A great YA with heart and depth. I’d love to read more of this author’s work because this was a quick read and a great palate cleanser.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved that it felt like an early 2000’s teen rom-com, but with way more diverse characters and the impact of social media. Each character felt distinct and fleshed out with their own strengths, insecurities and family dynamics. This is also the first book I’ve read with IBS representation, which made Jamie a character my younger self could connect with. It was also wonderful to see Arab men represented with Axcel; he was sweet, respectful and kind. I would recommend this book to any and all readers who love a light hearted YA romance!

The cover is gorgeous! I love the artwork and pastels throughout the design. I thought it was a cute read and I'm excited to read more by the author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A Charming and Refreshingly Real YA Rom-Com

You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh was a delightful surprise and a strong first impression of the author’s work. This was my first book by Khalilieh, and I found her voice to be both authentic and engaging, especially when it came to portraying teenage emotions and modern high school dynamics.

The story blends humor, awkward moments, and heartfelt growth in a way that feels very true to life. I appreciated the representation in this book—especially how it tackled neurodivergence, identity, and friendship without ever feeling overly preachy or forced. The main character had a unique perspective that made her easy to root for, and the relationships (both romantic and platonic) developed naturally and believably over time.

The romance was sweet and had just the right amount of tension and banter to keep me hooked. If you enjoy slow-burn young adult romances with layered characters and emotional depth, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Overall, You Started It was a solid 4-star read for me. It was warm, witty, and refreshingly different from your average YA love story. I’ll definitely be checking out more from Jackie Khalilieh in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tundra Book Group, penguin random house publishing and author Jackie Khalilieh for the eARC of “You Started It”!
Publication date: May 20th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads

I would give this book 3.5 stars if I could.
Important notes about this book:
- Arab representation
- LGBTQ+ representation
- Mental health representation
- Fake Dating romance
Jamie is a half Palestinian, half Canadian teen, who struggles with her cultural identity. She is expected by her mother to ignore her Arab heritage and fully assimilate to her Canadian side.
Luckily, we eventually get to see Jamie begin to learn about and embrace her culture through a fake-dating situation, in which she gets to have some experiences with Arab families and traditions. Although, this part of the book sort of falls off after a while and seems to be forgotten about.

While I do not think I am exactly the target audience for it- I think this story would be good for young readers with a similar background! (It is still a interesting read even if you cannot necessarily relate to it.)
It promotes loving yourself and where you come from, and busts some of the negative stereotypes that are traditionally associated with Arab culture.
Not only is it beneficial, but I found it to be quite unique as well, given that I have not yet read any other book that really addresses this same set of issues.

As for the romance aspect of the story:
I liked Jamie and Axel together! I think that they were a cute couple, and I liked the way that Axel worked with Jamie on her anxiety in ways that made her feel safe and comfortable- instead of just telling her that it was “all in her head”.

However, at times the romance felt somewhat drawn out. I felt like the same conversations and scenes kept happening, which started to feel repetitive. This made it a bit difficult to read.
I also did not really sense much of a connection between Jamie or any of the characters she had relationships with.

Overall, I would recommend this book for young readers, or readers that are looking for something with multicultural representation. However, I think the romance could have been written a bit better!

This was stinkin CUTEEEEE

First of all I knew that this is Olivia Rodrigo’s “get him back!” in book form. When I was reading chapter 1 I was concerned bc the guy who dumped the MC was NOT it and I couldn’t entertain the idea of them getting back together. Then I realized that that shitty guy isn’t the actual love interest in this book, so I relaxed a bit. AND THEN when the actual love interest entered the pages… omg I immediately liked him, so much that I couldn’t stop grinning when he’s around lol.

This book generally gave me similar feelings of when I read Dungeons & Drama by Kristy Boyce which is my fav YA romcom ever. And I couldn’t help that they’re having similar pattern: fake dating that has something to do with the ex, the MC & LI is a pair of outgoing performer x reserved dork, full of cute banters, and flirty in a playful way. Guess I have a type for YA romcom now lol. These adorable kids I can’ttttttt.

I love the characters with all of their flaws and confusions, I mean yes nobody’s perfect because they’re still kids! It’s realistic because literally no one has their teenage life neat and in order. The peak conflict was so messy and not gonna lie it frustrated a bit but I totally got it, you know? Also I felt bad for Olivia, for how those boys treated her and I hope she eventually get her real happy ending someday. But I’m happy with how this story turned out.

I felt like Jackie’s writing has matured and improved so much in this even though this is only her 2nd book, and I thought back then Something More was pretty good already! So I’m really excited to read more of her books in the future <3

I really loved that this was YA, something about YA always tugs on my heartstrings. The fake-dating-to-lovers trope in a high school setting was super cute, and I thought Axel was such a sweet character. I really enjoyed watching the romance between him and Jamie slowly evolve.

That being said, I did struggle a bit with Jamie as a character. While I loved that she was a book lover (very relatable!), sometimes it felt like that part of her personality was a little forced, and I didn’t always feel super connected to her. The dialogue could get a little cringe at times too, which made some of the more serious plot points feel a bit less believable.

Also, the pacing dragged for me toward the end. We kind of knew where the story was heading, but it kept taking these extra detours that didn’t feel totally necessary, I kept waiting for it to wrap up. It probably wasn’t even that bad, but it just started feeling a bit long for me personally.

Overall, still a cute YA read with some sweet moments, but it lacked a bit of the depth I was hoping for.

Thank you Tundra Books for the eARC via Netgalley.

This was such a fun and cute read and so much so I read this in a day! It is YA and while I'm not really into certain YA books now, this one absolutely did it for me and I can't wait to read more from this author now!

"You Started It" by Jackie Khalilieh is a truly compelling and thought-provoking read that resonated deeply with me. Khalilieh tackles complex themes with nuance and sensitivity, crafting a narrative that feels both authentic and powerful. The characters are incredibly well-developed, their voices distinct and their struggles relatable, making it easy to become fully invested in their journey. The pacing is skillfully handled, building tension effectively and keeping you hooked until the very end. My only very minor note is that I sometimes wished for a deeper exploration of a few secondary relationships, but this doesn't detract from the overall strength of the novel. A highly impactful and memorable story.

The beginning breakup had me cringing with the whole "I'll be whatever you want me to be". But I do love a fake dating trope!!!!!
Immediately Axel is better than Ben.... And Ben just gets worse and worse the longer the book goes on. Because why is he mad about Axel but she's supposed to just be fine about everything with Olivia.
And the fact her mother just keeps being ridiculous about the entire Ben thing even though she didn't like him
Also expecting Jamie to have her entire life together and follow her set plan when she's only 17...
And Jamie getting mad that Axel found her dad is actually wild. She wanted to see him and missed him and then was pissed about it. Jamie was just looking for reasons to be mad.

I don't know. Overall, it's not bad by any means I just feel like I'm expecting more from this author.

This book is such a breath of fresh air- filled with fake dating, self-discovery, and acceptance!!
Jamie has a plan for senior year, a very well thought out plan, which was all set and ready to go. Except her long term boyfriend returns from his summer away and everything shifts. Suddenly Jamie is single and unsure of what to do next. That is until she runs over Betty White (a bike) and Axel enters the stage. Her ex has seemingly already moved on and Jamie knows what she has to do to get him back. Set in her new plan, she and Axel agree to be in a fake relationship. Jamie will help pay to fix his bike, drive him to school, and help film his viral dancing TikToks. In exchange Axel will pretend to be her boyfriend. Only how long can it really stay pretend when they are spending every moment together and quickly learning more and more about one another??
I loved the story so much!! The character growth and chemistry between Axel and Jamie was so cute!! I couldn't put their story down!! A wonderful YA romance- it's nostalgic and reminiscent of my high school years! You really feel for and connect with Khalilieh's wonderful characters! I highly recommend You Started It!!

I knew this was going to be good when I realized I was screaming at them like I was their IRL librarian. And I’m not talking just one of them, I mean ALL OF THEM. lol They were all a mess, but I gotta say, that made for a good reading experience lol

So the characters in this were my favorite part. Jamie was SO RELATEABLE. I wasn’t proud of some of the things she did (like the way she treated someone at one point) but for the most part I know the WHY. And it was a bit like she was forced into some of this because listen, I know me and I know that I also would have been filming someone dancing just to piss someone else off lol Now Ben was the one who really got me pissed off. This boy had a lot of nerve. But I won’t spoil anything. Just know that I didn’t like him as soon as I met him lol

This book had EVERYTHING I liked about the fake dating trope. For one thing, the whole embarrassing situation that causes them to fake date?! 1000% flawless lol And I have to say I can say that I would have done the very same thing that Jamie did lol And let me just say, Axel is a real one lol Because he did exactly what he was supposed to and I applaud him for that. Then with the third act, I was disappointed that her grand gesture was cut short, but I was proud that she even tried to do one. Fake dating and fighting feelings are hard work.

This book was messy AF, but I will say it was a lot of fun. All of these kids needed some time to themselves in my opinion, but I was glad to see the way they got things to work out. It was actually a pretty solid and mature ending for what started out as a hot mess lol

Thank you to NetGalley, Tundra Books, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I first picked up this book, I thought it would be about character growth and development, as well as overcoming heartbreak. I was wrong. This book made me feel an array of emotions, ranging from anger to frustration, and I really wish I hadn't picked this up. The main character, Jamie, was insufferable. She thought everything revolved around her and treated every other person around her like absolute garbage, especially her mom. I understand that some of the things that the mom did weren't amazing, but she was only looking out for her daughter. Also, the way Jamie clung to her ex, when they were already broken up and kept being petty at every opportunity, was, in my opinion, pathetic. And I hated her ex, he was a manipulative jerk, who was too much of a coward to tell his girlfriend, Olivia, or Jamie, the truth about his feelings. I thought Axel was a decent MMC, except for the fact that him being a tiktok dancer was his ENTIRE personality. We seriously couldn't go a single page without him or someone else pointing out this fact, and though I have nothing against tiktok or dancers, it really started to annoy me after a certain point. Overall, this book had potential, but due to the characters being annoying or unlikable, it failed to appeal to me.

Thank you Jackie Khalilieh, Tundra Book Group, and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

The book description mentioned Better Than the Movies, and Olivia Rodrigo's SOUR, and I would add that it also feels like To All the Boys I've Loved Before—Just not as good. There were enough parts that were cringy, and not in a "they're teenagers, of course they're cringy" way (honestly, that sometimes included references and certain word choices). Additionally, I felt like Jamie was a bit to back and forth in her decisions. She'd make up her mind one section and a few paragraphs later she's changed her mind and yet she's often defined as stubborn?

However, I did still enjoy reading the book. I liked how Axel pushed Jamie out of her comfort zone and was able to help her feel more connected to her Arab heritage. The romance was cute, and it was obvious how down bad Axel was for Jamie. Additionally, I appreciated the complexities of Jamie's feelings toward her mom and the challenges she faced with what happened with her dad, which added depth to the book.

Before I start I just want to say thank you to net galley for this arc, now let’s get into the review:

Rating:1⭐️ (dnf’d at 30%)
While I was so excited to get into this book and read my first book by those author I was so heavily disappointed by the pacing of the book. At the beginning it felt like it was moving so well and then at about the 15% the plot and storyline complete dropped the ball. I also just could not get over TikTok being mentioned and the Dance. It just didn’t do anything for me.

A super cute teen romance. It felt childish in the good/right places and a bit more serious/grown up in other places and around different topics.

This book had to be one of the cutest books I’ve read in a long time. I LOVED that not only was it a romance novel but it touched upon different topics dealing with family, anxiety, type a personality and even IBS!! Truly one of the better YA books I’ve read this years. My only thing was sometime Jamie came across a bit dramatic but then I had to remind myself that she is a little all over the place and also a teenager and then I didn’t mind it so much!!

Crying with relief that I'm not a teenager anymore.

Jackie Khalilieh said, "Sophomore slump who?" I'm going be brave and say I enjoyed You Started It even more than her debut Something More (which I loved a lot). She has this ability to write messy teen feelings and actions in a way that validates how tough that age is - which is often disrespected, especially by adult readers.

Jamie Taher-Foster is a Palestinian-Canadian teen who has anxiety, IBS, an MIA father, and so many mommy issues. Unfortunately, to top it all off, she has the most flop boyfriend of all time. Jamie didn't get a second of peace in this book, and I loved that. Enter Axel Dahini (last name rhyming with Tahini is genius), a beautiful Arab boy who almost literally dances his way into her heart.

Can I just say how happy I am to see two Arab teens as central characters in a teen story? The infusion of their cultures, their exploration of it, and their families brought so much colour and life to this story. Next wedding I go to, I'm gonna need them to get a dabke line going.

Thank you, Penguin Teen Canada, for the advanced copy!

After enjoying Jackie Khalilieh's debut novel, I was excited to read her sophomore novel. I was not disappointed. It's definitely a bit different from the first but in a good way. I liked the characters and the topics that were discussed. There was a mental health aspect and also cultural discussions. I loved both. I really liked both Jamie and Axel. They're both fun characters and their chemistry is good. I liked the fake dating aspect. It was well done. Overall a sophomore novel that wasn't hit by the sophomore slump. Had great rep, characters, and romance. I can't wait to see more from this author.

Content warning: panic/anxiety attack, abandonment, gaslighting

Cute look at how to find your true self and also ask for what you want without giving up on the things you need.