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kristapeters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
Open door Romancekelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Author: Curtis Sittenfeld
Genre: Romance
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: April 4, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Observant • Light • Clever
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Sally Milz is a sketch writer for "The Night Owls," the late-night live comedy show that airs each Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.
But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actor who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the "Danny Horst Rule," poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.
Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder whether there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy; it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her...right?
💭 T H O U G H T S
Well, well, well if Romantic Comedy isn't the first 2023 release where I fell complete victim to an intriguing title, catchy cover, and false marketing. This book was not on my radar until it started to pop up absolutely everywhere and was selected as a BOM pick. And I'll be the first one to admit it sounded promising - not the case!
What I like:
• characters in their 30s. It was a breath of fresh air to be introduced to more mature, thriving adults.
• a healthy romance. Sally and Noah's relationship felt mature with open communication, and a mutual respect and understanding for one another.
• the email corresponding. I am here for epistolary (in this case emails) novels every. single. time. As someone who communicates better in written form, I appreciate this aspect in a new relationship.
• the friendships. There are some seriously strong friendships sprinkled throughout and I liked these better than the actual romance.
What I didn't like:
• the chemistry. I definitely wasn't convinced. Maybe it was the structure. Maybe it was my lack of caring about the two characters involved. I'm really not sure. The romance definitely takes a back seat.
• the structure. There's a prologue, three 'chapters' and an epilogue divided over 300 pages. Even without doing the math, it's easy to tell those aren't really chapters! Each section jumped in time and it felt scrambled and rushed at times. It just didn't seem to work.
• it's not all that funny. A couple of funny lines from characters with cameo appearances and that's about it.
• the extensive detail. There's so much detail on the creative process and behind-the-scenes of working in the industry that I just didn't need or enjoy.
A solid plot idea but very poorly marketed and executed. Additionally, at this point in time I am just not sure I'm ready for novels with a focus on the pandemic as a central theme and plot. If you're looking for a book with romance and/or comedy this likely isn't it.
**Reminder to self: falling victim to the buzz surrounding books not already on your radar rarely works out.**
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• SNL fans
• readers looking for a take on modern love
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It was a belated realization to have, but it occurred to me that perhaps this was how grown-up conversations worked—not that your communication didn’t falter, but that you both made good-faith attempts to rectify things after it had."
Graphic: Sexual content, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Moderate: Excrement, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cursing, Medical content, Sexism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Eating disorder
Minor: Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Cancer
divorcesebradley29's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Death, Medical content, and Sexual content
quillreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Eating disorder and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Abortion, Classism, and Cultural appropriation
lindseybarnett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death of parent, Alcohol, Death, and Sexism
sarahyjackson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Also, this was my first commit to a pandemic plot line and I found it was, for me, the right tone AND mood.
Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction and Alcohol
meredith_williams_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Cursing
Minor: Pregnancy
alireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Addiction, Medical content, and Pregnancy
jillkaarlela's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
For fans of “Funny You Should Ask” by Elisa Sussman and the TV show “Saturday Night Live!”. This book is if if the Pete Davidson-Kim K relationship was gender swapped (average woman with superstar model looking man).
I gotta say, it took me about 25% to get into this, because I don’t really watch SNL (it’s not my type of humor), but once I did, I was HOOKED. I LOVE Noah. He is such a great charming and kind golden retriever man (WHO GOES TO THERAPY!) with Sally definitely being skeptical of love, self-sabotaging, and cautious (“Afterglow” is HER song). Curtis Sittenfeld took the concept of a y/n celebrity fan fiction and made it not only a mature (in vocabulary and writing style) and overall really enjoyable book, but it also made it very believable (which a lot of celebrity-and-normal-person romances don’t quite get).
I loved Sally’s character arc because I think she is so real relatable, but not in a cringy or frustrating way. There were so many moments where I felt so called out, because that was exactly how I feel. I think it navigated the topic of feeling insecure of being less conventionally attractive as well as the stress/insecurities of relationships in the public eye really well!
Overall, just a really enjoyable read, and I would definitely check out more books by this author in the future! I read this as an ebook arc and I will be purchasing a physical copy immediately.
Trigger warning: off page ED and calorie counting, compulsive exercise, etc.; a lot of the plot revolves around COVID and it’s aftermath (not a spoiler)
Spice level: 15+ (one or two very brief scenes, spice level 1.5/5🌶️)
Thank you Netgalley for the ebook advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Moderate: Sexual content and Cursing
Minor: Eating disorder
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
With a gender-swapped Notting Hill trope, a bit of writer's life catnip, and a touch of A-list celebrity fan fiction feel, Romantic Comedy is perfect for fans of Nora Goes Off Script, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Emily Henry, and Olivia Dade.
Moderate: Cursing, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
Minor: Sexual content, Drug use, Excrement, Cancer, Death, Fatphobia, Sexism, Death of parent, and Chronic illness
COVID