I couldn’t wait to read The Next Chapter after finishing Just as You Are a few months ago. I love the meet cute in a bookstore and how both characters fought to pursue what really made them happy. The excerpt from the Eileen Styles book at the end was a funny addition! Kellogg’s writing style reminds me of my favorite book by Casey McQuiston, One Last Stop. Loved it! Can’t wait for her next one!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Ah- this one was a hard one to nail down… not because it’s bad. I DO think you should 100% give it a chance (I might even rethink my rating tbh) but the reason I’m going with 3⭐️ is due to the on the nose queerness (Now, hear me out) like idk if you sometimes feel that if something is mentioned too many times or in a certain way it almost makes you hyper aware of yourself? 😂 i Can post more spoiler stuff once it actually publishes but yeah…
It’s cute and I’m ALL for a butch lesbian (esp a bookseller?!) so for that alone I want to give it 4 tbh

If you’ve ever dreamed of a queer Notting Hill but with more bookstore drama and existential identity crises, The Next Chapter is the book for you.

Katrina Kelly is a former child star whose career is circling the drain—so why not rebrand as a queer icon? The only problem? She’s still figuring out her own sexuality. Enter Jude Thacker, an anxious but lovable bookseller who hasn’t so much as looked at romance since her last heartbreak. When Kat and Jude’s meet-cute turns into a full-blown PR stunt, feelings start getting very real, very fast.

This book is packed with sharp humor, swoony moments, and all the messy, complicated emotions that come with figuring yourself out under a public microscope. Kat’s chaotic energy meets Jude’s bookish grumpiness in the best way, and their chemistry is downright electric. Plus, there's plenty of commentary on indie bookstores vs. commercialism, which, as a librarian, spoke to my soul.

If you love fake dating, forced proximity, and sapphic romance with depth and heart, The Next Chapter deserves a spot on your shelf (or at least your branded bookstore tote bag).

Camille Kellogg’s The Next Chapter is a heartfelt, witty, and delightfully modern romance that beautifully captures the messiness of love, identity, and starting over. With sharp dialogue, relatable characters, and a warm, inclusive spirit, Kellogg crafts a story that feels both contemporary and timeless.

At its core, The Next Chapter is about second chances—both in relationships and in life. The protagonist’s journey is filled with emotional nuance, navigating heartbreak, self-discovery, and the tender complexities of queer love with sincerity and charm. Kellogg’s writing is sharp and engaging, balancing humor with vulnerability in a way that feels authentic and refreshingly real.

The romantic chemistry is undeniable, but what stands out most is the emotional growth of the characters. Readers will find themselves cheering for them not just to fall in love, but to truly come into their own. Themes of friendship, forgiveness, and the courage it takes to rewrite your story are woven seamlessly throughout.

The Next Chapter is smart, funny, and deeply affirming—a warm hug of a book for anyone who’s ever had to turn the page and start again. It’s perfect for fans of character-driven romance with heart, humor, and a strong sense of hope.

“The Next Chapter” has been described as a queer homage to “Notting Hill”, which is a fitting description.

The book starts out with Jude (butch bookseller) crying over a book (Curled Around Your Finger by Eileen Styles) when a customer comes into the bookstore (The Next Chapter) and asks if she is okay. This leads to an enjoyable meet-cute, as the customer (Kay) is also a big fan of the author of the book Jude is crying over. Kay asks for recommendations for similar books, and Jude is (figuratively) off and running, gladly showing Kay the biggest queer book selection in any NY bookstore and offering suggestions.

Kay thinks she might be queer but doesn't know how to be queer. She is a former child actress who is used to having her image scripted for her, and she is trying to become a successful actress as an adult. Her agent plans to use her revelation that she is queer as a way to rebrand her -- hinting at it on social media and at publicity events before finally confirming it. The plan is to link Kay with an openly lesbian celebrity, but after meeting Jude, Kay wants her relationship to be with her. Of course, Kay does not tell Jude that their relationship is part of a marketing strategy (and over time she realizes she doesn't want it to be). Misunderstandings, insecurities, and lies will come between them before each woman decides to go what and who they really want.

If you are a "book crier" like Jude, then you will probably cry at some points when reading this book; especially at Kat's big gesture to win back Jude after betraying her.

I like that Jude is both a book crier in the sense of someone who cries over books but also a book crier in the sense of someone who promotes books. I also liked that her coworkers at The Next Chapter included two transgender characters and a character who identifies as demisexual.

I thought it was great that the author included an excerpt from the fictional book that brought Jude and Kay together, with margin notes from Jude to Kay about the book's content.

thank you so much for the approval- i cannot wait to dive in, this is one of my most anticipated reads of the year! i will be sure to leave a review on GR/retailers to come! 💞

It is a gorgeous, witty love story wrapped in an ode to queer identity and the magic of bookstores. A total must-read.

I could really this turning into a rom com with deep feelings. This was my first wlw novel and I will be checking out the author's other work.

I just finished this sapphic romance that explores personal reinvention, complicated pasts, and the power of forgiveness. I was especially drawn to the setting—who doesn’t love a character working in a bookstore?—but what truly stood out to me were the side characters. Jude’s friends, Rhys, Talia, and L.J., completely stole my heart. Their friendship felt so authentic and full of love, and I would have happily read an entire book just about them!

The novel tackles some heavy topics, including grief, eating disorders, PTSD, and strained family relationships, all while weaving in a queer awakening and second-chance romance. While parts of the story were a bit messy, I appreciated how both characters had room to grow and evolve. Life isn’t always neat, and this book leans into that reality in a meaningful way. Though this wasn’t a new favorite for me, I really enjoyed the themes of resilience, community, and self-discovery.

Queer Notting Hill??? I'm sold! This delivered perfectly on its promise, a wonderful romance between actor and bookseller—the setting was a character in itself, the emotional arcs were rich and satisfying, and the banter delightful. Loved it!

Okay…I really wanted to like this book but oh man was Kat’s character so unlikeable! I usually avoid stories where celebrities are love interests because I find them to be one note and this unfortunately met that expectation. Kat was always putting herself and her needs over Jude’s and walking all over her feelings to get what she wanted. Jude was a sweet little cinnamon roll who deserved better than Kat. I love the found family of Jude’s friend group and I thought Jude was a really well rounded character I was rooting for but I found myself rooting for her to stand up for herself and get away from Kat! Which isn’t exactly what you want in a romance. Thank you @netgalley and Dial Press for my advanced copy.

I did not enjoy this book. The story was not for me, it felt very flat and I did not feel the chemistry between the main characters.

This was a fun read! First off, I love the representation for the LGBTQ+ community in this book, but it also represented other sensitive topics such as eating disorders and anxiety. I thought the character development was really well done and the story was flawlessly executed. But true to romcom book nature, it was a bit predictable but a very pleasant and easy read.

Thank you for Random House Publishing for granting me access to the ARC of Camille Kellogg’s “The Next Chapter”.

This was my first queer romance, and I will definitely be reading more. Both main characters were female, written by a female author, and I feel like this lent a lot of honesty to their personality and character development.

The main characters, Kat and Jude, are very different but their romance made sense and there was a good amount of burn prior to them becoming an item. I liked both of their individual journey’s, as well as theirs together as a couple. You could really make the connection between each character’s growth and how it was being encouraged by the other character.

“The Next Chapter” did have some spicy scenes, and I found them to be sexy, well-written, and integral to the story.

After finishing this book, I plan to pick up Kellogg’s other title “Just As You Are.”

3.5 but I'm denied half stars!

I loved Kellogg's first book, and this held on to the lovely writing and characters who have flaws ( and are called out on them) brilliantly. The first quarter of this book felt very heavy handed. You're spoon-fed a lot before I feel like the footing of the story gets going. Some of it reads as a PSA that Queer People Exist & Anxious People in a way that makes the story feel immature? In particular the first chapter. It was jarring.

That vanishes as the story picks up pace but it made getting into the work a bit harder than I wanted and felt very off compared to the rest of the story.

Very excited to add this one to my shelf and see what Camille Kellogg writes next!

This is such a sweet book with sharp writing, well-developed characters, and the kind of crisp, clear detailing that makes you feel like you’re right there in the story experiencing the scenes for yourself. A quick read with a solid plot that is nicely buttoned up by the end. Really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

I loved Kellogg’s debut novel, so of course I had to come back for more. Notting Hill used to be one of my favorite romcom movies, so when I found out this book was going to be a sapphic retelling of Notting Hill, I couldn’t be more exciting. I was not disappointed. This book had all the drama, silliness, romance, ridiculousness, and fun that I would expect from this premise. I loved all of the queer representation and the (somewhat) queer bookstore.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

If you're looking for a fun, heartfelt read with romance, humor, and personal growth, this book is perfect. It's packed with charm, wit, and just the right amount of emotional depth!

I thought the concept for this book was really good! It missed the mark by a little bit for me though. To start, I thought Kat was an irredeemable character. For someone with trust issues, she sure did a lot of lying. I liked how the author did now shy away from including panic attack and eating disorder rep in the book and thought it was done very respectfully. I loved Jude’s character and only wanted the best for her. I loved the resolution we got for her character, but wished we talked more about her anxieties and her panic attacks and how she progressed as that is a big part of who she is.

Thank you to NetGalley, The Dial Press, and the author for an ARC :)