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beckpair's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Addiction
jadehusdanhicks's review
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Well written, I can understand why this romance blew up on TikTok. I loved the fierce feminism within Chani’s character as well as the openly Jewish representation.
Gabes tumultuous career brings a necessary dramatic flair.Plus his addiction is written and handled well I feel
I love how it’s society’s doubt that brings them together for the original profile and back together full circle for the second one.
Unfortunately I think I am in somewhat of a romance slump, as I wasn’t as enamoured with this as I anticipated I would be.
Gabes tumultuous career brings a necessary dramatic flair.
I love how it’s society’s doubt that brings them together for the original profile and back together full circle for the second one.
Unfortunately I think I am in somewhat of a romance slump, as I wasn’t as enamoured with this as I anticipated I would be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism
readbycarina's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual content and Bullying
Minor: Car accident and Death
jenn_reads's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Alcoholism
lpniskanen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent
whatemilysreading's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I know this book came out in 2022 but it is so 1989TV vault track coded!! “Slut!”!! Now That We Don’t Talk!!! Is It Over Now?!!! My mind was spinning the whole time with different lyrics.
At the start, I was worried I was going to find Chani annoyingly naive, but the more I read, the more realistic she became to me. She acted the exact way I think most of us would if we were suddenly thrown into the world of our celebrity crushes. It was that dream scenario most people have probably fantasized about at some point, but Elissa Sussman definitely didn’t leave out the negatives - like the sexism Chani faced, or the lack of privacy those in the public eye have to deal with.
The structure was PERFECT. I loved alternating between then - what Chani wrote, what other people were writing, and what actually happened - and the present day. I definitely thought the ending was a bit rushed but the underlying tension between Chani and Gabe was SO good.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism
filipacmiranda's review against another edition
2.75
The book's bright cover caught my attention while browsing my online bookstore. After that, I read the synopsis and figured Funny You Should Ask would be a fun reading experience.
Chani Horowitz and Gabe Parker were likeable characters. I found it interesting that the writing (in two intertwining timelines) allowed the reader to compare two versions of them and understand how they grew and changed in the ten years that separated both interviews. I also really appreciated that the narrative dived into themes such as substance abuse and diminishing relationship partners.
Even so, I think the storyline was too unlikely for my taste. Call me sceptical, but how is it possible to fall madly in love with someone after spending only 3-6 days with them? Despite the fact Chani and Gabe "knew" each other through their careers (and I must say following someone's career for ten whole years is a lot of commitment), I don't think they could know each other enough for love.
I didn't dislike it, but it didn't convince me either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death of parent and Homophobia
vivireads99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It was a sweet read! It was a slow start but once it got more into the nitty gritty I enjoyed it. Ollie really saved the book for me when it got slow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
sadiebugreads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism
abbeyroad1410's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This was a very fun read, and I'm glad that I Ashley picked it out for me to read the other week.
One of my favorite parts of this novel is that it doesn't just rotate between the present day and the past, but it also includes articles from both times. The articles really push the theme of reputation, and readers can see how the media portrays both characters despite not knowing anything about them or their relationship. It is also fun to see how Chani herself plays into her role as a journalist and painting a picture that is slightly less than true from her articles. My only disappointment on this front was that we didn't get Chani's follow-up article on Gabe Parker - the main plot point of the book.
Of course, this book loses me at times because I have a lot of trouble believing that characters can fall in love in such a short time. This isn't quite the insta-love that really takes me out of a novel, but it is very quick. I think this book strengthens the plot by having Chani ask the same questions the readers may have about how quickly things progress.
Additionally, I was very upset because the novel had me convinced for awhile that the dog was dead, and the whole time I was thinking "but she would only be 10! She has to still be alive." Dog death messes with my anxiety.
However, this novel had one of the strongest romance novel endings that I have read. I love the idea of Gabe watching an article for the newsletter and getting his perspective rather than Chani's to end the novel. The ending is heartfelt, emotional. One quote hit me so hard that I texted my boyfriend about it.
Overall, this book is worth the read and was a nice light-hearted book for exam week.
One of my favorite parts of this novel is that it doesn't just rotate between the present day and the past, but it also includes articles from both times. The articles really push the theme of reputation, and readers can see how the media portrays both characters despite not knowing anything about them or their relationship. It is also fun to see how Chani herself plays into her role as a journalist and painting a picture that is slightly less than true from her articles. My only disappointment on this front was that we didn't get Chani's follow-up article on Gabe Parker - the main plot point of the book.
Of course, this book loses me at times because I have a lot of trouble believing that characters can fall in love in such a short time. This isn't quite the insta-love that really takes me out of a novel, but it is very quick. I think this book strengthens the plot by having Chani ask the same questions the readers may have about how quickly things progress.
Additionally, I was very upset because the novel had me convinced for awhile that the dog was dead, and the whole time I was thinking "but she would only be 10! She has to still be alive." Dog death messes with my anxiety.
However, this novel had one of the strongest romance novel endings that I have read. I love the idea of Gabe watching an article for the newsletter and getting his perspective rather than Chani's to end the novel. The ending is heartfelt, emotional. One quote hit me so hard that I texted my boyfriend about it.
Overall, this book is worth the read and was a nice light-hearted book for exam week.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Addiction, and Alcoholism