Just hold me close and love me: ROMANTIC COMEDY.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sally is a writer for a late-night comedy sketch show, "The Night Owls" (TNO). After a failed marriage and some disastrous relationships, she's all but given up on love. But when famous musician Noah Brewster appears as the celebrity guest on TNO, Sally feels a spark as they collaborate on some sketches for the show. However, she can't help but feel that it's impossible that someone as famous and handsome as Noah would ever fall for her.

Sittenfeld has written a gorgeous novel that deftly explores all the tropes and intricacies of falling in love in today's society. This is no typical romance, so do not go in expecting that. It's a very different sort of romantic tale--one Sittenfeld has composed in three sorts of parts--and one that incorporates the pandemic.

COMEDY begins in 2018, when Noah and Sally meet on TNO. This portion covers about the first half of the book, and it's the one piece that felt a little long to me, as it's part history of Sally's time at TNO and a very intricate description of TNO itself. Sometimes these in-depth details are a bit much. Where the book excels is Sally herself--with her insecure personality and witty humor, as she deals with being a female writer on the show and her own foibles--is she a good enough writer, will she find love, etc. The book is very existential with much thinking about relationships, but it pulls it off. I liked Sally a lot and could identify with her anxious, insecure, introverted self, so that helped a lot!

The next section of COMEDY is told all in emails. How you forget the intimacy of emails in this texting age! At this point, we are in the pandemic. The final part of the book is more normal narrative. At no point is this a steamy romance, but it's somehow incredibly easy to root for Sally and Noah and see their feelings progress for one another. Finally, we have a book about a celebrity falling for a "normal person" (though, honestly, Sally has an agent and famous friends!) that acknowledges the difficulties of said situation. And don't worry, Sally will stress about the situation enough for all of us, anyway!

COMEDY is different--it's a very different sort of romance, but exactly the kind Sittenfeld should write. I was dubious for a few moments, but was soon quite swept up in Sally and Noah's world. This book made me laugh out loud over and over. It's hilarious. I loved how relatable Sally was. Finally a romance where we acknowledge the difficulties and little humiliations of relationships. Also, Sally mentions Mary Chapin Carpenter (my favorite musical artist in the entire world) TWICE and the Indigo Girls play a key role in the plot, so I cannot help but love this book. 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Random House and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. Look for ROMANTIC COMEDY on 04/04/2023!!

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