Kathleen, Harriet, and Cal meet as teens at a theater summer camp. Kathleen and Harriet become best friends and Cal and Kathleen are attracted to each other. Kathleen (Katee Rose) is discovered a the camp and becomes a pop star, Harriet writes songs and Cal joins a boy band. Katee meets Cal again when the boy band he's a part of joins her tour. Katee is dating another member of the band, Ryan. Katee breaks up with Ryan to be with Cal and her career is destroyed over the way Ryan handles the situation and so is her budding relationship with Cal. Fast forward a decade or so and Harriet has written a Broadway musical with a part written for Kathleen. Cal is going to direct the the show. So all three are in each others orbit again and how will it turn out? This was a really good read; so enjoyable! 4 1/2 stars.

Kathleen has a rare opportunity- to finally star in a Broadway show written by her best friend. The only problem? The director is Cal, who was part of the reason her pop star career imploded. I really enjoyed this story, especially with leads that are in their thirties and dealing with regrets from the past. I didn't love this one quite as much as her last book, Funny You Should Ask, but that could be because Kathleen wasn't an easy character to like and the ending felt a little abrupt. Overall, though, this was a great read with a great story!

I'm not usually one to love a "celebrity" type romance, but I found this to be quite relatable. There is a campy, fun threat to Sussman's writing that I find really lovely. At its heart we have a second chance romance between two individuals who have hurt each other as young adults, who have grown and matured. Their lifestyles are much more different now, and they've changed dramatically. The book takes us through timelines of the past as well as the present, but I especially loved the timelines of the present day. At times I found the past timelines to take away from the flow of the present story, and I wish I could have gotten some of the details of the past through present-day conversations, etc. The musical theater/Broadway plot is fun and I really enjoyed this as a focus. One aspect that really bothered me is the treatment of Harriet as a best friend - Kathleen really disregards her feelings, treats her poorly, and then the two of them end up moving on past a massive fight really quickly. I wish we had more of Harriet woven throughout. I was engaged throughout the book and couldn't put it down once I started, so I recommended it especially if you like musical theater, celebrity romance, etc. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Oops, she did it again! Elissa Sussman managed to take everything I loved about Funny You Should Ask and rework it into a sensational story revolving around a now defunct pop star and her rise and fall from grace.

Sexy pop princess? Check.
Hot boy band? Check.
Staggering inequality between the treatment of women and men in the public eye? Unfortunately, check.

We see Katee Rose (ahem, Kathleen Rosenberg) through not only her own eyes, but through the lense of the media that both destroyed her and has the power to pick up the pieces of her failed career. Years removed from her initial fame, Kathleen has a chance to rekindle with the main love of her life- Broadway. The problem? The director is Cal, an old flame from her past life that may have contributed to her downfall.

My favorite part of the book? How everything can so closely be related to real life pop culture icons and events of the 90s and 2000s. So much of Katee Rose’s story reminded me of the media circus surrounding female pop stars and, often times, their demonization. In retrospect, these same media outlets are starting to call themselves out about the unfair portrayal of women pop stars compared to their male counterparts. (Britney, I’m thinking of you baby girl!)

Long story short, I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book and reminisce with Kathleen about her days with the boys of CrushZone.

Honestly, I didn't hate this book, nor did I particularly like it; I'm exceedingly neutral toward it, I suppose, which makes it worse. It's a very fast read but not one that I got a lot of satisfaction from. To me, it felt like the book was very surface-y, which is a horrible description but I can't think of another way to put it. As usual, my opinions, you might feel differently, etc.

Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman

⭐️: 4.25/5
🌶️: 🌶️/5

Honestly I was so intrigued by this read from the moment I picked it up till the moment I finished it in literally less than 24 hours! I love that all the characters were connected and knew each other from their younger years & I’m a sucker for a dual timeline! 😍 I feel like it always lets us understand characters so much better! I also really like the past celebrity life aspect of it!

I loved Kathleen and Harriet’s friendship! I love how supportive they were of each other's dreams and how they stayed friends even after everything that happened.

I loved the chemistry between Cal & Kathleen. I didn’t like how difficult they tried to be to each other knowing when it was all headed I was frustrated like I know how you both really feel, get it together!!!! 😂

The ending was everything. It made me smile so big and giggle and literally cheer! Needless to say this is definitely one to add to your TBR asap. It’s a feel good, angsty, slow burn, friends to lovers to enemies to strangers to lovers again all wrapped in one with the HEA you root for from the first chapter.

📖 Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley & Elissa Sussman for sending me this ebook in exchange for my honest review! 💕

3.5 stars. This is a charming second chance romance, set in the world of music and theater. There are three timelines that playout over the course of the book where you see the main characters first meeting at summer drama camp, then touring the world as famous pop musicians, and now reuniting to stage a new Broadway musical.

I really liked both of the main characters, Cal and Kathleen/Katee, and the author convincingly was able to both show how their relationship imploded in the past and then also have you root for them to find a way back together in the present. I do wish that some of the past timeline content could have been condensed as that could have helped propel the slow burn of the current timeline forward, It did take me awhile to get into the book for this reason and I much preferred everything sent in the present.

Overall, this was quite enjoyable even if I preferred the author's debut novel a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Growing up, I wasn’t in musical theatre but I was in choir. This book brought me back to fun atmosphere of fine arts and I loved it. From the summer camp to the big stage, Katee and Cal’s story was told so well. No matter how frustrated I got, it was all worth it in the end. The writing style of Elissa Sussman books first interested me with Funny you should Ask and Once more with feeling did exactly the same. It’s something about the alternating flashbacks and how well thought out they are that I love. Once more with feeling is definitely a must read for anyone who enjoys second-chance, friends to enemies(ish) to lovers.

This was a cute, second chance romance story about two famous people. I enjoyed the fame aspects and how well developed it was in the past and the present.
The main problem for me was that with only one POV, Cal didn’t fee fully developed or relatable. There was never any really explanation to his past and it made him kind of look like a jerk.
Overall, this was a cute but forgettable romance story.

I loved Elissa Sussman’s first book, but I loved this one even more. The chemistry between the two characters was palpable and I found myself smiling along at their interactions and almost squealing in delight at others. Plus the musical references all made my little theater loving heart happy

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was really looking forward to Elissa Sussman's follow-up to Funny You Should Ask. And given the premise of this one, I anticipated some similarities in style and content. It seemed as if Sussman had found a formula that worked for her.

And while there are some definite likenesses between the two works, this one just didn't vibe with me as much. Like Funny You Should Ask, Once More with Feeling is clearly inspired by a true celebrity story. In this case, it seems as if Sussman is drawing on the Britney/Justin relationship-saga that overtook us all in the early-2000s. The protagonist, Kathleen (aka, Katee Rose), was once a high-profile pop singer who was in a widely-publicized relationship with a fellow music sensation, Ryan. However, once it was discovered that Katee cheated on Ryan with one of his bandmates (Cal), her reputation tanked and her career followed.

Now, several years later, Kathleen and Cal are collaborating again... this time on a musical production written by their mutual friend, Harriet. Understandably, there's some residual tension between them, especially given the flack Kathleen received that Cal (as a man) was basically exempt from.

While I liked the premise, I didn't love the pacing. I didn't feel an attachment to the characters. There wasn't the same sort of flow as the timeline alternated between past and present. I just really wasn't sure, at any point, where this one was going to go... and I don't mean that in a good way, unfortunately.

Not my favorite. As much as I love a good book inspired by celebrity culture, this one wasn't it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

Oh, my heart. Nothing can stress me out and make me swoon quite like an angsty second chance romance. Once More With Feeling combines the second chance romance trope with Hollywood to make an entertaining and addicting story. Kathleen was the world’s biggest pop star until a scandal destroys her entire career. Years later, Kathleen is finally getting her comeback role in a Broadway show written by her best friend. The catch? The director is Cal Kirby - the main player in her big scandal. Now Cal and Kathleen have to fight their intense chemistry and heart wrenching history to pull off their Broadway show.

The. Chemistry. Kathleen and Cal had a ton of chemistry and perfect banter that made me immediately invested in this story. Was I stressed? Yes. Could I put this book down? No. This is the Britney Spears/JC romance that never was and that is basically my dream storyline. Sussman has crafted a truly addicting and heartfelt romance novel and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a big fan of celebrity romance books, I was so excited to receive an early copy of Once More with Feeling - especially since I adored Funny You Should Ask. I'm so happy that it did not disappoint! This dual-timeline story follows Kathleen, a former pop star, and Cal, a former boy band member, and their friends to lovers (Then) & enemies to lovers (Now) relationship.

Kathleen is a strong and stubborn protagonist, and I loved the spunk she brought. In some moments she was a bit unlikeable - but, to me, that made her character more relatable. Cal and Harriet were great, as well. And I enjoyed that the book also featured Kathleen and Harriet's friendship throughout the years along with the main romance.

This was a solid book that I would recommend, particularly if you enjoy musicals and/or theatre and second chance romance. I'm so excited for it to publish next month on May 30!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for a review!

I enjoyed this romcom of a book! I’ve read Elissa’s other book and found this equally loveable. I adored the young flashbacks of Cal and Kathleen and musical summer camp and how they found their way back to each other on Broadway where both their dreams lived.

It was written well but nothing about the plot really stood out to me. I think it’s a good book but there wasn’t enough to set it apart from other books in its genre.

this is exactly what i’ve been looking for in a long while.

the theater/hollywood second chance romance that i needed it. it had drama, it had plot, it had that cute and heartwarming romance. characters with personality and not just wanting to be annoying. and best friends drama that always makes you tear up.

in general i loved it but i do think it needed maybe more revelation in the whole drama, i expected more of a big apology and reason why Cal acted that way but it was all very simple and fast. i love Kathleen and her big personality and big star dreams and i do feel like she needed a bigger apology from everyone but i guess that’s not how hollywood works either so i get it. i also wanted more revenge on Ryan but again life not always work that way.

it was a very light read and very cute and fun. this definitely works to get you out of a slump so add it to your list.

☆☆☆☆/5

thank you netgalley for proving me this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Elissa Sussman is so good at writing comeback/reunion type stories. Her book Funny You Should Ask was one of my favorite’s last year and I was thrilled to get my hands on Once More with Feeling.

I was never a theater kid, but I love attending musical theater productions. Everything about these characters felt real to me. I loved the flashbacks that gave clues to how Kathleen and Cal’s story began. I do wish we’d heard more from Cal’s POV. Not that it was hard to tell what he was thinking, I just wish he’d had a part in the story telling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

2.25/5 stars! I loved the cover of this book and the premise sounded fun, so I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, there were just too many flashbacks/time hops for me. It felt hard to stay on top of when/where we were in the story. I just didn't buy Cal and Kathleens chemistry and found myself losing interest pretty early on in the story.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I immediately fell in love with this story. It had a Britney Spears vibe going, but honestly, many young female stars could be eluded to here. I was so invested in this comeback tale with a touch of second chance romance. It was packed with humor, and I found myself rooting for this woman to live her dream, for the show to be a success, and for her to give the finger to all the naysayers. I also wanted her to get some closure with respect to her previous scandal, and I DID! And Sussman sure knows how to do these reunion type romances. It was wonderful learning about Kathleen and Cal's past while getting to see them fall for the grown-up versions of each other.

I had stupendous time reading this book!

4.5 — Delightful!! I love Elissa Sussman’s writing so much. Her characters feel so imperfectly real, and the romance sucks you right in and doesn’t let go. If you love musicals you’re going to absolutely devour this book. I was hooked at the end of every single chapter and had truly such a good time reading this. Kathleen and Cal forever! TY to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advance copy!! 💙💙💙