A cute, enjoyable read! I thought the pacing was better in the first half vs the second half, and I found it hard to believe the lasting impact that Chani and Gabe's one night together had on the decade that followed (like, he talked to his mom and sister regularly about Chani, so that they had an instant relationship when she finally visited??) Still, this didn't take away from the story overall.

I loved loved loved this book.

First - it was written in a way that I personally love - jumping between the past and the present. Add to that quick, fast chapters - and I was hooked. The only other thing I would have added was an alternate POV (although we kind of get that at the very end) and this would have checked off all my boxes.

I loved Chani and Gabe's chemistry. I loved the whirlwind initial weekend - and how Gabe tried to recreate it all those years later.

This is the kind of book that you tuck into, curl up your feet, wrap yourself in a cozy blanket and just escape reality. It's fun, it's light, there are moments of raw emotions. Sometimes you want to shake Chani, but she gets there in the end. This reads like the best kind of rom-com.

Elissa Sussman has become a "must read" author for me - and I can't wait for her next book to be published.

Highly recommended - and thank you Netgalley and Dell for providing me with the ARC to be able to read this. (sorry it was such a delayed review - I honestly read this ages ago!).

Great premise. The execution was lacking. This sadly wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Elissa Sussman’s Funny You Should Ask, is a hilarious break out rom com, the witty story of a romance built around the dynamic of celebrity journalism.

Ten years ago, Chani interviewed Hollywood star Gabe, who was . being touted as the next James Bond, and the story she wrote about him then has haunted her career ever since.

Fast forward ten years and Chani is fed up with having her name eternally linked to Gabe’s in a way which belittles her professional expertise. She’s treated as not much better than a fan girl, so when she’s asked to do a follow-up piece, she’s wary on more than one level.

First, she doesn’t want the whole encounter dragged up again, from a career point of view. And second, she doesn’t trust herself to meet up again with the gorgeous hunk she once came close to falling head over heels for.

A lot has changed in ten years though, the power dynamic between them included.

This is a fun read, smart, witty and also sensitive to the conflicting emotions that can surface in a complicated scenario like this one. Sharp observations, witty dialogue, and first class entertainment!

Elissa Sussman can be heard on The Joys of Binge Reading podcast talking about the book and her shining career.
https://thejoysofbingereading.com/elissa-sussman-delicious-romcom/

I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. It seemed rather trite and didn't get really interesting until nearer the end. By that time I was already checked out. Sounded like a promising premise!

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

I've tried to read this novel a few times over the course of different formats (audio and through this E-ARC) and I've had it since long before its release date, but it never has kept my attention. I didn't care about the characters, much of it felt more like boring interactions than anything else. I recognize the author used an old publicity article of Chris Evans as inspiration for this novel but Funny You Should Ask, I could've done without reading this novel.

The premise was interesting, but the execution was not. The present-time chapters felt disengaging and while I appreciated the multi-media/journalist aspect of it, I couldn't buy into the romance of this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read from this author and I look forward to future publications by these publishers.

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman is an engrossing book that looks at two points in time and a relationship that has readers wondering what did/did not happen between journalist Chani Horowitz and actor Gabe Parker. It'a book that is self-aware of the role of celebrity while still letting the force of it hold some magic.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

maybe i have an inflated sense of self, but conceptually... why would i obsess over a man when he should be obsessing over me? like. this is fiction. and you actively chose to write a white bread hero that our heroine thinks is a total catch in comparison to her total loser ex-husband? bleck. give me wish fulfillment. or write some harry styles fanfiction... give me a hero worth drooling over lmao.

Well, as soon as I found out that this book is partly inspired by a journalist piece about Chris Evans, I knew I had to read this book. And while I did fly through this book, I found it a bit lackluster and thought that it was a bit too dramatic for what it was. The characters did not sizzle like I expected them to, and found parts of this story completely unrealistic (still pining after someone you spent so little time with after TEN YEARS, what???). Beyond that, the style of the writing did not sit well with me and the POV of past and present did this book a disservice and made the pacing slow down too much as it went on. I do think I will read Sussman's books in the future, but this one just did not live up to the expectations that I had.

I usually don't like books that skip time and have "then and now" parts, but this one was really good and drew me in.

A charming romance - satisfies all of the normal-person-celebrity romance fantasies! Find yourself falling for the main characters and staying for the character arcs. Absolutely delightful!

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

cute premise, not my favorite execution! adore the cover -- one of my faves of the year. i wish there was more development between the two leads, the 'big reveal' was so tiny that it was shocking that that was the big crazy night that made them unable to stop thinking about one another. would've loved to see some of that instead of all of the news articles, for example

Firstly, my thanks go to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for honoring me with an ARC of this wonderful book. I was not required to rate it but I have to. I gave it 4.5 stars. I know it took me a while to read and that was not the fault of the book but all the challenges that I like to do that sometimes get in the way of my reading. I loved this book. I totally love how Elissa Sussman captured the Jewish girl Chani's character. Totally on point. I so enjoyed taking the trip to Montanta to see Gabe's hometown and meet the important women in his life. All through the story my heart went out to Gabe. I guess I am perceptive in my reading sometimes and figure out why characters are written the way they are and to do the things they do. This was a wonderful story and I hope that Sussman goes on to write other adult novels. This was a first time adult novel for the author and it was truly wonderful. It was a joy to read from beginning to end and again, I apologize for the not completing it sooner. This is a fun book. A sad book. A book that had me alternatively in laughter and tears. If you want a good clean book that you can say "aaahh" to at the end this one is for you.

Absolutely loved this book. I have already recommended this to my friends. Also, Chris Evans inspired allegedly, need I say more?!?!

This book was a quick sexy and funny read with lots of tension and a splash of angst.. I think the main character and the love interest had a lot of chemistry both in the past and the present which was seen throughout the book. I think the main character came off very unsure of herself following what sounds like a somewhat abusive past relationship and would have like to see her work on her self esteem issues in therapy but I did think there was a fair bit of unlearning she did throughout the novel.

The ending fell a bit flat for me. It felt like instead of the male love interest understanding his male privilege, he said 'well our love needs to be worth the risk.' As if she, as a woman, wouldn't face way harsher criticism and potentially miss out of whole ass career opportunities because of her getting a reputation after their relationship goes public. Especially as a writer, her reputation and what people think/say about her could very well lead to lost job opportunities, even with her success.

Overall though, I found this to be an enjoyable read and a tale about making up for missed chances.

Sure sure sure. Easy summer read, second chance romance. Very hot, charismatic, hot, kind, hot, charitable, hot, celebrity man picks "normal" girl. Can you believe it!? Celebrities, they're just like us. Except very very hot. Not a lot going on plot-wise but the author is emphatic about how not hot the girl considers herself to be and how absolutely drop dead gorgeous Gabe is. Do i have a crush on him? Fine. Does this book set back female journalists 100 years? Probably

I liked this one a lot. Don't see why some people are complaining about it being inspired by the Chris Evans piece.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

10 years ago, Chani Horowitz interviewed movie star Gabe Parker on the precipice of his career. Together, they spent a life changing weekend together that launched his career as the next James Bond and hers as a celebrity profiler and reporter. They’ve both always been asked was there something more or just 72 hours of fate and good reporting?

10 years later, Chani and Gabe find themselves together again. When his PR team requests that they revisit their profile from 10 years ago with a fresh take, can these two continue to ignore what started between them that first night they met? Or will they finally get real with each other?

For fans of the Idea of You and Nora Goes off Script, Funny You Should Ask if a beautifully crafted take on finding love and each other again. While also being a dreamy fairy tale of the reporter and the move star who fall in love. Unbelievable? Maybe. But delightfully delicious all the same.

Thanks to NetGalley, RHPG - Ballantine, and Elissa Sussman for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is for the fanfiction readers that are all grown up. An easy read with likeable characters, this is a whimsical romance that you can really sink into. Although you have to suspend your disbelief a little, as they really only spend a few days together, I find I didn't really mind.