Unfortunately I DNF this 25% of the way in. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review it, it was just not for me at this time. I think this is probably a very fun story I was just having a very hard time getting into it at this time in my life and may revisit in the future. Thank you again for the chance to read this book.

When I read the synopsis of this book it was instantly so appealing, a girl just trying to make it work and figure herself out in the city and within the New York comedy seen but in execution I liked it more than loved. There are a lot of things that work separately in this book, but when put together it feels a bit mismatched. Presley is a fine MC, the romance is okay, society commentary feels surface level and It would not stop reminding g me this book is set in 2017/18.

The female friendships are where Humor Me shines, the pacing is a bit slow which is not a bad thing, but when paired with such an abrupt ending (thought i saw what Shook was going for) it feels unsatisfying. This is a fine book and I overall didn’t have a bad time reading it, I guess i just wanted more.

This was the perfect mix of romance, humor, and real life.

Presley is working for minimum wage as an assistant at a late night show and she is working hard to take over the stand up comedy spot to help her move up in her career. This is a story of unconventional friendships and how they change and develop. Presley doesn't have a lot of friends. Her best friend and roommate Izzy, her deceased mother's old friend who bumps into her adopts her Susan, Adam her coworker, and Lawrence Susan's son.

This story was heartfelt, irresistibly entertaining, and witty.

2.5/5 stars. I honestly don’t know how to feel about this. I loved the setting of New York in the media and entertainment industry but I didn’t love the main character. I couldn’t tell where the plot was going and some of the dialogue was pretty cringey. All in all just mid read for me.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc of humor me. This book is an easy read from start to finish. Presley works for a night time tv show and looks for and books their comedian talent. She has some complicated work relationships a d complex social relationships, she is mourning the loss of her mother who she did not have the best of relationships with. Presley runs into her mothers friend Susan and her life is set on a much better track. All the feels and a warm ending. Four solid stars

The characters in this book were authentic, and the story line was not too outlandish. It was easy to follow and there was not an overwhelming amount of things thrown in at once. This was an enjoyable read, however it was pretty slow paced and I did find myself getting bored at times during long periods of nothing happening, and it was hard to continuously read for long periods of time. I did end up stepping away from this book a few times, to move to a different book during these periods. I just wish that I was able to get more invested in this book and story.

This book does deal with grief after the loss of a family member, great friendships, and coming to terms with the fact that things are not going the way they are originally expected to, relationship wise.

I did enjoy the romance aspect of this story, and glad that Presley did not end up with Adam, as it was originally portrayed as a possibility. Clark was a great MMC for Presley. Also, the dynamic between Susan and Presley was heartfelt at times. As someone who had lost her mother, it was nice to see that Susan was able to act as somewhat of a mother figure to Presley.

One thing that I am sad about, is that the comedy aspect of this story line was not brought to the forefront more. Since Presley is an assistant for a late night show, and seems to be focusing on finding talent for the stand up comedy parts of the show. This was an original concept to me, since I had not yet read a book where a FMC has this type of job, so I was a bit disappointed with the lack of exploration and utilizing this more in the story line.

I felt a little old for this one (out of the age demographic) but I found it witty and enjoyable and heartwarming. Takes me back to those years when you're figuring out who you want to be and what you need. Super fun and sweet.

Humor Me was a very different read and not quite what I was expecting. A little bit of romance, a lot of friendship, some self-discovery and coming of age, and some "me too" movement - this book had a lot going on. For a book with humor in the title, I didn't find it very funny but I did appreciate the stand up comedy elements.

There was more suspension of belief in this novel than I anticipated. Shook did a good job explaining how Susan and Presley reunited and bonded but it still took me a while to believe it. Part of me wished there wasn't the backstory of Presley's mom and Susan and that Presley and Susan just kick started their own friendship. That would've felt more genuine for me.

I enjoyed this book but there were times when I was a little underwhelmed. I didn't get the Adam obsession nor did I really feel invested when she finally saw the light and had enough. I liked Presley's feminism generally but at times found her grating and immature. Her reaction to her best friend finding love, her jealousy issues, and her general demeanor toward men was often frustrating and obnoxious. Also if I heard the word "gag" one more time or read about one of Presley's very unnecessary dramatic reactions to just about anything I was going to lose it!

I listened to this novel and didn't particularly love the narrator - her voice was a little obnoxious and immature which was maybe perfect for Presley or just added fuel to the fire for me!

Overall, I did enjoy this book but it's not one that will likely stick with me. I may have enjoyed it more had I not listened to the audio so I'll be curious to hear my fellow book club members' opinions!

Thank you to Celadon Books, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the copy.

Humor Me was a solid women's fiction novel that blended several themes. I saw it described as a love letter to stand up comedy in NY City and I would definitely agree with that analysis. But it was so much more. It was also a romance but not a typical one because our main character, Presley had to figure out how to love herself before she could love anyone else. The book was also a heartbreaking story of loss in that Presley is grieving her mother. Even though she tries to downplay it by mentioning her mother's alcoholism casually as if it's so matter of fact and no big deal, It was just so very sad. I could feel her underlying anguish and was saddened for her.

Meanwhile, there were other side plots going on that all blended together to truly pull this story together into something special. From the issues regarding her co-worker, Adam to the accusations made against her mother's friend Susan's husband to her blossoming relationship with Susan's son, Lawrence, Presley had a great deal to balance. All of this was going on while she was trying to get an up and coming female stand up comic discovered.

This book was just like a warm blanket that you enjoy covering your self with.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio was done very well and truly captured to spirit of the book itself. I was engaged throughout and really felt that the narration was spot on. 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

I can’t tell if there’s a trend in literature at the moment, or if it’s a coincidence, but it seems the last half dozen or so books I’ve read, both fiction and memoir, feature similar characters and circumstances, and even in some cases, the style of writing. Complicated mother-daughter relationships, fraught with addiction and/or mental illness; grief over loss, depression, and loneliness; low-grade toxic men (it’s not that they’re horrible, but the mark they leave on the women who love or lust after them remains, ever-present); and an educated, but working-class, female character at the center who is struggling to grapple with it all. I guess those elements are rather broad and therefore it’s not altogether strange that there would be a string of books featuring them, but it’s worth noting that I think my reception of this particular book may have suffered because they’ve all sort of started to blend together for me.

All of that being said, Humor Me did stand out as being a perfect balance of smart and introspective, and fun and escapist. Author Cat Shook deftly navigates the landscape of grief and connection as her protagonist ventures outside her comfort zone, exploring a friendship with an unlikely source, in the form of middle-aged housewife Susan, and a relationship with an even less likely candidate, Susan’s buttoned-up, silver-spoon-raised son. I really love books that challenge our notions of right and wrong, and I liked that this one inverts the now-cliché trope of small town MC has liberal awakening. Here, our already liberal city gal has her own prejudices against what she perceives as the wealthy, white elite, challenged. She discovers that she can connect to the woman who she would normally write off as inaccessible, aloof, or vapid, and similarly, finds her expectations upended in regards to her upper crust son.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of hot mess contemporary women’s lit who are looking for something of quality, but with a twist.

3.5 STARS

Humor Me is a character driven novel, not a laugh out loud comedy which was kind of what I was expecting. I did go into this book pretty blind, having no real knowledge or expectations. Humor Me gives us life's complications and deals with serious issues such as the loss of a parent, but it's still is a light and easy read for the most part. I will say that it had a bit of a slow start for me but then had me rooting for our main character, Presley. As a reader you want to see her happy and you're rooting for her in life.

I love the idea that this book is a love letter to NYC. You can't read this book and not think about planning a trip and one day I will visit and enjoy a trip to NYC. I love how this book talks about the city and it makes you feel like you're there, you can feel the city around you at times.

There's love, loss, friendships, everyday life, trying to find yourself in a big city, and a little humor. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys literary fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

A love letter to NYC, a raw coming of age, a real look at the complicated thing that is grief. This book was truly fantastic. I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking it might be too immersed in the comedy scene and our main character too "cool girl" and sarcastic, but that was not the case at all. Presley is a 20-something dealing with the still fresh loss of her alcoholic mother. She's trying to climb her way up the career ladder at a late night comedy television show. She's juggling friendships and situationships and very real unresolved emotions and internal struggles. All of these things came together in a great novel that encapsulated just how hard it is to be an adult in New York City and how hard it is to face your past. Cat Shook is an excellent writer with a strong voice and a knack for complicated characters!

This was an interesting story that really kept me on my toes. Just when I thought it was one thing, like a comedy, it sucker punched me with some authentic grief and then bam we had romance. None of the pieces were bad, but it was a lot to take in all together in one book. The writing was good, but this was a book I picked up and put down more times than I would have liked. I liked our main character Presley, but in her keeping her deep truths to herself I felt like we didn’t get to see her fully developed either. Presley is working for minimum wage as an assistant at a late night show and she is working hard to take over the stand up comedy spot to help her move up in her career. This is a story of unconventional friendships and how they change and develop. Presley doesn’t have a lot of friends. Her best friend and roommate Izzy, her deceased mother’s old friend who bumps into her adopts her Susan, Adam her coworker, and Lawrence Susan’s son. This book did hit the gambit and I laughed out loud and shed a few tears. Overall I gave it 3.5 stars which I rounded up for the genuine emotion it inspired.

Thanks for the review copy. I knew I would like this one since I liked Romantic Comedy. I loved the friendships in this book.

While I enjoyed the descriptive imagery (such as scenes in New York and a look into the BTS of comedy) and the mature themes (such as parental loss, and marital issues among others); it simply was not for me. It was very slow-paced and did not capture my attention as I wanted it to. I did not feel a connection to the characters that would make me invested in what would unfold next; they were likable at best. Overall, I feel the premise of the book was promising, but fell short of my expectations.

Humor Me is such a unique & original read. Yes, it is a Romcom, but it is also, was so much more!

Presley, in her mid-20's, is working as an assistant to a producer of a TV comedy show and trying, unsuccessful, to overcome her deep grief over the recent loss of her alcoholic mother.

The New York setting was absolutely perfect and just screamed SNL! It truly was so atmospheric and makes me want to visit NYC so much, now!

Despite all this, the novel is filled with humor… and the spice was so well done!

I also loved the more difficult topics including the Me Too and office politics discussions.

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon for my ALC and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for my review!

First of all, I did not finish reading this book. I read 30% and said it was going nowhere. There are so many good books to read out there and I was not going to waste any more time waiting for this one to do something.

The run-on sentences drove me out of my mind. When a page is one long paragraph with several topics included, I know I will be paying more attention to that than I am to the subject, if there is one. It had to be written by someone either young or trying to be young who might not know that it's not right to insult boomers. Someday you might be one!

The main characters seemed immature and silly, though that could not have been the aim of the story. Living in NY, being or thinking of being gay or not and dating and drinking and visiting comedy shows since it is work related is all I got out of the story. I will not bother to read the last chapter as I don't care what happens with this story even though it did include digging a bit into the Me Too movement.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader book. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given

I really enjoyed how different this book was for me. I haven't read anything like this one!

The major themes in this one that stood out were grief, family, love and friendship. Though I think the author hit the mark on most, I was still hoping for a little bit more!

I think at times this kept hitting some lulls for me. But I think people who love New York will really love this one !

And overall, the ending I was left feeling a little unsatisfied. But the character development of the MFC was great !!

It was great. I was surprised by just how much I loved! I enjoyed Cat’s book “If We’re Being Honest”(was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me last year) so was excited to get my hands on this. I loved (almost) all of the characters, and just like her first book, this one had me laughing out loud, and then crying some ugly tears, too. She’s magical! Thank you, @catshook and @celadonbooks!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.3 (3.5/5)

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
One thing I can say about this author, is that she knows how to write stories which are well composed with great detail and character development. Like her debut last year, this book does not disappoint with the plot at all! It was so well written, and there was a lot of intricated details, which I really enjoy when I'm reading contemporary fiction novels.

One aspect which I wasn't the biggest fan of was the pacing of the story. While the pace was rather slow for my liking, it does make sense based on the story itself. I would have like a bit of a quicker pace though in order to hold my attention more at certain parts.

When it comes to the characters, I absolutely loved Presley and Susan! I thought the bond they grew to have so sweet, and loved reading about their adventures together, and don't get me started on Susan's son - I loved him!

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- Character driven stories
- Emotional read at times
- Love letter stories to New York City

𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Ravine Vineyards🍷