A review by meredith_williams_
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I requested this as my BOTM in April. I’d heard some hype about the book, but sadly I don’t think the story lived up to it. The premise of a late night comedy writer falling for the musical guest was intriguing, but ultimately I found the main characters to be unlikeable and unrelatable. By the end of the story, the female lead had, in my opinion, very little growth while the male lead remained stagnant the entire book. Additionally, I didn’t love the constant reference to current events. I found that it took away from the escapism of the genre, and often felt performative on the author’s part. The only time I felt it served the story was the middle portion in which the two main characters email back and forth during the pandemic. However, the fact that they had more chemistry over email than any of the dialogue in the book should tell you everything you need to know about the romance aspect of this book. 
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