Katee Rose used to be a pop star (ala Brittney Spears). When she publicly broke up with her boy band boyfriend Ryan, he smeared her in the press and ruined her career. Years later, using her true identity as Kathleen Rosenberg, she reunites with old friend Cal (who was in Ryan's boy band also but is now making it as a Broadway director and choreographer) and her best friend songwriter Harriett on a Broadway show that can showcase Kathleen's true talents and reboot her career. The only problem is that she hates Cal and the press and just wants to start over while everyone around her can only see her as Katee Rose. Will Kathleen be able to break out again and find love and come to peace with herself?

This rom com brings in all the fun of Sussman's previous book, Funny You Should Ask, and is set during the process of getting a new musical to Broadway. I loved the setting and the friendships; I even liked the main couples' relationship. This is a good rom com that isn't too sexy or sappy and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Second Chance
- Celebrity Romance
- Then/Now Chapters
- Late 90s/Early 2000s Pop
- Music Theatre

Elissa Sussman knows how to write a bingeable and intriguing second chance with some perfect then/now chapters. In a way this felt like a re-telling of the Britney Spears/J.T. saga and I was here for it. But let's be real, Cal is ten times better than Justin Timberlake will ever be 😅.

I loved that this book focuses on Kathleen and how she was villainized in the past while her teen heartthrob accomplices had zero consequences for their actions. What I loved most about this book was the tension both sexual and just unresolved tension from the past. Flawed and messy characters are my fav and you can find a bit of each in both Kathleen and Cal.

Even with his flaws, Cal is absolutely perfect and I found myself rooting for him more than Kathleen 🤣

Once More with Feelings is filled to the brim with show business, supportive side characters, tension, character development and small dash of spice - which makes it a perfect beach read for you this summer.

DNF @ 56%

After giving Sussman's previous novel a 5 star review, I had such high expectations for Once More with Feeling. Unfortunately, it didn't give me any of the same joy that Funny You Should Ask did.

Let's start with the writing. While written in the same exact style that FYSA is written in, I somehow found it insufferable. I never noticed in my first readthrough of FYSA the amount of times the words "said" and "ask" are used. If you hadn't noticed before, I'm so sorry to point it out to you because once I realized the repetitive phrasing (over 1000 uses of "said" in a 400 page book), I could not get it out of my head. Reading it is exhausting and I'm just wondering.. what happened to literally ANY other dialogue tag??

Now for the characters. Kathleen Rosenberg is annoying as all get out. For someone who supposedly did such a horrible thing (ten years ago, get over itttt), she shows little to no remorse. She only shows anger towards our MMC, Cal, that he got off scot-free when he was involved in the same scandal. To be fair, I would be angry too, but still it's been an entire DECADE. At what point do you move on. Cal is no saint either, he's just as annoying. For grown adults, they get into arguments more often than children having to share toys at a preschool. They are working together on a musical production and I just know that the other people having to work with them are struggling to get out of bed in the morning just knowing they have to witness the same argument once more (without feeling, because there is none).

The plot is not horrible, but not nearly interesting enough to make me care about whether Kathleen and Cal will reconcile their differences. I mostly just want them to never see each other again. I do not believe in their love story simply because the author doesn't do a good job of convincing with these two. It is such a letdown after Funny You Should Ask that I wish I hadn't even bothered.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Elissa Sussman is a writer who can write.

What I love about Sussman’s writing is that nothing is fluff. Every page is prose. When I read her novels, I don’t have to force my eyes to carefully read the descriptive paragraphs between the characters’ dialogue. I want to savor every second.

Her books are mentally challenging without being tiring. You have to follow along and work for the happy ending but you feel worth it in the end. Sussman is a master at call and response. And my favorite technique - echo. Ending chapters with sounds of thoughts before. It leaves me speechless.

I usually despise Then / Now written novels because I don’t have the best patience. I want to read all the Nows and then all the Thens. But not with Elissa’s writing. Nothing is repetitive or easily predictable so you want to read whatever Then chapter is next so you can savor the Now.

I think in most Then / Now books the signs that are repeated between chapters first appear in the Then chapters and then flash forward to the Now. Elissa Sussman always shows us the Now and leaves the reader guessing what happened back Then. Sussman then flashes back and shows us where that inside joke or memory comes from. It’s way more engaging.

Sussman has cracked the code on second chance romance. It’s never gimmicky, or cheap. She makes you believe in the characters and that real love isn’t always perfect on the first try. But it’s just as devoted and worthy.

I love that her characters are so unapologetically Jewish. I love that her queer characters are always treated as people with dignity. Their identity isn’t disclosed for points. Their queerness isn’t used as a pawn to further the plot.

And can we discuss how perfect the title is? It’s catchy without being gimmicky. It’s relatable to the trope and the theatre plot. I love it.

I loved this book. You won’t regret reading it.

I so wanted to love this! I work in theater and have always thought it was a world ripe for more novels - it’s a world with interesting characters, built-in structure, and many scenarios for character growth and interpersonal drama. I was really excited for a romance set in this world. The author did a good job establishing the musical at the center, the camp and theater fan elements, the process of bringing a musical to Broadway, and dynamics of various people involved.

Unfortunately, I felt like the characters and their relationship were quite flat and underdeveloped. We saw their long history through the dual timeline, which I really liked (though I found the writing was “dumbed down” for Kathleen’s younger self, which made it lose some of the nuance), but didn’t get to see what really drew them to each other or brought them back together. The characters around them weren’t fleshed out either, from her best friend to the really brief return of the ex-boyfriend. The pacing also felt very inconsistent and the third act conflict and ending very rushed (all in the last 90~ percent).

Rating: 4.5
I absolutely adored this book and the two main characters. The history they share really comes through in the dual timeline. Every time something from their past was referenced, the following chapter would take place in the past and show the exact situation. The pacing of the book was also phenomenal and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time waiting to see what would happen next.

The third act conflict was believable and made me feel for the characters so much. At some points I really didn’t know how they were going to make it work, but the ending really pulled everything together so nicely.

I always have such a fun time reading about famous characters and I loved how both characters were famous in their own right in this book.

My favorite part of the book was the main character’s relationship with her best friend, Harriet. I wish there was a bit more of the two of them throughout the book. I felt as though Harriet was just forgotten about in the second half. I would have loved more insight on what she was up to during that very stressful period.

Overall, this was an incredible book that I would highly recommend picking up.

I loved a good second chance romance and this is definitely an amazing one. I love this even more than I loved Funny you should ask. While there were moments Kathleen got on my nerves. Almost every interaction between her and Cal had me feeling something.

A big thank you to netgallery and the publishers for providing me and advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Be on the lookout May 30th, 2023. I can't wait to buy myself a physical copy.

4.5 ⭐️
Cal and Kathleen despise each other so much they can hardly stand to be in the same room, let alone look at one another, or god forbid, work with one another. So begins an excellent enemies-to-lovers trope (but wait, weren’t they friends-to-lovers-to-enemies BACK to lovers?—I promise, it works!) where the tension is palpable and the past is always a part of the current day. In fact, Once More With Feeling is written with dual timelines of the past and present day. The story flits back and forth between the Musical Theater Camp that Harriet, Cal, and Kathleen attended, Kathleen’s twenty-something pop star career as Katee Rose and Cal’s dancing career with his boy-band, CrushZone, and the present day Broadway-bound play Harriet’s written stating Kathleen and directed by Cal. What I enjoyed most with the timelines is that Sussman leads the story with the present and then fills in the gaps with the past, helping the reader sink into the feelings and emotions that the characters have for one another.
With no actual on page action until about the 75% mark, this book relies heavily on the friend-mance between Harriet and Kathleen and the tension between Kathleen and Cal. It’s a Venn diagram of anger and love, and where the two overlap in the middle is Sussman’s sweet place. Kathleen (Katee) is a tricky FMC to like. She’s stubborn, brazen, struggles with self-acceptance, and is not always the nicest person to be around. There were times I wanted to throttle her for how she dealt with situations and how carelessly she treats those who love her. But the redemption arc pays off and Kathleen’s stubbornness oddly enough strengthens her when she needs it most. Sussman writes complex characters who are as bold and daring as her writing—no one can accuse her of writing a fluffy romance, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
CW: industry pressure to look a certain way, body image issues, cheating partner, alcohol use, fear of rejection for sexuality
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine-Dell for this early copy. I read and reviewed by choice and all opinions are my own.

⭐️: 4/5

When she was a teenager, Kathleen Rosenberg gained notoriety as the pop star Katee Rose, before one night with Cal, another member of her boyfriend Ryan’s popular boy band, blows up her career for good. Now, Kathleen is enjoying life under the radar, until she gets the opportunity of a lifetime as the lead of a new Broadway musical. The only catch: the director is Cal, and Kathleen finds herself stuck between blaming him for her career’s demise and wanting to give in to the chemistry that still exists between them.

First off, what a fun and enticing cover!! I love the style of the cover art, and would probably end up buying this book just for that. I also really liked this romance story, since it was a little bit second chance and little bit enemies to lovers, and with some strong female friendships thrown in. This is I think the first book I read where I actually found the MMC to be as annoying and antagonistic as the FMC, since a lot of the time I feel like their “hatred” is overblown. In this one though, I was ready for Cal to do some groveling, and I honestly was not satisfied with the amount that he ended up doing. The structure of the book also was a bit of a play on a theater script which I found to be a fun way to bring the themes in the book full circle. I loved that we actually got three timelines this way: the present, the past when Kathleen was Katee, and even further into the past, before Kathleen was Katee and when she was first meeting Cal. My favorite thing about this book was how it conveyed in no uncertain terms how unfair the double standard of how the media treats male and female celebrities is. I was rooting for Kathleen all the way through, and ended up thoroughly enjoying this read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the copy of this ARC!

I absolutely adored Elissa Sussman's first book, Funny You Should Ask, so Once More with Feeling was a much-anticipated read for me. It's a second-chance romance between former pop stars who reunite to put on a Broadway show.

I loved the premise and enjoyed the read, but it wasn't what I expected at all, which was angst, high emotions and top-notch tension, which were all present in Funny You Should Ask. This book was much more surface level and lighthearted while maintaining the celebrity romance and past/present timelines like her last book. We get to watch Kathleen and Cal fall for each other in both timelines, one as friends-to-lovers and one as enemies-to-lovers, but there's a lot of focus on other detail in the book instead of digging into the emotions of the characters. Overall an enjoyable read, and I think if you were iffy about Sussman's first book, this one is worth a shot because it's so much different!

Read if you:
- love second chance romance
- are a Broadway fan
- want a book with Jewish rep
- were obsessed with Justin & Britney in the 90s

This was one of my anticipated reads for this year, so thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me a digital ARC.

Once More With Feeling is Elissa Sussman’s follow-up to her debut romance novel, Funny You Should Ask. If you loved Funny You Should Ask, you can expect a similar vibe to this one. Once More With Feeling follows Kathleen, or Katee, who is a famous pop star dating the lead of the world’s biggest boyband, CrushZone. However, things are not as perfect as they seem because Katee ends up falling for another member of the band, Cal Kirby. Being exposed for cheating on her boyfriend, Katee’s career takes a massive toll. Over 10 years later, Kathleen is ready to revamp her career by starring in a Broadway musical. However, she ends up crossing paths again with none other than Cal Kirby. Told from a then-and-now perspective, Once More With Feeling is a messy, drama-filled, charming, and fun second chance romance.

I knew I would enjoy this book because I love reading about famous pop stars and getting a glimpse of the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes with stardom. Also, not to mention the messy romance that transpires. I loved how the perspective kept switching from then and now. I’m a sucker for second chance romances. I would not recommend this book if you hate the cheating trope. I don’t like cheating nor do I condone it, but I knew what I was getting myself into before starting this book. These characters, especially our main girl, are very very flawed. There are many moments of frustration, but I feel like that’s what’s to be expected with a book like this. When you’re reading a book that is focused on characters who are always under the spotlight, I expect their flaws to be apparent. I also don’t expect them to make the right choices a lot of the time. If you can understand that, then you would absolutely enjoy this book.

That’s not to say I didn’t have a few issues with the story though. I would’ve liked more build-up to Kathleen and Cal’s romance, more so during the “now” section. That’s totally a personal preference because if you’re not a fan of slow burn, then you will enjoy this. Another issue I had was that the bickering between Kathleen and Cal started to feel immature at times. It’s funny, and it definitely builds up the drama and angst, but I think it could’ve been toned down a bit. My last issue is an issue I had with FYSA as well, which is that the author waits until the last second to create drama and conflict, leading to a rushed resolution.

Unlike FYSA, this book has an epilogue, which made me so happy. I won’t spoil the contents of the epilogue, but I liked how it didn’t take the route that normal epilogues usually do. This book felt very cliché, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes that’s exactly what I’m in the mood for, and this was one of those times. This was such a cute, fast, and entertaining read; I literally read the entire book in one sitting. With short chapters and writing that flows really well, this is a book I would recommend if you’re looking for a quick and easy read.

I was so excited to read this book after reading the ARC for Funny You Should Ask. I’m so grateful that I was able to read the ARC of this book too!

I’m not going to summarize this book because I feel the summary does a great job. This was a solid second chance romance. I really enjoyed reading it, and I loved how it centered around musical theatre and singing. I really liked how Kathleen and Cal had such a long and deep history and were childhood friends. It really set it apart from Funny You Should Ask, and I think that’s a great thing. But…it didn’t pull me in emotionally like Funny You Should Ask.

Even though I’ve been a singer my whole life, and done musical theatre for years, I just didn’t connect with Kathleen. I liked Cal, but I felt like I didn’t get to know many details about his life. I guess I just wasn’t as connected to the characters as I would’ve liked. I also wish we could’ve seen more of Kathleen and Cal together. The ending felt a little abrupt to me. I’m still really glad I read this, and recommend it if you like second chance romances!

I got halfway through. It’s a DNF for me friends 🫡🫡. Absolutely nothing was redeemable about this story and I was hate reading it and just couldn’t do it anymore. Unfortunately this author is not for me.

Genre: romance
Setting: NYC
POV: single, 1st person, past tense
Tropes: dual timeline, celebrity, childhood friends, second chance romance, enemies to lovers, cheating 
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 explicit scenes

What I Liked: As a theatre girlie, I was living my best life with this book! I loved the setting and seeing a Broadway show come to life. I really enjoyed the dual (or even triple) timeline and seeing the past vs. the present. This was a pretty light, enjoyable read!

What I Disliked: I found the characters to be immature for their mid-thirties and the romance stayed pretty surface-level without getting too emotional. There was a forgotten plot point that I think could have added another level of conflict to the story.

Read This Book If…you enjoyed Elissa’s last book, Funny You Should Ask!

Memorable Quote: “I really think I might die if I don’t kiss you right now.”

I loved this!! a second chance friends to enemies to lovers romance. The background of the characters was fascinating and unique. characters felt so real, even though there wasn't a clear celeb that they were inspired by.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Once More with Feeling radiates the same energy as Elissa Sussman's first book, Funny You Should Ask, in a brand new package. Kathleen, Harriet, and Cal feel like fully developed characters with robust detail about their interpersonal relationships. I'm also a sucker for musical theater so this story's backdrop was intriguing and hooked me immediately.
My only two complaints are as follows: Ryan, Kathleen's boyfriend when she was performing as pop star Katee Rose, seemed flat. It was hard to see how Katee saw anything good in him to keep their relationship going. [Spoiler alert] I didn't like the confession at the end of the book and the fact that it was broadcast to the entire party attendees. Cal definitely could've stopped her before Kathleen confessed her love.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: May 30, 2023

I went into this book mostly blind and I knew that it was viewed as a romance. This was my first book by Sussman and I'm not sure what I got or what I came for.

I loved her writing style but I do wish it was dual pov plus a little less repetition. I think this book had so much more potential and could have had readers experience more character growth especially Cal's. This didn't feel like a romance book but rather a women's fiction. The plot seemed to cycle through the same ideas and there didn't seem to be any chemistry between her and Cal.

Overall, not a terrible book but not an amazing one for this reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is described as being a “friends-to-lovers meets enemies-to-lovers story,” and that is the perfect way to define the relationship between Kathleen and Cal. The spark from when they were kids has since dissolved, and now the two can’t even stand to be in the same room. When their mutual friend writes a Broadway play, the two find themselves in forced proximity.

What would I say to the author after finishing this book? Why, once more with feeling, of course. The characters were extremely flat, and I did not notice a lot of development or growth in their relationships overall. While I wasn’t necessarily bored and it turned out to be a quick read, there was nothing to this story. Fights and kisses popped up out of nowhere, and I didn’t really care if Kathleen and Cal ended up together or not. In short, I would compare this book to trying to make tacos without any seasoning. Huh? Who wants that? #blandAF

This was a fun book! As a millennial whose first ever cd was Britney Spears Hit Me Baby One More Time and owned Derrins Dance grooves so I could learn all the moves to Drive Me Crazy and Bye Bye Bye while also being a huge musical nerd this book was right up my alley!

Former pop star lost her career when she broke up with her boy band boyfriend and he killed her reputation. A decade later she’s up for a leading role in her besties hopefully soon to be on Broadway play. The catch is the director is her first kiss and exes band mate, the guy that stood silently while the press crucified her a decade ago.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline. Watching Katee become big and then fall from Grace while also seeing her pull herself out of the ashes and live her best Broadway dreams. Her and Cal have some great friends to lovers to enemies to friends? To lovers action going on over the course of their entire lives. It’s a relationship that’s inevitable as the tide but fraught with strife. I loved going on that roller coaster with them.

This was a fun book! I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as her former book but it was still a worthwhile read. You can see the love that the author has for the art of the theatre throughout this novel. There’s a nostalgic nod to the pop groups of the 90s and early 2000s. It took me a while to feel the chemistry between the main characters but we did get there.