Once More with Feeling

A Novel

By: Elissa Sussman

Narrated by: Jaime Lamchick

“As fun and frothy as a Britney concert mashed up with a musical comedy . . . warm, engrossing, and satisfying in every way.”—Entertainment Weekly

From the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask comes “a pitch-perfect second chance romance with off-the-charts tension and chemistry” (Carley Fortune, author of Every Summer After).

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Entertainment Weekly, NPR, PopSugar

Then. Katee Rose is living the dream as America’s number one pop star, caught in a whirlwind of sold-out concerts, screaming fans, and constant tabloid coverage. Everyone wants to know everything about her and her boyfriend, Ryan LaNeve, the hottest member of adored boy band CrushZone. Katee loves to perform but hates the impossible demands of stardom. Maybe that’s why she finds herself in the arms of another CrushZone member, Cal Kirby. Quiet, serious Cal, who’s always been a good friend to Katee, is suddenly Cal with the smoldering eyes and very good hands. One unforgettable night is all it takes to blow up Katee’s relationship with Ryan, her career, her whole life.

Now. Kathleen Rosenberg is okay with her ordinary existence and leaving her pop star image in the past. That is, until Cal Kirby shows up with the opportunity of her dreams—a starring role in the Broadway show he’s directing and a chance to perform, the way she’s always wanted. The two haven’t spoken since the joint destruction of their careers, and each of them blames the other, making their reunion a tense battle of wits and egos. Kathleen reluctantly agrees to the musical, as long as she keeps her guard up around Cal. But rehearsals are long, those eyes still smolder, and those hands are still very good. Despite everything, Kathleen can’t deny the chemistry between them. Is it ever a good idea to reignite old flames? Especially if you’ve been burned in the past?

©2023 Elissa Sussman (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Once More With Feeling is as fun and frothy as a Britney [Spears] concert mashed up with a musical comedy. . . . There’s no need to do it once more, as the book is already brimming with plenty of feeling—warm, engrossing, and satisfying in every way.”—Entertainment Weekly

“I’m a huge admirer of Elissa Sussman. Once More with Feeling delivers a pitch-perfect second chance romance with off-the-charts tension and chemistry. Elissa’s deep love of pop culture and the arts makes every page sparkle.”—Carley Fortune, New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After

“This book is catnip for those of us who love boybands, musical theater, and second chances at first love. Written with humor and a fan's eye for adoration, Elissa Sussman has given us another hit.”—Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow

Eh

The excessive use of: I said/ he said/she said/whatever name said… annoyed the hell out of me and kept distracting me. I feel like the books editor should’ve cleared and brushed some of those out. This book overall just felt like a big “meh.” I’m disappointed to feel this way because I really loved “Funny You Should Ask” when I read it last year.

As I continued the story, I felt like not much was happening in the both present and past timelines.
The tropes and plot were all potentially there….just executed poorly.

Just ok

I really had to muscle through the first part of this book because the main character was so insufferable and not in a way that made me feel for her in any way. The rest of the book is fine. Performance is stellar.

Disappointed

I LOVED “Funny You Should Ask”. I was expecting another funny, charming, romantic, mature listen and this just didn’t get there. It really felt like a completely different author. The plot idea was awesome and I feel like it could have been amazing, but the narrator made everything seem cheesy. And the dialogue was just cheesy too.

SPOILER—-
One of my least favorite things in books is when characters have arguments and don’t act at all how their character arc has built up to it and are sooo overreacting for the smallest things. Like Harriet knew Kathleen for over a decade and mocked her when she was finally getting together with the love of her life who she knew was the love of her life? It just doesn’t seem realistic.
Really sad leaving a 3star

Theatre Lovers Will Love this

The theatre references in this book were top tier!! It was just hard to follow at times

So-so

Not a bad story, but it took some time to get invested in the characters and the plot.

Loved it!

The plot really pulled me in and I loved the characters. Can’t wait to see what Elissa Susanna writes next.

super enjoyable

The story was a bit bland in the beginning, but from chapter 30ish, it was great

Great 4⭐️

Perfect second chance romance. Love love loved it! Easy breezy one day read. Highly recommend

If I heard someone 'said' one more time ....

The story was as expected, and the performance was good. I just could get past 'said'.

Sweet

Definitely not my favorite book, I've never loved reading about cheating, but I do love when a book gives me a different perspective on a situation I never would have tried to understand.