Romantic Comedy

✮✮✮✮

May 12

Romantic Comedy - Curtis Sittenfeld

my review : ✮✮✮✮

I had a damn good time reading this book. I found it refreshing & uniquely told.

I found myself compelled to read this in one night, which only seems to be the case with really good storytelling. It was one of those romances that push you to the edge of your seat just because you’re desperate to figure out what is going to happen next. A love story that had me swooning but that was somehow also rooted in reality. I also found the writing to be verbose, almost to the point of distraction, but I enjoyed the prose overall (this is the kind of book that makes me want to use the word prose).

Our story is about Sally Milz, a hilarious, respected, and talented writer on SNL (the book uses a different name for the show, but it’s clearly SNL!!). The ongoing joke she has with her coworkers is how absurd it is that these beautiful actresses and singers guest star on the show and end up coupled up with the show’s nerdy writers. Her question is- why doesn’t the reverse ever happen with women? Is it some sort of unwritten rule? Her joke grows into a skit that she pitches on the week world-famous singer Noah Brewster is performing and hosting. Noah doesn’t love the pitch but takes a liking to Sally’s sense of humor, and the pair spends a great deal of time collaborating during Noah’s week-long stint. The more time Sally spends with Noah, the more she feels like there’s something…more there. But someone like him would never date someone like her...right?

I really, really enjoyed reading this story. I found it refreshing to read a love story about a couple in their late 30s and found the dialogue addicting. The added bonus I was not expecting was getting a behind-the-scenes view into how the SNL machine runs. I found it fascinating. I do have an aversion to stories set during COVID. It makes sense, and is was needed for this love story to take place, but I felt I wasn’t ready to revisit the pandemic just yet. Again, personal preference!

I feel like so many of you have read or are currently reading this… what did you think!!?

A quick note: I think if you’re a person who treats your romances as a true escape and doesn’t want to face the political and societal issues that we are going through as a country, I would skip this book. As I mentioned above, it is a romance rooted in reality, so the real world is reflected in these pages!