26-year old journalist, Chani Horowitz, is tasked with writing a profile on Gabe Parker, the Hollywood heartthrob actor who just got cast to play the newest James Bond. The piece goes viral, and despite denials from both, the world is convinced a romantic connection formed between the two of them. Ten years later, the two reunite for a follow up profile.

I ate this one up! Enjoyed it so much that I spent an entire weekend binging it. You get the whole package in this book — fabulous writing, witty commentary, normal person/famous person trope, a second chance at love, and slow burn 🔥

The main character, Chani, is just so great! I connected with her immediately and I’m so happy to see some Jewish representation in this one. Gabe was also a great character and I was definitely swooning over him at times.

I love how Elissa set this story up to take place over one weekend, while alternating the timeline of present day vs 10 years ago, which totally builds the tension. The chapters are also interspersed with magazine and social media articles chronicling both of their lives and makes you want to keep flipping the pages.

I’m so excited FYSA is finally out today and some more people get it in their hands because I think it’s going to be a major hit!! Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Read if you:
✨ enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books
✨ want to know the dark side of what it’s really like to be a famous actor
✨ are a sucker for second chance love

Chani Horowitz is an up and coming journalist who lands the interview of a lifetime, interviewing Gabe Parker, a Hollywood A List celebrity, who just also happens to be Chani’s celebrity crush. Her interview with Gabe ends up spanning the course of a weekend and it’s pretty clear that something more happened between them than just your standard interviewer-interviewee relationship. So clear, in fact, that the interview goes viral, with everyone dying to know what really happened between Chani and Gabe.

Jump ahead ten years and Chani is asked to reunite with Gabe for another interview, this time in an attempt to revive his career because apparently Gabe has been dealing with some pretty major issues since his first meeting with Chani all those years ago. Chani knows she will have to face long-buried feelings about Gabe and their first encounter if she interviews him again but can’t deny that she’s still drawn to her old crush.

I loved that this story unfolds through a dual time line where one timeline focuses on the initial meeting between Chani and Gabe, while the other delves into what both characters have been dealing with in the ten years they have been apart. It isn’t just Gabe who has had to face some demons; Chani has had some pretty major stuff to deal with herself.

The celebrity/normal person falling in love trope is not one I’ve read often and while I couldn’t decide if I really bought into it overall, I thought the author did a wonderful job of making this kind of relationship seem plausible. There is definite chemistry between Gabe and Chani, and even though he’s a big celebrity at the time of their first meeting, he’s surprisingly low key and humble, making him seem like a regular person as well. I also loved that he was a big fan of her writing, even from their first meeting. He had done his research on her and in many ways came across as way more supportive of her career than her actual boyfriend at the time. I loved that they were basically mutual fans of one another.

Even though I was somewhat iffy on the idea of a relationship blossoming between Chani and Gabe, I really liked both characters and was very into seeing how their personal journeys played out regardless of whether or not the relationship ever grew into anything more. Filled with both heartbreak and hope, Funny You Should Ask is an emotional and engrossing story that will have you fully invested in these characters' lives and hopeful for the direction their futures will take, whether separate or together.

This book was a delight to read. I could not put it down. My favorite part is how it was written including the then and now setting and multiple excerpts from blogs, news, magazines etc.
This story is about a writer, Chani and the great heartthrob actor, Gabe Parker. The then in this story is 10 years prior to the now. 10 years ago the “normal” Chani was assigned to interview her celebrity crush Gabe before his big role as the new James Bond. The interview ended up lasting more than just lunch and there were some speculations on what actually happened between the two. This book had me happy, sad and then happy again! 5/5 I would recommend this book.

I requested this on a whim because I am actually a huge fan of second chance romance and that’s what this summary read as. And it totally is and isn’t, depending how you look at it. 😂

Chani Horowitz is a reporter that gets the interview of a lifetime with the new Bond actor, Gabe Parker. You get pieces of this one weekend that they spent together before her article came out and then he married someone a week later.

Ten years go by and they’re reunited as the once top dog, Gabe, is trying to come back to Hollywood after stints in rehab and public feuds/drama. Chani is tasked with writing a sequel to her famous article that changed her life.

The chemistry between these two really hit for me. Their conversations weren’t dull and we were let in on these secret inside jokes that come up later in the book many times. I LOVED that. Running pyramid was probably my favorite 😂

Elissa Sussman did an excellent job at writing characters that felt so extremely real. I felt like I knew Chani, Gabe, and Ollie. I felt like they were real celebrities with real books and movies.

And although it’s subtly dropped in, I loved the representation for Jewish and the LGBTQ+ communities.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine, Elissa Sussman, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

THIS BOOK!!!! I loved it so much that I binge read it because I could not put this one down! 😍 This book gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes with the news articles and the secrets the characters tried to withhold from the public. Just so damn good! 🙌🏻 The main characters, Gabe and Chani, were great and Ollie was my favorite!! I also really liked the dual timelines as we slowly, bit by bit, uncovered what really happened during that initial interview and their current status as well. This was definitely a slow burn when it came to the romance and I loved every minute of it! Even though it was just a tease, Sussman showed she can definitely bring the steam! Highly recommend this book, go grab it right now!! 🏃🏻‍♀️

A writer and the actor who was the subject of her breakout article get back together for another article. As they talk the book reveals what happened to their lives at the time of the original article and in the years since.

I liked the idea of this book. I also liked how smaller articles were dropped throughout the book between chapters. It added a little more character to the book. The author has written three YA novels and this is her first adult novel. You can see a little of the YA writing but I like YA books so I loved it. This book will keep you interested until the end.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Elissa Sussman & Random House for an advance copy of this!

"Funny You Should Ask" is out today, April 12th.

"One of the most beautiful men in the world - my personal celebrity crush - was treating me like I belonged. It was an intoxicating feeling."

This book takes place during two timelines 10 years apart between the past and present. Chani was asked to interview her ultimate celebrity crush which was a whirlwind weekend of partying in which her article ended with the audience thinking "did they or didn't they." Fast forward 10 years later, Chani is asked to strike magic again by being asked to interview Gabe for an upcoming project. Chani was reluctant as so much had happened between the 10 years since their enthralling weekend.

This book will likely be in my top 5 books of 2022. I am calling it now. I knew it was going to be a 5 star read just from the first few chapters. I felt like I was reading myself if I were Chani. The parallels of her being a journalist and me wanting to work for Rolling Stone magazine growing up just so I could interview celebs was not dawned on me. How Elissa was describing Chani’s feelings towards Gabe Parker leading up to her interviewing him is exactly how I would feel if I had to be around any celebrity but in particular Justin Timberlake, Harry Styles or Zac Efron. It was just all so relatable!

I love the duel timelines and how they intertwine with one another. This helped so much with the pacing of the book and made me want to continue reading to find out what happened next in their story. And then have the news articles also playing a role in what is happening in the plot was great. It gave me flashbacks to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and Grady Hendrix’s “The Final Girl Support Group”.

Also, not sure what the storyline could be but could we get a spin off with Ollie?! He was a fabulous side character.

Some quotes that made me laugh:
"Until this morning, a shirtless phot of him had been the lock screen of my phone. I had zero chill when it came to Gabe Parker."

"Even when I was single handedly torpedoing my career, I was still very, very horny for him."

"We're not even the same species, but tonight, they're letting me pretend that we are."

"You're ridiculous," I told myself, "No one, is going to waste cocaine on you."

"You've read them," I say instead.
"I thought we'd established that I've read everything you've written"
It's one of the hottest things anyone has ever said to me.

If you love a slow burn with a Hollywood twist. This is the book for you!
I cannot wait to read more from this author.

CW: alcohol, rehab, sexual content

3.5 STARS
I enjoyed this story, I felt it was unique and refreshing. I was entertained and interested in the characters story and how it would play out.
I don’t think it’s technically romance, it seemed more like women’s fiction to me.
The storytelling style was a mix of past and present time jumps and in between there were “news articles” that were about the characters that give a glimpse of what the public is thinking and saying about them. It was a fun touch.
I liked the reporter and Hollywood heartthrob aspect. It’s an appealing premise to me and I’m a sucker for artistic types, which both characters are.
The story is told from Chani’s point of view.
I didn’t fully connect with their relationship, I think because I didn’t know have a good grasp on who Gabe was and how he felt. I would have loved his POV.
I enjoyed the the interactions between Chani and Gabe, they did seem to have a fast connection and understanding of each other.
Gabe’s friend Ollie was a great secondary character that added fun, laughs and warmth.
I was happy and satisfied with the ending, overall I enjoyed the story. It’s a bit light on romance, I was good with that even though I had expected it to have more in the story.

Chani Horowitz was floundering in her career when she was hired to write a profile of actor Gabe Parker, recently cast as the first American to play James Bond. Ten years later, Chani credits that piece as skyrocketing her writing career, and she can’t stop thinking about everything that went down the weekend she interviewed Gabe— and everything that’s happened in their lives since. Then Chani is hired to write a follow-up to her original profile, bringing them into each other’s orbits once again.⁣
•⁣
First off, I loved the structure of this book. The story is told in sections alternating between the original interview weekend ten years ago and present day. We also slowly get glimpses of other texts— Chani’s profile, movie reviews, gossip pieces, etc.— to help tell the story. All of this was so fun and creative and helped keep the tension in the story. And the fake (super rude) Goodreads reviews made me laugh. There was also great Jewish rep, a fascinating peek into the lives of the rich and famous, and a supporting character that I loved.⁣
•⁣
On the flip side, the book dives into the meat of the story right away, and the connection between Chani and Gabe is pretty instantaneous. You have to accept Chani’s word that they have an enduring attachment and chemistry, rather than see it develop over time. I tend to prefer a little more scene setting and character growth, but still really enjoyed the book.⁣
•⁣
Funny You Should Ask will be an awesome summer reading pick, paired with a refreshing beverage, movie star sunglasses, and (ideally) an adorable puppy in your lap.

I really wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. I generally am not a big fan of the big time actor falling for a normal person kind of trope, but this one was done so well, I ended up really enjoying it!

This book isn't a fairy tale romance between an up and coming actor, and a struggling journalist who interviews him. Instead we find two characters who are flawed, who have a lot of soul searching yet to do, and who aren't entirely comfortable in their own skin. Seeing them in their 20's and then again in their 30's is what really made this hit the right notes for me. I enjoyed hearing about the mistakes they made in the ten years they are apart, and about the realizations they've made, and are trying to incorporate.

I found this one to be a really quick and enjoyable read. The way the storyline weaves in and out throughout present time and the past kept me engaged with the story, and wanting to keep reading to catch glimpses of where they went wrong.

Let’s be real, who wouldn’t want to interview their celebrity crush if given the chance? My fan girl heart was fully satisfied following how this played out, even with the 10 year break before their reunited.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. It’s been a while since I let myself sit and devour a book in less than a day, but I didn’t want to put this one down. A celebrity and a non celebrity has always been my favorite pairing, and this book didn’t disappoint.

I thought both Chani and Gabe were well rounded characters that complimented each other while still facing the kinds of challenges that made their story feel real. I also personally felt the the jumps between the past and the present were well done and it was easy to follow and know exactly what time line of the story you were in.

A big 5 stars for funny you should ask. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4629060140

Genius premise, flawless execution. This book gave my celebrity gossip-loving heart everything it wanted and more. I devoured it!!!

Any book about Hollywood or journalists is a must-read for me. Combine the two and it’s a dream come true. So when this one popped up on NetGalley I knew I had to request it.

With books that have Hollywood at the center it can sometimes be hard to build out a universe of fictional movies and TV shows that feels realistic and believable. A lot of times the names and premises come across as cheesy, which tends to take me out of the story. But I thought Sussman did a good job of rooting the films, TV shows and celebrities she created deep enough in reality that you could easily believe Gabe Parker’s latest project would be playing at your local movie theater. The magazine and news articles that were sprinkled throughout were also helped with this world building.

The other thing I really liked about the book was that Chani and Gabe were fantastic characters. It was easy to root for them and they both showed growth throughout the story. I don’t know if there are any plans for a sequel but if there are, I’d definitely read more about these two.

As much as I liked this one, I had one big issue with the novel. It might just be a personal quirk but it really bothered me that the main conflict of the novel stemmed from a female journalist having a personal and intimate relationship with one of her story subjects, which just felt very regressive and unnecessary to me. Sussman tries to address this throughout the novel, hinting at the aftermath of Chani and Gabe’s night together, but it fell kind of flat and certainly was not a main point in the story. I understand that this is a rom com that was following tropes of the genre but I think there might have been a better way to connect Gabe and Chani without discrediting the integrity of female journalists.

The Bottom Line: A fun and unique Hollywood rom com that’s cute and charming, despite its flaws. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK is available today. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Random House for your copy of Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman #partner.

Rating: 4.5 to 5 star
Genre: Romance

I grabbed this one just in time! It publishes today, April 12th. After I saw a couple of rave reviews, I had to read it! I really loved it! It was swoony and kept me wanting to read the whole time. The story follows the two main characters through a past and current storyline. Articles, and blog posts are also added throughout the story to learn more about the characters. I will say I wish these had been dated, as I was a little confused at times if they were from the past or present. Other than that, really enjoyed this one!

You might enjoy this one if:
-you like storylines with multiple timelines
-you like second chance romances
-you enjoy a main character who is a celebrity

Their relationship presented in the article felt unethical and the writing style was a mix of flashbacks, present, and useless “articles” and “interviews” and “blog posts” thrown in to break up the plot for no reason. I really don’t like when those things pop up in books. I stuck with them at the beginning because I was still interested in the “plot,” but then I realized nothing they revealed was actually useful to the overall story and I skimmed the rest. I mean the plot didn’t reveal anything either, let alone the flashbacks. Why do flashbacks get incorporated when the big “fight” scene in the past is just. so. boring?

I did like the beginning (until the faked dog death) and I was interested to see what really happened in the past. But the more I went along, I felt like her article was unprofessional and awkward and made me feel weird. She kept talking about all of these stereotypes, when her article did it’s best to perpetuate them? And she was so sad and angry that she had friends with private jets because she didn’t know if her career was “earned” or not.

✨

I suppose the dude was more decent, but I still didn’t like him. He sounded nice in theory but the execution was lacking. The whole marriage thing and friends with benefits thing was just not what I wanted to see from him and it made him Not Hot. We also finished this book with them knowing each other for a collective six days in ten years. I didn’t buy that.

This book was based on a much shorter, unsubstantial in its own right article and it shows. Maybe the article really didn’t happen like the journalist said, but that didn’t make this book any more logical. And it doesn’t have to be but it just had a weird feeling. I was more stressed out at her being invited to after parties and passing out and getting drunk.

I felt zero chemistry between the characters by the end and I disliked both of our MCs which is impressive. She’s angry that people got the wrong impression from an article she intentionally wrote to give the wrong impression and I just…

✨

If you don’t like books with flashbacks that culminate to nothing. Don’t read it. If you don’t like books with random “articles” and “interviews” thrown in between the actual plot. Don’t read it. If you don’t like books about “great writers” who when you read their “great writing” you’re like um no? Don’t read it. If you don’t like books that trick you into thinking the puppy got old and died. Don’t read it. Circle back to the last one I insist. From 30% to 60% this book tricks you into believing it killed a dog (that you saw as a puppy) and that’s cruel and sick.

I cried but not bc of anything revolutionary the book did. No I lost it at “wow what a cute puppy ten years ago but time is crazy and now the dog is dead and wow just kidding this dog is actually alive but your dog is still dead have a great life.” I gave the book the benefit of the doubt and kept reading to see if the dog actually was dead and thank god it wasn’t but I was triggered and had a terrible time I can’t believe they expect people to be okay with that. That’s a big gamble. From 30% to 60% and now all that in between % has been tainted.

✨

The author uses ellipses so many times at all times and I never knew what she was talking about and she also referenced things that happened to these characters as if we knew what they were and then like three pages later she defined them and I’m like, I just wasted five minutes rereading past pages to see if I missed the information!

The only thing I liked by the end (besides the fact that I was done) was his reveal of what happened in the past. But even then, it wasn’t even revealed in a flashback so my previous point of them being useless still stands. I can see why people like this book, but it checked all the wrong boxes for me.

⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶🌶/5

Now that I know this book was heavily *inspired* off of a GQ article (about Chris Evans) that the author fails to mention in her acknowledgements, I feel so uncomfortable. I dislike the article because I again found it weird and unethical and I don’t like knowing this really happened. Please don’t feel up the people you’re interviewing. And in the book she kept referencing how he was probably too drunk but she still wanted to get that sound bite.

If you’re looking for an authentic romance you can’t put down, this is it! I binged this in one day; it was so good. This is a second chance Hollywood romance that also explores fame and success. Loved that it alternated between past and present and that in between chapters were interviews, articles, blog posts that made it unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When Gabe Parker is cast as the next Bond, the public isn't happy. Chani, a journalist assigned puff pieces her whole career, is hired to write a profile on him. Gabe has been her celebrity crush, but she knows this could make her career. Given unprecedented access, she visits his home and they immediately hit it off, kicking off a weekend of friendship and parties. Her article is a smashing success, launching her career, but everyone still asks if she slept with him, even as she denies it. Female journalists always do it to get the story, right? Chani had hoped there might be something there between them, but it must have been just his acting charm, since he ran to Vegas to marry his costar shortly after. Now, ten years later, Gabe's staff want to recreate that weekend and have her write another article. Ten years seems a lifetime, yet no time at all, as all those feelings come flooding back. Can she trust that he feels the same, or is he really that good of an actor?
This book is written in alternating chapters between the past and present, with some articles and interviews in between. I could see Gabe's struggle with his addiction in the beginning, but his down-to-earth boy-next-door personality was surprising, especially to Chani. She was young, naive, and honestly a bit dim witted in the beginning, but after ten years and a divorce, she's jaded and not so easily won over by Gabe's charm. In glad the two finally found their HEA.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

fun and cute and everything i was looking for when i decided to read it. sometimes i’m nervous whether a book will be exactly what i need at the time and funny you should ask hit that right spot!

Elissa Sussman has written many best-selling books, but her most recent novel is sure to be a show-stopper. Set to be released on April 12th, Funny You Should Ask shows how sometimes timing can mean everything and oftentimes the universe has bigger plans for us.

This book was a fabulous binge read for me. I quickly became emotionally invested in the plot and loved how the story was told in alternating timelines. The emotions run so high in this book and there's so much tension in the beginning that readers will be devouring this book like I did trying to figure out just what happened 10 years earlier and how our main characters will come to terms with it in the present.

The way Chani's emotions are conveyed is so well-written and the way fame and its relationship with the media is explored is so well done. You really get a glimpse at both the celebrity side of things, as well as the journalistic viewpoint of trying to do your job, while also being the force that can impact someone else’s life. The way the past and present parallel with one another yet differ so much only highlights the theme of timing and “what ifs” this stroy offers. Additionally, readers can’t help but root for Chani and Gabe to finally give into the feelings, both the good and the bad, they’ve been holding onto for a decade.

I basically felt every emotion while experiencing Chani and Gabe’s story. I laughed, I cried, and I just couldn’t stop reading this book. This was a five star read for me and I cannot wait to see what Sussman will write next!

*I received an ARC from Dell/Penguin-Random House in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such a fun read. I appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Funny You Should Ask. This will make a great summer read for the beach. Light and fun, ending just the way you want it to, all the while not getting there the way you expect it to. The characters were relatable. They show us that being a huge celebrity or successful writer may nit be what we expect.