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sfbookgirl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
This book was a delight! Elissa Sussman’s writing style is so fun and electric that I couldn’t help but keep turning pages. While this isn’t one I will be thinking about months later, it is a novel I enjoyed while reading it. A young writer named Chani Horowitz is hired to write a profile on the famous movie star Gabe Parker in Los Angeles. Chan is obsessed with him and is tasked with interviewing Gabe for his new James Bond role. The interview ends up happening over the duration of one unforgettable weekend in which her feelings for Gabe only heighten.
Ten years later and after a terrible divorce, Chani is back in LA and is asked to write a follow-up piece on Gabe. Chani has still got the feelings and she is worried that maybe this follow-up assignment is a recipe for disaster. I loved the back-and-forth narrative that switches between the past and the present day of Chani’s (and Gabe’s) life. The pacing is fabulous and is filled with so much juicy gossip; it makes you second guess that this is fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Car accident
tatiannaskye's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.25
Cute book that was a fast read. Loved how it jumped from past to present. The characters themselves were lovable, this book felt so real and that I was reading nonfiction. Overall I would definitely read this again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual content, Death, and Toxic relationship
Run of the mill stuff.laurenkristine's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Addiction
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual content
Minor: Sexism
sarahaurora628's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved the bouncing back and forth between two timelines. Got so invested so quickly. Love the characters, Gabe is written so perfectly. ✨butterflies✨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual content
alysereadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
2.5
I liked the overall idea of this book, but the execution wasn’t the best. It read a bit like the fanfiction where the author inserts herself as the main character. There wasn’t really a diverse or dynamic cast of characters, although Oliver was part of the LGBTQ community. It was a quick read though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent and Homophobia
valeria_gzz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
I really liked it but I felt like it could’ve been more romantic in the present day?? Idk it was just missing a bit of a spark. Maybe I just don’t like dual timeline books/stories that could be it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Eating disorder, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug use, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Antisemitism
thefatpaperback's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Feels like a Nora Ephron film! I love then & now stories so much so I had a feeling I’d love this one too, but more than that these characters feel real. It’s a detailed and intimate story of insta-love, and while it is delightfully simple it’s also delightfully complicated. And that contradiction makes Chani and Gabe feel real. Their chemistry is everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Homophobia, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Misogyny, Fatphobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
charliebell's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexism
dogbuttsandbooks's review against another edition
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I was so looking forward to this book - celebrity romances are my favorite. But this did not live up to the hype. The two main characters were miserable the entire book and frankly making some very morally questionable decisions the entire time. I hoped we’d get some social commentary about how society judges and shames women, celebrities forced to hide their sexuality, and more. But NOPE, nothing. Instead it was just two people being depressed and refusing to communicate like the adults they are (but really, was so excited to have MCs in their upper thirties and forties but these two acted more immaturely than most teenagers). I cannot recommend this book.
Also I’m deeply uncomfortable with the similarities between this book and the 2011 Chris Evans GQ article by Edith Zimmerman. The comprisons between Sussman's novel & Zimmerman's article are undeniable & uncomfortable. At the very LEAST the author should have mentioned the original GQ journalist in her acknowledgments (she does follow her on social media after all)! At most, she could have mixed up the details to make the dupe less obvious. Everything about this is icky.
You can find the GQ article here: https://www.gq.com/story/chris-evans-gq-july-2011-cover-story
Also I’m deeply uncomfortable with the similarities between this book and the 2011 Chris Evans GQ article by Edith Zimmerman. The comprisons between Sussman's novel & Zimmerman's article are undeniable & uncomfortable. At the very LEAST the author should have mentioned the original GQ journalist in her acknowledgments (she does follow her on social media after all)! At most, she could have mixed up the details to make the dupe less obvious. Everything about this is icky.
You can find the GQ article here: https://www.gq.com/story/chris-evans-gq-july-2011-cover-story
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Grief, Sexism, Sexual content, and Infidelity
beccamlvn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Sexual content, Addiction, and Alcohol