4.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

If We Were A Movie is a YA novel about Rochelle, a stubborn academic who suddenly needs a job and gets hired at the local movie theater. What ensues is romance, friendships, and a low-stakes mystery.
This was a very nice palate cleanser. The romance (✨sapphic✨) was a slow, sweet burn that took time to establish a friendship before the kissing. I was really rooting for Rochelle and Amira the whole book, even if Rochelle was annoyingly stubborn at times.
The mystery was very low-stakes, with a reveal that everyone saw coming from a mile away. But it made for some great character bonding moments, so I enjoyed it. I did feel like the ending was a little sudden. I would’ve liked a little more, just to wrap the story up a little tighter.
Altogether, though, I really liked this. It was very sweet and easy to read.

CW: parent death

3.5*

This was cute! It's very YA, and I found the reasons for the 'enemies' in the enemies-to-lovers setup to be totally goofy, but whatever. This was very much a beach/popcorn read. It wasn't trying to be deep. It was cute as heck and I devoured it in two sittings. I spent most of this book going, "Oh my gosh, why is Rochelle SO ANNOYING" and then having to immediately admit to myself that I was Rochelle in high school. I read her has someone with undiagnosed OCD, which would certainly explain her tendency to hyper-fixate on particular things.

As a whole, the cast of characters enduring chaos in a movie theater reminded me of the webcomic "Enjoy the Show!" as I haven't read many other movie-theater-based romcoms. There were plot points I wasn't crazy about and which I won't spoil, but overall, especially for a debut, this was a low-stakes sapphic comedy of errors that kept me entertained and engaged right to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Big shoutout to NetGalley and Zakiya Jamal for the ARC! All tea, no lies—these thoughts are all mine.

At first? Rochelle had me rolling my eyes hard—girl was insufferable. But plot twist: that’s exactly the point. Her glow-up? Chef’s kiss. One of the best YA arcs I’ve read in a minute.

This one’s giving cozy summer YA vibes with a splash of mystery, but let’s be real—it’s heavy on the sapphic romance, and I was so here for it. The Black-owned movie theater setting? Obsessed. Can I get this same story but from Amira’s POV next? That girl? Diabolical in the best “get the girl” way.

The side characters were fab and had me lowkey craving more of their stories—everyone felt real, and I love when a cast brings it like that.

Queer rep? On point. Every flavor under the rainbow shows up and shows out. The way the book handles identity, corrections, and accountability? Chef’s second kiss.

If you’re into butterflies, happy sighs, and that “omg they’re so cute” feeling, this book’s for you. “SAT word”? Yeah, that line alone had me swooning. Rochelle + Amira’s slow-burn magic kept me hooked.

Tropes we love: close proximity, soft enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, sapphic cuteness, semi-slow burn, and a childhood friends reunion moment.

This one's going straight to my reread shelf. Can’t wait to cop the physical when it drops!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

Thank you to Harper Collins for the eARC.

If We Were a Movie was a pretty cute read.

Rochelle is a very dedicated student, who wants a summer job to make her college applications look better and gets a surprise job at the local black-owned movie theater. And let me tell you, this girl doesn’t even watch movies! But surprise, her arch enemy from school is the assistant manager (you’re not the boss of me…jk you are).

Rochelle had such a one-track mind; she was so focused on academics and oblivious to life going on around her. I liked seeing her make friends and start to realize that her rivalry with Amira was actually not a big deal. And Rochelle’s bffs explaining to her that she’s basically had a crush this whole time? Priceless.

I did feel like the romance between Rochelle and Amira moved quickly, I was hoping for more of a progression between them. But as this is all from Rochelle’s point of view, it’s likely that it was happening the whole time and she just didn’t recognize it was occurring.

Overall, If We Were a Movie was an adorable debut and I’d happily read more from this author.

‘If We Were a Movie’ was a really fun romance set in a historic cinema. Almost as if it were a movie! The characters are so easily loveable, so fun, so endearing and this story becomes a mystery as we unravel pranks hurting this cinema almost teetering on the edge of closing as it is.

The weakest part of this story was the mystery. It’s the most obvious person with a very weak build up and resolution - it almost felt as if someone had told the author this book didn’t have any plot and they had to add something in. But honestly, I would’ve taken more dates and more different backdrops of natural friendship drama over the mystery plot (and I love a mystery!) the romance was fun and the found family was incredible. I just wished for more of the story developing the group outside of the cinema (although entirely understandable whilst the entire book is set there, just would’ve loved more atmosphere). BUT had a really fun time with this one! Excited to see what else this author puts out.

If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N Jamal is a sweet sapphic romance and an intriguing mystery that will have you cheering for all the tropes.

The summer before her senior year, Rochelle gets a job at a movie theater so she has one more activity to put on her college application. Unfortunately, it happens to be the place where her nemesis Amira — the girl who used to be her friend but might be competition for valedictorian—also works. The girls put their rivalry aside because someone is sabotaging the historic Black movie theater and they’ll have to solve the mystery before the theater closes for good.

Can I say that I love drama? LOL It’s one of the best things about reading YA. There’s so much going on and everything feels high stakes. Rochelle is such a [relatable] serious girl who studies all the time and never parties. When things go sideways at the theater, she makes it her job to fix that too. I enjoyed watching her come out of her shell and the romance is just adorable.

This was a realistic snapshot of the stress of the summer before senior year and a reminder that some of that pressure comes from parents, even if unintentionally. The secondary characters were really fun too and the vibes of hanging out with friends at a summer job were like a teen movie. Overall this was a fun debut novel.

This is a really cute YA sapphic romance book. I enjoyed setting at a Black-owed movie theater and that there was a bit of a mystery aspect as well. Recommend to anyone that likes sapphic romances.

Thank you to @epicreads for an advance copy to review!

An enemies-to-lovers queer romance, set against the backdrop of a historic Black-owned movie theater, the quirky employees who work there, and the suburbs of Long Island.

^from the publisher!

This was a cute and fun debut YA sapphic romance. I found myself really enjoying the storyline. As someone who also sought a lot of perfection and top grades in school, I could definitely relate to Rochelle! I thought her conflict with Amira was interesting and there was a bit to unpack there. I also really enjoyed the development of her relationship with her mom. As a girl who lost her dad young, some of those story beats hit hard!

But honestly - the real enjoyment in this story comes from the fun group of teens working at the theater. I fell in love with all of them, and how they called out Amira and Rochelle (IYKYK). I loved how Rochelle brought together her friend groups to save the theater. Can I just say how much I loved the golden retriever Shawn??? He’s too much in the best way.

Amira and Rochelle’s romance was very sweet and tender. I very much enjoyed those butterfly descriptions and longing looks. Very adorable! Their first kiss was cute! I also liked how they figured out how to be friends first.

Out 4/15!! Check it out :)

Such a fun sapphic YA romance! This book is full of a lot of firsts - first jobs, first girlfriends, and more. I loved the story being told with the backdrop of a summertime movie theater job.

This was a sweet story! I really related to Rochelle's character since I was driven by a lot of the same aspirations when I was in highschool, so I really enjoyed seeing her have to challenge the single track focus she's had on school. On the surface her and Amira seem so similar so it was cool to see how morphed from seeing those similarities as negatives to realizing that they were probably why she was so drawn into her. Lots of hi-jinks with everything that is going on at the theatre and I thought the cast of side characters in the book were super fun!

Thank you Harper Teen and NetGalley for an ARC of If We Were a Movie!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up

This book had such a simple formula and yet I loved it. We have the opposites attract ex best friends to lovers trope which is sometimes really hit or miss for me. I felt like Rochelle's reasons for not wanting to be friends with Amira made sense the more we get into the story. It seems very singleminded until we get to know more about Rochelle and her mindset. I loved the focus on the movie theater and what it meant to the community and the people who worked there. Having a black owned theater that plays black movies sounds like such an amazing idea. The mystery was a little dry but it was still interesting to see them try to work it out. There were some parts I didn't fully beleive in the moment but all in all it made sense for the story.

Rochelle's friend group was very solid and seeing them interact was fun. Taylor was cool and the more she talked the more I felt like she was like me. I also loved having an aroace character. Everyone was so funny and I really liked the different personalities coming together. All in all this was a great book that felt very cute and cozy. Plenty of good romance and character development.

Rochelle, an African American high school student living on Long Island, needs a summer job before starting her senior year. She's convinced that a job will strengthen her college application to UPenn Wharton, her parents' alma mater. When a mysterious offer comes her way to work at the Black-owned local independent movie theater, she convinces herself that this is the only opportunity she'll have. Then on her first day she discovers that Amira, her nemesis, is the assistance manager.

This is the set up for the novel which goes on to tell the story of Rochelle's summer at the theater, the mysterious accidents that keep plaguing the theater, the staff's efforts to save the theater from closing, and Rochelle's rapprochement with Amira.

The concept and setting of this book are well done though I felt at times that my engagement waned, particularly in the middle. Also, as with many YA books, the conversation between Rochelle and her mother seemed to be almost too quick to resolve everything. One final thing is the tendency in recent queer YA books to represent every type of LGBTQ+ diversity that exists, which always feels more like education than literature.

I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.

I loved this book so much. It made me long to go to the movies, the scene was perfectly set and I could almost smell the popcorn.
I instantly connected with Rochelle and her drive that never gives her a day off. Her focus was admirable and it equal parts made me proud and broke my heart the reason that she was so determined about her future goals. I loved her relationship with her mom (who always had me laughing) and her friendships were absolute goals. I love how they all were confident in their identities, but also dealt with teenage anxieties. When Amira was introduced I also instantly loved her and could completely understand how she and Rochelle clashed. I knew we were going to be in for an amazing soft-enemies (more like opponents) to lovers situations. It was so much fun to see Rochelle grow and how she and Amira were drawn together. This whole cast of characters was fabulous and I really loved them all. I had SO much fun reading this book, through the ups and downs and drama and the romance made me smile all along the way.

A fabulous YA romance story!

What a great debut this was!!! A sapphic YA romance between two academic rivals set in the summer, If We Were a Movie was a fun read filled with friendship, all the feels of developing a crush you try to fight, history of black cinema, all with a little mystery to boot. I loved watching Rochelle and Amira learn to work together at their local theater despite their history, and the way we got to see them develop in the process.

The narrator, Marcella Fox, did a great job bringing this community to life! I’d recommend both the book and the audio if you’re looking for a quick summer romance that feels cozy and cute as you watch rivals become friends, and friends become more 💗

*4.5 Stars*

This was great. I loved the setting, the whole cinema setting was so good. I loved reading about their work days (not that I would want the job) and seeing the main character grow, connect to others and come out of her shell. I really liked everything about this. I loved how this was a romance but it was also about the friendships and the family and the cinema itself, just the whole community. I was so invested. A lot of it was also just a great time, I laughed and couldn't stop reading. It was just such a good story and I could not recommend it more!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal is a first person-POV YA contemporary Black Sapphic romance. Rochelle needs a summer job to help round out her college application to her lawyer mother’s alma mater. When she can’t find one, she’s starting to resign herself until she gets a chance to work at the local Black-owned movie theater. But the daughter of her mother’s best friend, and Rochelle’s least favorite person, Amira, is the assistant manager.

Rochelle’s determination to not only follow in her mother’s footsteps but to also accomplish the things her mother not quite got to do because she chose to have Rochelle will resonate with some readers. That pressure, whether internal or external, to do as well or better than your parents absolutely does exist and it is a huge driving force. That Rochelle is so single-minded that she filters whether or not she wants to be friends with Amira through the lens of ‘is Amira going to be a detriment to this’ sets up the major flaw that has to be overcome.

Besides that, Amira and Rochelle’s romance arc also involves Rochelle learning to stop finding things to fault Amira for or that make Amira different from her. Amira is Afro-Cuban and Afro-Puerto Rican and Rochelle does bring this up as a way to separate herself from Amira (her mother immediately calls her out on this) as well as bringing up that Amira speaks Spanish in a way that is a bit awkward. It’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, but it is believable that a teenager would just spit those things out without really thinking them through because adults do the same.

Besides Amira and Rochelle’s romance, there is also AroAce, MLM, Bi/Pan, and Enby representation among the large cast of characters of color. It’s very cool for a Black Queer-owned movie theater to be the central setting of a romance and we get references to classic Black films as well as some more modern classics. All of these aspects help create a community for Amira and Rochelle to be part of as they do their jobs and start a relationship without worrying about what people will think.

I would recommend this to fans of Black Sapphic romances looking for a YA contemporary romance and readers of YA with lots of cinema references

4.5 stars

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

What a cute sapphic, YA romcom!!! It was so funny and bright. I loved getting Rochelle’s POV, and also all of the characters being hilarious and giving their honest opinions with one another. I love seeing healthy friendships displayed in books!!

After Rochelle begins working at the movie theater and makes a truce with Amira, I loved the setting so much. I always thought it was so cool when friends/acquaintances said they worked at the movies and I can’t remember another book I’ve read where the main characters works at one. So good.

Rochelle has a great character development throughout the book. She slowly begins to realize things, both on her own and with the help of her friends. Rochelle realizing her feelings about Amira was so cute and sweet to watch unfold.

This book was also very queer-affirming, which I loved!

The “mystery” aspect of the plot could’ve been fleshed out more, but it honestly didn’t bother me much due to how much I loved the characters.

It comes out in a few weeks (4/22/25), don’t miss it!!!

CW: grief, death of parent

If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal is a sweet ya romance novel that follows our main character Rochelle, who is so focused on school and getting into her dream college that she completely disregards anything else. However, she does not have a job on her college resume yet. So when she is offered a job at a local historic black-owned theater she is in no place to refuse.
The characters in this book were plentiful, and some were fleshed out better than others. I do attribute some of this to Rochelle being an unreliable narrator. We see the world as Rochelle sees it, so if she doesn't take the time to get to know the character we as readers don't either.
I found the romance between Rochelle and Amira really cute and sweet, but I do think some of the conflict between them is glossed over. I suppose nothing like a mutual goal to bring even rivals closer together, which does bring up the minor mystery plot that was going on in the background the whole time. While the mystery was a little lackluster in its conclusion. It is probably for the best otherwise it might've taken focus from the romance aspect of this romance book.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an advanced reader copy to read and review.

This was just so adorable. I absolutely loved the movie theatre setting and the friendship between all the workers. It really played into the whole found family trope and It was so fun seeing their shenanigans. The relationship between Amira and Rochelle was so heartwarming. Childhood frenemies to lovers is one of my favourite tropes and i loved the friendship their moms had. Overall i think it was a really sweet and fun read.