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.

If we were a move is a cute easy YA romcom. The characters were enjoyable, lovable and so darn adorable. Another thing I enjoyed about this book is that it takes place in a black historical movie theater. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something light and easy.

Books like these are why I love YA!

I started this book not sure what to expect and found a book that was hard to put down and something I looked forward to reading every free chance I got. Rochelle, our MC, is determined to go to Wharton and will do whatever she has to do to make that goal a reality. She's stubborn, a bit close-minded and prefers to stick to herself and her small group of friends and isn't one to take chances in life. She desperately needs a job for the summer--to have something on her college application, of course--and a job at a local movie theater quite literally falls into her lap. She takes it, expecting it to be a simple job that won't change much in her life...and ends up getting so much more than she bargained for.

First off, I have to say that I loved that the story took place in New York, and Hempstead at that! I feel like I haven't read a book in a very long time that took place in New York and it wasn't Manhattan. I also really liked that the author took the time to describe the neighborhood and I found myself smiling at the little quirks the author would point out about the area. I also really liked the movie theater and I found myself googling to see if it was a real place to visit.

I really enjoyed Rochelle, her friends (both her best friends and the friends she makes at her job) and especially Amira, the love interest. I enjoyed how they all had distinct personalities and I could always imagine them in my mind. Rochelle had little moments that annoyed me a little, mostly how judgmental she could be, but I also can't fault her for it because it was a part of her growth and it's something she is aware of and calls herself out on. I also really loved the romance and thought it was so cute!

Overall, I really had a great time reading this book and I can't wait to read what's next from this author.

A sweet, fun book about firsts in the life of a teenager. Rochelle Coleman is looking for a summer job before her HS senior year. She has never been employed. She’s never had a girlfriend. Other than her two besties, Kerry and Taylor, who dragged her into their circle, she has no other friends. Rochelle guards her time and space. She wants to follow her brilliant mother’s footsteps to Penn University. Valedictorian or Go Home. But Rochelle soon finds out life is messy and can’t be controlled.

Firstly, I liked the backdrop of an old fashioned neighborhood movie theatre, especially one steeped in Black history. I grew up in Chicago in the 1960’s and 1970’s which had those small theatres nestled in Black and Latine areas catering to the residents because of segregation and later just the sense of community. The Horizon Theatre setting felt spot on. I got a kick out of these modern day teens appreciating the older classics like Shaft and Space Jam.

The diverse crew are a good mix of quirkiness and high energy. As the story moves along, Rochelle opens up to becoming friends with them. Learning the responsibilities of a job gives her a nice confidence in practical matters. Finally, her first crush on her rival surprises then thrills her. Very cute connection and I loved Amira Rodriguez. The author does a great job at expanding Rochelle’s world.

My favorite parts of the book are the interactions between Rochelle and her mother. There’s a lot of love there and a me and you against the world closeness that comes from the bond of a single mom and her only child. But Rochelle’s heartfelt words to her mother, breaking down her feelings about expectations, about first love, and the challenges of being 17 really touched my heart.

What a debut! Give me queer black girl magic any day of the week and I'm sold! While that initially grabbed my attention, it very much reads like a debut (meaning there's lot of room for growth!). The prose is a little rudimentary, the exposition weighs heavily on tell over show, and though our FMC acts like the mature one in her group, her immaturity shines on every page. Hoping to see more from this author as their writing journey continues.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve followed Zakiya N. Jamal on social media for a while, and I’ve been vaguely aware of her work on the publishing side of things. So, I was super-hyped to hear that she was finally becoming a published author, and of a Black sapphic romance at that. And the title, If We Were a Movie, just drew me in further (Hannah Montana vibes!), not to mention the comp titles (2000s DCOM!). As for the book itself, it’s absolutely delightful!
Rochelle is a sympathetic protagonist, if a little flawed. She’s a little judgmental, but she’s also very ambitious and incredibly loyal to those close to her. And while this judgmental nature does rear its head, I like that it leads to moments of growth and learning, particularly as she gets to know Amira more. It’s great to see someone who, while not unhappy with their quality of life, is still able to grow through forming connections with those around her.
The romance with Amira is also pretty cute. While “enemies to lovers” is a bit of an overstatement, that’s the case for many contemporary-set romance plotlines. Either way, I liked how the genuine animosity evolved into understanding, amiability, and even more through them getting to know each other. They have some really solid moments together, and I like how Amira plays a role in Rochelle’s growth.
I also loved the emphasis on friendship and community, with Rochelle already having a few good friends, and the staff of Horizon Cinemas becoming very close through working together. This is also juxtaposed beautifully with nods to the history of Black cinema throughout their summer-long effort to save the cinema, plus the creation of a queer-affirming and inclusive environment.
The sabotage plot was a tad ridiculous, especially since there’s a lot to chew on already, plus it felt rather predictable in the end. However, it does ultimately work well to provide a climax to the theater plotline, and it’s relatively minor in the grand scheme of things.
This was a cute book, and I’d recommend it to readers in search of a lighthearted YA Black sapphic romance.

Thank you Zakiya N. Jamal and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC of If We Were a Movie!

This fast-paced YA romance with a mystery side plot follows sapphic enemies/academic rivals as they work at a local cinema together over the summer. Amira's charisma and dedication to her job slowly start winning over the college admissions-obsessed Rochelle.

This book is a lot of fun and super easy to tear through. The characters were diverse and engaging, and the mystery plot gave me another reason to keep turning the page.

I would have loved a teensy bit more romantic development in the middle, and the mystery plot did feel somewhat half-baked, but it was still a delightfully fun time. Seeing all of the friendships and romantic developments gave me strong Heartstopper vibes.

I'd highly recommend you check this out if you love YA romances! Thank you again for the ARC. If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal releases on April 22!

"Booksmart meets Phantom of the Megaplex in Zakiya N. Jamal's debut enthralling 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. Perfect for fans of Leah Johnson and Today Tonight Tomorrow.

Lights. Camera. Love?

Rochelle "the Shell" Coleman is laser focused on only three things: becoming valedictorian, getting into Wharton, and, of course, taking down her annoyingly charismatic nemesis and only academic competition, Amira Rodriguez. However, despite her stellar grades, Rochelle's college application is missing that extra special something: a job.

When Rochelle gets an opportunity to work at Horizon Cinemas, the beloved Black-owned movie theater, she begrudgingly jumps at the chance to boost her chances at getting into her dream school. There's only one problem: Amira works there…and is also her boss.

Rochelle feels that working with Amira is its own kind of horror movie, but as the two begin working closely together, Rochelle starts to see Amira in a new light, one that may have her beginning to actually...like her?

But Horizon's in trouble, and when mysterious things begin happening that make Horizon's chances of staying open slimmer, it's up to the employees to solve the mystery before it's too late, but will love also find its way into the spotlight?"

Has a very Empire Records vibe. I like that!

This was just ok to me. I liked that it was easy to get through. I don't like that they stopped being rivals less than a third of the way through the book. I wish it took longer for the main character to start liking her.