Some people want to be a doctor, teacher, or a veterinarian when they grow up, but Kathleen Rosenberg knew she needed to be on Broadway. Not just wanted to be: she needed to be on Broadway. After attending a musical theater summer camp, she meets her future best friend and falls into the orbit of Calvin Tyler Kirby.

Years later, Kathleen is Katee Rose, a pop star taking the world by storm alongside her boyfriend, who is 1/5th of boyband CrushZone. Another fifth of that boyband is Calvin Tyler Kirby, the boy from summer camp . Sparks are flying (but with Cal, not her boyfriend) and after a juicy, tabloid-worthy scandal, Kathleen and Cal’s careers are over. After fading from the public eye, Kathleen has the opportunity to do what she has always known she needed to do: be on Broadway. But with Cal Kirby as the director, can these two work together without killing - or devouring each other? Is it even possible to move past all that has happened?

Elissa Sussman is elite in this genre of second chance romances. I will say that I enjoyed this more than “Funny You Should Ask” as a former theatre kid myself. With total acknowledgement that Kathleen and Cal both have flaws, I still really enjoyed their character and banter. The chapters moving between wayyyy back, past, and present were super easy to follow and totally necessary to really understand what Kathleen and Cal mean to each other. The queen of second chance romances weaving in friends to lovers, lovers to enemies, and enemies to lovers? I need more, more, more from Elissa Sussman.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for my digital advance copy of “Once More With Feeling” by Elissa Sussman in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of Once More with Feeling. I really enjoyed this book and would give it a 3.5 stars. The story kept me engaged and all questions I had about the main character's past were answered. I would have liked to have read more about the friendship between Kathleen and Harriet, as this was much more focused on the romance aspect of Kathleen and Cal, as I think this would have elevated the story. Overall, very enjoyable and I really enjoy reading Elissa Sussman's books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Elissa Sussman has done it again! "Once More with Feeling" was an absolutely delightful book. I read the entire thing in what felt like a matter of minutes and was smiling ear-to-ear when I finished. The writing was fun, flirty, and filled with charming banter; I loved that our main characters were older and had some history with each other. This would be the perfect book to enjoy while traveling this summer, and I may just have to re-read it while sitting by the beach or pool. Highly recommend!

I was such a big fan of Funny You Should Ask and had really high expectations for this one, and while it was good, fell flat in comparison to my expectations. That being said, it was very enjoyable and I loved watching the characters grow. Elissa Sussman is great at following her narrative. Can't wait for the next celeb installment!

I know a lot of people didn't like Sussman's first book and felt like it was overhyped due to TikTok. And if you didn't like that one... you probably won't like this one either. Luckily for me, I LOVED. the first book and I LOVED this one too.

Cal is the teen and man of my dreams (from both flashbacks and present day). Kathleen is relatable, even for being a teen popstar/adult Broadway star (in the making). Both of them have a very palpable chemistry, and I think the flashbacks did a great job of hyping me up for their present relationship.

I don't want to give too much detail that would give away a lot, but this book has great relationships, a fun plot, and yes it's cheesy but in a way that's enjoyable. Highly recommend!

CONTENT WARNING: infidelity, body shaming, fat-shaming

I really loved Sussman’s last book, so I jumped to request this one when I saw it on NG. And I was fully expecting to fall in love with it immediately. Despite the fact that it’s all about a musical and theater, and I’m totally not a theater or musical person, for some reason, I enjoy it in books.

This one also follows the second-chance romance trope that FYSA did, and it completely makes sense. If something works, stick with it, right? And it completely works in this book as well. The connection between Kathleen and Cal is still there, but it’s buried under the burden of what happened in their shared past. And neither of them is sure that they can get over it. Not even to make a romance work, but to make this Broadway show work. Hence, this one turns into an enemies-to-lovers dynamic as well. Both of these tropes are personal favorites of mine.

We only get Kathleen’s perspective, but we do get to see both the current and past versions of the story. It was interesting to see bits of the past, both when she was young and attending theater camp, and then when she was a bit older and a famous pop star, and finally seeing her now, carrying all the weight of her mistakes and the repercussions that resulted from them.

At first, I really struggled with Kathleen. She’s obviously bitter about what happened in her past, and how Cal reacted to it. Instead of standing by her, he dropped her like a hot potato, and I can completely understand her being upset about that. However, this story takes place many years in the future, and she still takes out plenty of her frustration on Cal, even though her inner voice knows better. It’s like her mouth gets away from her and she says things she doesn’t mean to say and is aware that they won’t be helpful, but simply can’t stop herself.

But, as the story went on, Kathleen grew on me. I loved seeing her confidence increase, and watching her get more comfortable with working with Cal. She grew a lot over the course of the story, and addressed her issues not only in the present but the ones that lingered from the past as well.

On to the romance, which was one of the best parts of the story. The connection between Kathleen and Cal was so obvious right from the start, but watching it develop from when they were young and then mature through the years was really cool to see. And then their second chance together, while they were navigating so many complicating factors, made it feel like they were meant to be but the circumstances just never felt right for them to actually be together. And when they finally did get together, I was so happy for them.

In addition, there’s also an emphasis on friendship, since the Broadway show is written by another person that Kathleen and Cal met at theater camp, Harriet. Harriet grew to be Kathleen’s closest friend throughout her life, and remained close with Cal as well, but that friendship had some issues to face as well. It’s tough to have one friend always be in the spotlight, while the other friend works behind the scenes.

Overall, this was a fantastic and quick-paced read. I loved nearly everything about it, including the Jewish representation throughout the story, the way sexual orientation was incorporated since more than one character is queer and it wasn’t always accepted in the public eye, and the consequences of living life in the public eye from a young age. This is the perfect read for theater lovers, people who enjoy second chance and enemies to lovers tropes, and sweet, meant-to-be couples.

Once More With Feeling was HIGH on my radar this year because of how much I loved Elissa Sussman’s Funny You Should Ask. I was let down and I am sad to say it! That won’t stop me from reading her future work though - but I won’t be buying a hard copy of the book like I often do with ARCs that I love.

What I liked: I like the dual/tri-fold timeline of past and present, but I really wish we had gotten Cal’s perspective instead of just Kathleen. I liked the Jewish representation. My favorite character was her cat, (Gefilte) Fish. I love the cover art and how it matches her first book! Also the open door romance scenes were well done, but I just wasn’t feeling either character so overall it underwhelmed me.

What didn’t work for me: I think the whole theatre plot wasn’t my vibe. Kathleen was a flawed narrator, and kind of a walking mess of a person. She did NOT communicate her feelings well to any character, especially Cal. And honestly her friendship with Harriet was not believable to me - mostly because of their fights. I wasn’t really rooting for anyone…which is a problematic feeling when you’re reading a book you want to love. It was really easy for me to put the book down and not want to come back to it. I thought the plot and character development was all over the place and the big secret that “ended” Katee’s career that is continually alluded to, isn’t really revealed soon enough. The book has a lot of conflict that is resolved in the last 10% of the story and that’s too rushed for me as a reader. Also I found myself annoyed at Kathleen’s miscommunication/inability to be direct.

Bottomline: This book just didn’t work for me and if you’re a huge fan of Sussman’s latest adult book - you’re either going to love it or feel let down like I was.

Great followup to her first novel! Loved reading about the romance build up and couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Definitely recommend!

I did not finish this book. I was just incredibly uninterested in the story line. I also didn't like the author's last book so this might just be a case of me having an issue with the overall writing style.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!

I adored 'Funny You Should Ask' and had high hopes for Once More With Feeling. Pop star who wants to be a Broadway actress - this has my name all over it as a wannabe theatre kid. Lots of different romance tropes in this one - friend to lovers, enemies to lovers, celebrity romance, 2nd chance romance, etc.

Though parts were a slog to get through, overall i loved the story line and will be recommending to everyone as a good easy romance, take on vacation with you type of book!

⭐⭐⭐.5/5- Even though there are characters worthy of being loathed entirely (see The Grinch meme lol..)... somehow, Once More With Feeling became one of the best stories of resiliency in the face of public opinion I've ever read. Part second chance romance with adult characters entering middle age, I loved Sussman's tale of fighting to be seen for who you really are.

In the age of social media and celebrities being stalked at EVERY. SINGLE. INTRUSIVE. TURN... it's easy to forget that famous people are *people* too. Beyond the mega fame and body glitter, somewhere is a soul needing forgiveness for their mistakes. I found so much of this story to be cringy for me to read... I just kept thinking... 'Lord.. here is another spoiled pop princess crying on TikTok (or whatever the equivalent was' at the time.. MTV?)... and then the second time I thought that... I sort of felt.. bad for the main character? Let me tell you.. that emotion is wild for me to feel about any famous person? It caught me so off guard!

So much of this story is double edge sword and forces you to reconsider your perceptions of the film & music industry. In the wake of celebrity breakups, Billboard No.1 artists, etc... lives are still being lived and hearts are still being broken.

As a person who literally cannot stand to watch anything about the lives of the rich and the famous *because they all seem like a bunch of spoiled brats* this was an interesting read for me, to say the least. I'm not often forced to confront my biases because I work very hard not to have them. But when you're biased against a group of humans that seem above reproach... it's super easy to feel self-righteous in your disdain. Lol... I may not have enjoyed the characters and their supercilious problems, but I definitely enjoyed the surprise of being made to *think*.

NOTES:
- Alternating timeline --> This is one of my favorite writing styles! I love those little pieces of flashbacks
- I made a new GoodReads shelf for books that talk about musicians called 'magic in the music'. Somehow I always end up loving these stories because the artists are so passionately themselves through their mistakes, how they love etc. Something about that just speaks to me!
- HEA ending but a few light content warnings: Some cheating referenced but not described, and sexism in the media

****Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Elissa Sussman does it again! This was such a warm and heartfelt novel that had me rooting for Kathleen and Cal immediately. Told through a series of flashbacks, you see how the two leads navigate their love lives while also in the spotlight.

Kathleen and Cal initially meet at a theater camp during a summer in high school. They are later reunited when they tour together, with Kathleen transformed as the sensational pop star Katee Rose and Cal as part of the boy band CrushZone. While on tour, Kathleen dates the head singer of CrushZone, Ryan, but finds herself spending more and more time with Cal. At the end of the tour, Kathleen finds herself at the center of the love triangle, which ends in heartbreak and her ruined pop career.

Fast forward to the present, Kathleen’s best friend, Harriett, wrote a musical with a lead intended for only Kathleen. Coming out of her forced retirement, she takes on the role with the hopes that it’ll make it to Broadway. The one hitch: her former flame and current nemesis, Cal, is the one selected to direct it. As they prepare to debut the show, they constantly clash and butt heads, still blaming each other for the past. However, there’s more simmering under the surface of animosity.

I adored Cal and Kathleen’s story; it felt genuine and realistic. The characters were so thoughtfully well written. Their witty banter and charm really had me on the edge of my seat, excited to read more. Would highly recommend for anyone who wants a heartfelt take on the enemies to lovers and second chance romance tropes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballantine/Dell imprint for the advanced reader copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!4 stars! This multi-trope, dual time period romance is a fun, fast paced read. The love interests, Cal and Kathleen, have gone from friends to lovers to enemies and now are slow burning (or maybe I just couldn’t handle the tension 😂) their way back to lovers. The broadway setting and references are so fun and will be enjoyed by any musical theatre fan. I also loved the little shout outs to some of my favorite Ru girls. Additionally, the boy band and pop star references/time period are giving Britney and *NSYNC vibes. One criticism: I do think that characters aside from Cal and Kathleen felt a tad one-dimensional and I would’ve liked to see them fleshed out more so that they didn’t feel like plot devices as opposed to full-fledged characters.

I read Funny You Should Ask last year and while it was certainly an entertaining read, I felt like the relationship between the two characters wasn’t fleshed out enough for me to buy into it. Sussman definitely fixed those issues in this book. The details she added to cement their relationship were sweet and believable. I was fully engrossed and read this in a day. I do wish Kathleen and Harriet’s fight/resolution was given a bit more space and time. I honestly wish Harriet had been fleshed out a bit more in general.
Aside from that, a fun read! Loved all the musical theater touches. Will definitely recommend this to my students!

The Britney/Justin era was MY TIME in the early to mid aughts, so the semi-ripped from the headlines backdrop of this story was very much up my alley. I enjoyed the flip flopping timelines: teenybopper concerts were my JAM and I was immediately taken right back to all those memories and it was fun to imagine the many things going on behind the scenes. And in the NOW timeline, the broadway angle was also really enjoyable, though I never did quite understand the musical at all. Now the Kathleen/Cal bits were also great, but I couldn't quite fall in love with either of them the way I want to while reading a rom com in order to really root for them. I also really appreciated the conversations about the treatment of female pop stars in the early 2000's and the effects they continue to feel from that. I wish the book had spent a little more time taking that part seriously, I think that would have made Kathleen even more interesting. While I did enjoy the book, I struggled in places to feel the feels I felt with Sussman's other book, Funny You Should Ask. It's still definitely worth reading, especially if you are of the pop star/boyband era like me! :)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

This was my first book by Elissa Sussman- and I loved it! Second chance romance is my favorite troupe to read, and this story hit it out of the park! I thought the story was incredibly sweet and I enjoyed the plot.

Kathleen is pursuing a broadway career in the midst of a comeback, having her pop star career ruined after a scandal. What’s the problem? The director of the show is ‘the one who got away’ and when he did, it didn’t end well.

I started and finished the story in a day, a May revisit it down the road I enjoyed it so much!

dare i say this is my favorite celebrity romance I’ve ever read?

I loved everything about this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read dual timelines as well written as in Once More With Feeling. While I’m old enough to remember all of the pop star and boyband drama of the early 2000s, the sections about Katee Rose and CrushZone felt so beautiful and nostalgic.

I really enjoyed Kathleen’s journey throughout the novel, and I thought Cal was so charming and supportive. Kathleen does come off as unlikeable at times, but that’s the point: she’s a has-been pop star with a grudge.

The theater/Broadway setting was just the icing on the cake for me. As Sussman mentioned in her acknowledgements, she loved theater but wasn’t great at it. That was me in middle school; I loved it, and I was okay, but I was often in the background. I loved going back into that world.

All of this to say, go and preorder this book right now! you are missing out if you don’t read it as soon as it comes out. thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and Elissa Sussman for an advanced copy.

I’m such a fan of enemies to lovers, but this book took it a step further with friends to enemies to friends to lovers to enemies to lovers. It was well written, the characters were developed so well, and the inclusion of the multiple timelines helped the book flow so uniquely. I think the focus on friendships as well as romantic relationships made this book feel so much fuller. Plus let’s not forget to mention the beautiful cover art!

4.5/5⭐️

I love the way this author does second chance romances. It’s usually not my favorite romance trope but she does it very well and I love how they aren’t based on minuscule miscommunication. Additionally, I find it rare for romance books to center on older main characters. Overall, I just really enjoyed how this novel played out and I think it’s safe to say that Sussman is going to be an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The romance was super cute. I also really enjoyed the news articles throughout. It felt like I was there with the characters. Definitely recommend! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the E-ARC.