Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman is a captivating contemporary romance that seamlessly weaves together the story of Kathleen Rosenberg, a young woman with dreams of a music career, as she navigates the ups and downs of love, friendship, and fame. The story balances the present day with artfully woven insights from the past at both her summer at Camp Curtain Call and the height of her career when everything changed.

Sussman's writing style is beautiful, revealing details in an organic and engaging manner. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the themes of young love, friendship, and second chances are explored with depth and authenticity. The pacing of the book is excellent, keeping the reader hooked from start to finish. Musical theater enthusiasts will especially enjoy Kathleen's delightful first experience of a love Rocky Horror Picture Show viewing. Once More With Feeling is a must-read for romance fans, delivering an enjoyable and immersive story that will leave you wanting more

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the eARC of this awesome book. All opinions are my own.

I loved Funny You Should Ask, so I had high hopes going into Once More with Feeling, and it delivered. My favorite parts of the book were the "Then" chapters, and I was dying to know what actually went down between Kathleen and Cal to cause all this angst and tension (and find out what happened on the roof!!). Honestly, she had me at the fact that this was loosely based on Britney and Justin. Tbh, I was picturing them as Britney and Justin in those matching denim outfits the entire time. I binged this one fairly quickly and really enjoyed the story itself. I think it was missing Cal's POV, and Kathleen could have groveled a biiiit more. When I realized I was at 95%, I wasn't ready for it to end! I really enjoyed the book as a whole, and can't wait to see what celebrity drama Elissa Sussman (hopefully) takes us through next!

Read if you love:
- second chance romance
- friends to lovers meets enemies to lovers
- musical theater and broadway
- celebrities (and celebrities fallen from grace)
- then and now timeline
- boybands

Thank you Ballantine Random House, Elissa Sussman and NetGalley for the ARC!

Read if you like:
🎤 Popstars / Boy Bands
🥈Second Chance Romance
💔 Cheating Trope
🎭 Broadway
⏳ Past and Present Timelines

First and foremost I have to say the cheating trope was my least favorite part of this book, I get how it fit, but I still just despise the cheating trope.

Other than that…. This felt like a book for those that love to ship Britney and Justin, Selena and Justin, and Nick and Jessica…. I loved how the characters met both the first time around and for their second chance romance.

I loved the movement from past to present and back again as we got bits of why things were the way they were in the present and also seeing the growth in the characters as they leapt forward chasing their dreams.

All in all I really liked this one and would have loved it more without the cheating trope as I feel like that could have been avoided.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review.

I’ll be honest – I went into this book hesitantly. Katee Rose’s pop star life all came crumbling down thanks to a cheating scandal, and I typically avoid cheating as a plotline in the books I read. I have a really hard time liking the main characters after the infidelity, and I think the plots of those books often require a lot of mental gymnastics to make readers find the cheating necessary. And tbh, I think it was deeply unnecessary here because Kathleen and Cal’s insane chemistry was enough to ruin her relationship without them taking that extra step.

All that to say – I still really liked this book. It’s a fun, alternately funny and heartfelt look at the downsides to fame and rising from the ashes. Sussman’s writing and pacing won me over, and the flashbacks all added to the plot in really important ways. I loved Cal Kirby at sixteen as a theater dork, as twenty-something as a boy band heartthrob, at thirty-something as a director/choreographer coming into his own. Kathleen has moments when it feels like she’s just stringing this poor man along, but she also felt real and flawed and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her shed her Katee Rose past to fully embrace Kathleen Rosenberg.

Yes, this is a love story. Yes, Kathleen and Cal have sexual tension for days, and you’re going to root for them to get their shit together. But more than that, this book is a love letter to musical theater. I finished the book so angry that Riveted wasn’t a real show because I’d be buying tickets immediately. I was still annoyed by the cheating plotline, but my irritation never stood a chance against a book that can casually mention the dancing in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Read this book, watch a musical, and get lost in a really fun world.

If it's a fake Hollywood-style celebrity romance, I will be reading it. I loved Funny You Should Ask, so needless to say this was one of my most anticipated books. It didn't disappoint. I loved the alternating timelines and the drama. Kathleen and Cal had so much history and emotional turmoil involved in their relationship, but I was rooting for them the whole time. I also loved that Kathleen was Jewish and it wasn't a huge plot point, but there were definitely certain nuances that I noticed and enjoyed. This book was so tense and so vulnerable and I couldn't stop reading. I felt so invested in the characters and what was going on, and I also loved that it shifted from pop star to Broadway star. Musicals are some of my favorite things, so I thought that aspect was so well done. Overall, this was a must-read for me. Thanks to Ballantine Books/PRH for sending me an e-ARC to read and review!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Don't let the three star review fool you - I really had fun with this book. It was a very enjoyable read and I am so glad I got to read it and am so grateful at the chance to read it early.

Kathleen Rosenberg, formerly known as Katee Rose, is a former pop star whose career was ended early and was scorned by press and fans after she cheated on her beloved boyband boyfriend with his bandmate Cal Kirby. Now she has a chance to restart her career, not as Katee Rose - but as Kathleen in her Broadway debut. Only issue? Cal is her director. This is a massive opportunity for both of them, so they have to try to get through this without fighting in the wings. Or. Ya know. Falling in love.

Second chance romance. Friends to lovers to enemies (?) to friends to lovers. Dual timeline. Has-been-celebrity romance. This book has so much going for it and it does so many of them well.

Kathleen and Cal are both very fun characters. Kathleen's fears and doubts about her ability to relaunch her career after it was destroyed by a scorned ex (after she cheated on said ex with Cal) are very interesting to read. I love the flashbacks to them when they were younger and the differences between Cal and her then-boyfriend Ryan. I don't even entirely blame her for cheating.... Cal clearly cares so, so much for her throughout the entirety of the story - both in the present and in the flashbacks. I love a good "enemies to lovers except they were never enemies to him" and this book does deliver on it.

I do however have two issues with this book that made me not enjoy it as much as I might have hoped.

The first, and I am hoping this may be fixed in the final version, the pacing and storybeats were a little strange. The story took some big jumps that seemed like there should've been chapters in between to get us from point A to point B. This also caused some plot points to seem unnecessary or unresolved. The catty rival who pops up periodically goes unfulfilled - it seems like she'll get a chance to cause issues multiple times and it never goes anywhere. I was left wanting her to either be more or to not even exist.

The second, and this one is a big one, I hate Harriet (Kathleen's best friend) so much. You remember Lilly from The Princess Diaries, specifically the first one? You remember how she was just a terrible friend to Mia for that entire movie? She somehow made everything that happened to Mia about her, was unsupportive and negative, then in the end was like "but *I* want you to be a princess..."? Harriet is the Lilly of this story. She is a terrible friend. She hides all her feelings from Kathleen for the entire book, only to get mad at Kathleen for not getting it. She makes Kathleen's career being destroyed about her and says Kathleen's going to do it again. She admits to lying to her and testing her through the course of the story because she doesn't trust her. She is so unsupportive of Kathleen and it had me ANGRY reading her reactions throughout the book. This book lost a full star because of her character. She's one of the worst best friend characters I've ever read.

Harriet aside, I do still recommend reading this book. It's a quick read, it's a very fun celebrity romance. It may not change your life, but you'll definitely have fun while you read it.

🎤Katee Rose’s pop-star career deteriorated when she spent one night with Cal Kirby, who is in a boy band with her then boyfriend Ryan LaNeve. Now Kathleen Rosenberg is leaving all of that in the past until Cal Kirby offered her a starring role of her dreams in Broadway which he’s directing.

Elissa Sussman’s second chance romances are always on point! I enjoyed this just as much as I did the previous book. The longing of wanting the MC’s to be together is real 🤭also Cal?! 🔥

This book is out in 3 days! (May 29th)
I checked my local B&N and it was already available! Grab your copy now 💕

Going into this as a fan of Funny You Should Ask, I was really excited to read this book and I definitely was not disappointed.

Absolutely loved, couldn't put down!! Loved the balance between the past and the current. It flowed so well together. Love the romance, love the musical theater nod, and love the story!!

Ten years ago Katee Rose was the biggest pop star in the world. Then, a scandal broke that ended her career.
Now, Kathleen Rosenberg has the opportunity to live her life-long dream, to star on Broadway in a part written specifically for her by her best friend Harriett. The only hitch is that the show is to be directed by one Calvin Tyler Kirby.
Cal was there for Katee's fall from grace and didn't offer the support she desperately needed. Instead he saw his career flourish. Now, Cal holds Katherine's comeback in the palm of his hand. It's a position she doesn't want to be in, but too good of an opportunity to turn down.

They're both professionals, they can keep their animosity at bay for the sake of the show. But being back together day in and day out brings up feelings and emotions once pushed aside in the face of scandal. Can they face the past while trying to make their show a success?

I'm a big fan of second-chance stories (mainly in the romance department) and Once More With Feeling certainly counts - in my mind - as a romance, but to me I was more interested in Katherine getting a second chance at her dream. The story is told in multiple timelines. Present, of course, then the past filling in the the blanks leading up to the scandal, and then further back still showing readers where Katherine and Cal, and Katherine and Harriett started. Because of course you can't have second-chance without the past informing the present state of things. I thought that Elissa Sussman balanced all these timelines perfectly. The message is conveyed without taking away from the forward momentum of the story.

I really wanted Katherine to succeed. She was dealt an unfair deal ten years ago. She certainly didn't deserve to lose her career over it, but you can tell she's grown wary in the years since and could very well be her own obstacle to resurrecting her dreams. But in that regard I also appreciate that she's very, I suppose, weathered by celebrity. She knows her involvement in the show will draw attention and scrutiny of her person, but she's at the point where the worst has already happened to her and she survived through it.

Once More With Feeling is such a love letter to musical theater. If you are or were active in theater then you'll feel the love of this craft just leaping off the page. The hard work and the talent it takes to perform, the risk in hoping that the show you love will be beloved by the audience.

If anything I wish we had gotten just a little bit more from the Katherine/Harriett dynamic. Their friendship is undeniable, but there were times I felt like it was too over-shadowed by that of Katherine/Cal.

Speaking of, I loved how kind of unassuming the relationship between Katherine and Cal is at first. We know he played some part in the scandal, there's hints that they have known each other for along time, but as we connect the dots and are filled in on exactly how connected they are in the past, it really enhances their interactions in the present, and makes what happened ten years ago all the more heartbreaking.

I had not read Elissa Sussman's previous book (although it is on my TBR list), but I already can tell she will be an author I will read more of in the future.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I was totally immersed within Katherine's story of growing up in the public eye but still trying to live your dreams.

I had lukewarm feelings about Sussman's first novel, FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, but liked it well enough to give her second effort a chance. I had the same problems with this novel as I did its predecessor: I cared about one timeline far more than I cared about the other; cheating trope; lack of chemistry between the characters.

This book was so cute! It let me live out my "I'm going to marry one of the Backstreet Boys" fantasies from when I was a kid. It gives late 90's early 00's popstar vibes during the flash backs and I think anyone chasing that nostalgia will love this! In reality, I would probably rate this book a 3.5 stars, but goodreads doesn't allow that so I will round up.

I really enjoyed Elissa Sussman’s first book, Funny You Should Ask, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of Once More With Feeling. A book that boasts a second chance romance trope, with two celebrity characters who were once teen pop stars and are now trying to make their way on Broadway.

This book boasts some wonderful qualities that will hopefully make it a hit for many. It has really meaningful Jewish representation. It’s sure to feel nostalgic for those who went to summer camp and those who did musical theatre growing up. Multiple timelines that set up the feeling of falling in love at different points in your life.

However, for me, these qualities and promises weren’t enough to get through the characters. I almost DNFed the book after on multiple occasions but pushed through for the ARC. The characters unfortunately fall one dimensional. The supportive best friend. The shy boy band member. The outgoing front runner boy band member. The overcontrolling manager.

This book has three timelines going on - Kathleen and Cal at camp as young teens, on tour as pop star/boy band member as young adults, and on Broadway as adults. Unfortunately, because there are so many moving parts it’s hard to truly get into any of the story lines, and even harder to feel any of the build up and swoony longing feeling that normally comes with second chance romances.

Overall, this one wasn’t for me but hopefully it’s a hit for lots of others. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Arc.

Elissa Sussman’s new book ONCE MORE WITH FEELING comes out on Tuesday and it is *chef’s kiss* I somehow liked it even more than FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK.

[Thanks for my copy @PRHAudio!]

ONCE MORE WITH FEELING weaves together friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, celebrity romance and second chance romance… while somehow not feeling tropey at all. The story follows Kathleen Rosenberg, who was once known as Katee Rose, a teen pop star who fell from grace after a fallout with her boy band boyfriend Ryan. She’s now in her 30’s and auditioning for a Broadway play whose director is Cal Kirby, the man everyone in America assumes she cheated on Ryan with.

I love how balanced Elissa Sussman’s books are, with so much more happening than a romance. In ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, we get complicated friendships, commentary on art and ambition, a ton of character growth (love a dual timeline) and alllll the music theatre references. I loved all of it, and it was amazing on audio.

Before I dove into Once More With Feeling, I though I should read Sussman's previous book, "Funny You Should Ask" first. Honestly, I was not a fan, which had me iffy going into Once More with Feeling. I am happy to report I was pleasantly surprised!

While I'm not generally a fan of neither second chance romances nor enemies to lovers, I really do enjoy a celebrity romance, and something about the story here had me absolutely hooked. While I sometimes had a hard time connecting with Kathleen, the MC, the story was enjoyable and the romance was so genuinely sweet,

I'm glad I got to read this one despite my scepticism, Would honestly recomend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for this ARC of Once More with Feeling in exchange for an honest review! I read this on the beach in one sitting - it was THAT addicting. Sussman's writing draws you in and makes you laugh and you just can't seem to stop. I can't describe this better than Sussman writes for the chronically online but not in a derogatory way, because she genuinely does this so well. In the same vein as Carley Fortune, Sussman seems to have carved out a niche for her in the popstar/second chance genre, and Once More with Feeling cleverly follows up Funny You Should Ask. There's lots of drama and I think while I had qualms about the miscommunication, I overall really enjoyed it and it made sense to me. I would absolutely recommend this one.

loved this book as I knew I would. Her first book was great and this was no exception! Cute, Fun, and a great summer beach read

A big thank you to Elissa Sussman, Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC in exchnage for my honest opinion. Once More with Felling comes out May 30, 2023.

I am going to preface this review with saying that usually I am not a huge fan of books that feature a main character cheating. That being said I actually really enjoyed this book, I think the fact that they didn't cheat on each other but with each other was what made a difference (plus I hated Ryan, I know that both are not good excuses). I thought that Kathleen was a pretty flawed character that goes through a lot of character growth to get to the end. The writing was fasted paced and the back and forth between the past and the present where well thought out. I think my biggest complaint is that due to time jumps the romance sometimes dragged for me. Overall, I thought it was a great book about love, forgiveness and second chances. If that's what you are looking for, please go read Once More with Felling once it comes out!

I was really excited about this one. It was a big letdown. There was no substance at all. The romance was lackluster. Kathleen was unbearable, and it was miscommunication upon miscommunication.

I rarely say I don’t recommend trying a book but honestly I do not recommend this one.

Thank you Elissa Sussman and Dell Paperbacks for the advanced reader copy of Once More With Feeling.

This story follows our FMC Kathleen as she re-emerges into the spotlight after an unfortunate fallout from fame as a young pop star. We are carried through her perspective from Then and Now in how she has shaped to be her current performer and self.

Our MMC Cal, comes from a similar background as Kathleen as they went to the same Theatre camp as kids and had two varying paths to fame that collide in their young adult years.

As the story progresses, we unravel what happened in Cal and Kathleen’s past that brings them to their enemy-based relationship of the present.

I found this story to be relatable. I grew up doing theatre and wanting to be on Broadway, so really seeing the theatrical love in this novel was a breathe of fresh air. Not many authors have written a story surrounded by the love of theatre, so it truly captured my heart from the first page.

I sped through the book, as I was unable to put it down and relished in every moment of the story. Not just the romance aspect, but the entirety of the theatrical process of a musical starting at auditions going through workshop and ending on Broadway.

I had to give this novel 5 stars for its ability to pull me into the story as I felt for these characters and the love and friendship between them.