This was a classic second chance romance story but at times it felt a bit awkward with the flipping between different formats and texts. Overall it was a fun read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Very fun, well-written book. Would you fall in love with your Celeb crush if you met IRL? Just the kind of book I wanted at this moment. Highly recommend.

This was a totally readable and enjoyable contemporary romance. Chani writes about movie stars, and Gabe is a movies star. What could possibly go wrong? What are the challenges of falling for a movie star and having your writing career tied to his fame? It takes a long time for them to come to terms with who they each are, and how they feel for each other. Life keeps getting in the way of them really getting to know each other. It's quite a journey of walking on eggshells in a very public venue. I like it. I found it slightly more serious than funny. The "stars are real people" underpinnings are a revelation.

Chani, a 26 year old LA writer, is given the assignment to interview her celebrity crush, Gabe. Funny You Should Ask tells the story of their interview that turns into a weekend together, while also flashing forward 10 years later to when the pair are about to meet up again for another interview. This book does a great job building intrigue about what happened in their first meeting, and then proceeds to make Chani so unlikeable that I almost stop caring what happened.

I loved the first third of this book. It is so well written and I was dying to know more about Chani and Gabe's time together. But as it progressed, Chani became so bitter and whiny that I started to lose interest in her story. I did make it to the end and was treated to a sweet, if slightly unbelievable, ending. 3.5 stars overall.

Thank you Random House Publishing, Elissa Sussman and NetGalley for the eARC!

Pub Date: 4/12/2022

Chani Horowitz feels like she's not nearly as successful as her peers. While they're off getting book deals, she's still writing for a blog. She is hired to write about movie star, Gabe Parker - who is ironically her forever celebrity crush. He has been cast to play the new James Bond so Chani is required to interview him for the profile piece. That is if she can keep her cool. As Chani interviews Gabe, something life-changing occurs, and it turns into a weekend she will never forget. Ten years later, divorced and moved back to LA, Chani is focused on her career even though she is still often asked a decade later about Gabe. When his PR team asks for a second interview with Chani, she wants to say no and pretend that weekend never happened. But she knows that whatever happened during that time, was more than just an interview. Chani knows facing Gabe again will only bring up those feelings she worked so hard to push away.

I really enjoyed this. I loved the back and forth between the characters and the need to know how it all ends. I felt like I was along for the ride. The "then" and "now" chapters were easy to navigate and it didn't make things hard to follow. It gave me CLO and Emily Henry vibes. So if you're into those writers, you will devour this book!

Wow I loved this book! Couldn’t put it down! I liked how it flashed back to the past, to see the lives of Chani and Gabe, and how they ended up where they are now. The characters are so relatable and loveable. This is a must read and will leave you heart feeling happy!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this arc.

"It's you" *swoon*

I could not put this book down and I didn't! Look, I'm a sucker for the fantasy of a quirky writer and her celebrity free pass having a fling that may end up being true love. Sure. I expected this book to be fun and sexy but ultimately free of substance. I. Was. Wrong. I got swept up in the story and adored Chani and Gabe, their stories and journeys, and the supporting cast of characters in their lives.

It was a quick read, but only because I really enjoyed it so much that I truly couldn't put it down. When I had finished, I was left with that lovely feeling of having just had a great visit with old friends and find myself missing them now that it's over. Thank you, Elissa Sussman, for this enjoyable book!

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

Chani Horowitz is a well-known celebrity profiler/essayist who rose to popularity after an “infamous” (yet tepid?) profile of Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker, which sparks rumors that something romantic happened between them, but neither has ever revealed the truth.

10 years later, when Gabe’s PR team reaches out to Chani’s editor and asks to recreate the interview, Chani takes the opportunity to see her celeb-crush-turned-real-crush one more time, now that they’re both divorced. You can probably guess what happens next.

The plot is fun — literally who doesn’t want a hot celeb to fall in love with them — even if it isn’t a particularly unique trope, and the book splits its time between past and present so we get a full picture of what exactly happened between Chani and Gabe back then while we’re wondering what’ll happen between them now.

However! Chani is self-aware enough to address the stereotype of female journalists sleeping with their sources, but she’s not self-aware enough to not do it or to alter her behavior. This is such a tired (and frankly, irresponsible) trope. Y’all, journalists don’t sleep with their sources as much as rom-coms say they do because it’s incredibly unprofessional and is therefore a fireable offense!

Chani also won’t take any responsibility for her actions and, 10 years later in her mid-30s, still has a victim complex about the consequences of her own choices. Life isn’t fair, but it is obvious. Sometimes you can see what’s coming from a mile away, and in Chani’s case, the assumption that her career only took off because of speculation that she slept with Gabe is unfortunate but exactly what she expected. Despite being completely in control of the narrative and not once being coerced into making unprofessional decisions, she won’t hold herself accountable, instead blaming Gabe and the world while very much enjoying the mini dose of fame it affords her.

Inevitably there is thankfully some character growth here, but not until you’re well and truly tired. I’m just not sure what the message is here — is Chani the exception, or should journalists just sleep with their sources as long as there’s mutual benefit and they call it “true love”?

One last thing on Chani: Her elitist attitude toward writing never really changed, even though I initially assumed it was set up so that the author could prove her own character wrong. She hates entertainment media, and wants to write dragon fiction (yes), but takes writing too seriously to find value in either of those things. By hating herself and her writing, the lack of self-awareness strikes again and Chani is constantly and inadvertently dunking on anyone writing anything besides literary fiction. Maybe that explains why she only has one friend. For someone who does so much navel-gazing, both in her professional writing and her blog, Chani lacks an incredible amount of self-awareness.

Overall, I was still entertained. Funny You Should Ask delivers what it promises — a cute romance that’s fun for readers, as long as you don’t ask too many questions. A rom-com’s “faults” are part of the experience: eye-rolling, pulling your hair out, wanting to scream at the characters to get their shit together, screaming “finally” when they do.

Sometimes you love to hate a character or a book, and while I think this one will be popular and well-received overall, it was equal parts frustrating and amusing for me.

Chani Horowitz is a writer who is having a career crisis. She has made her living doing celebrity profiles and has done well. But she wants more. She wants to write something different. But the reason she's done well? Gabe Parker. And she's been running away from him ever since. .They met years ago and Chani conducted a 3 day interview that would have a ripple effect throughout her life and career. The question that has loomed over everything: Did they have sex? Now, as she is floundering both personally and professionally, Gabe Parker is back in her life and she has no idea what to do about it.

This book is told in a then/now format, with articles from the current and past period interspersed between each then/now chapter.. I liked the format, since I am an avid consumer of celebrity gossip. It was an easy read and enjoyable. However, I felt like it took a really long time to get to the saucy bits of the story, there was just too much delving into the inner turmoil of Chani and her should she, shouldn't she narrative of giving in to her heart. I would also have liked for more exploration into what happens after their connection. The spice was great though! Quick, fun beach read.

Elissa Sussman has fully converted me into a lover of contemporary romance books. Lovers of Hollywood and writers will have a great time with these characters. Each new development in this second chance love story made my heart happy. Besides ordering one for the library, I cannot wait for this to come out so I can pick up a physical copy for myself.

Can I give this book all the stars? Holy. Crap. I loved this book so much. The characters are so relatable and lovable. I could have easily read this book in one sitting but I made myself spread it out over a few days to make it last.

Entertainment journalist Chani interviews Hollywood upcomer hunk Gabe. He's controversially set to be the next James Bond and needs good press. After spending a flirty weekend together, Chani writes the article that makes her career. Was her chemistry with Gabe all in her head? And can she ever break into writing more than just entertainment interview pieces? This is set in alternating timelines of the interview weekend and ten years later when they reunite for another interview.

This book was fluffy and cute and just plain enjoyable. Sometimes you just need a mortal/celebrity romance, and this fits the bill. I liked both the characters and their personalities and ambitions, and the alternating timeline really worked for me. This romance is for fans of Jasmine Guillory or Rachel Lynn Solomon. It has a little steam but is not too much, which I really appreciated.

Celebrity gossip is my favorite guilty pleasure.. So the whole journalist sleeping with a celebrity to get a story is one I'm behind. The celebrity/non celebrity trope is one of my favorites.

I really liked the "10 years later" part of this book and the past/current was a good way to move the story forward. This was a great quick read. .

This second-chance romance has everything I want in a fun romance novel: I laughed out loud, and I was rooting for the main characters individually and as a couple.


Reporter, blogger, and author Chani Horowitz and movie star Gabe Parker reunite ten years after she wrote an iconic profile of him. The profile shifted the trajectory of their careers and left people speculating on how up-close and personal Chani and Gabe became in their time together.

FYSA alternates between recounting Gabe and Chani’s initial meeting and their reunion. Interspersed are blogs and articles—these sometimes became redundant, but they give readers a sense of the buzz around Gabe and Chani and a sample of Chani’s writing—I liked them!

I enjoyed Chani and Gabe’s banter and how Chani’s narration: she comes across as part fan-girl, part ambitious professional, and part infatuated woman.

I had to suspend disbelief regarding the book’s premise. Would a hot, eligible actor spend a decade pining for a woman with whom he spent a couple of days? (Call me a cynic, but I doubt it.) Nevertheless, suspending disbelief is part of the fantasy and the fun! 

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the e-ARC to read and review!

This was such a delightful read. I love famous/non-famous romance, and I love the way this book really took the time to unpack the relationship between Chani and Gabe and its implications, both when they're younger and older, the ways that the power shifts, and the ways that fame can be terrible and also incredible.

As a huge fan of The Philadelphia Story, I loved how it was invoked and somewhat updated in the novel itself, though of course the characters are transformed and modernized. Chani's rant about the dated plotlines was an absolute delight, and I deeply regret that I cannot watch the in-novel update of the film.

I found the structural choices really interesting, and a double-edged sword for this novel. On the one hand, seeing the past and future versions gives Sussman the opportunity to explore the growth of the characters. On the other hand, already knowing that certain things happen undermines a lot of the tension (and contributes to a dearth of chemistry between Chani and Gabe in the novel -- although at times Chani will comment on that tension, I never really felt it, even though they clearly liked each other so much that I was rooting for them anyway). I also felt like it led to some choices, like Chai's choice of husband, feeling both baffling and underexplained.

I absolutely loved the tough conversations between Gabe and Chani, and the way they don't let each other off the hook. This makes their romance feel so much deeper. And yet I still found myself wishing there were a few more moments of sweetness and connection to really build them up more.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this novel and had a hard time putting it down. I think it will be a great beach read!

Funny You Should Ask
by Elissa Sussman
Pub Date: 12 Apr 2022
4.5/5

Let me tell you what I think is the one bad thing about this book: the cover. Red and pink together makes me cringe. I kept putting this book aside due to that crazy prejudice. Jokes on me, the only person I was hurting was myself. Apparently, my new favorite romance trope is the celebrity/writer one.

I loved this book. Chani and Gabe and their awkward meetups and missed opportunities, the interspersed magazine articles and blog posts, I loved it all.

So much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love a book that jumps between past and present to reveal the backstory of a relationship and this book succeeded in doing just that. The relationship between journalist Chani and movie star Gabe is unexpected, but through the course of the flashbacks and newspaper clippings, you can really grasp the underlying chemistry and connection. I was drawn in by the cover and premise, but really enjoyed the story and will definitely recommend to friends.

I loved this book so much! The romance buildup, the celeb storyline, the characters’ own personal stories - loved it all and am sad the story ended! Chani and Gabe are so likeable and their chemistry is palpable throughout the entire story. I found myself rooting for them early on and although the celeb/normal person romance is typically a reach, Elissa (the author) writes it in such a way that makes it feel believable and genuine. I hope to read more of her stories!!

This was fun! Super quick and breezy read. Stussman's writing reminded me of Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was a glossy, glamorous, page turner!

I was very surprised by this book. For some reason, it reminded me a lot of Daisy Jones and the Six, which it is not and nor was it trying to be. But that is how I reacted to it.

I enjoyed the story and the characters. Sure, some elements are a bit far fetched, but all in all, the two mains were highly likeable. I appreciated that Chani's husband was and continued to be a jerk, but I did find it hard to believe that such a strong character would marry someone who was so dislikable. But I guess that's the reality of relationships: sometimes you end up with someone not because they are the best person for you.

The interwoven articles and blog posts were fun to read and did a good job of setting up the transition between now and then. And I loved Chani's friend in the now, because she was just a generally likeable person.

The writing is solid. The character development is good. And the plot, while not unique, still has enough difference from similar novels to catch your attention and keep you rooting for the characters to figure their stuff out.