Lives up to and exceeds the hype! This book is an excellent character study of both Chani & Gabe. It tackles every creator’s worst fear of not being valued for the art you create, & the dual timelines give you a lot of empathy for both characters. I love how parts of the story were told through “articles.” I’ll be reading more from Elissa Sussman!

I enjoyed this book and reading about the relationship between Chani and Gabe. The narrative bounces between the present and ten years in the past, and random articles and interviews are dispersed throughout. That structure worked great for me, and I was interested to continue and see what happened.

Big shoutout to Ollie - the best friend. He was a great side character.

What if you had one weekend with your ultimate crush? What if he was one of the biggest celebrities? What if you were asked to connect with him again years later and are forced to relive it all over again?

When Chani Horowitz is tasked to write a profile on Gabe Parker - the man of her dreams, fantasies, and celebrity stories, she just about loses it. It's a story only she can make up. What's even better is they hit it off in a big way. She's changed, and he's changed. Only that's where their story ends...

Ten years later Chani and Gabe are asked to come together to write another profile to kickstart Gabe's career. Life hasn't been so great for either of them and reconnecting again gives them a chance to figure out how they got it all wrong.

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman is a romance that takes your heart and cradles it close. Gabe is a lovely and kind heartthrob, everything you want in the crush you've idolized forever. Chani excels as a lead that somehow got lost along the way but finds her way back. Thank you, Elissa Sussman, NetGalley and ‎Random House Publishing Group.

I will say that I adored the cover of this book. Super cute detailing, the pop of colors bring your eyes to it in a bookstore. However, the story itself fell flat for me. I did not feel any of the chemistry between Gabe and the girl, and honestly, it felt kind of forced for me.

I really enjoyed this book and I'm kind of mad at myself for waiting so long to read it! It was a second chance romance betwee Chani and Gabe. Chani was a journalist and Gabe was a movie star. When Chani was tasked to write an article about Gabe's upcoming movie, it lead to a lot more than just an interview.

I really liked both characters, both together and separately. They both had a need to fit in, wanted to be accepted and wanted to feel important. I feel like they both really grew a lot throughout the story and I liked the way their lives came together. There were a few steamy chapters and the romance was great.

Ollie was a great secondary character. He was sweet and a really great friend and I'd actually love to read more about him! And of course, I really loved the dog!

I really liked the blog posts and articles that were used between chapters. They helped to tell parts of the story, especially as it went between past and present.

Overall, a really great read!

This is one of those books that I regret no reading sooner! So if you're contemplating starting it, just go ahead and do it do you want regret it? Well written and executed, this one took me by surprise!

I was a bit late to the game on picking up Funny You Should Ask, but celebrity romances are some of my favorite and mood was right. And I can' believe I slept on this one as long as I did! It has elements of The View Was Exhausting mixed with The Reunion and so many more while being it's own bright, beautiful new thing. In this book, we meet self-proclaimed "puff piece" reporter and author Chani revisiting a subject she thought she had left behind. Ten years prior she had interviewed mega movie star Gabe Parker and left the world speculating as to whether they had hooked up--she insists they didn't. Now, a decade and marriages and divorces later for each of them, Chani is called to write a follow-up piece.

The best celebrity romances are the plausible ones--where it's not a waitress or barista or taxi driver randomly catching the eye of a famous person, but where they are plausibly thrown together in an intimate moment ripe for the growing of attraction. And while Chani was certainly one of us normal folk when she first interviewed Gabe, the intense, personal interview bonds them for forever. Very much OTP vibes for this couple! I'm always here for a second change romance, especially when the second chance is closer to mid life, rather than simply late twenties. I'll also note for those interested that Chani gives us some great #JewishRep. Can't wait to read the next book!

Thanks to Ballantine Books for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Ok, I could not put this book down. I was completely absorbed by the characters and I had to see it through to the finish as quickly as my reading skills would allow. A good book, in my opinion, sucks you into a whole other world that feels very real. I feel like I could have watched a Gabe Parker movie or read a Chani Horowitz article recently. I was rooting for and agonizing with the main characters from the beginning and enjoyed it for the whole journey. There were some clichés and tropes sprinkled throughout but that’s what I both expect and hope for from a romance novel (actually it’s very much how Bond movies are described in the book, different but not TOO different).

Based on the reviews of this book I’ve seen, it’s either hit-or-miss. For me it was a bit in between. While I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed the plot while reading, thinking back, I wish there was a bit more. There could have been a bit more depth into the relationship between Gabe and Chani, and I would have loved a few more follow up chapters. That being said, I’ve been a little bummed with a lot of the rom-coms I’ve read lately, and this one was a win for me. The actual cringe moments and the banter were authentic and had me laughing out loud.

Apparently this one is inspired by a real-life interview with Chris Evans. Maybe knowing that going into it will make it even more enjoyable 😜

This was cute, but not one of my fav romances. I liked the MC enough but the romance fell a little flat for me. Enjoyable, but ultimately not super memorable.

I truly enjoyed this modern day romance wrapped around unlikely lovers in a celebrity obsessed culture. The author takes a new twist with the flashback phenomenon by incorporating magazine articles and editorials into the story line. The story itself tackles important topics like impostor syndrome, morality clauses in the workplace, and at it's heart a true love story of the right people at the wrong time. A light fun read that feels like your favorite episode of reality TV.

I will say now the cover to this is incredibly deceiving. It gives off a very light hearted vibe but take heed that it has some heavy topics. It goes between then and now timelines which typically make me crazy but I will say that it kept me intrigued and wanting to read more. Gabe is totally book boyfriend goals, especially after all of his growth within the book. I would defiantly recommend this book for people that like heavier topics and really wonderful character growth.

A wonderful read that immediately captivated me and kept me glued to the book until I read the last word with unforgettable characters and a hot second chance romance. If you enjoy can't put down books, don't miss Funny You Should Ask.

A cute, enjoyable read! I thought the pacing was better in the first half vs the second half, and I found it hard to believe the lasting impact that Chani and Gabe's one night together had on the decade that followed (like, he talked to his mom and sister regularly about Chani, so that they had an instant relationship when she finally visited??) Still, this didn't take away from the story overall.

I loved loved loved this book.

First - it was written in a way that I personally love - jumping between the past and the present. Add to that quick, fast chapters - and I was hooked. The only other thing I would have added was an alternate POV (although we kind of get that at the very end) and this would have checked off all my boxes.

I loved Chani and Gabe's chemistry. I loved the whirlwind initial weekend - and how Gabe tried to recreate it all those years later.

This is the kind of book that you tuck into, curl up your feet, wrap yourself in a cozy blanket and just escape reality. It's fun, it's light, there are moments of raw emotions. Sometimes you want to shake Chani, but she gets there in the end. This reads like the best kind of rom-com.

Elissa Sussman has become a "must read" author for me - and I can't wait for her next book to be published.

Highly recommended - and thank you Netgalley and Dell for providing me with the ARC to be able to read this. (sorry it was such a delayed review - I honestly read this ages ago!).

Great premise. The execution was lacking. This sadly wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Elissa Sussman’s Funny You Should Ask, is a hilarious break out rom com, the witty story of a romance built around the dynamic of celebrity journalism.

Ten years ago, Chani interviewed Hollywood star Gabe, who was . being touted as the next James Bond, and the story she wrote about him then has haunted her career ever since.

Fast forward ten years and Chani is fed up with having her name eternally linked to Gabe’s in a way which belittles her professional expertise. She’s treated as not much better than a fan girl, so when she’s asked to do a follow-up piece, she’s wary on more than one level.

First, she doesn’t want the whole encounter dragged up again, from a career point of view. And second, she doesn’t trust herself to meet up again with the gorgeous hunk she once came close to falling head over heels for.

A lot has changed in ten years though, the power dynamic between them included.

This is a fun read, smart, witty and also sensitive to the conflicting emotions that can surface in a complicated scenario like this one. Sharp observations, witty dialogue, and first class entertainment!

Elissa Sussman can be heard on The Joys of Binge Reading podcast talking about the book and her shining career.
https://thejoysofbingereading.com/elissa-sussman-delicious-romcom/

I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. It seemed rather trite and didn't get really interesting until nearer the end. By that time I was already checked out. Sounded like a promising premise!

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

I've tried to read this novel a few times over the course of different formats (audio and through this E-ARC) and I've had it since long before its release date, but it never has kept my attention. I didn't care about the characters, much of it felt more like boring interactions than anything else. I recognize the author used an old publicity article of Chris Evans as inspiration for this novel but Funny You Should Ask, I could've done without reading this novel.

The premise was interesting, but the execution was not. The present-time chapters felt disengaging and while I appreciated the multi-media/journalist aspect of it, I couldn't buy into the romance of this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read from this author and I look forward to future publications by these publishers.

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman is an engrossing book that looks at two points in time and a relationship that has readers wondering what did/did not happen between journalist Chani Horowitz and actor Gabe Parker. It'a book that is self-aware of the role of celebrity while still letting the force of it hold some magic.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.