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readbycarina's review
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
abbiebelen's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, Body shaming, Car accident, Homophobia, Bullying, and Cancer
savvyrosereads's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rating: 4/5 stars
Writer Chani Horowitz and movie star Gabe Parker had a whirlwind weekend together ten years ago that led to a viral magazine profile, before both ended up married to different people. Now, their teams want a follow-up interview that will bring them back together for the first time in a decade.
This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting—in my mind I was in for a rom-com with the celebrity trope, and instead I got something I would call more akin to literary romance. The writing was absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and I loved the commentary on Los Angeles and feminism and all the small lovely moments that this kind of intricate writing allows for.
That said, I didn’t feel like I got the kind of deep connection to the characters that I normally expect in a romance, and I was never really sold on Gabe—though his willingness to buy books for the people he loved was definitely a check in the plus column. Overall, I would recommend this for anyone looking for a more character driven and literary read!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: second chance romance; celebrity romance; literary romance
CW: Death/loss of parent; alcoholism/addiction; sexism/misogyny
Writer Chani Horowitz and movie star Gabe Parker had a whirlwind weekend together ten years ago that led to a viral magazine profile, before both ended up married to different people. Now, their teams want a follow-up interview that will bring them back together for the first time in a decade.
This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting—in my mind I was in for a rom-com with the celebrity trope, and instead I got something I would call more akin to literary romance. The writing was absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and I loved the commentary on Los Angeles and feminism and all the small lovely moments that this kind of intricate writing allows for.
That said, I didn’t feel like I got the kind of deep connection to the characters that I normally expect in a romance, and I was never really sold on Gabe—though his willingness to buy books for the people he loved was definitely a check in the plus column. Overall, I would recommend this for anyone looking for a more character driven and literary read!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: second chance romance; celebrity romance; literary romance
CW: Death/loss of parent; alcoholism/addiction; sexism/misogyny
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Car accident, Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
askurm0m's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
5.0
I never knew what a favorite book was supposed to feel like until I read this book for the second time and devoured it as quickly and happily as I did the first time. Everything from the writing style to the plot, I am obsessed with every inch of this book and have annotated it to bits. Thank you Elissa Sussman for this masterpiece.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Death, Classism, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
amandaboyer's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Homophobia
carla20's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Grief, Homophobia, and Death of parent
readwithjules_'s review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.25
While this book was quite enjoyable, I do think it is certainly overrated. I felt like the two main characters didn't have a lot of chemistry and there wasn't really any sort of spark. It felt more like a book about an actor and an interviewer than a love story(thats not necessarily a bad thing). I loved the dynamic between both of the main characters and Ollie. I think there was a lot of moments that were super funny, super sweet, and overall just enjoyable. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't the best I've ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
muchadoaboutliz's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual harassment, Homophobia, and Sexism
thesmutsister_emma's review
funny
hopeful
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
3.75
Almost, But Not Quite
I am about to commit the sin of all reviewing sins... and make a book comparison. When I first started this book, I devoured the first 25% of it the night I got it on Libby. I was so excited, and if you know me, you are aware of why this is the case. I read Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren last year and have been searching for something similar ever since. Despite being a similar setup, as you can tell from the title, lightening did not quite strike twice in this case.
In Funny You Should Ask, we follow Chani and Gabe on two different sets of interviews a decade apart. We see an alternating timeline, observing what happened ten years ago, versus what is happening in present day. I thought this set up was going to be what did it for me because it was one of the things I adored about Love and Other Words, yet I found myself searching for more.
The Characters
Chani: I felt like when it came to Chani's character, there was much left to be said. I did not feel like I could name any of her personality traits other than the fact that she is Jewish, she is a writer, and she enjoys Star Trek (and has a weird thing for dogs' tongues...) It didn't really feel like I was reading a three dimensional character. I felt like a lot of everything that came with her was very surface level.
Gabe: I feel very similarly about Gabe as I did about Chani. I feel as though most of what happened in this book with Gabe was very surface level. Not a lot of it felt much deeper than if someone had yelled "For the plot!"and carried on. There was an attempt to try to explain why Gabe fell in love with Chani the first time around but honestly? It felt very shallow. Not everything has to have this huge, deeper meaning behind it, but this one didn't really make sense. And it really didn't make sense as to why he still cared ten years later. There was not much there other than common interests and physical attraction that gave me any reason to believe these two should still be in love.
Things I Loved
I adored the set up of this. The idea of a weekend long interview and then an attempt to recreate it to revive Gabe's career was such an amazing concept. I also loved Chani's blog posts and being able to see what she had written over the years, as well as what had been said about each of the characters. It was a neat spin to give some more outside info.
Things I Didn't Love
The way that these characters interacted was amazing, I just wish it had gone deeper. Maybe a few more interactions over the years or more the first time around would have helped me fall in love alongside them. I feel like had I read this before other books with this main trope that I would have enjoyed it more.
The Final Verdict
If you are wanting a second chance romance that is a mash up of. Emily Henry and Christina Lauren's writing styles with a little bit of Lucy Score, this is definitely the one for you. Sending all my love to you and Teddy.
I am about to commit the sin of all reviewing sins... and make a book comparison. When I first started this book, I devoured the first 25% of it the night I got it on Libby. I was so excited, and if you know me, you are aware of why this is the case. I read Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren last year and have been searching for something similar ever since. Despite being a similar setup, as you can tell from the title, lightening did not quite strike twice in this case.
In Funny You Should Ask, we follow Chani and Gabe on two different sets of interviews a decade apart. We see an alternating timeline, observing what happened ten years ago, versus what is happening in present day. I thought this set up was going to be what did it for me because it was one of the things I adored about Love and Other Words, yet I found myself searching for more.
The Characters
Chani: I felt like when it came to Chani's character, there was much left to be said. I did not feel like I could name any of her personality traits other than the fact that she is Jewish, she is a writer, and she enjoys Star Trek (and has a weird thing for dogs' tongues...) It didn't really feel like I was reading a three dimensional character. I felt like a lot of everything that came with her was very surface level.
Gabe: I feel very similarly about Gabe as I did about Chani. I feel as though most of what happened in this book with Gabe was very surface level. Not a lot of it felt much deeper than if someone had yelled "For the plot!"and carried on. There was an attempt to try to explain why Gabe fell in love with Chani the first time around but honestly? It felt very shallow. Not everything has to have this huge, deeper meaning behind it, but this one didn't really make sense. And it really didn't make sense as to why he still cared ten years later. There was not much there other than common interests and physical attraction that gave me any reason to believe these two should still be in love.
Things I Loved
I adored the set up of this. The idea of a weekend long interview and then an attempt to recreate it to revive Gabe's career was such an amazing concept. I also loved Chani's blog posts and being able to see what she had written over the years, as well as what had been said about each of the characters. It was a neat spin to give some more outside info.
Things I Didn't Love
The way that these characters interacted was amazing, I just wish it had gone deeper. Maybe a few more interactions over the years or more the first time around would have helped me fall in love alongside them. I feel like had I read this before other books with this main trope that I would have enjoyed it more.
The Final Verdict
If you are wanting a second chance romance that is a mash up of. Emily Henry and Christina Lauren's writing styles with a little bit of Lucy Score, this is definitely the one for you. Sending all my love to you and Teddy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Car accident
kaitlinmarks's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Homophobia, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent