Wow I loved this book! Couldn’t put it down! I liked how it flashed back to the past, to see the lives of Chani and Gabe, and how they ended up where they are now. The characters are so relatable and loveable. This is a must read and will leave you heart feeling happy!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this arc.

"It's you" *swoon*

I could not put this book down and I didn't! Look, I'm a sucker for the fantasy of a quirky writer and her celebrity free pass having a fling that may end up being true love. Sure. I expected this book to be fun and sexy but ultimately free of substance. I. Was. Wrong. I got swept up in the story and adored Chani and Gabe, their stories and journeys, and the supporting cast of characters in their lives.

It was a quick read, but only because I really enjoyed it so much that I truly couldn't put it down. When I had finished, I was left with that lovely feeling of having just had a great visit with old friends and find myself missing them now that it's over. Thank you, Elissa Sussman, for this enjoyable book!

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

Chani Horowitz is a well-known celebrity profiler/essayist who rose to popularity after an “infamous” (yet tepid?) profile of Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker, which sparks rumors that something romantic happened between them, but neither has ever revealed the truth.

10 years later, when Gabe’s PR team reaches out to Chani’s editor and asks to recreate the interview, Chani takes the opportunity to see her celeb-crush-turned-real-crush one more time, now that they’re both divorced. You can probably guess what happens next.

The plot is fun — literally who doesn’t want a hot celeb to fall in love with them — even if it isn’t a particularly unique trope, and the book splits its time between past and present so we get a full picture of what exactly happened between Chani and Gabe back then while we’re wondering what’ll happen between them now.

However! Chani is self-aware enough to address the stereotype of female journalists sleeping with their sources, but she’s not self-aware enough to not do it or to alter her behavior. This is such a tired (and frankly, irresponsible) trope. Y’all, journalists don’t sleep with their sources as much as rom-coms say they do because it’s incredibly unprofessional and is therefore a fireable offense!

Chani also won’t take any responsibility for her actions and, 10 years later in her mid-30s, still has a victim complex about the consequences of her own choices. Life isn’t fair, but it is obvious. Sometimes you can see what’s coming from a mile away, and in Chani’s case, the assumption that her career only took off because of speculation that she slept with Gabe is unfortunate but exactly what she expected. Despite being completely in control of the narrative and not once being coerced into making unprofessional decisions, she won’t hold herself accountable, instead blaming Gabe and the world while very much enjoying the mini dose of fame it affords her.

Inevitably there is thankfully some character growth here, but not until you’re well and truly tired. I’m just not sure what the message is here — is Chani the exception, or should journalists just sleep with their sources as long as there’s mutual benefit and they call it “true love”?

One last thing on Chani: Her elitist attitude toward writing never really changed, even though I initially assumed it was set up so that the author could prove her own character wrong. She hates entertainment media, and wants to write dragon fiction (yes), but takes writing too seriously to find value in either of those things. By hating herself and her writing, the lack of self-awareness strikes again and Chani is constantly and inadvertently dunking on anyone writing anything besides literary fiction. Maybe that explains why she only has one friend. For someone who does so much navel-gazing, both in her professional writing and her blog, Chani lacks an incredible amount of self-awareness.

Overall, I was still entertained. Funny You Should Ask delivers what it promises — a cute romance that’s fun for readers, as long as you don’t ask too many questions. A rom-com’s “faults” are part of the experience: eye-rolling, pulling your hair out, wanting to scream at the characters to get their shit together, screaming “finally” when they do.

Sometimes you love to hate a character or a book, and while I think this one will be popular and well-received overall, it was equal parts frustrating and amusing for me.

Chani Horowitz is a writer who is having a career crisis. She has made her living doing celebrity profiles and has done well. But she wants more. She wants to write something different. But the reason she's done well? Gabe Parker. And she's been running away from him ever since. .They met years ago and Chani conducted a 3 day interview that would have a ripple effect throughout her life and career. The question that has loomed over everything: Did they have sex? Now, as she is floundering both personally and professionally, Gabe Parker is back in her life and she has no idea what to do about it.

This book is told in a then/now format, with articles from the current and past period interspersed between each then/now chapter.. I liked the format, since I am an avid consumer of celebrity gossip. It was an easy read and enjoyable. However, I felt like it took a really long time to get to the saucy bits of the story, there was just too much delving into the inner turmoil of Chani and her should she, shouldn't she narrative of giving in to her heart. I would also have liked for more exploration into what happens after their connection. The spice was great though! Quick, fun beach read.

Elissa Sussman has fully converted me into a lover of contemporary romance books. Lovers of Hollywood and writers will have a great time with these characters. Each new development in this second chance love story made my heart happy. Besides ordering one for the library, I cannot wait for this to come out so I can pick up a physical copy for myself.

Can I give this book all the stars? Holy. Crap. I loved this book so much. The characters are so relatable and lovable. I could have easily read this book in one sitting but I made myself spread it out over a few days to make it last.

I have been delving into different romance tropes over the last several months, and this is my first famous/non-famous person experience. Funny You Should Ask was a great first introduction and did not have some of the overplayed or outdone tropes overly involved.

Elissa Sussman expertly weaves the past and present together while also including excerpts from exposes and news pieces from the different time periods to give the public perception of that occurring in each time period.

A young journalist is recruited to write a profile of the actor who is cast to play the next James Bond. He's her celebrity crush, and she's more than happy to take the role. The piece goes viral and there's ongoing belief that something happened between the two during the interview, which both deny for years to come. Ten years goes by, during which each has quite a bit happen to them, including that actor's fall from grace after his drinking started to interfere with his work. Now, the two reunite for the journalist to write a follow-up profile on the actor. she can write a follow-up profile on the actor.

This book touches on the familiar stereotype that women sleep their way to the top, addiction, success, and many other things.

It's a slow burn romance that kept me engaged throughout, and I'm excited I had a chance to read this. I would definitely recommend it.

Entertainment journalist Chani interviews Hollywood upcomer hunk Gabe. He's controversially set to be the next James Bond and needs good press. After spending a flirty weekend together, Chani writes the article that makes her career. Was her chemistry with Gabe all in her head? And can she ever break into writing more than just entertainment interview pieces? This is set in alternating timelines of the interview weekend and ten years later when they reunite for another interview.

This book was fluffy and cute and just plain enjoyable. Sometimes you just need a mortal/celebrity romance, and this fits the bill. I liked both the characters and their personalities and ambitions, and the alternating timeline really worked for me. This romance is for fans of Jasmine Guillory or Rachel Lynn Solomon. It has a little steam but is not too much, which I really appreciated.

Celebrity gossip is my favorite guilty pleasure.. So the whole journalist sleeping with a celebrity to get a story is one I'm behind. The celebrity/non celebrity trope is one of my favorites.

I really liked the "10 years later" part of this book and the past/current was a good way to move the story forward. This was a great quick read. .

This second-chance romance has everything I want in a fun romance novel: I laughed out loud, and I was rooting for the main characters individually and as a couple.


Reporter, blogger, and author Chani Horowitz and movie star Gabe Parker reunite ten years after she wrote an iconic profile of him. The profile shifted the trajectory of their careers and left people speculating on how up-close and personal Chani and Gabe became in their time together.

FYSA alternates between recounting Gabe and Chani’s initial meeting and their reunion. Interspersed are blogs and articles—these sometimes became redundant, but they give readers a sense of the buzz around Gabe and Chani and a sample of Chani’s writing—I liked them!

I enjoyed Chani and Gabe’s banter and how Chani’s narration: she comes across as part fan-girl, part ambitious professional, and part infatuated woman.

I had to suspend disbelief regarding the book’s premise. Would a hot, eligible actor spend a decade pining for a woman with whom he spent a couple of days? (Call me a cynic, but I doubt it.) Nevertheless, suspending disbelief is part of the fantasy and the fun! 

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the e-ARC to read and review!

This was such a delightful read. I love famous/non-famous romance, and I love the way this book really took the time to unpack the relationship between Chani and Gabe and its implications, both when they're younger and older, the ways that the power shifts, and the ways that fame can be terrible and also incredible.

As a huge fan of The Philadelphia Story, I loved how it was invoked and somewhat updated in the novel itself, though of course the characters are transformed and modernized. Chani's rant about the dated plotlines was an absolute delight, and I deeply regret that I cannot watch the in-novel update of the film.

I found the structural choices really interesting, and a double-edged sword for this novel. On the one hand, seeing the past and future versions gives Sussman the opportunity to explore the growth of the characters. On the other hand, already knowing that certain things happen undermines a lot of the tension (and contributes to a dearth of chemistry between Chani and Gabe in the novel -- although at times Chani will comment on that tension, I never really felt it, even though they clearly liked each other so much that I was rooting for them anyway). I also felt like it led to some choices, like Chai's choice of husband, feeling both baffling and underexplained.

I absolutely loved the tough conversations between Gabe and Chani, and the way they don't let each other off the hook. This makes their romance feel so much deeper. And yet I still found myself wishing there were a few more moments of sweetness and connection to really build them up more.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this novel and had a hard time putting it down. I think it will be a great beach read!

Funny You Should Ask
by Elissa Sussman
Pub Date: 12 Apr 2022
4.5/5

Let me tell you what I think is the one bad thing about this book: the cover. Red and pink together makes me cringe. I kept putting this book aside due to that crazy prejudice. Jokes on me, the only person I was hurting was myself. Apparently, my new favorite romance trope is the celebrity/writer one.

I loved this book. Chani and Gabe and their awkward meetups and missed opportunities, the interspersed magazine articles and blog posts, I loved it all.

So much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love a book that jumps between past and present to reveal the backstory of a relationship and this book succeeded in doing just that. The relationship between journalist Chani and movie star Gabe is unexpected, but through the course of the flashbacks and newspaper clippings, you can really grasp the underlying chemistry and connection. I was drawn in by the cover and premise, but really enjoyed the story and will definitely recommend to friends.

I loved this book so much! The romance buildup, the celeb storyline, the characters’ own personal stories - loved it all and am sad the story ended! Chani and Gabe are so likeable and their chemistry is palpable throughout the entire story. I found myself rooting for them early on and although the celeb/normal person romance is typically a reach, Elissa (the author) writes it in such a way that makes it feel believable and genuine. I hope to read more of her stories!!

This was fun! Super quick and breezy read. Stussman's writing reminded me of Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was a glossy, glamorous, page turner!

I was very surprised by this book. For some reason, it reminded me a lot of Daisy Jones and the Six, which it is not and nor was it trying to be. But that is how I reacted to it.

I enjoyed the story and the characters. Sure, some elements are a bit far fetched, but all in all, the two mains were highly likeable. I appreciated that Chani's husband was and continued to be a jerk, but I did find it hard to believe that such a strong character would marry someone who was so dislikable. But I guess that's the reality of relationships: sometimes you end up with someone not because they are the best person for you.

The interwoven articles and blog posts were fun to read and did a good job of setting up the transition between now and then. And I loved Chani's friend in the now, because she was just a generally likeable person.

The writing is solid. The character development is good. And the plot, while not unique, still has enough difference from similar novels to catch your attention and keep you rooting for the characters to figure their stuff out.

I honestly can't remember when I've enjoyed a book more than this one. It's achingly personal, and the characters are beautifully flawed while still being lovable.

It started out a bit awkward for me for a few pages, but I think I may have been sleepy. Once I realized what the author was doing by skipping back and forth through the story timeline and interspersing those sections with articles written by the FMC or other journalists, it was smooth sailing. But when you read it, you need to pay attention.

The book covers a 10-year timespan, and that's often a tricky undertaking. In this case, the back and forth through time served to build suspense and questions. It was extremely well done, but I wonder if it will sit right with all readers. I hope everyone appreciates it and loves it as much as I did. I plan to reread it.

I absolutely adored the sections that recreated reviews of the FMC's articles and books. As an author, I related strongly to the tone and the growing nastiness of the reviews depending on where they were left. It cracked me up and frankly made me feel better about my own body of work. Everyone loves praise, but the harsh reality is that if you publish something, someone somewhere will hate it and let you know in no uncertain terms, often attacking you personally.

The same is true for any creative endeavor, and the two main characters have to deal with this throughout the book. Sometimes they're better at it than others. The scrutiny of the public is a necessary evil for success but comments can often be painful as well as misguided. The author did a magnificent job making this point.

All in all, this was a delightful read from a newish author. I wish her great success and hope to see more from her soon.

Thank you for the opportunity to review the book.

This might be the first romance book that I have loved, not just really liked. A love at first sight story with two characters who can't give up on each other and yet won't give in to their feelings in case it all goes wrong. This is the latest book I'll be pushing into friends' hands.

I just LOVED this book! I added it to my NetGalley requests after seeing some chatter about it on Instagram from authors that I follow, and am so glad that I took the bait. It's not often that I have the time or stamina to devour a book in 24-48 hours, but that's exactly what happened with Funny You Should Ask. The Then/Now timeline, interspersed with

Chani Horowitz (took some Googling to get the correct pronunciation of her name) is a 26-year-old struggling journalist commissioned to write a profile of the American actor, Gabe Parker, who is cast to play the next James Bond. The interview turns into a whirlwind 72 hour weekend - the result of which is a deeply personal article about Gabe (which is slowly revealed in pieces throughout the novel) that goes viral, leading the public to wonder what really happened that weekend between the two. Ten years later, they reunite for a follow-up article, which comes together in the wake of Gabe's divorce, double stint at rehab, and a public altercation with a director, which have left him shunned from Hollywood. Chani hesitates to write the article, unsure if she is ready to face the feelings from years ago that inevitably come flooding back when she reconnects with Gabe.

The then-now timeline, interspersed with snippets from magazine article, blog posts, and gossip websites, reveal the building chemistry between Chani and Gabe and lead to their slow burn romance. I loved the characters and the writing style drew me in immediately. Definitely add this book to your summer reading list!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine!

Ten years after writing her viral profile on movie star Gabe Parker, Chani Horowitz is asked by his PR team to reunite and interview him for an updated piece. Still harboring the secrets from that weekend a decade ago, Chani is hesitant but ready to set the record straight. Chani and Gabe are both divorced now and working through past mistakes. Chani hopes that this new piece will help to further her stale career.

This book is so unique in that not only does the author include both past and present sections, but she adds articles/blog posts throughout to add depth to the storyline. The plot moves seamlessly back and forth between “that weekend” ten years ago and the present. Elissa Sussman does an excellent job with showing the growth of both main characters (Chani and Gabe) along with Ollie. While Ollie is technically a side character, his story is so important and a topic that is sadly overlooked.

This is the first book that I have read from author Elissa Sussman but look forward to reading more of her works in the future.