Oye I'm sorry for giving this a 1-star, but like... not only was this such a slow fucking read for me, but also pointless, but also confusing... it wasn't a thriller for like 70% of the book, and then like tried to become one, and now that I am done, I still can't decide if it was supposed to be one?

This book was not for me. I found it to be boring and couldn't keep interested in it. I was hoping it was a mystery or had some excitement to it but it was just meh. You may find it more to your liking if you like stories about people and their motivations to become famous.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

Once More from the Top is marketed as similar to Daisy Jones and the Six but I really didn't get that vibe at all. I did't love this book or hate it, but unfortunately it's one that is not going to leave a lasting impression with me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

What’s the cost of fame when your past refuses to stay buried? Emily Layden’s Once More from the Top is an emotionally charged, psychologically astute novel that blends the glamour of stardom with the haunting shadows of a small-town mystery. It’s part celebrity exposé, part poignant reflection on friendship and ambition, and completely gripping from start to finish.

Dylan Read isn’t just a pop star; she’s the pop star. With fifteen years in the spotlight and an image curated to perfection, Dylan has mastered the art of being seen without truly being known. But when the body of her childhood best friend Kelsey—who disappeared just before Dylan’s meteoric rise—resurfaces, the past Dylan has kept so carefully hidden threatens to unravel everything.

What makes this novel shine is the way Layden delves into the duality of Dylan’s life. On the surface, she’s the epitome of success: beloved by fans, revered by critics. Beneath it, she’s wrestling with grief, guilt, and the inescapable pull of Kelsey’s influence on her music and identity. The mystery surrounding Kelsey’s disappearance and the eventual discovery of her body adds a layer of suspense that kept me flipping pages late into the night.

Layden’s prose is sharp and observant, capturing both the glittering allure of fame and the quiet ache of unresolved loss. The exploration of female friendship is particularly poignant—complicated, messy, and heartbreakingly real. Dylan and Kelsey’s bond is the emotional core of the story, and even as the narrative builds to its devastating conclusion, it never loses sight of their connection.

Thank you to Emily Layden, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for the chance to immerse myself in this riveting story. Once More from the Top is perfect for fans of novels that blend celebrity culture with emotional depth (Daisy Jones & The Six vibes, anyone?) and anyone who loves a good page-turner with a soul.

I don't think this should be compared to Daisy Jones. The mystery also seemed to take a backseat to the story. We got flashbacks of Dylan & her relationship with Kelsey, the young girl whose body was discovered 15 years later. I usually love pop star books but this was just boring. I didn't really care for Dylan's character I especially don't need to know she tasted herself after sex. It seems like the author didn't know what genre they were trying to write.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i hated this, was it edited by a real publishing house? i once we got daisy jones and the six, i don't think we need any more books with any similarities to it.

Everyone in America knows Dylan Read, she is a famous singer and has been on top of the charts, for years. Her first album came out when she was a senior in High School and had never looked back. She has had a very successful career because of her music, her excellent reputation and her pure tenacity. But she has been keeping something a secret. A year before her debut, her best friend Dylan disappeared. They were best friends and they shared so many things, especially music. She has been haunted by her disappearance and most of her music has been inspired by her. That knowing, what happened is the worst part. One day, a body is found and everything comes back to Dylan. She goes home to her family and she must face everything. How will she survive this? How can she come back home? So many things clouding her thoughts. Dylan had to move her life forward while dealing with her past. This is a great story of friendship, tragedy, success and redemption. I enjoyed this story. This was a three star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley, Emily Layden & Mariner Books for my copy of Once More From the Top, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this novel. Great characterization of pop superstardom, and the toll of personal secrets in the crosshairs of celebrity.

If I were handing out superlatives to the books I've read this year, Once More from the Top would likely win "Most Unexpected." I went into this book with certain expectations: a thriller narrative, suspense, relationship drama (both friendship and romantic). And while this book did have some elements of all of the above, it also was something else entirely.

Once More from the Top is a slow-burning exploration of a singer-songwriter's rise to fame. The story jumps back in forth and time, from present day (in which Dylan is attending the funeral of her adolescent songwriting partner and best friend) to her teenage years when Dylan and Kelsey first met, as well as everything that happened in between. I assumed the essential question of the book would be: What happened to Kelsey? But it's not, really. Instead, we spend the book exploring the highs and lows of fame: the imposter syndrome, the rabid fandom, the sense of ownership of a celebrity's personal story. And ultimately, the evolution of Dylan and Kelsey's friendship was much more important than what really happened to Kelsey.

I would recommend this book if:
- You've been a Taylor Swift fan from the beginning. (There are many parallels between her career trajectory and Dylan's.)
- You enjoy slow-paced contemporary dramas.
- You're interested in the topic of fandom and celebrity worship.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

3.5 / 5 stars

Dylan Read is a singer/songwriter megastar who has successfully crossed over from country to pop-rock. She has won multiple Grammy awards and her songs are ubiquitous. Her diaristic songs have always made her fans feel like they truly know her. So the world is shocked when the remains of a missing woman are found in Dylan's hometown, and even more stunned to discover that Dylan may have been hiding some important truths about her origin story.

Once More from the Top blends elements of the coming of age story amongst the music industry found in the novel Honey from earlier this year with some touches of a hometown mystery. Dylan narrates the story in the first person and the chapters alternate between the events of 2022, during which she returns home amidst the discovery of Kelsey's drowned remains, and the story of her record releases. The flashback chapters can feel slightly confusing at times because they contain two separate timelines: they trace both Dylan's progress in the music industry and flashback further to her high school days and relationship with Kelsey.

After having read Honey earlier this year, it is very difficult not to compare this book to that one. Both examine the hardships that young women face as they look to forge their careers in the music industry, and both have female friendships at that heart of the stories. Once More from the Top expands its scope by adding in the mystery elements and feels like a much longer book. There were times were I felt that the narrative could have been trimmed to make the plot more succinct. It seemed at times that the author was trying to hit certain beats of Taylor Swift's career rather than just focusing on what was important for telling Dylan and Kelsey's story.

That, of course, is the other comparison point between this book and Honey. A shorter way to describe this book would be, Honey, but about Taylor Swift instead of 90s pop." Swifties will probably enjoy drawing the comparisons between Dylan and Taylor, although it may become distracting at times, For readers who are not fans of Swift, I do not think that the likeness to her will be a detraction.

Of the two novels examining the music industry that were published this year, I think that Honey was the stronger one. Once More from the Top is trying to accomplish different things however, and I think that readers who prefer mystery and thriller reads over literary fiction may gravitate towards this book instead.

Nothing is hotter than the light from the spotlight, and stories of the dangers of fame are perennially popular—there’s a reason A Star is Born has been made three times. With the rise of Tik-Tok, YouTube, Instagram, and reality TV, there are more routes to fame than ever before. But while there are countless stars in the celebrity universe, some of them shine so bright as to blot out the light from the rest. In her stunning, poetic novel, Emily Layden’s Once More From the Top examines the life of a Taylor Swift-inspired pop star, revealing the human frailties at the core of a carefully cultivated and maintained presence. While the fictional star’s dilemmas may be specific to her celebrity, the question of what we owe the people in our lives is universal.

Dylan Read is the top female singer in the world. While her boyfriends are just as well known as her music, no one knows that Dylan’s high school best friend disappeared the year before Dylan moved to Nashville at 16. Now, 15 years later, Kelsey’s body has been found at the bottom of the lake in their hometown. As Dylan strives to mourn the loss and honor her friend, she must also deal with her greatest deep-seated fear: That Kelsey was the true talent in the friendship, and her career was built on Kelsey’s bones.

Once More From the Top is a beautifully written book, making it easy to believe in the protagonist's talent. Dylan is a poet before she meets Kelsey, who teaches her guitar and pairs her lyrics with Kelsey’s chords. Written in first person, the novel teems with Dylan’s careful metaphors and couplets. Rightfully compared to Daisy Jones and the Six, Once More replaces the throb of longing that underscores Daisy with the question of what happened to Kelsey and what is Dylan’s responsibility toward her.

Covering fifteen years, in many chapters much of the story is told rather than shown, but Layden speaks so directly and deeply to the reader, it doesn’t feel like a summary. Layden begins with the discovery of Kelsey’s body, then moves back to a 16-year-old Dylan meeting with a talent scout. He’s found the MySpace page with Kelsey and Dylan’s music, and even though Kelsey is the singer and guitarist while Dylan sang back-up, he gives Dylan a contract anyway, and she convinces her parents to let her move to Nashville. (She can stay with family friends who work at Vanderbilt.) While 2022 Dylan goes home to attend Kelsey’s funeral, reconnect with her parents and show her current boyfriend around town, past Dylan describes everything that happened to her since she went to Nashville: The albums. The switch from country to pop. The celebrity boyfriends who felt dimmed by the light of her star. The intense female friendships. The move to Los Angeles. Dylan’s life so resembles Taylor Swift that it made me wonder if the book was inspired by one of Taylor’s earliest songs, 15.

But it’s her relationship with Kelsey that is the core of the book, and through that lens Layden explores many themes. Despite their mutual love of music, Kelsey and Dylan couldn’t be more different. While Dylan is the cossetted only child of professionals, Kelsey lives in a chaotic household with a single mother, an older half-brother, and his toddler daughter. Money is always tight, and Kelsey has little supervision and sexual relationships that Dylan both envies and fears. A straight-A student who always plays by the rules, Dylan instinctively recognizes that Kelsey’s talent may not be enough to break her out of the trap of poverty… while her own hard work and advantages could make up for a gift that isn’t as strong.

As the book nears its conclusion, Dylan is driven to learn about Kelsey’s actions and relationships during the last days of her life. When those questions are finally answered, I found the ending to be anticlimactic and honestly somewhat disappointing. There’s a chapter devoted to a description of a visual album that I found unnecessary. But these are minor complaints about a novel that is, on the whole, a thoroughly encompassing experience.

With its Swift-like protagonist and haunting mystery, Once More from the Top should achieve the same kind of attention that Daisy Jones and the Six drew. I’m already looking forward to the streaming mini-series that should result.

Once More From The Top
By Emily Layden
Review and Rating 3 ⭐️

Pop singer/songwriter Dylan Read is at the height of her career when the remains of her best friend, Kelsey, who disappeared fifteen years ago, are found in the bottom of a lake back home. Dylan has managed to keep the past hidden and now she must not only deal with her own feelings but also how it affects her carefully crafted public image.
I am a huge music lover so I was excited to receive this ARC! However, I was expecting this book to be more of a mystery but it felt solidly literary or contemporary fiction. I also struggled, especially at the beginning, to stay interested in the story. The chapters are long. Told in dual timeline, I personally enjoyed the backstory timeline more. I was invested in Kelsey’s story and finding out what actually happened. I ended up enjoying the story even though it is was not my usual novel so I am giving it 3 ⭐️!


I want to thank Mariner Books and #NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.


Book Rating Key
⭐️ Not Recommended
⭐️⭐️ Readable Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent Book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Near Perfect Book
***Note*** I seldom give ⭐️or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings. If I feel a book is a ⭐️sometimes I just prefer to not finish reading it and not rate it. As for 5 ⭐️books, I think of those as books I would want to take with me to a deserted island 🏝️, and this means I read a whole lot of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️star books. Happy Reading!

This is a dual timeline story. I preferred the present timeline over the past timeline. This was definitely more literary fiction than the mystery I was expecting. And literary fictions aren’t always my favorite so this took me sometime to get into and to finish.

Once More from the Top was such a fun read. Dylan's insecurities are relatable without being over-the-top and overly repetitive. I enjoyed that the angle of the plot wasn't the typical "FMC uncovers previously unfound clues and discovers the truth about her missing friend", but rather focused more on their relationship, coming of age, and the psychological trauma that results from losing an important person in your life.

(3.5, rounded up to 4)

"Once More From the Top," Emily Layden’s latest novel, is a gripping tale of music, memory, and mystery. At its heart is Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Dylan Read, who is catapulted back into her past when her high school best friend’s body is discovered. Not only does this unearth an unsolved mystery, but it also unveils the painful truths behind Dylan’s rise to fame.

Dylan's public image as an authentic artist is threatened when her connection to the tragedy is revealed. Kelsey, her high school best friend, was more than just a classmate—she was the catalyst for Dylan’s music career. This revelation threatens to unravel Dylan's carefully constructed image, especially as people from her past resurface.

Layden masterfully alternates between the present-day pressures of celebrity life and high school flashbacks, capturing both the intensity of teenage friendships and the excitement of making music. Her writing clearly respects the art of songwriting, making the music feel vivid and authentic. The central mystery and emotional depth of Dylan's struggles create a captivating read, perfect for those who enjoy a juicy mystery filled with gossip, music, and complexity.

This book caught my attention because it somehow reminds me of Daisy Jones. Honestly, the plot was good and there are times that I was able to grasp what the character’s psyche is but… it stops there. I think the only appeal that this book has is because it gives that Taylor Swift vibe and we all know TS has a lot of fans and this is really something that can get attention.
But it, didn’t really connect with me.

I really liked the opening of the book and at first found it an interesting story about a mystery disappearance and the rise of a singer/songwriter. Some of the sections were interesting but found it hard to get into it and stay interested. There is a lot of jumping around in time within a chapter which got confusing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

So I DNF'd this author's first book (too many POVs for me) but decided to try this because I love pop star books. What a great book! It's one part Veronica Mars and feels very inspired by Taylor Swift (though the author clearly did a LOT of research into singer-songwriters).

In the book, a pop star has had a meteoric rise but she's still haunted by her best friend's disappearance. It's not a mystery really, but Sloan, the main character, does spend a lot of time thinking about Kelsey, her missing friend. We learn more about their relationship and how Kelsey and Sloan use to collaborate. Sloan has a lot of survivor's guilt.

My full review goes up October 14 but highly recommend!

🎧 Once More From the Top - Emily Layden
2 ⭐️ - Meh, I wanted to like this way more than I did. This was not. It’s a mix between the musical world and a lil mystery, and I wish it was just one or the other. I was intrigued by the mystery and what happened to Kelsey, but simply nothing else. The long chapters lost me and I felt myself wandering away from the story.

Thank you to Mariner Books, #partner, for an advanced e-copy of Once More from the Top in exchange for my honest review.

This is a book that I totally took a chance on and I’m so glad I did. It’s the first book I’ve read by Emily Layden but it certainly will not be the last.

I typically shy away from books that are heavily music/singer based because it’s not really my jam, however I really liked this one because of the underlying mystery of what happened to Kelsey. Give me a cold case and I’m one happy girl!!! I also appreciated how it explores grief as well as guilt. The dual timeline really pulled me in, as slowly secrets are revealed, ending with quite the final twist. ⁣

I have already added the author’s debut novel, All Girls, to my tbr, and I cannot wait to see what else she writes!