Scan barcode
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
gemin1reader's review
emotional
reflective
3.25
I really enjoyed how this book was written - a mix of present-day, flashbacks, magazine articles and reviews. It made for a fun read but it also meant it felt like we missed some of the emotional connections between the main characters
I also found the FMC just a teeny bit irritating by the end.
I also found the FMC just a teeny bit irritating by the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Homophobia
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Car accident
booksalacarte's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Funny You Should Ask - 3.5⭐️ 3🌶️
A restless young journalist with big dreams interviews a Hollywood heartthrob—and reunites with him ten years later to discover exactly how he feels about her in this sexy and engrossing novel
Then. Twenty-something writer Chani Horowitz is stuck. While her former MFA classmates are nabbing high-profile book deals, all she does is churn out puff pieces. Then she’s hired to write a profile of movie star Gabe Parker: her number one celebrity crush and the latest James Bond. All Chani wants to do is keep her cool and nail the piece. But what comes next proves to be life changing in ways she never saw coming, as the interview turns into a whirlwind weekend that has the tabloids buzzing—and Chani getting closer to Gabe than she had planned.
Now. Ten years later, after a brutal divorce and a healthy dose of therapy, Chani is back in Los Angeles as a successful writer with the career of her dreams. Except that no matter what new essay collection or online editorial she’s promoting, someone always asks about The Profile. It always comes back to Gabe. So when his PR team requests that they reunite for a second interview, she wants to say no. She wants to pretend that she’s forgotten about the time they spent together. But the truth is that Chani wants to know if those seventy-two hours were as memorable to Gabe as they were to her. And so . . . she says yes.
Alternating between their first meeting and their reunion a decade later, this deliciously irresistible novel will have you hanging on until the last word.
✨My Opinion✨
Second-chance romance
Insta-love
Slow burn
He falls first
Alcoholic/recovery
Fame/public spotlight
This is a fan fiction book. After reading this book I wasn’t sure how I felt about it being based on an actual article about Chris Evans… so I had to go search for it. Chris Evans: American Marvel by Edith Zimmerman.
After reading the source article I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed in the book being such a blatant rip-off of another person’s writing and personal experience. All of the things I had holding me up from a solid 4 star review were blatantly obvious. I mean the confusion and insecurity of the writer’s tone was almost exact. The commentary on alcoholism and celebrity almost breezy.
I enjoyed the book, don’t get me wrong. It was entertaining… but it actually felt like someone was just stretching out the GQ article and morphing it into an actual love story. Maybe that was the point?
I guess I am a little more concerned about hit the author of the GQ article feels about the book… which is interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol
Moderate: Grief and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit
bootsmom3's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Antisemitism, and Vomit
decklededgess's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
4.0
trigger warnings: alcohol addition, alcohol and drug mention, slut shaming, sexual harassment, infidelity, emotional abuse, toxic relationship, death of family member, car accident, sexual content
A mix of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and How To Fake It In Hollywood, this was a delightful novel about a missed connection and a second chance given ten years later.
Chani is a writer who got to profile the first American Bond which leads to the explosive success of both their careers. Ten years later she gets asked to do another profile on him as he attempts to resurrect his career after conflict and rehab.
Right from the get go, you experience the weight of their relationship. Despite Chani being the pov you see through most of the book, Gabe is a looming influence throughout the book, in the flashbacks and in their present timeline. The book really hammered in that their lives were intertwined. This gave you the incredible experience of being a spectator to their lives through the articles interspersed throughout and also get the insider scoop through Chani's timelines. You get to question their lives and speculate about their relationship while also getting a lot of insider information. It creates this really intriguing dramatic irony of knowing what the public doesn't know while also knowing what perhaps Chani and Gabe weren't privy to about outside opinions on them.
I loved how strategically the story was constructed. News excerpts and flashbacks were not tossed in willy nilly for funsies. Every piece of story provided fed into the next level of development in the story. You built sympathy for the characters before you even knew what pain they were going to experience, making the low points in the book personally painful for you as the reader.
I also really enjoyed how many full circle moments the book provided. Earlier throwaway lines that the characters and even the reader would overlook were given a moment of reprise with a significantly altered a deeper meaning than before. This punctuated the emotional moments in the book beautifully, providing depth to emotional moments without saying much.
This book is a masterclass in stating and withholding just the right amount of information to keep you pondering the story past its conclusion without feeling like you were cut short on a clean ending.
Incredible.
A mix of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and How To Fake It In Hollywood, this was a delightful novel about a missed connection and a second chance given ten years later.
Chani is a writer who got to profile the first American Bond which leads to the explosive success of both their careers. Ten years later she gets asked to do another profile on him as he attempts to resurrect his career after conflict and rehab.
Right from the get go, you experience the weight of their relationship. Despite Chani being the pov you see through most of the book, Gabe is a looming influence throughout the book, in the flashbacks and in their present timeline. The book really hammered in that their lives were intertwined. This gave you the incredible experience of being a spectator to their lives through the articles interspersed throughout and also get the insider scoop through Chani's timelines. You get to question their lives and speculate about their relationship while also getting a lot of insider information. It creates this really intriguing dramatic irony of knowing what the public doesn't know while also knowing what perhaps Chani and Gabe weren't privy to about outside opinions on them.
I loved how strategically the story was constructed. News excerpts and flashbacks were not tossed in willy nilly for funsies. Every piece of story provided fed into the next level of development in the story. You built sympathy for the characters before you even knew what pain they were going to experience, making the low points in the book personally painful for you as the reader.
I also really enjoyed how many full circle moments the book provided. Earlier throwaway lines that the characters and even the reader would overlook were given a moment of reprise with a significantly altered a deeper meaning than before. This punctuated the emotional moments in the book beautifully, providing depth to emotional moments without saying much.
This book is a masterclass in stating and withholding just the right amount of information to keep you pondering the story past its conclusion without feeling like you were cut short on a clean ending.
Incredible.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Gaslighting, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
More...