I really, really liked this book - it was smart, tender, funny, sweet, and I flew through it. But even at 350 pages, things never felt quite fleshed out. I could have used another hundred pages in this book, in part because I really liked Gabe and Chana, but also because things just felt... not all the way there. I wasn't sufficiently convinced of their connection in the parts ten years ago, Gabe at some point references how his family loves her when the evidence seems to point to the contrary, and honestly I think it would have benefitted from being dual-POV.

But it was fun to read. Gabe's friend Ollie is a fucking delight, and I think the book takes a really kind, insightful look at what it means to be an alcoholic, and then an alcoholic in recovery. I'd definitely pick up future work from this author.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing me with an eARC in exchange from my honest review! It was so good, I had to go out and buy it as soon as it was released.

I loooved this book. The concept was so interesting and fun. A journalist interviews a Hollywood heartthrob set to be the next James Bond. The interview turns into something Chani Horowitz never would've planned as a journalist - she has a spontaneous weekend and ends up getting closer than expected with movie star Gabe Parker. Ten years later, Gabe Parker's PR team requests Chani for a second interview. And she wants to find out what that weekend a decade ago meant to him. So she says yes.

This book has so many tropes wrapped into one: celebrity + normal person, second-chance romance, dual timelines. It's got it all. I also loved the casual Jewish representation. I found myself relating a lot to Chani as a character, which made me love the book even more. And I absolutely swooned over Gabe Parker.

I felt that there was a lot of buildup, which I know was the point, but I would've loved to see more of their life together. I don't say this about many books, but I would've read 100 more pages of their relationship.

Overall, I adored this book. Definitely judge this book by the cover, because it's just as fun as it seems.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the digital arc of this book!

I am such a sucker for the celebrity dating and second chance romance tropes y’all, and this book didn’t disappoint!

This was a fun take on the second chance romance. Chani Horowitz got a once in a lifetime to interview her celebrity crush Gabe Parker, who is set to be the next James Bond. What was supposed to be just an interview turns into the interview going viral and a crazy weekend between the two. Ten years later, they are reunited as Chani prepares for a second interview with Gabe, but she doesn’t know if she’s ready to face him. Funny You Should Ask tells Chani and Gabe’s stories in a dual timeline with articles, blog posts, and interviews sprinkled in throughout the story, which I LOVED. This is a slow burn though, and when I say slow burn I mean SLOWWW. But there’s plenty of angst, plenty of drama, and I desperately wanted to know what happened between Chani and Gabe. I loved Chani as a character - she is someone that I would want as a friend IRL!

I really loved this book, and if second chance romance is your jam, then you will love it too!! 💖💖

***BOOK REVIEW***
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Funny You Should Ask
Author: Elissa Sussman

I enjoyed Funny You Should Ask. I liked seeing the growth that Chani and Gabe did in between their meetings. And now finding themselves led them back to each other.

At the end I wanted a little more than Gabe’s article. I would definitely recommend this book

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for of an honest review

Cute book but I find I did not connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. I wanted to love this book more as I have started to enjoy this trope more! The romance was cute, and I did enjoy watching our heroine take back her joy and happiness! I was rooting for them the whole book!! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing this ARC!

A guilty pleasure read. I was wildly invested in the protagonist and devoured this book in two days. This rom com of a book follows Chani, a journalist, and Gabe, a handsome up-and-coming actor who spend three memorable days together in LA for an interview, and then find themselves in a similar interview ten years later. It’s a sweet and cheesy story with just the right amount of anticipation and humor. If that’s your thing, I highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's a whole lot of book, but somehow manages to feel like it's missing a good chunk. I came away from reading it not understanding how Gabe and Chani ended up together. Do these two even know each other? It's romance...I guess.

Absolutely loved this one, this book was such a fun read. Similar stories have been done before, like Notting Hill, but this didn't seem like a repeat story. I really enjoyed the whole they liked eachother 10 years ago and still like eachother now thing, it was meant to be! I was grinning throughout reading it, It made me feel all the things. I would definitely recommend this one.

Very entertaining and enjoyable romance! Likable characters that are quite realistic despite the "Hollywood" setting. Absolutely charming love story!

I love the dual timeline in this story. It seamless flowed from past to present with fun magazine articles thrown in the mix. The pacing was on point which can be difficult to accomplish when tackling dual timelines.

I simply loved the chemistry between Gabe and Chani. I honestly wanted this story to keep going and never end. This is definitely a top favorite of the year for me and I’m so honored I got a chance to read an arc!

I really enjoyed this book! The story is about a young journalist who is tasked with profiling her celebrity crush. The simple interview becomes a weekend to remember and was more than she ever could've imagined. The story evolved and 10 years later, they are still infatuated with one another but have baggage to unpack from their first weekend together all those years ago. Loved how through all of the highs and lows each character faced in their careers/personal lives, they still found their way back to one another.

This book just didn’t really do it for me. I found it slow. I wanted to love it, as an OwnVoices reviewer, it I didn’t love the protagonist, and though the whole premise wasn’t particularly flattering to female journalists. I think this will be a quick, fun read for anyone who can see past the stereotyping, but I couldn’t.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this!

Full of emotional depth and humour, FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK is a whip-smart, slow burn romance that explores the possibility of an everyday person and a celebrity falling for each other.

Covering a span of ten years, Sussman jumps between what happened back then and what’s happening now, as she takes us through the budding relationship between Hollywood heartthrob Gabe and journalist Chani. The pages sizzle with tension and witty banter and I was sucked into their world from the first chapter.

The way this book was structured, relying on the alternating timelines and well as articles and posts to lay out the story, was fresh and different. This is a book I’m still thinking about days after I finished it.

Also: I requested this book before I even read the synopsis based on how great the cover was so this is definitely a case of when judging a book by its cover pays off in spades.

My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

THIS BOOK. I devoured this book in three days (well three nights really since I stayed up way past my bed time a few days in a row reading this amazing story) and it was one of the best decisions.

Chani is a relatable main character in her awkwardness and uncertainty in herself. Gabe is the perfect mix of self deprecating humor and level headed charm. Their story is beautiful.

I feel like I will be gushing about this book for a LONG time and cannot wait to see what this author does next

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman was a sometimes interesting read for me, but confusing as well. It is told in current time and flashbacks from ten years prior. I found the timeline somewhat difficult to keep track of at times and the story did not always flow when going back and forth. There were random articles, blog posts, and reviews thrown in here and there that I'm not so sure contributed to the enjoyment of the story. There were parts I really liked, but for the most part, I was not invested in the storyline or characters.

I had some initial hesitations about the ethics of the premise (journalist falling for their subject…eek), and some of Chani’s behavior and decisions did make me uncomfortable. But ultimately, the decade-spanning yearning between the characters won me over, especially on Gabe’s part. He is ridiculously sweet. (He created Chani’s vision of a perfect day after reading her blog post about it years ago! Come on!) Also, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think the cutesy cover is reflective of the book at all.

Ok, this book was so so good! I devoured it in less than 24 hours, I could NOT put it down! I love stories about writers interviewing celebrities (somewhat like Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo), so this was right up my alley!

I really liked Chani and Gabe’s characters, and Oliver was definitely a favorite. The celeb glamor, the parties, the red carpet, the impact/consequences of fame - it all sucked me in. The alternating timeline worked really well and the celeb gossip articles, interviews, and blog posts interspersed throughout gave a great depth to the story.

This one needs a permanent spot on my shelves ASAP!

An absolutely perfect second chance romance. The characters are both flawed and completely likable, a refreshing bit of escapism.

Chani Horowitz interviews her celebrity crush, Gabe Parker, over the course of a weekend and publishes a viral profile on him that finally gets her noticed as a writer. While she’s always insisted that nothing happened, many suspect that she slept her way to that access with Gabe. Ten years later, she’s asked to write an updated profile on Gabe Parker.

Funny You Should Ask takes us between that first interview ten years ago and Chani’s present interview. I really enjoyed the format of this. It gave me just enough in each then and now to leave me wanting more. The romance scenes are just spicy enough without being over the top.

I adored this story. I loved Chani and the Jewish rep. I loved the friendship that Chani had with Oliver, he was by far one of my favorite characters in the book. I loved that its about a celebrity and a regular person, those are some of my favorites. Both characters are going through a lot, digesting it together. The writing was great and I really liked this! I'm excited for more by Elissa!