I was given this book as an ARC from Net Galley for a review.

This book was your classic meet cute, fall apart, and then come back together later on.

This book tended to be very cliche, until the middle and end, where the characters seemed to break out of their usual tropes and admit that they could work on things like adults.

Overall, the beginning was cute if it annoying and typical, but throw in rehab, time, and growth, it made me love the book even more.

This book is a cute romance that I was excited to read. It’s a specific, unique scenario of a reporter/celebrity relationship. While this angle was something new for me in the romance context, the middle of the book seemed to drag for a bit. It started off strong and then seemingly gets bogged down midway through. This is certainly a book that can be read quickly and if you have interest in the celebrity/entertainment world, that is a certainly a plus that is featured in this book. All in all, it’s a solid read, but I didn’t love it. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.

Ten years ago, when Chani was a young and up and coming writer, she got the chance to interview Gabe Parker, who is the “it” actor at the time. Since they get along so well, he invites her to attend his latest movie premiere with him, which leads to more than just coffee and questions. When the profile on him comes out, it launches her career and helps to make him even more famous for a while, but the fame gets to home and causes his downfall leading to rehab and an unsuccessful marriage.
Ten years later and Chani is asked to do a new interview with Gabe and see where he is now. Chani is now divorced as well and had a fairly successful career as a writer and author of a couple of books. When Chani and Gabe reunite for the interview, the sparks pick up right where they left off and Chani fights it because she doesn’t want all the comments and haters to resurface again but Gabe wants her to give them a chance. This was cute and funny at points but my criticism comes at Chani. She is not a very pleasant or likeable person and at times I was wanting Gabe to just let her go! Other than that, it was an easy and enjoyable read.

This book was a super quick read and I loved the concept of a “regular”person and a celebrity falling in love. However, there were some things that were a little problematic for me. The characters felt a little flat and at the end I didn’t feel like the characters were at a point of being ready to say “I Love You”. As a result, the ending felt a bit forced. I think the conclusion could have been left more open ended and still been satisfying. Overall, I enjoyed it and blew threw it in two days but wanted more from the characters and the story.

I love a good normal person dating a celebrity trope, and this one certainly delivered! Chani is hire to write a piece on Gabe Parker, her celebrity crush who has been cast as the next James Bond. Her piece goes viral and launches her career, with the whole world speculating on what happened during their weekend together. Ten years later, she is asked to do another interview and the two are reunited after all this time. The story alternates between the two weekends, past and present. Funny You Should Ask is a quick read with likeable characters. I highly recommend for anyone who likes contemporary romance, especially those centered around Hollywood or celebrities. Bonus points for a cute, unique cover!

Chandi Horowitz is being asked to make history all over again. She did it ten years ago, when her profile piece on hunky Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker cemented him as the next James Bond. Before her interview, he’d been thought of as a lightweight, not smart enough, and too American to take on the role. His costar Oliver Matthias would have been a much better choice, being British, smarter, and more poised. But Gabe had been the first choice of the director, and he agreed to take on the role. Chandi had been brought in to help upgrade his image against all the bad press he’d been getting.

And it worked.

The article not only made Gabe into the Bond that fans deserved, but it made Chandi’s career. She became a frequent interviewer of young actors, and she’s even written a book of essays that includes some of her profile pieces, including the interview with Gabe Parker. But despite the popularity of the article, despite the three days they spent time together that gave her the material, there is one question that everyone has for Chandi when they talk about that article: did you sleep with Gabe Parker?

Now it’s ten years later, and Chandi’s and Gabe’s people want them to get together again for another article. Gabe is divorced from the beautiful actress he ran off with right after Chandi’s article had come out. And he’s out of rehab for the second time and wanting to talk about his new film, a remake of The Philadelphia Story. Chandi is recently back in L.A. after getting married to the novelist she met in grad school in Iowa and moving to New York with him. They’re both at a place of starting over, so this second article could make both their careers again.

Or it could mean something else altogether.

For that first article, Chandi wrote the article that they needed for their careers, but there was more that happened during those three days than what made it into the profile. There were things left unsaid, feelings left unresolved, and despite all the speculation, Chandi did not sleep with Gabe that first weekend.

But if they meet up again, ten years older and wiser, both divorced, both wanting to pivot in their careers, there is no telling how their story might end.

Funny You Should Ask is a delightful romantic comedy about finding connections in unexpected places. It’s about our obsession with Hollywood, with the fame and the misfortune of the actors we love, and about the snobbery of certain aspects of the literary world. It’s about friendship and family, and about trusting someone else with your most vulnerable places. This is YA author Elissa Sussman’s debut adult novel, and personally I thought she nailed it.

The book is written day by day, so after a short introduction to the story in general, you get Chandi’s article, and then it’s Friday. First we see what happened on Friday ten year ago, and then we see what happened Friday now. Then it’s Saturday, with the same format, and then Sunday. Throughout there are more articles and excerpts—reviews of Gabe’s movies, gossip pieces about his marriage, blog posts from Chandi—so you can bits and pieces of the ten years between their weekends and get a feel for the characters, their careers, and their personal lives. And I really loved this format.

I have some attention issues. I like to read electronically, and I tend to keep a close eye on the percentage of the book I’m reading. While I was reading Funny You Should Ask, I couldn’t take my eyes off the page. I would just let myself get lost in the story, and suddenly that percentage would just jump way ahead of where it had been. I needed something this weekend that would be escapist, and this was exactly the book I needed for that. It will be amazing beach or pool reading, but it would also be perfect for weekend couch reading if you like that sort of thing (which I do).

Egalleys for Funny You Should Ask were provided by Random House Publishing Group—Ballentine through NetGalley, with many thanks.

26-year old journalist, Chani Horowitz, is tasked with writing a profile on Gabe Parker, the Hollywood heartthrob actor who just got cast to play the newest James Bond. The piece goes viral, and despite denials from both, the world is convinced a romantic connection formed between the two of them. Ten years later, the two reunite for a follow up profile.

I ate this one up! Enjoyed it so much that I spent an entire weekend binging it. You get the whole package in this book — fabulous writing, witty commentary, normal person/famous person trope, a second chance at love, and slow burn 🔥

The main character, Chani, is just so great! I connected with her immediately and I’m so happy to see some Jewish representation in this one. Gabe was also a great character and I was definitely swooning over him at times.

I love how Elissa set this story up to take place over one weekend, while alternating the timeline of present day vs 10 years ago, which totally builds the tension. The chapters are also interspersed with magazine and social media articles chronicling both of their lives and makes you want to keep flipping the pages.

I’m so excited FYSA is finally out today and some more people get it in their hands because I think it’s going to be a major hit!! Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Read if you:
✨ enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books
✨ want to know the dark side of what it’s really like to be a famous actor
✨ are a sucker for second chance love

Chani Horowitz is an up and coming journalist who lands the interview of a lifetime, interviewing Gabe Parker, a Hollywood A List celebrity, who just also happens to be Chani’s celebrity crush. Her interview with Gabe ends up spanning the course of a weekend and it’s pretty clear that something more happened between them than just your standard interviewer-interviewee relationship. So clear, in fact, that the interview goes viral, with everyone dying to know what really happened between Chani and Gabe.

Jump ahead ten years and Chani is asked to reunite with Gabe for another interview, this time in an attempt to revive his career because apparently Gabe has been dealing with some pretty major issues since his first meeting with Chani all those years ago. Chani knows she will have to face long-buried feelings about Gabe and their first encounter if she interviews him again but can’t deny that she’s still drawn to her old crush.

I loved that this story unfolds through a dual time line where one timeline focuses on the initial meeting between Chani and Gabe, while the other delves into what both characters have been dealing with in the ten years they have been apart. It isn’t just Gabe who has had to face some demons; Chani has had some pretty major stuff to deal with herself.

The celebrity/normal person falling in love trope is not one I’ve read often and while I couldn’t decide if I really bought into it overall, I thought the author did a wonderful job of making this kind of relationship seem plausible. There is definite chemistry between Gabe and Chani, and even though he’s a big celebrity at the time of their first meeting, he’s surprisingly low key and humble, making him seem like a regular person as well. I also loved that he was a big fan of her writing, even from their first meeting. He had done his research on her and in many ways came across as way more supportive of her career than her actual boyfriend at the time. I loved that they were basically mutual fans of one another.

Even though I was somewhat iffy on the idea of a relationship blossoming between Chani and Gabe, I really liked both characters and was very into seeing how their personal journeys played out regardless of whether or not the relationship ever grew into anything more. Filled with both heartbreak and hope, Funny You Should Ask is an emotional and engrossing story that will have you fully invested in these characters' lives and hopeful for the direction their futures will take, whether separate or together.

This book was a delight to read. I could not put it down. My favorite part is how it was written including the then and now setting and multiple excerpts from blogs, news, magazines etc.
This story is about a writer, Chani and the great heartthrob actor, Gabe Parker. The then in this story is 10 years prior to the now. 10 years ago the “normal” Chani was assigned to interview her celebrity crush Gabe before his big role as the new James Bond. The interview ended up lasting more than just lunch and there were some speculations on what actually happened between the two. This book had me happy, sad and then happy again! 5/5 I would recommend this book.

I requested this on a whim because I am actually a huge fan of second chance romance and that’s what this summary read as. And it totally is and isn’t, depending how you look at it. 😂

Chani Horowitz is a reporter that gets the interview of a lifetime with the new Bond actor, Gabe Parker. You get pieces of this one weekend that they spent together before her article came out and then he married someone a week later.

Ten years go by and they’re reunited as the once top dog, Gabe, is trying to come back to Hollywood after stints in rehab and public feuds/drama. Chani is tasked with writing a sequel to her famous article that changed her life.

The chemistry between these two really hit for me. Their conversations weren’t dull and we were let in on these secret inside jokes that come up later in the book many times. I LOVED that. Running pyramid was probably my favorite 😂

Elissa Sussman did an excellent job at writing characters that felt so extremely real. I felt like I knew Chani, Gabe, and Ollie. I felt like they were real celebrities with real books and movies.

And although it’s subtly dropped in, I loved the representation for Jewish and the LGBTQ+ communities.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine, Elissa Sussman, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

THIS BOOK!!!! I loved it so much that I binge read it because I could not put this one down! 😍 This book gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes with the news articles and the secrets the characters tried to withhold from the public. Just so damn good! 🙌🏻 The main characters, Gabe and Chani, were great and Ollie was my favorite!! I also really liked the dual timelines as we slowly, bit by bit, uncovered what really happened during that initial interview and their current status as well. This was definitely a slow burn when it came to the romance and I loved every minute of it! Even though it was just a tease, Sussman showed she can definitely bring the steam! Highly recommend this book, go grab it right now!! 🏃🏻‍♀️

A writer and the actor who was the subject of her breakout article get back together for another article. As they talk the book reveals what happened to their lives at the time of the original article and in the years since.

I liked the idea of this book. I also liked how smaller articles were dropped throughout the book between chapters. It added a little more character to the book. The author has written three YA novels and this is her first adult novel. You can see a little of the YA writing but I like YA books so I loved it. This book will keep you interested until the end.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Elissa Sussman & Random House for an advance copy of this!

"Funny You Should Ask" is out today, April 12th.

"One of the most beautiful men in the world - my personal celebrity crush - was treating me like I belonged. It was an intoxicating feeling."

This book takes place during two timelines 10 years apart between the past and present. Chani was asked to interview her ultimate celebrity crush which was a whirlwind weekend of partying in which her article ended with the audience thinking "did they or didn't they." Fast forward 10 years later, Chani is asked to strike magic again by being asked to interview Gabe for an upcoming project. Chani was reluctant as so much had happened between the 10 years since their enthralling weekend.

This book will likely be in my top 5 books of 2022. I am calling it now. I knew it was going to be a 5 star read just from the first few chapters. I felt like I was reading myself if I were Chani. The parallels of her being a journalist and me wanting to work for Rolling Stone magazine growing up just so I could interview celebs was not dawned on me. How Elissa was describing Chani’s feelings towards Gabe Parker leading up to her interviewing him is exactly how I would feel if I had to be around any celebrity but in particular Justin Timberlake, Harry Styles or Zac Efron. It was just all so relatable!

I love the duel timelines and how they intertwine with one another. This helped so much with the pacing of the book and made me want to continue reading to find out what happened next in their story. And then have the news articles also playing a role in what is happening in the plot was great. It gave me flashbacks to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and Grady Hendrix’s “The Final Girl Support Group”.

Also, not sure what the storyline could be but could we get a spin off with Ollie?! He was a fabulous side character.

Some quotes that made me laugh:
"Until this morning, a shirtless phot of him had been the lock screen of my phone. I had zero chill when it came to Gabe Parker."

"Even when I was single handedly torpedoing my career, I was still very, very horny for him."

"We're not even the same species, but tonight, they're letting me pretend that we are."

"You're ridiculous," I told myself, "No one, is going to waste cocaine on you."

"You've read them," I say instead.
"I thought we'd established that I've read everything you've written"
It's one of the hottest things anyone has ever said to me.

If you love a slow burn with a Hollywood twist. This is the book for you!
I cannot wait to read more from this author.

CW: alcohol, rehab, sexual content

3.5 STARS
I enjoyed this story, I felt it was unique and refreshing. I was entertained and interested in the characters story and how it would play out.
I don’t think it’s technically romance, it seemed more like women’s fiction to me.
The storytelling style was a mix of past and present time jumps and in between there were “news articles” that were about the characters that give a glimpse of what the public is thinking and saying about them. It was a fun touch.
I liked the reporter and Hollywood heartthrob aspect. It’s an appealing premise to me and I’m a sucker for artistic types, which both characters are.
The story is told from Chani’s point of view.
I didn’t fully connect with their relationship, I think because I didn’t know have a good grasp on who Gabe was and how he felt. I would have loved his POV.
I enjoyed the the interactions between Chani and Gabe, they did seem to have a fast connection and understanding of each other.
Gabe’s friend Ollie was a great secondary character that added fun, laughs and warmth.
I was happy and satisfied with the ending, overall I enjoyed the story. It’s a bit light on romance, I was good with that even though I had expected it to have more in the story.

Chani Horowitz was floundering in her career when she was hired to write a profile of actor Gabe Parker, recently cast as the first American to play James Bond. Ten years later, Chani credits that piece as skyrocketing her writing career, and she can’t stop thinking about everything that went down the weekend she interviewed Gabe— and everything that’s happened in their lives since. Then Chani is hired to write a follow-up to her original profile, bringing them into each other’s orbits once again.⁣
•⁣
First off, I loved the structure of this book. The story is told in sections alternating between the original interview weekend ten years ago and present day. We also slowly get glimpses of other texts— Chani’s profile, movie reviews, gossip pieces, etc.— to help tell the story. All of this was so fun and creative and helped keep the tension in the story. And the fake (super rude) Goodreads reviews made me laugh. There was also great Jewish rep, a fascinating peek into the lives of the rich and famous, and a supporting character that I loved.⁣
•⁣
On the flip side, the book dives into the meat of the story right away, and the connection between Chani and Gabe is pretty instantaneous. You have to accept Chani’s word that they have an enduring attachment and chemistry, rather than see it develop over time. I tend to prefer a little more scene setting and character growth, but still really enjoyed the book.⁣
•⁣
Funny You Should Ask will be an awesome summer reading pick, paired with a refreshing beverage, movie star sunglasses, and (ideally) an adorable puppy in your lap.

I really wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. I generally am not a big fan of the big time actor falling for a normal person kind of trope, but this one was done so well, I ended up really enjoying it!

This book isn't a fairy tale romance between an up and coming actor, and a struggling journalist who interviews him. Instead we find two characters who are flawed, who have a lot of soul searching yet to do, and who aren't entirely comfortable in their own skin. Seeing them in their 20's and then again in their 30's is what really made this hit the right notes for me. I enjoyed hearing about the mistakes they made in the ten years they are apart, and about the realizations they've made, and are trying to incorporate.

I found this one to be a really quick and enjoyable read. The way the storyline weaves in and out throughout present time and the past kept me engaged with the story, and wanting to keep reading to catch glimpses of where they went wrong.

Let’s be real, who wouldn’t want to interview their celebrity crush if given the chance? My fan girl heart was fully satisfied following how this played out, even with the 10 year break before their reunited.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. It’s been a while since I let myself sit and devour a book in less than a day, but I didn’t want to put this one down. A celebrity and a non celebrity has always been my favorite pairing, and this book didn’t disappoint.

I thought both Chani and Gabe were well rounded characters that complimented each other while still facing the kinds of challenges that made their story feel real. I also personally felt the the jumps between the past and the present were well done and it was easy to follow and know exactly what time line of the story you were in.

A big 5 stars for funny you should ask. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4629060140

Genius premise, flawless execution. This book gave my celebrity gossip-loving heart everything it wanted and more. I devoured it!!!

Any book about Hollywood or journalists is a must-read for me. Combine the two and it’s a dream come true. So when this one popped up on NetGalley I knew I had to request it.

With books that have Hollywood at the center it can sometimes be hard to build out a universe of fictional movies and TV shows that feels realistic and believable. A lot of times the names and premises come across as cheesy, which tends to take me out of the story. But I thought Sussman did a good job of rooting the films, TV shows and celebrities she created deep enough in reality that you could easily believe Gabe Parker’s latest project would be playing at your local movie theater. The magazine and news articles that were sprinkled throughout were also helped with this world building.

The other thing I really liked about the book was that Chani and Gabe were fantastic characters. It was easy to root for them and they both showed growth throughout the story. I don’t know if there are any plans for a sequel but if there are, I’d definitely read more about these two.

As much as I liked this one, I had one big issue with the novel. It might just be a personal quirk but it really bothered me that the main conflict of the novel stemmed from a female journalist having a personal and intimate relationship with one of her story subjects, which just felt very regressive and unnecessary to me. Sussman tries to address this throughout the novel, hinting at the aftermath of Chani and Gabe’s night together, but it fell kind of flat and certainly was not a main point in the story. I understand that this is a rom com that was following tropes of the genre but I think there might have been a better way to connect Gabe and Chani without discrediting the integrity of female journalists.

The Bottom Line: A fun and unique Hollywood rom com that’s cute and charming, despite its flaws. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK is available today. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Random House for your copy of Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman #partner.

Rating: 4.5 to 5 star
Genre: Romance

I grabbed this one just in time! It publishes today, April 12th. After I saw a couple of rave reviews, I had to read it! I really loved it! It was swoony and kept me wanting to read the whole time. The story follows the two main characters through a past and current storyline. Articles, and blog posts are also added throughout the story to learn more about the characters. I will say I wish these had been dated, as I was a little confused at times if they were from the past or present. Other than that, really enjoyed this one!

You might enjoy this one if:
-you like storylines with multiple timelines
-you like second chance romances
-you enjoy a main character who is a celebrity