I adored this sapphic romance!! So delightful. I'm legit mad at how good the Netflix show she made up sounds and that I can't watch it. The book was so fun. I loved the side characters. I'd happily read a follow up about Rhys & LJ.

Yeah, no. I was so disappointed that the author didn't finish the whole eating disorder problem. That is such an important part of Kat's story, but it was not finished, I was really looking forward to seeing that representation in a book, but that was a big miss for me. Kat completely lost me when she referred to Jude as "a woman who couldn't even handle an introduction". The author made is sound like she made it up to Jude at the end, but the lies were so big I needed more crawling from her at the end, it was wrapped up way too quickly for me. But what I did enjoy is the writing style and the friend group!

I knew from the very first chapter that this book just isn’t for me. I think it could be very enjoyable for other readers, though.

Thank you anyway to Netgalley, Random House, and the author for the ARC in exchange for it honest thoughts.

this sweet story of two women moving forward after painful pasts, actress Kat is trying to segue from teen stardom to an adult career while coming to terms with her sexuality, and Jude is a bookseller mired in grief after losing her mother. They’re both clinging to the people they think can help them recover the best things from their pasts - for Kat, her manager, who wants to maximize her fame regardless of the cost, and for Jude the new owner of her late mother’s bookshop, who might someday let her buy it back. But as their budding romance encourages them to articulate and accept their true desires, they begin to realize that happiness requires moving forward, not back.

I really liked how down to earth this story was, despite Kat’s fame, and I loved how her and Jude’s careers were given equal attention and weight. I also enjoyed the broad cast of secondary characters, who provided moments of poignancy and humor as well as contributing to the plot, and the story’s breadth made it a fast and smooth read. But with so much going on - two protagonists, each with careers and friends/colleagues and enemies and parents and emotional issues - there wasn’t time to delve deeply into any of it.

This was not it, Kat has to be one of the most selfish MCs I have seen in a while, she was so distrustful of Jude when she was the one manipulating and lying to Jude, and Jude, I liked her more but still there was something missing.

No sophomore slump for Kellogg's second Sapphic dual POV romance that has lots of great nods to Notting Hill and sees an anxious bookseller falling for a newly coming out of the closet actress looking to make her image more queer. Full of heart, emotional depth, queer found family and while yes there was a third act miscommunication break up, I thought the good far outweighed the bad in this book. I loved all the bookish parts, thought the author handled losing a parent to cancer and struggling with disordered eating very sensitively and really enjoyed the audio narration by Mara Wilson. Very much recommended for fans of authors like Amy Spalding or Meryl Wilsner. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Next Chapter reimagines Notting Hill with a sapphic twist and a cozy NYC bookstore setting, but while the premise had promise, the execution felt uneven. Jude, a thoughtful and endearing lead, shines through her vulnerability and found family, but her romance with former child star Kat is weighed down by dishonesty and miscommunication. There are lovely, quiet moments and a few standout side characters, but Kat’s lack of growth made the central relationship hard to root for. Still, readers who enjoy messy characters and emotional exploration may find this a worthwhile, quick read.

Best for readers who enjoy:
📚 Bookstore romances
🎬 Celebrity/normal person love stories
🌈 Sapphic romance
🧶 Found family dynamics
💔 Flawed characters in emotionally messy situations

A reimagined telling of Knotting Hill. Katrina Kelly (24) is a former child star who hasn’t successfully made the transition to an adult acting career. Her manager has plans and Kat is willing to do whatever she says. She meets Jude Thacker at The Next Chapter, a NYC bookstore that Jude’s mother once owned before dying of cancer. She sold the store to pay medical bills but Jude has the option to buy the place back as long as she continues to work there. When the pair meet there is attraction but they get off to a bumpy start. Jude suffers from trust issues and occasional panic attacks. Kat’s manager insists now is the perfect time for Kat to come out to her followers. It will update her image and the attention should land her the lead in an off broadway play. But Kat doesn’t tell Jude she is part of her new PR campaign.

I enjoyed all the nods to Knotting Hill. And there were probably more references I didn’t catch. Kat is harder to like because she isn’t being honest with Jude and is mostly concerned about herself through much of the story. But their dates together feel real and they share private moments from their past when getting to know each other. I liked Judes’s family of choice who are her co-workers at the store. They were a good sounding board for her and helped her see the grand gesture near the end. I thought this was fun and read it fairly quickly. I liked the cute cover as well. I would have liked to know where Jude ends up career wise and wanted some comeuppance for the store owner but those are small things. I did enjoy the curling story at the end of the book. (3.5 Stars)

If you’ve seen Notting Hill you’ll be very familiar with this plot but I think Kellogg does this in a new and fresh way. It’s unapologetically sapphic and its characters are complicated, making the plot more engaging. I had a lot of fun with this one.

The Next Chapter had all the ingredients I usually love — sapphic romance, gorgeous writing, and a main character working who is an absolute sweetheart — but this one didn’t quite land for me. The premise was promising, and I really liked the glimpses of what the story could have been, especially in the quieter moments between Jude and Kat. There were some genuinely tender scenes, and I appreciated how the book touched (albeit lightly) on big themes like anxiety and disordered eating.

But overall, I found it a bit too messy. The drama between characters often felt unnecessary, and I struggled to connect with Kat. I don’t need to like every character, but I do need to feel like the relationship makes sense — and I just couldn’t see how Jude and Kat worked as a couple. There was so much lying, miscommunication and avoidance that I found myself more frustrated than invested. In addition, I didn't really want sweetheart Jude dating awful Kat - which isn't a great feeling to have when reading a romance novel.

That said, there were still parts I genuinely enjoyed. Jude was lovely — thoughtful, compassionate, and slowly working through her own fears — and her circle of friends brought warmth and grounding to the story. I just wanted more emotional clarity and less chaos. I know the messiness was intentional (and true to life in many ways), but it left me feeling a little disconnected from the romance at the heart of the book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet met cute in a book store between two young ladies. The love of books and opened of Jude helps Kat explore and express herself.

Thank you Netgalley and Dial Press for the free e-arc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I wanted to love this as I enjoyed the authors debut however unfortunately this just did not work for me and I had to dnf at 23%. I wanted more of the characters, more banter just more.

Suggest giving it a try.

3.5/5☆

Another book where the cover caught me! I love a notting hill esque read but unfortunately this was not it. A romance without chemistry, a couple you're not actually rooting for and stereotypes up the wazoo....this one fell far from the warm and fuzzy read I was expecting.



Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for the ARC in exchange for my review!

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Kat and Jude. I liked how both admitted their mistakes and moved on from it. I really liked Jude's friends , I would love for them to get their own stories told as I found them really funny and likeable.

This book was adorable. Found family rom-com with a Notting Hill inspired vibe? Count me in. Add in the queer representation and you’ve got a winner. A great summer read.

A very special thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought The Next Chapter was a perfectly cozy and sweet romance! Jude and Kat had such good chemistry off the bat, and the light heartedness of the hallmark romance vibes mixed perfectly with how the author handled the heavier aspects. The spice was pretty excellent too, hehe.

I was genuinely so sad when this was over, also loved the narrator for this one and I wanted her to keep telling me about this found family of queer joy 🥹 this is Notting Hill inspired and I officially like this retelling even more than the original. Make everything gay 👏

Thank you to PRHaudio for the ALC.

I loved Camille Kellogg's previous book, "Just As You Are", so was excited to see she had a new one coming out. However this one just didn't do it for me. I found Kat, one of the FMC's, to be extremely annoying and had a hard time rooting for her romance with Jude because of that. I liked Jude a lot and that kept me reading but never got fully on board with their relationship.

Thanks to Random House/Dial Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review! I loved Camille Kellogg's Pride and Prejudice retelling, Just as You Are, and was so excited to get an early copy of The Next Chapter. A sapphic Notting Hill reimagining? Big yes. All of the charm from the original storybeats are here; it feels like a little love letter to the story, but brought into 2025 with it's NYC setting and exploration of queerness. I loved getting to see Kat's struggle with understanding herself and finding her voice and what she wanted along the way. But it was Jude's story that really touched me - her grief, her realization that the things you love might not always be the things that make you happiest, her willingness to open her heart to love and new dreams. Check out the TWs if you want to pick this one up, but I definitely recommend if you are in the mood for a tender story about big love.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the arc!

While I'm not personally familiar with Notting Hill, I was excited to read a tender romance between Jude, a butch bookseller, and Kat, a former child actress on a journey of discovering her own queer identity and trying to revamp her public image. I was immediately endeared to both of them and their dynamic. I was also invested in their individual, personal arcs.

I will say my rating floated between the 3-4 star range for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I didn’t find myself reaching for this book and I just wasn't as invested as I wanted to be; this was more of a personal taste and mood reader issue than one of the actual writing though. Second, the central conflict was something I don’t think could be solved as easily/quickly in real life, but Jude and Kat get the benefit of rom-com logic here.

My final rating is also higher because their communication and relationship was otherwise really beautifully written and developed. I also think Jude's friends added even more warmth to the story.

Overall, The Next Chapter was a lovely sapphic romance that will touch hearts ♡