romance novel review – She Happily Reads

“Consumers are fickle—they crave something new, but not that kind of new. They want to be challenged but comforted at the same time. They desire fresh takes, but only in a form that’s familiar to them.
That’s to say, audiences will accept something different as long as it feels the same.”
Elissa sussman, Funny You should ask

Towards the beginning of August, I found myself once again in the throes of contemporary romance, but I have to admit—I was excited to be there. Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman was a highly anticipated novel for me, one I was sure I would love because of the stellar reviews and the intriguing plot. And much like the above quote, and like my expectations for a lot of romance novels, I thought I was getting a story that felt familiar yet new.

This novel follows a writer/journalist named Chani Horowitz, who, by some stroke of luck, is given an assignment to interview an up-and-coming, insanely attractive actor named Gabe Parker. Gabe has just been cast as James Bond, and the world is abuzz with how this American HIMBO could be cast as the stylish, sophisticated, and very British spy. Chani spends three days with Gabe, and from their unconventional time together, she is able to produce an article that not only helps to sell Gabe as Bond, but also puts the question in everyone’s mind–did more happen between the two of them than either of them are letting on? Ten years later, however, Chani and Gabe are thrust back together to recreate the magic of that first interview and to breathe life back into Gabe’s career after a series of public blunders and a few stints in rehab. With Gabe now sober, and Chani now divorced, the two reconnect to face each other and the spark they’ve been running from for a decade.

Funny You Should Ask is a book for those who love the mythos behind celebrity and all things celebrity culture, those who wish they could peek behind the curtain, if you will. In the end, this book didn’t work for me completely, but I still recommend it for a fast, entertaining read. If you want to hear more of my thoughts on this novel, give the latest episode a listen:

There’s something sad about January.

I’ve felt it–this icky sadness–since I was a child, a feeling that almost makes me anxious towards the end of the year because I dread its arrival. Is it post-holiday blues? Seasonal depression? A reaction to the sudden need to make the new year that has been thrust upon me “the best one yet”? Perhaps. Either way, this year has been no different, and maybe its effects were made even worse due to the current state of the world and the dreaded “c” word.

But self-awareness is one of my many talents, and so I armed myself accordingly with my favorite things (black tea, candles, warm, fuzzy blankets, and essential oils) and of course–books. I immediately knew what genre I wanted to pick from. Nothing warms me more than a good romance novel–and a romantic comedy to boot. Luckily, the messy tower of books next to my bed that I lovingly call my TBR (to-be-read for those not in the know) had a few to choose from. The lucky winner was The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, a novel I had been meaning to read for months now.

The Love Hypothesis was published just last autumn to much fanfare. If you are in any online book space (booktok, booktube, bookstagram), you probably have already heard of it. I think a lot of the initial press centered around the fact that this novel originally was a Reylo fanfic. (Once again, for those not in the know, Rey and Kylo Ren are characters from the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The romantic pairing has been dubbed “Reylo” by shippers.) The Reylo ship has brought much controversy to Star Wars’ door, and while the two kiss at the end of The Rise of Skywalker (spoiler!), some people still do not consider the couple canon or reject it due to its ‘toxicity.’ As someone who has an unhealthy obsession with the enemies-to-lovers trope and a redemption arc of any type, I’m pro Reylo. I could pontificate for paragraphs as to why, but I think this Youtube video by Joe Brennan entitled “Reylo: A Complicated History” says it better than I ever could:

If you love Reylo, watch this video. If you hate Reylo, WATCH this video. If you are indifferent to Reylo, watch this video. If you have no idea who either of these two people are…still. Watch this video.

The female protagonist and Rey’s counterpart of the Love Hypothesis, Olive, and her hero, Adam (aptly named, might I add–Adam Driver plays Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the movie) are two academics at Stanford University. Olive is a P.h.D. candidate researching pancreatic cancer after losing her mom, her only family and tether, years ago. Adam is a young, hotshot professor with a reputation for making people cry from his harsh criticism and rigorous standards. When Olive ropes Adam into fake dating her for a very romcom-ish reason, the two slowly start to fall for each other. And it’s glorious. There’s banter. There’s grumpy/sunshine goodness, personified by Adam’s love of black coffee and Olive’s obsession with pumpkin spice lattes. There’s a shared hotel room. There’s the classic he doesn’t like me/she doesn’t like me misunderstanding. There’s steaminess.

And yes. For those weary from the news, and the cold, and the limited amount of sunlight, there’s a happy ending. And a happy ending is sometimes all we need at the beginning of a new year.

Listen to the latest She Happily Reads podcast episode and hear more of my thoughts here:

Tag: romance novel review

1.14. She Reads Contemporary Romance: Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

1.2. She Reads a Rom Com: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood