You Give Me That Feeling

Readers kept telling me Julie Kriss was worth it. After reading the Riggs Brothers series, I wasn’t convinced. The books were fun, but they skated on charm more than substance. Still, there was enough promise to make me try her latest, You Give Me That Feeling. Now, I get it.

Katie Armstrong is an actress best known for streaming romcoms. She wants serious roles, but Hollywood has her boxed in as the ‘nice girl.’ The solution? Manufacture some edge. Enter Travis White, former rock star, current cautionary tale.

Travis is broke, bandless, and living out of his car. His depression is so deep that basic tasks—showering, changing clothes—feel like too much. He’s not moping, though, and he doesn’t blame anyone else. He knows exactly how he got here, and that kind of self-awareness combined with his snarky humor makes him compelling.

He’s also, by his own account, the best-looking man in the world. Everyone else agrees. And rather than making him an insufferable narcissist about it, Kriss gives him the self-awareness to ethically wield his beauty—especially when it comes to Katie. It’s a rare take. Romance often establishes a character’s looks and moves on, but here, physical beauty has weight. In most stories, it’s the woman whose appearance defines her worth, but here, it’s Travis. His beauty isn’t just acknowledged and dismissed—it actively shapes his world, and Kriss makes that feature work rather than feel like a lazy trope.

The two start fake dating, using social media like the weapons they are, in a bid to revive their careers and, inevitably, their lives. And like every fake-dating romance ever, as they play at lovers, they begin to fall. But is it real? Will it last? And how do they trust each other when the entire setup is built on illusion? Are they kissing for the clicks or because they can’t help themselves? This story has been told a million times, but Kriss makes it—if not new—undeniably engaging.

One of Kriss’ great strengths is how she writes male friendships. Her men are tough but tethered to each other. (Be still my beating heart.) I adored Travis’ bond with Finn and his who-has-the-bigger-dick rivalry-turned-respect dynamic with the Road Kings. These guys are hilarious and—woo hoo—vulnerable, but in that unspoken, side-eye-and-a-shoulder-clap way that men pull off without ever once saying, I have feelings.

Katie’s career arc is another highlight. No spoilers, but she navigates Hollywood’s reductive approach to women actresses in a deeply satisfying way. Even better, she does so with Travis’ help—she’s not one of those modern heroines who insists on doing everything alone just to prove a point. She understands the sexism she faces, and why wouldn’t a smart, ambitious woman use every tool at her disposal? In the earlier Kriss books I’ve read, the women didn’t always have the depth to match their men. Katie does, and it’s glorious.

Kriss also weaves pop culture seamlessly into the story. The moment Travis and Katie agreed Almost Famous is the best movie ever made? I was in. And the novel’s take on how artists are packaged and distorted—especially in the Instagram era—feels real, never like a writer straining for relevance.

And while Travis has history in the Road Kings series, this book stands entirely on its own. You don’t need any background to get swept up in his story, though if you’re like me, you might finish this one and want more.

I came into this book unconvinced that Kriss was worth the hype. You Give Me That Feeling changed my mind. It’s smart, well-written, sexy as hell, and plays with pop culture in ways that feel fresh. Could it be better? Sure. Its short length skips over moments I wanted to sink into, and while it’s a very fun book, I kept thinking it could have been even better. But now I believe Kriss has it in her to write something truly spectacular. This one is just very good—and that’s still a gift. For contemporary romance readers, this rock star romance deserves to be at the top of the charts.