As if on Cue is a story that shows how far one will go to protect the thing they love most. When Natalie finds out that Drama Club will be cut from her school's extracurriculars due to a lack of finances along with ALL of the other art programs (excluding the band) she knows she has to do something- even if that means partnering with her life long rival, Reid. Together Natalie and Reid have to set aside their differences for the sake of others. Though the band's funding is secured, the band's role in turning Natalie's play "Melted" into a musical is essential in order to draw in a larger crowd and raise the money they need to save the various programs. This means working side by side with Reid who is pulled in to co-direct and compose the music.

Tensions rise as jealousies from childhood are revealed and Natalie has to rewrite her own narrative. She doesn't see security in the arts after having seen her parents struggle for their dreams. Is she willing to go through a struggle of her own?

I have to say, Natalie has to be one of the most frustrating main character's I've ever read, but I think that's because I relate to her so much. I understand what it's like to love theater and how competition can bring out the worst in people. Seeing Natalie's inner monologue and intentions really enabled me as a reader to sympathize with her. She's flawed but has her reasons and oftentimes acts without thinking of the consequences. This made her character very real and, even though I was frustrated with her, I also shared in her frustrations.

The romance in this book was also very cute. It played into my favorite tropes of "childhood friends" and "rivals to lovers". I do have to admit that I wish there was a bit more elaboration on Reid and Natalie's relationship. There were signs that Reid cared for Natalie but not so much the other way around. There was a lot of build up for the turning point in there relationship, but I felt as if was missing a very important piece in that Natalie never elaborated on where her feelings came from. After being resentful of Reid for so long, how does she seem to forget about her years of hurt feelings within the span of a few pages?

Despite these minor critiques, I really enjoyed this book (read it in one sitting)! The characters were lovable and the dialogue was brilliant. It felt as if I was watching a movie. Sometimes YA authors can struggle with banter of their young adult characters and for Kanter, this was simply not the case. There are endearing moments of stress baking pizza bagels and changing room praises that made me smile. I would recommend this book to any YA contemporary fan that's looking for a quick paced, meaningful story of self-reflection and discover with a bit of romance on the side.

I enjoyed this lighthearted enemies to lovers YA romance! I thought that the plot was adorable, and very believable. I liked how it was centered around a realistic scenario of arts funding getting cut.

I thought that Natalie and Reid were well developed characters and their friends and sisters were too. Their banter was hilarious and even though I cringed a couple of times during the prank war, they were mostly likeable.

The character that fell short for me was Natalie’s dad. It was frustrating to see her striving so clearly for his approval as he was oblivious.

**I received this as an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.**
I completely adored Kanter's debut What I Like About You and I was thrilled when I was able to read As If On Cue early. It was definitely one of my most anticipated reads of 2021. There were so many good things I truly don't know where to start. The Jewish representation was INCREDIBLE. Natalie and Reid, the main characters were both Jewish and one of Natalie's best friends was also Jewish and Kanter delved into holiday traditions, explanations, and explored identity rather than trauma. What made my heart swell specifically, was the bat mitzvah prep and Torah portion, Vayishlach, which was also my own portion when I became a bat mitzvah almost 11 years ago. While there were so many positive Jewish experiences, Kanter also tackled antisemitism so well in this book and how Jewish American people deal with microaggressions, calendar mistakes and hateful and rude comments on a regular basis. It wasn't just dropped in, it really moved the story along and gives readers a true glance into what's happening. I also loved how crucial the arts, music, and writing themes were to the story. This was such a quick read and so many fun things including enemies to lovers, pranks, character development, important discussions, and an added bonus of great pop culture references. I did think Natalie was a bit intense at times, but I can understand her passion for what she loves. Overall, I highly recommend this book, there were so many ways I felt seen whether it was through hobbies, writing, Judaism, or figuring out more of your purpose in high school and the future.