Quick Reviews

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (2023)

Sally is a writer for an SNL-type show, when a famous musician, Noah, is tapped to be the host and musical guest.  Sally pokes fun at the phenomenon of average-looking men dating extremely beautiful women but finds the tables may be turned when she and Noah seem to hit it off during his time hosting.  I really loved this book - first, I listened to it on audio, and the narrator (Kristen Sieh) is spectacular.  She really brought Sally to life, creating a smart, funny, but also vulnerable woman.  The story is divided into three main sections - the first takes place during Noah's week of hosting the show.  Not only do we get a great behind-the-scenes look at late-night television and all the work that goes into creating each show, but Sittenfeld perfectly captures how the unusual circumstances lead Sally to wonder if Noah might be interested in her.  Their time there together, however, ends poorly, and the story picks up again a couple years later, actually during the COVID-19 pandemic.  I'm not crazy about fictional books that already incorporate the pandemic, but this felt natural, as Sally and Noah reconnect through email and then as she goes to visit him.  I found Sally to be very relatable - she's so honest and endearing, although she can be very negative towards herself.  And although he's a celebrity, Noah comes across as friendly, charming, and rather normal.  At the beginning I felt like he was being a bit too vague about his feelings, but I did really like his and Sally's connection - their conversations are full of banter and were totally engrossing to listen to.  I was rooting for these two all along!  4.5 stars

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (2023)

Felicity "Fizzy" Chen is a romance novelist who has never been in love; Connor Prince is a documentary filmmaker who is now tasked with producing a reality tv dating show.  It seems like the perfect fit to showcase the queen of romance finding her own true love - but what happens if Fizzy and Connor fall for each other?  This book is linked to a previous Christina Lauren novel; Fizzy was a side character in that story.  I think it helps to have read the first book, but I barely remembered it and I don't think it hindered my enjoyment of this book at all - and I really loved this book!  Although, let me get this out of the way now - I think "Fizzy" is a terrible character name, it just sounds really silly.  Ok, rant over.  There was so much to love about this book!  A romance novelist who has never truly experienced the love she writes about every day?  A dating show where the male "contestants" represent romance archetypes (the cinnamon roll, the alpha, etc.)?  A single dad who still has a great relationship with his ex?  A forbidden love?  Just so many swoons over here.  I loved Fizzy - there is a lightness, an effortlessness to her, although she still has her issues.  And I loved Connor - his devotion to his daughter, especially.  And the two of them together?  Pure chemistry.  These two spark from the moment they meet; it's so obvious they belong together, but there could be major repercussions for the show.  I was anxious to find out how it would all work out, and the ending just had me smiling the biggest, cheesiest grin.  4.5 stars

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