This was really cute. I loved the back and forth time periods in the way that Sussman told this story - as a reader, you get to learn about Chani's past with Gabe alongside her present situation with him. Telling the story in this way definitely added to the suspense and build-up of the whole thing. This book had been really built up in my mind, I had been seeing it everywhere for months, so it fell just a tiny bit flat for me based on high expectations but I still really enjoyed it. I didn't love the way Sussman wrote the sex scenes so it was kind of hard to believe their chemistry/connection. But I liked Chani a LOT as a main character and I had fun reading about these two people as they found their way together. I'm not too sure I'd read more from this author but I did enjoy this book.

I really, really enjoyed reading this! At first, I thought Funny You Should Ask was going to about one woman being obsessed with this celebrity and how the article she wrote on him and their weekend together is her fifteen minutes of fame that she keeps going back to, but this book is not like that at all. Yes, Chani Horowitz wrote an article about famous actor Gabe Parker ten years ago and something may have kind of almost happened that weekend between them and yes it helped jumpstart her career, but this novel has so many layers and the romance is so charming and real and nuanced.

I loved that Funny You Should Ask goes back and forth between Then and Now. You start to see why Chani and Gabe had such a memorable weekend and how their feeling for each other has echoes even ten years later when they meet up again. It's not just a writer interviewing a celebrity; it's two likeminded, emotional, caring people finding something in each other that they haven't found anywhere else.

The romance is a slowburn and it builds so wonderfully and deliciously. You really get to know Chani and Gabe, and what their lives are like as a writer who wants more and an actor who feels trapped, and what has lead them to do both the first and second interviews.

Definitely a worthwhile romance if you love the regular person/celebrity trope!

I absolutely devoured this story! I started reading and before I knew it I’m wanting more!

This is a romance story that gave me the awkwardness of meeting a long time crush in person and also shared some great moments that made you think about life. I found Chani & Gabe to be written in a way that they were relatable and I couldn’t help but smile my way through the story.

The story is written in a very unique way alternating between two weeks, 10 years apart. The then and now formatting in books is one of my favorites as it makes the story easy to follow but more engaging and less predictable than most.It brings humor, slow burn romance and puppies!

This book was fun and (for the most part) light hearted. I enjoyed the feminist takes including *SPOILER ALERT* when Gabe changed his last name to include Chani’s at the end of the book. I wished that the feminism was more interweaved but also understand that this could make things heavier with a romance novel. I thought the writing style was great but got confused about the organization sometimes. I liked the articles posted throughout (it gave the novel a diversity of voices and viewpoints) but some of the articles from the past were placed in “Now” sections and that got me confused sometimes. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book as a piece of entertainment.

review: funny you should ask by elissa sussman

rating: 3.9/5
pub date: April 12
worth the read?: absolutely!!!
tropes: insta-love, Hollywood glamor, writer, movie star

oh, you’re looking for a new book to read? well, funny you should ask… sorry I had to.

I’m a sucker for a movie star romance book, but the good ones are a dime a dozen. finding one is like winning an Oscar. well, folks, I’d like to thank the academy because I have WON.

Funny You Should Ask has everything a good romance needs:
1. strong female lead
2. substantive message (lots about the MeToo movement in Hollywood, which was really well done and the message was perfectly weaved into the character and plot)
3. hot male lead (who also has a personality lol)
4. a dog!!!
5. some 🌶

usually I dislike when books have little interludes of magazine articles/tabloids but I LOVED the bits in FYSA. For the first time I felt like they added to the story and I looked forward to reading them! If I had one critique it would just be that I felt the characters lacked a little backstory.

highly recommend for something quick, cute and fun! thank you to NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review! #funnyyoushouldask #netgalley #review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I tried to savor this book. For the first half, I succeeded…then I stayed up way too late to devour the second half. There is something I can’t put my finger on about Chani and her story that resonates with me (besides being the same age and Jewish) and it gave me all the feels. The story and it’s structure keeps you guessing about what really happened until late in the story, which I loved. Also, 😍Gabe😍. Basically, I loved this book.

This was a quick read and a cute premise.

Chani and Gabe were both endearing characters. I liked their early interactions. The thing I loved most, was the way Gabe supported Chani’s writing, reading everything and encouraging her. And I loved Ollie. Ollie is a gem.

The story switches between ‘now’ and ‘then’ (10 years previous). I struggled to connect with the romance of the book. It was a bit too abrupt for me to really get into it and be rooting for them. There just didn’t seem to be enough of a connection formed between MCs in the ‘then’ for the romance of reuniting 10 years later to make sense for me. I kept waiting for one of the flashbacks to show something that would account for the way they’d pined for each other separately. For. Ten. Years.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Chani is a writer who gets the opportunity to interview her celebrity crush Gabe and this story takes place the weekend she interviews him and a decade later when they come together again to do another interview. What a great story. The past was mixed with the present and we can see how the first interview had such an impact on both their lives. Four and a half stars!

Once I understood the flow of the book, I was hooked. I read this in one day and it was a delight. I adore second chance romances.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

First off the art-pop style cover in shades of red and bubblegum pink is stunning and eye catching.

This book focuses on Chani Horowitz, a journalist and Gabe Parker (her Hollywood heartthrob crush), an actor with the POV switching between past and present.

A piece Chani did on Gabe early in her career was the catalyst for her success and she’s once again interviewing him ten years later. However, things got a little complicated the first time they met making this second meeting awkward to start. Both Gabe and Chani are divorced and the book slowly reveals what actually happened during their first meeting and where it went wrong and if it can go right this time.

Between every chapter there are newspaper and magazine articles. I really like this premise and most of the articles and insight they provide but some felt like they were in a random order and others were just unnecessary. I also felt some points were really hammered home (repetitive).

Overall this was a cute, enjoyable read! I had a good time with this story, 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for an E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I. Loved. It. That is, after I got used to the formatting. One chapter will be written like an article, then the next is the actual events the article described... so a good part of this book feels a lot like rehash. It totally works with the narration and feels authentic.

This is probably the first romance that made me cry. <spoiler>As the caretaker for a senior pup, measuring the passage of time with a dog was gutwrenching and so effective, it gets an extra star based on that alone.</spoiler> I only wish I felt the love between these two characters as deeply.

Supporting cast is plausible but not under developed or burdensome. I wanted more of this story when I finished it but honestly there was not any more to tell. Very nicely packaged plot.

Recently named @buzzfeedbooks 49 books coming out this spring you won’t put down - Trust me you won’t want this love story to end. I absolutely adored the 10-year journey that Chani and Gabe make to be completely and utterly in love.

Sussman has masterfully created a story that draws the reader into the the character development, the premise and the second-chance romance. It’s truly easy to fall in love with both of them. The years apart were not kind to either but what can be forgiven can bring joy on levels neither has experienced.

I literally can’t count on my hands the number of times I have re-read the ending. I am NOT prepared to leave this story or its characters quite yet.

Thank you @randomhouse for the complimentary copy of the e-book.

Funny You Should Ask is the story of Chani Horowitz, a relatively young journalist tapped to interview actor Gabe Parker, cast to play the next James Bond. After her piece goes viral, her career takes off, but people have a lot of thoughts and feelings about what really happened that weekend. Fast forward ten years and Chani is divorced and once again living in LA. Chani is requested to reunite with Gabe for another interview. The reunion brings to light what happened in the preceding decade.

Funny You Should Ask grabbed me right from the beginning and didn’t let me go until I turned the last page. It piqued my curiosity as to what really happened the weekend of the first interview and what it means a decade later. The book includes a clever marriage of Chani’s POV, mixed with her writing, as well as articles from other celebrity outlets. It’s such a clever way to mix different perspectives.

I highly recommend this unique, heartwarming read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley & Random House and am leaving an honest review.

Funny You Should Ask is told in alternating timelines, 10 years ago and the present. Chani is a reporter who is given the opportunity to interview one of the hottest actors at the moment, Gabe Parker, the newest Bond.
Her interview turns into a weekend in which things happen that are slowly revealed throughout the story. There are excerpts/news articles sprinkled throughout the story that give a little insight to what going on.
10 years later, Chani is again asked to interview Gabe, but what is the purpose of this meeting?

I adored this. I want to read it again immediately. I’m a sucker for the “instant connection but bad timing” trope, and this one did it so artfully and with so much emotional gut punching. There are some real relatable moments that will make this one hit close to home for a lot of people, even though the characters are very famous people who have not-so-relatable struggles at times (and the ever-cliché actor who has everything but is depressed anyway and an alcoholic trope). The way it feels when you realize your partner actually thinks your livelihood is trivial and doesn’t respect you. The way it feels when that person you’ve been trying to repress your feelings for for years calls you drunk and splits the wound wide open only to ignore you again for years because they don’t have their shit together yet. The way we all hope for that happy ending and it’s so satisfying to believe we can have it. Sigh. Love it.

I absolutely loved this book! I most often love reading stories about writers, and this one was no exception. A young writer trying to make it lands an interview with an actor who's just in the process of making it big, and the interview that's published [a multi-part story spanning the weekend they spent together bopping around LA] launches her career and certainly helps his as well. Ten years later, they sit down for a follow-up, both of them pretty battered and weary from the past decade.
I loved almost all of the characters in this. Chani was great but felt a little out-of-reach at times [something about her backstory and the supporting characters around her felt a bit flat], but Gabe was wonderful and very endearing and I found myself just absolutely rooting for him in several aspects throughout the book. Through the story, there's a reliance on that trope that truly drives me up a wall, where miscommunication [and here we see a good amount of running away] is used as a tool to further major plot and character development. Not a fan of it anywhere, including this book, but the gems that are still in it regardless make this a robust 4 stars. I can't wait until this comes out and I can read again. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy to tear through in exchange for an honest review. Add this to your lists!

Such a delightful novel! I haven’t read too many rom coms so far this year and so I was very pleased this one hit the spot. It was exactly what I was in the mood to read!

Chani, an aspiring journalist, lands a huge gig interviewing one of Hollywood’s biggest heartthrobs. The interview evolves into a weekend soirée. It is this very interview that makes her career and the one that makes the public fall even more in love with Gabe; especially after the controversy over casting him as the new James Bond. As the reader we are piecing together what happened over that weekend and what was actually only half truth in what was published in that interview. It is also a dual timeline story that also takes place 10 years later. Gabe and Chani reunite over yet another interview and both are coming to terms with drastic career changes, personal struggles, and failed relationships.

I thought both characters were likable. I don’t typically gravitate towards celebrity novels but this one worked. Gabe’s precarious career, addiction, and search for happiness made him interesting. I loved that Chani has a quirky side to her and is on a journey of discovering her self-worth. Reading this book just felt effortless. I thought it was also so neat that blog posts and articles are featured throughout the book. It was such a clever way for the reader to get up to speed on what happened over the past decade and also get a better backstory.

Overall, such a clever and cute story! Definitely one to add to the list if you are looking for a feel good ro

I loved this book! I was so excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley because this had been on my radar for some time. It checked a lot of my contemporary romance boxes (famous people dating non-famous people, timeline jumps). If you're a fan of Kerry Winfrey and Christina Lauren books, I think you'll love this one!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!* Review also posted on my GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4464360654

6 STARS! SQUEE!

A treasure. A gem. A peach. A bright, shiny star. Just a few words to describe this book.

Everyone that knows me knows Beach Read is my favorite book. That feeling when I first read it—I haven’t been able to replicate it. But this book right here…okay, so I got those sweet, sweet feelings again. Do you ever wish you could read a book for the first time over and over and over again? Yeah, that’s me with this one. I want to read it every day for the first time. I will buy the Kindle version and the physical book when it comes out and read both of them repeatedly. I will highlight everything and mark up all the pages.

I honestly don’t know how to accurately sing the praises of this book & author. I devoured this. I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I cringed, I sighed. My heart broke, and then magically got put back together. This was so intimate and lovely. Apparently I’ve been really into celebrity romances lately, and this one hit the spot. Usually back-and-forth timelines/narratives in books bother me, but this one really, really worked. It’s interspersed with article snippets. We switch back and forth between the past, *the article*, and the present. There was a ton of jumping around but it really, really worked. Beautifully executed. It built suspense and made my stomach hurt (a lot). I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!! I WANTED TO READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE CHANI WROTE! It was so worth it in the end. And, my god there is grovel—GROVEL, PEOPLE. We love good grovel. The story spans 10 years, so I feel like I really knew these people. I love Chani. I LOVE HER. She’s amazing. I love her big eyes and her smart mouth. And of course I love Gabe. Sweet, sweet Gabe…he had a hard time. *TW* Addiction is never easy. He owned up to his mistakes. The author’s take on the heavy subject matter was delicately handled—and exceptionally well at that.

So, basically, I love this book. Elissa needs to write another one ASAP. This book is going to be my whole personality for the next year or so (sorry y’all). I could go on and on, but honestly my emotions are a mess over this one, so I just need to stop. Highly recommend if you're looking for a book to fall in love with from start to finish.
*
*
*
*
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #reading #booktok
#readersofinstagram #bookaddict #romancereader #bookish #goodreads
#readmoreromance #bookcommunity #contemporaryromance #arc #advancedreadercopy
#netgalley #elissasussman #funnyyoushouldask #celebrityromance #justfinished #6stars
#slowburn #rereadforsure #alltimefavoritereads #thisbookismynewpersonality
#outsoon

Chani is a journalist who ten years ago, had her career made when she sat down for an in depth interview with then up and coming heartthrob (and next James Bond) Gabe Parker. Chani and Gabe end up spending the whole weekend together and her subsequent article launches her career and helps Gabe win over the public (who don’t think he should have been cast as Bond). Over the course of the decade that follows, the two speak rarely, but think of each other often. Now, ten years after their first meeting, the two are being asked to come back together for a sort of anniversary article. Both of their careers have taken twists and turns, as well as their personal lives, and both have their own reasons for wanting to do the piece, and also resisting the idea. It becomes clear when they meet up again that there are lots of unresolved *feelings* they must sort out as they hash out the past and discover what might be possible in the future. And this is a romance, so they get their ish together in time to make it all work out!

Okay. So this book is brilliant. Literally one of those that by the time I got to the end of the first chapter, I was completely hooked. The book is told in dual timelines, which I sometimes have trouble with because I can never remember which time we’re actually in, but the way Elissa merges the two stories is totally seamless and yet the past and present stories are each totally distinct. One of my favorite things about the book is that in the present day, Chani and Gabe are both older (like late thirties, he might even be forty gasp!) which is just something we don’t see enough of in romance. But mostly what I loved about this book is how I just completely lost myself in their world. You know I am here for Hollywood romances, and this one just felt so real. Like the gritty, not so glamorous side of Hollywood that we don’t often see. The LA vibes are captured here so perfectly (if you’re a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s LA set books, you’ll love this one). The voice, the characters, the setting, the way the story unfolds, it was all perfect and I didn’t want it to end! I cannot wait to read this one again (and again and again).