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!

Wow. I have no words for this book. In August 2022 I decided to pick up Funny You Should Ask because I thought the cover was cute and it became one of my favorite books of all time. So when I went onto NetGalley and saw Once More With Feeling of course I had to request it.

Within 10 minutes of picking up this book I was already obsessed. It is so extremely well written and the plot is like nothing I’ve ever read before.

Once again Elissa wrote an amazing second romance with characters who have SO much chemistry. I can’t wait to tell everyone I know they need to read this.

Thank you Netgalley and Random house for this advanced copy!!

Rating 4.5 stars
Spice 3

Former pop star, Kathleen Rose, finds herself back in the spotlight when her best friend Harriet asks her to be in her Broadway play. Kathleen now lives a mostly ordinary life, having shed her pop star image but she is itching to perform again, the way she always wanted, in musical theater. The last thing she expects is former friend, Cal Kirby, to be directing the play.

Cal and Kathleen met as teens, at a theater camp for kids (think Camp Rock) and then reunited a few years later as young adults, when Kathleen had become a pop singer going by the name, Katee Rose. Cal himself rose to fame, being part of a boyband called CrushZone. Kathleen & Cal bond over their love of museums and musical theater. They realize their relationship is more than friends but its complicated by the fact that Kathleen is dating Ryan, Cals bandmate. Things come to a dramatic, headline making fall out, that ultimately ends Katee Roses career for good.

Present day Kathleen & Cal are dealing with the aftermath of their public fall out and trying to get this play ready for Broadway.

This book weaved three separate timelines together, all of which were interesting and engaging. Cal and Kathleen were flawed characters but showed layers and growth, making it easy to root for them.

If you enjoyed "Funny You Should Ask" then you will enjoy this. I actually liked this one better. Elissa Sussman has found a formula that works.

Enemies to lovers/friends to lovers
Second chance romance

Funny You Should Ask was easily one of the best romcoms of the past year. Once More with Feeling is no different. Both are homeruns for me, and I enjoyed every second of it. No notes a must read for sure.

'Funny You Should Ask' was one of my favorite five star romances of last year--and 'Once More with Feeling' is now following it its footsteps!

Sussman delivers another hollywood (is this a hollywood romance???) that i literally could not put down lol i accidentally read it in one whole workday whoops but it was SO GOOD

I loved the broadway aspect and the dual timelines and honestly all of it

five stars!!!

Once More with Feeling is a charming second-chance/enemies-to-lovers romance that had me wanting more! We meet Kathleen, a has-been pop star (think Robin Sparkles) whose career has taken a dive since she was blasted in the press for cheating on her former boy-bander boyfriend. Kathleen is eager to restart her career by starring in her best friend's new musical, but there's one problem: the director is former boy-bander Cal, who is part of the reason that Kathleen is in this mess.

Can Kathleen and Cal put aside their past experiences to make this show a Broadway hit?

Throughout this book, we encounter three separate timelines in Kathleen and Cal's history: musical theater summer camp, pop star/boy band era, and present. We also have quick nods to Elissa Sussman's other celebrity novel, Funny You Should Ask. I adored this book, mostly because I am also musical theater obsessed (when Kathleen sang Memory my heart leaped!). It was fun to see Kathleen and Cal's relationship evolve over the years and how fame affects everyone differently. I also enjoyed seeing some behind-the-scenes of the creation of a musical and how that process works. Overall, this is a fun, sweet romance that I would absolutely recommend!

Once More With Feeling is Elissa Sussman’s second adult romance book, and the perfect follow up to Funny You Should Ask.

Our main character is Kathleen Rosenberg, a former pop star who’s now attempting to make a comeback in her performing career after it crashed and burned years ago. Earning her dream role in a Broadway-bound show should be the second chance she needs- plus the opportunity to wow the world and perform in ways she was never able to in her pop star days. The only catch? The show is being directed by her “ex” of sorts, the man who had a hand in imploding her career the first time around. Throughout the book, the two juggle keeping their careers afloat with their storied past and deepening feelings for each other in a friends to lovers to enemies to lovers rom-com set against the NYC theatre scene.

If you enjoyed Funny You Should Ask, you should absolutely pick this book up. There’s something so addicting about Sussman’s books that I can’t get enough of. The settings and premises are so unique, and despite being inherently flawed people (who among us isn’t), I find her characters so extremely lovable.

Going into this book, I wanted to properly manage my expectations. Enemies to lovers is typically my least favorite romance trope, but I thought it was done so well in this book. Kathleen’s inner monologue has a refreshing amount of self-awareness, so the “enemies” banter between characters didn’t drive me crazy like it normally does. On the other hand, second chance romance is my *favorite* romance trope. It was so much fun to see how Kathleen and Cal’s underlying chemistry made each interaction so charged, and I love when a story gives the reader little bite-sized pieces of information about a relationship’s history until we finally find out what really happened. It’s such an exciting way to build tension and intrigue.

Also: It’s not a series or anything, but there’s a really fun Easter egg from Funny You Should Ask that made me squeal with excitement. I’m a sucker for that shit.

Really the *only* qualms I have about this book are that I would’ve liked a few more mixed media elements and I thought the pacing throughout was juuust a little too quick. But if my only complaint is that I wanted to spend *more* time in a made-up world, that’s a pretty darn good book in my opinion.

You should read this book if you:
-Are a former theatre kid or just love musical theatre
-Enjoy reading themes about fame and celebrity culture
-Love a rom-com with fun, witty banter

Low-key can’t believe I live in a world where I get to read one of my most anticipated reads of the year months early. THANK YOU to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for a review! This book publishes May 30, 2023.

I am all about celebrity romance and second-chances! I was a little skeptical about the triple timeline at first, but I actually enjoyed it! I thought both main characters, Cal and Kathleen, were relatable in their personal struggles despite their celebrity status. The romance, friendship, and emotions in this book were top notch, and I felt very invested in the characters and their journeys. It was hard not to fall in love with Cal and admire Kathleen for her strength after everything she’d been through publicly. The will-they-wont-they was perfect and the ending only left me wanting even more of them! I loved Elissa Sussman’s “Funny You Should Ask,” but I actually loved this book even more!

-second chance
-enemies to lovers
-now and then timelines

-Musical theater
-Celebrity romance


Oh, how I loved. this. book! It’s the “where are they now?” of contemporary romance.

Kathleen is a washed up former child star. Years ago, at summer camp, she met Cal, who later became part of a hit boy band that toured with her solo act. She also met her best friend Harriet at the camp. They are all adults now and Harriet has written a musical with a starring role for Kathleen. The only problem is that Cal is the director. Kathleen and Cal have a tumultuous history and she wants nothing to do with him. But, if she wants the part, she is going to have to work with him. To top it off, this is her chance to do the one thing she has always dreamed of but never accomplished: star in a Broadway show.

The skillful use of two timelines kept me reading, want to see how both the then and now stories ended. The “then” takes place at the camp and after, when Kathleen, as Kaytee, becomes a mega star. The youth of the characters is believable and treated with a dose of sweetness and understanding. In the “now,” they both have regrets, as we all do when we think back on our twenties, which is part of what makes Kathleen and Cal so relatable.

And the enemies-to-lovers which morphs into a second chance is so well played out. I am not a fan of enemies-to-lovers but in this case it was perfect. You knew they were angry at one another but there was still some thing there.

This is a fun, sentimental, face paced and uplifting read for fans of Glee, High School Musical, HSMTMTS (on screen and in real life), musical theater in general or fans of celebrity drama, on stage and in life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the concept of this book, show business romances are one of my favorite genres. I felt that this had great moments and then moments of great potential. I feel that we would have benefited immensely if we had duel POV. I felt that I didn’t really know who Cal was and how his journey shaped. I get that he had feelings for Kathleen but his I love you placement just felt a bit random. I also thought the conflict with Harriet should’ve been handled differently, I get that both ladies had pressure and anxiety going on but the miscommunication and then penultimate confrontation just felt off and a bit out of left field. The potential is there but it felt silly they didn’t hash it out earlier on in the book for people who claim to have been absolute best friends since they were 14. I loved that it was talked about how people were re-examining how Kathleen was treated all these years later but I think some sort of “news” article about it would’ve been nice. Overall 3.75 stars and always looking forward to the next book by Elissa.