This story was so sweet. It sucked me in and my heart was attached from the start. These characters are so much fun. The dual timelines worked well for me, I enjoyed seeing the differences too in how the events surrounding the interview happened and seeing then how the article written changed ever so slightly.

The chemistry between the two characters was electric, their banter and respect for each other was adorable and charming. I love the way they adored each other and tried to keep secrets about it, and think they acted like real people, full of mistakes and inner turmoil. I loved this story, I wish there was more it was so fun to be in their world and see them figure out that they have always belonged together. Lovely. Can't wait to read it again.

I love that this book is based off of a real-life interview a budding journalist had with Chris Evans years ago. Basically creating published fan fiction of the "Best Chris" is exactly what I wanted to read.

I delighted in this novel and wanted to move to Los Angeles to head to a cabin-like retreat in the hills and just relax and enjoy life for a moment.

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE READS SO FAR THIS YEAR.

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update: hardcopy secured and sitting beautifully on my shelf 💖💖💖

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can a book make you feel like you’re floating?

answer: yes.
follow up answer: it’s this book.

it’s apparent to me in this moment that i will reread this next year, and possibly countless more times yet to come.

guys, it’s not just good. it’s incredible. it feels REAL. chani and gabe feel like real people. their thoughts, struggles, interaction with the world (and all that sucks in it), banter, their intimacy— it wasn’t crafted to make the reader swoon (it definitely did though), it was raw and vulnerable.


and elissa, besides this book being amazing in every single way, you’ve given me, the reader, so much more.

it left me with the kind of feelings that make me fall more in love with my partner and all of our imperfections, in every season where we may not feel like ourselves. once the last page was turned, my heart warmed even more (i thought it had reached a limit while reading WOW but nope, my heart kept going), and given me that little push we all need (more often than we’d like to admit) to keep on writing, to keep figuring it out, and to keep pushing forward, together.

thanks to netgalley and penguin random house for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts— now, i must got find a hard copy of this asap so i can highlight all the words, and hug this little book close 💖

A very high 4 stars! I’ve never been an especially big Chris Evans fan, but when I saw a tiktok saying that this book was based on a whirlwind weekend-long interview he did with a reporter I IMMEDIATELY closed the app and opened my kindle to dive in. Dear reader, I am SO glad that I did. From page one I was completely endeared to both Gabe AND Chani and this was just an all-around delight. I devoured it in one sitting because I just couldn’t get enough. It was equal parts swooney and heart-felt and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent between these pages. Oddly, I’ve read quite a few Hollywood-centered romances this year (some I’ve loved and some… not so much lol), and this one definitely managed to stand out amongst the crowd and I just highly, highly recommend. Absolutely one that I will be re-visiting for years to come and I can’t wait to pick up whatever else Elissa Sussman puts out next!

CW: alcoholism, divorce, death of a loved one, terminal illness (cancer), discussions of weight gain/loss

this story reminds me so much of Emily Henry! such a cute love story between deeply complicated characters plagued by the insecurity that they don’t deserve any of their success. loved it and couldn’t put it down

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and seeing the way the timeline alternated. this was a fun book that i think is a great poolside read.

This book was so so so good! I absolutely love the celebrity/"normal person" trope, and knowing this was loosely based on a Chris Evans profile made it even better. This is the perfect summer beach read. Chani & Gabe find themselves revisiting a pivotal weekend ten years later, and the chemistry/relationship that they had from years earlier had not faded. I found it so realistic that they were trying again after years of "trying out their lives". I loved the intermittent article snippets as well.

This was a VERY difficult book for me to get into, hence the late review date. Apologies. I was REALLY thrown off by the time skipping and all of the "articles and reviews" did not enhance anything, in fact they took away from the story. I found Chani VERY immature and did not care for her. It also irked me to no end that Gabe would only call Jeremy "The Novelist" like he was below him. (I had to look back to remember their names 10 minutes after I finished the book. Not a great sign) Their chemistry felt forced if any and she had more with Oliver than her love interest. When they DID finally get together it was VERY lackluster.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and fun read. I read it in one rainy weekend. I enjoyed the characters and the story.

Thank you Random House & Netgalley for the eARC!

This was exactly what I needed to escape from…::gestures wildly all around::.

The most common trope - miscommunication - usually bothers me but I found myself getting swept up into Chani & Gabe’s love story.

What I really enjoyed too were the Then and Now time jumps and how they went from “kids” to adults figuring their shit out in order for them to be together.

Solid debut!

Chani gets the interview of a lifetime with Gabe Parker, the next Bond. However, things are never just that simple. Chani is wined and dined by Parker and she gets an introduction to his world. To no one's surprise, things fall apart when Parker is announced to have married his co-star and catch Chani off guard. Readers are then taken on a journey toggling between past and present as both Gabe and Chani work their ways back to each other through life and hardship, grief, and disappointment. The book will make you laugh, question things, and relate to Chani's overthinking. I enjoyed the book thoroughly.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for the arc of Funny You Should Ask. This has the movie star and normal person love trope. Typically it’s not a trope I normally enjoy, but I loved this book. It’s written with a 10 years ago and then present timelines. It’s a fun, escape, chicklit book.

I fell in love with this story immediately and it was a great debut novel for the author, Elissa Sussman.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review.

To be fair, a lot of what made me giddy was the cute fake blog posts from Go Fug Yourself as a long time stan (especially laughed at the hoik) but this really was a fun and enjoyable read.

If you like novels that are about Hollywood - especially the darker sides - this book will delight you. The romance was fun, the side characters were WONDERFUL and I just loved this read SO much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars! I've been seeing so many videos on Tik Tok about this book and I knew I had to pick it up. I was actually sent Funny You Should Ask on Netgalley as well and I'm so glad I purchased a copy because I absolutely needed this book in my collection. (Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the e-ARC!). The story follows Chani Horowitz, a writer who's invited to interview a famous actor and the next James Bond, Gabe Parker. The story is told through two timelines, the past where Chani spends a weekend with Gabe, and the present, where the two reconnect after ten years and respective divorces. I thought Sussman's use of the alternating timelines and the articles inserted between was fresh and compelling. It sort of reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and the way that story is told. Chani and Gabe's story kept me enthralled as I read, trying to guess what happened ten years ago. This story was really very deep and it asks some compelling questions about fame and its repercussions. This wasn't a typical romance by no means. But, the dialogue and the characters held my attention. The complicated relationship between Gabe and Chani and their careers almost felt real. I thought I could pick up my phone and Google them after I put the book down. Also, I won't spoil it for potential readers, but Chani's perfect day and their time in Montana? It had me squealing. The one thing I wanted more of was Chani's own background, but that's pretty minor for me. Go read this book, you won't be disappointed.

Love love loved this easy to read romance. Gave me wattpad vibes in the best way possible which brought me straight back to my middle school era.

I. Loved. This. Book.

Every last word on every page was a home run. I devoured this love story and wanted more!

easily my favorite book i’ve read this year. as soon as i finished i preorder a signed copy because there’s no way Gabe isn’t going on to be one of my all time top book boyfriends.

heart wrenching, beautifully written, so unique. this book is not to be missed!

Funny You should Ask
3/5 stars

Was a very interesting read.
It won't be for everyone given the format and style.
This was my first time reading Elissa Sussman's writing is excellent!
I did have a few issues with the pace but other than that I had a lot of fun reading this.
The characters were very well developed.

Thank-you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this ARC.

My first book by Elissa Sussman & I loved it! A perfect summer read. Chani and Gabe are a fun pair. he is so charming, as James Bond should be! but i really loved how kind he is, the way he turned Chani's questions around onto her just because he was really curious. and Chani was an awesome match for him. I absolutely loved Ollie. he was a great character and I loved that in the "now" parts he wasn't just there for Gabe, he was there for both of them.
i also really loved the way this story was planned out and the way Elissa didn't give up all of the information at once. It made me want to keep reading to understand everything. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for a beach read this summer!