I feel kind of guilty about this but this didn't work for me. I can't even figure out why it didn't, but I think there was too much stuffed in here (it's about musical theater! but it's also about pop stars) and the chemistry between the two mains didn't hit. I enjoyed Elissa Sussman's prior book but this one just didn't land for me.

I really, really liked this book and read it as quickly as my day-to-day life would allow! While I personally have no experience with being a performer of the arts (much less one who is well known), I found that I could still very much relate to Kathleen. She and Cal had an undeniable connection and I enjoyed the push and pull between them. I also liked the relationship between Kathleen and Harriet—it really rang true to me.
I’m usually averse to books that rely on flashbacks, but they’re admittedly sometimes necessary and the ones here were done well and were sparse enough that they didn’t detract from the story in the present. The little glimpses of the making of a musical were fun and made the story really fascinating to me. This is the first book I’ve read by Elissa Sussman and her writing style is right up my alley; I’ll definitely be checking out her previous books and eagerly waiting for her future works!

I loved “Funny you Should Ask” and was excited to read this one! The titles and cover designs for both of these books are super catchy. I enjoyed this breezy story but wasn’t as sucked in as I was with the previous title. I think I found the main character harder to like in this one—she was so hard on Cal and even though we find out why through flashbacks, I didn’t find the dynamic as believable this go around. Same with the Ryan—I couldn’t see what Kathleen ever saw in that dude.

I loved Funny You Should Ask and had high hopes for this one! Overall I’d say my hopes were met and the author delivered another fun read with what feels to be an inside peek into the real lives of celebrities.

This story was a bit slow at times and took me awhile to understand the formatting, but I love a good now and then and I’d bet it is a lot clearer up front in actual print compared to an ebook.

I had a hard time gauging the characters current ages which I think is part of the reason why I didn’t feel invested right away - am I reading about a 55year old or a 35 year old?

Either way, I loved the the story once it came full circle and am excited to read more from this author. Def a fun and easy read!

Thank you to Dell NetGalley for this ARC!

After reading Elissa Sussman’s book ‘Funny You Should Ask’, I knew she was an author I would read everything she would write; She is such a wonderful story teller. Once More With Feeling was just as well thought out and enthralling as FYSA.

I loved the time jumping and how each time life coincided with this. All of the characters with diverse and detailed, and I fell for Kathleen, Cal, and Harriet.

Can’t wait for Elissa’s next story!

Elissa Sussman does it again! I so thoroughly enjoyed “Funny You Should Ask” so I was thrilled to received an ARC of “Once More With Feeling”. All of my memories of theater in high school came right back (I was a dancer, with just an ok singing voice, much like the leading man, Cal!) I so enjoyed the relationships between Kathleen and her best friend and between Kathleen and Cal. The slow burn was perfect! Second chance romances can be hard to pull off, but this was a win in my book.

Run, not walk when this book comes out in May!

Thank you Net Galley and Random House for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Congrats to Elissa Sussman on another sensational romance!

Elissa Sussman has done it again - writing a book that feels like it was specifically written for me. This book was the perfect Jewish romance between two theatre nerds. Normally I don’t always love stories that flow between the past and present - but both timelines kept me hooked. The romance felt believable and real. My favorite read so far of 2023!

I really enjoyed reading Funny You Should Ask so when I saw that Elissa Sussman was releasing another book it went straight onto my TBR! Once More with Feeling did not disappoint and I enjoyed it just as much. The story features a former pop star, Kathleen, whose career bombed out spectacularly following a scandal that she (unfairly) bore the full force of. Now, many years later she is back in the spotlight with a chance to make her and her best friend’s dream of a Broadway hit a reality. However, this second chance at fame will also involve working closely with the man that was at the heart of that scandal so many years ago, and they have not spoken since.

The tension and chemistry between the characters was electric and had me hooked! I’m a fan of multiple timeline stories and second (third!) chance romances. This book really ticked those boxes for me. I also enjoyed that the main characters were older and portrayed realistically for their ages.

I look forward to reading more Elisa Sussman books!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me this book for review consideration.

Okay wow, this is book was it for me! Was in a major book slump and I didn’t realize how much I needed Kathleen’s and Cal’s tension, banter, and love story to bring me out of it instantly.

A story of friends to lovers to enemies to lovers was the perfect backdrop. I’m also in my Hollywood / famous couples trope and I’m loving it ✨ 💕

Elissa, I can’t wait for more amazing stories by you!

Release date: May 3

⭐️: 5
🌶️: 3

Thank you NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy! Sussman crafts a stunning follow up to Funny You Should Ask, which was easily one of my favorite reads from last year. Her formulas work: celebrity romance, alternating timelines, vibrant side characters. etc. making Once More With Feeling, as good, if not better than her debut novel. The Broadway setting was fun and I appreciated that Cal and Kathleen were flawed and messy!

Once More with Feeling was fun and nostalgic in all the best ways! The pop flashbacks took me back to my fan-girling years (*NSync > BSB).

Kathleen & Cal’s history & tension kept me interested the whole way through. Flashbacks aren’t always my favorite, but it is done well in this book (with music being the connector) that it had me rooting for them!

I highly recommend and look forward to reading more from this author!

* Big thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. *

I sit here with tears in my eyes after finishing this book. I absolutely ADORED it! It reminded me a bit of Emily Henry's "People We Meet On Vacation" because it has similar tropes that I yearn for: slow-burn, second chance, close proximity, friends to enemies to lovers. This book had it all! I love how the author was able to switch between three timelines so seamlessly. Even though I expected the ending I was still riddled with anxiety whenever we got a glimpse into Kathleen's pop-star past. What an absolute treat this was to read! Everyone, mark your calendars for when this book publishes because you don't want to miss out!

Easy 5 stars. I’m going to start by saying I ADORED THIS BOOK! It was so addicting I could not put it down.

Famous washed up pop star and ex-boybander are reunited after a… dramatic - headline making - falling out that destroyed her career. Now she has been cast as the lead in his directorial Broadway debut, and they have to figure out, how to play nice. But wait, Kathleen and Cal are also childhood friends, who bonded at acting camp, and they might not hate each other after all. SIGN ME UP.

Once again Elisa Sussman, I owe you my life. The storytelling is so good, it’s un-putdownable. I love the way Sussman switches timelines to tell these stories and I will now read anything and everything she writes, give me the grocery list.

Kathleen and Cal were some of my favorite characters to read about. The way they interacted and the way their relationship developed throughout, made me feel what they were feeling so honestly. Through the ups and downs, I felt their characters grow and realize where they might have gone wrong, and imperfect characters are always my fav. I just trusted these characters and believed everything they said and did SO MUCH.

I will be forcing everyone to read this book when it comes out. If you like hollywood roamances or were a fan of Sussman’s previous “Funny you Should ask” you need to read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine - Random House Publishing for the arc, this review reflects my honest opinion.

A love letter to musical theatre, and every theatre kid.

Once More With Feeling follows the relationship of Kathleen and Cal beginning in their childhood theatre camp days. Told in past and present timelines, we see Kathleen and Cal’s rise to fame, their public embarrassment and fall from fame, and their eventual reconnection in adulthood. The novel features the frequently used childhood friends to lovers trope, and enemies to lovers trope, but tells the story in a flawless and more beautiful way than what I expected.

I loved Kathleen’s personality, wit, and strength. She values friendship more than fame, and while she is an imperfect character, I rooted for her success professionally and personally the entire time.

I adored Cal as a teenager and as an adult! He is so kind, considerate, charming, and he learned to be this way because he has four sisters. His character is incredibly humble given that he was a famous boy band member.

Harriet (Kathleen’s best friend) reminded me of my childhood best friend. While we weren’t theatre kids, we did have musical movie marathons most every weekend as teenagers. I enjoyed following their friendship as they navigated life, and saw them more as sisters than friends.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level 🌶🌶

Read this is you love
🖤 Enemies to lovers
💕Childhood friends to lovers
🎶Performing Arts
👸🏻Female friendship
🎤Popstars/boybands

Thanks to @netgalley and Random House Publishing.

Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Here’s the highlights:
💫Jewish Rep
🧠Normalizes Therapy (we love)
🎶Theatre and Broadway Vibes
💘 Then and Now timelines
🥊Enemies to Lovers & Second Chance
💗Fame

A lot of the book I was remembering that show SMASH with Katherine McPhee, from like 2012, in the best possible way. Anyone here remember or watch that show?

The one issue I had with it was Kathleen was just a little too stubborn, jaded, and bitter at times in the start of the book. I love some good character growth and you do see her soften some while remaining her strong and independent self but her attitude often affected her best friend who seemed to always be there for her.

Overall loved this book and found the characters more genuine and endearing than those from Funny (although I enjoyed that novel as well)

I will be posting a similar review on the instagram of Jensatt.shelves in the next couple days and it will remain up.

I was pretty desperate to get my hands on a copy of Once More with Feeling after LOVING Funny You Should Ask, so thank you to NetGalley! The combination of romance and musical theatre was so fun for me. I also love a second chance story that has a Hollywood element, so this ticked a lot of boxes.

The only oddity I found in this book was trying to figure out the ages of Kathleen and Cal—it felt to me like a lot of the information about them didn’t really add up. But I loved being swept into this story nonetheless.

4⭐️Once More with Feeling is Elissa Sussman's new novel coming out May 30, 2023! It follows the characters, Kathleen and Cal’s story following a major change in their life and the consequences of it. One of the first things that I loved about this story was the then-and-now timeline it follows. It was easy to keep up with and allowed us to better understand the character’s past. The storyline is so unique as I have never read a story before that followed a pop singer and ex-boyband member doing a show on Broadway. As a musical enthusiast, I absolutely loved the attention to detail. In many aspects, I related to Kathleen in some aspects which made me enjoy her character. My only issue with the story was that I felt it was a bit rushed and I feel like the character’s issues weren't actually resolved. The character’s needed a little bit more depth to them as I felt that sometimes they seemed a bit bland. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I can’t wait for Susssman’s future work!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC.

I screamed with joy when I got the email that I had been approved!

Funny You Should Ask was one of my favorite books from last year, so I was enthralled when I saw Elissa was writing another book.

Once More With Feeling reminded me a lot of Merry Little Meet Cute + All I Want for Christmas without the holiday elements. Friends-to-lovers meets enemies-to-lovers featuring pop stars that grew up to be Broadway adults.

I'm not a theater person, but i appreciated the passion 3 of the characters had for it. I loved the character development, the suspension, and of course, the steamy romance scenes!

Highly recommend picking this one up if you love love!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group—Ballantine and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

As a huge fan of Elissa Sussman’s FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, I went into her newest, ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, with high expectations and, I’m happy to say, it far exceeded them.

As with FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, ONCE MORE WITH FEELING follows characters in the entertainment business (a trope I am absolutely obsessed with!). Kathleen is a former pop star who went from best-selling albums and sold-out tours alongside her then boyfriend’s boy band (the same band her adolescent crush, Cal, happens to be a part of) to having no career to speak of after an indiscretion that was made public knowledge and exacerbated further by constant attention in the media. Years later she’s being given a second chance when her best friend writes a Broadway musical with a part written specifically for Kathleen, directed by none other than Cal who stood by while her career went up in flames.

While the story was certainly entertaining—it flashes between the past, before the incident that ruins Kathleen’s career, and the present—and definitely kept my attention (I got major Britney Spears/*NSYNC vibes), I was struck most by how Sussman shows just how cruel the world can be towards women. Kathleen makes a mistake (you later find out that the circumstances aren’t necessarily so black and white, as per usual), but the reader gets to see just how easily a narrative can be manipulated to highlight and emphasize the mistakes of a woman, especially famous women, while completely ignoring the reciprocal actions of her male counterpart.

Though, as always, I wanted more time spent with these characters, Elissa Sussman, with ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, has been cemented as a must-buy author for me.

I was SO excited to be able to receive this ARC! I loved 'Funny You Should Ask' by this author! All of the pieces of her other novel that I loved where still there plus some fun additions. I loved learning more about Kathleen and Cal over the years of their relationship. And the famous people trope is just so much fun! If you loved, Funny you should Ask, definitely pick this up too!