This book was just an ok read for me. I feel there were a lot of different themes going on. It definitely wasn't what I expected, but it was still an average read for me.

*Thank you partners @celadon_books and @macmillan.audio for the e-galley and audiobook.*

This was such a well-written story, with humor, and wit that captured me right away as I listened on audio. I loved the performance by Ferdelle Capistrano.

Presley Fry works as an assistant at a late night talk show and scouts for talent. She’s still handling grief after the passing of her Mother, in the best way she can. I thought the character development was great, and it definitely brought the emotions!

*many thanks to celadon, Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the gifted copy for review

This was a tale of NYC dating life, work-life balance, and finding friendships in the most unexpected places. I loved the NYC setting, but also our main character Presley’s job. She’s an assistant on a late-night talk show and tasked with finding comedians to perform short sets. She spends a lot of time watching stand-up comedy and it seems like a dream come true! She’s got a complicated life - she had a bad relationship with her now-deceased mother, a very casual dating and sex life, and is striving to move on at work. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration, and I liked Presley and her story overall.

Humor Me by Cat Shook is a heartfelt and witty exploration of grief, friendship, and the unexpected ways we find connection. Presley Fry is stuck in a rut—feeling disconnected from love, dating only in the most casual sense, and retreating into her role as an assistant at the Late Night Show. She’s grieving the loss of her mother, which still feels like a fresh wound every time she reaches for the phone. Presley’s solace comes from the world of stand-up comedy, where she finds joy in discovering fresh comedic talent, but she's still deeply affected by her personal losses.

Enter Susan Clark, her late mother’s best friend, who steps into Presley’s life with all the enthusiasm and determination of someone on a mission. Susan is intent on helping Presley move forward, connecting her with her son, Lawrence, who couldn’t be more different from Presley’s usual type. This unlikely setup leads Presley on an unexpected journey of healing, laughter, and a growing connection with Lawrence and those around her.

Shook’s writing is both touching and humorous, skillfully balancing the emotional weight of Presley’s grief with the lighter moments of new friendships and the joy of discovering comedy. Humor Me is a reminder that laughter can be a powerful balm for the soul, and that sometimes the most unlikely people can help us find the light after loss. It's a charming, relatable story about the healing power of shared experiences and the connections that can unexpectedly emerge when we’re open to them. For readers who appreciate a blend of humor and heart, this book is a delightful and uplifting read.

I enjoyed Humor Me by Cat Shook! I listened to the audiobook and definitely recommend that format. I enjoyed that the main character worked at a late night show and was into standup. A fresh role in a book (for me at least). I really enjoyed the realistic relationships in the form of friends, dates, and between. This is the 2nd book I've read by the author and will continue to read her books.

While I did binge listen to this entire book in a day, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it. There were elements that were truly great. I REALLY enjoyed how one of the main characters of the book was New York City. It felt like a love letter to the city, and having recently visited myself, it really resonated with me. I did enjoy the "love interest" portion of the book as well as the relationship that our main character Presley developed with Susan, a friend of her late mother. There were some elements, however, that just seemed a bit too harped on and I'm not totally sure helped the flow of the story. The "Me Too" of it all seemed a bit forced at times, and I physically wanted to punch the douche-canoe that was Adam from the minute he showed up on page. The narrator did a great job of bringing this book to life for me, it just was one where I sometimes found myself not paying attention while listening. Nevertheless, this was a like not a love for me. I enjoyed my time here, but I also know that this book will inevitably be somewhat forgettable for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listenig copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

This book wasn’t for me, but I’m sure it is just my personal preference. I had a hard time connecting to the FMC and writing style. But I would definitely try something else by this author in the future!

Thank you to @macmillanaudio #macaudio2024 for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I tried to like this one. I thought that the premise seemed fun but I felt like the story ended up falling a bit flat. I felt like the characters were one dimensional and didn't have a lot of emotional depth. I also felt like the FMC drug out some of the relationships for a longer period of time than it probably should've or otherwise would've been. I did think that it was fun that the FMC mentioned the University she attended. The one shining star in this was the narration. I also enjoyed the mentions of NYC throughout the story. I did enjoy the references to the writer's college!

The narrator is truly what got me through the story. If it were not for the audiobook I would've probably DNF'ed the book prior to finishing.

I think people who enjoy more slice of life and books about trying to find your place in the city you love would enjoy this book.

Thank you so much to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the ALC! #MacAudio2025

🎤 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🎤
This story features Presley Fry, an assistant at a late night show, who is searching for up and coming stand up comedians. She is dealing with the grief from her mother’s passing. She runs into her mother’s old friend Susan, who befriends her and takes her under her wing. She is also determined to connect Presley with her son Lawrence.

This story was a lot about friendship, building genuine connections and dealing with hardships in life, and how the people around you can help you through those things. Presley seems incapable of making genuine romantic connections, even having a crush on a male friend of hers. She likes keeping men at arms length, maybe from how she grew up with her mother.

I enjoyed her connection with Lawrence in the last sections of the book. I would have liked to see that explored more than it was!

The story also ended a little abruptly for me. There were some loose ends not tied up in the story that I think were missed.

🎧 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 🎧
Ferdelle Capistrano did a nice job narrating Presley’s character. She sounded young and had a very relaxed vibe to her, which I think went along with Presley’s persona. She was easy to understand and follow along with!

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🎤 Stand Up Comedy
🎤 Dealing with Grief
🎤 Unrequited Love
🎤 Stand Up Comedy/Late Night Shows

Humor Me by Cat Shook is a witty and heartwarming rom-com that balances humor with heartfelt moments. The quirky characters and charming dialogue make for an enjoyable, lighthearted read, perfect for fans of feel-good romance with a touch of comedy.

I was given the opportunity to listen to the audio version of Humor Me by NetGalley and the publisher. The narrator, Ferdelle Capistrano, does an excellent job of bringing Presley Fry to life, with all of her struggles in her personal and professional life. The format is a strength, as this novel would not have had as much impact on me in printed form.

I had trouble relating to Presley, with her big city life filled with comedy clubs and dating apps. Her mannerisms, the way Presley dodged and tried to ignore the more unpleasant or sad things in her life, made her not relatable. Though people do all of those things, Presley was more of an amplified version.

That being said, the audio version of the book was entertaining. I spent a lot of time listening while doing household chores and it made the work go a lot faster. I would recommend Humor Me to NA readers, as it fits into that genre in my opinion.

Disclaimer: It was my decision to review Humor Me and my opinion was freely given.

My rating: 3.5 stars

It took me a while to get into this book but by the end, I did enjoy it very much.

If you're in the mood for a well-written story about life, love, friendship, family, and trying to find direction -- with a dose of humor, this may be the book you're looking for.

The cover and synopsis appealed to me. I was very interested in the comedy/SNL/ writer type of a job that the main character had. However, I was disappointed that it didn't focus on some of the "behind the scenes" stuff that that might entail. The book was interesting with the unlikely pairing with the mom's friend and daughter. I did enjoy seeing that unique friendship form. The romance was not front and center but a nice addition. A lot of character growth in this one.

Every once in a while it's good to get a reminder of just how awful being young and single can be, but in a light-hearted manner that leaves you not cringing, but happy that you made it through those years. Humor Me reads like a mash-up of a Seinfeld episode and a standard rom-com - an easy walk about the city with a storyline about the interactions between a cast of quirky yet realistic characters.

Audiobook was well narrated and the novel is well suited for audio.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

For some reason Humor Me just didn't work for me. My husband does stand-up comedy, so I was immediately drawn to the premise. Unfortunately, I didn't like the main character and felt disconnected.

I received an ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While classified as a romance (or even a romcom), Humor Me felt more like a coming of age novel as we follow main character Presley Fry as she navigates New York City, trying to get promoted (not to mention her crush at work!) and working through her complicated relationship with her deceased mother. This is definitely a character-driven story as we follow Presley through the ups and downs of her life.

I actually enjoyed this one more than her previous novel, If We're Being Honest. I connected more to the characters in this book and enjoyed the setting and humor.

I really enjoyed the audiobook, Ferdelle Capistrano does a great job bringing the story to life. This was a fun one to listen to!

I was drawn to Humor Me by the great cover and the comparison to Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. Not to mention, I liked Cat Shook's debut novel, and I was hopefuly this one would be even better.

It was a suitable read for a busy, demanding time in my life - the prose is readable, and it's not a hard book to pick up and put back down (though I did momentarily get confused, when I forgot who Michael and Lawrence were).

But I couldn't help wishing that it were written as more of a romance. Or less of a coming-of-age narrative. The balance between the two didn't quite work for me - with so much focus on Presley and her journey, I needed more clarity regarding her job/career path at the end (instead of that being so focused on Clark, and a little on Izzy).

I do think this book would be a good fit for fans of Amy Poeppel's novels - it reminded me of her work.

The audio narration was OK - it didn't annoy me, but the delivery did make the main character seem younger than she did in my head when I read the text using my eyes.

Cat Shook has definitely become an always read for me. The characters in this book were perfect. I loved the “SNL” esque workplace. I loved everything about it including the narrator.

This was cute and rom-com(ish) with a little more heaviness at times. I found it to be a nice story but not one that stuck with me.