Elissa Sussman knows how to write a celebrity story/romance. Funny You Should Ask was a favorite of mine last year so to get an early copy of this one I was beyond excited and lived up to all my expectations.

Bits…
A celeb comeback
Pop star/ Boybands
Theatre kids
Tons of Broadway talk!
Flashbacks to younger years… easy to follow!
Second chance romance with a dash of enemies to lovers.

I really loved this one!

As soon as this one is out I’m buying a print copy for my shelf because come on her covers are stunning!

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced ecopy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Elissa Sussman for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Kathleen Rosenberg, a former pop star, is given a chance at becoming a broadway star. Kathleen, formerly known as Katee, had a tough go as a pop star. She cheated on her pop star boyfriend with his band member, Cal, leading to the downfall of her career. Harriet, Kathleen’s bestie, is a fantastic songwriter. Harriet wrote a musical and wants Kathleen to star in it. Only problem is, Cal. Cal is directing the musical and wants Kathleen to audition for the role, which bothers Kathleen to no end because it was written for her to play! What happens when Kathleen crosses path with Cal? Also, did I mention that Cal is extremely attractive and a talented director/choreographer? The story is told in Kathleen’s POV, and goes back and forth from the present to the past.
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I LOVED this book. I thought it was so fun and cute! I was reading it slowly because I didn’t want it to end! I thought the characters were interesting. I do wish we could’ve gotten to know Harriet and Cal more though. I feel like they didn’t have as much depth as they could’ve. I think they’re both complex characters and I would’ve liked to know more about them; perhaps, even reading from their POVs? I thought Kathleen was a really great FMC. She is interesting, fun, and snappy. I liked the changes that are discussed with appearance as celebrities age. I think it made Kathleen appear more real.

I think the idea of this book is just so fun, as theatre and the entertainment business are fascinating!

The only thing I wish was different is the ending. I wanted more resolution with Cal and Kathleen. I thought the ending was super sweet, but I wanted more. This is just me not wanting the story to end, but I can’t help it.

I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy of this book.

Elissa Sussman's 2022 adult debut, "Funny You Should Ask," was one of my favorite books of 2022 because the character development was so strong and the characters seemed genuinely attracted to each other. Unfortunately, "Once More with Feeling" provided none of that.

The book seems almost unfinished or rushed at the very least. Cal's personality and history are non-existent and Kathleen's is not much better. We understand that they were both popstars, hooked up at the end of a tour, and then Kathleen's boyfriend blew up her life because of it but there are minimal details on the fallout from this besides cursory mentions that her agent dropped her and she's been living in relative obscurity since. Cal's life literally skips to him becoming a choreographer and that's it.

There's just enough backstory on why Cal and Kathleen like each other but nothing too dreamy or swoon-worthy.

Sussman's writing is still delightful enough for me to give this book 3.5 stars but I hope she is able to spend more time on her next adult endeavor.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman is a fun lightheaded romance that captures you from the first few pages.

Following multiple timelines, the Once More With Feeling starts by following Kathleen and Cal as teenagers meeting at theater camp. While at camp they start to develop crushes. Years later, they reunite while touring as Kathleen becomes pop star Katee Rose and Cal joins the boy band touring alongside Katee Rose (and her current boyfriend!). After a love triangle fall out, Katee Rose loses everything, including her career.

Now years later, Cal is directing a musical written by Kathleen’s best friend and inspired Kathleen’s life. Cal is determined to convince Kathleen to star in this musical and Cal is also determined to get the show on Broadway.

Once More With Feeling combines the second chance romance and enemies to lovers tropes. In a similar vein Sussman’s first book, Funny You Should Ask, the characters have a past history. That history is teased throughout the story keeping you reading to find out what really happened years ago.

Sussman does a wonderful job making her stories fun and come to life. While somewhat formulaic, she does the celebrity angle well! Sussman has become a must read for me as her books keep me hooked and smiling!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Dell for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely adored this book! Main characters, friends, foes, and lovers, are completely jumping off the page with charisma and chemistry. A true musical lovers delight!

Former pop star Kathleen is embarking on a new journey with her best friend, Harriet. They’re taking Harriet’s work to the next level-but why would Harriet want Kathleen’s former partner-in-public-meltdown Cal to be the next director?! How much worse could this get?!

With musical references abound, this book has everything you could want in a romantic comedy-sparks, choreography, flashbacks and friends turned family. As you learn of Kathleen, Cal and Harriet’s history, you’ll fall in love with each of them individually and together in their multitude of ways. An enjoyable, un-put-down-able read that I can’t wait for others to share the joy in!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for Cal and Kathleen!

This book follows Cal and Kathleen — former pop stars rocked by scandal. They reunite on Broadway (he’s the director, she’s the star) and it’s just the cutest little story of second chances.

The story goes back and forth between “then” and “now”. I liked both of the main characters in both plot lines. The plot moved quickly and the characters really came into their own by the end.

If you’ve read Funny You Should Ask, this book is in the same world.

Read this if you like:
❤️ Famous MCs
❤️ Broadway shows
❤️ Musicals made into movies (tons of references!!)
❤️ Second chance romance
❤️ Childhood romance
❤️ Dual timeline

Thanks to NetGalley for the E-ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

I gobbled this book up in one sitting.

Sussman’s writing is so witty and entertaining. I loved all of the musical theatre references she sprinkled in—and the subtle connection to It’s Funny You Should Ask was a cute nod.

Sussman’s use of the narrative structure of then/now works really well to keep the reader engaged and wanting to know what happened to our main characters to pull them apart.

Second chance romances can be hit or miss and this one in my opinion was very well done. I’m not a huge fan of 3rd act breakups but the one in this didn’t feel forced for the sake of drama—it felt natural given the complexity of the situation and emotions involved.

The tension really builds nicely between Cal and Kathleen as they are forced to work together after so much time apart and festering anger. I liked how real Kathleen’s struggles felt with trusting Cal again and also with feeling like she’d been forced into this Villian role in what went down in their youth. The inevitable pull and coming together and then imploding evolved seamlessly.

The ending was so corny but SO CUTE. I loved it.

Bonus points for the TRIXIE and KATYA reference and a cat named Fish.

I didn’t see how this book could top the first but boy did it! I absolutely adored this book with my whole heart and I hope you love it as much as I did!

I am new to Elissa Sussman’s work, but her love and knowledge of the entertainment industry, flawed and unlikely pairings, and humor sucked me in right away. Once More With Feeling captures the nostalgia of the late 90s and its stars after the spotlight and scandal fades. Kathleen and Cal have engaging chemistry and a fascinating history, and their happily ever after feels so fulfilling and long awaited.

Me, to this entire book: once more, with FEELING.

I was so looking forward to this read after loving Funny You Should Ask, but I was left feeling mostly dissatisfied. While the premise is intriguing, one any fangirl will appreciate, the resolution to the many conflicts and the character development fell flat.

I typically enjoy asynchronous plot lines woven together to uncover the true depth of a story, but the alternating timelines ultimately felt disjointed and incomplete. It took away from the character development in the sense that it took the focus away from the “why” and instead placed the emphasis on the “how,” which is arguably (it’s me, I’m arguing) less fruitful when trying to cultivate an emotionally charged story. There are other, less time consuming ways to portray history between characters.

I wanted to like Kathleen, I wanted to root her on as she fought to overcome her past and her turbulent stardom, but it was just so goshdarn hard to piece together her feelings. (Aside from a sort of misplaced and weirdly intense bit of self loathing over something that occurred over a decade ago). But she refused to stand up for herself, even all this time later, and the wet rag of a love interest never had to explain himself (aside from that one bit of dialogue they shared that one time that hardly scratched the surface). There was a lot of wasted potential here and I wish this major point of conflict had been more fleshed out.

Also the weird friend dynamic between Kathleen & Harriet that was explicitly stated to be strained but never really gave evidence for strain aside from when everything supposedly came to a head in a blow out? Kathleen was all “things feel off” and I was like “girl nothing even happened?” It was confusing.

Aside from the lack of emotional investment I had in the characters and plot, I can appreciate the salute to the love of entertainment & theater. This is camp rock fanfic in my brain, and one I probably wouldn’t give kudos to (that feels harsh, I’m sorry). But in the words of the one and only Kathleen Rosenberg, you were a little flat.

2.5⭐️

**thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this eARC**

I enjoyed this book. It was an easy and fun read. Loved the celebrities and second chance romance/friends to lovers theme. I just feel like there could have been more character development. I felt like there was more to the characters than was shown. Overall I did enjoy this book though.

Once More with Feeling intertwines "enemies to lovers" and "second chance" tropes. The author seamlessly combined the two tropes and I'm here for it. The storyline alternates between then and now. In the past, Katee Rose is America's number one pop star who is dating the popular Ryan LaNeve. One wrong decision with childhood friend Cal Kirby sends her career spiraling downhill. Now, Kathleen Rosenberg has been given an opportunity by none other than Cal Kirby to star in a Broadway show and a chance to fulfill her lifelong dream. She reluctantly agrees to star in the show and decides to keep Cal at a distance...until the chemistry between them becomes too much to deny.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing /Ballantine, Dell for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this author’s debut, but this one not as much. There were definitely things I appreciated- the plot & pacing mostly - but I couldn’t get on board with the TWO past timelines (the camp timeline/plot felt wholly unnecessary), and the main characters were really frustrating. I think if more time had been spent fleshing out Kathleen’s backstory, she would’ve rang truer, but there just wasn’t enough time for me to buy into her (or Cal’s) characterization. I was left wanting more

I was a huge fan of Elissa’s previous book and was really looking forward to this one. I definitely enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it quite at much. I wish the characters were a little bit more developed, and we were able to see a little bit more of them falling in love. However, it still was a fun read that I very much enjoyed!

This heartwarming, enemies to lovers, second-chance romance hit the nail on the head if you are looking for the perfect quick and cute rom-com read. If you were a theater kid growing up, this book is meant for you. It truly embodies a theater kid’s dreams wrapped up in a book. My favorite aspect of the book was the duel timelines. They were perfectly in sync, woven so thoroughly, you never have a question about past reference for too long. The tension between Cal and Kathleen fueled my desire to turn the pages. While there wasn’t a full development of the characters, the book does a great job at navigating relationships with friends, lovers, and oneself. I’d recommend you read if you are a fan of second-chance romance, the perfect rom-com, or looking to see your theater passion written on the pages.

I'll read anything Elissa Sussman writes this was amazing and just as lovely as Funny You Should Ask, I absolutely loved every minute of it.

2.5 ★

this book sure was interesting…

i don’t know whether it’s the author or me, because the writing never hits the way it’s supposed to. i had so much hope i would love this but it was even worse than funny you should ask 💔

the characters were so BLAND. i don’t know how else to put it. i couldn’t connect to any of them. kathleen was such an embarrassing character it physically hurt me to read some of those scenes 😭 the breaking point was the cheating. no matter what the situation is i will almost never support cheating. you’d think that with the characters being in their 30’s they’d be more mature but that was sadly not the case.

i’m not a big fan of time jumps because i usually like one more and it gets hard to push through the book. this book was no different, i didn’t really care for the then chapters, i only wanted the now, which caused me to be pretty bored most of the book.

on the bright side, cal was really cute for the most part. his little moments had me smiling. the 2.5 star rating goes to him entirely 🫶🏻 i also love books about celebrities, idk why they’re so entertaining, i loved that aspect of this book.

if you enjoyed funny you should ask, then i think you should definitely read this! it’s a quick and easy read, the authors writing style just isn’t for me. i also think if you’re a big fan of musical theatre you’d enjoy this way more!

thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for enemies to lovers and second chance romance? Then this is the book for you. Lots of tensions, and sweet moments in this story. A comfy romance read, for sure.

I adored 'Funny You Should Ask,' so I really looked forward to 'Once More With Feeling.' Nostalgic in all the right ways and made for those of us who were (and continue to be) obsessed with musicals and 2000s pop culture, Sussman's second novel is fun, quick, and entertaining.

Theatre nerds will love Sussman's niche references, and those of us who lived through the era of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake (and the fall out of their breakup) live vicariously through a heroine who got to take back the narrative on her own terms.

It's an alarmingly fast read (I couldn't put it down), but I do wish the book was 50 pages longer. The conflict wraps up very quickly — almost unbelievably quickly — and I would have loved to see Sussman flesh out the end so it was more satisfying for the reader.

There are plenty of similarities between 'Funny You Should Ask' and 'Once More With Feeling,' (not the least of which being that they both revolve around a second chance, Hollywood romance that spans decades), but I can't wait to see her venture out of her comfort zone in the future. And if she continues to write Hollywood romances that have us hooked from the jump? I'll be consuming those, too.

Once More with Feeling is a mix of second chance romance, childhood sweethearts and enemies to lovers, mixed with an element of celebrity. I loved the mix of now/then timelines for this book as it helped paint a full picture of Kathleen and Cal's past and their connection, as well as what tore them apart and caused so much resentment on both ends. At times, Kathleen's self loathing was hard to read because she was so hard on herself regarding the reason her career as a pop star blew up. Plus, her best friend harbored a lot of jealousy which made her second guess herself even more as she worked to rebuild her image. However, Cal's (deep down) unwavering feelings for her helped her realize her full potential to be the star she actually wants to be this time around. Their forced proximity and leftover resentment led to a lot of fighting before they could truly breakthrough to each other, but the end result led to a true second (or technically third) chance at love. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.