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viy's review
The start is good, but once the story shifted to being over the pandemic, it got way more difficult to enjoy. The romance starts being told over email, which prevents us from getting Sally's narration and thoughts, as well as makes the romance seem weaker and less engaging overall. I didn't mind the political interjections for the most part, but it started getting annoying after a while, since some of them didn't seem to add anything to the story or characters, and instead served to show us that the characters are "good people" who go to protests, which felt off to me considering they're discussing real tragedies that happened like, 4 years ago.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Racism, Police brutality, and Misogyny
kyriannaj's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
This book heavily deals with COVID in the immediate summer of 2020 with uncertainty, anxieties, and all other political events that happened in the US during that time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Cursing, Eating disorder, Police brutality, Addiction, and Alcohol
danikajoan's review
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I enjoyed the second and third parts of this book much more than the first, and I trudged through the first part because I’ve enjoyed other books by this author so I was hopeful it would redeem itself, which it only sort of did? My main issue with the first part of the book is that I didn’t find the main character (or most of the sketches she was pitching) funny, with the exception of the dog internet searches. The behind-the-scenes SNL stuff was interesting but I prefer to read Amy Poehler or Tina Fey’s memoirs for that.
later, I really enjoyed the emails and the start of their relationship, but there are so many communication issues and unhealthy dynamics that it was hard to root for them as a couple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexism, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Excrement, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Grief, and Body shaming
amphytrite's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual content
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Excrement
haleysversion's review
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Pregnancy
mraddd's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Body shaming
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Cancer
kcarney86's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
reading_diaries's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book loses a star for me just because of the pandemic - if it didn't have the pandemic, it would be a 5 star read for sure.
The way I think of this book is in 2 parts - 1st part being in 2018 before the pandemic and the 2nd part being 2020 in the pandemic. The first part of the book was incredibly strong. It was hilarious and had me laughing for hours. The second part of this book really hit the ground for me. It was just so slow and I was just waiting for it to pick back up again. I think the pandemic could have been completely removed from the second half and each story beat would have still worked.
I thought that while Sally was a bit "pick me" and annoying at times, she was a good character. I will say that while she's a writer, she still has some issues communicating. I wish she would have spoken her mind more and not shut down her feelings or ideas because of others. The fact that she pulled the "Danny Horst Rule" from TNO really gutted me because if the roles were reversed, no man would have pulled an incredibly controversial and sexist skit - no matter how long he'd known or been friends with the woman it was about. Not to say that Danny would've had the skit go through but there are several male comedians that would have had no issue with continuing the skit and it stings that Sally felt the need to pull the skit.
Noah is cute. I also think he has some problem communicating but overall he's a golden retriever guy. I think the biggest problem I had with him was his lack of awareness for his privilege. While I thought it was cute that he redecorated his office so that Sally had somewhere to work, the idea he had of her just quitting her job so she could live in his house for free and write really bugged me. I loved that he was thinking of her career but him not acknowledging that the reason she was angry was because he thought she would be find quitting her job for no real reason. Sally has stability at TNO and that's her income, she cant just quit that to be a fully time writer without a backup plan. And no staying at your booty call's mansion FOR FREE is not a backup plan. It just rubbed me the wrong way that he thought she'd be fine just giving up everything in New York for him.
The way I think of this book is in 2 parts - 1st part being in 2018 before the pandemic and the 2nd part being 2020 in the pandemic. The first part of the book was incredibly strong. It was hilarious and had me laughing for hours. The second part of this book really hit the ground for me. It was just so slow and I was just waiting for it to pick back up again. I think the pandemic could have been completely removed from the second half and each story beat would have still worked.
I thought that while Sally was a bit "pick me" and annoying at times, she was a good character. I will say that while she's a writer, she still has some issues communicating. I wish she would have spoken her mind more and not shut down her feelings or ideas because of others.
Noah is cute. I also think he has some problem communicating but overall he's a golden retriever guy. I think the biggest problem I had with him was his lack of awareness for his privilege.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Misogyny, Death, and Sexism
airin_reads's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
If you had told me I would read a book set partially (but critically) in the summer of 2020 involving the pandemic in the storyline, I would not believe it. I was wary of reading about that world event so soon. I'm glad that didn't stop me, because it was written about in the best possible way- as something that happens to the characters and is a part of their world/growth. Few pieces of art that decide to include the pandemic do so in a thoughtful and meaningful way (the series Superstore is one example, and IMHO the best that did it). In Romantic Comedy, Covid wasn't thrown in there as a cheap or easy way of world-building without the work of world building. It wasn't a wink and a nod to show the world the characters lived in was ours, it was a valuable part of the plot, and is the crux of what brings the characters together.
This book is incredibly relatable, inspiring, funny, reflective, and asks examines how men and women perceive themselves in hetero-relationships in society. The pacing, for a book that is only three chapters was riveting. I could not put this book down, and would have stayed true to that metaphor if not for the human physiological need for sleep and sustenance.
It borrows from tropes of the genre to which it gives its name, but never reinforces the negatives from it. The story is faithful to the structure of a typical rom-com without being predictable or stereotypical.
One of the most refreshing aspects I found, as an avid romance reader- was that both main characters are in their 30's (mid-late!) and are the same age. Too often romances are about/for women in their 20's, and while men often get to be 30+ in these stories, the women very rarely are. That alone is reason enough to read it, but it only gets better from there.
The only detractions, which were minor for me are that the book is structured differently- that might be a turn off to some readers but I found it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all, just took some getting used to. There are also a lot of names mentioned in the first part of the story- every minor character is given a name which never really paid off.
This book is incredibly relatable, inspiring, funny, reflective, and asks examines how men and women perceive themselves in hetero-relationships in society. The pacing, for a book that is only three chapters was riveting. I could not put this book down, and would have stayed true to that metaphor if not for the human physiological need for sleep and sustenance.
It borrows from tropes of the genre to which it gives its name, but never reinforces the negatives from it. The story is faithful to the structure of a typical rom-com without being predictable or stereotypical.
One of the most refreshing aspects I found, as an avid romance reader- was that both main characters are in their 30's (mid-late!) and are the same age. Too often romances are about/for women in their 20's, and while men often get to be 30+ in these stories, the women very rarely are. That alone is reason enough to read it, but it only gets better from there.
The only detractions, which were minor for me are that the book is structured differently- that might be a turn off to some readers but I found it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all, just took some getting used to. There are also a lot of names mentioned in the first part of the story- every minor character is given a name which never really paid off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Addiction and Misogyny
chaos_and_chapters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent, Death, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Stalking, and Grief