Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld is just plain Fun (with a capital F). This was one of those books that stays with you long after you’re done. I laughed out loud, felt all the feels and was genuinely sad for it to be over! I love that it seemed to be loosely based on Saturday Night Live and as a child of the 1980s, I felt like I learned so much! Sally is a hilarious writer for The Night Owls, she’s witty, determined and sells herself short nearly all of the time.  She’s honed in on a theory that beautiful women often choose the dorky, less attractive male as a counterpart. She’s determined that the opposite doesn’t occur. When guest on the show, Noah Brewster, appears he’s a far cry from the average pop star. He wants to help write and seeks Sally’s advice, forming a friendship of sorts. The characters are fantastic, the storyline is endearing and thoughtfully designed and the banter is witty. Romantic Comedy is sure to be a hit this summer and I can’t wait to discuss it with friends!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld.  The story and characters were enjoyable.  Happy Reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

Curtis Sittenfeld's ROMANTIC COMEDY is an extraordinary read and feat of writing wizardry. Sittenfeld skewers the idea that romantic attraction works only for the beautiful woman and schlubby man with the story of gorgeous, famous rock star Noah Brewster and his one-week collaboration with talented, accomplished comedy sketch writer Sally Milz. The story was one I happily read way too late into the night, stealing time from all the other things I was supposed to be doing so I could continue full-bodied immersion in this smart, funny, engaging story. I so admired Sittenfeld's send up of the meet cute/worn-out tropes of romantic comedies that I forgot how much I usually enjoy them and took a big step back to ask why can't it be more like this amazing, intelligent, feminist love story.  I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

With a title like "Romantic Comedy", I'm going to have high expectations. Sittenfeld's "SNL"-like setting is clearly well researched and delivers a story about relationships, humorously, so we're partway there.  Sally Mitz is a not-starlet gorgeous comedy writer who meets a famous, handsome (and smarter than she gives him credit for) musician - and they fall for each other. 

It was a fun, light, and easy read (albeit with some LOOONNNG chapters).

Sally Milz is a seasoned writer for The Night Owl, a late night sketch comedy show based on NYC. When pop star Noah Brewster doubles as host and musical guest, the 2 seem to hit it off. But when things go awry at the after after party, they lose all communication. Years later, in the midst of the world shutting down for Covid-19, Sally receives contact from Noah and a friendship rekindles… or is it more? As their story unfolds, insecurities take hold, and you find yourself rooting for them to make it work in whatever capacity is possible for a sketch comedy writer and a world famous pop star!

No, ma’am.
No, sir.
No, y’all.

SNL fan fiction combined with diabolically bad, POST-Andy Samberg/Lonely Island humor and Covid. Some of the most generic “look at these two people and how ‘woke’ they are” main characters you can come across. I’m still recovering from their after-sex dialogue. It was traumatic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing a copy for an honest review.

3.5 stars! I loved the first half but honestly, once the setting transitioned to Covid I didn’t enjoy reading it as much. It’s too soon for me to read about the pandemic in a “rom com setting” lol. But that being said, I still really loved this book and would definitely recommend it.

I expected this book to be a romantic comedy, for obvious reasons… It definitely is not. I didn’t like the writing style of this book. It felt like it was dragging on and the details seemed to be there for no reason. It felt like the author didn’t know how to describe how the characters were feelings, so they just described everything else.

This one didn’t work for me. The first half, focused on a very technical description of a week at a show based closely on SNL, felt so insider baseball that a character actually makes that remark toward the end of it. The second half, happening during those first few months of covid, was a better read but also frustrating. Is this book a romantic comedy, or a commentary on romantic comedies, or scorning romantic comedies? Because I felt no chemistry, I didn’t see what romances do best, using tension and connection to help characters bloom and grow. It was hard to root for a main character who got in her own way so much so late in the book. I feel it is too soon for these books that try to capture what those early covid months felt like, I feel like my nose is being rubbed into the fact someone has had the distance to process it while everyone in my profession is still dealing with the aftermath, the never really overness of it’s impact. I tried not to make this review too negative, I could have quit at any time, like when I went back to read my review of other Curtis Sittenfeld books and realized that I always look forward to and then never enjoy them. The joy of romance was missing from this.

Amazing! My favorite Sittenfeld yet. I loved this peek behind the SNL curtains-it was funny and heartfelt and Sally and Noah are great characters you just want to spend time with. With portions of the book set during Covid, it made it feel even more timely and real. The examination of comedy, feminism, celebrity, self esteem, and love made for a fascinating, enjoyable, fast read. And the writing-chef‘s kiss!

My sister told me that I should read this and boy was she right! This book was wonderfully written with a wonderful story. This book left me feeling sad that it was over and that is the best feeling when you finish reading. Overall a must read!

Romantic Comedy is a delightful read that will make you laugh and cry. It is a reminder that love is worth fighting for, even when things get tough.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I thought the characters were well-developed and relatable, and I found the story to be both funny and heartwarming. However, I did have a few minor quibbles with the book. For example, I thought the ending was a bit too predictable, and I would have liked to see more of the supporting characters.

Overall, I would recommend Romantic Comedy to anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy. It is a fun and heartwarming read that will leave you feeling happy and hopeful.

[4.5 stars]

Curtis Sittenfeld isn't known for her romance novels, but she's bringing her more literary style to the romance genre here. I'd heard mixed reviews before I read Romantic Comedy, but I was completely pleasantly surprised! Romantic Comedy is a famous person / civilian romance set on a Saturday Night Live - esque late night comedy sketch show. Sally, our protagonist, is a writer known for her feminist humor who feels sparks fly with Noah, the show's heartthrob musical guest. Early on, there's almost no hint that this is even a romance novel (a plus for me!). I got pulled into Sittenfeld’s world building of the comedy show and comedy writing in general. She clearly did her research. Sittenfeld did an excellent job with the humor, particularly through Sally's sketches and jokes. This is also a story about the intensity of creating with someone (a little reminiscent of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow in that way, although these are very different books). Given this novel doesn't feel like a traditional romance, I'd recommend it for people who are just starting with the genre.

I was really excited for this new novel from Curtis Sittenfeld, and the plot, which at least in part takes place on the set of a show modeled after SNL (here: “TNO”) made it even more appealing. The book is really in 3 parts: part 1 takes place over the course of a week in 2018; protagonist Sally is a writer on TNO, and the guest for the week is superstar musician Noah Brewster. Sally’s fellow writer / office mate, who has transcended to also be on air (picture as schlubbier Seth Myers), is dating a much hotter young actress, which inspires Sally to submit a sketch titled “The Danny Horst Rule,” poking fun of the idea that average looking men on the staff are able to date women like this, but of course it never goes in reverse.

Or might it? As Sally writes for Noah and he clearly admired her work, a beginning friendship forms, though Sally is certain someone like Noah could never be interested in her. This part of the book is juicy largely for its detailed view of the preparing of a show like SNL; Sittenfeld did a ton of research and it shows. This part of the book concludes at the after after party where Noah and Sally’s exchange ends with a thud.

Fast forward to the early Covid era (how strange to write that), where Noah emails Sally, and this brief Part 2 consists entirely of email exchanges between them.

And then Part 3, where a few weeks later, Sally drives (face masks and hand sanitizer in tow) to Noah’s mansion in LA to see if this new email relationship could ever possibly translate to (quarantined) real life.

“Romantic Comedy” was an enjoyable read. My one main criticism was that Noah seemed so perfect, so articulate - he lacked believability for me. In turn Sally wasn’t always the endearing heroine for whom you were cheering against all odds. But in the end, Sittenfeld’s writing and wit were enough.

A sketch-writer for a weekly live late night show (obviously SNL) is quite jaded as she sees average men hooking up with gorgeous, famous women but never the opposite. But then a handsome, famous singer/superstar guest hosts and there is strong chemistry between them...but in the true romance novel style, she pushes him away because of course he could never get serious with someone like her.

The most interesting part of the book to me was the behind the scenes at SNL.

Sally Milz is a writer for "The Night Owls," or "TNO" which is a late-night comedy show heavily inspired by the real-life late-night comedy show that we all know and love, SNL. Sally has long-ago given up on a meaningful romantic relationship for herself, and instead channels her energy into her career. That is until mega pop-star, Noah Brewster is a guest on TNO. Slowly, Sally begins to realize she's attracted to Noah but can't ever imagine a world in which he reciprocates those feelings. How could he when she's just an average girl, and he's a pop-star who typically dates models. But as Sally and Noah work more closely on sketches and spend more time together, Sally could swear there are some sparks between them. 

I loved everything about this book. I thought the behind-the-scenes of TNO (aka SNL) was such an interesting setting, I loved getting to read about the process of how sketches are created. The characters were all *chefs kiss*. They were so well developed with their own personalities and A+ for the perfectly executed banter!! Curtis Sittenfield did an amazing job of making me, the reader, feel like I was sitting in the room with these characters, listening to the sketch pitches, witnessing the relationship between Noah and Sally bloom right before my eyes. And of course, the examination of love, what it means to be love and the societal messaging we have around appearance and how that plays into love/relationships. 

Overally, I would highly recommend this book.

I have been a longtime fan of Curtis Sittenfeld, and I was sadly disappointed by this one! It’s likely that as a regular romance reader I came in with my own baggage here, but I found the to me it felt like Sittenfeld was reluctant to be writing this story in the first place, trying to work around tropes etc. 

I liked the section with their emails, but found the first part too exposition heavy about making a live sketch show, without playing up their chemistry enough.

Loved this title so much we selected it for the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club summer lineup of 2023. The author, Curtis Sittenfeld will be joining us to discuss. We loved the fizzy romance coupled (pun intended!) with weightier topics for discussion suitable for a book club.

If you’re a fan of Sussman’s “Funny You Should Ask,” then you’ll love this literary love story. Curtis Sittenfeld pulls us into a romance between a handsome celebrity and a late night comedy sketch writer. Sally Milz is a dedicated writer  who has given up on love and spends her time writing skits for TNO. It isn’t until musician Noah Brewster guest stars on the show and meets Sally. 

Their relationship builds over the pandemic (yes, Covid is in the plot). The entire second part of the novel consists of emails from 2020 between the two lovers. Usually I’m not a fan of this style. However, Sittenfeld pulls this off so well. Sally and Noah are both dynamic characters and kept me entertained. The only characteristic that I did not care for, in regards to Sally, was the constant “Why are you dating me, Noah? I’m a normal girl, not a hot model.” 

Asides from that, I absolutely loved the writing. I read this in two days. I’m also a huge fan of the cover design— I’m a sucker for anything pink.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an ARC.

By all accounts, I should have loved Romantic Comedy - a bit romance, a bit literary and a bit women's fiction, all my favorite genres, however, something about this one just did not totally work for me (especially with a COVID plot). Sittenfeld has always been hit or miss for me and unfortunately, this one was not my favorite from her.