Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my e-arc. Elissa Sussman takes readers on a decade-long journey of love and missed opportunities. When journalist Chani is asked to interview up-and-coming star Gabe Parker, she knows this could be her big break. And it was. But was it also a missed opportunity for her big love? Told through flashbacks intermingled with the present day, readers find out what really happened during the weekend-long interview and how it shaped both Chani and Gabe's lives moving forward.

Chani and Gabe made a great pair. The timeline switching and the re-telling of the same events from different perspectives was a little bit confusing, but I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold in both times.

What if you had the chance to interview one of Hollywood's biggest stars...and that interview turned into something more? What if, 10 years after THE WEEKEND, you got another chance to interview him, to be with him, knowing you could clear up all that...unfinished business?

I thought this was a fantastic premise and was really excited to read it. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel or believe in the chemistry between Chani and Gabe. The story was nice but the relationship just felt flat. I couldn't reconcile how a bland, timid woman who put up with a complete shithead like The Novelist for so long, would be captivating enough to spark an out of nowhere infatuation with the biggest star in Hollywood. To get 5 stars from me, you have to make me believe.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Funny You Should Ask ended up being a great book to read while traveling. It kept my attention and was easy to pick up and put down. I loved the writing style and the second chance romance /women's fiction storyline kept me engaged. I enjoyed that it was both swoon worthy AND totally entertaining at the same time.

I did find the writing a little choppy with the included articles and interviews so that made the storyline lack some flow altogether. All in all, this was a fun one but not totally memorable. Would make for a great beach read! 3.5./5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my digital review copy.

I'm so grateful to Elissa Sussman for writing this incredible, sweet, and funny gem of a book that is jam-packed with romance and own voices Jewish representation! And so grateful to NetGalley and Random House for the free copy!

Funny You Should Ask follows Chani and Gabe in a duel timeline narrative. Chani and Gabe first met 10 years before the start of the book when Chani interviewed him ahead of his playing the role of James Bond. After a wild weekend together filled with parties and award shows, the two don't see each other again for 10 years, when Gabe's team requests a second interview. The book goes back and forth between these two time periods showing the connection they had when they first met, the rekindling of that connection, and interviews and articles interspersed in the narrative along the way.

I absolutely adored Chani and Gabe, and the side characters - especially Oliver - were so fun to cheer for. I have extra love for this one because of its own voices Jewish representation and I think this book is one that anyone can easily love. I know that Sussman took inspiration from a GQ article about Chris Evans, but I appreciate that she was able to take her inspiration from that article and craft this total romcom package from it. I loved how the book showcased hope, love, and friendship, and set it all in the backdrop of the characters' real lives!

I loved this! It was a great mix of sexy, witty, and heartfelt. I laughed out loud during several scenes. I will be recommending this one to all the rom com lovers.

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman is the smart girl’s rom com that I need right now.

It’s the age old tale of normal girl meets and questionably has a relationship with a celebrity, but written in a way that doesn’t take itself too seriously or too preciously. An ongoing thread in the narrative pokes fun at “the literary Jonathan’s” of the world (IYKYK), while making the solid point that a serious and well-respected journalist/novelist/etc should be able to write something lighthearted or pop culture based that is viewed by society as having merit. 👏

This is Sussman’s first foray into adult lit after success in YA and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Totally imagined myself and Pedro Pascal the entire time


This book was quite good. Not anything revolutionary, but it entertained me and it was such a fast read, and in that it did its job.

The length of the audio (which was SUPERB btw) made me feel like not much happened now that I think about it, but the majority of it was mostly about Chani and this idea that she slept with a man to launch her career. Funnily enough, I feel like we didn’t dive too deep into that despite Chani constantly mentioning it, but then again you have the romance that’s also meant to take center stage and it was...just ok. I couldn’t really get behind their relationship—lust? Yes. Love? Hmm. I’m hard pressed to believe a couple of days flirting turned into love ten years later after not having seen or talked much to one another.

This book just didn’t have a lot of depth to it (second chance romances are also just ugh) and so that’s why I’ll happily push this towards my friends in reading slumps or those who just want something to read in one sitting. Overall, not bad, just not overwhelmingly good. But also, Gabe >>>>

This was a fun read. It reminded me of a mix of a lot of Hollywood actors stories. And I liked Chani. The love story was cute and I likes that it was a reunification story not just instant love.. I stayed up past my bedtime reading this.

So I had to sit on this one for a bit. Did I only love it because I was in the middle of my own LA nostalgia binge the week I read it?

Maybe, but still, it was really enjoyable, if not perfect -- I think a lot of your reaction will be based on whether or not you have nostalgia for the era that included the (in?)famous article that it is clearly based on, and I think a lot of the weaknesses were when it got too close to the source material? Some of the way it has to explain things from multiple timelines felt a bit clunky.

But in other ways, it had been so long since I had read a near five star book I almost forgot what it felt like?

Calling it now the famous person/normal person romance is going to be big in 2022! I’ve read 2 romances with this trope so far this year and I’ve loved both.

First up is Funny You Should Ask which releases today! I had seen an early review saying that this book gave them the same feelings as The Idea of You and I knew I needed to pick it up IMMEDIATELY. I will say it definitely gave me the same swoony vibe but it was a slooooow burn but very much worth it in the end.

Chani is a young journalist trying to make a name for herself when she gets the once in a lifetime opportunity to interview her celebrity crush Gabe Parker. What was supposed to be a quick and surface level interview turns into a whirlwind weekend and the resulting article launches Chani’s career. The question of what really went down between her & Gabe is still haunting Chani ten years later when Gabe’s PR team asks for a reunion and a second article. Determined to keep things professional and prove she’s forgotten their time together she agrees. Alternating between the weekend of the first article and their reunion 10 years later I was absolutely hooked. I was raving to the end of this one to see how it all played out and had a major book hangover when I finished. Highly recommend!

Amazingly paced and structured, Sussman provides an ominous love story that spans a decade. When Channi Horowitz meets Gabe Parker at 26 to write a profile on him, she can't believe she gets to interview her celebrity crush, who might be more than just a pretty face and rock hard abs. Gabe and Channi spend a spontaneous weekend together that leads to an article that propels Channi's career but then don't really communicate for another 10 years...until Channi has to write another profile on Gabe.

I loved this entire story. The tension between Gabe and Channi was absolutely perfect. I loved that the book was set up so both the first weekend and current weekend mirrored each other as we went back and forth through time. I loved that I didn't know how the story would end. I loved the Jewish representation. This story would make an amazing movie.

Only managed to finish one book in April- but gosh was it a good one. (Yay moving!)
Young journalist Chani gets an assignment that has the potential to launch her career. Gabe Parker is a hot Hollywood star set to play the next James Bond. The interview lasts an entire weekend and for the next ten years Chani and Gabe will be asked if there was something more between them. This book alternates its timeline from past and present. Both Chani and Gabe have lived separate lives but there is definitely more to their story then anyone really knows.

I loved it. I could feel their connection almost instantly. The dual timelines was so interesting, flashing back and forth to fill in the blanks of their love story. And the ending?! Ohhh my heart😍. This published this month so you can get your hands on it now- and I would definitely recommend that you do!

Two different weekends and 10 years apart, Chani is assigned to interview Gabe Parker Not only is he a Hollywood heartthrob and the first American James Bond, but he is her celebrity crush.

Growing up, I remember reading the juicy celebrity headlines in the grocery store and flipping through celebrity magazines on road trips. This book took me back to those days. In between the chapters of 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐤, you will find similar celebrity articles and blog posts, that truly add another layer/depth to Chani and Gabe’s story and brings them to life. Along with her then and now POV, this unique format of this book had me quickly turning pages!

As a woman with a career, I understand that why Chani cared so much about the way she was perceived and why she was so guarded towards Gabe’s flirtation and affection. A celebrity taking interest in an everyday person doesn't happen all the time. Sure, celebrities are people too and this is a fiction novel, but I’d 100% question his intentions too. Did he want a better write-up or was this celebrity truly interested in Chani? Similar to herself, his rising career mattered to him.

For fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and celebrity magazines, 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐤 is the perfect read. It’s emotional, funny, and a perfect second-chance, slow-burn romance with imperfect characters.

Fun fact: An interview with Chris Evans in 2011 inspired this author and this book. Read this book and then read that interview!

Chani is an aspiring writer of good work, but mostly she just writes puff pieces. When given the chance to interview her forever celebrity crush, Gabe Parker, in hopes that the world will accept him as the new James Bond, she jumps at it. Chani and Gabe unexpectedly spend the weekend together-and nothing happens, or so, that’s what Chani always claims in the years to come as the article skyrockets her career. Now, 10 years later and both on drastically different places in their lives, Chani and Gabe are brought together again for another interview. But they’ll both have to confront what happened in the past, which was certainly, not nothing.

I liked this way more than I thought I would! I think the writing style made it a very easy read in the best way. There was a lot added in, reviews and articles, blogs, etc. I don’t think all of these were completely necessary. If anything, I wanted more of Chani and Gabe, especially in the “Then”. I wish the “Then” established even more between the two as I feel it would’ve made the “Now” more realistic. Especially in regard to the depth of feelings the characters have towards each other. I hated Jeremy and that whole storyline, but loved Ollie. Some aspects of the story felt glossed over too quickly, like Chani’s friendships. This was a good read that I really enjoyed and I loved the ending! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

DNF - another book i don’t remember requesting but ended up trying to read and just couldn’t finish, not a fan but someone else may like it!

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman is a romance about Chani Horowitz, who writes a profile of movie star Gabe Parker. This interview turns in to so much more; but then they both go on with their separate lives until ten years later, when Chani is hired yet again to write a profile about Gabe Parker. But this time, she needs to help him rehab his image, and she has to face how she really feels about Gabe. This story was really sweet and fun; but the plot for this book is very similar to an article that was written about Captain America several years ago, and the author gives no reference to that article. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Such a great debut adult romance book. The book focuses on Gabe and Chani who meet twice 10 years and 2 weeks apart. I want instantly hooked on this one, Being a career woman I understand how Chani viewed some situations.

Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will love this book. It’s emotional, funny and a perfect second chance romance.

If you're looking for a rom-com with Jewish representation and/or involving a Hollywood actor and/or a second chance trope, this one should be your pick. It is funny, sweet, great characters, and a dual timeline that really adds some suspense to the whole thing. I didn't want to put it down.

Chani Horowirz is a writer & reporter in Hollywood, with Gabe Parker the Hollywood actor. Going back and forth between their original meeting / writing of the profile of Gabe and ten years later when both are trying to revive their careers, there's a lot to be revealed about what happened in the past and what they want for their futures. I loved that Chani is divorced, and Gabe is a recovering alcoholic - both add some nice depth to the story.

Thank you to Dell / Random House and NetGalley for the advanced e-copy, and its available now.

The thought of a hot celebrity heartthrob being into a “normal” person is always mind-boggling but never farfetched until it happens to you. I enjoyed some ups and downs of this book that I think other people will agree on. This book, to me, was Hallmark meets realistic romance.

I finished this book in 24 hours, and I have to state that because most of the time, I barely stay up late anymore unless I’m scrolling mindlessly on TikTok. With that aside, I was really drawn into the story of Chani and Gabe, two awkward people who click instantly well. This isn’t the most incredible romance book ever, but it’s relatable due to the character development. Chani’s perspective on life is something that I can relate to, but as a person who is also a writer, I understand her fear of not being successful in a different writing style. It’s discouraging to see friends having grand accomplishments that they rightfully deserve but also wonder why you do not have the same opportunities as them. She’s constantly getting asked if she or did not sleep with Gabe Parker and constantly reminded of that night.

Chani isn’t the only one who has fears of her own; Gabe has his own issues. He is an alcoholic, and everyone doubts his acting ability; though expected, it’s nice to still read about his own struggles. The premise of this book is that Chani interviews Gabe and gets to spend a whole weekend together; because of her first successful interview with him, she’s given a chance to recreate it. While both weekends are awkward, to begin with, painfully awkward but also it’s realistic. I enjoyed it the most because the timeline showed how Chani and Gabe used to be and who they are now. They always loved each other, and it was nice to see how they had separate lives until they reconnected. Though Chani was so into the criticism of people saying she's a slut for “sleeping” with Gabe, it was always a criticism that stayed with her.

Loved the story that Elissa wrote though there weren’t a lot of sex scenes, the build-up was still worth the wait. Although Chani’s constant annoyance about her writing style and her relationship with her ex was just eye-rolling.