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.

Ahhhhh I don’t think Jackie can do any wrong!

This was such a fun story but with some topics that I think are so important as well.

We are following Jamie who is half Arab. She has had a boyfriend for 3 years who comes back from summer camp and dumps her. She is mad, sad, all the feelings which leads her to start fake dating another boy to get her ex back.

Jamie is messy, flawed, anxiety ridden(hi I get it) and we see so much growth in her.

She is also dealing with her absent father and her mother who pushes her own trauma onto her and hasn’t let her connect with her culture.

I LOVED EVERY BIT OF THIS BOOK!

Thank you Tundra Book Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

I’m not going to lie this book is a bit more juvenile than what I’m used to. That being said, I do believe that younger readers would most definitely enjoy it. I impressed with the diversity in the characters and how relatable they are. It’s a cute read there’s laughing, crying, raging, and everything in between. There will be giggling and kicking and love and heartbreak and the mending of broken hearts.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jackie Khalileh for providing me with the arc of this book.

Rating 3.75/5 stars
No spice

Jackie Khalilieh writes an engaging story about a high school fake dating scheme that turns into real love.
When Jamie’s boyfriend of 3 years breaks up with her after a summer away, and seemingly moves on the next day. Jamie recruits Axel, the resident TikTok famous star to be her fake boyfriend. What entails is a fun rom-com full of bucket list adventures and sweet moments.
Perfect for fans of the Calculation of You and Me and To all the boys I’ve loved before. I enjoyed reading this fluffy ya romance book, and would definitely recommend you pick it up when it releases May 20,2025.

Jackie really captures the relatable aspects of being young, having strong and yet often conflicting feelings about who you are, where you’re from, school and love. I love ALL of the representation we got in this one too. But although the drama and angst was very relatable and honest, it was a bit too messy for me personally and at times I think it took away from the growth, healing and love aspects of the story.

But Jackie Khalilieh is an auto buy author for me and I’m very excited for what comes next!

Thank you to Tundra books for my ARC, I truly appreciate it!

3/5

I just adore YA romance. There is something so genuine and authentic about young people falling in love. You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh, is like a jar of sunshine on a rainy day.

Jamie and Axel begin fake dating after Jami breaks up with her ex-boyfriend Ben to try and win him back. It's so beautifully YA, I ate this up in such a short time. This book & how it dealt with identity, heritage, culture, and the struggles that go along with finding your footing was so direct yet sensitive that it was touching. I think their emotional growth and how much joy they had really made me miss my teenage years (or at least the nice parts of it)! Axel being so carefree and charismatic and Jamie being reserved and coming out of her shell, it was a true coming of age book!

Oh Canada, this felt like an absolute love letter to you! I have never wanted to book a flight more! At the mention of Tim Horton's I swear my mouth started watering (from my very fleeing time in the Montreal airport). I feel like now I DEF need to head to Toronto. The absolutely love for the city is just something else- I love people who love where they live!

If you come into this book thinking that you are going to get fully flushed, perfect, non-annoying or obnoxious characters, you should probably turn around. However, I thought's what made this book beautiful. I was annoying, obnoxious, and definitely dumb when I was a teenager, so I found solace in Jamie and Axel. Jackie Khalilieh, you did a WONDERFUL job crafting teens. I felt my younger-self come out when I was reading this book and there is no better reaction to ask for!

If you are fans of Jenny Han's works- this is for you. What a wonderful way to write being young and in love again. Reading this book had me saying to myself: What I wouldn't do to go back! I hope that you enjoy! 4 stars for You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh!

I really enjoyed this book! It was such a beautiful story and I adored the love interest. We don't get enough of thr funny boy getting the girl, and we definitely don't see enough Arab boys allowed to be full of life and joy. This was such a great read, and the author is one I will definitely read from again.

I really enjoyed her previous novel, and this one was just as entertaining! The false date was one of my favorites, and I liked how Khalilieh handled it. I really enjoyed learning about Arabic culture through the characters' experiences. The main character's bucket list around the city reminded me of Rachel Lynn Solomon's Today, Tonight, Tomorrow, which is one of my favorite books, so I like that part. I also believe it's an excellent strategy for fleshing out a city, as location is so crucial in literature. My only complaint about the novel is that she fell love the guy a little too early for my tastes. I appreciate when characters become a little closer before they start experiencing that.

You Started It is a quick, easy, and sweet read that I enjoyed for the most part. The story had a strong start, and I appreciated the character development, but it felt a bit rushed toward the end. A lot of significant moments seemed crammed into the final chapters when they could have been more evenly spread throughout the book.

That being said, I really liked seeing Jamie finally make a friend and learn to be more independent. I also wished there had been more exploration of her Arab heritage—it was touched on but could have been developed further.

I did love the realistic approach to her anxiety. The messy room, belly aches, and panic attacks were very spot on.

Overall, this is a light and enjoyable read with heartwarming moments. While the pacing in the latter half didn’t fuller work for me, I still appreciated the journey and the themes of self-discovery and friendship. 3.5 stars!

A book you can most likely read in one sitting that will have you smiling ear to ear 🥺 so much fun and sweet

I enjoyed this book, but I was not a huge fan of it. The "trendy" language came off more cringy than relatable, it felt kind of felt forced. I did enjoy the aspect of self-reflection from Jackie's perspective but it was a bit unbearable in the beginning. I enjoyed the banter between Axel and Jamie, the main characters; they were such a good match. I did not mind the third-act breakup but it was kind of predictable and as I was approaching the end, I was expecting the worse. Overall, I rate this book a 3.5/5 stars, while it was enjoyable read, it was not my favorite! Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for the arc!
3.5 stars rounded up!
There was a lot to love about this book! I quite liked the main character Jamie and the love interest Axel. I liked them together and separately, and I liked how they communicated/connected. I also really liked the way Jamie's family issues were explored, and how Jamie wanted to connect with her culture. However, some of the interpersonal drama was very, very repetitive. I felt like I read the same argument with her ex-boyfriend Ben over and over again. I also didn't love the way Jamie villainized her mother all the way to the end. It's something the narrative addressed a bit, but not to the extent I would have wanted. My last critique is I think the narrative focused too much on Jamie either having a boyfriend or being completely alone for her own feeling. I really wanted her to also make a friend outside of the weird love square they had going on; it would've been nice to develop characters outside of the main four and Jamie's family. Overall, a pretty cute YA romance! I quite enjoyed Something More as well, so I am very excited to continue Jackie Khalilieh's work!

3.5-3.75 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

Definitely for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. If you loved those series, you’ll enjoy this book!

Blurb: Jamie is deadset on getting her ex-boyfriend, Ben, back after he comes back from camp and dumps her for a fellow counselor. Panicked, her and Ben’s new neighbor, Axel, start fake dating to get him back!

I enjoyed reading this book, Jamie is fun and quirky with her lists, and she finds out how to be someone besides being “Ben’s gf” with Axel. I think their dynamic together worked really well, and I loved how they got into those weird situations, including dancing for his entire family. Adorable. Very modern. (In not a bad way, btw)

*mini spoiler* but I loved how her and Olivia made up and became friends. I think one of my fav parts about this book was that Jamie had no friends after Ben broke up with her but now she has so many people surrounding her! Totally high school 😢🫶🏼

The entire time I read this book, I had Olivia Rodrigo’s albums on the background. get him back! was definitely on repeat fs 😂

You Started It is a sweet, yet emotional coming of age story featuring Jamie and Axel. I love a good fake dating trope with charismatic characters and a bit of chaos which this story definitely had. Other themes I enjoyed were seeing Jamie learn to connect with her Palestinian side, coming to terms with not being able to control everything in her life, and the storyline between her mom and dad. There's definitely a lot that goes on in You Started In which sometimes can lead to disappointment if there's not enough attention on each individual piece but fortunately the different storylines found their resolution one way.

The characters!!! So enjoyable in their own way. It is awesome to see the portrayal of Axel, a young Arab man, in such a positive light and the ways he embraces his culture. Jamie's uncle, Eli, was also such a fun addition to the story definitely one of my favorite characters in the book!

ARC Review: You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.75/5)

Huge thanks to Tundra Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was such a fun, chaotic YA rom-com with a lot of heart. For fans of “Never Have I Ever”, “XO, Kitty”, and all the messy, all-consuming emotions that come with first love. I loved the representation and how it explored identity and self-acceptance alongside the romance. Perfect for opening up conversations and I’d recommend and of my young readers to give this book a go! The texting format and banter made it a breeze to get through, and the teen drama? Exactly what I’d expect—frustrating and a little over the top. Super engaging especially as I made my way through the book!

That said, the miscommunication trope was working overtime. I just wanted to sit everyone down and force a Red Table Talk intervention 😂 But once I reminded myself of the age range (and added in everything Jamie was dealing with), it all checked out. Still, super entertaining, and if you love YA romance packed with drama, this one’s for you!

i love you jackie khalilieh so much! the romance was so cute and I also loved the personal growth that our main characters went through. it was at times frustrating but that is how it is when you read about teenagers making dumb teenager decisions. this book make Khalilieh an auto-read author for me!!

This book was very cute and fun, and felt realistic to the high school experience!

You Started It follows Jamie, who, on the eve of her senior year, is left alone when her longtime boyfriend Ben breaks up with her. Following the breakup and seeing Ben with fellow senior Olivia, Jamie recruits Axel, junior year tiktok star, for her fake dating scheme to get back at Ben.

I absolutely adored Axel - I was routing for him the whole time and really enjoyed his character. I thought Jamie was a very realistic character, and while her indecisiveness was annoying at times, I think it totally makes sense for the season of life she was in. I really enjoyed her character growth and watching her overcome all the experiences life threw at her, and I think the anxiety representation was extremely well done.

As I said before, Jamie's indecisiveness was quite annoying at times, and I didn't love the way she handled herself at some moments throughout the book. I am also not a huge fan of love triangles in general, but I did love Axel throughout the book.

If you're looking for a cute senior YA romance about finding yourself and reconnecting with your family and your routes, this is a great book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random house Canada for the arc copy.

This was a sweet, clean, young adult romance that follows high school kids as they navigate the challenges of life, family, growing up, and finding love. There were parts that were super cute, but there were definitely others that were a little cheesy/cringy. Overall it was an enjoyable read. Thank you to Jackie Khalilieh, Tundra Book Group, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Ughhhh another one I thought I’d love and didn’t. The FMC is a bit stupid. How are you gonna move to a new city and make NO new friends outside of your brand new boyfriend? Like not even ‘school friends?’ As the book goes on she doesn’t mature at all. I was realllllly frustrated by her thinking and actions. Ben is really immature and annoying the entire book. Like he has zero redeeming qualities. Axel is super charming and sweet, i really liked him. Do I think he screwed up a little bit? Yes. But I still liked him

Review shared on Goodreads.

This was a very cute, messy high school romance! I'm personally not a fan of the fake dating trope but other than that I quite enjoyed this. It's a very sweet story, not just about falling in love, but also about finding yourself and navigating complicated family relationships.

Axel and Jamie are adorable together and I loved the inclusion of Arabic culture and Khalilieh’s Palestinian-Canadian experience through Jamie's high school lens.