Funny You Should Ask

by Elissa Sussman

Overall: I’m going to be upfront and say, this is an “it’s not you, it’s me” review.  Funny You Should Ask is a contemporary romance, which is a genre I almost never read.  However, after reading all the raves on Bookstagram, I decided to give it a try.  Chani’s a struggling writer with her first big media assignment: interviewing Gabe, a major Hollywood star.  The sparks fly, the interview turns into something more, and then it all goes terribly wrong.  Would this story suck me in, and be my gateway into everything romance?  Sadly, no.  It was perfectly fine as an audiobook to listen to while completing other tasks, but I personally found it underwhelming.

Likes: I enjoyed Chani’s voice, which was self-deprecating, pretty funny, and believable.  Chani’s Jewish identity is important to her, and the character calls out ways that mainstream American culture can make Jewish people feel out of place (people not knowing how to pronounce her name correctly, the lack of Hannukah decorations in a small town during the holidays).  She gives voice to a lot of anxieties familiar to many women, even those not hanging out with celebrities.  And there’s a lovely dog.

Dislikes: I don’t go for super handsome, hunky, rich, male love interests.  They’re just not my thing.  If they’re your thing, Gabe may be the book boyfriend of your dreams! But he’s not mine, and so I had a hard time getting invested in the story.  I also got frustrated by the lack of communication between Gabe and Chani.  The book spends a long time circling the issue of what *really* happened at the time of the interview, why Gabe and Chani didn’t end up together then, and why they haven’t made up in the meantime when they are both still obsessed with each other.  All of this could have been cleared up (and is, at the end) in a few paragraphs.  Sorry, not my thing.  My last dislike is the *tiny* cast of characters.  I have realized I like my romantic books to have lots of characters, not just the couple and a supporting character or two.  So, this was a mismatch for my taste, but it might be just what you’re looking for!

FYI: references to anti-Semitic remarks.  Homophobia.  Alcohol abuse.