Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Funny You Should Ask

I must first say that this is a book you can judge based on its cover, at least I did anyway—fun, cute, light and flirty.

From page one I could instantly see myself as the MC. Everyone has fantasized about meeting their celebrity crush, right? What about interviewing them? Scoring an invite to a premiere and an after party? Such is the case for this story. We follow journalist Chani “Then” and “Now” as she pens a profile piece on Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker twice, ten years apart. Can a whirlwind weekend of fame and and glamour and intimate conversations really change the trajectory of your life?

In some cases, yes. Chani’s article goes viral. Gabe isn’t just a Hollywood Hunk from small town Montana, he’s now an A-list celebrity with Oscar buzz. And a new Bond girl wife.

Because it was just that one weekend they spent together. Ten years later everything has changed except the feelings still there between Gabe and Chani, never consummated. And then Chani is asked to interview Gabe again and maybe recreate the magic of the article that launched her career.

This is a really well-written novel, more character-driven than anything. I liked and sympathized with Chani, found Gabe charming but real, and enjoyed the setting and theming. The beginning and end were really great. The middle lost me a little just in the fact that we’re supposed to believe these two characters have been in love with each other for a decade despite only being around each other for a couple days. I suppose that’s the magic of Hollywood, though, and I don’t hold it against them or the author. After all, wouldn’t I want to write the same thing?

I wished for a little more backstory, but overall it delivered on everything I was expecting. Also, it’s smart and sexy the way a romcom should be.

A very cute book :)

Content Warnings

dogbuttsandbooks's review against another edition

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sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I was so looking forward to this book - celebrity romances are my favorite. But this did not live up to the hype. The two main characters were miserable the entire book and frankly making some very morally questionable decisions the entire time. I hoped we’d get some social commentary about how society judges and shames women, celebrities forced to hide their sexuality, and more. But NOPE, nothing. Instead it was just two people being depressed and refusing to communicate like the adults they are (but really, was so excited to have MCs in their upper thirties and forties but these two acted more immaturely than most teenagers). I cannot recommend this book.

Also I’m deeply uncomfortable with the similarities between this book and the 2011 Chris Evans GQ article by Edith Zimmerman. The comprisons between Sussman's novel & Zimmerman's article are undeniable & uncomfortable. At the very LEAST the author should have mentioned the original GQ journalist in her acknowledgments (she does follow her on social media after all)! At most, she could have mixed up the details to make the dupe less obvious. Everything about this is icky.

You can find the GQ article here: https://www.gq.com/story/chris-evans-gq-july-2011-cover-story

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