From the first moment I met Jane and Keeley in FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, I have been dying for them to get together and this book was truly a dream come true. I will always rave about a good enemies-to-lovers romance, but there is something incredibly satisfying and heartwarming about a well-written friends-to-lovers arc and Jessica really knocks it out of the park with this one.
Don’t be fooled though—there are some heavy things that our main characters go through during this story. Jane specifically is dealing with a wild amount of religious trauma and Jessica approaches its writing with such care and understanding. I did not grow up religious so I don’t have religious trauma and might be way off base here, but the portrayal of the self-doubt and people pleasing tendencies that Jane exhibits felt incredibly real and authentic.
The way Jessica weaves the story around Jane’s religious trauma while not making it too much of the focal point is actually so beautiful. Jane’s choice to stay in the closet publicly is built from that trauma and, because of that choice, something even worse (her public outing in a gossip journal) happens. But while it’s a beautiful example of the downfalls of religion, there are some bright spots woven in as well and is the perfect example of the duality of people.
The best part of this story though is the found family. We got to see the friendship and the love between the members of the Glitter Bats rebuild and strengthen in the first book, but it’s really put on display here. At every chance possible, these five people show up for each other again and again, dropping everything to make sure the ones they love are taken care of. Not only that, but the community they built among their fans is its own kind of found family that had me incredibly weepy (positive).
FOR OUR NEXT SONG by Jessica James is the companion to her debut FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY and it’s available now! If you’re looking for a spicy sapphic with a ton of heart, make sure you pick up a copy now. (And grab Jessica’s debut as well! I absolutely need Riker to get a book so let’s show the publishers there’s a desire for more!)
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores like my local fave Linden Tree Books! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2026 Book Recommendations."