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!

“For the one millionth time women are not responsible for the bad behavior of men; for fuck’s sake she was 17.”

Once More From The Top is a layered novel about the meteoric rise of a legendary pop star and the secret she’s kept hidden for fifteen years. Very Taylor Swift, if you will.

This book is being marketed as similar to Daisy Jones & The Six, yet I didn’t really get that vibe. This is a much more character driven story. Following Dylan’s life in dual timelines (then and now), you are immersed in both her life as the uber successful pop star she is now and the story of a hometown secret, involving her childhood best friend, that has shaped who she has become. There is a bit of mystery sprinkled in as well but the focus of the story really is on the characters.

“No matter what, no matter how smart I am or how much I think I know, the men are the ones who shape the narrative.”

Thank you to @emilylayden, @marinerbooks, and @mbc_books for the #gifted copy.

I loved this book so much, I read it twice.

Why, you ask? You are going to have to dive in to find out for yourself.

I first read Emily Layden, when I picked up "All Girls" . .To say I was intrigued, would be an understatement. When I saw Once More From the Top, pop up on NetGalley, I was pleasantly surprised and eager to see what Layden had been working on.

I loved it

I absolutely loved every bit of this enthralling, tantalizing and mind bending thriller.

Relative and captivating, this is a book, once you start, you will not want to put down. I totally felt the Daisy Jones vibe with a hint of current social media influences.

You don't want to miss this one!

Check out this teaser :

Everyone in America knows Dylan Read, or at least has heard her music. Since releasing her debut album her senior year of high school, Dylan’s spent fifteen years growing up in the public eye. She’s not only perfected her skills when it comes to lyrics and melody; she’s also learned how to craft a public narrative that satisfies her fans, her label, and the media. In the circles of fame and celebrity in which she now travels, the careful maintenance of Dylan Read pop star is often more important than the songs themselves.

And so lots of people think they understand everything about Dylan Read. But what no one knows is the part of her origin story she has successfully kept hidden: her childhood best friend Kelsey vanished the year before Dylan became famous. Now, as Dylan’s at the height of her career, Kelsey’s body is found at the bottom of their hometown lake—forcing Dylan to reckon with their shared past, her friend’s influence on her music, and whether there’s more to their story than meets the eye.

I was drawn to this book because it was described as fans for Daisy Jones and The Six. (One of my favorites!) This one fell flat for me. I found it to be average. 3/5 stars.

Emily Layden's Once More from the Top is a captivating exploration of ambition, nostalgia, and the complexity of human relationships set against the backdrop of a small-town theater. The narrative centers around a group of former high school friends who reunite for a community production of a beloved musical, prompting them to confront their pasts and their divergent paths since adolescence.

Layden's prose is both lyrical and accessible, effortlessly weaving together the characters' individual stories while maintaining a strong ensemble feel. Each character is well-drawn, showcasing their unique struggles and aspirations, from the aspiring playwright seeking validation to the once-popular jock grappling with the realities of adulthood. The dialogue sparkles with authenticity, capturing the banter and tensions that arise as they navigate their reunion.

One of the novel's strengths is its rich exploration of themes such as the passage of time and the bittersweet nature of memory. Layden deftly contrasts the idealized visions of youth with the harsher truths of adult life, inviting readers to reflect on their own journeys. The theater setting serves as a perfect metaphor for these themes, as the characters don different masks, revealing and concealing their true selves in a dance of vulnerability.

Moreover, the pacing is skillfully handled, maintaining a balance between character introspection and plot progression. The emotional stakes rise as secrets are revealed and unresolved tensions bubble to the surface, culminating in a poignant climax that resonates long after the final page is turned.

Ultimately, Once More from the Top is a heartfelt tribute to the power of friendship and the ways we are shaped by our pasts. Layden's ability to blend humor with deeper reflections on life makes this novel a compelling read for anyone who has ever grappled with the bittersweet nature of nostalgia. It’s a beautifully rendered story that invites us to revisit our own "once more" moments and the lessons they impart. Highly recommended for fans of character-driven narratives and those with a love for theater.

I had high hopes for Once More From the Top—seemed like maybe a Daisy Jones vibe….but unfortunately for me, it fell flat. It kept jumping around to different times and characters, which to me was hard to follow within one chapter. And the chapters were super long, which I am not a fan of. I’m sure many people will enjoy the mysterious aspect but this one wasn’t for me.