I really liked JUST AS YOU ARE so I decided to check this one out. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

Kat and Jude had really great chemistry when they first met but it seemed to fizzle out for the rest of the book.

The main reason I couldn't really get into it was Kat. She was selfish and I wished that she could have been up front with Jude from the beginning. I think they could have played up the dating for the public and had some fun with it, without Kat having to lie to Jude about it (and yes, I consider what she did lying).

This book was entertaining for what it was, but I'm not sure I'll recommend it to friends.

<i>I received a complimentary eARC from the publisher.</i>

While I loved the premise and loved Kellogg’s writing this book wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect to Kat at all, she came across entitled and selfish. She didn’t think about Jude’s feelings at all while Jude was always thinking about hers. Kat seems to be one of those people who only keeps a person around if they can give them something. Due to this, I didn’t root for the couple and that left me bummed. I loved Jude’s friends and should they have a book in the future I will pick it up. I also loved how real this book felt, it was definitely written by someone who’s queer and has had queer experiences.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Next Chapter by Camille Kellogg is an absolute delight—funny, swoon-worthy, and packed with heart! When former child star Katrina Kelly stumbles into Jude Thacker’s cozy queer bookstore, neither expects their worlds to collide quite so spectacularly. What starts as a calculated publicity stunt quickly turns into a whirlwind romance full of longing, self-discovery, and undeniable chemistry. With sharp writing, lovable characters, and a setting that feels like a warm hug, this book is everything a rom-com should be.

One of the best things about this novel is how beautifully messy the relationship between Kat and Jude is. Their dynamic is complicated, emotional, and sometimes frustrating, but in a way that makes it impossible to stop reading. Both main characters feel authentic, with real struggles and strong development throughout the story. The supporting cast adds so much charm, making the world of The Next Chapter feel warm, lived-in, and full of queer joy.

While the book does touch on heavier themes, including panic attacks and disordered eating, it handles them with care. Overall, this is a heartfelt, romantic, and utterly addictive read. If you love queer love stories with complex emotions and bookish charm, this one is a must-read—perfect for fans of Notting Hill, Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake, and Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun.

Had the honor of getting to read an ARC of @kellogg_camille’s newest book, The Next Chapter, and I’m not kidding when I say I read it in two days flat. If you want queer love about a butch bookseller and a beautiful but maybe slightly troubled former child star, THIS is the one for you. I absolutely adored it. It’s earnest, has a lovable cast, and is a balm in these trying times.

I really enjoyed this story - I love anything about a cozy new york bookstore, and the TNC staff were all so lovable (especially Rhys!). I enjoyed the ramp up to a relationship between Kat and Jude. It seemed realistic enough to not be insane (no magical insta love here, just a normal crush) and I appreciated the dynamic between them (once they got past that initial lil' mess). I think part of the dialogue felt a little contrived to me - like too insightful or deep for an emotional conversation for a normal 20's relationship (romantic or otherwise)? But other than that, it was such a lovely book dealing with so many good topics - child actor drama, parent loss, identity, personal growth, etc. - and I would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to netgalley and Dial Press for the ARC!

This was a very cute sapphic retelling of Notting Hill and I did enjoy it much more than Kellogg's debut (a Pride and Prejudice retelling), but I have to admit there was something missing for me. I got to the 60% mark and it felt like Jude and Kat were still in the getting-to-know-each-other stage of their relationship. The novel was progressing but the characters and their relationships weren't. I never felt truly invested in Jude/Kat because I found so little to be invested in. The chemistry just wasn't there.

This is a shorter read and I wish Kellogg had given the characters time to explore a bit more. I would've loved to see Jude open her own bookstore, no matter how small, so she could create the queer bookstore of her dreams.

I'm glad I gave Camille Kellogg a second chance and definitely intend to pick up future titles.

I’m sorry, was this written for me??? All I needed to know was queer homage to Notting Hill and I was sold.
Niche, but I love a romance with a former child star. I don’t know what it is, but they usually do it for me. Katrina is now probably my favorite former child star, I absolutely loved her and found her relatable and so funny.
Jude is DREAMY. A masc bookseller is everything I’ve ever wanted. I love how Jude navigates their mental health and I love how the author wrote about mental health.
I loved Come As You Are by the same author and to no surprised, I adored this one as well.

Cleverly conceived, believably lovable characters, and delightfully queer. I haven’t enjoyed a queer romance this much in awhile. A truly fun read with both an interesting plot and lots of character development. Very much recommend!

This was my first sapphic romance novel, believe it or not and I truly enjoyed it! I’m always a sucker for a predictable romance; it just hits the spot.

Kat and Jude made such a cutie little couple; the star meets the shy, anxious book seller. Kat, our movie star, explores her own sexuality while also trying to navigate a shift in career from child star to a more sophisticated actress. Jude, our book seller, navigates grief of her mother and the difficulties that unexpected change brings. The two together made for a beautifully written novel.

The romance and love in this book is perfect and I’m so glad I got an advance copy! Camille Kellogg is one of my new favourites and I’ve already pre-ordered a hard copy to go along with my copy of Just As You Are!

How could you not anticipate a sapphic retelling of Notting Hill being INCREDIBLE? I certainly didn’t and I wasn’t wrong!

Kat is reinventing her stalled career and embracing parts of her she has buried deep down. Jude is trying to keep her mother’s memory alive in a bookstore her mother opened. When the two cross paths it seems that Jude is exactly what Kat needs. The only problem is that Jude has no idea she’s just a pawn…

Obviously Jude being a pawn isn’t what happens when Kat spends more and more time with her. Kat is falling hard and fast for Jude but Kat’s asshole manager keeps inserting herself; convincing Kat to use Jude to get her stalled career going again. Throughout the book I found myself screaming at Kat to shut her manager down, to stop meddling in her personal life and not make it a part of her professional one.

Overall this book was everything I hoped it to be. Even though you can see the ticking time bomb, I never actually knew when it was going to blow up. 10/10 recommend…also. Can Camille also write Curled Around Your Finger? 🫣

This book is so perfect. I’m really picky about romance. It has to have a good balance of humor and emotion. This book hit it out of the park. I was cheesin, kicking my feet, giggling, and gasping all the way through.

The characters were perfect. I found myself relating in some way to both Kat and Jude. The side characters were phenomenal as well. I love that Camille has been able to capture the diversity of LGBTQ culture. No two characters are alike and I love it. They are all fully fleshed out and multi dimensional.

The themes of the book were also beautifully written. I loved seeing both of the main characters learn to take the next step in life even though they were scared. To gain confidence in themselves to keep going and make tough decisions. The story also includes themes of learning to trust even when you’ve been hurt and how to forgive people that hurt you and the healing that can bring but also, it’s okay to let go of people who are holding you back from your happiness.

I could go on and on about this book. I think it’s safe to say that Camille Kellogg is definitely on my auto-read author list. Thank you for writing these important stories.

The Next Chapter is a cute sapphic romance that takes place in New York City. The diversity and inclusiveness of the characters is fantastic, as is the story of someone coming out a bit later in life. Representation in books is so very important. That said, I do feel that the author spent more try trying to include everything from the different sexualities, to eating disorders, to disabilities such as EDS in this one story that the plot and storyline suffered a bit. The inclusiveness felt almost forced in places instead of natural and genuine. I would have liked more development in Kat and Jude’s relationship, to show how and why they fell in love with each other. I also am dying to know how things ended with the bookstore that the book is named after. Did she ever buy it back? Did it turn into a crappy conservative bookstore? Do her friends still work there? Overall it was enjoyable though and I would recommend it to
friends looking for a light easy read.

A more diverse version of Notting Hill seemed like it would be right up my alley, and as much as I wanted to love it ... I just couldn't vibe with it. This book reads quickly, perhaps too quickly in that I felt the pacing was all just super fast. Like, it felt like the story moved fast and was on an accelerated pace that didn't seem that realistic. All in all, it was fine and the writing was well-written, but I just wasn't particularly drawn to this one.

Took me a bit to commit to the narrative style. The main characters felt quite immature to me at first in ways that didn't feel realistic to their backgrounds. The writing is simple which made it an overall quick read and I see how there is definitely an audience for this type of queer story! The balance of outside pressure and casual queerness for each character was well constructed and the side characters were fleshed out and interesting. Ultimately, this story isn't my cup of tea, but it could be someone else's favorite book!

I started this book and it was immediately clear to me that this wouldn't be a book for me just because it's not the kind of romance that I enjoy. I don't think that makes it a bad book and so it feels unfair to give it a bad review on Goodreads for just not being to my taste so I think it's best for me to only give that feedback here.

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“The Next Chapter” by Camille Kellogg is a WLW novel between Jude, bookstore employee, and Kat, child actress turned adult hopeful.

What started out with so much potential quickly fizzled when I realized I only liked one of the characters. I found myself rooting for one and not the other (if you read it, you’ll know but I don’t wanna spoil it) — but I didn’t hate the plot.

Give it a shot! This novel releases on June 10, 2025! Just in time for pride month!

Big thanks to Random House Publishing for the offer to read this ARC!

#camillekellogg #thenextchapter #randomhousepublishing #netgalley

I loved both of the main characters and the journeys they went through! Their motivations were always very clear and realistic, which made them very easy to get attached to. I also really liked the found family with Jude’s friend group, they were one of my favorite aspects of this book. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and heartfelt romance!

Big shoutout to Random House Publishing for hooking me up with an ARC of Camille Kellogg's "The Next Chapter"! 🎉

This was my first dive into a queer romance, and let me tell you, I’m totally here for it! Both of the main characters are women, and since they're crafted by a female author, that authenticity just jumps off the page.

Kat and Jude are like night and day, but their chemistry is undeniable, and there’s definitely some good slow burn before they officially get together. I really enjoyed their individual stories and how they grew both separately and as a couple.

You can totally see how their character development is intertwined, with each of them pushing the other to be better. So much love for that! 🌈❤️

I absolutely loved this book, it's such a fun interpretation of Notting Hill as well as showcasing the full scope of the queer experience. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing company for the Advanced Readers Copy!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. I really liked reading about Jude and Kats story and their growth, but I did not like Kat and how she treated Jude in parts of this book so I struggled to get past that.