This is the third romance novella released by 831 Stories, skewing more towards lit fiction than romance compared to the first two. If Big Fan is the romance equivalent of tomato soup with grilled cheese, this is Italian wedding with crusty garlic bread. No idea where that analogy came from, but it feels right. It was overall just a like for me. The story follows the friends-to-lovers situationship arc of Naina and David. Naina is new to NYC, having fled Chicago following the breakup of a long-term relationship. She’s drawn to David, but has a lot to figure out before starting a new relationship. This is not the situationship of your college years (no one wants to read about that hot mess of cringey behavior lol). Instead, it draws from more adult issues- the trauma and scars that result from having actually lived, loved, and lost. It was dense, and at times hit a little too close to home despite my experiences being so different than Naina’s. Kudos to the author, Upasna Barath, for that one. Everything came on too strong and too fast for me, maybe the curse of a novella. I didn’t feel like I had a chance to figure out who Naina was, or feel an emotional connection to her before we dove right into the whole tangled mess of interpersonal relationships. I felt too tired to cheer at the end of it, but appreciated that it was well written and a unique story. If you’re a fan of happy endings that really make you work for it, fictional relationships that have realistic messiness, or just in a headspace where you want to put on someone else’s shoes and walk around in them (I was absolutely not), you should pick this up!

I loved this story. Both characters were emotionally intelligent and mature. There wasn’t major conflict dealing with miscommunication which is refreshing. They were fleshed out, full characters who were imperfectly human. Telling a love story rooted in a situationship seems difficult but this felt seamless and surprisingly real. I wish it were longer because I would’ve loved getting more from the last third of the story. Overall a lovely read.

What’s comedic is how I convinced myself how this was good while reading it. Looking back, it’s just okay.

I’ve read better, but I’ve also read much worse.

I think the only reason I would purchase a copy is if I got the rest of 831’s books because they all looked pretty beside each other. Otherwise, I couldn’t care less.

This was the perfect slow burn novella for me. I loved the chemistry between the characters and really loved the way Naina’s queer identity was explored and validated. I would love to see Chloe and Christian’s story.

I absolutely devoured this book in one day. Never in my life did I think I’d be crushing over a book boyfriend named David and yet here we are!!!

Barath’s writing is so authentic and relatable and it makes me enjoy a book even more when I can see myself within certain elements of the characters.

I was lucky enough to get to attend an event with the author, and getting to hear about her influences and thought process while writing this story was so lovely.

831 stories has been killing it with their recent releases and I can’t wait to see what they come out with next!

I was intrigued by the premise but this just wasn't for me. I struggled to get invested in the characters and it all fell pretty flat.

This book was an enjoyable, quick read but I think it left something to be desired. I know it's the nature of a novella, but things moved quickly and I wanted to see more of Naina and David's actual relationship. Although that being said, it is definitely a testament to the character development that I was left wanting so much more of their interactions.

Comedic Timing is about 25 y/o Naina who recently ended a long relationship with her ex-girlfriend and moved to NYC, and she is exploring her sexuality. I really struggled to get into this short story, it’s around 170 pages long, but it felt like it was dragging. My main issue with the text was the awkward, overly introspective dialogue between the main characters. It felt completely unrealistic. I could not feel their chemistry at all. My fav part of this novella was Naina’s struggle with her sexuality. I thought it was very well done. I also wanted there to be more comedy since many of the characters were comedians. Overall, this was a 2.75-star rating for me. I love the 831 story Easter eggs that was fun. I will continue to read through all their published stories so far because I am enjoying them. Many thanks to 831 Stories & NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can't believe this is a debut novel. Upasna's writing is SO GOOD. I devoured this novella. I loved the character development and the characters themselves. It made me sooo happy to see a realistic bisexual character. I truly cannot wait for Upasna's next book.

I really enjoyed this overall- I think it makes great points about being kind to yourself and accepting the humanness of being imperfect and flawed. I felt a little disconnected from the main character and her choices but could see why she needed to make them and learn from them.

Comedic Timing is pitched as a modern New York City love story, which feels pretty appropriate. This feels like one of those rom coms that is an indie, quirky, artsy story. It follows our main character, Naina, who has just moved from Chicago to New York City for a new job after breaking up with her longtime girlfriend back in Chicago. You watch her navigate making new friends and living in the series and getting accustomed to her new job and also trying to launch her creative career. While at a party, she meets David, who is an aspiring filmmaker and to have a pretty strong connection over the next few meetings. But she doesn’t really know if this connection is a professional one about their creative interest, or if it’s a romantic one. She’s also trying to figure out what it means for her sexuality when she is catching feelings for a man after being in a long-term relationship with a woman. Most of the romance deals with the confusion that comes with navigating a situationship where you haven't defined exactly what you relationship is with another person. Naina makes a few mistakes throughout this book in regards to her relationship with David and her relationship with their friends and roommate, and I really feel like this book was written for the messy desi girls who are 20 something and just trying to figure life out postgrad living alone away from family. I really like the writing style of this book too, it was very artsy like the vibe of this book, so I'm excited to see if there are other stories that this author publishes in the future.

I’ve been really excited to check out Comedic Timing by Upasna Barath—831 Stories always puts out such fun, quick reads, and their covers are so simple yet eye-catching! This novella follows Naina, a 25-year-old who moves to New York after breaking up with her ex-girlfriend, Sofia. Just as she’s trying to figure out her next steps, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to a man—David—who immediately gets on her nerves by making assumptions about her sexuality based on how she looks. (He’s surprised to learn she’s dated women before.)

I really enjoyed Naina and David’s dynamic. Their connection feels natural, their banter is sharp, and their conversations never feel forced. While the book is a romance, it also offers a thoughtful look at gender politics and sexual fluidity, exploring complex emotions without feeling heavy-handed. I had such a great time reading this and flew through it in just a couple of sittings!

Thank you to @831storieshq and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for what 831 Stories puts out next.

I love 831 Stories! Their books always have great content and are super quick reads. However, I just finished Comedic Timing by Upasna Barath, and I have mixed feelings. The story follows Naina, who is navigating a sexuality crisis as she unexpectedly starts developing feelings for a man despite typically being attracted to women—especially her ex, Sofia. While I enjoyed the overall storyline, there were moments that felt like borderline cheating, which made it less enjoyable for me. That said, it was still a fast and engaging read! Thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The author did a wonderful job describing Naina's inner, honest thoughts as she wrestled with what it meant that she, who identified as gay, was attracted to a man. Brava!

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I struggled to get through it, mainly because I didn’t feel for the FMC. She got out of a long term relationship, moved to NYC, and started meeting people. That’s great, but then I didn’t understand her motives. Why was she the way she was? What caused it.

The “relationship” was filled with problems, and it feels like it was weirdly resolved, and I don’t know if it’s going to go the distance.

I will say, it is accurate to the real world, so if you like to read romcoms about relationships that are true and messy, you may enjoy this!

Thanks to 831 Stories for an eARC in exchange for my honest review #Team831

I’ve been really into @831storieshq’s marketing—I love the simple but catchy covers!—and was excited to read my first book from them, Comedic Timing by Upasna Barath. I REALLY liked this novella! It follows Naina, a 25 year old who recently moved to New York after a breakup with a woman. She finds herself confused when she’s attracted to a man: David, who initially upsets her by making assumptions about her sexuality based on the way she dresses (he expressed surprise that she had dated a woman).

I thought the burgeoning relationship between Naina and David was really well-written. Their connection feels genuine, they have great banter, and their dialogue felt really natural to me. I feel like I read a lot of books with unlikeable protagonists (which I love!), and it was so nice to spend time with Naina and David, who were (mostly) really likeable.

I don’t tend to read a lot of romance (but I’m working on it!), so dipping my toe into the romance genre with a novella was really perfect. It was short and I read it in just a couple of sittings, but the characters felt fully fleshed-out. It was sweet AND a sharp look at gender politics and sexual fluidity.

Thank you to @831storieshq and @netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for 831 Stories’s next outing!

Thank you to 831 Stories for this ARC!

If you’re looking for a fun, flirty, perfectly-paced burn that you can read in a night look no further! The characters are people I’d definitely be friends with!

I found the amount of characters and complexities of the narrative easy to follow. I also really love the way the characters were fleshed out in this shorter story. Sometimes I find the male characters in romance novels to come off as a bit cliche or cheesy but love the way these characters were developed! Definitely not cheesy, they were well-thought out! The underground comedy scene of it all was also a fun angle!

I really loved the way Naina’s sexuality was expressed and talked about. Def rooting for her and David!

4.5/5 stars!

I have loved all of the 831 Stories so far and Comedic Timing is no different! I would recommend this book to any romance reader, but especially to one who is trying to break out of a reading slump. The Bi representation in this book was very realistic and I believe the romance will resonate to many in their 20s and 30s.

3.75 rounded up to 4 stars

This was my first delve into a romance novella and I was worried that things would feel rushed and inauthentic like this whirlwind romance, but that wasn't the case at all. This novella does a great job of spanning a decent amount of time without feeling like you lose any detail despite the length.

As a bisexual woman I felt very seen by this representation. The need to prove your queerness as a straight passing queer person is draining and very real. This story felt raw and true to that experience in a way I really appreciate, I think honestly I just would've wanted more of their story

Ok so much happened in less than 200 pages and felt so realistic to dating in your 20’s/30’s, figuring your life out, and growing with someone. Even the frustrations of each other Loved exploring Naina’s identity crisis after her break up and her fluidity of sexuality.

David is perfect, no notes <3 <3 <3 Yes, he def smells good and knows how to ask women questions and go after someone he likes. They don’t make men like him anymore (except in fiction)!