I didn’t finish the book.
I found the main character being so obsessive over her ex to be a little scary and her constant wishy washy get back together with him or not made the actual romance this book was meant to be focused on become kind of stagnant which isn’t what I’m looking for in a romance. The yearning just wasn’t there.

I enjoyed what I would refer to as a young adult romance. This story follows Jamie as she navigates a break up with her boyfriend of three years, Ben. In an attempt to "win Ben back" she decides to pretend to date the younger, new kid at school Axel. We then follow the course of the fake turned real relationship between Jamie and Axel. Jamie's journey of self discovery helps her realize her true feelings for both Ben and Axel, as well as better manage her anxiety.

Try this book out if you like fake dating, friends to lovers, and/or young adult romance. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. I will be on the look out for more from this author.

I absolutely loved You Started It! The anxiety rep was written beautifully. Axel is charming, adorable, and caring and Jamie is smart and relatable. I really enjoyed reading this book and the fake dating was written well. My favorite scene is when Axel and Jamie are at the amusement park together ☺️. Thank you so much for this ARC from NetGalley!

A very sweet young adult story with amazing mental health representation, IBS awareness and Arab/Palestinian representation as well.

This book definitely felt young to me but I think for the set demographic, this will be absolutely an amazing read. I truly did appreciate how the author wrote about anxiety and even had on page panic attacks which are very much appreciated.

While the storyline was cute, it did get very repetitive and even made the book feel too long at times. The constant TikTok dances and slang made me feel so old. 🫣

The romance was very high school, obviously. But I found it so odd how quickly Jamie was able to move on from Ben, even if it was a fake dating situation. Like girl you were just crying about him a week ago. But I guess it makes sense with their age? Also wow, what a trigger with the high school breakup. Reminded me of the first time I was ever broken up with. 🤣

Overall, a cute story that again, a younger generation will appreciate.

Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Books for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The hockey romance in this book was such a thrill! The forbidden nature of their relationship added an intense level of tension that made every moment feel high-stakes. I loved watching the characters navigate the challenges that came with their secret connection. It kept me on edge, wondering how they would make it work despite everything standing in their way.
The characters were somewhat interesting but not enough to have me continue the series. Like the whole thing starts because the dude is so stressed out about his Lucky Charms. I get the reasoning but maybe plan better? They don't magically disappear. And there are other stores ... you're in Chicago, I'm sure there's a 24/7 store open with you cereal. You shouldn't absolutely loathe someone because she wouldn't give you her box of cereal. Like how entitled can you be?

Not to mention the kind of cheating. Like you were so pissed at her about something (I can't even remember what) that you were ready to take two girls to your room WHEN SHE WAS IN THE HOTEL. That's a dick move even when she's not there but even more so when she is. And it's not like you weren't doing anything with them in the bar. You spent an hour with them and at least kissed one on the neck ... I'm betting there was even more done. Colby is lucky Carissa even looked at him after she caught him pulling that shit. I can't even with it.
This was my first hockey romance read. Though I do consider this a reasonable read, I felt like it lacked depth to the main characters and had a weird ending. Parts of this book were funny and cute, while other parts just felt cringey. It is a very easy to read book and I appreciate the way the author wrote it. I really wanted to learn more about the characters past, so I could get to know them better. The setting fit the story, which I liked! it was cute, spicy, romantic and humorous at times.

This book is about a female main character and a male main character. The male character is a hockey player named Colby, who plays for the Chicago Red Tails. The female character, whose name is Carissa, is a marketing representative for the same hockey team that Colby plays in. Before she became the representative, she met Colby by accident at a store and they had a debacle over some cereal. She did not know he was a hockey player and he was in disbelief that she didn’t recognize him.From:

Thank you Tundra Books for the ARC!

I had so much fun with this YA romance right from the very start! These teens are messy, complex, and full of emotions and hormones. Just how teens are in real life. Jamie is easily one of my favorite teen characters I’ve read in a long time. Her tendency to overreact to things is so relatable (autism rep!) as is her need to know where a bathroom is at all times (IBS rep!) The romance that develops between Jamie & Axel is so sweet and they balance each other out perfectly.

This book brought back my love for YA stories in a way I didn’t anticipate. I found myself resonating deeply with the main character, Jamie, who navigates a world filled with anxiety, panic attacks, co-dependency, and insecurity. Her struggle with the need to stick to her personal to-do list really hit home for me since I constantly struggle with having to check things off my list. It’s a relatable and powerful journey that many readers will connect with. I enjoyed having a glimpse into Arab culture and how it influenced Jamie experiences and relationships.

I felt so many emotions reading this book, the MC's character journey was written so well 🥲 the book vibes in terms of Olivia Rodrigo's songs is traitor + get him back + so american, it's just >>>>

Jamie and Axel's slow-burn fake dating to lovers was just the frickin best. Also the dialogue? Jamie's love of homographs and linguistics and Axel's sunshine-y optimism and general goofiness were so much fun to read, but especially when they were talking to/texting with each other.

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!

This was my first read by the author and it was so enjoyable. I loved the diversity in the story and the main characters being of a different culture. The MMC was the most enjoyable part of the story. His confidence and pride in his heritage made him like able l. The complexity of Jamie’s relationship with her mom, her mother’s internalized racism, and dealing with anxiety made the story relatable and enjoyable for all ages even though a YA read. The cover was so cute and perfect for the story. Overall this was a great read.

Words can't describe how much I loved this book! I instantly fell in love with the characters and story and could not put it down. It had me captivated from the very beginning. I absolutely fell for Axel and the plot of this novel.

I loved romanticizing the city where I live and exploring the places I go with my new favourite characters.

Jackie Khalilieh's writing is delicious and binge-worthy. I cannot wait to read her next book and will continue to come back to You Started It!

Thank you to Tundra Books and Jackie Khalilieh for the opportunity to read this ARC!

It was cute, funny and real. It’s a YA book that started out with a FMC that loved lists and her boyfriend. They had a plan… or maybe she did. After the summer break things changed and her life took a turn for the worse as she saw it when he dumped her before school started. Little did she know that this year would change everything. It was a quick read I enjoyed and connected to the characters. I loved the plot of how she had to through out the plan and the lists and just enjoy the journey. Definitely keeping an eye out for this author’s next book

Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for this ARC. Thank you Jackie for writing a masterpiece!

I loved this book. Jamie felt like my inner child or little sister while I read. Her ups and downs were so relatable. I wanted to hug her at so many points.

Now convincing myself to attempt to travel to Toronto to check out the CN Tower. Maybe. Someday.

Y’all this one was good! I am genuinely so pumped for it to finally come out. It became slightly repetitive at times, but overall it felt very wholesome and enjoyable. I loved all of the characters and the way the ending made me feel. I don’t feel any loose ends, she wrapped up the story very nicely. For once the third-act breakup wasn’t completely cringy and done for no reason. Axel is literally my BF though…..

You Started It was definitely not my cup of tea. I found the main character, Jamie, to be extremely annoying and insufferable. She always thought everything was about her. Honestly, the only character in this book that I could stand was the MMC, Axel. I didn’t stay engrossed in the book and I found myself cringing so hard at a lot of moments in the book. I also felt like the author tried way too hard to add a lot of gen-z terms in the book as well. There were a lot of themes thrown into the book where I just felt like the author added them in to say those themes were in the book. Reading this book really just felt like a chore, and I didn’t really enjoy any part of this book. Thank you Netgalley and Tundra for giving me an ARC to honestly review!

Oh my GOODNESS! What a phenomenal book this is! Each character had you wanting to love them for their own individual reasons. I am SO in love with each character and this book was so so so well written! I loved every single moment of this book and it left me wanting so much more!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

3.5 stars rounded up.

I love a good fake dating plot with a meet-cute. I haven’t read a book with a Palestinian main character and I think Jamie is a great lead. Her need for control & order, and her struggles with anxiety all resonated with me. Axel was a love interest you really rooted for. I definitely would read more from this author.

"You started it" by Jackie Khalilieh follows seventeen-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster, a messy type A with anxiety who gets broken up with, and the following day she sees her ex with a new girl. Jamie plans to get her boyfriend back-so she decides to fake-date TikTok dancer Axel Dahini... whose bicycle she just so happened to run over. These two have nothing in common except for their shared Arab-heritage, but their time spent together leads them to better understand each other.

I thought this novel was cute and lighthearted. An adorable, carefree but meticulous love interest, and an anxious list-making girl who just wants to cross off everything on those lists. I think teens would love this book, But personally, I think I was just not too invested in it. I liked the book, but I just don't think this book was of me.

Was it a little repetitive in some plot points? Yes. But I think that shows good mental health rep. Trauma healing is not linear but often times looping inside a circle. I loved how the characters all grew together. You really know how to write great relationships functional or dysfunctional. Axel is a true sweetheart, and the third-act breakup wasn’t annoying (good job)!

This young adult romance is what is healing me. This has great representation and the communication is so needed. I love how the characters, all of them had so much development. This author is one of my favorites. Having such an open communication standpoint is what we all need in the genre of YA. I am preordering this arc, I want it on my shelf pronto (: can’t wait for May!

You Started It is a Fake Dating YA Contemporary Romance about Jamie and Axel. Jamie has just been broken up with, and in an effort to try to win her ex back she pretended to be in a relationship with the new kid in town, Axel. I thought that the language and how the characters acted are in-line with their age, which is something I had to keep reminding myself as I read it. Overall, I found the story entertaining. However, I was hoping for more of the story post the third act breakup. I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.