I really enjoyed this book! It was such a beautiful story and I adored the love interest. We don't get enough of thr funny boy getting the girl, and we definitely don't see enough Arab boys allowed to be full of life and joy. This was such a great read, and the author is one I will definitely read from again.

I really enjoyed her previous novel, and this one was just as entertaining! The false date was one of my favorites, and I liked how Khalilieh handled it. I really enjoyed learning about Arabic culture through the characters' experiences. The main character's bucket list around the city reminded me of Rachel Lynn Solomon's Today, Tonight, Tomorrow, which is one of my favorite books, so I like that part. I also believe it's an excellent strategy for fleshing out a city, as location is so crucial in literature. My only complaint about the novel is that she fell love the guy a little too early for my tastes. I appreciate when characters become a little closer before they start experiencing that.

You Started It is a quick, easy, and sweet read that I enjoyed for the most part. The story had a strong start, and I appreciated the character development, but it felt a bit rushed toward the end. A lot of significant moments seemed crammed into the final chapters when they could have been more evenly spread throughout the book.

That being said, I really liked seeing Jamie finally make a friend and learn to be more independent. I also wished there had been more exploration of her Arab heritage—it was touched on but could have been developed further.

I did love the realistic approach to her anxiety. The messy room, belly aches, and panic attacks were very spot on.

Overall, this is a light and enjoyable read with heartwarming moments. While the pacing in the latter half didn’t fuller work for me, I still appreciated the journey and the themes of self-discovery and friendship. 3.5 stars!

A book you can most likely read in one sitting that will have you smiling ear to ear 🥺 so much fun and sweet

I enjoyed this book, but I was not a huge fan of it. The "trendy" language came off more cringy than relatable, it felt kind of felt forced. I did enjoy the aspect of self-reflection from Jackie's perspective but it was a bit unbearable in the beginning. I enjoyed the banter between Axel and Jamie, the main characters; they were such a good match. I did not mind the third-act breakup but it was kind of predictable and as I was approaching the end, I was expecting the worse. Overall, I rate this book a 3.5/5 stars, while it was enjoyable read, it was not my favorite! Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for the arc!
3.5 stars rounded up!
There was a lot to love about this book! I quite liked the main character Jamie and the love interest Axel. I liked them together and separately, and I liked how they communicated/connected. I also really liked the way Jamie's family issues were explored, and how Jamie wanted to connect with her culture. However, some of the interpersonal drama was very, very repetitive. I felt like I read the same argument with her ex-boyfriend Ben over and over again. I also didn't love the way Jamie villainized her mother all the way to the end. It's something the narrative addressed a bit, but not to the extent I would have wanted. My last critique is I think the narrative focused too much on Jamie either having a boyfriend or being completely alone for her own feeling. I really wanted her to also make a friend outside of the weird love square they had going on; it would've been nice to develop characters outside of the main four and Jamie's family. Overall, a pretty cute YA romance! I quite enjoyed Something More as well, so I am very excited to continue Jackie Khalilieh's work!

3.5-3.75 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

Definitely for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. If you loved those series, you’ll enjoy this book!

Blurb: Jamie is deadset on getting her ex-boyfriend, Ben, back after he comes back from camp and dumps her for a fellow counselor. Panicked, her and Ben’s new neighbor, Axel, start fake dating to get him back!

I enjoyed reading this book, Jamie is fun and quirky with her lists, and she finds out how to be someone besides being “Ben’s gf” with Axel. I think their dynamic together worked really well, and I loved how they got into those weird situations, including dancing for his entire family. Adorable. Very modern. (In not a bad way, btw)

*mini spoiler* but I loved how her and Olivia made up and became friends. I think one of my fav parts about this book was that Jamie had no friends after Ben broke up with her but now she has so many people surrounding her! Totally high school 😢🫶🏼

The entire time I read this book, I had Olivia Rodrigo’s albums on the background. get him back! was definitely on repeat fs 😂

You Started It is a sweet, yet emotional coming of age story featuring Jamie and Axel. I love a good fake dating trope with charismatic characters and a bit of chaos which this story definitely had. Other themes I enjoyed were seeing Jamie learn to connect with her Palestinian side, coming to terms with not being able to control everything in her life, and the storyline between her mom and dad. There's definitely a lot that goes on in You Started In which sometimes can lead to disappointment if there's not enough attention on each individual piece but fortunately the different storylines found their resolution one way.

The characters!!! So enjoyable in their own way. It is awesome to see the portrayal of Axel, a young Arab man, in such a positive light and the ways he embraces his culture. Jamie's uncle, Eli, was also such a fun addition to the story definitely one of my favorite characters in the book!

ARC Review: You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.75/5)

Huge thanks to Tundra Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was such a fun, chaotic YA rom-com with a lot of heart. For fans of “Never Have I Ever”, “XO, Kitty”, and all the messy, all-consuming emotions that come with first love. I loved the representation and how it explored identity and self-acceptance alongside the romance. Perfect for opening up conversations and I’d recommend and of my young readers to give this book a go! The texting format and banter made it a breeze to get through, and the teen drama? Exactly what I’d expect—frustrating and a little over the top. Super engaging especially as I made my way through the book!

That said, the miscommunication trope was working overtime. I just wanted to sit everyone down and force a Red Table Talk intervention 😂 But once I reminded myself of the age range (and added in everything Jamie was dealing with), it all checked out. Still, super entertaining, and if you love YA romance packed with drama, this one’s for you!

i love you jackie khalilieh so much! the romance was so cute and I also loved the personal growth that our main characters went through. it was at times frustrating but that is how it is when you read about teenagers making dumb teenager decisions. this book make Khalilieh an auto-read author for me!!

This book was very cute and fun, and felt realistic to the high school experience!

You Started It follows Jamie, who, on the eve of her senior year, is left alone when her longtime boyfriend Ben breaks up with her. Following the breakup and seeing Ben with fellow senior Olivia, Jamie recruits Axel, junior year tiktok star, for her fake dating scheme to get back at Ben.

I absolutely adored Axel - I was routing for him the whole time and really enjoyed his character. I thought Jamie was a very realistic character, and while her indecisiveness was annoying at times, I think it totally makes sense for the season of life she was in. I really enjoyed her character growth and watching her overcome all the experiences life threw at her, and I think the anxiety representation was extremely well done.

As I said before, Jamie's indecisiveness was quite annoying at times, and I didn't love the way she handled herself at some moments throughout the book. I am also not a huge fan of love triangles in general, but I did love Axel throughout the book.

If you're looking for a cute senior YA romance about finding yourself and reconnecting with your family and your routes, this is a great book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random house Canada for the arc copy.

This was a sweet, clean, young adult romance that follows high school kids as they navigate the challenges of life, family, growing up, and finding love. There were parts that were super cute, but there were definitely others that were a little cheesy/cringy. Overall it was an enjoyable read. Thank you to Jackie Khalilieh, Tundra Book Group, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Ughhhh another one I thought I’d love and didn’t. The FMC is a bit stupid. How are you gonna move to a new city and make NO new friends outside of your brand new boyfriend? Like not even ‘school friends?’ As the book goes on she doesn’t mature at all. I was realllllly frustrated by her thinking and actions. Ben is really immature and annoying the entire book. Like he has zero redeeming qualities. Axel is super charming and sweet, i really liked him. Do I think he screwed up a little bit? Yes. But I still liked him

Review shared on Goodreads.

This was a very cute, messy high school romance! I'm personally not a fan of the fake dating trope but other than that I quite enjoyed this. It's a very sweet story, not just about falling in love, but also about finding yourself and navigating complicated family relationships.

Axel and Jamie are adorable together and I loved the inclusion of Arabic culture and Khalilieh’s Palestinian-Canadian experience through Jamie's high school lens.

This was such a short, sweet, and charming story. I throughly enjoyed the characters and learning about all of their lives. Axel was such a light and honestly reading his dialogue and whenever he was on the page brought me so much joy.

This is a YA book and all of the drama and conflict was very appropriate for the age group. Loved the character development and growth. And I LOVED Jamie’s uncle. I also enjoyed where the author ended with the Olivia storyline, that was unexpected for a high school drama, but a lovely way to end it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was very fun to read 💞

This is one of my favourite books of this year.
fake dating ✅
YA contemporary ✅
a main character growing into her self confidence and finding herself ✅

I really enjoyed reading this book and reading Jamie’s perspectives on her senior year. She has messy moments with lashing out at the people who care about her but she also has meaningful conversations with her mom and uncle about identity. Jamie throughout the book has a rollercoaster of emotions towards her ex, Axel and her mom. She starts to realize and learn how to gain confidence in herself and to stop trying to be “perfect” to fit in throughout the story.

Axel and Jamie have so many sweet moments. I especially love the moment where Axel shows Jamie the nearest washroom as he knows she deals with what I like to call anxiety poops. Jackie writes about Jamie's anxiety well and I also have the feeling of anxiety and cramping pains so I always need to know where the closest washrooms are which made this interesting to read about. It also melted my heart that Axel noticed and right away told her of the washrooms when she was in a new place.

Axel and Jamie help each other find their footing with relationships, self confidence and school. The way they slowly fall for each other was so fun to read. I say slowly because Jamie truly thinks getting back with her ex is the best way to fix her problems and doesn't realize that Axel is right there and definitely treats her better but I still enjoyed the journey of watching her realize that she likes Axel.

I enjoyed the family relationships and the conversations that Jamie has with her mom and her uncle throughout the story as well.

I enjoyed this a lot and cannot wait to read whatever Jackie writes next! Thank you PenguinTeenCanada and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

3.75/5 ⭐️

This sweet, clean romance features high school kids navigating life, growing up, and finding love. I really enjoyed getting to see different representation through the Arabic characters. There was strong character growth towards the end. While this was an enjoyable read, it seemed like a lot of the drama that occurred was really immature for the age group. Overall, this was a sweet romance book.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are that of my own

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=3 | 14/15+

summary: fake dating so she can make her ex jealous and get back with him that’s it that’s the plot

thoughts: I like what’s happening here thematically, especially looking at the MC’s relationship with her parents and her feeling of connection (or lack thereof) to Arab culture, but the drama of the romance was, like, a lot. the characters are teenagers but less in a fun way and more in a “I’m going to rip my hair out these are terrible decisions omg” way. they’re pretty maddening, and I definitely wasn’t convinced that they were, like, in love by the end? and there was of course the unfortunate incorporation of dated Gen Z slang and an overabundance of TikTok; there’s a point where the FMC is trying to recover from a panic attack and the love interest is like “do you want to watch some TikToks to help you calm down” and it’s like ?? how would that be soothing?? why would you suggest this?? I am once again begging YA authors to have sensitivity readers of their own target audience to point out when contemporary slang is cringe. like please pay some fifteen year-old girl to do this I promise she’d be worth it!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Jackie Khalilieh for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

(3.5)

"You Started It" is a YA romance that follows Jamie, unexpectedly single after her boyfriend of 3 years breaks off their relationship after a summer away at camp and a new girlfriend. While in despair, she meets Axel, who immediately jumps into fake dating Jamie in attempt to win Ben back. Between an unsigned contract, checking off a bucket list, and lots of high school relationship drama, Jamie and Axel start to develop some REAL big feelings during their fake relationship.

I really really enjoyed this! Jamie and Axel were super fun to read about and I loved the way they connected. Jamie sometimes felt really relatable so we love thatttt. I loved reading a romance with Palestinian and Arab representation and appreciated the story having storylines about family, friendships, and mental health in addition to the romance. Reading Gen Z slang in a book still throws me off a lot, but this was cute and fun! Definitely recommend for those who love a fake dating romance!

I had never read a book by this author or had heard of her until this book, and let me just say she did not disappoint! This was such a cute, fluffy read and very much reminded me of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Jamie and Axel’s fake dating relationship was kind of like Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship in that book. One thing I liked the most about Axel is that he brought out the real Jamie and made her forget about her past relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Ben. When she was with Ben she felt like she needed to change herself, but when she was with Axel, she wasn’t afraid to be who she was. Axel made her happy and unafraid which made him happy as well. I liked that they were able to bond over their shared culture of Arab and that Axel was able to teach her about that culture when she had grown up on lies on what it meant to be Arab. Though I myself do not know much about the culture or take part in it, I thought it was nice that the author included it for others to enjoy that are involved with it. Overall I thought this was a cute read and would recommend it to anyone who wants a sweet, YA book!