Thank you to Random House Publishing, Dial Press, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review! The book was very well written. I applaud the author for how well the book flowed. I did find the title fitting and the book cover eye-catching. As far as the plot, I did struggle to believe that Kat would be drawn to Jude, considering her behavior. I didn't feel like they belonged together, and that left me conflicted. The characters were really well developed but felt as if the history between them was just too much to be believable. For those reasons I am giving this a 2.5. But I do feel like some people might enjoy the drama. It just wasn't for me

This is a fun celebrity/normal person romance. Especially in the beginning, with more focus on the bookstore, I had a lot of fun with all the bookish references. One of the MCs wasn't likable enough for me so I had a hard time investing in the relationship but overall enjoyed the ride.

I am a fan of Camille Kellogg’s sapphic romcom retellings. I LOVED Just As You Are and was very excited for a Notting Hill retelling

This was cute. A bookseller and a famous actress that isn’t “out” yet but would like to be have a darling meet cute and decide to continue for the cameras until they catch feelings. I liked it a lot and am excited to see what romcom is next (fingies crossed for Return to Me or You’ve Got Mail)

Thanks to netgalley and random house pub for an eARC

The premise of The Next Chapter sounded very fun! Kat, a former child actor trying to come out and restart her career meets - and immediately crushes on - Jude, a bookseller at a queer feminist bookstore. Kat sees this as a perfect opportunity for her rebranding. She can date Jude for a few weeks and then move on without telling Jude that it's all a publicity stunt. Of course, as they both develop real feelings and their relationship is exposed to the media, everything becomes complicated.

Unfortunately, I had a difficult time connecting to and rooting for Kat. At the end I felt that Kat still had a lot more growing to do before I could believe in her and Jude getting back together and having a healthy relationship. Jude was a lot easier to like but she also let Kat walk all over her and forgave her very easily.

Part of the ending also felt so copied from Notting Hill that it was a little ridiculous.

Overall, The Next Chapter was an easy to read and mostly enjoyable book. If you enjoy queer romances and Notting Hill, it will probably be a worthwhile read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Dial Press for the ARC.

The Next Chapter by Camille Kellogg is a charming and heartfelt queer rom-com that blends literary love with second chances. The chemistry between the characters is electric, and the witty dialogue keeps the story light even as it tackles deeper emotional themes. It’s a feel-good read that celebrates both romance and personal growth.

The Next Chapter by Camille Kellogg

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Random House Publishing, Dial Press, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Katrina Kelly might have eight million Instagram followers and a multipage IMDb listing, but she also is feeling stuck and is questioning everything. She decides that rebranding herself is the perfect way to get her career started again. Jude Thacker works at a bookstore, which has been taken over by a boss who’d rather sell branded tote bags than books, and hasn’t been on a date since a broken heart years ago.

When Kat and Jude cross paths in the bookstore, Kat realizes that it could be a great publicity stunt, however feelings quickly emerge. After tons of media scrutiny and all the chatter, they must decide what is real and what is worth pursuing.

Overall, this was an interesting read with some good moments, however the pacing wasn’t ideal at times and the spark wasn’t fully there.

I was waiting for this novel for like two years and it didn’t disappointed me. Camille Kellogg is an amazing writer and she is now one of my comfort author.
This book is clearly inspired by Notting Hill (especially at the start and in the end) but it is an original work (while “Just As You Are”, her debut, was a proper retelling).
This story made me feel lots of emotions. I don’t want to talk about the fact that I found the elaboration of grief even here (is it a surprise? I can tell you it’s not).
The thing I loved most is the way the author handle the fact that the main character is an ex child actor. Kat is a famous ex child actor who is trying to reinvent herself as an adult actress. Unfortunately her career is in an impasse, and she seems capable to do anything to revive it.
Kat started her career as professional actress at 11. She was fortunate: she didn’t get sexually abused but she is fucked up. That life fucked her up. Hollywood fucked her up.
Now, I love celebrity romances. But my favorite are the celebrity romance that denunce how rotten the industry is. This books do that, even if it is the perfect romcom.
I loved so much Jude, the other main character and her chosen family. I’ll take them in my heart for a long time.
Can’t wait for the next chapter, for the the novel of this wonderful author.

Thank you Netgalley and The Dial Press for the arc!

I really wanted to love this more than I ended up loving it. A book about books, and the dynamics in it had me from the first page. I just couldn’t deal with the pace and repetitiveness of it. Sadly was not a favorite read of mine. I really really wanted to love it more than I did.

i love a book about books. so a queer book about queer books is even better!

i enjoyed this book a lot! i loved seeing Kat figure out things about herself and her sexuality. and Jude was so so sweet! such a good book girlfriend!

so the conflict in this book was really messy. but i still rooted for them as a couple! we had fake dating where one doesn’t know it’s fake, but i swear it’s not as bad as it sounds lol!

the chemistry was easy and their meet cute at the book store was so sincere. (like can that happen to me tho?!?)

i liked this book more than this author’s previous. that was a retelling which is never my favorite, but this one also had the celebrity aspect that was fun!

overall, 4/5⭐️

4.25 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley for the arc! 🦋

This one had me from page one. A former child star trying to reinvent herself and a reserved bookseller quietly grieving? Absolute dynamite pairing. Their chemistry? Sizzling. But it's the emotional depth and personal growth that really carry the story.

Kat’s messy relationship with fame and identity, paired with Jude’s quiet, steady resilience, creates a push-pull dynamic that’s both heart-warming and loaded with tension. The fake dating trope is done right; fun but with real emotional stakes. And yes, there's a bit of miscommunication, but it’s handled thoughtfully and never derails the plot (bless).

The side characters, especially the bookstore crew, bring charm and balance to the heavier moments. Mental health themes, like anxiety and disordered eating, are woven in with care, adding depth without making the story feel heavy.

The writing? Sharp, sincere, and just the right amount of funny. The romance builds in soft, vulnerable moments that feel earned and genuinely swoony. If you’re into character-driven sapphic romance with heart, humour, and a slow burn that pays off, you’ll want this one on your shelf.!

I really wanted to love this. Notting Hill is such a cute movie and I wanted to see it done queer.

However, I found the spark between Kat and Jude lacking. Plus add in the lying and it just wasn’t doing it for me.

A huge point for my DNF was when one of Jude’s friends was complaining about how Demi they are. As a Demi person I found this way out of touch. And maybe I’m looking at this scene the wrong way. But as difficult as it is to see Demi characters in books, I didn’t like this.

A charming sophomore novel to Camille Kellogg’s first, both inspired by a much-beloved romance story. I’m partial to P&P over Notting Hill so maybe it’s some implicit bias coming in, but this seemed much more loosely inspired. Kat Kelly, for example, is giving more Kathleen Kelly than Anna Scott. I also just really loved the first book.

This one is both messier and steamier than the first. Which kind of work against each other when you’re not convinced you’re rooting for the main couple. There were sweet moments and a happily ever after (definitely pulling from the Notting Hill source material), but I would’ve liked to see a little more of both of them putting in the work to get to where we are at the end.

Overall, definitely still enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to more from this author in the future.

4⭐️
The Next Chapter had so much going for it and really kept me engaged with the pacing and story line. The only thing that kept it from being a 5 star for me was the dialogue felt a little juvenile sometimes. Or even a little exposition-y. Overall though, I very much enjoyed this sapphic romance and would love to read more from this author!!

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital advanced copy of this book!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Great LGBTQ romance! love the famous person-normal person romance, but this was my first LGBTQ version of that trope! I also really enjoyed the depth of Kat and how she was figuring out her identity and how to define it.

The next chapter by Camille Kellogg is about a fake relationship, put on as a publicity stunt, except only one of them knows it.

Katrina Kelly has 8 million instagram followers and due to being a former child star, a multi page IMDB. Her career has stalled out and she is questioning her sexuality. A relationship with a woman is exactly what she needs both personally and for her career.

Jude Thacker works at a queer bookstore. She hasn't been on a date since her heart was broken 2 years ago. When Kat and Jude cross paths in the bookstore, Kat realizes it might just be the opportunity that she was looking for.

What was supposed to be a temporary publicity stunt quickly turns into feelings for both women. As the media scrutiny intensifies, each must decide what's real, and what's not. Is it worth losing everything for love?

Thank you Camille for partnering with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

You can find this book in bookstores June 10 2025

3.5/5!!

This book was so fun. The premise alone sounded like something I would enjoy, and I definitely did. I liked the writing and enjoyed the plot for the most part. I wasn't hugely connected to the characters, which was unfortunate, but that's okay! I had mixed feelings on whether or not I actually wanted them together or just wanted them to have one long talk and get everything out.

The side characters did a lot for me and one reason I kept going!


Thank you Netgalley and Dial Delights for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A heart hitting, queer fake dating romance set between Hollywood chaos and a cozy bookstore? Say less. 🥹📚

This book had me hooked from the moment Jude and Kat met. Jude is the quiet, endearing bookseller you’ll instantly root for, and Kat is a former child star trying to survive the spotlight and figure out who she really is.

Their chemistry? IMMACULATE. The miscommunication? SO SO SO painful but real. I wanted to scream at Kat to COMMUNICATE with Jude, ugh!!! I was rooting for them the whole time but, I felt all of the things. 😩

It’s messy (but in a good way — I love messy 😂), tender, sweet, and steamy and with a vibrant friend group I’d love to hang out with!!!

Add it to your list if you love:

📚 Bookstore meet-cutes
🎬 Celeb/normal person dynamics
🏳️‍🌈 Found family
💞 Fake dating gone real

A big thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Next Chapter releases on June 10th, 2025! 🩷

SIMPLY OBSESSED. Camille Kellogg has done it again, y'all. I'm head-over-heels for this messy romance about a hot butch bookseller and a former child star trying to come out and transition to a career as an adult actor. Jude and Kat are both so wonderfully layered and imperfect and sincere, and I was rooting for them through every twist and turn. Is April too soon to call this my favorite romance of the year?

I wish Jude had a bit more character to her, but otherwise she was a good character. But the lying in this book was annoying. I hated that.

I wanted to love this book-unfortunately it just didn’t live up to my expectations. I love a romance that’s meet cute moment started in a bookstore-I just found myself more frustrated with the protagonists than anything. While there cute moments in the story-I overall couldn’t find myself rallying behind their love story. I didn’t think that Jude and Kat made sense as a long term couple.