Solid 4 star read and proof that Elissa Sussman has mastered the second chance romance. Or in the case of this book, third chance romance? This definitely hits the criteria for a beach read, and bonus points if you love musical theater because that’s a huge component of the story.

This story felt really familiar and I think it’s because it incorporates a lot of the successful mechanisms that Funny You Should Ask utilizes. Sussman does a good job leaning on flashbacks to tell this story. I struggled a little in the beginning (and I think this is intentional) because I kept feeling like I was missing crucial information. Of course this is all revealed as the story unfolds and the timing where past scenes were injected feels strategic and was well done. In a lot of cases it seemed like we found out the details when we were supposed to and not a moment sooner. This kept up the pacing of the book.

I couldn’t help but feel bad for Kathleen because it really seems like she got the short end of the stick. But, she was written well and it’s easy to rationalize her present day choices based on what we know about her/her past. It’s also just generally frustrating/easy to sympathize with her because no one should have their life ruined (not to be dramatic) by a romantic decision they make when barely an adult. Plus Ryan seems like he was never into Kathleen for the right reasons and used her in the most egregious way to boost his own career. Men SMH.

The tension between her and Harriet also feels very realistic, and I was happy to see them forced to confront it in a way that mimics real life (not just idealized story portrayals of friendship). I’ve noticed a lot of newly released books are deviating from the “sidekick best friend” in favor of writing about what adult friendships are really like (struggles and all). Love that!

And last but not least, Cal *sigh* he’s certainly not perfect but dang. I don’t generally love a “third act breakup” but in the context of this story it makes a lot of sense. I felt like Kathleen and Cal’s story was pretty authentic. They both make mistakes and it’s interesting to see them forced to confront their mistakes and each other. Not really an enemies to lovers, but shares some of that essence. The forced professionalism, sarcasm, banter, and growing past resentment all help contribute to why this story was so engaging.

Thanks to NetGalley, Elissa Sussman, and Dell for providing me with an eARC.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Randomhouse for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide my honest review.

Famous pop star, Katee Rose, aka Kathleen Rosenburg has the opportunity of a lifetime to fulfill her lifelong dream as a Broadway star. The only problem is that it is being directed by a blast from her past, Cal Kirby.

I was riveted from start to finish (read the book to see what I did there ) and I read it in less than 24 hours! So many references to things like theater camp, famous Broadway ballads, working through tough choreography and the agony (and ecstasy) of auditioning for a part that was meant for you…Ah! It had my heart was bursting with nostalgia while reading this book.

I think it’s safe to say that I really enjoyed the plot. It was told using flashbacks with charming references to the connections between the characters. It’s a second chance romance but I think you could sprinkle in a little forced proximity, missed communication, and enemies to lovers as well. Not a bad combination. Have I mentioned that there’s karaoke too? I just found this to be such a fun, and entertaining read.

This one really ended up growing on me! It started a little slow but it started cooking about 40% in. I read the authors previous and really liked it but thought the pacing was off and I think this book was a big improvement in that arena. I missed the winking celebrity and journalism commentary of Funny You Should Ask but appreciated the deeper character development in this book. A fun read with some substance!

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review,

I am obsessed with this book. It's fun and emotional and romantic and healing. When I read 'Funny You Should Ask,' I didn't think any book could invoke more emotions from me. However, I was proven wrong with 'Once More with Feeling.'

This book follows Kathleen and Cal. They met at a summer camp years ago before she dated his fellow band member, Now it's years later and he is directing the musical she is starring in. They both have strong feelings towards each other: a combination of anger, hurt, and romantic interest.

The enemies-to-lovers storyline was incredibly well written. There was a natural progression as each character struggled to get over the past. I was screaming in frustration at points because I just wanted them to kiss and then they did kiss and I screamed some more.

The main characters and even the secondary characters are practically circles with how well rounded they are. Elissa Susan obviously devoted a lot of time and energy into developing these characters. Everyone added to the story without distracting the reader from the main plot.

This book is absolutely phenomenal. I highly recommend everyone check it out. Thank you again to the publisher for giving me the chance to read it early.

4.3/5 ☆
oh, my dancer heart! and my musical theatre heart! i think elissa is so amazing at portraying second chances and the angst of their feelings throughout the book and this book DELIVERED! (me as i was crying 1/3 into the book) these characters brought me frustration, sadness, endearment, and so many other emotions and i commend books that are able to reveal those kinds of feelings... now thinking about it, the title is absolutely spot-on for this book LOL <3 something i really liked is how cal and kathleen portrayed the reality of young celebrities and the reminder that they are human too, despite how high they are put on that stage for people to judge and that's why i can understand how their flaws and their mistakes may anger some people, heck! even me at some points, but i think that it just made them seem realistic and how life isn't always just black-and-white. overall, the pace was great and the unwinding of the past to the present and the undiscovered feelings of it all, it almost felt like you were with these characters. their love story, the friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, was an emotional ride and it was a good read!
❥ thank you netgalley for the arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! That’s it - Elissa Sussman is officially a “must read” author for me.

A little bit Britney/Justin, a Jewish main character (it always fascinates me when Jewish musical artists release Christmas albums and how most of the famous Christmas songs were written by Jews), summer camp, Broadway - tell me how this book could have been more perfect for me??? I did feel that some parts jumped around too much and occasionally the pacing was off, which leads me to believe I want to read an unedited previous draft. I just wanted more!

I’m going to share a quote that kicks off the acknowledgments - I’ve never felt more seen. Elissa writes, “There are few things more tragic than a theatre kid who can’t sing, dance, or act.” Thank you for sharing this story for all of us wannabe theater kids to enjoy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

Rounding up to a 4, this book is definitely an improvement on the authors previous work. Overall I enjoyed the plot, the alternating timeline, and the characters, but I felt like there were some things that could’ve been explored a bit more. The timeline of the current day plot was also very vague to the point of being distracting. Overall a fun fluffy second chance romance that’s sweet enough to distract from being just a bit too surface level.

𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨

This was a fast read and cute romance story about 2 people in the entertainment business. I have always enjoyed when a book jumps to different timelines, and this one has lots of them which made it fun, but I do have to admit, I could’ve done without 2 or 3 chapters, they felt unnecessary. Now that being said, I was not always a fan of the female main character, Kathleen because she sometimes acted immature and a bit too dramatic. I also feel like there was too much unnecessary drama but I get it, this is about young adults being famous, and acting a fool, but also those same people being grown ups who haven’t gotten over their unresolved issues so I guess it makes sense. Anyway, overall, it was a fun read. The third act breakup made me pull my hair out but the ending was super cute.

3 ★

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘢 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺.

Slow burn, second chance romance.

Major Britney and JT flashbacks, but I definitely liked both these characters more.

I really love Elissa Sussman’s writing style.

I think this is a great follow up to Funny You Should Ask!!

I want to thank netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review

4.75⭐
R for some good 🌶️ but definitely a slow burn!

Wow, this was SUCH a compulsive read. I did chores today and still managed to finish this book on the same day I started. If you are looking for a great book to take with you to the beach this summer, look no further because this book is perfection.

I truly adored Elissa Sussman's debut and Once More with Feeling just continues her streak. Broadway, second chance romance, enemies to lovers, a critical best friend relationship and a pop star trying to make her comeback--what isn't there to love?! If you enjoyed Glee in its heyday and want a book where Rachel Berry flamed out at twenty and is now more self-aware, less annoying and a older--this is absolutely the book for you.

Truly this book hit all the right notes (pun intended). I will say the story within a story with story was a little much at times, but I loved how everything came together a satisfying finale. I will read anything Elissa Sussman writes and she is cementing herself as an essential romance writer.

For me this book was a solid 3.5 stars. I enjoyed reading it but it didn’t excite me. I went in with high hopes because I loved Funny You Should Ask. Something about it didn’t hit as hard for me.

Pros:
- I loved the musical theater aspects. Honestly I wish we got even more moments with them working on the show.

- It is a super quick read. Just like FYSA it keeps you hooked.

- For a second chance romance book the trope worked a little better for me than normal. The characters were never a couple in the past so there was no past breakup to overcome.

Cons:
- However second chance romance combined with cheating just isn’t for me in the end. Even though the second chance romance plot didn’t bug me as much as it normally does I didn’t like that it included a cheating plot line.

- The characters felt a smidge flat to me. I want to connect with them more but I felt like we only got to see parts of them.

- I would’ve loved to see more of Kathleen’s journey to being Katee Rose in the “then” chapters. We only get to learn about it from characters mentioning it.

This book was a love letter to musical theater, and I loved every second of it. I've read Sussman's last book Funny You Should Ask, and I really enjoyed it; but this one was even better.

What I loved:
Our two heroes, Kathleen and Cal, had a relationship that spanned decades starting at Theater Camp in their teens. Their romance was super sweet, their chemistry was off the charts 🔥, but their friendship was the best part. Multiple timelines can go 50/50 for me in books, but this one was done very well. It helped build that background that had you rooting for their relationship in the present.

I also loved their mutual friend, Harriet, and how they all worked together as adults to make their dream come true. Being a huge theater nerd myself, I loved reading about all the work that went into putting a show on Broadway.

What I didn't love:
The cheating trope: I know this will probably be a dealbreaker for some💔. Honestly, it was well done and I understood why it happened. I just feel like it could have been written differently and still had the same effect, but life is messy and so are people so this wasn't a complete dealbreaker for me.

The one thing I found lacking was the conflict at the end. I found it a bit forced and immature, and it resolved rather quickly. It also could have been left out completely and the book would have been even better without the added drama.

Overall, this was a fantastic read and I can't wait for everyone else to grab this one! Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for this review.

Read if you love:
🎵Friends-Enemies-Lovers
🎵Second Chance
🎵Musical Theater
🎵Celebrity Stories
🎵Multiple Timelines

Such a fun read! Only told from the FMC’s perspective, it leaves you wanting a little more, but Susanna does a fantastic job of rounding out her characters emotionally. Recommended for a lighter read with minimal spiciness :)

3.5 stars
ONCE MORE WITH FEELING follows Kathleen, ex-celebrity previously known as Katee Rose, as she stars in a Broadway production written by her best friend and directed by the man she had a short-lived relationship with years ago. The book is told in dual timeline—10 years ago, as she was at the height of her fame, dating boyband member Ryan while building a friendship with Cal, and present-day, when we see Kathleen and Cal work through their frustrations with each other while also working on their musical. I really enjoyed the dual timeline in this book; since it’s a second-chance romance, it really helps develop their past relationship and why there’s currently animosity. Kathleen was a frustrating character; she’s sequestered herself since her career failed and doesn’t have great relationships with anyone—or herself—but we don’t see a ton of development either. I wish we’d seen her work through some of her insecurities and grow as a person, because there wasn’t much other than a few “I’m sorry” moments. Despite this, I did like this book, and if you like musical theater and second-chance romances, I think you’ll enjoy this too!

Kicking and squealing, it's so cute. I can't prove this, but Elissa Sussman writes books just for me. I loved this. I know this isn't for everyone, but it's so much fun. It's cheesy and sweet and innocent. Second Chance romance is my favorite trope. I love characters that make young dumb mistakes and grow from it. It did not disappoint.

uh i don’t know what to say i don’t think this book is for me maybe it the author (probably me though) i was really excited starting this book i haven’t read funny you should ask before but it been a book i’ve wanted to read for a while now i still do but i’m not sure it it will be as good anymore

nothing was really wrong with this book i just had an extremely hard time getting into the book from the very beginning to be honestly like it was all good until the cheating trope come around and like i’m not even fully sure if it really is cheating or just a misunderstanding however even just trying to continue reading to get to that part is nearly impossible for me i will be dnf this book for now maybe i will come back to it maybe not but i will not force myself to read a book if am not enjoying it

im already 12 chapters in of 39 and it feels like i’ve been reading forever i like how we get a bit of the present tense and past tense and the cover and details of the book are all gorgeous as for the characters i mostly like the characters i truly love harriet she’s definitely my favorite as for cal i really didn’t see much in him like he was cute during certain scenes but nothing really made him stand out too much for me oooh but that once scenes where he said “You’re also so fucking good that i can’t look away” that was good elissa knew what she was doing writing that line as for kathreen she was fine like i feel like she was extremely hooked on herself and the past a lot of time but not selfish like she refused help bc she used to be able to do it in the past and but then she was always very kind to certain people so i’m very stuck on my feeling with her

If you love musical theater, used to read J-14 religiously, and will-they-won’t-they romances, this one is for you!! A really fun read with some hot spice sprinkled in. My only regret is that there is nowhere I can listen to the cast album for the book’s featured musical!

What a delightful read. I love how sussman puts an every woman spin on the successful. She is quickly becoming a new favorite

Predictable and boring. A second chance romance about two people who were pop stars in their younger years. It was a quick easy read.

When I first read about Once More With Feeling, I was thrilled. It sounded exactly like the Broadway romance of my dreams. And while I enjoyed it a little more than Funny You Should Ask, it wasn’t quite the five-star read I was hoping for.

What I Loved
🎭 The flashbacks to Kathleen, Harriet, and Cal during their time as teens at theater camp were honestly my favorite part. Sussman really nailed the energy of high school theater kids in a way that felt authentic.
🎭 One of the things I think about fairly often is what happens to child stars when they’re no longer stars. Obviously we’re all familiar with the headline making troubles of former Disney stars and boy-banders, but I think the more interesting stories are about those who fade away into a more “normal” life (think Ke Huy Quan before EEAAO or Mayim Bialik pre-Big Bang). Kathleen’s character arc did a good job at getting at this and demonstrating how child stars can find a second chance at stardom.
🎭 The cover is one of the best I’ve seen this year. I love how it echoes the design of Funny You Should Ask’s cover. It makes it really easy to tell you’re about to read an Elissa Sussman novel.
🎭 There were a couple of Funny You Should Ask Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. I always love when authors build out their own literary universes.

What Didn’t Work
🎭 To use a cooking metaphor, the story felt like it was simmering the whole time but never actually boiled. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, and some of the conflicts between characters felt a little juvenile for an adult novel.
🎭 As a love interest, Cal was very bland and kind of boring which made it hard to buy into him and Kathleen as a couple. I had a similar issue with Gabe and Chani in FYSA so it might just be a me problem.

Once More With Feeling is out May 30. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.