Contemporary, Romance

‘Once More With Feeling’ – Book Review

By Alissa S.

4 minute read

Is the past ever truly behind you?

Once More With Feeling is a perfect choice for fans of This Bird Has Flown or any of Christina Lauren’s sweet romances!

Once More With Feeling by Elissa Sussman – Book Review

There was a time when Katee Rose was America’s hottest pop star, but one disastrous night blows up her relationship, her career, and her entire life. Now Kathleen is living an ordinary existence, and her flashy past is firmly in her rearview mirror. But when a former flame shows up to offer her the opportunity of a lifetime, Kathleen realizes that this is her one chance to perform on her own terms and realize the life she wants for herself. Can she keep cool around Cal? Or will their relationship – and the new project – combust? Once

The sexy chemistry in this dual-timeline second-chance romance is hot, hot, hot!

This is a must-read for Broadway fans, anyone who grew up during the rise of the boy band, and lovers of late-‘90s or early 2000s pop music. It’s fun and gossipy while taking a serious look at what happens when the sun sets on the career of people who may have peaked as teenagers.

Our first loves inform our relationships for the rest of our lives, and this book really shows that we are never really free of the impact they have. This book is all about reinvention, and each of us can identify with wanting something BIGGER for our lives. Kathleen is a flawed character who really tries to keep herself from falling into the same traps and behavior patterns that led to mistakes she made as a teenager, but sometimes the universe has something else in store for us. I did think that the story got bogged down in Kathleen’s self-pity at times, but this is a perfect choice for fans of This Bird Has Flown or Christina Lauren’s sweet romances!

Find a copy of this “must-read romance” from your favorite retailer.

**What others are saying about the Once More With Feeling Book:**

“As fun and frothy as a Britney concert mashed up with a musical comedy . . . warm, engrossing, and satisfying in every way. One of the Best Romance Novels of 2023!”—Entertainment Weekly

“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

“Once More with Feeling is the angsty, sexy backstage romance of my dreams. Elissa Sussman elegantly weaves the threads of past and present into a love story that’s impossible to put down.” –Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake it in Hollywood

” Once More with Feeling puts romantic tension and juicy celebrity drama centerstage. Elissa Sussman expertly crafts the love story of two artists set across three timelines, building to a powerful finish worthy of a standing ovation. This stellar romance has all the passion, energy, and showstopping moments of a real Broadway musical.” –Susie Dumond, author of Queerly Beloved

“A winning second-chance romance that’s fun, steamy, and full of crackling chemistry.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Elissa Sussman returns with another dual timeline celebrity romance that explores the pressure cooker of fame and the gift of growing older and wise. . . . Kathleen and Cal’s evolution as a couple is refreshingly complex.” —BookPage

About the Author – Elissa Sussman

Elissa Sussman writes both adult and YA novels, and her work has been reviewed and praised by NPR, Cosmo, Book Riot, and more. In her previous life, Elissa managed animators at some of the best studios in the world, including Disney and Dreamworks. You can see her name in the credits for blockbusters like “Tangled”, “The Princess and the Frog”, “Hotel Transylvania,” and “The Croods“. Elissa lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their pets!

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