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Romantic Comedy
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romance (2023)A comedy writer thinks she’s sworn off love, until a dreamily handsome pop star flips the script on all her assumptions. Romantic Comedy is a hilarious, observant and deeply tender novel from New York Times–bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld.
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?
With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.
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?
With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.
309 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2023
About the author
Curtis Sittenfeld
22 books8,233 followersCurtis Sittenfeld is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including Rodham, Eligible, Prep, American Wife, and Sisterland, as well as the collection You Think It, I'll Say It. Her books have been translated into thirty languages. In addition, her short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post Magazine, Esquire, and The Best American Short Stories, for which she has also been the guest editor. Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Time, and Vanity Fair, and on public radio's This American Life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 24,083 reviews
November 26, 2022
One of my favorite things about Curtis Sittenfeld is how she writes such satisfying novels. Once you start, you simply cannot put her books down. And I particularly enjoyed Romantic Comedy. For one, it gives a behind-the-scenes look at how sketch comedy shows like SNL function and the story centers around a woman and takes up the notion of the outrageously hot woman who often will choose a funny, perhaps, but less attractive man and no one will accept such a thing as anything but the norm. And so when Sally Millz, a successful, Emmy-winning comedy writer on a late night sketch show comes across handsome and charming rock star Noah Brewster, who is guess-hosting, she is reminded that women like her never get the super hot guy. And then everything she thought she knew is upturned. The first half of the novel is the week leading up to the show's broadcast and is very inside-baseball. Maybe, at times, too much inside baseball. But the work is thorough. And then the show is over and life goes on. At an awkward after party, Sally sabotages an intimate moment with Noah and goes back to her life. They are brought back together during the pandemic and that's when the novel really takes off as Sally tries to believe that maybe her true love really is also a wildly hot and famous rock star. The novel is beautifully written, charming, incredibly smart and completely engrossing. And it's nice to root for Sally to get out of her own way and allow herself to be seen and loved the way she deserves. Can't recommend this novel enough.
April 1, 2023
To be honest, I've seen this cover bouncing around so much I could have sworn this had been released a year ago. Meaning we have not an over hyped book on our hands, but an over advertised one.
So basically, Romantic Comedy is about an ugly, divorced 40 year old woman (and at no point in the book does the MC let you forget how ugly and unwanted she is) who writes for SNL despite being the least funny main character I have ever had the displeasure of reading. Sally is convinced that men don't date her because she isn't pretty, never taking into account that she has the personality of an unsalted cracker.
This book is written in only three chapters, which gives it a lovely "trapped in a never-ending nightmare" feel. It reads like it was written by a robot who has never experienced human emotion. The first half of the book is a mundane step by step explanation of working for SNL over the course of one week, and the 2nd half is about covid. Fantastic.
If you are looking for a book with romance or comedy then you are not in the right spot. Instead prepare yourself for needless step by step explanations of the work day, the author's not so subtle, five year old political views (because 50 percent of this book takes place in 2018), and emails sent durring Covid quarantine for some reason.
This is a rare "I'd give it 0 stars if I could" rating.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review
So basically, Romantic Comedy is about an ugly, divorced 40 year old woman (and at no point in the book does the MC let you forget how ugly and unwanted she is) who writes for SNL despite being the least funny main character I have ever had the displeasure of reading. Sally is convinced that men don't date her because she isn't pretty, never taking into account that she has the personality of an unsalted cracker.
This book is written in only three chapters, which gives it a lovely "trapped in a never-ending nightmare" feel. It reads like it was written by a robot who has never experienced human emotion. The first half of the book is a mundane step by step explanation of working for SNL over the course of one week, and the 2nd half is about covid. Fantastic.
If you are looking for a book with romance or comedy then you are not in the right spot. Instead prepare yourself for needless step by step explanations of the work day, the author's not so subtle, five year old political views (because 50 percent of this book takes place in 2018), and emails sent durring Covid quarantine for some reason.
This is a rare "I'd give it 0 stars if I could" rating.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review
October 6, 2023
Writing a book called “romantic comedy” where the main protagonist is 1) unloveable and 2) unfunny is frankly unforgivable
December 5, 2023
Yes! I finally found the best Curtis Sittenfeld book! I couldn't keep my hands off it, and as soon as I finished it, I berated myself for reading it too fast!
I truly adore watching two things on TV (or at least I used to before I had a billion options to binge-watch on streaming services): smart and realistic romantic comedies, and "Live from NY, it's Saturday Night Live!" This book is like a dream come true. It offers an amazing opportunity to learn how things work behind the scenes of SNL, and at the same time, it provides an engaging, smart, sarcastic, entertaining, and powerful love story between a one-of-a-kind, quirky, intelligent, intellectual, and honest heroine and a bold, sweet, caring, straightforward, and charming hero.
I'm a fan of the "Notting Hill" theme, where a famous star falls for an ordinary hero. This book interestingly questions whether a famous woman can fall for a non-famous man by pointing fingers to real-life examples. For instance, in the story, the young comedian/writer Danny, who hosts the news section on the show, dates a famous actress, just like in real life Colin Jost, who is happily married to Scarlett Johansson. The head writer, Elliott, reminded me of Jason Sudeikis, who is married to a pop star. Thankfully, the book's character doesn't deal with the public-serving-of-custody-papers-at-Comic-Con drama, and his wife didn't leave him for a hot Brit who's on a watermelon sugar high! Of course, let's not forget that one of the young comedians dated a huge list of celebrities, including Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, and Kim Kardashian. So, it seems like everything looks perfect for the men in the industry! They get the girl as the entire female population still deals with their own insecurities and distorted public shaming created by social media trolls!
The entire schedule, including the meetings with Lorne Michaels (whose name is Nigel Petersen in this book), programming, writing process of the sketches, brainstorming, brain-cell-burning creation part, the elimination process, and choosing the seven sketches that will be performed by the week's host, are written in such detail that it helped me visualize everything as if I was watching a documentary about SNL! I devoured those pages!
And let's talk about Sally Millz, a 36-year-old, divorced, lonely wolf. She's a lovable, realistic, and relatable heroine whose main source of life is writing and working for the show! She works on a sketch called "Danny Horst Rule," about a famous actor who gets arrested for breaking the main rule by dating a less-gorgeous, ordinary, non-famous woman. Because it's obvious when the roles change between genders, when a non-famous man can date a very famous woman just like her colleague Danny is about to get married to a famous star, Annabel Lily, an ordinary woman cannot get the attention of a famous man.
But their weekly host, Noah Brewster, a pop star of the same age as Sally, thinks otherwise, even though Sally believes he only dates models half his age, like Leo! When the two of them start working on a sketch, which is totally Noah's idea, they feel a special, close connection. Sally gets confused because, after so many disappointing experiences in her love life that have already given me too many heartbreaks, she's lost her belief in too-good-to-be-true love stories. She doesn't want to read too much into Noah's extra friendly manners around her, but things get heated at the after party and, well, Sally finds herself back at her stepfather's house, leaving NYC behind for the foreseeable future because the pandemic hits hard, changing the balance of people's lives entirely!
The book contains three different parts, and I loved each of them. The first part belongs to TNO (The Night Owls) show, also known as the fictional SNL. We learn so much about the shoe business, and we see how Sally met Noah in a modern Notting Hill love story.
The second part includes the emails exchanged between Sally and Noah during the pandemic.
The third part is about how their relationship develops. Could they have a chance at a happy ending, or is this another fairy tale? Could Sally's "Danny Horst Rule" be real, or are there exceptions, like the sweetest Noah Brewster? Read and find out!
I truly loved this book so much! Please read it and don't let it wait on your TBR list for too long. It's freaking brilliant!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.
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I truly adore watching two things on TV (or at least I used to before I had a billion options to binge-watch on streaming services): smart and realistic romantic comedies, and "Live from NY, it's Saturday Night Live!" This book is like a dream come true. It offers an amazing opportunity to learn how things work behind the scenes of SNL, and at the same time, it provides an engaging, smart, sarcastic, entertaining, and powerful love story between a one-of-a-kind, quirky, intelligent, intellectual, and honest heroine and a bold, sweet, caring, straightforward, and charming hero.
I'm a fan of the "Notting Hill" theme, where a famous star falls for an ordinary hero. This book interestingly questions whether a famous woman can fall for a non-famous man by pointing fingers to real-life examples. For instance, in the story, the young comedian/writer Danny, who hosts the news section on the show, dates a famous actress, just like in real life Colin Jost, who is happily married to Scarlett Johansson. The head writer, Elliott, reminded me of Jason Sudeikis, who is married to a pop star. Thankfully, the book's character doesn't deal with the public-serving-of-custody-papers-at-Comic-Con drama, and his wife didn't leave him for a hot Brit who's on a watermelon sugar high! Of course, let's not forget that one of the young comedians dated a huge list of celebrities, including Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, and Kim Kardashian. So, it seems like everything looks perfect for the men in the industry! They get the girl as the entire female population still deals with their own insecurities and distorted public shaming created by social media trolls!
The entire schedule, including the meetings with Lorne Michaels (whose name is Nigel Petersen in this book), programming, writing process of the sketches, brainstorming, brain-cell-burning creation part, the elimination process, and choosing the seven sketches that will be performed by the week's host, are written in such detail that it helped me visualize everything as if I was watching a documentary about SNL! I devoured those pages!
And let's talk about Sally Millz, a 36-year-old, divorced, lonely wolf. She's a lovable, realistic, and relatable heroine whose main source of life is writing and working for the show! She works on a sketch called "Danny Horst Rule," about a famous actor who gets arrested for breaking the main rule by dating a less-gorgeous, ordinary, non-famous woman. Because it's obvious when the roles change between genders, when a non-famous man can date a very famous woman just like her colleague Danny is about to get married to a famous star, Annabel Lily, an ordinary woman cannot get the attention of a famous man.
But their weekly host, Noah Brewster, a pop star of the same age as Sally, thinks otherwise, even though Sally believes he only dates models half his age, like Leo! When the two of them start working on a sketch, which is totally Noah's idea, they feel a special, close connection. Sally gets confused because, after so many disappointing experiences in her love life that have already given me too many heartbreaks, she's lost her belief in too-good-to-be-true love stories. She doesn't want to read too much into Noah's extra friendly manners around her, but things get heated at the after party and, well, Sally finds herself back at her stepfather's house, leaving NYC behind for the foreseeable future because the pandemic hits hard, changing the balance of people's lives entirely!
The book contains three different parts, and I loved each of them. The first part belongs to TNO (The Night Owls) show, also known as the fictional SNL. We learn so much about the shoe business, and we see how Sally met Noah in a modern Notting Hill love story.
The second part includes the emails exchanged between Sally and Noah during the pandemic.
The third part is about how their relationship develops. Could they have a chance at a happy ending, or is this another fairy tale? Could Sally's "Danny Horst Rule" be real, or are there exceptions, like the sweetest Noah Brewster? Read and find out!
I truly loved this book so much! Please read it and don't let it wait on your TBR list for too long. It's freaking brilliant!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.
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May 15, 2023Writer Sally has long given up on the search for love. Propelled by her annoyance when yet another average man gets involved with an incredibly glamorous woman, Sally writes a sketch on how it's unlikely the reverse would happen. But that may not be the case when she hits it off with a handsome, charming pop star. Things like that don't happen in real life... or do they? A must-read!
June 9, 2023
i feel insane😭
April 10, 2023
I’m going to tell everyone I meet for the rest of my life not to read this book.
April 10, 2023
DNF @ 50%
Not a romance.
Not a comedy.
Romantic Comedy was one of the dumbest books I've read in a long time. Fundamentally, this book was a total drag. The format made me crazy. The snail pace beginning of meaningless pieces to the story. Like why why why? Sally, we get it, you have issues. No doubt. It dragged on and on and on. Finally when "chapter 2" hit at around 120 pages, the format now moved to email exchanges. For 80 pages. 8-0!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!! Have you ever listened to email exchanges for 1-2 hours on audio?? After about 15 minutes, it felt like nails on a chalkboard.
I don't really even want to the into the plot because I'm convinced no one read this book. Absolute meaningless information for the majority of the book. No tension. No development. Nothing. There is no way that anyone in the publishing world read this and thought "YES! This is the book of summer 2023!" and there is DEFINITELY no way that Reese herself read this book and thought the same thing. But my theory behind Reese "not reading the book" isn't new around here.
And don't even get me started on the THICCCCC layer of the authors own agenda that was spread through every paragraph and page of this book. This was a HUGE miss.
Not a romance.
Not a comedy.
Romantic Comedy was one of the dumbest books I've read in a long time. Fundamentally, this book was a total drag. The format made me crazy. The snail pace beginning of meaningless pieces to the story. Like why why why? Sally, we get it, you have issues. No doubt. It dragged on and on and on. Finally when "chapter 2" hit at around 120 pages, the format now moved to email exchanges. For 80 pages. 8-0!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!! Have you ever listened to email exchanges for 1-2 hours on audio?? After about 15 minutes, it felt like nails on a chalkboard.
I don't really even want to the into the plot because I'm convinced no one read this book. Absolute meaningless information for the majority of the book. No tension. No development. Nothing. There is no way that anyone in the publishing world read this and thought "YES! This is the book of summer 2023!" and there is DEFINITELY no way that Reese herself read this book and thought the same thing. But my theory behind Reese "not reading the book" isn't new around here.
And don't even get me started on the THICCCCC layer of the authors own agenda that was spread through every paragraph and page of this book. This was a HUGE miss.
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 8, 2023DNF @ 25%
By 20% I was skimming and counted 4 political statements. As I've said before, I will not read any books that pushes a political agenda, or mention real political figures, even if they align with my own beliefs. I can watch the news for that.
This was a take-off on the writers of a SNL-type show, a show I loved, so I don't know how you could make that subject boring, but the author succeeded in doing just that.
Plus the book was described as "hilarious". Um, no, not even a little bit.
By 20% I was skimming and counted 4 political statements. As I've said before, I will not read any books that pushes a political agenda, or mention real political figures, even if they align with my own beliefs. I can watch the news for that.
This was a take-off on the writers of a SNL-type show, a show I loved, so I don't know how you could make that subject boring, but the author succeeded in doing just that.
Plus the book was described as "hilarious". Um, no, not even a little bit.
December 29, 2023
can't stop reading bestsellers after everyone is done talking about them.
and guess what. it works.
this has many of my favorite tropes in it — funny smart women dating less funny less smart men; banter; pen pals — and many things i didn't know were my favorite — thinly veiled SNL coverage (shoutout to 13 year old me); devastatingly handsome men who wear wigs.
it's nothing particularly memorable, and neither the best Romantic nor the best Comedy, but it's fun!
bottom line: look at me having a popular opinion.
3.5
and guess what. it works.
this has many of my favorite tropes in it — funny smart women dating less funny less smart men; banter; pen pals — and many things i didn't know were my favorite — thinly veiled SNL coverage (shoutout to 13 year old me); devastatingly handsome men who wear wigs.
it's nothing particularly memorable, and neither the best Romantic nor the best Comedy, but it's fun!
bottom line: look at me having a popular opinion.
3.5
November 14, 2023
✨Hey Alexa play Nothing New by Taylor Swift✨
The narrator was very good and I really liked both characters… but the trade reviews are WILD. This book brought nothing new to the genre. I liked it better than some other celebrity romances I’ve read, but wouldn’t reread it. It’s closed door (save for a few flashbacks) and wasn’t very funny. The premise was fun…but the author really just wanted to write passionately about SNL. The making money part of this passion project came from the “romantic comedy” aspect, despite no real love for the genre.
**spoilers below**
The book is called Romantic Comedy because Sally works for an SNL-esque sketch comedy show but ultimately wants to write her own “romantic comedies.” You can definitely see the Pete Davidson and Collin Jost inspo. Plus, Sally was always like “if my life were a romantic comedy it would…” Any person who actually interacted with the genre would shorten it to romcom nine times out of ten. I’m not even sure if romcom was even mentioned once in the book.
I mean imagine writing an entire book called Romantic Comedy (idc if you were just trying to be cheeky) and ONLY listing SNL episodes and cast member autobiographies as your inspiration in the acknowledgments section. Not one single romcom book or movie. Really she didn’t have even ONE romcom to recommend?? You can read her acknowledgments section here: https://twitter.com/fringebookhan/sta... ✨
But apparently it’s a revolutionary romance novel (just read the trade reviews) bc it talks about bodily functions and references the pandemic??? It definitely tried to “not like other romance books” it. Talking about farting and pooping and bodily fluids isn’t even new lol. Congrats you went poop at a guy’s house that is not reinventing the genre. Ultimately, it was the story of a “plain” girl standing in front of a “handsome, rich, and famous” boy asking him how he could possibly love one so “normal” as her.
It also felt incredibly dated with the Trump and Pandemic references. The entire last hour of the book revolves around caring for an 80 year old family member who is COVID+ and nearly dying. He doesn’t die but mortality and explicit care details are discussed. There wasn’t even a breakup because it was all about COVID??? This is not trope subversion it’s just bait and switch. The epilogue does the majority of the relationship building heavy lifting in a very limited amount of space.
Ultimately, I’m rounding down for the false advertising (bc did anyone actually think it was gonna be a romcom?), and for the intentional othering of this “romantic comedy” from its contemporaries. Frankly, it was fun but it was also entirely forgettable and if it didn’t pander to the “romance needs to be smart or meta” people, no one would be talking about it. The book felt like it was published for the selling points, not the actual story. I’ve yet to deduce how this book “slyly dissects the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age” ????? Like it was a very generic story 😭
I did love the narrator though and the audio was a very quick listen. I didn’t hate the relationship, I’m just very confused.
⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️*/5
*it’s pretty much all closed door but doesn’t miss an opportunity to make you know how GREAT it was.
As a treat: There weren’t many jokes in the book but “I’m so happy that I can’t wipe the smile off my penis” was one of them??
CWs: Pandemic, death of a parent (stomach cancer), near death on-page from COVID (family member), recounting disordered eating/exercise habits, alcoholism (he’s sober).
Thanks for PRHaudio for an ALC. All opinions are honest and my own.
The narrator was very good and I really liked both characters… but the trade reviews are WILD. This book brought nothing new to the genre. I liked it better than some other celebrity romances I’ve read, but wouldn’t reread it. It’s closed door (save for a few flashbacks) and wasn’t very funny. The premise was fun…but the author really just wanted to write passionately about SNL. The making money part of this passion project came from the “romantic comedy” aspect, despite no real love for the genre.
**spoilers below**
The book is called Romantic Comedy because Sally works for an SNL-esque sketch comedy show but ultimately wants to write her own “romantic comedies.” You can definitely see the Pete Davidson and Collin Jost inspo. Plus, Sally was always like “if my life were a romantic comedy it would…” Any person who actually interacted with the genre would shorten it to romcom nine times out of ten. I’m not even sure if romcom was even mentioned once in the book.
I mean imagine writing an entire book called Romantic Comedy (idc if you were just trying to be cheeky) and ONLY listing SNL episodes and cast member autobiographies as your inspiration in the acknowledgments section. Not one single romcom book or movie. Really she didn’t have even ONE romcom to recommend?? You can read her acknowledgments section here: https://twitter.com/fringebookhan/sta... ✨
But apparently it’s a revolutionary romance novel (just read the trade reviews) bc it talks about bodily functions and references the pandemic??? It definitely tried to “not like other romance books” it. Talking about farting and pooping and bodily fluids isn’t even new lol. Congrats you went poop at a guy’s house that is not reinventing the genre. Ultimately, it was the story of a “plain” girl standing in front of a “handsome, rich, and famous” boy asking him how he could possibly love one so “normal” as her.
It also felt incredibly dated with the Trump and Pandemic references. The entire last hour of the book revolves around caring for an 80 year old family member who is COVID+ and nearly dying. He doesn’t die but mortality and explicit care details are discussed. There wasn’t even a breakup because it was all about COVID??? This is not trope subversion it’s just bait and switch. The epilogue does the majority of the relationship building heavy lifting in a very limited amount of space.
Ultimately, I’m rounding down for the false advertising (bc did anyone actually think it was gonna be a romcom?), and for the intentional othering of this “romantic comedy” from its contemporaries. Frankly, it was fun but it was also entirely forgettable and if it didn’t pander to the “romance needs to be smart or meta” people, no one would be talking about it. The book felt like it was published for the selling points, not the actual story. I’ve yet to deduce how this book “slyly dissects the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age” ????? Like it was a very generic story 😭
I did love the narrator though and the audio was a very quick listen. I didn’t hate the relationship, I’m just very confused.
⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️*/5
*it’s pretty much all closed door but doesn’t miss an opportunity to make you know how GREAT it was.
As a treat: There weren’t many jokes in the book but “I’m so happy that I can’t wipe the smile off my penis” was one of them??
CWs: Pandemic, death of a parent (stomach cancer), near death on-page from COVID (family member), recounting disordered eating/exercise habits, alcoholism (he’s sober).
Thanks for PRHaudio for an ALC. All opinions are honest and my own.
April 23, 2023
SPOILER REVIEW:
Imagine if you asked yourself “hmm, I wonder what would happen if I was super insecure and didn’t think anyone attractive or successful could like me and I worked at SNL?”
This book answers that, unfortunately.
There is absolutely nothing original in this book. The author took bits and pieces of real people who work for the real SNL and just mushed them together to create “new characters.” One example: Danny being Colin Jost with Pete Davidson’s dating history. Even the structure of SNL remains the same, just with the show runner named Nigel instead of Lorne Michaels.
Further, there is literally 0 character development. Sally begins with the mindset of “I’m not conventionally pretty and no one famous or not could ever like me” and ends with that exact same mentality. 🙄🙄🙄.
What the back of the book doesn’t say is this is a Covid romance. There is two years (wtf) between when they meet on fake SNL and when he sends her a random email out of the blue one day to be pen pals during the pandemic.
Somehow within those two years they’ve also gone from being a semi cool comedy writer and rockstar musician to being the most CRINGEY Facebook boomers. Their chemistry is nonexistent in their writing, and I kid you not one of the questions he asks at the BEGINNING of their pal relationship is “what’s your relationship with drugs and alcohol” and not two pages later they’re talking about favorite colors. It’s so blunt and middle-school-like.
It’s also a recurring cycle that happens maybe 10 times that Sally thinks she’s too ugly, she lashes out at Noah, Noah gets mad, Sally threatens to leave, and then he reassures her that yeah she’s not super pretty but he likes her, and then they get back together. It’s during one of these arguments that they randomly say I LOVE YOU?? Like YOU TWO CLEARLY DONT EVEN LIKE EACH OTHER.
Overall, this felt like sad SNL fan canon with weird Covid flash backs. It’s a no from me.
Imagine if you asked yourself “hmm, I wonder what would happen if I was super insecure and didn’t think anyone attractive or successful could like me and I worked at SNL?”
This book answers that, unfortunately.
There is absolutely nothing original in this book. The author took bits and pieces of real people who work for the real SNL and just mushed them together to create “new characters.” One example: Danny being Colin Jost with Pete Davidson’s dating history. Even the structure of SNL remains the same, just with the show runner named Nigel instead of Lorne Michaels.
Further, there is literally 0 character development. Sally begins with the mindset of “I’m not conventionally pretty and no one famous or not could ever like me” and ends with that exact same mentality. 🙄🙄🙄.
What the back of the book doesn’t say is this is a Covid romance. There is two years (wtf) between when they meet on fake SNL and when he sends her a random email out of the blue one day to be pen pals during the pandemic.
Somehow within those two years they’ve also gone from being a semi cool comedy writer and rockstar musician to being the most CRINGEY Facebook boomers. Their chemistry is nonexistent in their writing, and I kid you not one of the questions he asks at the BEGINNING of their pal relationship is “what’s your relationship with drugs and alcohol” and not two pages later they’re talking about favorite colors. It’s so blunt and middle-school-like.
It’s also a recurring cycle that happens maybe 10 times that Sally thinks she’s too ugly, she lashes out at Noah, Noah gets mad, Sally threatens to leave, and then he reassures her that yeah she’s not super pretty but he likes her, and then they get back together. It’s during one of these arguments that they randomly say I LOVE YOU?? Like YOU TWO CLEARLY DONT EVEN LIKE EACH OTHER.
Overall, this felt like sad SNL fan canon with weird Covid flash backs. It’s a no from me.
November 8, 2022
Absolutely WONDERFUL!!!!!!!
I just finished it - been on my back -under a blanket all day ….I’m swooning!!!!
BEST FEEL GOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!
Review to follow in a day or two.
UPDATE:
I already mentioned how totally enjoyable this is….I’m back —(from the hospital with good news of ‘not’ having a groin hernia - but swollen lymph nodes - for which I’m suppose to see the doctor to talk about tomorrow)….
In the meantime I can’t keep putting off writing a review forever — as I’m about to start back treatments 3 to 4 days a week any day, too…..
So here goes my best effort — with still not physically perky bouncy yet….
First, and foremost…..Curtis Sittenfeld is a highly entertaining, versatile brilliant, playful, psychologically acute intimate writer —
—she not only knocked this book outside the park….but her timing is perfect—
—she and Stephen King both published books in 2022 with intentional purposes to leave readers with a happy ending — not sappy — but warm, meaningful and hopeful …..
In my opinion ….it’s ‘exactly’ what 2022 needs.
“Romantic Comedy”…..is just that : idyllic, amorous, charming, colorful, hilarious, and boisterous.
For anyone who has watched comedy-satire- sketch comedy -current political TV shows …..Sittenfeld paints a very real experience of the the preparatory measures, background details, and employment lifestyles of those involved in show. It’s ‘very cool’ and eye opening …..
With several perfectly-flawed characters we get to know, and several storylines that fix nicely together, the heart & gold of this novel belongs to - Sally Milz and Noah Brewster…..where they first meet on the set of “The Night Owls”, (TNO).
Sally worked at TNO, and Noah was the guest artist - celebrity singer-songwriter.
With many smart and savvy moments ….
Here are some samples:
TNO …..
“was one of the only workplaces in America where people who had spouses and kids were not only in the minority that were looked at with a vague pity, because how could anyone possibly manage that, too?”
“What’s it like to be so beautiful you never have to make the first move?”
“Viv laughed. Advantageous yet burdensome. Also, in my case, complicated by America‘s ongoing misogynoir”.
“There were even more staff members at read-through‘s than at pitch meetings, including from hair and make up, wardrobe, set design, and the music department. Spread over the tables with scripts of the sketches and, because we’d be there for three hours, bottles of water and scatter platters of sandwiches, salad, cut up fruit, chips (presumably not coffee flavored), and cookies. Whether you considered this meal breakfast, lunch, or dinner depending on how late you’ve been at the night before”.
“Do you know what people like me call flying commercial? I said. We call it flying”.
“I looked at myself in the mirror above the sink and tried to figure out what expression a woman driving 1,600 miles to visit Noah Brewster would make. It would be sultry, right? Which was a problem because with effort, I could do friendly, and I could always do smirky, but I wasn’t sure I was physically capable of sultry”.
“In this house, we keep things real, we give hugs, and we dance badly.
“Some of us think holding on makes it strong, but sometimes it is letting go”
—Hermann Hesse
Highly enjoyable-smart-literary……’romantic comedy’.
I just finished it - been on my back -under a blanket all day ….I’m swooning!!!!
BEST FEEL GOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!
Review to follow in a day or two.
UPDATE:
I already mentioned how totally enjoyable this is….I’m back —(from the hospital with good news of ‘not’ having a groin hernia - but swollen lymph nodes - for which I’m suppose to see the doctor to talk about tomorrow)….
In the meantime I can’t keep putting off writing a review forever — as I’m about to start back treatments 3 to 4 days a week any day, too…..
So here goes my best effort — with still not physically perky bouncy yet….
First, and foremost…..Curtis Sittenfeld is a highly entertaining, versatile brilliant, playful, psychologically acute intimate writer —
—she not only knocked this book outside the park….but her timing is perfect—
—she and Stephen King both published books in 2022 with intentional purposes to leave readers with a happy ending — not sappy — but warm, meaningful and hopeful …..
In my opinion ….it’s ‘exactly’ what 2022 needs.
“Romantic Comedy”…..is just that : idyllic, amorous, charming, colorful, hilarious, and boisterous.
For anyone who has watched comedy-satire- sketch comedy -current political TV shows …..Sittenfeld paints a very real experience of the the preparatory measures, background details, and employment lifestyles of those involved in show. It’s ‘very cool’ and eye opening …..
With several perfectly-flawed characters we get to know, and several storylines that fix nicely together, the heart & gold of this novel belongs to - Sally Milz and Noah Brewster…..where they first meet on the set of “The Night Owls”, (TNO).
Sally worked at TNO, and Noah was the guest artist - celebrity singer-songwriter.
With many smart and savvy moments ….
Here are some samples:
TNO …..
“was one of the only workplaces in America where people who had spouses and kids were not only in the minority that were looked at with a vague pity, because how could anyone possibly manage that, too?”
“What’s it like to be so beautiful you never have to make the first move?”
“Viv laughed. Advantageous yet burdensome. Also, in my case, complicated by America‘s ongoing misogynoir”.
“There were even more staff members at read-through‘s than at pitch meetings, including from hair and make up, wardrobe, set design, and the music department. Spread over the tables with scripts of the sketches and, because we’d be there for three hours, bottles of water and scatter platters of sandwiches, salad, cut up fruit, chips (presumably not coffee flavored), and cookies. Whether you considered this meal breakfast, lunch, or dinner depending on how late you’ve been at the night before”.
“Do you know what people like me call flying commercial? I said. We call it flying”.
“I looked at myself in the mirror above the sink and tried to figure out what expression a woman driving 1,600 miles to visit Noah Brewster would make. It would be sultry, right? Which was a problem because with effort, I could do friendly, and I could always do smirky, but I wasn’t sure I was physically capable of sultry”.
“In this house, we keep things real, we give hugs, and we dance badly.
“Some of us think holding on makes it strong, but sometimes it is letting go”
—Hermann Hesse
Highly enjoyable-smart-literary……’romantic comedy’.
April 10, 2023
first half is stronger than the second half for me, why does every novel need to remind me of covid now
Read
December 4, 2023writing was so dry and i wasn't feeling either the romance or the comedy in this. maybe it gets better but i didn't feel like sticking around to find out
May 18, 2023
this book made me feel nothing except visceral RAGE.
every single thing that happened felt absolutely pointless. the couple had ZERO chemistry. sally was thoroughly unlikable (and not in a good way) and noah was just ... there. for a book about a COMEDY WRITER that is titled ROMANTIC COMEDY it was the driest, unfunniest thing i've ever read.
I AM LOSING MY MIND THIS BOOK MADE ME SO ANGRY I CANT EVEN DESCRIBE IT SO HERE IS JUST A RUNDOWN OF SOME OF THE MOST RIDICULOUS AND CRINGE INDUCING THINGS THAT HAPPENED (RANT AHEAD)
- there is fake snl and fake pete davidson and fake lorne michaels and fake fucking luke bryan and YET there's real tr*mp??? what the FUCK was the reason for that
- also 50% of this book takes place during the PANDEMIC?!??? who on god's green earth thought COVID was a good setting for a ROMCOM i just wanna talk
- imagine calling yourself an intersectional feminist and worshipping hillary clinton in 2023
- imagine calling yourself an intersectional feminist and yet constantly belittling/hating on other women for the most superficial reasons
- i understand being insecure but sally made EVERYTHING about physical appearance and it makes no sense to me like get over it or get some therapy girl i'm begging
- why did noah and sally even like each other??? they had two (2) boring, dry convos and then nothing for 2 years and suddenly they're in love after exchanging the most cringe-inducing middle school type emails for 2 weeks
- the EMAILS. a third of this book is just emails and i like that kind of stuff in books sometimes but this was just lazy writing. we don't get to read about sally and noah actually getting to know each other/spending time together — no, we get to read 80 pages of EMAILS. fuck me
- sally insulting noah by accusing him of only dating women 10-15 years younger than him while at the SAME TIME setting up her friend w a doctor that's 15-20 years older than her just bc he's hot. but it's different bc noah dates models who are obviously DUMB. the hypocrisy blew my mind bc wtf
- i'm not even gonna go into detail but i'm the most liberal liberal to ever liberal and even i found sally and noah's views in this book so incredibly performative and fake (and judgmental?? sally is the JUDGIEST narrator my GOD)
- the only time i laughed (sarcastically, incredulously) at this romcom was when sally—who is a PROFESSIONAL COMEDY WRITER—genuinely suggested to improve a sketch by ending it with a fart joke. i—
no words.
in conclusion: boohoo sally is a rich and successful late night tv show writer living in nyc and she bags a hot celebrity singer and gets to ride around in his private jet and live in his mansion. i feel sooo bad for her.
i wish i could wipe my brain. don't read this book
every single thing that happened felt absolutely pointless. the couple had ZERO chemistry. sally was thoroughly unlikable (and not in a good way) and noah was just ... there. for a book about a COMEDY WRITER that is titled ROMANTIC COMEDY it was the driest, unfunniest thing i've ever read.
I AM LOSING MY MIND THIS BOOK MADE ME SO ANGRY I CANT EVEN DESCRIBE IT SO HERE IS JUST A RUNDOWN OF SOME OF THE MOST RIDICULOUS AND CRINGE INDUCING THINGS THAT HAPPENED (RANT AHEAD)
- there is fake snl and fake pete davidson and fake lorne michaels and fake fucking luke bryan and YET there's real tr*mp??? what the FUCK was the reason for that
- also 50% of this book takes place during the PANDEMIC?!??? who on god's green earth thought COVID was a good setting for a ROMCOM i just wanna talk
- imagine calling yourself an intersectional feminist and worshipping hillary clinton in 2023
- imagine calling yourself an intersectional feminist and yet constantly belittling/hating on other women for the most superficial reasons
- i understand being insecure but sally made EVERYTHING about physical appearance and it makes no sense to me like get over it or get some therapy girl i'm begging
- why did noah and sally even like each other??? they had two (2) boring, dry convos and then nothing for 2 years and suddenly they're in love after exchanging the most cringe-inducing middle school type emails for 2 weeks
- the EMAILS. a third of this book is just emails and i like that kind of stuff in books sometimes but this was just lazy writing. we don't get to read about sally and noah actually getting to know each other/spending time together — no, we get to read 80 pages of EMAILS. fuck me
- sally insulting noah by accusing him of only dating women 10-15 years younger than him while at the SAME TIME setting up her friend w a doctor that's 15-20 years older than her just bc he's hot. but it's different bc noah dates models who are obviously DUMB. the hypocrisy blew my mind bc wtf
- i'm not even gonna go into detail but i'm the most liberal liberal to ever liberal and even i found sally and noah's views in this book so incredibly performative and fake (and judgmental?? sally is the JUDGIEST narrator my GOD)
- the only time i laughed (sarcastically, incredulously) at this romcom was when sally—who is a PROFESSIONAL COMEDY WRITER—genuinely suggested to improve a sketch by ending it with a fart joke. i—
no words.
in conclusion: boohoo sally is a rich and successful late night tv show writer living in nyc and she bags a hot celebrity singer and gets to ride around in his private jet and live in his mansion. i feel sooo bad for her.
i wish i could wipe my brain. don't read this book
February 20, 2023
I couldn’t get past the first couple of chapters. It was way too political for me. I hate being preached at and couldn’t make it past the overblown one sided political statements.
April 30, 2023
I’ve had THE best reading year. So far in 2023, and this is only through the end of April, I’ve had six five-star reads. I feel like I’m handing out rave reviews left and right.
And I’m about to hand out another one – to Curtis Sittenfeld for her latest release, Romantic Comedy.
The novel is, as the title suggests, a romantic comedy. But it’s not of the fun and fluffy Christina Lauren or Emily Henry variety. Rather, it’s more Sally Rooney-esque, if Sally Rooney were to ever add a little comedy to her romance.
Oddly enough, Sittenfeld’s leading lady is even named Sally. (Hmm. Coincidental or intentional? I must ponder this.)
Sally is a sketch writer for the late-night live comedy show, The Night Owls, which is where she meets Noah Brewster, a famous pop musician who has signed on as celebrity host and musical guest. They hit it off immediately, but Sally, having sworn off love, believes she is misreading the situation because how could a man known for dating models be interested in her?!?! So instead of allowing the sparks to fly, Sally does what she does best – she acts like an asshole and out of fear, blows the whole thing up before it even starts.
What follows is an incisive, razor-sharp examination of love and dating and all its messiness. Sittenfeld attacks some of the usual tropes head on – grand gestures, musical serenades, a celebrity dating a non-celebrity, a successful woman fearful of losing her independence – and gives them a fresh spin. And through Sally and Noah, she shows how love can make us all a little neurotic and that men, too, have insecurities that take a toll on their psyches.
But Sittenfeld also shows us that love can flourish. It just takes some patience, understanding, open communication, and breathing room.
Romantic Comedy isn’t one of those mindless, easy-breezy romances that you can read in a day and then forget the next. There’s meat on its bones, and your brain will need to work in order to appreciate it.
I adored everything about the book. Not only did the story touch my heart, but Sittenfeld’s writing touched my mind – the combination of which made for a knockout read.
And I’m about to hand out another one – to Curtis Sittenfeld for her latest release, Romantic Comedy.
The novel is, as the title suggests, a romantic comedy. But it’s not of the fun and fluffy Christina Lauren or Emily Henry variety. Rather, it’s more Sally Rooney-esque, if Sally Rooney were to ever add a little comedy to her romance.
Oddly enough, Sittenfeld’s leading lady is even named Sally. (Hmm. Coincidental or intentional? I must ponder this.)
Sally is a sketch writer for the late-night live comedy show, The Night Owls, which is where she meets Noah Brewster, a famous pop musician who has signed on as celebrity host and musical guest. They hit it off immediately, but Sally, having sworn off love, believes she is misreading the situation because how could a man known for dating models be interested in her?!?! So instead of allowing the sparks to fly, Sally does what she does best – she acts like an asshole and out of fear, blows the whole thing up before it even starts.
What follows is an incisive, razor-sharp examination of love and dating and all its messiness. Sittenfeld attacks some of the usual tropes head on – grand gestures, musical serenades, a celebrity dating a non-celebrity, a successful woman fearful of losing her independence – and gives them a fresh spin. And through Sally and Noah, she shows how love can make us all a little neurotic and that men, too, have insecurities that take a toll on their psyches.
But Sittenfeld also shows us that love can flourish. It just takes some patience, understanding, open communication, and breathing room.
Romantic Comedy isn’t one of those mindless, easy-breezy romances that you can read in a day and then forget the next. There’s meat on its bones, and your brain will need to work in order to appreciate it.
I adored everything about the book. Not only did the story touch my heart, but Sittenfeld’s writing touched my mind – the combination of which made for a knockout read.
February 4, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded down
Curtis Sittenfeld must have been thinking of Pete Davidson when she began to write Romantic Comedy. Sally Minz is a writer for The Night Owls, a SNL style late night comedy show and shares an office with Danny, a young actor/writer on the show who has just gotten engaged to a famous celebrity. And he’s the third such male staffer to have linked up with a female celebrity. She’s furious because “such couples would never exist if the genders were switched, that a gorgeous male celebrity would never fall in love with an ordinary, dorky, unkempt woman.” But, given that this is a romantic comedy, a gorgeous male celebrity does exactly that.
This book felt like two different stories. The first part of the story was as much about the late night comedy show as a possible romance, so I really enjoyed it. I once visited the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago when they had a full exhibit explaining how SNL put a show together. This book captures the same frenetic pace of the one week time capsule. I would rate this part of the book a solid 4.
The book then skips ahead two years to the Covid pandemic when everyone is sheltering in place. Sally and Noah become pen pals via email. This section was much more standard romance fare and didn’t work as well for me. Finally, they decide to meet in person and Sally drives out to California. The second and third sections are just plain old romance storylines and quickly became boring for me. Although kudos to Sittenfeld for keeping it real with bodily functions. And Sally did come across as a fully developed character. I would give these sections of the book a three (barely).
Keep in mind I am not a fan of romances. I had really liked Eligible, as a well done take off of P&P. But overall, they come across as either too saccharine or too whiny, both of which happened in this book. While I could appreciate the whole issue about dating someone famous, Sally’s insecurity started really grating on me.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
Curtis Sittenfeld must have been thinking of Pete Davidson when she began to write Romantic Comedy. Sally Minz is a writer for The Night Owls, a SNL style late night comedy show and shares an office with Danny, a young actor/writer on the show who has just gotten engaged to a famous celebrity. And he’s the third such male staffer to have linked up with a female celebrity. She’s furious because “such couples would never exist if the genders were switched, that a gorgeous male celebrity would never fall in love with an ordinary, dorky, unkempt woman.” But, given that this is a romantic comedy, a gorgeous male celebrity does exactly that.
This book felt like two different stories. The first part of the story was as much about the late night comedy show as a possible romance, so I really enjoyed it. I once visited the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago when they had a full exhibit explaining how SNL put a show together. This book captures the same frenetic pace of the one week time capsule. I would rate this part of the book a solid 4.
The book then skips ahead two years to the Covid pandemic when everyone is sheltering in place. Sally and Noah become pen pals via email. This section was much more standard romance fare and didn’t work as well for me. Finally, they decide to meet in person and Sally drives out to California. The second and third sections are just plain old romance storylines and quickly became boring for me. Although kudos to Sittenfeld for keeping it real with bodily functions. And Sally did come across as a fully developed character. I would give these sections of the book a three (barely).
Keep in mind I am not a fan of romances. I had really liked Eligible, as a well done take off of P&P. But overall, they come across as either too saccharine or too whiny, both of which happened in this book. While I could appreciate the whole issue about dating someone famous, Sally’s insecurity started really grating on me.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
June 30, 2023
This is not a review, but rather a personal declaration.
I genuinely despise movies and TV series with dry humor. I have absolutely no tolerance for them. As I listened to this book, that sentiment echoed relentlessly in my mind, like a broken record. It became abundantly clear that this particular book was not suited to my taste.
I genuinely despise movies and TV series with dry humor. I have absolutely no tolerance for them. As I listened to this book, that sentiment echoed relentlessly in my mind, like a broken record. It became abundantly clear that this particular book was not suited to my taste.
April 23, 2023
I've loved all of Curtis Sittenfeld's novels, but this one was a particular joy. First of all, I savor Saturday Night Live, and the tale is set in a fictional version that is filled with details about how the real SNL functions. (And Sittenfeld's fictional sketches are a howl.) Second, the ending gave me, as we like to say, "all the feels." It's emotionally smart and each beat of the pendulous romance is moving and genuine and an absolute delight.
April 7, 2023
DNF @ 50%. Sorry, but this was tedious and boring. I don’t care what happens. Bye.
May 11, 2023
I really hated the last 3 chapters of this book.
There are only 3 chapters in this book.
There are only 3 chapters in this book.
January 13, 2024
Don’t mind me just updating with more accurate ratings 👀
I anticipate a lot of readers enjoying this book, certainly if the current 5 star reviews are any indication. This book is a romance, but given the author and style, it's being billed more as a literary romance, which is a tricky (non) genre. The main character, Sally Milz, is a successful writer on a fictionalized version of SNL, where, when the novel opens, the show is about to be hosted by an aging but extremely handsome and successful male musician (let's say an older Harry Styles - I know we can't make every fictional musician Harry Styles...but at the same time...can't we though?).
What follows for over 40% of the book is an extremely detailed look at the week leading up to the weekly performance, and when I say the detail is painstaking, I mean PAINSTAKING. We learn every part of this process, we walk through it, we hear about every skit. We hear about skits that don't make it on the show. We hear about past skits, relevant bits, and we meet a lot of the staff. Of course, over this week, Sally and our host, Noah, meet and hit it off, Sally impressing Noah with her humor and capability, Noah impressing Sally with his charm and likability (and hotness let's just be honest).
While this section was perhaps a BIT too indulgent and detailed (especially because this is a blatant ripoff of an existing TV show, so at a certain point, the cultural recognition should kick in and perhaps eliminate some of the extraneous details here), I did enjoy reading it. I read this section largely in one day, so while I have some criticisms (did we really learn much about Noah beyond "he's hot and charming? No. Do we really witness Sally being humorous at all? No), I found the character dynamics likable enough, the situations just awkward or human enough to be interesting. At this point I was considering this a solid 4 star read.
Then the second section happened. And for 20% of this book, I read through pages and pages (and PAGES AND PAGES) of emails between adults. I mean...not like the cute little emails sometimes used in romance novel plot devices. I am talking 10 paragraph emails responding back to side notes in the previous email, point-by-point playback of where they stand on each individual issue (some of this was admittedly charming; some of it was incredibly cringe and perhaps a bit forced and performative regarding a few social issues). I honestly wanted this to end on every single page. I almost skipped ahead to see when it would, and worried that if it didn't, I would have to DNF. I found it incredibly hard to buy chemistry via email in such lengthy and over-detailed fashion, particularly when the characters hadn't had much interaction before this. I also was just pretty bored.
By the time the characters actually meet up again, it becomes clear why these emails were needed (and not just for the obvious plot reason given, as I assume that could have been altered if needed quite easily. Rather I assume the emails were chosen as a way to get the characters back in contact, and then the plot reason was given afterward). These two don't really seem to discuss much. When they're together, while there are physical moments in the book, the actual on page chemistry is largely missing. I felt ultimately just a bit disappointed that I had read up to this point for so little payoff and such a rushed ending, even though it was fine in terms of how it played out.
I do want to note just briefly: one of my biggest struggles with this book was the character of Sally. We're in her head, and she's certainly our sympathetic viewpoint character. I liked her descriptions of her part in her show, and I bought why she would be interested in Noah. I also understood the point of exploring her insecurities (not a perfect model, size 2 woman, dating an internationally recognized sex symbol), but WOW I got sick of the way their conflicts played out. I personally did not find it feminist, unique, or "literary" to watch a woman have the exact same issue at start, middle, and end of novel with being with a man, primarily her own insecurities. There are more details of how this played out that bothered me that I will skip for the sake of time, but while I think feelings of insecurity are certainly relatable, I ultimately just found these characters largely flat and two-dimensional, and a large part of it was the insane way that these insecurities and the ensuing conflict became perhaps the centerpiece of their relationship. I read this book two days ago and truthfully can't remember much else.
Finally, I want to say up front I doubt any of what I'm about to say is Sittenfeld's fault or intention, but I think it's worth mentioning in my review of this book for other romance readers, and this is super preachy/soapbox Hillary, so feel free to skip:
I'm very very open to literary romances, or literary "romantic" books without traditional HEAs (not my implication either way with this book). I am a big fan of Sally Rooney, and I take no issue with playing with tropes or writing books that perhaps feel like genre crossover. At the same time, I won't lie: when I see a bunch of reviews saying "I don't read much romance, but I loved this because it wasn't cheesy," I do get really wary. Not because we shouldn't allow books to push genre boundaries or follow formulas or writing styles we don't expect, but because I'm suspicious of books that are branded and marketed as "not like other romances" where the push is to set them apart as their own superior brand, and where many many early reviews are not from traditional romance readers. In this case, I have to say this worked against the book for me. I expected extremely elevated character dynamics and writing. I expected a story that played deeply with human emotions. I am not sure this book delivered on those expectations. I am not sure it was originally intended to, but that is sometimes what happens when "traditional romance" is branded as cheesy, and certain books are marketed as being somewhat above it. Again...not Sittenfeld's fault, and not something that should necessarily impact your enjoyment of the book, but it is something that bothers me. I've read many great traditional romances with character depth, sparkling dialogue, and deep emotional centers.
Anyway, ultimately Sittenfeld is a strong writer, and the TV part of this book is really fun in a lot of ways. I think many will love this book. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the hype for me.
I anticipate a lot of readers enjoying this book, certainly if the current 5 star reviews are any indication. This book is a romance, but given the author and style, it's being billed more as a literary romance, which is a tricky (non) genre. The main character, Sally Milz, is a successful writer on a fictionalized version of SNL, where, when the novel opens, the show is about to be hosted by an aging but extremely handsome and successful male musician (let's say an older Harry Styles - I know we can't make every fictional musician Harry Styles...but at the same time...can't we though?).
What follows for over 40% of the book is an extremely detailed look at the week leading up to the weekly performance, and when I say the detail is painstaking, I mean PAINSTAKING. We learn every part of this process, we walk through it, we hear about every skit. We hear about skits that don't make it on the show. We hear about past skits, relevant bits, and we meet a lot of the staff. Of course, over this week, Sally and our host, Noah, meet and hit it off, Sally impressing Noah with her humor and capability, Noah impressing Sally with his charm and likability (and hotness let's just be honest).
While this section was perhaps a BIT too indulgent and detailed (especially because this is a blatant ripoff of an existing TV show, so at a certain point, the cultural recognition should kick in and perhaps eliminate some of the extraneous details here), I did enjoy reading it. I read this section largely in one day, so while I have some criticisms (did we really learn much about Noah beyond "he's hot and charming? No. Do we really witness Sally being humorous at all? No), I found the character dynamics likable enough, the situations just awkward or human enough to be interesting. At this point I was considering this a solid 4 star read.
Then the second section happened. And for 20% of this book, I read through pages and pages (and PAGES AND PAGES) of emails between adults. I mean...not like the cute little emails sometimes used in romance novel plot devices. I am talking 10 paragraph emails responding back to side notes in the previous email, point-by-point playback of where they stand on each individual issue (some of this was admittedly charming; some of it was incredibly cringe and perhaps a bit forced and performative regarding a few social issues). I honestly wanted this to end on every single page. I almost skipped ahead to see when it would, and worried that if it didn't, I would have to DNF. I found it incredibly hard to buy chemistry via email in such lengthy and over-detailed fashion, particularly when the characters hadn't had much interaction before this. I also was just pretty bored.
By the time the characters actually meet up again, it becomes clear why these emails were needed (and not just for the obvious plot reason given, as I assume that could have been altered if needed quite easily. Rather I assume the emails were chosen as a way to get the characters back in contact, and then the plot reason was given afterward). These two don't really seem to discuss much. When they're together, while there are physical moments in the book, the actual on page chemistry is largely missing. I felt ultimately just a bit disappointed that I had read up to this point for so little payoff and such a rushed ending, even though it was fine in terms of how it played out.
I do want to note just briefly: one of my biggest struggles with this book was the character of Sally. We're in her head, and she's certainly our sympathetic viewpoint character. I liked her descriptions of her part in her show, and I bought why she would be interested in Noah. I also understood the point of exploring her insecurities (not a perfect model, size 2 woman, dating an internationally recognized sex symbol), but WOW I got sick of the way their conflicts played out. I personally did not find it feminist, unique, or "literary" to watch a woman have the exact same issue at start, middle, and end of novel with being with a man, primarily her own insecurities. There are more details of how this played out that bothered me that I will skip for the sake of time, but while I think feelings of insecurity are certainly relatable, I ultimately just found these characters largely flat and two-dimensional, and a large part of it was the insane way that these insecurities and the ensuing conflict became perhaps the centerpiece of their relationship. I read this book two days ago and truthfully can't remember much else.
Finally, I want to say up front I doubt any of what I'm about to say is Sittenfeld's fault or intention, but I think it's worth mentioning in my review of this book for other romance readers, and this is super preachy/soapbox Hillary, so feel free to skip:
I'm very very open to literary romances, or literary "romantic" books without traditional HEAs (not my implication either way with this book). I am a big fan of Sally Rooney, and I take no issue with playing with tropes or writing books that perhaps feel like genre crossover. At the same time, I won't lie: when I see a bunch of reviews saying "I don't read much romance, but I loved this because it wasn't cheesy," I do get really wary. Not because we shouldn't allow books to push genre boundaries or follow formulas or writing styles we don't expect, but because I'm suspicious of books that are branded and marketed as "not like other romances" where the push is to set them apart as their own superior brand, and where many many early reviews are not from traditional romance readers. In this case, I have to say this worked against the book for me. I expected extremely elevated character dynamics and writing. I expected a story that played deeply with human emotions. I am not sure this book delivered on those expectations. I am not sure it was originally intended to, but that is sometimes what happens when "traditional romance" is branded as cheesy, and certain books are marketed as being somewhat above it. Again...not Sittenfeld's fault, and not something that should necessarily impact your enjoyment of the book, but it is something that bothers me. I've read many great traditional romances with character depth, sparkling dialogue, and deep emotional centers.
Anyway, ultimately Sittenfeld is a strong writer, and the TV part of this book is really fun in a lot of ways. I think many will love this book. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the hype for me.
January 6, 2023
QUICK TAKE: this one is up there as one of my favorite Curtis books. Loved the behind-the-scenes meet cute between our main characters at SNL, though not sure any of the skits that play a major part of the book really come across as laugh-out-loud funny. I was concerned the 70-page email epistolary in the middle would have me leaning out, but I actually found it sweet and romantic and well done. Ultimately, this is a big crowd-pleasing romance for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Laura Dave.
April 12, 2023
This book was not what I expected, and in my opinion, it’s not what the blurb and title and jacket promised either. I was expecting some frothy fun escapism and that is…not what I got.
The first third of the book covers a week at the pseudo SNL show where the narrator works and the love interest is hosting. Instead of building their chemistry, this section is an *extremely* detailed account of how the show works. In 100 pages, the love interests only interact a few times, but we get introduced to dozens of cast and crew members (there are literal lists of names in some paragraphs) that you never encounter again.
The second two thirds takes place during the pandemic, which is not mentioned at all in the book description. I don’t want to relive summer of 2020, especially not in the form of a “romance” novel.
In both sections, I felt really conscious of the author trying to prove her own intelligence and political/social awareness through the main character’s narration, which was irritating.
Overall this book was over-intellectualized and self-conscious, and not half as much fun as it should have been.
The first third of the book covers a week at the pseudo SNL show where the narrator works and the love interest is hosting. Instead of building their chemistry, this section is an *extremely* detailed account of how the show works. In 100 pages, the love interests only interact a few times, but we get introduced to dozens of cast and crew members (there are literal lists of names in some paragraphs) that you never encounter again.
The second two thirds takes place during the pandemic, which is not mentioned at all in the book description. I don’t want to relive summer of 2020, especially not in the form of a “romance” novel.
In both sections, I felt really conscious of the author trying to prove her own intelligence and political/social awareness through the main character’s narration, which was irritating.
Overall this book was over-intellectualized and self-conscious, and not half as much fun as it should have been.
April 18, 2023
I can see how this book would NOT be for some readers, but DANG it worked for me. Although it's a very different book, the vibe reminded me strongly of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (which I also loved).
April 18, 2023
*BOTM Hardback
Rating: 🌟 (1/5)
This. Is. Not. A. Romance. Novel.
This. Is. Not. A. Comedy. Novel.
This. Is. Not. A. RomCom. Novel.
I wish this one got off to more of a romantic comedy start…what a misleading title. I had a hard time getting into it but then when the political commentary started I wanted to DNF…like don’t we have enough of overly politicized stuff in our day to day lives?! It contributed nothing to the story, so if the author has a certain political affiliation and it fits with the story, fine include it but this was just saying it for the sake of saying it and it was unnecessary.
Then there was the heavy “this is a very politically correct” book vibe. Nothing wrong with being PC but this book IMO was doing too
much and it just didn’t add anything to the story.
I also didn’t like the format. There were “parts” but not what I would call chapters…100+ pages for a single chapter isn’t going to work for me especially with a story I’m not feeling.
The story didn’t peak my interest at all and seemed like it went on and on forever.
Then toss in COVID too. I give up. I wanted to like this but it was just not at all interesting and was full of characters I couldn’t care less about. I didn’t even like Sally.
For as funny as shows like SNL are, this book had not one part that even made me smile.
This was the opposite of a romantic comedy. If you like hearing about a sketch show schedule, reading about people with bland personalities, reading books with have a political agenda vibe and rehashing parts of the last couple years that caused immense stress (COVID), then you might enjoy this one.
Rating: 🌟 (1/5)
This. Is. Not. A. Romance. Novel.
This. Is. Not. A. Comedy. Novel.
This. Is. Not. A. RomCom. Novel.
I wish this one got off to more of a romantic comedy start…what a misleading title. I had a hard time getting into it but then when the political commentary started I wanted to DNF…like don’t we have enough of overly politicized stuff in our day to day lives?! It contributed nothing to the story, so if the author has a certain political affiliation and it fits with the story, fine include it but this was just saying it for the sake of saying it and it was unnecessary.
Then there was the heavy “this is a very politically correct” book vibe. Nothing wrong with being PC but this book IMO was doing too
much and it just didn’t add anything to the story.
I also didn’t like the format. There were “parts” but not what I would call chapters…100+ pages for a single chapter isn’t going to work for me especially with a story I’m not feeling.
The story didn’t peak my interest at all and seemed like it went on and on forever.
Then toss in COVID too. I give up. I wanted to like this but it was just not at all interesting and was full of characters I couldn’t care less about. I didn’t even like Sally.
For as funny as shows like SNL are, this book had not one part that even made me smile.
This was the opposite of a romantic comedy. If you like hearing about a sketch show schedule, reading about people with bland personalities, reading books with have a political agenda vibe and rehashing parts of the last couple years that caused immense stress (COVID), then you might enjoy this one.
March 22, 2023
This wasn’t for me - I should’ve DNFed but had FOMO.
It’s for you if you love SNL and want to know all the behind-the-scenes details, are interested in Colin Jost and Pete Davidson’s relationships, like Sally Rooney books, and are fine with a woman who thinks she isn’t good enough repeating how unattractive and unworthy she is over and over. This wasn’t really a romance until over halfway through, and I didn’t think it was funny.
It’s for you if you love SNL and want to know all the behind-the-scenes details, are interested in Colin Jost and Pete Davidson’s relationships, like Sally Rooney books, and are fine with a woman who thinks she isn’t good enough repeating how unattractive and unworthy she is over and over. This wasn’t really a romance until over halfway through, and I didn’t think it was funny.
March 30, 2023
Holy shit – a 5 Star read. This is not a test. Run do not walk to your local library or bookseller next Tuesday. Orrrrrrrrrr maybe only do so if you are a Saturday Night Live superfan? If you’ve been around my crap reviews at all, you should be aware that I am an SNL superfan who not only watches, but has gone on many a deep dive of the processes involved in making the weekly magic happen as well as reading/listening to celebrity memoirs of former cast members when I need something for Nonfiction November, but am too dumb to read most nonfiction. The only thing I have enjoyed more than my weekly hangouts with the Not Ready for Primetime Players for the past 35+ years was when the never disappointing 30 Rock was on the air (which, in case you live under a rock, was a fictionalized behind the scenes action of creating “The Girly Show” – an SNL knockoff). All that being said, Romantic Comedy could have been called “Liz Lemon Finds True Love” and I have no words for how much I loved it.
The first half (46%) is a breakdown of how “The Night Owls” (again *cough SNL cough*) comes together each week in order to appear live on your television. Like I said above, this is the make it or break part that will determine if this is your idea of a good time or not. I was practically crapping myself and most definitely Googled “did Curtis Sittenfeld work at SNL????” because it was so accurate. “Chapter 2” takes place a couple of years later and is epistolary format told via text messages (let me double down on my love and say epistolary when done well is also my jam). Then there’s Chapter 3 and an Epilogue but I ain’t a spoiler, so you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out what happens. Just now that unlike nearly every writer over the course of Covid, Sittenfeld didn’t shit the bed with her take on the pandemic.
The basic premise here is a potential love story revolving around “The Danny Horst Rule” – Danny being a fictionalized version of a The Night Owls writer/actor who somehow bagged an A-List babe who on paper would be considered way out of his league. (see Dan Akroyd/Carrie Fisher; Emma Stone/Dave McCary; Fred Armisen/Elizabeth Moss or Natasha Lyonne; Jason Sudakis/Olivia Wilde; Pete Davidson/pretty much everyone he’s ever fucked if you doubt this is a real-life thing – and note I’m excluding Colin Jost from this answer because he’s just as hot as ScarJo so the only thing that doesn’t add up with the two of them is the number of zeroes in their respective bank accounts.) Romantic Comedy turns the tables by featuring Noah Brewster, a superhot male rock star, possibly falling for the hilarious, but average TNO writer, Sally Milz.
I thought every single second of this was perfection. The only gripe I have is that my request for an early copy sat pending so long before I finally got approved, but since I got my greedy mitts on it a week early all is forgiven.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!!!!!
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