I loved this book! Such a cute YA romance. It made me squeal, seeing Axel fall for Jamie so quickly. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I love seeing two people who think they wouldn’t fall for someone, fall for someone that is perfect for them. I also appreciated the relationship between Ben and Jamie and how that developed and changed over the course of the story!

Opposites attract fake dating was a good set up for this book it was fun watching Jaime let lose. I did feel like it needed more but all in all it was enjoyable

Beginning of the book I had a hard time with the main characters (both of them) but they grew on me even their flaws. They’re just teenagers doing stupid shit which is nice. I related to Jamie anxiety wise

This was adorable. I loved it right away and the banter and situations reminded me a bit of a Lynn Painter YA novel. I loved the culture conversations between the two characters and how it allowed me to experience their perspectives. The romance was so adorable and I loved the pacing of the fake dating turned to real feelings. It slowed down a bit for me in the last half. I thought the third act break up lasted a little too long, but on the flip side the main character was also growing and figuring out her family and ex-boyfriend situations. I was just ready for more of the couple again!

An adorable fake dating YA romance with mental health and neurodivergent representation. The author even included conversations around the impact anxiety can have on your gut which I feel is not talked about enough. I loved the MCs and how their differences helped them learn more about each other. The FMC explores her identity as a Palestinian young adult and what that means to her. There was so much complexity on that topic which I appreciated. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a fun bucket list friends to lovers moment 🥰

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this eARC.

What a charming, chaotic little gem. Jackie Khalilieh gives us a YA rom-com that’s equal parts messy heartbreak and unexpected healing — and I mean that in the best possible way.
Jamie Taher-Foster is a hot mess of lists, anxiety, and unfiltered inner monologues, and watching her unravel in real time after her long-term boyfriend breaks up with her was like watching your best friend spiral… but also stubbornly try to organize her spiral with a spreadsheet. Her grief is loud, cringe-y, raw, and so deeply relatable — especially if you’ve ever tried to fix your life by re-controlling the narrative with a to-do list.
Enter Axel Dahini, the cinnamon roll TikTok dancer Jamie fake-dates in a wildly impulsive attempt to get her ex’s attention. Their dynamic? Pure opposites-attract gold. He’s all vibes and curly hair; she’s wound tight like a coiled slinky. But their chemistry sneaks up on you, and watching their relationship evolve — awkwardly, then sweetly — is one of the most satisfying emotional arcs in the book.
Khalilieh does a lovely job of weaving Arab representation into the story without making it the whole story. It's there — gently grounding Jamie and Axel in something shared — but it’s not the plot. It's just life, and that balance is refreshing.
I especially loved the emotional maturity that quietly builds under the surface of this rom-com. Jamie isn’t a polished heroine — she’s obsessive, messy, and sometimes a little mean — but she’s trying, and by the end, she’s grown in ways that feel earned. The message? Love doesn’t have to look the way you planned. Some people are meant to be lessons, not forever.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Especially if you like your YA rom-coms with complicated feelings, perfectly imperfect characters, and just enough chaos to keep you grinning. It didn’t hit every emotional beat perfectly for me, but it gave me a cast I cared about and a story I was glad to spend time in. That's a win.

What really stands out in this novel is the chemistry between the characters, especially the dynamic between Jamie and Axel. While they start off as opposites, their time together reveals that true connection doesn’t always follow a checklist. Khalilieh’s writing is witty, heartfelt, and full of charming moments, all while navigating themes of identity, family, and what it means to truly let go of the past.

I loved this book! Jackie Khalilieh does a great job of creating realistic teen characters with mental health/neurodivergent representation. I also appreciate the representation of Arab culture. I will read anything she writes! Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Books for the arc. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book from a Palestinian author, and it did not disappoint. Free Palestine 🇵🇸!

What to expect:
🍏 young adult
🍏 Arab teenaged boy love interest
🍏 fake dating
🍏 strangers to lovers
🍏 pretending for a reason
🍏 complicated feelings
🍏 misunderstandings and jealousy

TW: recurrent panic attacks, anxiety, alcoholism, and parental abandonment trauma

You Started It is a YA romcom that follows 17-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster as she navigates planning through senior year with her boyfriend of three years, Ben Cameron. Except, he comes home from their summer apart to break up with her. Her solution? Enter a fake dating with someone that she only has one similarity with, their Arab heritage.

I enjoyed reading this one. I loved reading Jamie's character development from an angry, ungrateful teen to a mature young adult. Her mending.a broken relationship with her mother and grieving/accepting a loss one with her father made me cry. However, I almost DNF'ed. Why? "The gram, Snapchat, and TikTok" and "she's been drinking the delulu potion" being mentioned in You Started It. That's my fault for picking up a YA book, though.

However, I want to praise Jackie Khalilieh for writing a true YA novel with absolutely no spice. Other authors should take note.

Thank you to Penguin Random House, Jackie Khalilieh, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Wow what a beautiful beautiful book

I am so hooked on Jamie and Axel and their adorable love story! Their dynamic is wonderful and even at their lower moments it’s such a refreshing take on teen love I’m obsessed

As always, books with Arab rep are extra special to me and especially seeing the struggles of feeling outside your culture was validating to read

I loved this one and can’t recommend it enough!

Thank you Penguins for the gifted, physical and ecopies.
I was so excited when I saw that it's set in Toronto and that it gives Better than the movies and Olivia Rodrigo's Sour album vibes. But this was a massive disappointment for me.
The only characters I could vibe with were Axel and the uncle.
The fmc was a pick me girl and honestly, Axel deserves much better. I am glad he called her out on her bs but he forgave her way too quickly.

Surface level, high school dumb drama just isn't for me.
I appreciate the arc but this was a no for me.

Jamie has her whole life planned out with Ben. And thats exactly how she likes it. Shes ready to go counsel summer camp together, when her mother refuses. She waits for Ben to return, and when he does, he dumps her. Quickly moving on with Olivia, from school, who happened to be at camp with him. Jamies goal changes, to get Ben back in time for winter formal. In enters Axel, an aspiring dancer, charming and younger than she is at that. After Jamie destroys his precious bike "Betty White" a plan begins to form. Use Axel to get back at Ben, while paying off her debt for the bike damages. After all, they are neighbors! What could possibly go wrong?! How long can Jamie and Axel keep this up before feelings begin to get real? And what happens when Ben comes crawling back with plenty of somber apologies? I really enjoyed the playfulness in this story. Along with the Palestinian representation. I love learning about their culture and their family dynamics and how those values played into Jamie and Axels lives and ultimately, their relationship!

It was a cute Y/A fake dating book. Axel's a pretty popular dancer on social media, Jamie's studious. Her boyfriend of 3 years dumped her for another girl, so she went to go see him and accidentally ran over Axel's bike. To make him jealous, she and Axel decide to fake date, but of course spending so much time with someone else, unwanted feelings are never far behind.

I’m such a sucker for both fake dating and a mother/daughter story so this was a no brainer for me.

Jamie and Axel are your classic opposites attract that balance each other out and I really appreciated how Axel took the time to learn about why Jamie feels the need for routine and control. Jamie has a lot of trauma from her father leaving the family with no explanation and I think a lot of her behaviors are realistic for a teen girl going through such a confusing time. Also loved the Arab/Palestinian rep in this book and found it interesting to learn a little about the family dynamics.

The only cons I had are the constant tiktok references but I get that it is important to Axel’s character and just modern teen life in general.

DNF. This was my first book by this author as i truly wanted to support a Palestinian author. But unfortunately the writing is just not for me, more for gen z young readers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh

A fun, heartfelt YA fake‑dating romance set in Toronto, this book charms with both humor and emotional depth. Jamie, a type‑A teen with anxiety and IBS, and Axel, her laid‑back Arab/Canadian counterpart, spark wonderful chemistry as they step outside their comfort zones together. Their fake‑dating setup is light and sweet, and I loved how their connection grows naturally, without falling into cheesy tropes, just playful, genuine moments.

What really elevates this story is the representation. Both characters come from rich Arab heritage backgrounds, and the book explores cultural identity, mental health, family dynamics, and even racism with nuance and care without feeling heavy-handed. And props for including supportive side characters who all get meaningful development.

Why I gave it 4 stars:
😊 Engaging, realistic teen emotions and pacing
🌟 Great anxiety rep and cultural depth

All in all, You Started It is a delightful, inclusive, and thoughtful teen rom‑com. If you’re looking for lighthearted fake-dating with real heart, this one’s a lovely pick and I’ll happily read more by Jackie Khalilieh!

You Started It is a fresh, engaging read that blends humor, heart, and relatable teenage drama. Jackie Khalilieh does a great job capturing the voice of her characters and the emotional ups and downs of young adulthood. The story feels both fun and sincere, with moments that are easy to connect with. A solid pick for fans of contemporary YA with depth and charm.

This was a cute read and perfect for a summer read!

I got through this one pretty quickly because I became invested in the MC's story from the beginning. She had her boyfriend come home and break up with her after she had planned many bucketlist items for them to do. She had to learn how to live without someone who had been there for so long. That would definitely make anyone decide that a fake boyfriend would be the quick fix for everything. It was a whole ordeal but a good one to listen to.

There are a lot of other plotlines that involve family or friends. I feel like some topics were given little time and it didn't feel as impactful as they could have been.

Overall, it was good!

I went into this book with excitement as it contains some of my favorite tropes. (I hadn't read a fake-dating book that I didn't love!) But unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.

I realized that the main source of my issue was the FMC, Jamie. Even as a fellow child of divorce with an absent father, I could not get behind her emotions and negativity. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt of perhaps just being a sarcastic personality, but she was continually disrespectful, and borderline hateful at times.

I do think there is a lot of promise behind this coming of age romance, but it just wasn't one I could connect with enough to enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an eARC to read in exchange for my honest review.

It is a charming and heartfelt YA rom-com that follows 17-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster, who has her senior year all mapped out—until her long-time boyfriend unexpectedly breaks up with her. In a desperate attempt to win him back, Jamie fake-dates Axel, a TikTok dancer she barely knows, after a chance encounter involving a bicycle accident.

As Jamie and Axel spend more time together, their fake relationship begins to feel more real, and Jamie learns that life doesn’t always go according to plan—and that’s okay. With a mix of humor, heartache, and self-discovery, this story explores themes of identity, anxiety, love, and letting go of control.