I reallllly enjoyed this one. And let’s be real, the cover is BEAUTIFUL. I highly recommend this one to all! 5 stars.

Okay I loved this! I loved Funny You Should Ask but I loved this one even more! It was a super cute fun read. I loved the tropes and banter. Overall great read!!

I would like to start off this review by saying thank you to Taylor from Penguin Random House for sending me this ARC! Now let’s get into it!

Former pop star Katee Rose has fallen from grace after her boyband ex ruins her career. Fast forward to 10 years later, Katee (now Kathleen), is trying to make her comeback on Broadway. Will we be successful or will her ghosts of the past come back to haunt her?

Wow. I loved this one so much. I was a fan of “Funny You Should Ask” but I loved this one even more. This was the perfect second chance romance of my DREAMS. I love the celebrity tropes. I love the comeback story but most of all I loved the friendship in this. Kathleen was a character who had short comings but was able to make the best of it.

There was so much commentary on mental health, growth, and portrayal of woman in the media. Kathleen’s career was destroyed through word of mouth. Social media loves to burn women at the stake when they don’t do the “right” thing. Kathleen wasn’t able to bounce back after all the things that were being said about her. Nasty comments being made about her body and appearance online. This book felt so real and shook me to my core. It so accurately discusses these topics in respect how it happens in real life. How many times have you seen shameful headlines about celebrities? I loved the open discussion about mental health and mental health meds. I think it’s so important to incorporate these elements into stories to get in touch with readers. It’s easy to see romances as a “fairy tale” but with elements like these people can relate to them. This book was a breath of fresh air. If you’re looking for an uplifting and sweet romance book, this is for you!

Again, thank you so SO SO much Taylor for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Publishing, part of Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Once More With Feeling is an instant Rom-Com classic. It’s funny. The banter is A+. The sexual tension is undeniable. And Cal Kirby? Mr. Calvin Tyler Kirby. A Top Tier Book Boyfriend if I ever did see one. The honest way he talks about Kathleen and the way he supports her and is just head over heels in love with her? I’m SICK!!! She is his sun. His stars. His universe. And I am tired. I am fed up. Cal Kirby is now the standard and there is no real-life man that can live up to it.

But hang on,

We can’t forget about the real star of the show, our female protagonist, Kathleen. I wanted to wrap her up in a cozy blanket, hand her a warm mug of tea, and tell her to sort her shit out. So while being a pop star isn’t universally relatable, Kathleen’s feelings are. Kathleen is the epitome of Fake It Till You Make It in terms of self-confidence. She knows she’s talented–she wouldn’t be where she is if she wasn’t–but after spending so long as another person, as Katee Rose, doing things for other people and being someone she isn’t, she lost herself. She knows she’s talented–yet that tiny little worm of self-doubt can’t help but wiggle its way through her mind making her second guess everything.

I mean, oof… Am I right? But seriously, who hasn’t experienced insecurities like that? It’s gotta be all of us, right? Sussman has taken these universal feelings and written them in such a real way. It’s honest and vulnerable and refreshing to see in a Rom-Com.

I’m truly happy with Sussman’s newest novel and I know it’s not even out yet but I can’t wait for a movie adaptation. If you want to read something with the vibes of 90s-2000s pop stars meet Broadway musicals with a slow-burn romance to die for then this is the romance novel for you.

(full review to be posted on www.ilonaftoth.com/blog on 5/16/23)

Perhaps it's simply too many tropes in one story, or the interweaving timelines, but the enemies to lovers trope is not working for me. Cal and Kathleen as enemies seems forced and reads as immaturity on Kathleen's part. Perhaps if the timeline had been more straightforward this would have worked a bit better. Instead the character development comes off incredibly shallow. Taken for what it is, this was a fun light hearted read.

A former pop star finds herself back in the spotlight—along with an old flame from her past—in this friends-to-lovers meets enemies-to-lovers story. Katee Rose is living the dream as America’s number one pop star, she's on tour with Ryan LaNeve, the hottest member of adored boy band CrushZone and her summer camp friend and fellow CrushZone boy bander Cal Kirby. But as the tour ends boy drama causes Katee's career to end in a ball of flames. Now in the present time Kathleen Rosenberg lives a semi-normal life. 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 that night on tour. Their reunion is a tense battle of wits and egos. Kathleen 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, Kathleen 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?

It's the Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake break up if they had a third party and years later that person wound up working with Brittany again. I enjoyed this book so much! I am a theater nerd at heart so this was my perfect book! I loved the dual timelines putting the puzzle pieces together to figure out what happened that night on tour. I also stan a jewish main character who isn't stereotypical. There is plenty of angst between Cal and Kathleen for you enemies to lovers enthusiasts. I already want to give this one a re-read.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 5/30

2.25/5. Releases 5/30/2023.

For when you're vibing with... Britney Spears of yore, cultural commentary, theater kid energy, and maybe a bit of mess.

Katee Rose (really Kathleen Rosenberg) was a beloved pop star, and the girlfriend of even more beloved boybander Ryan LaNeve. Until it was revealed that she cheated on Ryan with his bandmate, Calvin Tyler Kirby. Years later, a has-been Katee is offered a stab at the Broadway role she's always wanted--by the show's director, Cal. She's willing to put aside her resentment for the opportunity; but it's not so easy when tension still simmers with the man she accidentally lost it all for.

So. This had some issues. I think there are many readers who'd absolutely love it. But--yeah. Issues.

Quick Takes:
--I was so excited about the plot of this book. Celebrity romance? Check. A couple brought together by cheating? Check. Sussman talking about how important sex is in media? Check. I love that shit. I requested the ARC and read Sussman's Funny You Should Ask as prep; it's not necessary for this read at all, but it's another "has-ebeen celebrity" second chance situation.

But here's the thing--after reading two books by Sussman, I don't know that she's a romance writer. I feel that these books are trying to be romance novels, but they are closer to women's fiction. I wish they'd just be women's fiction and stop stabbing at celebrity romance, to be real. She's a solid writer. I like the injection of tabloid journalism, the commentary on celebrity. But if there's one thing I don't appreciate, it's women's fiction sold as romance. Which is, for the record, not on Sussman, at least not entirely. However, her comments on sex in media really don't align with what's in these books. I'll get into that when I discuss the sex stuff.

--This book would've so benefited from Cal's POV. Most romances need to be dual POV to work (or multi POV if the romance is poly), I'll be real. However, some of my favorite celebrity romances are not dual POV; I'm thinking of Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series here. Total heroine POV. But the heroes are so well-written and so strong in terms of their voice and presence that it works. Here, especially when you're dealing with a lot of pining from the hero, a lot of unsaid longing--I think I just missed a lot by not being in his head. And it contributed to the sense that this was really just Katee's journey and Cal was there, versus Katee and Cal.

--Obviously, this entire premise is based on the Britney and Justin drama of yesteryear, and I have no problem with that. Let's compare it to American Royalty, another celebrity romance novel that is similarly based on a real celebrity moment--it's Harry x Meghan but if Meghan were MEGAN Thee Stallion, right? The thing is, that book gets why we're so interested; the deeper cultural commentary going on, as well as the general drama, the romance of a prince falling in love with an American performer.

The thing is, I think Sussman was a lot more interested in the cultural commentary than the drama. Which, fair! You can and should do both. I wanted to see the unfair treatment of Katee, our Britney stand in, acknowledged, (as well as the ways in which Ryan/Justin benefited from being the "wronged party") because to not do so would be shallow and dismissive. But part of why people were so sucked into that situation was the drama, right? And then, imagine if Britney had, in a very known way versus the implications from Justin, stepped out with one of his boys? A boy in the band? A boy in the boy band? It would've been massive. And I just never got that sense here.

Why? I think it's because the characters were ultimately pretty hollow and flat. I never really felt their emotion. And this situation is so fucking emotional, so scarring, so muddy--it should've been high drama, and it felt like the book thought it was too Cool and Smart for that. But this is romance. It's not about showing me how clever you are, it's about making me feel.

--Also, and this is something I struggled with in the last Sussman book I read... This hero? He ain't a hero. I'm fine with heroes fucking up. I love it when heroes fuck up! One of my favorite heroes cheated on the heroine. But what Cal does here--he wasn't the cheater, sure, but he did sleep with the cheater, and he basically did nothing while she got roasted by the public sphere and lost her career. It would be kind of hard for me to buy into him being forgiven, but not impossible. He would've needed to grovel a lot. Honestly? He doesn't. It feels like the book is saying "well, it is what it is, live and let live, we all make mistakes", which, fine, but he left this girl out in the cold and this is a fucking romance novel, or claims to be. Does he even like Katee that much?

The Sex Stuff:
So... the sex was better than it was in Funny You Should Ask. It's still kind of vague. I think at one point she's the sea and he's the shore (cowgirl). But for all that you get these buzz phrases about sex in media, I don't think Sussman really goes for it. Sex is not a requirement of romance novels, and it almost feels like these should be closed door, but the sex is supposed to be integral to the plot of this one...

And here's the cardinal sin for me. Avoiding spoilers here, but what you could say is the most important sex scene in terms of plot and character... is really skimped on. Given the context of that scene--again, trying to be vague--it felt like a cop out, and a way to avoid real conflict-driven moral dilemmas for the reader and the characters. I'm not a fan of that.

Good premise, solid prose, just doesn't feel like a romance--and if it is one, it doesn't work. I think this would've been better with a downsized romantic arc, and Sussman writing where her heart seems to lie, which reads to me like women's fiction.

Thanks to Random House-Ballantine/Dell and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is so wonderful and joyful to read. Kathleen and Cal both feel intensely real - they’re trying their best with earnest intentions that sometimes miss the mark and cause them to get in the way of their own happiness. I loved the “former pop star” dynamics they both face and the nostalgia it brought up for me. I can’t wait until this book is out and I can buy a physical copy.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for the ARC of this book for an honest review!

3.5 ⭐

I really enjoyed Funny You Should Ask and was really looking forward to this book. I enjoyed parts of this book like the pop star/boy band/Broadway aspects because your loves all of these things and I did enjoy how the book ended because I love a good HEA.

Unfortunately I just wasn't a huge fan of the characters. I guess I just didn't really click with any of them and to me, they didn't really have great chemistry. And I'm really not a huge fan of the cheating trope but to each their own. I really wish I could have given this book a higher star rating but it just wasn't quite good enough for 4 stars!

2.5

you know when you really like a book, so you're psyched to read another one by the same author, but then it's so bad that it makes you question if you ever liked the first book at all? that just happened to me.

i thoroughly enjoyed funny you should ask, and i couldn't understand why so many people were trashing it (besides the fact that elissa sussman definitely should have acknowledged that it was heavily based on that chris evans interview). people were calling the characters flat, the plot nonsensical, and the writing terrible. i was like, huh?? did we read the same book?

but maybe i've been wrong all along because wow, once more with feeling was bad. all of those criticisms of fysa came to life in this book. i could not bring myself to care about any of the characters (of which there were basically only three) because nothing they did/said made any sense. the whole thing felt so one-dimensional and juvenile, like a bad fan fiction. and the cringe factor was MAJOR.

i know the success of taylor jenkins reid and her books about celebrities has inspired other authors to write about fame, but it simply cannot work if an author can't even manage to write one complex character, let alone the vast number needed for convincing world-building. the only thing i was convinced of in this book was that unfortunately, i don't think i'll pick up this author's next release.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine!

3.5 rounding up to 4.

I loved Funny You Should Ask and was so excited to get Once More with Feeling. Another celebrity romance stuffed with drama, tension and complicated characters. This dual timeline story was overall pretty good! I wanted to know what exactly went down with the MCs all throughout the story, but somehow the book was pretty slow paced. While I don’t mind some messy in my books, this one was hard for me to roll with.


Despite the messy and hard to root for MCs, I still wanted to know how the story would pan out. 3.5 rounded up to 4 for me.

I absolutely loved this story! The past and present storylines went together so well. I loved how they both came to the climax at the same point, so it felt like a double gut punch in the emotions. Kathleen and Cal's story was so flawed, but also so lovely. I love how it stemmed all the way through their life beginning at childhood. I wanted more of their story after this one ended as I loved the characters so much and did not want to say goodbye.

Kathleen Rosenberg, then known as Katee Rose, was once one of the world's biggest pop stars, dating Ryan LaNeve, the star of the one of the most popular bands at the time. Although she loved to perform, she was always uncomfortable with what being a star required of her. She often turned to her friend Cal Kirby, one of Ryan's bandmates, as she struggled with being a star. Then, her relationship with Cal became something more, leading to a public breakup with Ryan and the end of her career.

Many years later, Kathleen leads a normal life in New York, far outside the public eye. But when a huge new career opportunity comes her way, the opportunity to star in a new musical heading to Broadway, she is excited -- until she learns that it will be directed by Cal. Despite her reservations, Kathleen can't pass up this opportunity but she is determined to keep Cal at arms length. The more time she spends with Cal, though, the more she feels old feelings return -- and finds herself wondering she wants more than a professional relationship with Cal once again.

This was a fun and perceptive read. Kathleen and Cal are strong characters, and the story is imaginative and very engaging.

Highly recommended!

I am a huge fan of Funny You Should Ask and was so excited to read this one too! However, I was overall pretty disappointed. I felt the main character was quite unlikable and tough to root for. It just didn't have that magic sparkle of FYSA and that captivating, have to turn pages feeling. I kept putting this one down.

This was a fun and emotional second chance/forbidden romance between a Jewish singer/actress trying to make a comeback on a new Broadway play written by her best friend and the director she shares a past with.

Told in the present as they work on the new play and with flashbacks to their past when Kathleen (aka former pop star Katee Rose) first met her ex Cal and bestie Helen at a summer theatre camp. Full of angst, steam and great friendships, this was perfect for fans of other celebrity romances like How to fake it Hollywood, The birds of California, Built to last or The reunion.

Many thanks to Berkley for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

** spoiler alert ** Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing this Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was a second chance romance that left me much to be desired. The characters were not particularly likable, seemed super shallow/combative, and just didn’t jump off the page for me. They were celebrities, so maybe that’s why? I just really can’t put my finger on it, but I didn’t love it. The romance portion was short lived and only had one bedroom scene, which was not overly done and not too spicy. I haven’t read the authors other book, but just from reading reviews they seem super similar so if you liked it, you will probably like this one too. I wanted to love it, but I’m not sure if all the theater jargon, theatrics, and dramatic points did it for me. The cover is beautiful though.

This was a quick story thay I could not wait to find out how Kathleen and Cal will get back together ( I loved the ending) Ending was expected, bit I loved that story was following 3 different timelines. It was not just love story but also very impprtant part of is friendship story between Kathleen and Harriette. The story looks inspired by Britney Spears and Justine Timberlake.

Kathleen (aka Katee to her fans) and Cal (a former CrushZone member) can not seem to get their timing right. Last time, she was publicly dating a different CrushZone member. Now they have a second chance at their dreams with a new Broadway show, conveniently written by their talented best friend Harriett.

Knowing that 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗸 was inspired by a Chris Evan's interview, I immediately wondered if maybe 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 was inspired by Britney, Justin, and NSYNC, back in 1999 when touring and dating. And while he went on to have a successful career, she... well... struggled, just like our main character.

Kathleen needed and deserved a win after all her love interests and agent threw her to the wolves/paparazzi years ago. Career-wise, I was rooting for her. Getting behind a relationship with Cal was harder, given his role in the past.

The chemistry started off great and I enjoyed the past/present timelines. But sadly it fizzled after it turned to insta-love too quickly. Even her friendship with Harriett regressed to borderline immature for their age and history.

What I loved the most outside of the nostalgia Britney vibes was the behind-the-scenes look at the progression of a musical from workshop to Broadway and the hard work required from everyone to make it a success. I imagine it's similar to the work it takes to get a book published.

READ IF YOU :
🎤 Love Second Chance, Celebrity Romances
🎤 Remember the days of Britney and Justin back in 1999
🎤 Make sure to catch a Broadway show when in NYC

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and I’m so glad I did. This was my first Elissa Sussman book and I loved it! This "friends to lovers" meets "enemies to lovers" romance was so good, I couldn’t put it down. Kathleen and Cal were great together, both in the past and the present. The fact that it revolved around theater was just the cherry on top. I can’t wait to read Funny You Should Ask next.

The way Elissa Sussman writes celebrtiies! This was a wonderful follow-up novel. I was really engaged with the characters and the plot. The romance tension was fantastic and I laughed out loud multiple times. Prepare to swoon!