This was a fun book that I felt like gave an insider-y look at the celebrity industry. It was sweet and funny and sexy, and I enjoyed it a lot. I felt that sometimes the hero was unrealistic, but I think that’s just a genre trope so I can’t fault the book for it. Would recommend overall!

This book was SO GOOD. I love a solid enemies to lovers, but this felt like a lot more. It's celebrity romance PLUS a unique format - the experience of reading this is really one of a kind. I cannot recommend this enough for someone who loves a romance, but also wants to experience a romance novel that's been essentially refreshed and offers something a bit more interesting and one-of-a-kind

This outstanding story kept me totally intrigued as I turned the pages of this well written storyline that had characters that were created with such great detail and depth that Chani and Gabe kept me turning the pages of this worthwhile read!

This book read a bit like a Ben Affleck fan fiction if he chose to be with a writer and not a PR relationship with. JLo.
The premise about this relationship intrigued me. I will admit I was annoyed by the back and forth in terms of the timeline. I am glad they got their happy ending. .

Funny You Should Ask is a funny, smart, sincere slow-burn/second-chance romance, perfect for fans of Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation. Elissa Sussman's adult debut is a dual-timeline narrative that follows Chani Horowitz "then" -- ten years in the past -- as she interviews Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker ahead of his first performance as James Bond. The two share an electric connection that transforms the single interview into a weekend-long whirlwind of premieres, parties, and unprecedented journalistic access. All the while, Chani must decide what parts of her time with Gabe are fair game for her article. What will she offer up for public consumption, and in making choices about what to keep private, what will she reveal about herself?

Ten years after that career-making profile, Chani and Gabe are both divorced. He's a disgraced alcoholic looking to revive his career with yet another unexpected role; she's trying to define and authenticate herself as a woman and artist. Their "people" organize another interview in the hopes that lightning will strike twice, but Gabe and Chani know the truth of what happened ten years ago. With so much between them yet unsaid, will another weekend together bring them closer, or tear them apart once and for all?

Sussman's writing is phenomenal. The inclusion of article/blog/interview excerpts throughout the book helps bridge the gap between past and present, and a smartly structured interplay between "then" and "now" keeps both timelines tense and intriguing. I didn't want this one to end, but at the same time, I desperately wanted to know how Chani and Gabe would resolve the tensions between them. Sussman's representations of Judaism and substance abuse recovery (CW: alcoholism) are notable and excellent -- which says a lot, against the backdrop of such skillful storytelling.

I cannot even begin to explain how much I loved this book. You know what my perfect day is: spending the entire time in front of a fire place, twinkley little lights, reading. But because perfect days don't exist, I spent my day at work, obsessing over this book.

The way the author writes hooks you from the very beginning and the back and forth between the years and different articles, keeps you wondering what the heck happened and what was going to happen. Both main characters are lovely, full of faults and entirely human. I felt every awkward moment and little heartbreak with them as well.

I honestly loved every second of it. This is going on my shelf, it's going to be ordered for our store and it's definitely going to be a staff pick of mine.

okay I unexpectedly adored this. I say unexpectedly because I don't typically love "patchwork" novels like this one where the main portion of the book is made up of snippets of time, articles, interviews, etc. as opposed to a normal chronological format. However, it totally worked with this one. I absolutely fell for the characters, Chani was super relatable and Gabe was so swoony yet human. I found myself not wanting it to be over and that is the BEST feeling to get when reading, in my opinion.

Another good read from Netgalley! ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Premise: Journalist with big aspirations lands an interview with the biggest Hollywood heartthrob, which turns into a weekend of adventures. It’s now 10 years later and they are reunited to recreate the weekend and put the now washed up actor back on the map following a divorce and rehab (twice).

It sounds pretty shallow but the characters are very engaging and there’s a lot of substance to the story. The secondary characters are entertaining and lend a lot to the plot and character development.

It’s told in both the past and present, is easy to follow, and includes tabloid articles to fill in the story.

I was entertained throughout! If you enjoy a light read and are not bothered by somewhat unrealistic situations (I mean, how many celebrities fall for the “normal” person?), then you’ll enjoy this one!

Pub date is April 22, 2022

For some reason (cover influenced?) I thought “Funny You Should Ask” by Elissa Sussman was going to be a light fluffy romance. It is — and it isn’t. It’s a romance, but as this spans ten years - as the characters note, a lot happens during those ten years. I guess it’s more a second chance romance - where time really has helped mature the characters.

Our main character, Chani, is a writer and she gets the opportunity to write about movie star Gabe - upon whom she has a huge massive crush, BTW. Chani really wants to be a “serious” writer, but the articles she produces after her meeting(s) with Gabe propel her into always having to answer questions about him - and a mysterious weekend - even ten years later with books under her belt. She gets an opportunity to re-interview him a decade later. Gabe, meanwhile, is still an actor but one who has gone from a high high to lows (a failed marriage, rehab stints, and a struggling movie career). This book flips between the present and the past with both Chani’s articles and her recollections of that time period - along with what’s happening now - and some dipping into what happened to her in the intervening years. Following which time period was being discussed was pretty easy. There were also some faux book reviews - and I had a chuckle at each review having a Goodreads comment included.

I really enjoyed this book and I really enjoyed some of the classic movie discussions (and humor - maybe I’m in the minority but that scene from Philadelphia Story doesn’t bother me - though the author’s not wrong in saying in an updated version, it should be removed) along with Gabe’s best friend Ollie - and the fantastic Teddy. Some parts of this book are amazingly silly and some parts seemed rather alcohol dependent, but underneath for a first adult novel (Ms. Sussman has written some YA previously), this was a really enjoyable book. I zipped through it, found it engaging, and would read another adult novel by her. A solid 4.25 stars.

I liked the synopsis of this one and flew through it, but it left me wanting more from the two main characters. More substance, more chemistry, more of that special something that makes a book memorable. I found myself feeling a bit disinterested in the slow pacing of the plot and dialogue, but I liked the Hollywood setting and little blog snippets,

This book is refreshing and so smoothly-written that you can read it in one sitting without really noticing. It’s charming and funny without trying too hard, and the characters were engaging and flawed and deeply, deeply lovable. It’s a bubble bath in a book :)

Funny You Should Ask just got me out of the biggest reading slump of the year. This book was quick and cute and felt like a warm hug- which is exactly what you may need during the holidays. As a journalist I really resonated with the issues the protagonist faced, and as someone who lives in LA, I really really want to meet a hunky celeb of my own. But until then, I have this book.

I received an advance ARC of, Funny You Should Ask, by Elissa Sussman. I did not care for the language in this book. I did not care for the characters in this book, they are too shallow for me.

When I was told that if I liked the Idea of You that I would love Funny You Should Ask. That alone sold me on it and I immediately dove in.

Things I loved: The back and forth from then and now. I loved that the author wrote it in chunks to make it flow better when swinging back and forth. I loved being able to see the character development. I also actually enjoyed the use of online article as fillers. Usually if it is not done well that it something I completely skip in a book but these definitely added to the story.

I really enjoyed Ollie in this book as well. He is a great sounding board and a good friend to Gabe and Chani but I wanted more from him. He was sprinkled in and I wish we could have gotten more/better interactions with him.

Things I didn't love: All together it has been six days over ten years. That seems so wild to me. I can't imagine just being willing to jump at day six like that. I think this was something that they were more in love with the idea of each other and not actually in love. It kind of made it uncomfortable at times and even Gabe's family seemed to not love the idea of it. I definitely did not get the feeling that Lauren actually liked Chani.

I also wish there would have been more interaction with his family. His thing is being a family man and loving his family but we got probably 10 pages with them and it wasn't nearly enough. I definitely wanted more.

Overall, I liked the story I really did. It was cute and fun. It just felt so rushed. There was a lot that the characters still needed to deal with together and independently and it just wasn't enough to make me want to root for Gabe and Chani. With a little more development it would have sold me more.

I can't find the right words to express how much I loved reading this book. It was impossible to put down as the tension between the characters ramped up, and as the story slowly unfolded, revealing bit by tantalizing bit what really happened that weekend and during the intervening years. Not to mention all their yearning!

I found the character development lacking, Chani and Gabe don't really have discernible personality traits. But their emotions, particularly their fear of inadequacy, are well-written and sincere, so it was still easy to fall in love with these characters. 4.5 stars.

3.5 Stars
Ok, this book has one of my all time favorite tropes. Second chance romance, but with an enemies to lovers restart. Swoon🥰

Throw in the celebrity romance, I’m all in. I literally couldn’t put this book down. I was dying to know how all of it would play out.

The book flipped between past and present, which I liked. It helped develop the story and got me more invested.

My issues? Past and present, the characters know each other a total of six days with ten years in between the two weekends. That was hard for me. I also didn’t like the articles included.

Overall, it was addicted and I was wrapped up in this dramatic book. I recommend it when you want a little steam, some swoony second chances, and a little unrealistic love story.
★ ★ ★ ☆/5
🔥🔥🔥/5 (one scene)

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3.5 ⭐s!
The narrative swaps between present-day and a past narrative when Chani, a journalist, is first interviewing her celebrity crush, Gabe. In the present day, she's a decade older and has that much more life experience when she's called to interview him yet again.

A fun and lighthearted read! A new addition to the romcom category with a plot setup that I haven't seen before. Many thanks to Elissa Sussman, Random House Publishing Ballantine, and NetGalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! Chani Horowitz is a young journalist, early in her career following her MFA program, who has been stuck writing lighthearted celebrity profiles. When she is assigned to write a profile of perhaps her greatest celebrity crush, movie star Gabe Parker, she does not expect it to amount to much more than her previous profiles. But the interview turns into the two of them spending a whole weekend together, with significant (positive) impacts on both their careers. Ten years later, Chani is an established writer, sought after for her profiles and beloved for her collection of essays. Gabe, by contrast, has fallen on hard times and is looking for his second act. When his team reached out to Chani to write a new profile, Chani is hesitant ... but she can't resist the opportunity to reconnect with Gabe and see what enduring impact, if any, the weekend they spent together a decade ago had on him. The book alternates between Chani and Gabe's initial meeting and reunion ten years later, as we learn more about Chani, Gabe, and the relationship (and absence) that has defined a decade of their life.

This book was creative and highly engaging. I was drawn in by the characters and the structure of alternating between the present and the past worked very well to move this terrific story forward.

Highly recommended!

I went into this book with zero expectations, and wow wow, if it didn’t blew me away. I devoured this book in a couple of hours and left with such a hectic withdrawal that I seriously didn’t know what else to read..
I loved the writing style, especially the way it has “then and now”, the intricate web of the story, relatable characters, the thought provoking yet simple language, the voice of the heroine, Chani’s quick wit, the sweeping romance; the angst between Gabe and Chani, their off-the-charts chemistry,
Moreover, I absolutely loved the way Sussman heavily focused on individual character growth and development.

Random House|Ballantine|Dell
Thank You for this eARC!

Funny You Should Ask
By Elissa Sussman

Talk about a wonderfully written story!
A very well developed story. With a great cast of characters that.
Chani is an exceptional protagonist who I just adored.
Well-developed secondary and tertiary characters and friendships, where no one felt throwaway. It had humor, heart,
The story is told in both now and then chapters. Which made this story that much more entertaining.
This is one romance you won't want to miss.
An awesome and unique story. That is keen, funny, and heartfelt, 
Sussman is a phenomenal storyteller with amazing skills. I was hooked to this story and to me that says alot.