TLDR: 15 years after the cheating scandal that rocked the pop world Kathleen is looking to make a fresh start in the world of theatre. Starring in her best friend's new Broadway play; the future looks bright. That is, until she meet the director who is none other than Cal - the man she cheated with all those years ago. That incident led to the collapse of her career, destruction of her reputation, and the loss of Cal's friendship. Can Kathleen and Cal forgive the sins of the past and move forward, or are they doomed to repeat them?

Spoiler-Free Review:
I am so torn on this book. I was unbelievably excited to read it since I loved it predecessor (Funny You Should Ask) so much. For the most part I really enjoyed this one as well. The characters had depth and intricacies that made them tangible. The plot was engaging and fun - I was really rooting for their show to be successful. I liked the time jumps and I felt like they did a good job moving the story along similar to the way they did in FYSA. However, the pacing felt ..off. I felt like the final third of the book flew by and not just because I'm a fast reader. There were plot points thrown in for seemingly no reason (Ryan coming to the show?) and everything wrapped up was too quickly and smoothly for my liking. It just felt very rushed at the end which was in such sharp contrast to the slow burn and great pacing of the other 2/3 of the book. Did it ruin it for Me? No. Did it detract from the rest of the experience? Yes.

Nit-Picks:
-I would have enjoyed seeing more about how Ryan used the break up. I liked all the magazine articles and gossip site posts in Funny You Should Ask and thought they could have used more of that.
-I understand that the camp storyline was important for bringing Cal, Kathleen, and Harriet together, but I didn't need any of the Rachel drama. Just felt unnecessary.
-Cal forgave Kathleen way too easily- more groveling was needed.
-I would've liked more exploration into the media that was talking about how bad Katee was treated in the past. Felt like a good opportunity for Kathleen to get some much-needed clarity and get that weight off her shoulders.

A book about second chances, (former) pop stars, and musical theater…what’s not to love?

“Once More with Feeling” is such a fun read. From the very beginning, she’s open with the reader about her past as a disgraced singer embroiled in a cheating scandal. Throughout the book, more and more glimpses into the specifics of what happened are revealed as parallels with what’s currently happening in her life: she’s been tapped to star in a musical that her best friend wrote and her former romantic interest Cal (AKA the other half of her affair) is directing.

What I loved about this book was the chemistry between Kathleen and Cal. Their interactions alternate between the unresolved anger from what happened in the past and the very apparent fixation they still have on one another. I liked that they seemed like equals throughout the story, even when Kathleen didn’t realize so herself.

Some of the pacing felt a bit uneven at times for me, and there’s a few dialogue-heavy sections that might have benefited from more description; however, I have to admit that the braided narrative structure helped me overlook some of this, especially with the particular selection of the final scene. I do love a strong romantic sentiment, and this one delivered.

When it’s published at the end of May, I’ll probably pick up a physical copy to add to my bookshelf—I enjoyed it that much (and the cover’s aesthetic tbh). I already have a copy of the earlier “Funny You Should Ask” which I have yet to read, but I’ll definitely be moving it up on my TBR list now.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review!

*ARC REVIEW - Actual rating 4.25/5 stars

Pop stars?! Musicals?! Romance?! Count me in!!
“Once More with Feeling” is one of my most anticipated reads of the year and boy did it deliver!

Kathleen Rosenberg is messy, flawed, and disgraced former pop-star looking to re-enter the spotlight with a chance to fulfill a childhood dream of being a lead actress on Broadway. Despite the reputation of her past, Kathleen is determined to prove to the world that she is a true star and worthy.

Elissa Sussman’s writing is raw, real, and messy. Her stories, although obviously fictional, show that real life isn’t black and white, and as humans we’re always bound to stumble and fall. Kathleen’s resilience and tenacity kept me cheering throughout the whole book!

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

I really liked this book. I enjoyed many aspects of the novel including the romance, side characters backstories, and learning more about the life of fame (which I'm starting to realize is a good sign of when i will like a book). For a more in-depth review of this wonderful book, check out my blog https://redheadreadsalot.blogspot.com/2023/02/once-more-with-feeling-by-elissa-sussman.html

Release Date May 23, 2023!!!!
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing and Elissa Sussman for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!.

I enjoyed this friends to lovers to enemies to not really friends but no longer enemies to lovers book.
While I did find this to be a little bit too slow of a slow burn, it made sense that it built up all this tension between Cal and Kathleen. I liked the multiple timelines(which often times I don’t, as I find the majority of the “in the past” timeline unnecessary) and felt they wove really well together.

Overall I enjoyed this book and will be checking out other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I really loved Funny You Should Ask, but thought it was missing some depth. But this book??? IT HAD EVERYTHING I was looking for in the first book. If you love pop culture references, you need this in your life.

• single POV
• then and now chapters
• second chance
• celebrities
• one open door sex scene, not too descriptive

Synopsis
Kathleen and Cal meet as teenagers in camp and she’s immediately drawn to him. But they’re so young and spend such a small amount of time together that nothing of substance really happens. Fast forward and Kathleen is now Katee, international pop star who is dating Ryan, the lead singer in an up and coming boy band. But things just aren’t right with Ryan. And when Kathleen meets the rest of his boy band and realizes that Cal from camp is a member, it’s hard for them to stay away from each other and not grow closer.

But the closer they get, the more complicated Katees relationship with Ryan becomes, until it all blows up and her career goes down in flames.

In the present, Harriet, a best friend from camp has convinced both Cal and Kathleen to be a part of a musical that she has written all of the music for. Cal will direct, and Kathleen will play a leading role. Can they put aside their feelings and animosity towards each other to make the show work?

My thoughts
• I absolutely loved that this was basically a retelling of what happened to Britney Spears and JT.
• I loved that it was a female perspective that focused on how she’d been villainized while Cal had gotten off scot free.
• I loved Kathleen and Harriet’s friendship and how it played so effortlessly into the story
• Cal is perfect and I’m so glad they found each other again
• the small dash of spice was a pleasant surprise
• the writing reminds me of Emily Henry
• the pace was perfection

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“I’m not going to argue with you,” he said “I’m not going to try to convince your that you’re wrong, but I don’t think I’m the one who need to forgive you.”

Thank you to @netgalley and @elissa_sussman for the arc

A perfect combination of the “enemies to lovers” and “second chance”. It goes between what happened years ago and how that effects what is going on between Kathleen “Katee” and Cal. This is beautifully written. I highly recommend.

Summary: Then. Katee Rose is living the dream as America’s number one pop star, caught in a whirlwind of sold-out concerts, screaming fans, and constant tabloid coverage. Everyone wants to know everything about her and her boyfriend, Ryan LaNeve, the hottest member of adored boy band CrushZone. Katee loves to perform but hates the impossible demands of stardom. Maybe that’s why she finds herself in the arms of another CrushZone member, Cal Kirby. Quiet, serious Cal, who’s always been a good friend to Katee, is suddenly Cal with the smoldering eyes and very good hands. One unforgettable night is all it takes to blow up Katee’s relationship with Ryan, her career, her whole life.

Now. Kathleen Rosenberg is okay with her ordinary existence and leaving her pop star image in the past. 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 the joint destruction of their careers, and each of them blames the other, making their reunion 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?

I am loving that ES is becoming a ‘second chance’ romance author. It's one of my favourite tropes and she is 2 for 2 so far on delivering a story that brings all the pining and pent up emotions. Adding in a slight ‘childhood sweethearts’ past just seals the deal for me. I really enjoyed the connection and history between Kathleen and Cal and was totally rooting for them.

And the only reason this isn't getting rated higher is because Kathleen herself isn't really likeable. She's not terrible, but there's nothing that draws me to her character or makes me want to care about her.

But the plot, tropes, and writing do make up for that. Because this is a very charming story that easily entertains.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for our copy of Once More with Feeling

Rating: 4.5 star
Genre: Romance

Thoughts: I just LOVED Elissa Sussman's first book, Funny You Should Ask, so I have been waiting impatiently for her to write again!

I think she is my new favorite author for celebrity romance. I loved this book just like I did the first one!

Her books keep me entertained, I love her writing style, and I just cannot stop reading them once I start!

Definitely pick this one up if you love romance books, especially celebrity trope ones!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

Once more with Feeling follows Kathleen as she returns to center stage with her best friend, Harriet, and her friend-turned-stranger Cal while trying to shed off the image attached to her from her pop star career as Katee Rose. It's a easy to read slowburn romance and if you liked Funny You Should Ask, this is that in a different packaging.

Kathleen's journey as she tries to shed off her Katee Rose persona, come to terms with how the media treated her versus the male counterparts in her career-ending scandal, and forgive herself was a focal point of the story given how it shaped Kathleen's relationship with Cal, but I found that there wasn't enough of context / details / explanation for it for me to really be invested in it.

Cal had the potential to be an amazing love interest. I liked how he contrasted with Kathleen, the voice of reason to her spiraling. In the beginning, a lot of the the inner monologue was focused on how attractive Cal was and how much tension there was between them but we aren't told much about who he really is until further on in the book (too late in my opinion to really root for him as we should have been).

For the huge part the past played in this story, not enough details about it were provided. The flashback scenes we did get were so stilted and awkward that I found myself skimming over it. I found myself not really understanding the magnitude of Kathleen's animosity toward Cal because the details of what happened there were a brief explanation at the end. Perhaps if this was provided, Kathleen would have been a FMC that I rooted for from the start but instead I found her immature.

Overall, I think this had the potential of being a great romance with strong character development, but it just ultimately fell flat. The parts that really set this story apart (the media coverage of Katee Rose, Cal's characterization, the budding friendship / romance between Cal) were glossed over so that it was hard to root for the couple in present time. Much like in Funny You Should Ask, I just didn't find myself really believing in the story and I wanted to so badly (this had some of my favorite things to read about).

Elissa Sussman does it again! Funny you Should Ask was one of my favorite books of 2022 and Once More with Feeling is climbing its way to the top in 2023! The heartfelt story of Kathleen Rosenberg getting her second chance at her dreams after a mistake that cost her everything in her youth. Seeing her transform throughout the story was such a joy. As a lover of musicals and a good broadway show this kept me engaged the whole time! Elissa Sussman knows how to write celebrity and every time I truly feel like I am reading about a real life celebrity.

This story had so much more than just a second chance love; it had the complex inner-working of life long friendship, learning how to love yourself, even the mistakes you've made and the way the path of life can change but bring you back to where you are meant to be all along.

I was given an advanced copy of Once More with Feelings from Random House Publishing via Netgalley

Once More With Feeling ticked ALL of the boxes for me. Pop stars? Check. Boy band? Check. Broadway? Check. Romance/drama? Check and check. Katee Rose was a pop star who dated a boy band member (sound familiar?) with another member of his own band (NOT familiar) and got her career ruined because of it. Years later she’s trying to rebound her career in her best friend’s musical that is directed by—the guy she cheated with (oopsie).

This started slow for me but by the end I was crazy about this book. I think Kathleen’s friendship with Harriet left me wanting more interaction between them. I greatly enjoyed the nostalgia of Katee Rose interspersing with her current day timeline. This novel is for anyone who has ever been a big fan of someone—be it a friend or someone famous.

I would like to extend a big thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Dell for the e-book ARC.

This is a love story told in three parts. Kathleen and Cal meet while at a theater summer camp as teens. They meet again in their 20s when Kathleen is better known as pop star Katee Rose and Cal is a member of the the boy band, CrushZone. They reunite one last time in their mid-30s to work on a broadway show together. During these three different timelines, the chemistry between Kathleen and Cal is palpable. However, it seems they keep on experiencing right person, wrong time. As they work together for the third time, their feelings from before have returned. Now they just need to see they can actually make it work.

This book is chocked full of popular tropes: friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, work place romance, second chance romance, and forced proximity. It is also told in three different timelines: when they are teens, when they are in their early 20s and finally in the present.

I liked the characters of Kathleen, Cal, and Harriet - they felt like they could be real people. Their dreams, ambitions and flaws are all believable and after knowing each out for the majority of their lives, their issues with one another are believable too. However, I did feel like there were some points when Cal and Harriet continued to treat Kathleen as a punching bag. It does start to feel a bit exhausting - either all needs to be forgiven or the relationship/friendship needs to end.

I wish this story had been told from dual POVs. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Cal had actually moved past all of the drama. It would have been nice to read his feelings towards Kathleen. I also wish we could have gotten more of an apology from him about how he handled the cheating scandal. He was hurt, but he let Kathleen take 100% of the blame which is pretty disappointing. I also wish we could have gotten more time with Kathleen and Cal as adults. I felt like most of their present day interactions were surrounded by drama, so it was hard to tell if they just have good chemistry/banter or if they truly have feelings for each other.

I pretty much read this book in one sitting. I wanted to see how their issues from the past played out and how they were going to handle it in the present. I think they then vs now chapters were spread out perfectly. I just kept telling myself one more chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me an ARC copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this book! This book was so perfect. I love Elissa Sussmans writing and her style. The story had me smiling and laughing at points.
I just reviewed Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman. #OnceMorewithFeeling #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

5 Stars! Anyone who loves Funny You Should Ask will love this too! Sussman uses the same formula, so if you like it, you like it!

This was so cute. I wasn't a theater kid, but I was very down for this story anyway. Sussman's first book in this celebrity world, Funny You Should Ask (yes!!! she builds a world!!! ahh!!), is reputed to be a retelling/imagining of THAT Chris Evans interview. In this book, Kathleen Rosenberg (otherwise known as Katee Rose) is kind of like Britney Spears or maybe Miley Cyrus. Her entire life/reputation/career falls apart after getting into some boy band drama (she "cheats" on her basically-PR boyfriend), but in retrospect the whole media circus was just really misogynist. Imagine that!

Cal Kirby is the love interest and he is the sweetest guy ever. That being said, he was alllllll rolled up in the misogynist drama, but Sussman does a great job of highlighting the nuances in their relationship. It's another past/present story, because Cal and Kathleen originally met at theater camp!!! Cute!

I had so much fun with this. I can only hope that we get Jacinda Lockwood's story someday.

Oh my god, what can I say here? I loved this so much. It’s the Britney & Justin of it all, if Britney ended up with JC. I JUST LOVED THIS. I liked it even more than Funny You Should Ask. Low-ish spice level, but I loved the book so much that it didn’t even matter.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC.

Funny You Should Ask was one of my favorite books of 2022. So I was really looking forward to this one and it totally exceeded my expectations. The angst, the banter, the flashbacks! I loved it and can’t wait to read it again! Cal and Kathleen had such great chemistry. Couldn’t put it down! 🤩

Sussman's writing is so evocative - I can picture some of the characters and scenes so vividly. I liked both Kathleen and Cal. The book did a good job exploring their flaws and growth between timelines. However, I struggled a bit with the dual timelines, mainly because it felt like their was too much build up in the current timeline foreshadowing the past drama. There were also times I wanted more - more of the happily ever after, more Cal and Kathleen discussing what tore them apart in the past, more Harriet and Kathleen processing their rough patch, more resolution with Rachel. Still, this book was incredibly fun and I look forward to whatever Sussman writes next.

As a huge fan of a celebrity romance trope, Once More With Feeling is right up my alley! Kathleen was a pop star years ago, but gossip and one misstep in her love life destroyed her career. In present day, she is attempting a comeback in the form of an off Broadway show written by her best friend. The one problem? Her friend hires Cal, a man from her past, as the director of the show.

I love a well written enemies to lovers story, and this one is heated! The anger and hurt feelings between Kathleen and Cal are justified, and their angry outbursts are full of fire. Over time the anger starts to decrease, but their chemistry still burns red hot. Both characters have their flaws and have made poor decisions in the past, but both show great character development and growth in the book.

The premise was also fun. I loved the triple timelines showing the history between our main characters, which were done incredibly well and added so much to the story. The dialogue was realistic in this entertaining and easy read that I will definitely be recommending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine, Dell for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a treat to be able to read another Elissa Sussman book! I loved Once More with Feeling and I can't wait until it's released to buy a paper copy. Recommend!