Romantic Comedy

Curtis Sittenfeld has been a go-to author for me since I read and loved her debut, Prep, in 2005.

Her latest, Romantic Comedy, centers on Sally, a comedy writer at The Night Owls (a stand-in for Saturday Night Live) who finds herself the subject of affection of a very famous singer, Noah. I am a longtime fan of SNL, and I loved the inside look at sketch development and the hierarchy and competition among the writers and actors.

I alternated between relating to Sally and wanting to throttle her for not recognizing her own worth, but in a… show more.

There was a moment when everyone I knew seemed to be reading this book, and I just had to join the club. I’m glad I did; Sittenfeld’s portrayal of working in television comedy is so gripping and cool. In fact, I enjoyed that aspect of it so much I didn’t need the romance part!

But the relationship between Sally and Noah is so intriguing; it’s a kind of fantasy played out, and I willingly suspended disbelief as a reader that someone as famous, hot, talented, funny, and kind as Noah could exist. I want Sally’s celebrity boyfriend, AND I want… show more.

I liked cynical Sally Milz. She's a writer for a show that sounds to us like Saturday Night Live. It’s The Night Owls, which, like SNL, has a weekly A-list guest host.

Often, the female hosts are beautiful, the sort of women who could land any male on the planet. And guess what? These women often fall for men who are subpar in the looks department. Sally is convinced an average-looking woman scoring a gorgeous guy would never happen. But when Noah Brewster comes to host and actually likes Sally and flirts with her, what is she to make of… show more.

For the last couple of years, I have had one rule: no books about Covid! So, it was a good thing going in that I had no idea what to expect from this book going in. The main character, Sally Milz, is a lot like you and me, only a lot funnier.

She has a fear of commitment and a dump truck full of insecurities. One of those insecurities is that she’s not good enough to date one of the guest hosts on her comedy show, even if he’s openly flirting. Even if they have all the chemistry, he’s too… show more.

I haven’t read a book by Sittenfeld that I didn’t love. This book was no different.

I needed a lighthearted read between some dark material, and Romantic Comedy did not disappoint. The story was both an escape from reality and a harsh reminder of it. I always feel a little awkward when I put something about bodily functions in a book, in this story Sittenfeld reminded me that it is always relatable. 

I’m a big fan of Saturday Night Live and sketch comedy, and I once took a stand-up comedy class for fun, so this book was right up my alley.

This book features a female writer for a sketch comedy show, and provides many interesting insights about the goings-on behind the scenes. I laughed many times at the main character’s sometimes irreverent sense of humor. Her struggles with how best to deal with annoying coworkers, a competitive and sometimes sexist work environment, and finding love and satisfaction were relatable.

I liked that the show’s guest host – a popular singer –… show more.

It’s no secret that Curtis Sittenfeld is my favorite author and that I would read the whole Google Terms & Agreements policy if she wrote it. Thankfully, she didn’t, and she instead continues to use her talents to craft deep, relatable, and hilarious characters like she has once again in Romantic Comedy.

Set during the pandemic, this tale of a sketch comedy writer (think SNL) and her unlikely relationship with a pop star has the perfect blend of sugar and spice with a dash of Sittenfeld’s trademark feminism. Great writing, pure entertainment.