I found this book very cute. I liked Rochelle as a character and what she represented as a Type A Black girl, I liked that after awhile she let loose, and started to enjoy her summer and making friends and making connection. I appreciated the ACE representation from her friend. I think Amira was so cute and she really liked Rochelle but couldn’t tell her. With me being older, I kinda found the book a bit young for me and sometimes them not communicating got me a bit upset but the age that they are at that makes sense. When Rochelle finally said she liked Amira and Amira makes her feel dumb, I got so happy for her because I love young love. It was such a cute read

"Alexa, play "If We Were a Movie" by Hannah Montana"

This was a cute, ya romcom about summer jobs, first love, and friendship. I liked how distinct the main character's voice was. I also really liked the movie theater summer job setting. Going to the local movie theater with my friends was one of my favorite pastimes in middle/high school (still is, tbh), so the nostalgia was real! However, these likes could not overcome the predictable plot and chemistry-less romance.

I can overlook the predictable plot a bit. Was I bored? Yes. But it wasn't a bad plot. The romance is what got me. The main character was very judgmental of her love interest, and that judgment went from "I hate you and I think you hate me" to "I've always loved you" in ten seconds flat with no character development along the way. I didn't feel their chemistry. They kissed more than had conversations. I wanted more character development from both to make the romance make sense!

I am interested in reading more from this author in the future--this story just wasn't 100% for me!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was super cute and very very funny. I absolutely loved the concept of them working together in a movie theatre and the mystery prankster ( it reminded me of that movie phantom of the megaplex or something) I thought it was very entertaining. The side characters were also hilarious and I really loved watching Rochelle open up and allow herself to have fun and make new friends and find a balance. Amira was super cool I just wish I knew more about her but it is from Rochelle’s perspective so can’t really complain about that. Would definitely recommend for young readers looking for a queer romance :)
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

This was such a cute teen sapphic romcom. I found all the characters to be loveable and I was rooting for them the whole time. I also really enjoyed that the majority of the book took place in a movie theater. Besides the romance aspect of the novel, the plot revolved around a mystery, which I found a bit underwhelming. Overall, this was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free digital Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a review.

This book was very cute and a perfect almost summertime romance. We follow Rochelle, who mysteriously gets a job at a Black-owned movie theater when she is desperate for something to put on her college apps (she's the shoe in for salutatorian, just an overachiever). From there, we meet the cast of characters who all have personalities that shine, especially our love interest, Amira. It's an enemies-to-lovers plot line with a B-plot mystery and a lot of fun. The relationship between Rochelle and Amira could have been more in-depth and I think there were maybe one too many things going on, but I read it quickly and loved all the representation it had.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. for an e-ARC of this book!

3.5 stars, rounded up.

If We Were a Movie is a super sweet and cute enemies/rivals to lovers story. Rochelle and Amira have known each other forever, but became academic rivals of sorts once they got to high school. They both wind up working at the same historical Black movie theatre over the summer and shenanigans and romance ensue. I liked the movie theatre setting and the quirky friend group--the book had a very late 1990s/early 2000s nostalgic feel to it. There was a mystery element to the story but it felt like a small subplot versus a main part of the action. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and a solid debut, even if it didn't really do anything groundbreaking. I think teen readers who just want a sweet romance will love it! Bonus points for excellent and varied LGBTQ+ rep!

Rochelle is on a mission this summer: she needs a job to boost her chances of getting into her mother’s alma mater post-high school. After weeks of no prospects, she receives an unexpected call from the manager of Horizons, a historic Black-owned movie theater. Without any other options, she reluctantly accepts the job, only to discover that her arch nemesis, Amira, works there as the assistant manager. Thus begins a delightful summer filled with unexpected friendships, romance, and a little mystery as they work together to find out who's behind all the strange happenings at the theatre while trying to save it from closing.

I absolutely loved this book! It brought back all the nostalgic feels of my favorite childhood shows. There's the classic friend group, where each person has their unique personalities, gathering at their go-to hangout to share laughs and decide what they're getting into next. There’s the perfect blend of romance, mystery, and plenty of humor. The queer representation is lovely. I don’t come across too many books with AroAce characters and I really enjoyed it. The healthy relationships between the teens felt genuine and refreshing, making me smile and swoon more times than I can count! (no struggle love 🙌🏾)

Each character is well-developed, and I found myself deeply invested in their journeys. (Special shoutout to Taylor for being the realeast!😂 )This really is a YA gem—adorable, wholesome romance wrapped in a story that feels both familiar and comforting.

I can't wait to dive into more works by @zakiyanjamal! We’re locked in now🤞🏾

As a former 'Golden Child' that was convinced I had to be perfect at everything I tried and had to do the most to make my parents proud, even though they never asked that of me, I can relate so much to Rochelle's point of view on school and her future. This story felt so nostalgic while also being something fresh and new for me to read. I caught myself multiple times kicking my feet and laughing out loud at the parts and at the friends in this one! This was just such a sweet read! Throw in the incredible, historical setting and this one was a top tier read for me.

I don’t think this book is groundbreaking but the way it felt like an early 2000s summer movie (strong Judy Moody, Sleepover & Dog Days Wimpy Kid vibes) was like a warm hug of nostalgia. And it's that feeling that'll remember rather than some of the other aspects that didn't fully work for me. It's such a sweet story of figuring out who you are and forming unexpected connections with the people around you. Also loved the history behind horizon and black theater!!

Super cute and sweet romance. And such a fun read, especially for movie and movie theater lovers. Rochelle and Amira's relationship and banter are precious. Love love love Sapphic rep for YA. Definitely a nice light hearted read to just feel good.

This was a sweet summer-y romance with a sprinkle of mystery and I honestly cant complain a lot about it, I liked it a lot for what it was. I think I still expected a little more from it truthfully especially with the mystery aspect though. It was more of a background plot until the very end when all was revealed, even though I kind of knew who it would end up being the entire time. And might I mention the reveal was done in a very scooby doo like way which gave me a laugh because thats so reminiscent of my childhood. But it was still fun to see all the shenanigans and issues that arose because of the mystery prankster saboteur and hang out with the entire Horizons crew. They were a great cast of characters who all had their own quirks about them and I liked them a lot, they made the story a lot of fun. Horizon was such a cool setting too, the history behind it and what it meant to Glory and their uncles was super cool. The romance between Rochelle and Amira was super sweet, I would've liked to see a little bit more development there but its hard to stay mad at it when they were as cute as they were. Their petty bickering was super entertaining to watch beforehand too, and also the fact that everybody around them figured their entire deal out before they could get out of their own heads and do it themselves lol. Even though I had a few critiques for this, I really liked it in the end and I think a lot of people are going to love this. Its gonna be great for people who like stuff on the lighter end of YA to read for the summer vibes especially coming out right before summer.

I really enjoyed this book! Reading about Horizon & the gang was fun. About 75% into it, it started to lose it’s momentum. But overall, it was a fun/cute read

Thank you so much NetGalley and HarperCollins for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Such a cute and easy YA sapphic romance. I read it in a single sitting.

Mystery aspect aside because I felt like it was too obvious, I adored this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was cute!
I loved the movies growing up (still do which is why I requested this book!) so it was a fun bit nostalgia to read this and remember meeting up with friends and dates at the theatre!

Pretty low stakes, YA, LGBT+ story that's a lot like popcorn. A tasty snack, but not a ton of substance. And that's ok!

thank you to netgalley and harpercollins for giving me this arc!

this story is your typical frenemies to lovers. it is set in a black historical movie theater basically being ran by teenagers.

overall, If We Were A movie is an easy read and light-hearted. if you are the type of romance reader who wants something soft with no spice, you should def give this a try!

This book hit all of the nostalgia feels. As someone who worked in a movie theater in high school it was so much fun reading about the crew and the shenanigans that occurred. The soda machine exploding definitely did happen and was quite the story. I also loved the bisexual representation. This sapphic YA romance was also just so cute! A light, fun read. Definitely recommend!

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute and fun. I adored the romance between Rochelle and Amira, and I loved how they knew each other as kids but grew apart, it made the development of their relationship really interesting—how they know important details about each other but still have this gap of space between them. I do wish the animosity lasted a bit longer or that more happened there, because their friendship was very sudden and made their development fall flat. I also fell in love with the movie theater and all the people who worked there, the author did a great job describing it and making the reader feel connected and invested in the place and people. Excellent read!!

a sweet ya romance that's breezy and light.

this book follows rochelle, a locked-in rising senior who decides to get a job as a way to strengthen her college application portfolio, only to realize that she's working with her nemesis, amira rodriguez. as rochelle settles into her job, she starts getting attached not only to her workplace, but her enemy as well. the plot is light and quick, with a few subplots that wind into the romance of amira and rochelle. while the third-act conflict is a bit strange #tome, it's also realistic and i appreciate the fact that it's wrapped up quickly. one minor complaint i had was the use of references. ik it's a contemporary ya book but if you have references in a book you date the book immediately. and the fact that this book is being published in 2025 and referenced among us...no please.

the characters were probably my favorite part of this book. rochelle's friendship with taylor and kerry was nice; their gc conversations seemed realistic, which is no small feat. i also liked the crew at horizon; jenny, lisa (is this a blackpink reference), danny, brigit, shawn, and glory. i liked how jamal interwove both groups. rochelle and amira had a cute build-up, going from rivals to amicable coworkers to lovers.

now what felt a bit unrealistic about this book was the college application process. as a former victim of the college apps process (i'm a senior so i did my college apps less than a year ago), there were a bunch of crazy statements.
1. you don't need a job for college apps. colleges look for well-rounded students, which doesn't necessarily mean you need a job. there are plenty of people ik who didn't have jobs and got into college just fine. i literally got into college with only working a job for 3 months in 10th grade.
2. sat. now taking the sat in your senior year is really risky, especially since you would be doing college apps at the same time. you can do it; i know people who have, but it's usually a last-ditch effort to get like a 1500 and above. also, rochelle taking both the act and sat is unrealistic. there's no reason why she needs to take both, you literally just need one.
3. rochelle talking about how she has nothing to do in the summer before senior year. usually the summer before senior year is when you start working on your college apps, so the fact that she wasn't is a tad bit unrealistic #tome, especially since rochelle seems very locked-in.

disregarding all that, this is a sweet and low-stakes ya romance novel with an likable group of characters to root for. i would recommend it for my ya readers.

thanks to netgalley and harpercollins for the arc!

First, thank you to Zakiya N. Jamal, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If We Were a Movie follows Rochelle Coleman a high school student in the summer before her senior year of high school who finds a job at the local cinema in hopes to make her application to Wharton better. There's one problem with this job-- her boss? Amira Rodriguez, her mother's best friend's daughter that she never really got along with.

This novel is a cute rom-com with tried and true tropes, including a sweet rivals-to-lovers arc. The main character is lovingly annoying and snobby in the best way, eternally-- and unchangingly-- focused on her one goal. The romance builds well and reading it was genuinely a breeze.

I'd probably recommend this for those who enjoy contemporary, young adult, and standard rom-coms. I really did enjoy this one.

*4.5

This book is beyond cute! It’s an excellent debut and I’m so happy to have the privilege to read it! It’s funny and sweet, like only first love can be. I adore it!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.