Comedic Timing is my first foray into 831 Stories. It’s a company that’s interesting to me: they market themselves as an entertainment company that publishes books but also creates “loyal, active fan communities” based on those books. An interview with the creators and Glamour cites how for their debut book, you can not only read the novella itself, but stream a song on Spotify referenced in the book, buy a piece of jewelry mentioned in it, and read an epilogue from the characters online. When I navigate to 831 Stories website, I’m prompted to buy a ticket to “spend the night with Comedic Timing author Upasna Barath and a wine tasting matched with passages from her debut romance at Lovestruck Books in Cambridge”. It’s a cocktail of community, world-building, and books, and I’m impressed by the ambition. So far, each of the three books published by the company come in at a crisp ~170 pages and have slick branding that strays from the norms of the modern rom-com cartoon character covers that plague a corner of every bookstore I walk into. So there’s the vision: how is the execution?

In this case, it’s fine. We follow Naina as she moves to New York post-break-up, goes to parties and comedy shows, is offered drugs with great frequency (do we need to capitalize Molly? Do any style guides cover this?), and has a surprisingly un-steamy friendship with a tall man named David that tumbles unceremoniously into a relationship. Why didn’t this really work for me? I guess I figured when I signed up to get an ARC for a romance novel, I expected a little banter, steaminess, playfulness, and fun. Instead, I got a maybe too-realistic love story. Some awkward moments, miscommunication, a bit of mess, a boring job, a dream of writing… satirical essays about the Internet. A little drab for me. Maybe this was meant to be a will-they-won’t-they story, but in 160 pages, all you can really do is will-they-okay-they-just-did. Didn’t quite land for me, but I’m still compelled by the fantasy of a funky-brainy-romance-novella-company that I’ll likely be back for more.

I really enjoyed this novella!!! I thought for being a short book, the characters and plot still felt appropriately flushed out. I also think that this book perfectly depicts what it’s like to date in your 20s, to like someone and not be sure where you stand but feel so consumed with thoughts of them that it makes you feel so anxious.

I ate up this story and am looking forward to 831s other novellas!!

I enjoyed this novella. You follow Naina who makes some questionable decisions while she recovers from a breakup in NYC and discovers her sexuality. This story brings you back to partying in your 20s and dating cute boys.

Thank you NetGalley and the 831 Team. I read 'A Modern Romance' to kickoff the year and I'll be coming back for more!

Comedic Timing is a quick and introspective romance between Naina, who is starting fresh in New York after the break-up of a 5-year relationship, and David, who she forms a fast friendship with.

Naina’s journey is the perfect realization of our young generation, especially when it comes to romance. She is still discovering new aspects of herself, like her aspirations and sexuality while trying to adapt to a new life. I think she will be relatable to so many readers!

Naina and David’s relationship development from friends to more was great, and I really enjoyed all of their conversations on life, art, and so many interesting topics. However, their communication regarding their feelings for each other was lacking, especially when they were so open with each other in other areas.

My only issue with this book was that I thought it could have used another 50 pages or so to really finish out Naina’s character arc. In the second half, she was going through a lot of emotions, and it felt a bit like whiplash to get to the happy ending.

Thank you to 831 Stories for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Oh.

If you have any lingering doubt that 831 Stories is a novel idea that will get old fast... let it go. Now.

Comedic Timing is a wonderful continuation into the 831 Universe, this time centering Naina, a Chicago-transplant new to NYC and hoping to start over. She owes it all to her best friend, who introduces her to a friend he knows in Brooklyn, thus kicking off our love story.

Enter: David. Tall, hot, and *checks notes* a fuckboy according to his ex but so so sweet to Naina. But, honestly? The real love story develops as Naina (our bisexual queen!) learns how to give herself grace and understanding as she navigates being attracted to a man for the first time. It's a straight awakening for the ages.

To Upasna Barath, thank you! Your pithy writing and sarcastic comedy were right at home with me as a reader and I enjoyed reading about the struggles bisexual people face trying to fit in on both sides of their sexuality. I wish your pillow to be always cold, and your favorite Mischief song to always come on shuffle.

This was extremely breezy; I read it in one sitting. The breeziness was effective in shepherding the romance along (I liked the romance), but also held me back from enjoying much else (character, plot, etc). The writing had a weird thing where it was simultaneously showing and telling, so I received every piece of information twice but, to repeat myself (meta) this was short so it didn't grate for too long. Recommended for bike riders!

Comedic Timing by Upasna Barath is such a good depiction of modern love — not the fairy tale kind, but the kind that’s messy, confusing, and imperfect. The characters struggle with communication, they hurt each other, and they make mistakes, but that’s exactly what makes them so real. You can’t help but root for them, even when they’re hurting each other or messing things up.

What I loved most about this novella is how it captures the highs and lows of being young and trying to figure out love and who you are. It also touches on deeper themes like grief. Even though it’s a quick read, it hits hard emotionally and feels so authentic. Barath does an incredible job of capturing that messy, vulnerable feeling of starting a relationship and not having everything figured out yet.

This is the second novella I’ve read from 831 Stories, and I’m definitely looking forward to more! If you like stories about the messiness of modern relationships and characters who feel like real people, you’ll want to check this one out.

The contemporary romance genre can start to feel repetitive and predictable, and I love that Comedic Timing and the other 831 novellas take a totally different path. The plot and characters are unlike other romances I’ve read, and I like how 831 upends some of the conventions of the genre — like having an obligatory “married with two kids” epilogue, for example.

Naina and David are complicated lead characters, and they’re not perfectly likeable throughout the whole story. I found Naina to be pretty immature (reasonable enough, giving her age and limited romantic experience), and I thought David’s character could have been explored more (but why couldn’t he text while on that trip?!). Still, I think having leads who aren’t completely perfect makes the story more interesting and engaging.

All in all, I thought this was a quick and interesting read, which packed a lot of punch into the novella format.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Writer Naina moved from Chicago to New York for a new start. Freshly broken up with her long-term girlfriend, Naina is ambitiously pursuing publication of her essays, partying with friends, falling for a filmmaker named David and finding herself along the way.

At less than 200 pages, Comedic Timing is an easily digestible novella for those who want a quick read to get out of a slump. It is painful, messy and authentic— not a romantic comedy. (The FMC desperately needs therapy for her rage management.)

Thank you to #NetGalley and 831 Stories for an advanced reader copy of #ComedicTiming. To be published Jan. 28, 2025.

This book is the equivalent of pouring one out for all of my girlies who lived in NYC in their 20s (specifically NYC - sorry, it's all I know!). I felt in moments that I was taking a trip down my own memory lane, recalling these scenes as if they happened in my past apartments, parties that took place in those quirky Brooklyn apartments that you were pretty sure were not meant to be homes. I saw a lot of myself in Naina, and a lot of my best loves in David, and I really appreciated Upsana Barath for bringing a deft touch to this grounded, realistic romance in Comedic Timing.

The style of writing is of the same flavor of 831 Stories' previous two releases, and is a welcome a departure from the celebrity-woes-normie fantasy (though more of that, too, please). This is a satisfying story, but it did fall flat for me in spots. I was really yearning for a stronger conclusion to Naina's mental and emotional journey through her queerness, but I felt it got a little lost in the plot of the romance in the last third of the book.

This one is worth a shot. It may not be the favorite read, but it should go down easy and sate most appetites.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC!

Thank you to 831 Stories for sharing this ARC.

I went in very excited to read this - my second read from 831 - but more so because of the South Asian representation! As a fellow South Asian, we love to see representation, particularily in the romance setting.

That said, I don’t think I was the best audience for this read. I couldn’t relate to Naina. Not that I need to but it does make it harder to sympathize with her. I found her to be quite annoying and I couldn’t support her actions. I wish this was longer to maybe have explored her relationship with David - definitely needed more flushing out. I see a mini sequel of sorts that could help.

Comedic Timing
This might be my favorite release by 831 Stories?! Every time they release a book, I feel like I say this. Now on to Comedic Timing by Upsana Barath. This was absolutely brilliant and so, so, well done. It had so much packed into a short amount of pages and it didn’t feel rushed. It was well thought out and processed different topics in a way that was approachable and made me want to engage. I found Naina’s growth around emotional regulation so real (and so relatable)! I was rooting for Naina to be able to process her sexual identity authentically and in an unproblematic way, and by the end of Comedic Timing, I thought she was able to :’)

I adored the chemistry between David and Naina!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the ARC

I thought this book was pretty realistic, much more so than typical romance books which is perhaps why I didn't like it as much as I do other books in this category. I thought the topics it explored were interesting. It definitely felt like reading an author's debut novel. But I would be excited to read more of her work as it comes out in the future!

Comedic Timing is another quick, fun romance from 831 Stories, perfect for a cozy evening read. Like the rest of their output, it delivers a bite-sized love story that’s enjoyable and engaging. The romance has its charm, but I struggled to connect with the male main character, which made the story feel a bit uneven for me.

While I absolutely adore 831 Stories' mission to provide compact and accessible romance reads, I can’t help but wish this one had been a full-length novel! The premise and characters have so much potential, and I would’ve loved to see them fleshed out even more. Still, if you're in the mood for a light, quick romance, this one will do the trick!

I'm a big fan of 831 Stories' brand and mission, and have enjoyed their output so far (particularly Big Fan, which was a great choice for first publication). Comedic Timing, unfortunately, didn't quite work for me. Following Naina as she moves to NYC for a new job and after her first break-up, she meets David at a party and they don't get off on the right foot. She is surprised that she feels drawn to him, though, and their connection unfolds as they meet again. I found the writing stiff and clunky, which contributed to not feeling connected to the characters or story. I wasn't particularly drawn in by Naina and David either, which feels key for a 831 Stories novella. That said, I appreciated the themes that Barath is exploring here: grief, break-ups, queer identity, figuring things out in your mid-twenties, making a creative life. Naina is a relatably mid-20s woman trying to figure herself out and get past insecurities and other barriers as she begins a new life for herself.

I am going to be honest - I've not always been a romance reader. And even now, it takes me a lot to fully buy-in to a romance read. This book, my friends, had me totally buying in. Rather than being cheesy or full of fluffy dialogue, it was intimate, tender, and vulnerable.

This is the story of Naina, who has just moved to New York following the break-up of a serious relationship. She is a bit raw, a bit self-conscious, and still feel like a bit of an outsider when she meets David, who throws a bit of a wrench into how things go from there - all a bit unexpected from what she likely thought was in the cards for her.

I have to say it - I'm also loving the representation in this book, which is woven into the story so organically, exactly as it should be.

This was a short, tender, impactful read that I very much recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, 831 Stories and Upasna Barath for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.75⭐️
Naina recently broke up with her girlfriend in Chicago and moved to New York. Soon after, she meets David and they have a connection. As their friendship develops, Naina begins to question her feelings for him and what that means regarding her sexuality.

Naina is a very flawed character who I struggled with but maybe because I saw some immature and unhealthy behavior I probably have done in the past.

David seemed much more mature and confident in himself. He was able to address, talk through and move beyond some of Naina’s behavior.

Overall, this was interesting as it dove into pushing yourself, asking for what you want and taking ownership in your action and life but it and the characters didn’t really draw me in.

Cute. Just a bit boring how they kept repeating the same storyline of Naina and David needing space, not wanting to talk at the moment over and over again until the very last line when they get together

I LOVED this book! It's always great when a romance book goes beyond the tropes (while still embracing them) to dive into something deeper. I love the way she explored her sexuality and unpacked her own bisexuality in this book. So so good!

You will like this book if you like: reading about people cooler than you, attending house parties, regularly staying up ‘til 2am talking to a boy, and bisexual panic 🏳️‍🌈🚬