Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld4 min read

Book description from the publisher, Penguin Random House

Sally Milz, a sketch writer for the Saturday Night Live-style show, The Night Owls, has given up on love after a few heartbreaks, focusing on casual flings, her career and a close relationship with her stepfather. When her friend Danny Horst starts dating a glamorous actress, Sally writes a sketch mocking how average men often date beautiful women, but not the reverse. However, pop star Noah Brewster, this week’s host and musical guest, charms Sally during their collaboration, making her wonder if there’s a real connection. Would someone like him ever date someone like her?

Hardcover publication date: 4 April 2023 (Penguin Random House)

Reviews for Fairy Tale

MIXED	“The plot is fun and light, and parts of the book made me surprisingly emotional. But there was just something … missing. “I liked this one, though Sally didn’t make it easy on me. I found her grating as a narrator, though her inability to get the hell out of her own way is nothing if not relatable. Her worst qualities, at least for me, were exacerbated by the nature of the novel’s occasionally monotonous structure … “Sittenfeld’s work, especially Romantic Comedy, draws a lot of inspiration from real life – two characters are thinly-veiled spins on Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande, for instance, and there’s a scene featuring characters’ reactions to Trump being elected in 2016 that felt like a very specific kind of ‘Ruthkanda Forever/elder Millennial liberal on Twitter’ type of cringe … “… this is a light read perfect for pop culture fanatics, filled with nuanced observations on how we communicate with each other in the digital age: the understated importance of the quick, daily missives we fire off to our friends and loved ones …” Quinn Keaney, What Is Quinn Reading
GOOD	“Celebrity romance is one of my favorite tropes, and for me this book stands out. Romantic Comedy features a hero who is not purely defined by celebrity status, gives readers a deep dive into a world I found fascinating, contains an epistolary courtship, and at times is laugh-out-loud funny … This book is also laugh-out-loud funny, and offers a deep dive into the (not) SNL world.” Elyse, Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
UNFAVOURABLE	“I thought the romantic elements of the novel were lackluster and I didn’t care for their relationship, which made this kind of painful to finish by the end … It’s sad to see the protagonist’s inferiority complex, too, and I just wanted to shake her and say she’s so successful and ready for life but instead it all felt tedious as she rehashed said inferiority out.” Ashley Hajimirsadeghi, Ashley Hajimirsadeghi
GOOD	“I’ve heard such good buzz about it and it completely delivered. No shock that its genre is indeed a romantic comedy – all done in such a genuinely funny and heart-warming way that you can’t help but fall for, and root for, the lead character, Sally Milz. “I would describe Romantic Comedy as the perfect read for people who claim not to like romantic comedy as a genre. It is just so amazingly well done in how it takes the genre and applies such a contemporary, funny, dry and witty layer …” Jen, Books on the 7:47
GOOD	“Curtis Sittenfeld is a fantastic writer and words can’t do justice as to how much I enjoy her books, no matter what the topic. For Romantic Comedy, she combines comedy, messy real life, the pandemic and romance in an unputdownable package …” “It’s messy, funny and a great insight into what goes on behind the scenes of a successful live TV show … The characters are sculpted with Sittenfeld’s trademark detail and wit. Both Sally and Noah are flawed, with their own annoying but not over-the-top traits.” Sam, Sam Still Reading

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