જ⁀➴ 1.75 stars ⋆⭒˚.⋆

⤿ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 date may 18
⤿ 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 date may 19

⁀➴ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
🩵 fake dating
📚 bucket list
🩵 arab rep
📚 highschool romcom
🩵 tiktok dancer mmc (yes you read that correctly)
📚 mental health rep


𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠: good 4 u by olivia rodrigo (first half at least) and i know it won't work by gracie abrams ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹


⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲
this book follows our fmc - jamie taher-foster, who’s in her senior year of high school with big plans. she has a boyfriend who she loves and has been with for 3 years. but… after he comes back from summer camp he confesses how he wants to try new things and be more chill and ends their relationship. and after this you would think she would move on, right? turns out she wants to get him back, prove he was wrong to dump her and that they belong together. things happen and then she ends up fake dating the new guy, who’s a year younger than her but also arab. they do a lot of pretending and hang out a lot and slowly he becomes her best friend. lines blur between pretend and fake.

𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞
i just wanna say everyone is entitled to their own opinions and this is mine. if you disagree, it’s okay just be respectful.

↓ may contain spoilers ↓

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
as you may have already realized by the amazing at the top - i despised this entire story. this was supposed to be a cute, silly, fake dating romance. yk full of yearning from the mcs and them falling for each other while pretending. lemme tell you one thing, her ex boyfriend who she’s trying to win back - his name is mentioned 668 times. yeah. she’s obsessed. (the love interest’s name is mentioned more but only like a 100x more.)

okay i just want to say how i did not like almost any of the characters in this book, which is crazy for me especially because i tend to have soft spots for problematic people. in this case, no. 🤗

something i really wanted to point out as a christian specifically - jamie’s family is non-religious greek orthodox and palestinian. her uncle is gay!?? okay, moving on. axel’s bsf - diesel (what in the truck parts are these names btw) is non-binary and they/them. so first you HAVE to make the mcs christian ofc 🤗 and then make them have lgbt+ family/close friends. instead she could've added some bipoc/asian,MAYBE BLACK characters?!! but no ofc most people are white, the fmc & mmc are arab, ex is white, his new gf is asian. which was nice but it's literally set in toronto... where there's SO many brown and asian people...?!! this was the perfect opportunity to add a diverse set of characters.. but no. also all the side characters felt very 1d and no depth. just wanted to share this. there was a lot of mentions of sex and everything, but i wanted to make something clear to authors/publishers whoever - not every teen cares about sex… ?!!


﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞
do not start with me

her qualities:
✓ biggest pick me ever
✓ very rude daughter
✓ emotionally immature
✓ acts like a 10 year old at 17
✓ loves to read
✓ anxiety/ibs rep

i really really really despised her. first - she’s so annoying. for 3 straight pages she’ll be complaining about her mom and how her entire life sucks, FLIP THE FREAKING PAGE and she is yapping about how amazing her life is and that her mom is not too bad and how everyone is just perfect.

she's just a really rude person and doesn't seem to care about how her actions affect people around her. she has the emotional maturity of maybe a 10 year, but girl isn’t aware of the people around her.

she definitely has daddy issues because her dad left when she was in middle school/before high school started. her ex was someone who was her safety net - someone in her life who she could rely on for stability and once he left she basically crashed and burned. now she's aching for that, she doesn't know who to turn to when things go wrong.

she would start talking about how horrible her mom is, but the thing is she literally acts exactly like her. “oh I'm nothing like my mom guys” like girl you are a mirror image of her - literally same person in a younger body.

kind of in the middle of the book she talked about how she had unhealed trauma from her High School relationship with ben who is her ex. i'm sorry, what did he do to traumatize you? break up with you is that not allowed like please. if he hurt her or did something it would be valid but he's never like done anything during their relationship to actually harm her mentally or physically.

and then she would talk about getting back with ben in front of axel who she's fake dating okay, and then she'd think about axel like all the time daydreaming - kissing him and everything. then she's like oh I need ben. wait he's a horrible person. i want axel. wait I need ben actually. LIKE MAKE UP YOUR MIND. and to give some context, ben had a REAL girlfriend while she’s trying to get him back. first she wants her ex back (who has not interest in doing so) then she’s going after another girl’s man?!!

then there's this one scene where axel does something really nice for her like I'm not going to tell you because it's kind of a big spoiler but he takes on a date, where she meets his friends, and then there's like the surprise. she gets really pissed at him and tells him that he didn't have the right to do this blah blah and then she leaves and him stranded in downtown toronto - he doesn't have a car, his friends already left. like how could you be so cruel and heartless.

“of course i got angry at him. it's what I do. i don't know how to be in a normal, healthy relationship because i've never been around one.”
- what about basic human decency? okay… sounds like you might actually be the problem here.

there’s literally SO much more i could complain about 😭


𝐚𝐱𝐞𝐥
the ✨ tiktok dancer ✨
let that sink in, an 11th grade tiktok dancer guy. okay let’s move on

so basically he's the guy that agrees to fake date jamie and everything. i don’ really have any issues with him per se, he didn't feel that important in the story. while reading there are a lot of moments with him and everything but while I'm trying to remember and recollect what the story was about, he just didn't have a huge significance in the plot in my opinion.

you could tell he cared about her a lot, but he does not deserve that girl like he deserves so much better.

like this guy is very much boyfriend material if we take out the fact he's a “tiktok dancer” because i cannot take that seriously for the life of me… and the fact there’s a semi-famous tiktok dancer at MY school 😭 sooo big no!!

if got his perspective it actually might’ve made the story better


𝐛𝐞𝐧
the douchebag ex who dumped her and ‘cheated’ on her
uh so basically he’s the guy that jamie has loved for years

all i know about him is:
∿ he’s white
∿ taller than jamie
∿ helped her make lists to deal with her anxiety

like jamie would go on and on about how she wanted him back… but where is this dude’s personality? and he’s not even the smart… he needed jamie to tutor him BEHIND HIS CURRENT GF’S BACK!?! 🚩🚩🚩


𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚
the girl ben left jamie for
she’s not actually evil yk but jamie ofc thought of her as an opp 🙄
she and jamie become friends at the 75% mark or something?!!
pretty sweet, popular, genuinely loves ben but other than that she’s just a side/useless character.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ couple
𝐚𝐱𝐞𝐥𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞
hmm what do i say
i don’t care?
like who how long this book felt, it didn’t give me the swoony confession at the end ☹️

THO i did feel a tiny miniscule bit of emotional during the last 5% because she did something sweet for him and etc. like when she pulled her crap together.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥
and in the end - don’t read this

ofc if u did love this, that’s amazing!! all this is my opinion 😙💗


mwah,
joni 🤍

You Started It is a charming and heartfelt YA rom-com that blends mystery, humor, and teenage awkwardness with refreshing authenticity. Jackie Khalilieh captures the voice of her autistic Palestinian-Canadian protagonist, Huda, with warmth and nuance. When anonymous messages spark a slow-burning mystery and potential romance, Huda must navigate her first year at public school, friendship shifts, and self-discovery.

With smart dialogue, relatable characters, and strong representation, this debut is both fun and meaningful—a standout for teen readers looking for something genuine and sweet.

Perfect for: Fans of Jenny Han and Emma Lord.

This is a RomCom for fans of teen high school stories. Jamie is a senior, and so excited to see her boyfriend Ben after being separated from him for the summer. He returns home to break up with her suddenly, which leaves her both angry and desperate to get him back. When Jamie accidentally destroys new goblin Axel's bike, they concoct a plan to fake-date and make Ben jealous. Axel is Ben's opposite. He's fun and free-wheeling, and at first Jamie thinks that she's only attracted to him physically. As she spends more time with Axel, she discovers that she likes their differences (he helps her relax and be spontaneous), and that she appreciates how in touch he is with his Arab heritage.

There's a nice family story here as Jamie learns about why her mom is so anti-Arab men, and also resolves some issues she's had with her father's absence. Axel's family helps Jamie feel welcomed into an Arab family. I only wish that Jamie was kinder to Axel. The back and forth drama between Ben and Jamie gets to be a bit much after a while (Ben is a huge jerk and I honestly don't know why anyone likes him), but that's a RomCom for you.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A YA story that touched on so much!

The positives of this story is that it packs in so much important stuff. Unique representation. Important topics like mental health, relationships, friendships, substance abuse. It's all there.

I think that I didn't totally vibe with the characters, but that was probably my fault as I knew this was a YA novel and I should have maybe realized I'm too old to connect with that as much as I used to.

I would definitely recommend this story to a YA in my life as I think they would connect and enjoy the story.

4.5 ⭐️
I really wanted to take my time to write this review because this book covers so many important topics and it took me a moment to gather my thoughts. But I really think this book did a great job at handling a collection of heavy topics that are very common for teens and young adults. I found Jamie very relatable in a lot of ways and she reminds me of myself at that age in a few ways, mostly with the depiction of her anxiety disorder. One thing I love about Jackie Khalilieh’s books is how real they feel. She does such a good job of showing you a realistic story. I also really loved how different this story was from her first book while still very much emphasizing Arab heritage and culture in such a beautiful way. As someone who has grown up near Toronto and experienced a lot of the locations mentioned in this book, I loved how each of these scenes were capable of bringing me back to memories I have made in those exact places. I adore everything Jackie writes and cannot wait to read everything else she writes in the future!
Thanks to Tundra and NetGalley for the early copy!

I had such a great time with this one!! Jackie writes YA that feels authentic and nostalgic for me as a 24 year old. The romance between Jamie and Axel had me cheesing big time. THE BANTER was so good from the very beginning. Axel was down bad from the start and very much gave golden retriever puppy energy! Jamie was a bit of a mess but trying her best (I found her very relatable). Every single character in this book goes through so much growth especially Jamie. Also the anxiety rep was top notch!

I really wasn't sure how I would like You Started It. I'm a big contemporary romance lover, but I also am now in my late 20s and struggle sometimes with YA romances. However, this sounded cute, so I decided I wanted to give it a chance.

And here's the thing...yes, I still struggled a little with the fact that this was a romance between high schoolers - it's just getting harder to relate to (this is NOT an issue with the book, just my own personal tastes in stories as I get older). BUT, I found myself really enjoying the character development and the dynamic relationships between them.

Jackie Khalilieh wrote a book that had me wanting to shake some 17-year-olds silly but showcased the complexity of being that same age and dealing with anxiety AND home life issues. As someone who grew up around a complex parental dynamic and also has GAD and Depression, You Started It had me reflecting back on my years in high school (which isn't the funnest thing).

I was constantly checking myself as I criticized the FMC and her actions, but then realized, I probably would have said/done something so similar when I was her age.

I hope like myself, Jamie finds herself with an eventually improved relationship with her mother, a deeper grasp on her anxiety, and just a broader love for herself.

If you're a YA romance lover, and looking for something that showcases the WHIRLWIND that is high school hormones, mental health issues, and familial issues - definitely give You Started It a go.

Jackie Khalilieh does it AGAIN! I loved this book so much, it was everything I could have wanted and more. The characters were very well written and felt unique, and I really enjoyed the plot. I found that this didn't read too young or too old at all, like it is definitely suitable for younger adults, but with themes that are interesting and relevant to me, an old adult. I loved the ending of this as it wasn't what I expected. It felt light, though the subjects were very deep.

Yassss queen! #freepalestine

So much amazing representation in this one: Palestinians, Arab men, anxiety, identity, breakups, finding yourself at every age, seeing behind the social media persona, IBS and having someone who understands your needs, mothers taking everything their children throw at them and holding their head up.

Couldn't put it down, I'm trying to dance dabke like Axel's demonstration, and I'm obsessed with Jamie and her sarcasm and her chaos that makes her the best.

Love it, reading Jackie's backlist now, and also feeling all the feels, especially after reading the acknowledgements.

Seventeen-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster has big plans for her senior year, including a special night at the Winter Formal with her boyfriend, Ben. However, when Ben returns from summer and wants to break up, Jamie is devastated, especially after seeing him with Olivia Chen. Determined to win him back, she pretends to date Axel Dahini, a laid-back TikTok dancer, after accidentally running over his bike. Though they have little in common, their time together helps Jamie realize that not every moment needs to be checked off her list.

"You Started It" was such a fun experience. Jamie is relatable with everyday obstacles like anxiety, IBS, and identity, while Axel has his struggles. The teens complement each other. I recommend this book to teens and older fans of romance with some humor.

This sweet story is the perfect combination of YA romance and discussion of important, real-life topics including: anxiety, identity, alcoholism, difficult family dynamics, heartbreak, and more! I loved that our two main characters also share so much valuable insight into their Arab culture - this is something I don't see enough in romance novels in general, so I was thrilled to see this come from both main characters!

"You Started It" is a well-written coming-of-age romance featuring a "fake dating" trope that is enjoyable for YA readers and adults alike. While there are several difficult topics addressed throughout the novel (mentioned above), another important feature of this book is the concept of forgiveness, which is illustrated beautifully by our main character's relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tundra Book Group, and Jackie Khalilieh for providing a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion! This book is available for purchase beginning May 20, 2025.

realistic rating: 3.5

”Because every kiss with Axel has been the best kiss of my life. Feeling his arms around me, the warmth of his body, his scent fills me back up. This moment is not something I could have ever put on a list. It’s not something that can be contrived. It’s spontaneous. It’s unpredictable. It’s real. It’s now. It’s love. And no check mark can compete with that feeling.”

This was a pretty decent book, but not one I would re-read. I do love the character growth and building as well as the cute moments between Axel and Jamie. However, this book just felt a little too high school romance for me.

I also loved the Arab representation and learning a bit more about the culture. In addition, it was so nice that Jamie was able to learn more about the culture through her relationship with Axel.

Tropes:
📝 Arab representation
📝 Fake dating
📝 Lots of drama
📝 High school romance
📝 Topics of anxiety, alcoholism, panic attacks and cheating

Pros:
- Quick read and pretty entertaining
- Loved Eli’s character. He’s Jamie’s uncle who is gay and he adds so much to this book even though he is a side character
- Axel is such a sweetie and really brings out a different side to Jamie that Ben never could

Cons:
- would have been cool to have Dual POV to see Axel’s thoughts
- Not a fan of the high school romances where the characters just make so many immature decisions
- The book was so focused on Ben (Jamie’s ex) and not focused enough on Axel and Jamie
- Ben—how dare he cheat on our sweet Jamie

Thank you NetGalley, Tundra Books and the author Jackie Khalilieh for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

・₊✧ Quotes ・₊✧

”Despite what some people might think, it’s not weak to do things for others. It’s how I show love.”

”Okay,” he says with a slight shrug. He pinches his fingers together. “I may have a tiny crush on you.”
“Good.” I mirror his fingers with my own. “Because I may have a tiny crush on you too. Purely physical.”

You Started It was so much fun to read from start to finish. I love reading YA romcoms for the yearning and angst and because so much more focus is placed on emotional intimacy.

Jamie’s type-A, list-making, overplanning, overprepared character is someone I relate to wholeheartedly. Her inner monologues had me chuckling because I know when I was 17 I also had similar thought-processes. I also found it so relatable and endearing that she suffers from IBS, because my fellow IBS girlies know we MUST know if there’s a (clean) bathroom within reach of wherever we go! I appreciate the care and consciousness Jackie Khalilieh addresses topics of mental health, disability, chronic illness, grief, and diaspora identity and these all add to Jamie’s loveable (and sometimes frustrating) character.

Axel is Jamie’s complete opposite and I LOVED him for her. Perfect pairing, no notes. His carefree, relaxed approach to life balanced Jamie’s type-A very well and I enjoyed their journey in figuring out their communication styles and repairing hurt. I also really loved the enemies-to-friends plotline between Jamie and the girl who *** allegedly *** stole her ex-boyfriend.

~ disclaimer : This is a Ben Cameron Hate account. If Ben Cameron has no haters I do not exist. A masterclass in gaslighting, I pray for his future partners. ~

I actually found myself tearing up during the Dabke scene between Axel and Jamie. Dance and music are not only healing, but also such a beautiful way to frame connection to one’s ancestry and Jamie’s joy in that connection was so beautiful it moved me to tears.

I’d recommend You Started It to fans of fake dating, those seeking authentic chronic illness representation, and books that center SWANA diaspora stories and joy.

This story follows a rising high school senior named Jamie, who was recently dumped by her long time boyfriend. She makes a deal with Axel, the new kid in town, which has him pretending to be her girlfriend to make her ex jealous.

I was enjoying the beginning of the book, but as the story went on I started to have some issues with it. I loved Axel. He was so sweet and supportive of Jaime. I wish that there was more time spent with them and less time with Jaime trying to win back her old boyfriend. I feel like that part dragged on for too long. The third act breakup also wasn’t my favorite. It took up a lot of the end of story, which I wish was spent more with the Jaime and Axel together.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the poor decision making and the inconsistency of feelings that the characters had, but I did love the growth that the characters underwent. I would recommend this book for those looking for a fun YA contemporary with a good balance of emotional depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for providing an e-ARC.

I wasn’t sure I liked Jamie at the beginning of her story, but I grew to love her and her honesty with her mental health and traumas. Looooove her growth and the ending to this book! I wish I could read it for the first time, all over again!

💖🎢 You Started It Review 💖🎢

Highlights:
💖YA romance
🎢 Fake dating
💖 IBS & anxiety rep
🎢 Arab Canadian teens
💖 Introvert/extrovert
🎢 Dancer x bibliophile
💖 Coming of age
🎢 Bucket list

Thanks to @tundrabooks and @netgalley for the eARC!

You Started It is a sweet YA rom-com that starts with fake, revenge dating to make an ex jealous, but turns into something unexpectedly real. Jamie is an introverted bibliophile who constantly breaks her book bans, and Axel is an outgoing TikTok dancer and star. They’re seemingly total opposites on the surface, but share a cultural connection and a growing emotional one.

I appreciated the IBS, anxiety, and claustrophobia rep, which was handled with care and woven naturally into Jamie’s perspective. The introvert/extrovert dynamic added to the opposites attract charm and trope, and the bucket list subplot gave their relationship structure and momentum.

I appreciated this book’s emotional honesty, character development, and exploration of identity and connection. It’s an excellent pick for readers who are in the mood for a heartwarming story with fake dating, bucket lists, cultural connection, and slow-burn chemistry.

CW: alcoholism, abandonment, divorce, past teen pregnancy

Publication Date: May 20, 2025

#YouStartedIt #JackieKhalilieh #YARomCom #NetGalley #FakeDating #ComingOfAge

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

I loved Jackie’s first book, Something More, so I was extremely excited about this one. This book was fun, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was hoping for.

I absolutely loved Axel and thought he was the cutest. I also am a sucker for the fake dating trope so that was something I enjoyed a lot too. Also, I felt completely seen by Jamie’s IBS experience because it’s literally what I deal with daily.

I think there were two reasons that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as Something More. The first is that I had trouble finding Jamie likable. She frustrated me and her obsession with getting back with her horrible ex made me angry. Especially when she had Axel as an option. I also felt like some of the writing was a little cringey. Like, I loved that Jamie was a book nerd, but whenever it got brought up the things she said about it seemed unnatural and felt forced. They weren't things that sounded natural in conversation.

Even with these things I’d still recommend this book if you’re looking for a fun fake dating romance.

Thank you Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books and net galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has me GIDDY!!!! It's such a feel good, sweet YA romance. While there are themes of heavier topics (check ur TWs - anxiety, alcoholism, etc), it still remained lighthearted and sweet. I also have a special place in my heart for all books based in Toronto because I love when places I know and grew up with are mentioned in the books. It just brings an extra nostalgic feeling to it! I really liked this story. Give me ALL the fake dating!!! I will eat it up!!! I loved the book, the themes, the location, the cultural representation!! A definite must read this summer!!

You Started It: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 4/5

Pub date: available now!!

I want every good thing for sweet Jamie and I feel so grateful that this book exists. I know that it is going to find the people who need it like it found me. The depth of emotion and uncertainty of 17 was written so well, it made me nostalgic and emotional in the best way. I loved it!

I really tried to like this book, I did. But unfortunately, I didn't get that far in before I dnfed it. This is a book that is supposed to be for a YA audience, and typically I actually enjoy YA, but this one fell short for me. I would say that the biggest factor that I didn't like was the main fmc, she's a high school senior and I honestly thought there would be some kind of maturity, given the fact that she is almost an adult, but she felt really childish and annoying. And this alone really made it difficult for me to stay invested in the story.