3.75⭐️
This was such a sweet read! I was team Jamie and Axel from the moment they met. I loved how Axel really understood Jamie’s anxiety and never downplayed or questioned her symptoms.

I do think this book could’ve benefited from maybe another round of edits. Some of the dialogue between Ben and Jamie and Jamie and her mother felt very repetitive throughout the book and at a certain point I was losing interest in those relationships. I wish we had gotten to see more of Jamie and Axel together (happily) - that could just be me not loving third act breakups though.

Overall, this was a very solid YA novel with great biracial and mental health representation that I think will speak to a lot of people whether or not they fit into those demographics.

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital advanced copy of this book!

A big thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC!

4.5⭐️
This book was so much fun! I just love a good fake dating situation, and the characters had so much chemistry!! I also really enjoyed the writing style which made my reading experience so much fun and easy. I literally read the majority of this book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! There were a lot of references to TikTok or other things like that which usually bother me in a book but in this one, it was made in a way were it made sense to the story and it didn't bother me at all. There were also a lot of talks about identity and family which just made me feel for the characters and their story so much! The only reason why this isn't a 5-star read for me is because I felt like the third-act break-up was too long, but everything else was just so good!! A must read!

You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh is a YA romance with the fake dating trope. First of all, I love fake dating, it’s one of my favorite tropes. But it was done really badly in this story.

The reason behind the fake dating is important in this kind of story, and here it just didn’t make sense. Jamie starts fake dating Axel the very next day after her boyfriend, Ben broke up with her. Seriously? How does that make sense? Also, it’s clear Ben cheated on her. He didn’t say it, but anyone with eyes can see it. He was nearly kissing another girl the very next day.

Even if I try to accept that part, what happens next is even more messed up. Jamie starts falling for Axel in less than a month. So she forgets her three-year relationship just like that? I couldn’t believe it. This is one of the most messed-up fake dating stories I’ve ever read.

The only character I liked was Axel. In the end, the whole trope was just too messy for me to enjoy. If I just pretend Ben (the ex) didn’t exist and Jamie and Axel fake dated for some other reason, then I would have liked it.

Fake dating is my absolute favorite trope, and Jacki Khalilieh DELIVERED!

I absolutely adored the fake dating aspect of this book from the get-go. Axel played along perfectly and is just so sweet and considerate to Jamie, even when she's being oblivious or judgmental. I love the way he challenges her and introduces her to Arab culture while still respecting that she has anxiety and IBS (and is so mature about it, given he's 16!). Jamie kind of annoyed me at times, but it was realistic portrayal of a teenage girl, especially one with anxiety and abandonment issues.

Overall, this was a great YA read and will be perfect for fans of Something More.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Oh my goodness, what an amazing, incredible and impactful read. Firstly Jamie Foster's story was filled with so much growth that had to stem from her ex-boyfriend and the memories and trying to move on from her love, however using other experiences and people to supplement those feelings. However, also her feelings and dealing with the issues that stem from her father being absent was so emotional, and vulnerable when reading which was impactful to not only her character growth but a step towards her understanding her anxiety triggers and emotions. 🥺 When Jamie continued to understand her struggles and grapple through it made her more real and understandable! So much was there and needed to be processed and it took time for her to do that, but in short amounts and parts of time she was able to get through the emotions!

Now on the Axel! His character was funny, kind, and had a type of charisma about himself! Learning more about Axel and his background and how the deeper aspects of his storyline with not only his family but his friends as well and how that impacted how he is now and what makes how he views certain situations. I love how when reading more about Axel's character showed how he needed to be reassured and also needed to feel comforted as well in times and was able to express that even though he was confident on the inside and out.

Oh my goodness, to my fav tropes the fake-dating. Jamie and Axel's relationship was funny and also complimented each other well! 🩵 Like Jamie and her past with her ex and wanting to be with him like I understand in some sorts, but I’m happy she learned more of her worth and learned that she deserved more and better. Her and Axel relationship allowed to explore the flaws, the emotions and growth within both. Now onto the trauma that her parental issues due to her fathers absence was such a heavy impact as well by her mother as well and I'm happy we learned more and discussed and unfolded the pain and anxiety behind it, and worked to mend through it. 🗣️ Also the impactful convos on culture and how it helps, as well as plays a different important role in anyone identity was beautifully written. Learning more within yourself and learning more about you is important and this read was amazing!

➵ A true young adult contemporary novel that covered a variety of topics from biracial Arab heritage to cheating, from anxiety attacks to ibs. There’s modern slang that’s a bit cringey for this millennial reader and that made it a bit slow in the beginning but then I got used to it.

➵ The fake dating trope totally worked here. I feel like this story could be a love story to Arab boys because I feel like they are often misunderstood, especially in western societies. And Axel Dahini was a SUPERB MMC. He was my favorite character in the entire story.

➵ I did relate to Jamie’s anxiety. I was diagnosed with anxiety in 2022 when I started having attacks and it’s NOT fun.

➵ BUT that miscommunication trope, y’all. 🫣 It’s a ya novel so it’s not as heartbreaking (to me) but whew, it’s a doozy.

➵ Definitely a great book for teens or anyone looking for a quicker read that covers a lot of topics.

♡ ya contemporary
♥ fake dating
♡ Arab heritage
♥ anxiety, ibs, panic attacks
♡ 3rd act youknowwhat

{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}

4.25 ⭐️You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh is a YA romance that blends humor, emotional depth, and self-discovery. The story follows Jamie Taher-Foster, a high school senior who has meticulously planned her final year with her longtime boyfriend, Ben. But when Ben unexpectedly breaks up with her after a summer away, Jamie is determined to win him back—even if it means fake dating Axel Dahin, a younger TikTok dancer whose bike she accidentally ran over.

Despite their differences—Jamie is a Type A planner with anxiety, while Axel is carefree but detail-oriented—their time together forces them to see each other in new ways. As Jamie navigates heartbreak, family struggles, and her own identity, she begins to realize that not everything in life needs to be checked off a list.

Jamie had a tough time dealing with Ben’s breakup and her complex family dynamics, but Axel was an absolute godsend. He not only brought her out of her shell but supported and loved her wholeheartedly, guiding her through difficult situations with patience and understanding. His presence in her life became the foundation for her growth and healing.

I really enjoyed this book. It was my introduction to Jackie Khalilieh’s writing, and I was pleasantly surprised by her ability to tackle tough subjects while still keeping the story firmly within the wholesome YA genre. Her writing style is engaging, heartfelt, and emotionally resonant, making this a novel I would definitely recommend.

This book was so cute!!! This was such a good young adult romance. It reminded me of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which is one of my favs! Jackie did a great job of developing the characters of Jamie, Axel, and Ben and going through difficult topics such as cultural differences, family drama, finding yourself, and anxiety.

The main reason I questioned if I should give this 4 stars was the third act break-up. You knew it was coming and it just felt like it was forced to happen. I could have done without this, but the rest of the story made up for it.

It also has great potential for a continuation of the story! I need more build of their romance! Fingers-crossed we get a part 2!

I would highly recommend checking this one out when it comes out in May!

[netgalley review, thank you tundra book group] This was so cute!!! Jamie and Axel were so cute and I enjoyed seeing their relationship together. Jamie's character arc from someone staying in her comfort zone by trying to get Ben back to embracing something new with Axel was a really interesting development. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a cute YA romance!

Something about an adorable YA romance with fake dating schemes is going to do it for me every time! I loved You Started It so much. Jackie Kalilieh's voice shines so brightly through the writing and the characters in this book. This book was the perfect high school rom-com. I found myself able to picture the events of this book so clearly as a teen rom-com film. Sometimes, I read authors who are trying too hard to relate to teens of today's age, but Jackie Khalilieh does this so effortlessly.

I had such a fun time following Jamie as a main character. She's smart, sensible, and determined, and her dead-pan humor had me laughing out loud. I love her dynamic with her amo, Eli, who is probably my favorite character. Their exchanges of banter and the way he teased Jamie was always super funny. I appreciated that he was in her corner through the book and served as a good person to lean on when it came to learning about her Palestinian heritage, her family, and navigating her relationship with her mother. Speaking of Jamie's mom, I appreciated the complex relationship Jamie had with her. While I felt frustrated alongside Jamie about how her mother was treating her, I understood where her mom was coming from and I enjoyed the resolution between them at the end.

I also want to shoutout one aspect of this book that served the representation that was missing all my life: girls with stomach problems and IBS thanks to anxiety. I related to Jamie so hard as she tries to live her life while keeping her anxiety at bay, especially in public settings. Keeping track of the food she eats and noting where the bathroom is every time she enters a new place is SO REAL. Often times, people think that having anxiety simply means being nervous, but there are often very physical side effects that come as a manifestation of someone's anxiety, and I'm glad this was discussed! And I love how Axel did his best to make Jamie's life easier without trying to diminish her symptoms.

Speaking of Axel, I loved this goofy boy so much for Jamie. The way he gets her to come out of her shell, try things outside of her comfort zone, acknowledges her pain, and does everything he can to support this girl he's "fake dating" was so cute. One of my favorite aspects of their relationship is definitely how he allowed Jamie to embrace her Arab heritage. Jackie Khalilieh talks about how she really wanted to write an Arab male love interest in her books, and I appreciate that so much. My favorite scene is probably when Axel teaches Jamie how to dance dabke at his cousin's wedding.

Overall, this book is such a banger and I sincerely believe all YA romance and Jackie Khalilieh fans will love this book! I'm super excited for everyone to pick this up, and for Jackie's third YA release. I'd rate this book 4.5 stars rounded up!

Seventeen-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster has spent 3 high school years only needing one person -- her boyfriend, Ben. But when Ben comes back from summer camp ending things, she is at a loss about who she is and how to move forward. So she creates an elaborate plan to get him back, with the help of Axel Dahini acting as her faux boyfriend in order to make Ben jealous and realize his mistake. Things get a little murky when Jamie realizes Axel is more than meets the eye.

Try this book if you like these tropes and/or want to see these representations:
✨fake dating
✨Arab rep
✨anxiety rep
✨IBS rep

Pros/Why I liked the book:
-There is clear character growth
-I enjoyed the plot and dialogue, there were a couple of funny moments that weren't trying too hard
-The characters are relatable for teens. It advertises itself to be a YA romance, and it delivers
-The FMC goes through a journey of self-love and finding independence, which young teens need to see
-The FMC is tall (5'10) and the MMC is the same height
-The FMC verbally recognizes her own internal misogyny on page
-The FMC's self-reflection at the end of the book is actually satisfying and gives closure

Cons:
-This could have been a 3.5 or 4 star read, but there is a miscommunication/jumping to conclusions trope present. A large and persistent one that shows its hand more than once. I hate the miscommunication trope being used even once, but this book used it 3 or 4 times, which made the book drag on way longer than it should be.
-Due to this, not only was there a 3rd act breakup, there was a 4th and a 5th act breakup. Snore. Authors need to be more imaginative than this.
-There was a lot of back and forth at the end that turned me off from this book. When one person wanted to talk, the other one didn't. And then when one did, the other one didn't. For no discernible reason other than to elongate the conflict.
-Without spoilers, the FMC said she didn't do something that she most definitely did, so it was frustrating as a reader to witness the MMC being gaslit.
-The Kardashians caught an unnecessary stray in this. Which tells me even though the author tried to recognize the FMC's internalized misogyny, she doesn't recognize her own and how deep it actually runs. It's giving not a girl's girl.

Overall, I did enjoy this and don't regret reading it, but the fourth and fifth act breakup can be cut out... actually, NEEDS to be cut out. That being said, I personally would not recommend this to those who hate the miscommunication trope, but for those who love the fake dating trope, it's definitively GIVING in that department. It's a cute YA romance, and if you're into that, then give it a try!

Thank you Tundra Book Group and NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is such an enjoyable read. Jamie is such a relatable character for me. She wants to plan out everything and loves to read, but is forced to learn how to be spontaneous (like I’m trying to force myself to be with my reading). Her need for planning is a mirror to how I deal with my anxiety and it helps to see things go well even when it isn’t totally planned out. Axel is definitely the type of person Jamie needs; he feels so alive and free, which seems perfect to help her be more go with the flow. He is also great at helping push her out of her comfort zone. There are genuine moments that I enjoyed, which literally made me laugh out loud (Betty White, iykyk). As a bonus, the book takes place in Toronto, which I love because I can actually envision the places they are talking about and it brings back memories.

This is my first ARC review, and I’m thrilled to be sharing my thoughts on “You Started It!” by Jackie Khalilieh. I had a blast reading “Something More” and was immediately drawn to Khalilieh’s writing style. This book features a delightful faking dating trope that I found both entertaining and relatable. While I did encounter a few clichés, I anticipated this aspect of the story. It also reminded me “To All The Boys I’ve Loved.” Overall, “You Started It!” is a quick and easy read that delivers a heartwarming message.

This was SO CUTE!!! Anytime a book starts with a breakup and then a fake dating plot--I am IN! And Jamie was sooo easy to root for. She had a plan with Ben. Their senior year had a sequence that it was going to follow. He screws everything up by coming back from his summer camp job and breaking up with her. But Jamie isn't going to let go of her senior year plans that easily.

Axel was everythingggg. It's almost bad when you have such a likable love interest because anything the MC does that hurts them makes you more mad at the MC, but I think that worked well here. It was easy to see why Jamie didn't trust people to have good intentions and why she would lash out like she did. I just wanted her to get out of her own way so she could heal and have healthy relationships!

The relationships between Jamie and her mom and uncle were really interesting too. I LOVED her uncle.

If you're looking for a cute but emotionally heartfelt ya contemporary romance where the plot is less important than the character growth and relationships, then I highly recommend this story! Such a lovely read.

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

This was a sweet young adult romance. This book did a good job at capturing teenage love, what’s it’s like to try and find yourself and figure out what you want, and exploring cultural topics. Everything was tied in well so you got a good balance of serious and light moments. This was a good one full of drama and realistic situations.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy of the book.

It’s not a surprise that I loved this book. I truly enjoyed Khalilieh’s previous book and this was just as wonderful.
We are following a teenager named Jamie that gets broken up with right before school, runs over a random boy’s bike, and then starts a fake relationship with that random boy to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. Of course it’s not going to go as planned but that’s what makes this books so precious.
Jamie has major anxiety and it’s talked about throughout the book in a very realistic way, which I appreciated. It’s good to normalize how someone feels and how they deal with it. She’s also been through a lot of trauma that makes her think everyone is out to ruin her life, which is normal for a 17-year-old and makes her a believable character.
I really enjoyed every aspect of this book; the family dynamic, the love interest, how Jamie grows throughout the book. I couldn’t help smiling the whole time I read this book and also shouting “NOOO” at the appropriate moments.
I hope anyone who picks up this book enjoys it as much as I had.

4.5 ⭐

Jamie has the perfect plan set out for her and her boyfriend, Ben Cameron that involves doing all sorts of touristy things that she hasn’t been able to do. But then he comes back from summer camp with some news: he’s breaking up with Jamie.

Literally a couple of days after Ben breaks up with her, Jamie discovers that he ALREADY is dating another girl. And for some reason, she is determined to get him back. Even if that means she has to fake date Axel Dahini on a mutual beneficial (fake) relationship.

Except from both being Arab, she and Axel have nothing in common, but their forced time together brings them closer to one another, and brings up questions for Jamie that she hasn’t considered.

You know, I wasn’t really going to read this because I thought it was just another rom-com, but then I saw that it was set in Toronto, and I was hooked! I will say that I am extremely happy I decided to read You Started It.

Besides this one, I have read two other books set in my city: Ghostlight by Kenneth Opel and The King of Jam Sandwiches by Eric Walters. But Ghostlight was just set on Toronto Island and Jam Sandwiches was not as forward with it being set in Toronto (if that makes sense).

But You Started It… that had everything! In one of my Goodreads status updates I wrote something like “it is surreal seeing Ripley’s Aquarium, the ROM, and the CN Tower all in one sentence.” And I stand by that! Honestly it was really weird to read about a character who visits all of these places in a YA Contemporary book. Also the whole Wonderland part was awesome, though it was weird knowing all of the rides and places in Wonderland that she went to. (If you don’t know Canada’s Wonderland is the big theme park in the GTA, Greater Toronto Area).

But besides the Canadian rep, You Started It had phenomenal representation for so many other groups/people/conditions. Part of this was the Arab and queer rep, but also rep of people with panic attacks, IBS, and absent parents. I personally don’t fit into any of those groups, but it is refreshing to read about characters that don’t fit the usual stereotype (you know what I mean).

Also Jackie did a phenomenal job with the pace of You Started It! There was never once a time when I was bored while reading it. I actually stayed up more than because I couldn’t put it down. I only stopped reading because I knew that if I continued, I would be dead tired the next day.

The official synopsis compares You Started This to Better Than the Movies—which I haven’t read but know very much what it plot is because my friends read it—but I think this is also very much for fans of Ann Liang books. I say this because yes, it is an incredibly cute rom-com, but like Ann Liang’s books, it also has fantastic character development. But I do feel like it would have been nice to see more of Jamie’s uh final relationship (I hate having to not be able to give minor spoilers). I have the same issue with Ann Liang books; it’s as if there is such a big build up but then we don’t actually see the couple together for long.

Overall, You Started It is a solid 4.5 stars for me! It was such a cute rom-com that touched on so many important issues and struggles that teens face, and had great rep. But I feel like it could have benefited from a couple more chapters to wrap things up. I highly recommend that any Ann Liang or rom-com fan read You Started It. The amount of times that it made me laugh and smile is more than I can count on my fingers. Also just all the Canadian touristy stuff they did was so surreal and I was there for it!

Again: GO READ THIS BOOK!

Many thanks to Tundra Books and the folks at TBR & Beyond Tours for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 38%

This book started out strong for me. I love the author’s purpose for writing this book, and I absolutely love fake dating. Add in the main character accidentally running over some guy’s bike after she sees her very recently ex-boyfriend with another girl, and I was sold. Until that guy whose bike she ran over started doing a TikTok dance routine to “Treat You Better” by Shawn Mendes, aimed right at Jamie, and I until I got too frustrated with Jamie never being able to take any responsibility or accountability for her actions and behavior. This had the makings of a very strong story with amazing representation, but I just couldn’t seem to get invested in any of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

This was the perfect YA new romance for anyone who is a fan of feeling like they’re back in that first love nostalgia. :) Jamie and Axel are the sweetest fake couple ever and I love how much their romance was rooted in their friendship and genuinely connecting w/ each other. I absolutely can not wait to read more from Jackie Khalilieh!

*3.5 stars*

This was a cute YA romance. This gave the vibes of those cheesy teen romance movies, and I really enjoyed it. I liked both MCs, Jamie was very complex and was dealing with a lot, but I appreciated how the author wrote her journey in a very realistic way. I loved Axel, he was such a fun and enjoyable MMC. Their relationship was really cute, I loved all of the cute dates they went on throughout the book. I appreciated the representation for anxiety, panic attacks, and IBS. I thought the author addressed these issues very well and I loved the messages behind a lot of this book. I really enjoy Jackie Khalilieh’s writing, she’s very good at making you feel like you’re watching a movie in your head while reading. Overall, this was a fun and heartfelt read.