When your boyfriend dumps you right before the Winter Formal whats a girl to do but try and win him back....even if it means fake dating the younger TikTok dancer whose bicycle you've accidentally run over. High school drama, relationship troubles, and falling in love all over again. This was definitely geared towards younger YA readers. I wish I could like it but it just wasn't for me, i found the characters annoying and I just didn't care for the storyline. I normally adore YA books but this one just missed the mark for me. I would say this is definitely for younger YA readers of Gen Z age but I feel like I aged out of this particular book. I honestly didn't really care for any of the characters or the romance in here. While this one wasn't for me I do think that other readers of the younfer YA/Gen Z age might have fun with this!

Release Date: May 20, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

You Started It is a very cute YA book. I thought the characters were all well written and each had their own strengths and weaknesses. The fake dating trope is one of my favorites so I really enjoyed that aspect of it. I also liked how Axel brought Jamie out of her shell and she was able to really grow as a person. Ben, well I never liked him. Olivia deserved better. I think the only thing I didn't really like was how often certain societal and political topics were kinda forced into conversations. I'm ALL for them being in books and being normalized, however there were parts in the story where it just felt too "lets add as many of these topics into this book as possible". I just wish those moments flowed a little better and didn't feel so awkward in the story line. However, I liked the way the author approached the racial aspects with the FMC and the MMC being Arabic and their identities within their race. With that being said, overall I did think this book was cute and I did like it!

Jackie Khalilieh has done it again! This was another great YA contemporary novel. Jamie was an incredible main character to follow. I loved how she was really confident, and even though she definitely has issues to work through throughout the book. Her growth throughout the book was also incredible. It all felt so natural for her, and realistic. She isn't perfect. She makes mistakes + she grovels for it.
My absolute favourite part of this book was the discussions around heritage and family. Jamie's relationship with her mom is difficult, and her mom has an aversion to her Arab heritage (because of reasons). The way their relationship to each other, as well as their Arab heritage was unpacked was so incredibly well done. By the end of the book it is clear that work still has to be done, but they really had some breakthroughs together, and it legit made me cry. It was just so incredibly well written.
My main issue with this book is the romance. I mean, I did really like the dynamic between Jamie and Axel. I thought they were a lot of fun, and overall a great match. However, I feel like we move so incredibly quickly through their romance, and the third act conflict is just dragged out for so long. Therefore the hastle barely seemed worth it considering how little we actually got of them together. If that makes sense? I get that we also had to take the time to really delve into the other topics, and I appreciate them (as mentioned before) but I do wish we could have spend more time with it, and just flesh out the romance a bit more. However, this was overall a great read and I definitely recommend it.

Jackie knocks it out of the park again with this adorably swoony follow-up to Something More! This has the perfect mix of humor/romance/serious introspection about family and culture, going deeper than the average rom-com while remaining a fun ride all the way through. Jackie’s prose is flawlessly well-crafted. I underlined many lines and laughed out loud several times. Even seemingly basic lines/sentiments often pack an unexpected punch, making it an engaging page-turner. The perfect summer read!

3 stars ✰
⤿ arc review ˚.🎀༘⋆

⋆🌷⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳ summary

this book follows seventeen year old girl jamie taher, who gets dumped by her bf of 3 years (ben) very suddenly, leaving her heartbroken and miserable. when she sees him getting close to another girl from their school, olivia chen, she’s not only devastated but furious. she chooses to strike a deal with a boy she encounters by chance, axel. (he’s also a tiktok dancer beware guys). they fake date to make ben jealous in hopes she might win him back (a little pathetic if you ask me). but as that is happening, what they did not plan for.. was them to fall in love… with eachother?? WHO WOULDVE EXPECTED THAT 😲😲 jk its so predictable but I eat it up.

⋆🍡⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳ tropes

⟶ fake dating
⟶ high school romance
⟶ reverse grumpy sunshine (kinda)
⟶ lotsss of other man drama

⋆💌⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳ my thoughts

let me start with the positives!! axel really was a cutie pie. he was so sweet to jamie and honestly i giggled at their moments. the problem is: there wasn’t enough of them. this felt too centred around her ex (WHO I HATE) bc he broke up with her and showed no interest in her. yet, she put all her energy and effort into him without considering the cute golden retriever arab boy that was so sweet to her <33 but I loved the parts with fake dating 🫶🏼 the main couple was so cute though!! the omd was just a little heavy.

also the fact that axel is a tiktok dancer was hard to digest icl.. i was picturing bryce hall whenever he mentioned it. and it was.. difficult 😓 I feel bad, I wanted to be open minded bc the mmc is so passionate about it but it was so unserious to me 😭😭 that’s a me problem for sure!

⋆🎧⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳ songs

one thing i loved was when the description of the book said it gives olivia rodrigo’s ‘sour’ vibes— i felt that completely— i was listening to that album on repeat when reading this. here’s some songs & lyrics that felt like this book

traitor
⟢ and ain't it funny, how you ran to her fhe second that we called it quits?
⟢ it took you two weeks to go off and date her. guess you didn't cheat, but you're still a traitor

1 step forward, 3 steps back
⟢ it’s always one step forward and three steps back. do you love me, want me, hate me? boy, I don't understand

enough for you
⟢ you found someone more exciting, the next second, you were gone. and you left me there crying, wondering what I did wrong

⋆🫂⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳ in conclusion

i think I found out i struggle with high school romances a lot. the <u>immaturity, the poor decisions, and the snobbyness of these teens is sometimes too much to handle. and yes, this had a few of those traits. but at the same time, I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the character growth a lot <3 and im really glad I read this 🤍

thank you to netgalley and tundra book group for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh is a total charmer. This YA romance gave me all the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before vibes—in the best possible way. Sweet teenage love, fake dating, and a refreshingly spice-free storyline make this a standout in the genre.

What really won me over, though, was the depth of representation. From the diverse backgrounds of the main characters to thoughtful portrayals of anxiety and IBS, the author handled everything with care and authenticity. Nothing felt forced or added just to check a box—it all felt real.

I also appreciated the attention to family dynamics. The tension, miscommunication, and love that exists between teens and their families was captured so well, and added another layer of heart to the story.

The only reason this isn’t a full five-star read for me is that the beginning was a little slow. But once I hit the 25% mark, I couldn’t put it down and ended up finishing it within 24 hours.

Highly recommend this one for fans of heartfelt, clean YA romance with a lot of charm and a thoughtful approach to real teen experiences.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚Rating*ੈ✩‧₊˚
4.75/5 Stars
(Rounded Up!)

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗Tropes˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
📚 Fake Dating
📱 Third Act Break Up
📚 The Whole Trying To Get So And So Jealous

💭 Thoughts-
Oh my gosh, this book! I just loved it so fricken much! I literally was obsessed with it and could barely put it down to even focus on school! Not only that, but I love love love the fake dating trope and when done well it is just amazing and this book just did it so well and to such a perfection that I just loved it! The only reason this is barely not a full 5-star rating is because I wish we got to see more of Jamie and Axel like fully dating. Instead of them starting to date and then instantly there being a third act break up happening. Other than that though, an incredible book that I would totally recommend!!

Now Playing:

⊹ ࣪ ˖Treat You Better By Shawn Mendes˖࣪ ⊹
0:35 ❍─────── 2:33
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Volume: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

Jackie Khalilieh has once again wrote an amazing novel that I absolutely devoured in one sitting. She is one of my Autobuy authors and anything she writes I know I will love and this book did not disappoint. I really love how well and thoroughly she writes characters with autism as well as I love to see the Palestinian representation. I feel like she has a great grasp of the mindset of a teenage girl. I always find myself remembering this is exactly how my thought process was when I was in high school going through the troubles and tribulations of being a girl experiencing her first love her first heartbreak drama with my parents, and I just love the writing every time. She also does an amazing job of capturing the excitement of romance, and I always feel giddy when they always have their happy ending in this book had me kicking my feet in the air because I was so happy to see hello. Their story grew as it went along. Jamie really had amazing character development throughout the book and I love to see how she grew as a person and became more independent and really learned who she was. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and will always read anything by Jackie Khalilieh.

I loved Jackie’s debut, Something More, so I went into this with high hopes - especially with that SOUR x Better Than the Movies comp. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me.

There are still things I admire: Khalilieh writes love stories with a soft, awkward ache that feels real, and she touches on heavier themes like anxiety, alcoholism, and absent parents with a gentle hand. I also love seeing Palestinian-Canadian leads on the page - especially ones navigating messy high school dynamics.

Writing:
The writing here felt noticeably more juvenile than in her debut. It felt so stiff, with moments of unnatural dialogue. There were also a lot of outdated or cringe Gen Z/TikTok references that pulled me out of the story. I get that this is YA and I’m not the target audience, but this read like someone older trying to relate to Gen Z. It would’ve been nice if this book had some actual teens help with the editing process when it comes to the slang.

Characters:
I really struggled to connect with any of the characters. Jamie, especially, bounced between relatable and frustrating. Her treatment of Olivia and her mom made it tough to root for her. However, I loved how her anxiety was written and how it manifested through her actions.

Plot:
I love a fake dating setup, but I really don’t enjoy cheating or “other woman” drama, which played a big role in parts of the book. Jamie pining over Ben (who literally dumped her after meeting someone else at summer camp) just made me want to shake her. That whole arc was hard to sit through.

Romance:
Axel was a highlight and had big golden retriever energy. Their fake dating setup had potential, and they had some cute moments early on, but then the chemistry started to fizzle around the 60% mark. The third-act breakup dragged on way too long.

Overall, this definitely feels like a book written for teens - not just marketed as YA - and I know some readers will appreciate that. But coming off such a strong debut, this one felt all over the place for me.

I tried to get through this book as best I could. I’m not sure if it was just an issue with my arc file or if it was all of the arc files in general, but every line was broken and I got as far into the story as I could but I just could not process the story reading it all chopped up.

I look forward to reading this book again once it’s published! I am enjoying the premise so far, and the characters are fun! Will definitely still recommend!

ARC Review of “You Started It” by Jackie Khalilieh
⭐ 3/5 Stars

“You Started It” by Jackie Khalilieh is a YA rom-com filled with fake dating and the heartbreak of first love. When Jamie’s longtime boyfriend unexpectedly breaks up with her, she makes a plan to win him back - starting with a fake relationship with Axel, the TikTok dancer whose bike she ran over. What follows is a story about emotional growth, cultural connection, and discovering that maybe the person you’re meant to be with isn’t the one you’ve been chasing.

I appreciated the diversity of the characters and the authentic portrayal of teen emotions - Jamie especially felt like a real teenage girl, messiness and all. At times, the story felt a little chaotic, but the emotional depth and focus on self-discovery made up for it. This was my first book by Jackie Khalilieh, and I’ll definitely be exploring her backlist!

I was generously provided an e-ARC by Tundra Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own ♡

Review posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7535024018
And StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/470df9ab-c322-4122-a8d9-decf67b39bc2

This was absolutely a 5 stars read: I could not put it down. I cur into my hours of sleep to finish it in one sitting. Jamie and Axel were so wonderful together, but really she was great with everyone around her and just all around super likeable. I especially enjoyed how there was no real villain here, just kids trying to figure life out as best they can and hopefully without hurting too many people in the process. It feels so rare to read YA books like this. The Arab rep was also fantastic! Yet another thing we don't see enough in YA (or even romance in general, I'd argue). All in all a fabulous read and after her excellent debut (Something More), Jackie Khalilieh will absolutely be an auto-buy for me in the future!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I really liked this book and Jamie’s story of finding herself and knowing her worth. I am a sucker for the fake dating trope and in YA it makes it so much better in my opinion. I was her once after a breakup and thought the guy was the one but learned it was him and not me.

This is such a cute romance! But I love how it also touches on so many deeper topics, such as anxiety, internalized racism, and abandonment, amongst others.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, but I don’t think this book follows the general timeline that most fake dating stories share.

Jamie is an interesting main character. Everything she does has to have a plan. Because without plans, her anxiety takes over. It’s part of the reason her boyfriend, Ben, breaks up with her, but it’s also something she picked while dating him. I loved to see how after her breakup, despite trying to get back Ben, Jamie changes in the process. She starts doing things she’s never done before, sometimes just having fun spontaneously. To me, it felt like this free side of Jamie is the real her, but Axel is a catalyst in bringing it out.

Axel is such a well written character. He’s fun, kind, encouraging, and practically everything else positive. He never makes Jamie (or anyone else) uncomfortable (expect maybe Ben 🤭), and he seems like the type of guy everyone would want to be friends with. He’s passionate, and despite his obstacles, he doesn’t give up on his dreams. Overall, he’s very admirable and positive.

I know this book at its core is romance, but in my opinion, the other topics it deals with enhance the story so much. Every character has their own story, and I love so many different identities and personalities are portrayed.

Overall, I had so much fun reading, but I also appreciated everything else!

This book is saccharine sweet and fluffy, no doubt, and sometimes that's exactly what you need. Our FMC is messy in several of the homographic definitions of the word. I'm always on hastag Team Everyone is Happy, especially in YA romance. The ending seemed unnecessarily complicated, but it works out. Also, someone needs to introduce Jamie to the fiction side of the library so she can save some cash. Special editions of books I get, but she was buying like, 6 paperbacks at one point.

Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me at 31%

I simply could not handle it any more. I was a little not on board with some plot points
-she pretends to have started dating a DAY after Ben broke up with her and she doesn't understand why he would be suspicious?
-I simply could not handle Axel wanting to be a TikTok star
-Jamie's absolute hatred for her mother (like... if I had a friend who talked to their mom like that I would no longer be friends with that person)

But personally I didn't love the mentions of sex? I am a full grown adult, who loves YA stories normally. But I simply was not comfortable reading about how Jamie (17 years old!) was horny and then had a sex dream. I'm out.

I’ve tried— and I mean reaaaally tried—to finish this book. Like, ten separate attempts over the past two months (and I'm not even exaggerating). Somehow every single time, I failed spectacularly, so that's FUN!

As much as I hate to say it, but this book singlehandedly put me into a reading slump with how unbelievably boring it was. I was genuinely so excited when I got the ARC as I had previously enjoyed Jackie's debut novel. But wow... it just did not deliver for me.

Jamie? Annoying. Her mother ? slightly less annoying. Her ex (whose name I can't be bothered to remember)? Somehow even worse to the point I wanted to bash his head in a wall. Axel was cute-ish, I guess, but not nearly enough to save the rest of it.

Don't get me wrong here, I usually absolutely ADORE any YA books—I live for the drama, the angst the general dumbassery of it all—but this one made me cringe so hard I nearly teared up. And not in a good way.

Unfortunately it seems I was not the correct audience for this book, but if you do decide to give it a try I hope you enjoy.

Hit and miss for me, dnfed at page 104.

Jamie’s start of her senior year of High School didn’t ga as planned. Dumped by Ben , her boyfriend of three year. She is now fake-dating Axel, a junior. He is new to their school and their contract is supposed to be beneficial for both of therm. Jamie is going to get Ben back and she is going to show Axel around and help him with his Tik Tok dance videos. But when feelings get involved, lies surfaces, old wounds open, can Jamie and Axel’s relationship grew stronger or will they split for good? A great YA novel with deep thoughts.

This book was so good!! I always love Palestinian representation, and this book did a great job of portraying a perspective that can sometimes be difficult to deal with, which is feeling alienated from Arab culture and the Palestinian identity. Especially at this moment in the world, characters like Jamie and her family are important to think about. I also found that Jackie Khalilieh approached the serious mental health and family circumstances with a lot of nuance while staying true to Jamie’s development and feelings as a character. I also obviously enjoyed the romance aspect, but not just because of how the couple got together, but because of the way they grew together throughout the book and learned how to support each other through difficult relationships with friends and family. Also, I’ve literally never gotten to read an Arab male love interest, ever, and it was an aspect I loved seeing in this book, because Axel was portrayed so wonderfully. Overall a pretty amazing book that I found truly heartwarming!

Thank you NetGalley for the digital advanced copy!

This was such a beautiful story of love, self-discovery, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone! Jamie was such an honest portrayal of a teenage girl there were so many sentiments that just flew me back to being 17 and having so many big emotions. As an anxiety girlie myself this portrayal was so relatable and I loved finally getting some tummy issues representation!! All the themes of family, culture, grief, and anxiety were handled so beautifully it made this book such a great read.

Jamie and Axel were such a sweet pair and I love how they brought out the best in each other. I especially loved seeing Axel encouraging Jamie to connect with her culture and seeing Arab joy so celebrated! Loved all the supporting characters in this book as well and seeing how both Jamie and Axel healed their parental relationships!

Can’t wait to read more of Jackie Khalilieh’s work because this was such an engaging read that I never wanted to put down. It was fun, and heartfelt, and honest, and so relatable!