“It’s kind of difficult being fake around someone who brings out the truth in you.”

Awwwww but this book! It's like putting on a blanket on a cold day. This is how good reading it felt for me.

The story deals with major TW (cheating, parental abandonment, alcoholism, grief, anxiety disorder and panic attacks), but also with major self help subjects, like going outside of your comfort zone, being scared is okay. The best advices this book is giving to every reader: let yourself be surprised. Experiences bring anecdotes. Allow yourself to live your life like how you're meant to live it. Don't restreint yourself by your fears. Mistakes are more than okay; they're NORMAL.

I loved Axel's golden retriever energy, and how clueless Jamie was towards her emotions. It was cute and adorable and I just want to hug them SO MUCH.

You'll love this one is you enjoy:
-fake dating
-he fell first and HARD
-owning your fears
-teenage pregnancy (mother, recounting)

Many thanks to the publisher for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Tundra Books and NetGalley for my ARC! This review contains my personal thoughts and opinions.

After falling in love with Jackie Khalilieh’s Something More last year, I couldn’t wait to dive into You Started It — and it absolutely delivered. This book was everything I hoped for and more. Following Jamie, the witty and lovable main character, through the ups and downs of her teenage love life felt like stepping into a perfect romantic comedy. From swoon-worthy scenes to hilarious banter and heartfelt life lessons, this story kept me smiling from beginning to end.

I loved the representation of Arab culture that was woven into the story. It was so fun visualizing the wedding scene and heartwarming reading about the evolution of the family dynamics. If you're a fan of YA books, the fake dating trope, or second-chance romance stories, this is a must-read. Khalilieh has such a fun, genuine voice, and You Started It is another shining example of her talent. I already can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Rating: 4.5/5

***Thank you to Netgalley and Tundra Book Group for an advanced copy of You Started it by Jackie Khalilieh! All thoughts are my own!***

Seventeen-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster has big plans for Senior Year. She's made a list of things and places in Toronto she and her boyfriend of three years, Ben Cameron, need to check off before graduating. And the biggest plan of all: a very special night for the two of them at the upcoming Winter Formal. But then Ben arrives back home after a summer away with an unthinkable announcement: he wants to break up.

And when Jamie discovers him with Olivia Chen the next day, she is determined to get him back. Even if that means fake dating the younger, curly-haired, TikTok dancer, Axel Dahini, whose bicycle she accidentally ran over.

Though she and Axel have nothing in common aside from their shared Arab heritage—she’s a messy, type A with anxiety, he’s carefree but meticulous—their forced time together brings them to better understand one another. And for Jamie, it just might mean learning that not all experiences or people need to be crossed off a list.

I enjoyed Jamie learning more about her Arab culture, but I think I was personally a little too old for this book. The drama back and forth with Jamie, Ben, Olivia, and Axel was a bit too mu h for me. It just kept repeating itself through the entirety of the book. A few times I had to put the book down it was irritating me so much. As much as I love a bucket list premise, I could not get behind the amount of high school drama this book had. Plus the issues Jamie had with her mother, I was glad they were resolved, but Jamie seemed to fly off the handle too many times.

You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh is out now!

3.75 🌟

In "You Started It" Jamie gets dumped by her long term boyfriend, Ben, right before their senior year. In order to win him back, she starts fake dating the new boy in town, Axel. While they go through her detailed plans to get Ben back, Axel and Jamie grow closer despite being literal opposites. But you know what they say, opposites attract!

This was a cute YA, angsty, rom-com that had great anxiety rep that expresses itself in physical symptoms. It was messy and frustrating, just like being a teenager!

Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Tundra Books, for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was so messy in the best way! I think that if this was a teen drama show, I would absolutely be tuned in. It had just the right amount of messiness and heart that kept me reading, even if I wasn’t always a fan of Jamie’s choices. If anything, that’s what made it feel more real. Jamie was trying her best and didn’t always make the best decisions, and Axel messed up too, although his heart was in the right place. But teenagers are going to mess up. So, I’m glad that they were able to be messy and learn and grow as characters.

The anxiety rep was great (and so real). It was great to see how Axel made her feel safe to talk about her symptoms! In general, I love how their relationship developed. He helped her break away from her plans and get out of her comfort zone after so long of needing everything to be planned. I understand the comfort in having control over things, especially with what she’s been through. But sometimes, the unexpected things end up being the best things. After all, who would’ve thought she’d end up falling for the guy who’s bike she ran over (a very interesting meet-cute!) and she’d forget about the original plan (getting Ben back)? Well, Jamie definitely wouldn’t have.

I also really enjoyed the family aspect of the book. Everything being very complicated made it feel real. Jamie and her mom struggle to understand each other, but you can see how their relationship develops over time. It was also interesting learning more about her dad, who has been absent from her life for the past few years. Also, I love Amo Eli, her uncle, who was always there for her!

Jamie wasn’t very in touch with her Arab heritage, so I love that Axel helped her learn more about it! The wedding they went to was so fun. I also know that the author wanted to go against the stereotypes that there are about Arab men, and you can see how she did that with Axel and Amo Eli. They’re both caring, kind characters, and I love how much they support Jamie.

They both had such a great time going along with their plan that it eventually didn't feel like a plan anymore. While I didn’t really like how the third-act breakup went, I did like the way they made up!

Overall, I enjoyed Jackie Khalilieh’s sophomore novel and look forward to reading more of her work! 4.25 stars!

You Started It was a fantastic read. I've been in a bit of a slump for a few months, and this treasure was the perfect thing to break me out of it. Within ten pages, I was all in on our protagonist, Jamie. There is an authenticity to her that made her instantly relatable, and I found that feeling only grew over the course of the book. Khalilieh does a masterful job of balancing the silliness of adolescence with the angst, and Jamie's inner monologue had me clutching my chest, remembering the pain of experiencing love and heartbreak for the first time as a teenager. I laughed out loud, and groaned along with Jamie in her embarrassing and uncomfortable moments. There is perhaps nothing more relatable than an Upset Tummy Girlie.

I also really appreciated the nuanced representation of trying to connect with/reconcile cultural identity, as a marginalized person; Jamie is Palestinian Canadian, and because of family circumstances, feels disconnected from her heritage. The Arab characters are multi-faceted, and different from eachother, which makes for a rich collection of characters that make the story feel grounded. I really loved Jamie's parents and uncle, specifically. It was such a fascinating dynamic.

Axel is extremely loveable and charming, and feels like a very real boy, making him easy to root for. The tension of the "fake-dating" scenario, with its newness, compared to the comfortable, worn-in connection that Jamie shares with former sweetheart Ben, made for a very compelling set of stakes. Jamie feels everything very intensely, taking the reader along for the ride from page one.

While not explicitly represented in the text, Jamie made me feel very seen, as an autistic person. Her struggles, while not exactly the same as my own, felt very familiar. Between her anxiety, and her feelings of isolation in social settings, I felt an instant connection to her. I may be biased, but the setting of Toronto also made this book feel more personal.

A wonderful read that left me feeling giddy and blushing. Great for fans of Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before and Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson series!

I got the best surprise when I realized this book is set in Toronto, and that part of the action takes place at Wonderland, as well as other fun spots around Toronto. This was a fun and nostalgic romp, and it made my heart happy!

Khalileh set out to show Arab culture against stereotypes, and she nailed it! I really enjoyed the meet cute between high school students Jamie & Axel and their subsequent plan to make Jamie's ex jealous. This book shares a positive message for teens to embrace their true selves, with Jamie as an example as she overcomes her fears and anxiety.

I would definitely recommend it for tweens and young teens and especially those who may suffer similar bouts of anxiety like Jamie.

Fake-dating is one of the best romance tropes, and You Started It is hardcore proof of that. There’s just something about the lines between what’s real and what’s fake getting blurrier that I absolutely adore. And watching this unfold between Jamie and Axel was so much fun.
There are so many things I loved about this book, so I’m going to make like Jamie and create a list:

- The anxiety representation. It was well written and well handled, in my opinion, and Jamie’s overthinking and desire to control her environment are so relatable. Personally, I loved how this manifested in the form of her chaotic room, where it was the one place she could let her real self show. (And Axel respecting this side of her and making the effort to understand it was so <3)
- The stark differences in how Jamie acts when she’s around her ex, Ben, versus her new “boyfriend,” Axel: For Jamie, Ben is her safety net, the guy she’s been with since the start of high school. He’s the so-called perfect guy for her: goal-oriented, attractive, smart. Yet he was stifling Jamie as a person. She wasn’t acting like herself, but like the person he wanted her to be. Whereas with Axel, she can be unabashedly herself. Axel’s confidence in himself helps Jamie break out of her shell. He’s not confined by rules and lists, and let’s be honest, would she ever have hopped a fence at a concert with Ben? Not a chance. And I love how, by connecting with Axel and his family, she was able to connect with her Arab heritage, and embrace this part of herself that her mom wasn’t ready to embrace
- Jamie’s absent father: This was another relatable aspect of the book for me, as someone with an absent dad. Once I read the start of Chapter 1, I knew this book was going to ~see me~ and ~hurt me~ and it did, but in the best way possible
- Jamie’s Amo Eli: I loved him from the first time we meet him on page 2! He’s so funny, and is a lovely springboard for Jamie, especially when tensions are high with her mom. And I have to say, I agree with all of his negative assessments of Ben after he breaks up with Jamie

Overall, I loved this book so much (as you can tell), and absolutely everyone needs to read it.
And sorry to Betty White the bike, but I’m glad Jamie crashed into it because Axel is perfect for her, and Ben simply can’t compete <3

Thank you so much to @coloredpagesbt @tundrabooks and @jackiekhalileh for the ARC copy and the chance to be part of the #YouStartedItTour 🩵 #coloredpagesbooktours

(Jackie Khalilieh, if you’re reading this, I love you <3 My best friend recommended Something More to me last year, and I’m so glad she did. I will read everything you write, including but not limited to your grocery lists.)

This was such a fun story that follows Jamie Taher-Foster as she enters senior year. She has all these expectations of how her senior year is supposed to go and Ben, long time boyfriend, really throws a wrench in it by breaking up with her. Jamie was incredibly relatable as she grows up and figures out that her worth is not defined by her relationship, connecting with her heritage, and getting to understanding her mom and her choices. All things that are huge in a teenager's mind. Jamie and Axel's dynamic is just so fun and exactly what I would call puppy love in the best way. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram post will be live week of 26May25.

Thank you so much @penguinrandomca for the digital ARC copy for an honest review.

Those two stole my heart from the very beginning ! I just loved them so much. If you loved Better than the movies, then you definitely need to read this one !

Axel was such a great character and so perfect for Jamie. He helps her find herself and accept how you cannot control everything even if it's hard. He accepts all parts of her. His dancing sounds wonderful. Absolutely loved the scene where he dances in front of her.

And Jamie, I relate so much with her. I just knew I would have loved having her as my friend when I was a teenager. We would have definitely connected over books and our bowel syndrome.

This book is also about family, our heritage, prejudices and how you can get in your own way if you let fear dictate you.

Read this if you love :

✨ YA Romances ;
✨ Fake Dating ;
✨ He falls first ;
✨ Opposite Attracts ;
✨ Anxiety Rep ;
✨ Finding yourself.

My favorite thing about this book was how viscerally I reacted to everything Jamie did, both good and bad 😂 There were so many moments where I wanted to shake her, then hug her. Her choices made me cringe, laugh, and yell “Jamie NOOOO” but every time I wanted to scream at her, I reminded myself that I’ve been a teenager before and likely would have incurred the same reaction in someone reading about my life at that age.

In her desperate attempt to win back her (ex) boyfriend, Jamie slowly started to discover who she was outside of her three-year-long relationship. The author did an amazing job of portraying how big and overwhelming Jamie’s emotions sometimes felt. Her joy, stubbornness, panic, inability to let go, the deep ache of wanting to be understood, and how some of those feelings bubbled over into anxiety.

The influence of her environment and relationships was another part of the story I enjoyed reading, as it made for a very thoughtful lesson in grace. Jamie learned to show grace to her parents, others, and most importantly, herself. Although I was more invested in her personal growth, the romantic plot was also super adorable. Axel was the opposite of Jamie in almost every way, but that also meant they balanced each other out well.

thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc and tundra books for the physical arc 💖

If Jackie Khalilieh writes it, I'm gonna eat it up. She is quickly becoming a favorite YA writer of mine, especially now that I've read You Started It! YSI is the story of Jamie trying to get her boyfriend Ben back after he dumps her. Lucky for her, she accidentally smashes up newcomer Axel's bike, and gets herself involved in a fun fake dating situation that will hopefully grab Ben's attention. But, you know, Axel's kind of a bit more fun than Ben ever was.

I enjoyed Jamie's character, even though she was hard to handle sometimes. She is stubborn, has some family issues that she needs to work through, sometimes full of herself, is going through adolescence hard, just got dumped, and has IBS. She felt like a real person, flawed and frustrating, but real, and learning and trying. She does go through a lot of growth by the end and I was proud of her! Axel is a perfect little tootie and I loved his character.

In conclusion, loved. I really love Khalilieh's writing style and the things she chooses to put in her books. (Mini spoiler) Girl gets trapped in an elevator while trying to tackle her fear of elevators? Relatable, happened to me my freshman year of college.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Books for the e-ARC!

As a reader who originally fell in love with books through YA and fantasy You Started It was very soul feeding to that teenager from once up on a time. The adult I am now was also highly satisfied by this story. Axel is so ridiculously charming and I am here for it, Jamie has a satisfying amount of confidence in herself too which is SO nice to see in YA representation. She describes herself as a solid 8.5 at one point and relishes multiple times that Axel is the same height as her, just subverting all kinds of expectations. Khalilieh strikes a unique balance between the high school experience on the cusp of adulthood, first loves/firey loves, and real issues that transcend ages (discrimination, anxiety, cultural identity, betrayal, addiction, and familial estrangement). All in a way that doesn’t detract from the lighthearted story which at its core centers around a fake dating romance. I am interested to see where she goes from here, since she started with a younger teenager book and then into this a senior/junior in high school. Really enjoyable novel overall.

Some random notes:
Oh honey, if only not eating was enough to stave off an IBS flare-up. I feel you girl.
Making a cocky/confident MMC blush is always a favorite of mine especially when you pair an outgoing love interest with a “strait-laced” one. The best pairings bring out the best in each other and challenge the other to be their best selves, even if out of their comfort zone.
Approximate quote of being difficult to be fake around someone who brings out your truth *chef’s kiss* (ARC so exact quote not available).

Thank you Tundra Book Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If the Hot Tub scene in To All the Boys I've Loved Before was a life altering experience for you... This book is for you!!!

If you loved Better Than the Movies, This book is for you!!!

I loved every second of this book! Axel is now one of my favorite MMC's :) Who wouldn't want a boyfriend who accepted your book buying addiction!!!

Thank you Netgalley, Jackie Khalilieh, and Tundra Book Group for letting me read the ARC for this story!

I originally was interested in this story because of the beautiful cover art by Leni Kauffman. I fell in love with the witty writing style that was easy to fall into. I loved the diverse representation, and how it described two different Arab upbringings. The wedding was wonderful to hear about and I was so interested into looking into it further. I enjoyed the chemistry she had with Axel, truly had me kicking my feet and giggling. This is definetly a YA romcom with slang and undeveloped frontal lobes.

My critiques are just that I personally did not enjoy the amount of back and forth between her and Ben, but maybe that’s just high school and I don’t understand.

Overall I enjoyed this and I am excited to read anything else that she publishes! I can see her being BIG!

\\\\\ 3.5 \\\\\

You Started It is a cute story that still broaches deeper topics with a lot of tact. You get all the beautiful bubbly moments but also emotional ones and it makes it such a fascinating story.

Read if you like:
Fake dating
Bucket list
Arab rep
Anxiety rep
High-school setting

I did read this one in 2 days, which for me is super fast. I did get a bit of mixed feelings though while reading because I couldn't seem to put it down but at the same time I was angry at a lot of things that were happening. So even though the story was keeping me invested, there are some things that got on my nerves if it makes sense.

The first thing was that I can't say I was a big fan of any characters except my sweet golden retriever boy Axel. In my eyes he was absolutely perfect, and I adored him from start to finish. So really, he did have this whole book on his shoulder for me. I would have loved to get his POV, it would have probably helped me a bit because Jamie was a hard one to love sometimes even though I enjoyed some sides of her.

I so loved the Toronto setting! I rarely read books with a setup near where I live (near like 9 hours away but for Canada it's near okay), and I loved knowing about everything that was mentioned. Even if it was the Leafs losing yet another game, I could definitely relate to it all HAHAHA.

I particularly enjoyed the fake dating part. The way it all started was so funny, and I loved the moments between Axel and Jamie. It was great to see how Axel was able to get her out of her little bubble while always being so respectful and open about her anxiety and all. Which brings me to the fact that the anxiety representation was spot on. It was relatable, and I truly liked seeing how Jamie was navigating it and all. Well done.

While Jamie is a teenager and I needed to put myself back to that time a bit to try and understand some of her actions, it was hard for me to get on with how she treated Axel. I get that she was stuck on Ben, it was her first love and safe space and all, but after a while it doesn't excuse how she was treating Axel. I would have wished she acted better A LOT of times. The evolution was too slow for me and I hate seeing characters I like being poorly treated like that so it got frustrating to be honest.

The ending was pretty satisfying though on all sides. I loved the new friendships, the way our main characters talked through things and got to a good place together. It was a nice and hopeful end to this story.

Last thing I'll say is I sometimes had trouble with the timing in this story, like it would say weeks went by multiple times... but suddenly it was only Halloween, and it made no sense to me. I also loved that Jamie was a book lover but because we didn't actually hear about her enjoying books or anything relating to her actually reading, it really felt like a forced thing to me, and I wasn't a fan.

Overall still a super fun one with awesome representations, super cute scenes, quirky characters and if you enjoy young adult books you'll want to read it.

Thanks to the author, TundraBooks and ColoredPagesBookTour for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[I'd suggest adding cheating to the trigger warnings...]

Thank you again NetGalley and Jackie Khalilieh for this ARC. I found myself smiling many times while reading this book. The characters face actual challenges that relate to what people their age experience, but overall they overcome everything and there is some growth throughout. It also gives representation to an ethnic group that we don’t often see in books (arabs) and it was a nice touch that the author put some words in arabic in the book. The writing makes you root for the main couple and love them together. I would definitely be intrigued to read more from Jackie in the future.

There is something about Jackie Khalilieh's writing that is so real and authentic. The way they tackle mental health and everything that comes along with that like the green apples in this book. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end I loved Jamie and Axel and how they brought the best out of each other. I would love this book be made into a movie

This book feels like stepping into an early 2000s teen romcom—in the best way. The funny meet cute, realistic portrayal of teen life, and a tender slow dance in the rain made my heart soft.

It does drag a little around the third-act breakup, but overall it’s a cute, feel-good read perfect for fans of swoony, slightly awkward teenage romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for this arc in exchange for an honest review

You Started It was so fun! It's full of teenage angst and drama with a side of fake dating and a sweet golden retriever love interest.

I loved Jamie and Axel's relationship! Even though Jamie made some questionable decisions (she's a teenager after all) she showed some growth during this story that allowed her to get her happy ending.
Axel was the sweetest and I loved how he accepted all of Jamie, and allowed her to come into her truest self. The fake dating and checking the boxes on Jamie's to-do list was just the cherry on top!

Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for the eARC!