I have really conflicted feelings about this one. This was definitely fun, and definitely engrossing. But, the characters also just fell flat. The miscommunication between all the characters felt juvenile and frustrating, especially given how much time had passed.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing- Ballantine, Dell publishing for the ARC of this book! I was so excited to receive it! All thoughts are my own!

These authors knows how to write books that i just fly through. I love the way Elissa Sussman writes. I also enjoyed the Jewish character representation. This is the story of Cal, Kathleen and Harriet. They are such cute characters! I enjoyed most of this one. The only thing I didn't love how Kathleen got a bit annoying at the beginning. However I quickly got over it and enjoyed how Kathleen evolved and forgave herself.

Content: cheating, language (some f words), a few open door scenes

Read this if you enjoy:
🎹Musicals
🔄Second chances
💕It's always been you
🦪Character development
🫂Long lasting friendships
🕺Boy bands

I think I liked this one even more than "Funny You Should Ask!" The characters were likable and relatable, and the writing had me tearing up in one chapter, and laughing out loud in the next. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the Arc.

Once More With Feeling was an anticipated book of mine after reading Funny You Should Ask and it didn’t disappoint. The past and present was very engaging and I loved the singer and boy and plot.

Like Funny You Should Ask, this book is clearly rooted in real-life events and people. There's something unsettling about a book that mines real events as the basis for a story about what happens when a young pop princess is exploited and shamed for her sexuality while the men in her life--including the shitty boy band singer she is dating--get off scot-free. Almost like there's a level of exploitation going on here as well...

Of course, Kathleen "Katee Rose" Rosenberg is not Britney, and Ryan (her self-centered boyfriend) is not Justin--although you would not be way in left field if you thought so. Katee cheats on Ryan with Cal, her one-time theatre camp crush and current friend, and Ryan's fellow boy-bander. Katee is pilloried in the press, Ryan gets to whinge about her infidelity and reaps the rewards, and Cal goes off to a solid career in choreography and directing. Cut to ten years later, when Kathleen's best friend, Harriet, has roped in Cal to direct a musical she's written--one with a character written for Kathleen. Kathleen and Cal broke each other's hearts a decade ago, but they agree to be professional for the sake of this amazing play. And you can imagine where it goes from there.

And like Funny You Should Ask, this second-chance romance hops back and forth in time--from theatre camp, to pop star days, to present day. Kathleen and Cal don't seem to have much chemistry in any era, but apparently can't resist each other in present day. Kathleen is also a diva and shitty friend to Harriet at every age. I guess even for unlikeable people who don't respect others' feelings deserve a happy ending.

It's an average romance that presumes the attraction between the leads before actually showing it. Between the unsubtle nods to Britney/Justin and the random time-hopping, this book spends too much time on the gimmicks and not enough on the heart of the romance.

Having enjoyed Funny You Should Ask, I was shocked and excited when I heard about Elissa Sussman's new book. I heard this described as taking inspiration from a popular 90s "It-Couple," with descriptions of pop stars growing up in the spotlight and how it feels to fall from the grace of fame. This book is the story of a comeback, damning misogyny, and those who weaponize it and choose to back down in the face of it, and it has you rooting for Kathleen amidst bad decisions and coping and ultimately healing. I also specifically enjoyed how this was told in different timelines. I think Elissa Sussman is truly skilled in unfurling a story layer by layer and keeping the stakes high as more information is revealed to the reader.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well this story piqued my interest and held it the entire time, with the main characters being both frustratingly stubborn and stupidly endearing (all in good ways, I promise). Highly highly recommend Once More With Feeling with a 4/5 star rating!

Thank you to Netgalley and PUBLISHER for letting me read an eARC of this!

LOVED! I enjoyed this one even more than Sussman's first novel. It was so bingeable and easy to read. I loved the then and now timeline. I enjoyed both the pop star and musical theater backgrounds/setting.

I had high hopes for this book after enjoying Sussman's last rom com. I liked a lot of elements of this book - second chance, celebrity romance etc but it did fall a little flat for me. The present day parts felt rushed and unrealistic but I was rooting for the two MCs to get it together (and get together). This was fun to read in one sitting but it wasn't my favorite.

Once More With Feeling is a second-chance romance. One-time teen pop star, Katee Rose - now going by her given name, Kathleen Rosenberg - finds herself back in the spotlight after being offered a starring role in a Broadway show, directed by none other than her old flame, Cal Kirby.

While I devoured Sussman's previous book, Funny You Should Ask, I trouble connecting with the characters and storyline in this latest novel. I'm not much of a theater aficionado and I just didn't buy the attraction between Kathleen and Cal. Harriet, Kathleen's childhood best friend, seemed to thrown in for good measure, but I'm not sure of the purpose of her character other than to create a little tension in the story. The back and forth to present day, camp days, and teen days felt a little unnecessary and disjointed.

Overall - three stars. I just didn't find myself reaching for this book every night - but it was a quick and easy read once the story picked up. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing an electronic ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

thank you netgalley, random house publishing group - ballantine, and dell for the advanced reader copy. opinions from this review are completely my own! 🧸☁️☕️🍯🥞🤍🕯️

i can't believe i haven't picked up an elissa sussman book before, and i absolutely regret it. i have a physical copy of her "funny you should ask" book, but i heard mixed reviews and have not read it yet. but once i got the notification i was accepted for an arc, i was so overjoyed and thrilled. all i have to say is sussman does nothing wrong with her book covers. they are stunning and aesthetically pleasing to look at! 💜💙🎤

rating: solid 4.5 stars but will round to 5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

i have to tell you, my heart is so full after reading this book. it was a bittersweet feeling because i did not want kathleen's storyline to end. for instance, i almost teared up at the ending as there were so many heartfelt moments with all of the characters. some things to take note of are about the characters: they are super flawed but that is what i liked about them. the characters showed that they are not perfect and that is okay. you are going to have many mixed emotions towards their flawed moments, as i for sure did. 🥲🥺🥹

did i tell you about the storyline? it is so nostalgic as it gave me a feeling of watching a movie. for all of the broadway and musical theater lovers, this is right up your alley! it gave me that feeling of starting anew with directing a musical and then going towards the steps of making it to the big stages like broadway. i know these two don't correlate but it gave me the feeling of "high school musical." 🎼🎶🕺

the female main character, kathleen rosenberg (or katee rose), gave me taylor swift vibes as katee is a number one pop star (like taylor swift). the band, crushzone, reminded me of one direction. i love where the book was going with the pop culture and pop star references. 🎭💃🎶🕺🏻

overall, what a solid book! i am so, so happy i continued to read since the start was a bit slow. it had everything such as forced proximity, frenemies to lovers trope, slow burn, tension, everything! cal and kathleen <3! i loved how the book included chapters from the past, present, and when they were at camp. it gave lots of context on the plot lines that were given; it felt like there were no plot holes missing! i just hope there is a bonus chapter or something because i never wanted this book to end! ☕📜🌻✨🌙🌿

releases on may 30, 2023, if interested! 🎶🎤🥁

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @randomhouse for an early copy of Once More with Feeling by @elissa_sussman. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Once More With Feeling is a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story. Katee Rose is America’s number-one pop star; she loves performing but hates the demands of stardom. She blows up her career by cheating on her boyfriend Ryan LaNeve, lead member of the boy band CrushZone, with its other member Cal Kirby. Cal has always been a good friend to Katee, but after their unforgettable night, Katee’s entire career is ruined. Years later, after years of not speaking to one another, Cal offers Kathleen (Katee Rose) a starring role on a Broadway show he’s directing; it’s a role she has always wanted. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up, so she reluctantly agreed to do the musical. Rehearsals were difficult and long, and with their past issues, Cal and Kathleen blame each other; regardless, they can’t deny their chemistry. Would they repeat history?

Once More With Feeling was quite a struggle to read, not because the writing was bad (it’s really, really good!), but after everything she’s been through, Kathleen’s (Katee Rose) self-esteem was at its lowest ever since her career downfall. It was difficult to stomach how the media had been cruel to her, and with rehearsals for the new Broadway show, she wanted her comeback to be an avenue to prove herself; she wanted everything to be perfect. Along with this, she and Cal have unresolved issues from their past, and with every bickering and tension between them, their chemistry is undeniably still there after all those years apart.

I loved the dual timeline way of storytelling in this novel; it just ties up well into the overall story. I wish we had Cal’s POV in this too; it would have been more interesting to see his pining over Kathleen. 😅

Rating this novel ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5. Releases May 30th, 2023!

Shut up right now. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! Second-chance romances are kryptonite and this book was no exception. I was as invested to the back story as I was to the current timeline, which is rare. I live for a hate/lust situation and Cal and Kathleen really brought that. Kathleen’s struggles with her ended fame, her body, and her now career were unexpectedly relatable. Katee reminded me of Britney so much. This felt like the love story we will never get to see for Britney.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an arc of this book!

Second Chance romances are my favorite. I loved this book and everything about it. The characters were so special to me and I can’t wait to read the next book from this author.

This was such a nostalgic read for anyone obsessed with a pop couple in the early 00s. This author does second chance romance so well and it was so fun while also touching on the inconceivable ways women were treated then. It’s redemption meets pop culture and I highly recommend for any pop star/ boy band enthusiast. Thank you NetGalley for a preview of this book in exchange of my honest review!

Once More with Feeling, by Elissa Sussman

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5 stars

I really loved this book! I wasn't sure that I would, but as I kept reading, it just got more interesting.

At first, I thought the plot had too much happening with the dual timelines (really triple timelines?) and all of the history between the characters. But as I kept reading, I just enjoyed the relationship more and more because of the history. The tension and pining and timing of everything was excellent.

I loved the musical theatre element of the story, I loved the friendships and found family aspect of things. I even loved the the villain narrative and arc. The boy band and pop star aspect was a really fun element. I would've loved to see more of this story in article or press form (I can totally see why the author didn't do that for this, but it would've added an extra layer of perspective, I think). I do think we skipped out on some stuff that I would've loved to read about — the first live performance of the musical, for example — but I don't think it harmed the story by not having it.

All in all a great read. Like the first book, I just wish there was more. If there were additional details or more explanations, this would be 5 stars for me.

Elissa Sussman's stories are so layered and I really enjoy reading them.

a story about former teen stars with a big, dramatic fall out, and a reunion filled with animosity..sign me up. when kathleen lost her career over a teen romance scandal, she left all the fame behind. until her best friend approaches her to play the leading lady in her new broadway show, directed by the one and only man from her teen years. i LOVED this book. it was fun and filled with all sorts of broadway references. i can already see this on the big screen!

Pros: I was excited to give this author a second chance after liking how her previous book was written but being uncomfortable with how it bordered on copying a GQ article. I am glad I did because I thought this book was lots of fun to read and did not remind me of any real pop culture events! It uses enemies to lovers and second chance romance tropes with a Broadway setting. I think readers who grew up in the late-90s and early-2000s will love picking their favorite female pop star and boy band members to imagine in the lead roles.

Cons: None that I can think of.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House – Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because I thought the Broadway setting was extra fun

I loved Funny You Should Ask, so seeing Elissa’s book coming out I knew it would be another fun read.

4.5 ⭐️

Katee rose is a pop star sensation with a curated image with a perfect lifestyle, and she’s dating Ryan a member of one of the biggest boybands CrushZone. However, she finds herself caught up with another member of the band Cal, and one night ends up ruining her career.
fast forward a decade later Kathleen (Katee) after living a quiet life gets the opportunity to live her dream of being in broadway BUT Cal is the director whom she hasn’t spoken to in a decade.

This book was the perfect second chance romance, the bickering, tension and unresolved feelings between Cal and Kathleen was so good.
the story isn’t just focused on the romance we get to see Kathleen struggles with the unrealistic double standards she had to face during her fame.
if you love celebrity culture and books about it you’ll love this love book.

I also loved that the book had the same style as funny you should ask in terms of second chance romance, celebrities & then and now chapters, but it wasn’t repetitive and the stories are completely different and unique.

It's like if Britney was actually in love with JC, and they finally reunited years later on Broadway. Katee Rose is living out the pop star dream, performing for adoring fans, touring with her boyfriend's boyband until it all comes crashing down. When her lyricist best friend writes a new Broadway show with a part just for her, the director is none other than the cause of that crash down, former boy bander and former crush but not former bf, Cal Kirby. A sweet, funny, swoony romcom. If you like Funny You Should Ask, you'll enjoy this one too.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for this review!