Presley Fry is an Assistant at a late-night comedy show, but she wants to work her way up, and be "more". So of course there is little time for her love-life. Presley also wants to throw herself into her work, because she loves it, and it keeps her mind off the recent death of her mother and their very complicated relationship. So when out of the blue her mother's old friend emerges into Presley's life, it is not completely welcomed... but is it something that she needs...?

I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed this novel. Presley was a well-thought out and developed character. I was also fond of the empowerment throughout the novel. Susan was a complete polar opposite from Presley, but at the same time they each had something to lend to the other, and found ways to help each other through the difficult times. Presley and Susan's relationship had me laughing from the start, and I loved seeing the dynamic of friends of all ages and genders working through the difficulties of their lives.

I also found the audio quality to be good and the production to be enjoyable to listen.

I would recommend this audiobook to anyone that has a soft spot for rom-coms, and female empowerment.

An enormous thank you to MacMillan Audio for sending me this audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

I really really enjoyed Presley as a main character. This book felt so real to me in navigating friendships, relationships, grief, and work life.

Not every little moment had its closure, but that’s how real life works. We got enough that I was satisfied with how things shaped out to be.

Presley was wonderful and really did so much growth over the course of the book in working through some of the bottled up grief she’d been holding on to; she realized how crappy her friend was that she’d been harboring a crush on, and actually created boundaries. She stood up for herself in moments that I think we all need reminders for it being OKAY to not be okay or happy and to stop trying so hard to please others.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read and I’d definitely read more from this author.

Presley Frey is an assistant on a late-night television show. She loves the comedy scene, especially discovering talented up-and-coming stand-up comics. In her personal life, Presley guards her heart and is trying to cope with grief from her mother’s death last year. When an unexpected friendship comes her way in the form of her mother’s old best friend Susan, it brings growth and healing into Presley’s life.

I really enjoyed this character-driven novel. I loved the found family aspect of Presley’s relationship with Susan; their dynamic provided both sweet moments and laugh-out-loud ones. Presley’s character arc is the star of the story, and Cat Shook does such a great job of making Presley feel authentic and relatable. Although there are some heavy topics here (grief, infidelity, #MeToo), there are many funny and tender moments too, and the overall vibe is heartfelt and hopeful.

Ferdelle Capistrano narrates the audiobook, and she does a great job embodying Presley! I also love the way she voices Susan, making her sound like the well-meaning but slightly out-of-touch upper cruster she is. A great listening experience!

If you loved Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, you’ll love this homage to the NYC comedy scene. Many thanks to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the advance review copies.

This book was my first by this author and I enjoyed it! I thought there was a lot going on and some of the plot lines were underdeveloped so the book felt a little unfinished. I thought the characters were interesting and I really enjoyed Presley and Susan's relationship and their ability to bond about their shared past with Presley's mother. I didn't necessarily enjoy the romance subplots of this story. I am glad she stood up for herself and recognized her value but I just didn't enjoy that plotline.

Humor Me is not a laugh-out-loud comedy style read, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I’d suggest going elsewhere. However, if what you seek is a lovely, well-written story of love and life and grief and feeling lost and friendship and family and trying to find direction, and yes a dose of humor, then I definitely recommend this book.

Humor Me is a tale full of life’s complexities and a relatable and sympathetic heroine. It deals with so many serious issues yet manages to remain a relatively light and enjoyable reading experience. I found Presley easy to root for and was pleasantly surprised at the depth I found within these pages. This would make a nice, more substantial summer beach read, but could also easily be appreciated year-round.

Ferdelle Capistrano did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

Many thanks to Cat Shook, Celadon Books, and Bookish First for the gifted copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I listened to this book with my book club,. I enjoyed the flow of the storyline, the character development, and the characters in general. I would definitely recommend to others for an enjoyable read.

A fun, lighter read that still contains depth. Early on, I felt like this was Curtis Sittenfeld-esque, and it has that rom-com flare. However, I actually liked this author more. She developed the characters in depth, built the relationships solidly and didn’t use the setting to prop up her story. Solid rec.

The narrator on the audiobook, Ferdelle Capistrano, really made this shine.

Humor Me tells the story of Presley Fry, twenty-something standup comedy enthusiast and assistant at the Late Night Show, set against the backdrop of New York City as the Me Too movement is gaining more and more momentum. In many ways it’s a love letter to New York from the perspective of a transplant to the city, a study in coming to terms with grief, and a story of how much one is still growing up in their 20s.

The synopsis description of Presley as “jaded” is certainly apt. She’s not a warm and fuzzy type, and she keeps most people at arm’s length. I loved watching her friendship develop with Susan, Presley’s late mother’s friend, and especially adored how Clark interacts with Presley.

I appreciated the depictions of grief, the complicated feelings associated with it, and the different versions of it—grief over a loved one, who meant different things to different people, and grief over changing friendships and relationships.

There are romantic elements to the story, but they aren’t the focal point. Humor Me is more about Presley coming of age and her evolving friendships.

Ferdelle Capistrano’s narration captures Presley’s personality so well. I enjoyed her vocal choices for the other characters, too, especially how she portrays Susan’s warmth and Clark’s affability.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

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!

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the advance listening opportunity of *Humor Me* by Cat Shook. Presley Fry is an assistant on a late-night show, scouting for comics in hopes of landing her big break. Throughout the story, Presley navigates a whirlwind of emotions, often unsure how to handle them. Her journey leads her to form a wonderful relationship with Susan, and she surprises herself by becoming more open-minded about relationships. The narrator did an outstanding job, making it impossible to stop listening. Download this audiobook ASAP and dive into the adventure that is Presley Fry's life! From career ambitions to personal growth, *Humor Me* is a captivating and heartfelt story you won’t want to miss.

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 & 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒐𝒓 𝑴𝒆 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐲, 𝐚 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐘𝐂 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛. 𝐈𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲-𝐭𝐨-𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 “𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭.” 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐨𝐟-𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐨𝐟-𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐞𝐧-𝐙. 𝐈𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞-𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧; 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒞𝒶𝓉 𝒮𝒽𝑜𝑜𝓀, 𝒞𝑒𝓁𝒶𝒹𝑜𝓃 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

I kind of fell in love with Cat Shook’s latest novel, “Humor Me.” I really wasn’t expecting that - I don’t mean that in a negative way - I thoroughly expected to enjoy this book from the beginning, but by the end, I was completely hooked on all of the characters, New York, the comedy scene, and the found family that Presley surrounded herself with.

A coming of age story about Presley Fry, a 20-something assistant at The Late Night Show who scouts comedians in New York; Presley navigates work, friendships, grief, and even relationships as she begins to come into her own. I loved the emphasis this storyline had for female friendships and all the subtleties within. Presley’s relationship with Isabelle is an authentic female friendship with all the love, angst, and support that you hope for from your besties. I thought the pacing was realistic allowing each of the novel’s relationships (platonic and romantic) to develop at a natural pace that lent itself to becoming truly connected to the characters. Susan is delightfully awkward as she tries to befriend Presley and set her up with Susan’s son even as she navigates family changes and unwanted media attention in the midst of the me too movement.

A heartfelt story that even made me a little teary, “Humor Me” is a must read that I cannot recommend enough! I loved audiobook narrator Ferdelle Capistrano who expertly brought each of the characters and storyline to life, particularly Presley. I’ll definitely be watching for other books she narrates. I switched back and forth between the audiobook and ebook; thanks @macmillan.audio @celadonbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read #humorme by @catshook_ I am a fan!

#celadonbooks #macmillanaudio #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #fiction #comingofagebook #humorme #humormebook #catshook #ferdellecapistrano #audiobooknarrator #netgalley #bookrecommendations #bookreview #highlyrecommend #strongfemalecharacters #youshouldreadthis #bookgeek #booknerd #imnotreadytomakenice #dixiechicks

Humor Me by Cat Shook is her sophomore novel. Her debut novel did not disappoint, and neither does this one. Whereas the first centered mostly on the relationships within a biological family, this one centers on friendships and the family that the protagonist constructs. The setting is the New York City comedy scene, hence the title. We journey with Presley Fry as she navigates the grief of her deceased mother and grappling with whether she can do an intimate relationship, other than the one with her best friend, with humor softening many blows. Ride with Presley as she figures it all out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.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🍷

The story of Presley, a young woman who has faced loss, avoids love, leans into friendship, and makes life a little lighter with comedy.

I really wanted to love this book because of the premise, but it didn't quite do it for me. I'm not sure if it's that there were a lot of different storylines happening for the main character or what, but it was just okay in my opinion

💭 MY THOUGHTS: I really just couldn’t get past the fact that I did not like Presley, the book’s female lead. She was not intentionally unlikable. I get she was dealing with the loss of her mother and hang ups from her past, but she really could not get out of her own way. She would often contradict herself in her own inner monologues and I could not find it in me to root for her. I felt she was too good for Lawrence. His patience for her was impressive a he deserves a medal for putting up with her hot then cold attitude. She also was really judgmental of people while condemning others for doing the same. End rant.

I did like the supporting characters though. They were dynamic and interesting and although I don’t understand why, really supported Presley and were great friends to her.

🎧 The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job bringing through all the different emotions Presley grapples with. Scenes of the comedians doing their acts were great to listen to as well.

Read for:
💙 Loss of a Parent
🍄 Unlikely Friendships
🚺 #MeToo References
🤣 Stand Up Comedy World
🔎 Single POV
📍 New York

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Level: 🌶️ / 5

Humor Me was a cute and quirky novel about a girl who was coming to understand who she truly was as a person. I enjoyed reading about her job, watching her friendships blossom and joining her on her journey of love. It was definitely more of a slow burn trope, but she really needed some time to navigate her emotions. I personally felt the story ended rather abruptly and would have loved to see an epilogue, but I’m hoping the author just left the door open for a book two. Overall, worth the time to read!

NetGalley gifted me and ARC of this book, but all opinions expressed are my own.

I listened to the audio version of Humor Me. The narrator did a wonderful job, however I feel like the book fell a bit flat. You were told the story of a glimpse in the main characters life. However, I feel that there was no true plot. There were a lot of characters that were difficult to keep up with at times. Not a bad book at all, just not what I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A great book about female friendships, death of parent, starting out in a career and finding love when you least expect it. I enjoyed the characters and the NY setting, reference to Nora Ephron romcoms, Strand bookstore, family friends, and comedians.
I enjoyed the male/female work relationship that refer back to When Harry Met Sally and ask the same question can men and women be friends with NO benefits? The answer is, it depends. Presley’s bond with her grandparents reminded me of my own grandparents, some of the best people that I knew.
If you are looking for a book about friendships, starting out in careers and finding closure of death of parent you will enjoy this, I did.

Humor Me

A Love Story to NYC. This book is so strong on female friendship, navigating your 20s and grief.

Cat Shook writes a rom-com unlike anyone else! You even forget about the romance because the characters dynamics are so entertaining you just want to experience their lives as they go.

Presley is such a complete FMC, we navigate the story thorough her eyes and seeing her discovering herself, going through love and heartbreak, friendships in the most interesting ways and also dealing with the loss of her mom and navigating grief is truly amazing.

It literally felt like I was walking down each place of NY on my own, it was so realistic and entertaining. I loved the scenarios of the book and how vividly they were described and truly brought to life!

The narrator was also so good! She really transmitted all the feelings and was capable of painting a perfect scenery for the book. It was so good to listen to this book and feel NY with you, in your mind.