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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was ultimately a good romcom around a very fiery main character, but I feel like a lot of the plot was too fast and everything just kind of gets glossed over. It moves on quickly from any little twist there is. It’s funny given the title, because I think I just wanted a little more feeling. That being said it is an interesting look into the theater world, celebrity, etc. I just felt like there could be more from both the past and present timelines.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Enjoyed the read!
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I will always love a book about the theatre and this was no exception! While the FMC Kathleen, makes decisions that I don’t love, they are understandable. There is a great subplot about how hard things can be when you get trapped in a narrative that you don’t want to be in and how the woman is almost always blamed in public breakups.
The back and forth between them and now is a great way to tell the story. It was a fast and fun read!
Spicy rating 2.5 peppers…really only 1 spicy scene and it’s not overly long but lots of sexual tension throughout the book!
The back and forth between them and now is a great way to tell the story. It was a fast and fun read!
Spicy rating 2.5 peppers…really only 1 spicy scene and it’s not overly long but lots of sexual tension throughout the book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group—Ballantine and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.
As a huge fan of Elissa Sussman’s FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, I went into her newest, ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, with high expectations and, I’m happy to say, it far exceeded them.
As with FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, ONCE MORE WITH FEELING follows characters in the entertainment business (a trope I am absolutely obsessed with!). Kathleen is a former pop star who went from best-selling albums and sold-out tours alongside her then boyfriend’s boy band (the same band her adolescent crush, Cal, happens to be a part of) to having no career to speak of after an indiscretion that was made public knowledge and exacerbated further by constant attention in the media. Years later she’s being given a second chance when her best friend writes a Broadway musical with a part written specifically for Kathleen, directed by none other than Cal who stood by while her career went up in flames.
While the story was certainly entertaining—it flashes between the past, before the incident that ruins Kathleen’s career, and the present—and definitely kept my attention (I got major Britney Spears/*NSYNC vibes), I was struck most by how Sussman shows just how cruel the world can be towards women. Kathleen makes a mistake (you later find out that the circumstances aren’t necessarily so black and white, as per usual), but the reader gets to see just how easily a narrative can be manipulated to highlight and emphasize the mistakes of a woman, especially famous women, while completely ignoring the reciprocal actions of her male counterpart.
Though, as always, I wanted more time spent with these characters, Elissa Sussman, with ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, has been cemented as a must-buy author for me.
As a huge fan of Elissa Sussman’s FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, I went into her newest, ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, with high expectations and, I’m happy to say, it far exceeded them.
As with FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, ONCE MORE WITH FEELING follows characters in the entertainment business (a trope I am absolutely obsessed with!). Kathleen is a former pop star who went from best-selling albums and sold-out tours alongside her then boyfriend’s boy band (the same band her adolescent crush, Cal, happens to be a part of) to having no career to speak of after an indiscretion that was made public knowledge and exacerbated further by constant attention in the media. Years later she’s being given a second chance when her best friend writes a Broadway musical with a part written specifically for Kathleen, directed by none other than Cal who stood by while her career went up in flames.
While the story was certainly entertaining—it flashes between the past, before the incident that ruins Kathleen’s career, and the present—and definitely kept my attention (I got major Britney Spears/*NSYNC vibes), I was struck most by how Sussman shows just how cruel the world can be towards women. Kathleen makes a mistake (you later find out that the circumstances aren’t necessarily so black and white, as per usual), but the reader gets to see just how easily a narrative can be manipulated to highlight and emphasize the mistakes of a woman, especially famous women, while completely ignoring the reciprocal actions of her male counterpart.
Though, as always, I wanted more time spent with these characters, Elissa Sussman, with ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, has been cemented as a must-buy author for me.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i really enjoyed this authors first book despite the use of "she/he said" after every line of dialogue. you would think the fact that that's one of the first things we learn not to do when writing that she would maybe fix that going forward but no. definitely not the case here and i can't ignore it. especially because nothing else was grabbing my attention, not the characters or the setting even though i love theater and broadway and would love to follow them on this journey, but every other bit of this was annoying to me and im not going to push through to finish.