Presley is an assistant for a late-night talk show who gets to scope out new comedians to bring in for the Friday night coveted slot. I really liked the parts of the novel that focused on her career and working in the entertainment industry. She loves living in New York, and has adopted it as her home, even though she was raised in a small town in Georgia.

Susan, a wealthy childhood friend of Presley’s deceased mother, befriends her after a scandal rocks her privileged world. One of Susan’s sons, a former frat boy, not at all Presley’s type, surprises her with his genuine appeal. Presley does have coworkers, and a roommate, in the same age bracket that she hangs with, so the time she spends with Susan is initially awkward for her. But after a positive psychedelic experience and a round of karaoke, they seem much more compatible.

This is a book for fans of romantic comedies. I prefer this genre to the heart wrenching emotional or steamy love stories since there is at least witty dialog and humorous interiority.

And of course, I must give props as a Dolly Parton fan to the homage they included of the most epic female celebrity of our time. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and getting a taste of the bright lights of the big city, with a few laughs and a believable love triangle. Presley had been through a lot in her life already and she was a protagonist that I rooted for to find a happily ever after.

3 stars

I enjoyed Shook's previous effort and was excited to read this one. While the latest didn't thrill me, a better suited reader will find some gems here.

Presley, the m.c., is an assistant at the Late Night Show. She's a NY transplant (originally from the South), she's experienced with Tinder dates but not really meaningful or long-term romantic relationships, and she's processing complicated feelings over the relatively recent passing of her mother, an alcoholic with whom Presley had a challenging past.

When the novel begins, readers learn that Presley has a solid friend and roommate, so she's not afraid of intimacy; that she's really trying to make something of herself (and others) professionally; and that she is SO into someone who isn't into her. This is not a spoiler. Instead, this is an everyone can see this but you kind of situation, and that particular thread becomes tiresome (at least it did for me) so fast. Unfortunately, this motif overtakes just over the first half of the book. There's also a seemingly random rekindling with her mother's former friend who just so happens to be married to a guy who's on the verge of cancellation, and it JUST SO HAPPENS they have a single, age-appropriate son, and, well, readers know where this is going instantly. For me, all of these events and plot points combined into an unusual situation. On one hand, there's extreme predictability and slow pacing. On the other, there are all of these odd, disconnected details that never come together in a meaningful way. I cannot get my head around some of these choices.

I nearly DNF'd this book multiple times during the first half and had I not had the audio version, I think that would've been the outcome. I'm glad I persisted, but I also wanted a more unified and fulfilling final product overall.

Was so excited to read this book as I’d been hearing about it. It’s such a good romantic feel good book. Reminds you of friendship and building real relationships which is always a good thing to watch grow and blossom. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This book has a little bit of everything from humor, friendship, romance to grieving the death of a parent. Presley works as an assistant to a comic and is just sort of drifting through life. She bumps into her mom's childhood friend and they form a friendship that was a lot of fun to see. I felt bad for Presley who was pining for her coworker and seeing how that played out. I love how Clark came back into her life being Susan's son and seeing their friendship.

Fardelle Capistrano did a great job on bringing the story to life. Thank you @celadonbooks @macmillan.audio @netgalley for a copy of the audio book.

This was very lackluster. I felt 20% in that I was bored and not at all engaged. I had way higher hopes for it!

Karaoke as catharsis, stand up comedy as career advancement, friends of the family who meld into more. @catshook_ has written a book I didn’t want to end.

I want to run into Presley at a comedy show and see her face as Clark throws his head back in laughter, see her order white wine with Susan when she’d rather have an old fashioned, see her accept the good and the bad, and let herself be happy.

In a weird way, this gave me a similar vibe to Definitely Better Now by @avarobinson - a woman not trying to overcome her past but learning to live within it. Finding a way to admit she deserves to be happy.

If you’re looking for a romcom, this isn’t for you. It’s got such depth that to pigeonhole it is a mistake. It’s about a woman - coming of age - learning to love herself. It also features a man, Clark, who won’t let her shut him out, patient and kind - my favorite kind of romantic partnership.

Presley is surrounded by the characters in her life: Isabel, her best friend and roommate, Adam, a coworker she has an inconvenient crush on, Patty, her dead mother, Susan, her mother’s best friend and maybe her new friend, Clark, Susan’s unrelentingly charming son, New York City, the place of dreams.

——
Presley is living the dream in NYC; a tiny walk up shared with her best friend, a dream job in late night TV, and a friend at work to flirt and banter with.

She’s also dealing with the recent death of her alcoholic mother, the reemergence of her mother’s childhood best friend, and the maleness of her chosen career path.

As she tries to reconcile a difficult childhood with the warmth of a perfect female friendship, Presley lets herself admit she might want - and deserve more.

I loved this book. Top ten of the year, I bet. Immediate pre-order.

Highly recommend the audiobook, too. I love how the narrator captures Presley perfectly.

Thanks to @netgalley, @macmillianaudio for the audiobook and @celadonbooks for the eARC. This will be published July 9, 2024.

Presley is an assistant for a late night show, hoping to get her career to the next level. She has found the NY dating scene to be less than ideal, so she lets her roommate Isabelle to basically run her social calendar. When she comes across an old friend of her moms, a woman who feels the same loss Presley does from her moms passing, and recently had a scandal come out about her husband, Susan decides she wants to take Presley under her wing. She also maybe wants Presley and her son Lawrence to maybe become something more…

I did this one on audio and it was such a delightful listen! Presley lived a very relatable life of trying to find yourself in the world of work, dating, grief, and life, especially when things don’t always seem to go your way! I loved the New York scenery, and her somewhat odd friendship with Susan. I think it really showcased that you don’t have to be young to feel like you don’t know where your life is going, we all feel that sometimes at a variety of ages! This one felt less of a rom com and more of a coming of age story to me, but I truly enjoyed it!

This was a great audio book! Presley was going through a lot and I think she handled everything really well- her mother's death, her job, men. New York, and just life. This was sad but also happy and you would have to listen to understand. I rooted for Presley the whole time.

This is not a surface story. It has a good level of depth. I enjoyed most the characters. It was a slow start but picked up and was a good listen.

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Humor me follows Presley, a mid twenties production assistant as she navigates healing from trauma and moving on from the loss of her mother. Taking place is NYC, she spends a lot of her time scouting comedy acts for the late night show she works for. After running into her mother’s teenage best friend, they build a friendship of their own which challenges Presley to confront feelings she doesn’t feel ready for.
Maybe it’s because I, a 30 year old woman, have a lot of friends who are my mother’s age or older (dog sport girlies, where you at) but I loved this book. It was honest and raw but I still found myself rooting for Presley and the supporting cast of characters. I honestly hope there’s more to this story and we get a sequel.
4⭐️

I honestly can't remember who I saw posting about this one or what they said that made me immediately want to read it so badly, but when I saw the audiobook get listed on Netgalley, it was an immediate request.

This book felt a lot like if Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld and Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid were combined into a Devil Wears Prada sort of book. It was insightful, funny, and simultaneously very relevant, but also slightly dated. When I say dated, it is a weird comment to make because this book is set in 2017 so it sort of has to date itself with the celebrities and events that are referenced, but that didn't stop it from being odd.

In the end, I thought this book was good. It gave everything that I had wanted when I read Romantic Comedy last year, but it also didn't quite live up to my expectations. The most stand-out element was Presley's relationship with Susan. The thing that disappointed me though was I felt like all the growth and discussions throughout the book were thrown away in the end with the way the author ends the book...

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ALC copy. The narration was to die for.

Thank you Natgalley and Macmillan audio for the free ALC. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I enjoyed thenauthors last book and this cover apoke to me but fpund it flat from the 15% on and trudged through. If this was a lubby hold i would have just dnf it and move on. Will gove the authors next book a try.

3.5/5☆

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for advanced access to the audiobook.

The book Humor Me is a perfect balance between humor and heart, navigating heavy themes with a touch of lightness through its quirky characters. Presley immerses herself in her work of scouting comedians for a late-night show. She unexpectedly reconnects with her mother's friend Susan, both finding solace and support in each other's company on their journey towards healing.

The book was a light, realistic, enjoyable read. Can't wait for others to read it.
Publication date is July 9th.

I loved Cat Shook’s debut novel, If Were Being Honest. So I was excited to see she was coming out with a new book. This book started out slow and took me awhile to get into, but by the end I was totally invested in Presley’s life! Allison of the different relationships in the book seem random, but I loved how they all came together in the end. It was so sweet and really put a smile on my face. I enjoyed how Presley’s character grew and evolved throughout the book. She struggled with her mother’s death and I think a lot of readers will find that relatable. There is romance in this book, but it definitely isn’t the focal point.

The narrator did a great job bringing Presley to life! I do think her man’s voice needs a little work. Clark came across as very whiny and he wasn’t.

Overall, this is an engaging book full of friendship, comedy, and finding yourself! I recommend it to readers who enjoy reading about female friendships with a hint of romance.

Loved this “coming of age” story! It very much captured what life is like as a young professional mid 20s living in NYC! The characters were great.

My only complaint was I didn’t care for the voice the narrator gave to Clark.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to listen to this novel. It’s a fantastic story, in a NY setting. It made this NY’ers heart happy.

"Humor Me" is a heartwarming romantic comedy set in New York City. It's about Presley, a young woman dealing with the loss of her mom to alcoholism. Despite the heavy stuff, there's a lot of humor, office drama, and romance.

Presley's journey involves her crush, Adam, her friend Izzy, and her mom's old pal, Susan. They help each other through tough times and discover what matters in life.

The book does a great job of mixing serious topics with lighter moments. It's a fun read with relatable characters and a satisfying ending. If you're into romcoms with a side of NYC charm, this one's for you!

Thank you, Netgalley, for the audiobook, and thank you, Celadon Books, for the physical ARC! Humor Me will be released in July 2024!

The narrator was good I just didn't really like how the romance sub plot was so small because I love a good romance moms set-up moment.