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hann_smc's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
sikonat's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
Troubled man. Supportive female best friend. Ignored feelings. It's a tale as old as time and yet Emma Barry infuses this story with a fresh perspective with compelling characters.
Sam, is a paid funny guy suffering the humiliation of his foibles aired in public via his pop-singer ex-girfriend's song. His brand of comedy is caustic, borne out of his childhood, but now he's seeing tables turned on him.
With his career in near-tatters, he yet again comes to rely on his long-suffering best friend Bree, who is hiding not only her feelings for him, but her plans for the future which involve physically distancing herself from him. Both of them are bonded from their shitty childhoods, with Sam suffering from the after effects, while Bree has managed to carve out a successful career as an urban planner.
This book was such a surprise as the cover made me think it was going to be an easy-breezy and slightly cliche friends-to-lovers book. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I love an easy read, but I also love the challenge this book brought. Barry infuses the inner turmoil and self-sabotage of Sam well He knows he has massive issues and needs to sort himself out, while also trying not to deal with his long hidden feelings for Bree. You could see that his ways of coping weren't serving him well and struggling to be a better man. I loved him slowly taking a younger comedian under his wing as through that, he could see he truly was worth something.
I also love that when we open the book Bree has already made a decision to finally deal once and for all her feelings for Sam, but moving forward with her life - literally and figuratively. Too often I read books where the heroine is stuck in the same loop over and over. While that is relatable and realistic, it was refreshing to see Bree make the difficult but necessary step to set herself free from a man she can't have.
This book is sharp, witty, but also poignant. I really felt the character's vulnerabilities and how that made them not communicate directly with each other. Now I want to go through Emma Barry's back catalogue. If you love a good friends-to-lovers trope, this one should be added to the top of our TBR pile.
Troubled man. Supportive female best friend. Ignored feelings. It's a tale as old as time and yet Emma Barry infuses this story with a fresh perspective with compelling characters.
Sam, is a paid funny guy suffering the humiliation of his foibles aired in public via his pop-singer ex-girfriend's song. His brand of comedy is caustic, borne out of his childhood, but now he's seeing tables turned on him.
With his career in near-tatters, he yet again comes to rely on his long-suffering best friend Bree, who is hiding not only her feelings for him, but her plans for the future which involve physically distancing herself from him. Both of them are bonded from their shitty childhoods, with Sam suffering from the after effects, while Bree has managed to carve out a successful career as an urban planner.
This book was such a surprise as the cover made me think it was going to be an easy-breezy and slightly cliche friends-to-lovers book. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I love an easy read, but I also love the challenge this book brought. Barry infuses the inner turmoil and self-sabotage of Sam well He knows he has massive issues and needs to sort himself out, while also trying not to deal with his long hidden feelings for Bree. You could see that his ways of coping weren't serving him well and struggling to be a better man. I loved him slowly taking a younger comedian under his wing as through that, he could see he truly was worth something.
I also love that when we open the book Bree has already made a decision to finally deal once and for all her feelings for Sam, but moving forward with her life - literally and figuratively. Too often I read books where the heroine is stuck in the same loop over and over. While that is relatable and realistic, it was refreshing to see Bree make the difficult but necessary step to set herself free from a man she can't have.
This book is sharp, witty, but also poignant. I really felt the character's vulnerabilities and how that made them not communicate directly with each other. Now I want to go through Emma Barry's back catalogue. If you love a good friends-to-lovers trope, this one should be added to the top of our TBR pile.
huntingforagoodread's review against another edition
5.0
For those of you that loved Meghan Quinn’s “A Long Time Coming”, this is a must read. “Funny Guy” follows lifelong best friends Bree and Sam after Sam’s pop singer ex releases a song about him that hurts his ego and brings up some old feelings he has never worked through.
Bree has known that she’s loved Sam for a long time and thinks that it’s time for her to move on, quite literally, and looks at taking a job in another state. Sam is a star on the show Comedy Hour and also kind of a jerk to people in real life, everyone except Bree.
When Bree gets sick with a simple cold and Sam takes care of her, he starts questioning his feelings and realizes maybe he’s had more than friendly ones for her all along.
Full of humor, some soul bearing, and romance, this read was engaging and hard to put down. I rooted for Bree and Sam from the start. Sam’s character was the perfect mix of masculinity with a bit of ragged edges from his childhood. Bree’s character was strong but soft in all the ways we wish to be as women.
The second book I’ve read by this author, I loved this one and think I can handle 3rd person POV now. I will definitely be recommending this book for readers who like rom-coms and friends to lovers.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for the approval.
Bree has known that she’s loved Sam for a long time and thinks that it’s time for her to move on, quite literally, and looks at taking a job in another state. Sam is a star on the show Comedy Hour and also kind of a jerk to people in real life, everyone except Bree.
When Bree gets sick with a simple cold and Sam takes care of her, he starts questioning his feelings and realizes maybe he’s had more than friendly ones for her all along.
Full of humor, some soul bearing, and romance, this read was engaging and hard to put down. I rooted for Bree and Sam from the start. Sam’s character was the perfect mix of masculinity with a bit of ragged edges from his childhood. Bree’s character was strong but soft in all the ways we wish to be as women.
The second book I’ve read by this author, I loved this one and think I can handle 3rd person POV now. I will definitely be recommending this book for readers who like rom-coms and friends to lovers.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for the approval.
snarkymotherreader's review
4.0
“I want to feel like if I stop running for a second, I won’t die. I want to stop trying to burn down the world because I think it’s going to burn down no matter what.”
Sam and Bree have been friends their whole lives. They both grew up in less-than-stellar homes and scraped their way out of their dumpster fire lives and into careers they love.
Their friendship becomes co-dependent where neither one can truly move into a meaningful relationship with anyone else. Bree realizes this and decides to finally distance herself from Sam, but of course Sam realizes at this exact moment that he feels more than friendship for his best friend.
Funny Guy by Emma Barry will tear your heart out and make you happy about the experience. It really goes in-depth into the mind of the resident tortured funny guy who seems happy-go-lucky on the outside but is battling major demons on the inside.
At the same time, it makes you laugh until your sides hurt while you hope the two main characters get out of their own way so they can truly SEE each other.
Favorite quotes:
“Who among us hasn’t been publicly flogged by a pop star?”
"I could break everything else in the world, but not you. Never you.”
I was given an e-ARC of this book for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity!
Sam and Bree have been friends their whole lives. They both grew up in less-than-stellar homes and scraped their way out of their dumpster fire lives and into careers they love.
Their friendship becomes co-dependent where neither one can truly move into a meaningful relationship with anyone else. Bree realizes this and decides to finally distance herself from Sam, but of course Sam realizes at this exact moment that he feels more than friendship for his best friend.
Funny Guy by Emma Barry will tear your heart out and make you happy about the experience. It really goes in-depth into the mind of the resident tortured funny guy who seems happy-go-lucky on the outside but is battling major demons on the inside.
At the same time, it makes you laugh until your sides hurt while you hope the two main characters get out of their own way so they can truly SEE each other.
Favorite quotes:
“Who among us hasn’t been publicly flogged by a pop star?”
"I could break everything else in the world, but not you. Never you.”
I was given an e-ARC of this book for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity!
zoraisrising's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I thought this romance was all tell don’t show which made me like I was skimming rather than engaged in the reading
farisainherfeels's review against another edition
1.0
Huge let down
This is a story about a wonderful ambitious woman who has been pining away for a man child who has no control over his emotions. So of course she's held herself back and missed career opportunities because her BFF would throw a fit if she left.
I hated pretty much everything about this book but especially the hero.
This is a story about a wonderful ambitious woman who has been pining away for a man child who has no control over his emotions. So of course she's held herself back and missed career opportunities because her BFF would throw a fit if she left.
I hated pretty much everything about this book but especially the hero.
chelsea_jack's review against another edition
5.0
So good.
It made me feel uncomfortable in the best possible ways. Sam's caustic and unlikeable but also deeply likeable. I wanted to shake him and shush him but also watch him work out some of his issues. And his relationship with Bree was so understandable and relatable and delightful to watch unfold.
This book also felt modern and contemporary and relevant in ways that contemporary romance sometimes doesn't manage to. It was raw and grounded and emotionally intimate without being just too many steps too far to be authentic or plausible.
Absolutely recommend.
It made me feel uncomfortable in the best possible ways. Sam's caustic and unlikeable but also deeply likeable. I wanted to shake him and shush him but also watch him work out some of his issues. And his relationship with Bree was so understandable and relatable and delightful to watch unfold.
This book also felt modern and contemporary and relevant in ways that contemporary romance sometimes doesn't manage to. It was raw and grounded and emotionally intimate without being just too many steps too far to be authentic or plausible.
Absolutely recommend.
mldavisreads's review
emotional
reflective
4.0
Contemporary adult romance. Sam is a famous comedian who just broke his engagement with a pop star. She releases a single called "Lost Boy" that is very much about him and his faults. Trying to avoid the paparazzi, he begs his best friend Bree to let him crash at her place. Though he has done so before, this time it feels different.
Bree loves having Sam over, because she loves him. But it is getting harder and harder to watch her childhood best friend self destruct. But as they spend more time together in her NY apartment, she wonders if maybe she was wrong about Sam's feelings.
I like stories where people have a shared past and that helps them bond in the present. This story of friends to lovers was well done, with Sam's fame adding an extra dimension. It was interesting to go behind the scenes at an SNL type comedy show.
Bree loves having Sam over, because she loves him. But it is getting harder and harder to watch her childhood best friend self destruct. But as they spend more time together in her NY apartment, she wonders if maybe she was wrong about Sam's feelings.
I like stories where people have a shared past and that helps them bond in the present. This story of friends to lovers was well done, with Sam's fame adding an extra dimension. It was interesting to go behind the scenes at an SNL type comedy show.