars to a powerhouse Broadway trio. The flashback scenes which created a triple timeline were unique and timed well and gave more context to the story at the perfect pace. What I really appreciated though was that this wasn't just about Cal and Kathleen, it was as much about the evolution of Kathleen's friendship with Harriet as it was about their romance; something that felt authentic, rich and poignant.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: Kathleen was difficult for me to connect to: she was confident to the point of cockiness sometimes and wasn't super considerate of the people around her. But, having an unlikeable protagonist and flipping the script so that you are actually rooting for them by the end is something not very many authors can pull off. I do wish that Ryan had played a slightly bigger role in the plot as I think resolving their conflict was important to the character development.
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Read if you love:
* musical theater
* early 2000s boy bands/pop music
* second chance romances
*enemies to lovers
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See also: The Reunion, Roomies, Love Scenes, Carrie Soto is Back

I am a big fan of Elissa Stussman’s debut novel and was especially excited to read this book. Elissa’s book formula of taking a fairly famous point of pop culture and developing it into captivating story is a formula that’s going to keep me around as a fan.

Kathleen and Cal’s story from childhood camp crushes to pop stars to broadway was heartbreaking and heartwarming.

I loved this book! The characters and story were so good. The switch between past and present was written perfectly. What happened to the characters in the past made the reader understand the conflicts and emotions that were happening in the present. I will be reading more from Elissa Sussman very soon! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.

This was pretty good, but I think I would have enjoyed it more without the three alternating timelines (past, then, now). I liked the second chance romance but having the chapters rotating timelines so much was hard to follow sometimes. I really enjoyed this premise though along with having it take place creating a Broadway show. Overall, I enjoyed this author’s first book “Funny You Should Ask” more than this one.

Something about Sussman's writing is so very addictive to me, so I was drawn in by the chemistry and complex storyline... even if there were a lot of things that felt toxic and messy to me. I didn't particularly like either character and I had trouble rooting for their relationship, but I was intrigued by the multiple timelines and slow reveal of their dynamic. Seeing the contrasts between their former and present selves was really interesting, and Sussman does a great job weaving a memorable, immersive story. It's got some excellent commentary on pop culture and fame, and I liked how the characters had taken their time to find their authentic selves. However - and this is a big however - there were a LOT of things that drove me crazy, particularly in the first half. It really did feel toxic, and I was not emotionally connected to the romance in any way. I was curious, but I was not invested. And I probably would've left this one unfinished had I not loved Funny You Should Ask so much. So definite mixed feelings from me.

The story follows Kathleen, a former pop star who is hoping to have her second big break. Back in the day, she wore a bubbly, friendly persona and was on top of the world. But her career came to a devastating and swift end when the public discovered that she cheated on her universally adored boyfriend with a member of his own boy band. Nothing ruins a reputation quite like that, and Kathleen's career has never recovered. Years later, she's up for the lead in a new musical production, and the only major obstacle in her way is the man who played a role in her demise. Cal and Kathleen have been dancing around each other for years, and they've never liked each other less than they do now. Through flashbacks and scenes in present day, we piece together the complex nature of their relationship.

Let's talk about the good for a minute, because there definitely is some. I love how multi-faceted Sussman's characters are, and how they all act in shades of gray. Kathleen might not be the most likable heroine, but she certainly makes an interesting one. I also liked the use of flashbacks to tell the full story, though there were a lot of moving parts and slow reveals. Their chemistry was excellent. But here's the thing. There were two elements that drove me crazy, and they overrode everything else. First, Kathleen. Not only did she get a bad reputation for cheating on her boyfriend with the hero, but she's genuinely a nasty person throughout most of the book, and she repeatedly acts in ways that I just couldn't get behind. The story is told exclusively from her point of view, so it's difficult to become emotionally invested in a romance when you don't like the main character or her actions. Secondly, the writing itself was a problem, particularly the use of the word "said." I listened to the audiobook for Funny You Should Ask, so maybe that made Sussman's writing style more palatable for me, but the EXTREMELY frequent use of "said" was noticeable from the start in Once More With Feeling, and once it jumped out to me I couldn't ignore it. I actually had an ARC copy, but I waited to write my review until I saw the finished version, just to give it the benefit of the doubt. But my Kindle wouldn't even count high enough to cover all of the instances of "said" - it just noted "1,000+" mentions. Checking two other contemporary romance books of a similar length, each had around 250 mentions of the word. That's... a significant difference. So, not only was I not loving the romance, but the writing/editing also grated on me. And that's not the recipe for a successful read. I do think there's a lot of good stuff going on in this, but it's overshadowed by some of the more troublesome elements.

I wish there were half stars so I could give this 4.5. I thought the character development was great and I loved the sexual tension between Cal and Kathleen. I thought it was funny and not too raunchy. Exactly what i'm looking for in a fun easy romantic comedy read.

I LOVED THIS ONE! All the theater camp vibes + a compelling and believable love story. Katee Rose was a huge pop star back in the day on tour with the hottest boy band of the time. She was dating Ryan LaNeve, but she really had eyes for Cal Kirby. There was a disastrous day when it all went wrong and the Katee Rose as we knew her was no more. In the present day Kathleen Rosenberg is a totally normal person staying out of the public eye until her best friend and Cal come to her with an offer: be the star in a new musical they want to take to Broadway. Harriet wrote it, Cal is directing, what could go wrong?

This one really worked for me!! I didn't believe in the love story in Funny You Should Ask, even though I loved Sussman's writing and way with characters, so I was really pleased to fall completely in love with these two. As a person who attended theater camp, it hit on a lot of levels.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the ARC. Once More with Feeling is out now!

The character development in this book was okay, overall to me the FMC wasn't very likable but that is just my personal opinion. However I did like the storyline of the MCs being childhood sweethearts etc. I like how the book offers the background of them growing up and rising to fame; it follows them from start to finish. I did love the relationship dynamic between the two. It was a fast-paced 'celebrity' read with a drama filled romance.

4/5 stars

📖 Recap: Katee Rose was the pinnacle popstar – she was touring the world, had the catchiest pop songs, and had a superstar boy band boyfriend, Ryan, until it all came crashing down when she cheated with bandmate Cal Kirby. Ryan released a heartbreak album, Katee Rose’s career ended immediately, and Cal escaped untouched.
Now, Kathleen Rosenberg’s best friend, Harriet, is trying to get a musical produced with a role written just for Kathleen. Who comes to the rescue? none other than Cal himself as the director. With the scars of what happened over a decade ago – and memories from meeting in theater camp as teens, they will attempt to fulfill a lifelong dream of being on Broadway. They may even back in love with each other in the process.

📚 Review: This book was written for me. It has EVERYTHING I love in one place. Boy Bands, check. Pop culture, check. Broadway musicals, check. Second Chance Romances, check. Talented besties, check. I mean – it does not get better than this. I very much enjoyed this book. The love story was real and intense and I could feel their angst on how much others were affected by their choices and how difficult it is sometimes to forgive yourself for your actions. Elissa Sussman got me back to reading last year with Funny You Should Ask, and I will read anything she puts out there. Seriously, she has my heart. I cannot wait to read this again. (Also, I think there was a slight callback to Funny You Should Ask with a mention of Cal choreographing a scene for the first American Bond, were we talking about Gabe Parker, by any chance?)

❤️ Read if you like:
Dual Timelines
Second chance romance
Friends to enemies to lovers
Broadway musicals
Pop Stars / Boy Bands

This book was surprisingly pretty wonderful. It had a lot stacked against it. I don’t traditionally live second chance romance, and cheating is the biggest romance turn-off for me. Despite having both, this book was enjoyable. It had heart and humor, and is definitely worth a read.

This was such a fun, completely satisfying read. Elissa Sussman effortlessly combined two of my favorite things—love stories and musical theater—into a romance novel I thoroughly enjoyed. I'll be recommending this to many people!

If you are keeping track Funny You Should Ask by @elissa_sussman was one of my fave reads in 2022. In fact, I accosted some nice college girls this weekend at Barns and Noble and told them they should buy the book….and they did #influencer. Sussman brings more celebrity drama, romance, and musical theater (said with jazz hands) in Once More With Feeling.

Kathleen is a washed up pop star. She dropped out of the limelight after a scandalous break up with her famous boy band BF Ryan (whoops she slept with his band-mate, Cal). Kathleen’s best friend wrote a musical and wants Kathleen to star in it, but Cal is the director/choregrapher. AWKWARD!! So not only is this a celebrity romance, it’s also a friends to lovers to enemies to lovers romance…plus MUSICAL THEATER (jazz hands)!!

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that Brittney and Justin were the motivation for Kathleen and Ryan…and Ryan is the perfect JT bc both are huge narcissistic, douchebags. But who is Cal? Let’s make him a HOT version of Joey Fatone…he’s nice and can dance. I loved how Sussman tackled the shit end of the stick women in the music industry are served…look like a sexy bedroom vixen, but don’t ACT like one…and if you do, we will slut shame you right out of a job. Meanwhile the men involved skate through unscathed. #teambritney #teamjanet

Overall- I truly enjoyed this one and its def a great summer read. Kathleen is a mess from her life as a young popstar, and you know I’m a fan of messy heroines. She carries her trauma with her thru this book and it affects most of the decisions she makes. I love it when Kathleen figures her shit out and get her winning moment…like a phoenix rising from the ashes (with jazz hands). I do think that the resolution of the typical “act 3 romance breakup” was very fast and I needed much more groveling. I would have been happy with few more chapters of Kathleen serving more comeuppance to people from her past, talking shit out with Cal, and then pages of glorious make-up sex. But I’m a greedy little smutty book reviewer!!

Smut- 2.03 stars
Romance- 4.72 stars
Story- 4.87 stars
Fictional hot Joey Fatone- 10.56 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random house publishing for this ARC!

I have not read the first book and I loved ever second of this book the second chance romance the musical theater references the pining for each other. I love the childhood summer camp romance element to it. The way the story evolves had me not able to put the book down. I can wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Kathleen was teenage pop sensation whose career was ruined by media and fan reactions to her breakup with her boy band star boyfriend. She is thrilled when her dream opportunity to star in a musical finally comes around years later, but it means she will have to work with the man who stood by as her career crashed and burned.

While this was a fun read, I didn’t love the character arcs. I felt like I needed more depth from them to really care about their love story and relationship. There was good tension and chemistry between them. I enjoyed the flashbacks and the musical theater descriptions. A good romance for the musical theater lovers!

Once More With Feeling is such a fun read! It’s almost like a Camp Rock meets Starstrucked for adults. This book has all the Disney Channel Original film vibes that my Disney Adults would love. It has the unlikely pair. The Rivals. The main guy who looks like he belongs on the beach scene. A strong-willed, stick it to the man female. One who changes her identity for the sake of an agenda. But regardless of that Kate/Kathleen knows what she wants. Or at least the more well seasoned Katee does.

This book is full of drama, flashbacks, laughter, and romance. You see a main character forced with having to live with her reputation, or rather her ruined one at that. You watch as she picks up the pieces and carries on with her life, while also trying to untangle her past. She’s the heroine of our musical dreams. There is something very raw about watching a main character struggle with who she wants to be and who everyone wants her to be. Whether she wants to live for herself or the stage. It’s an epic tale of finding balance between your dreams and your life.
Although this book isn’t 100% for me, it will hit the mark with so many. I had a lot of fun while reading and genuinely think it’s a perfect summer read! It’s faced paced, funny, drama filled. All good things in a recipe for a great book!

if you're a big fan of broadway, musical theatre, second chance romance, and then friends to lovers this is the book for you!

Sussman is a gifted writer to spin stories so well between "Then" and "Now" times and it was beautiful to see two strangers meet, become friends, and then become more that is a juxtaposition to the tension between the in the current day.

It reminded me a lot of Glee in that they were so passionate about the performing arts and it was done great justice by the author to know the process, and not just act like everything was happening without any work or stress.

One thing that I have loved in both of her books are just the characters and how they're written, described, and the little quirks they have. I don't know what it is but I just love her characters and feeling like I know them so well by the time I finish reading as if they were real people I'd meet on the street and not simply fictional characters.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
I enjoyed this one and I liked it better than Funny You Should Ask

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Second chance romance
Enemies to friends to lovers
Celebrity romance
Dual timeline
Great banter
Theater / boy bands
Relatable characters

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Jewish rep
The rooftop scene
Heartwarming and light read

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Kathleen was annoying at times
I wish there was more character growth
Cheating trope