Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! I loved this novel so much.

First of all, Gabe Parker is about to be everyone's newest book crush. I also loved Chani. She was so relatable, and I couldn't help but imagine Chris Evans and Jenny Slate while reading this.

Funny You Should Ask is a novel about a writer (Chani) who gets an exclusive interview with an up and coming actor (Gabe Parker). This novel moves from the weekend they spent together to present day. What happened the weekend they met? What has happened over the last 10 years? Told with a now/then perspective and also news articles and blogs, this book had CHEMISTRY!!.

Totally loved and will be my number one rec for people wanting a swoon worthy and entertaining beach read this summer.

Thanks again!

I read this book in one sitting and I want to read it again - it’s that good!! It’s the story of a reporter in her 20s who writes a profile about an actor that goes viral. Now it’s 10 years later and they’ve both lived their lives, and their respective PR teams want them to come together to recreate the magic of that first interview. And it IS magic. So much smoldering chemistry 😍. Read. This. Book.

It had been a decade since fledgling writer, Chani Horowitz, had the opportunity to interview rising Hollywood heartthrob, Gabe Parker. The interview chronicling their weekend together went viral, and left everyone, including Chani, with questions about what really happened between her and Gabe that weekend.

My review in two words: LOVED IT! I anticipated enjoying this book because I love characters with some history, but I did not expect to be so captivated by this tale. It hit all the right notes for me. The humor, the commentary, the emotion – all perfection for me. You know, I didn’t just read this book, I devoured it. That’s how good it was for me.

The story was laid out brilliantly. It flipped from past to present in such a way that I was chomping at the bit to learn more. But, Sussman upped the game by intertwining “then” and “now” with articles and blog posts that set each chapter up beautifully.

As I delved into their past, I wanted Chani and Gabe to get their Hollywood ending, but I found I wanted it even more for them ten years later. This was a reunion rife with yearning and a push-and-pull that begged for an HEA for these two. I will admit, that “then” Gabe was a fun and charming guy, but world-weary and lesson-learned “now” Gabe was a keeper.

Funny You Should Ask was a huge hit for me. It was fun and funny with touches of heartbreak, here and there. I adored Chani, Gabe, Oliver, and Teddy, and was fully invested in their futures. This was such a great take on the celebrity-commoner trope, and I look forward to reading more from Sussman.

Journalist Chani Horowitz is given the chance of a lifetime, an interview with Hollywood’s heartthrob, Gabe Parker. And he’s her biggest celebrity crush (I’m talking shirtless screensaver kinda crush😬). She writes a piece that launches her career, but everyone wants to know what REALLY happened during their interview. Fast forward 10 years later, Chani does another interview with Gabe but this time she wants closure.

I absolutely loved Chani’s character, she’s someone I could see myself chatting with for hours. And Gabe gives off a mysterious gentleness that captivates your attention and keep you wanting to know more about him.

The setting spans 3 days switching between the characters past and current interviews. It’s cheesy, and a little cliche but I don’t care I still enjoyed it 😅

It reminded me of Daisy Jones and The Six. So if you liked that one, I highly recommend this one!

Ya know what is really great? When you select a book on NetGalley purely based on the pretty cover…I mean pink and red?! I’m a sucker always. Then you get approved…YAY! THEN YOU LOVE THE BOOK. I mean…Bookstagram dreams come true!

I truly had no clue what this book was about when I requested it. I just loved the cover. It’s so pretty!
Bonus…the book was just as good as the cover…praise be!

This book followed the decade-long love lost romance of Chani and Gabe. Chani is a struggling writer given the opportunity of a lifetime to interview Gabe…Hollywood’s hottest heartthrob and newest James Bond. It was supposed to be a lunch-time interview and three days later, Chani goes home to write her article, change her life and lose all connection to Gabe for another 10 years.

The story is told in a combination of Then/Now, old interviews, blog posts and THE article. I liked this, but also really struggled at times in keeping track of what time frame we were in. I think if this stuck to just the Then/Now and the article, it would have been easier to follow. The countless magazine clips/reviews/blogs, etc. became a bit tedious to me, but that is the only strike for this book. I loved it. I loved their romance. Their bickering. Their connection.

Ollie was an unsung hero in this book as well and don’t even get me started on Teddy the dog…OMG LOVED HER!

This one is out April 12 and is a good one that I’ve seen nothing about on Booksta…so ya know, be a trend setter and pick it up on Pub day!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine, Dell for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

wow wow wow wow. This book actually have been my fave so far that I’ve read this year. I loved how the chapters went from the last to the present and made everything make sense. THE FILLERS IN BETWEEN THEM WERE ALSO SO CREATIVE I LOVED THEM. Chani and Gabe have such a special place in my heart now and I have never wanted to be a main character in a book so badly. 1000/10 would very much indeed recommend to everyone once it comes out

I really enjoyed this book overall. The first half was a 4 star for me but ultimately end up feeling very underwhelmed and like everything was very repetitive. I thought the storyline was fantastic but like 10 years of miscommunication when one phone call could have cleared it up just killed me. Also, I mean I do love a we met once and just knew moment but like they barely knew each other.

Again, I just really wanted more but I really really did enjoy it. The writing was great and it gripped me from the beginning!

Funny You Should Ask was one of those books you can’t help but compulsively read and then end up falling in love with. I really enjoyed Chani and Gabe’s story and trying to find out the will they, won’t they, did they parts of their journey. Cleverly structured, this book had me intrigued from the start. I also really enjoyed the glimpse into Hollywood’s inner workings as well as the running theme of what it takes in life to feel like you’re truly at home. My bet - this will be made into a movie in no time flat!

Thank you to Random House for an e-ARC of this book. I think I'm rendered a bit speechless with how much I adored this story. I'll start with the fact that I loved the Jewish representation in the main character Chani Horwitz. She mentioned it several times throughout the book and I liked that aspect. The journalism!! I loved that Chani was a journalist and seeing the article snippets over the years was delightful. The dueling timelines were done brilliantly and it was amazing to see Chani and Gave grow as the book went on. This story also felt heart wrenching and so raw and realm. These two characters we're flawed and their love story was told in many years. Self worth was also a big theme, in the way of not feeling like you're enough and Sussman poignantly brought these characters to life. The book was truly exceptional and I really saw myself as I writer in these pages.

Thank you to @NetGalley for the arc of this book for my honest review. I fell in love with this story immediately and it was a great debut novel for the author, Elissa Sussman.

Chani Horowitz is such a relatable character, I mean who wouldn't' swoon and forget how to interview someone who has been their celebrity crush for as longs you can remember. I loved the dynamic between Chani and Gabe. THE Gabe Parker, who is both adorable AND sexy and the newest James Bond to hit the Hollywood screens. I loved how the story jumped between the timelines of then (original interview and amazing weekend together for said interview) and now. You can just tell that there was something bubbling under the surface of the relationship, and to see it play out again 10 years after their original meet is intoxicating.

4/5 stars for this delightful debut novel.

Rounded up from 3.75 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC. There are things I loved (including the last chapter). There are things I’m not quite sure worked. Maybe it’s because insta-love isn’t a trope I tend to vibe with? I want to be fair and say that I think a lot of the reason I don’t love this is because I recently read How to Fake it in Hollywood, which follows some very similar themes, but, imo, does it better. I still think LOTS of readers will enjoy this.

I feel like this book was meant for me. I know that sounds weird, but let me explain. Funny You Should Ask follows writer Chani Horowitz and actor Gabe Parker in a second-chance romance that warms the heart and put a smile on my face. This book is set in two different timelines, starting with Chani being hired to write a profile on Gabe as he prepares to star as the new James Bond. Their interview turned into a three-day adventure with a lot of sexual tension and chemistry. Chani releases her article, and they part ways.

Ten years later, Chani is hired to write a second profile on Gabe after his time in rehab, his divorce, Chani’s divorce and a lot of other events have separated this two main characters. It seemed everything tried to keep these two apart over the years, until their lives finally match up at just the right now.

I thought this story was beautifully written with alternating timelines, along with pieces of articles and reviews that help tell the story of Chani overcoming her toxic ex, Gabe’s addiction and them finding their way back to each other. It’s such a rollercoaster as you follow these two characters and the push and pull of their relationship – from the chemistry of their initial meeting and the very real emotions they have to deal with when they’re older and wiser.

The story is told from Chani’s perspective, but I think the author did a great job portraying Gabe’s feelings and thoughts and it was something I really loved. Gabe is such an interesting character to learn about and how the article Chani wrote both positively and negatively affected his life. I loved Gabe’s family, his hometown and everything to do with his storyline. These characters fought through their own issues – from addiction to gaslighting to feelings of not being worthy – to eventually find their way back to each other. The journey to get to the end was absolutely worth it.

I feel like this book is meant for me because I can relate a lot to Chani. I am also a journalist and I can see a lot of myself in Chani. I deal with the same feelings of self worth and inadequacy as a writer, so her character really stood out to me. I love reading stories about writers!

Funny You Should Ask is released Tuesday, April 12! I highly recommend checking it out

2.5 stars. I had a hard time getting through this. It kept putting me to sleep. A large part of the plot hinges on an alleged stereotype of female journalists sleeping with celebrities to get a story. If that’s a stereotype, it’s the first I’ve heard of it. I think of writers and journalists as more likely to be brainy and nerdy (in a good way, since I like smart, literate people) than vixens using their wiles to get a scoop. The protagonist is so defensive that even though I agreed with much of her world view, I didn’t like her.

The plot is that 10 years ago, Chani gets an interview with the actor Gabe Parker and ends up going to a movie premier with him, meaning more time than just some questions over lunch or a cup of coffee. The subsequent profile she writes launches her career, and he does well for a while until his addiction to alcohol causes him to stumble. In these 10 years, they’ve both had less than successful marriages. When they’re reunited a second time, the lust everyone assumes they acted on a decade earlier has an opportunity to bloom.

I got an advance copy of this from NetGalley. It RELEASES APRIL 12, 2022.

this was the best insta-love book i’ve ever read. the way the book was set up was super interesting. before each chapter was an article and it switches back and forth between different point in time. it also had second chance romance elements even though I don’t know if I would call it a true romance. it was a slow burn that felt almost like womens fiction but i love a slow burn more than anything. loved the celebrity/reporter aspects.

I don't know where to begin. I guess I'll start with the end I loved this book. The writing, the humor, the emotions, the growth, the then and now. This is a wonderful book. At first I wasn't sure i would like the flipping between then and now and the collection of movie reviews, and excerpts from articles but it all works. This is a beautifully told story of love, change, growth, fear and moving on? This book packs a lot in which makes sense given it theoretically covers 10 years of two people's lives within its pages. If you like romance novels, if you like humor, if you like reading about people who are insecure and unsure of themselves, who make bad decisions,and good decisions and are just human? This is a great book to read. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and absorbing read! The writing was excellent and the premise very unique. I found the characters incredibly lovable and the storytelling structure compelling. Perhaps best of all is the banter, which contributes to the characters’ crazy good chemistry!

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing 3.5/5

I think this book may have suffered a bit from me reading another fantastic Hollywood romance recently. Funny You Should Ask is good, even great in places, but it didn’t quite live up to the super high expectations set by How To Fake It In Hollywood.

The plot is great. Well-paced, revealing new things at just the right time to feel surprising but rooted in the story and characters. I love the dual timelines and the way it captures the passage of time and the characters’ growth. I absolutely flew through this book wanting to know how it all works out. The ending was a little bit shorter than I would have liked, but it was satisfying, no real complaints there.

The characters and the prose are a bit weaker, and I think those are often connected. The characters may have felt more fleshed out if there was a bit more showing and less telling. I wanted to have empathy for them, and I did for the most part, but I probably would have gotten there faster if they’d been better developed. They’re like-able, they just could have been…more. I feel the same way about the secondary characters. I liked them, but sometimes they veered a little bit too close to stereotypical (the insecure ex, the gay BFF).

Beyond the characters, the writing is fine. Again, I’m terms of moving the plot along, it’s so well done. But when it gets into setting a scene, it’s the little things that just take you out of the moment. A character being described as moving in a way that seems a bit awkward or hard to imagine. I don’t know if it’s just the writer’s style, but sometimes it felt like repetition was used for emphasis too much, where I would have preferred more detail.

Overall this was a fun book, I’d recommend it, but it’s not my absolute favorite.

Chanti has the opportunity of a lifetime: to interview THE Gabe Parker, hot movie star who will become the next Bond. Written in a Then and Now form (which is one of my favorites) we get to hear the events of a whirlwind multiple day interview & what happens 10 years after the infamous interview. I absolutely loved this book! I loved the dual time frames. I loved the charming, playful, bit of a hot mess Gabe who has a bit of redemption as well. I love Chani & the growth she has. The articles in between each chapter were just so fun! This book was a breath of fresh air & I would highly recommend picking it up!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!!

Writer Chani Horowitz gets the opportunity of a lifetime, a sit down interview with celebrity Gabe Parker, star of the the next Bond movie. A simple lunch interview turns into an exclusive look at the actor’s personal life, as he invites Chani to a movie premier and party at his home. She takes her readers throughout the weekend, begging them to wonder - did this ordinary writer become the romantic obsession of an A-list movie star? Ten years later, after a successful writing career, Chani finds herself thinking about that weekend with Parker a decade prior. When an opportunity arises for Chani to recreate the magical interview that started her career, she realizes she must come face to face with the reality of what happened ten years ago - and what it means for actor today.

Absolutely delightful read, the characters were real, honest, and you couldn’t help but root for them all in their journeys. I wanted to enjoy a sour beer for lunch, spiced cider at the Cozy for my afternoon stroll, and never let the story end. If you like a good Hallmark movie, you will love this!

Twenty-six year old journalist Chani gets the job of a lifetime - to interview up and coming movie star Gabe Parker, who just so happens to also be her celebrity crush. Her number one goal for the interview? To make it special and meaningful while also not coming off like a complete fool in front of her crush. But as they begin their interview, it takes off in unexpected ways and Chani suddenly finds herself on Gabe's arm walking the red carpet of his friend's movie premiere and involved in a whirlwind weekend. Not only that, but the article she writes on Gabe goes viral and fans are left wondering if they slept together.

Fast forward ten years later and that's still the only question people want to know, even though Chani has now published an essay collection and has a successful career as a writer. And now, though she hasn't spoken to him in nearly a decade after their one weekend together, his PR team is asking her to do a follow up piece. Her initial reaction is to say no - she wants to move on from those memories. But the truth is, Chani needs to know if those 72 hours they spent together were as memorable for him as they were for her.

I could not put this book down, I loved it so much. And I'm realizing that I have a serious thing for the celebrity-normal person romance trope. This book gave me everything I'm looking for in a book like this - it gave me the swoony heartthrob, though in this case he had a lot more depth, it gave me the stubborn female lead who just wants to remain independent and not always be linked to her interview with Gabe, and it gave me the will they or won't they vibes that keep me racing through pages. Plus, in this book Sussman keeps things interesting by including not only Chani's viral first article she wrote on Gabe, but also movie premiere reviews, and articles written by places like Vanity Fair. It was a fun way to look through the lens of what was happening in each of their lives without having it all spelled out for us.

The only thing that is keeping this from a 5 star review for me is that because we jumped back and forth in time between the past and the present, I sometimes had to take a beat to catch up with what was happening and what time in their lives the articles were referring to. But overall, this was such an incredible book and if you're a romance fan, you are definitely going to want this on your shelves.

This book will be featured on episode 33 of the Reading Through Life podcast, available April 6, 2022.