Cats, Coffee, and Books Club discussion

Sally Milz is a sketch writer for "The Night Owls," the late-night live comedy show that airs each Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.

But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actor who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the "Danny Horst Rule," poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.

Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder whether there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy; it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her...right?

With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.

What are your initial thoughts on the book?

I had never heard of this book but after reading the synopsis, I am actually quite eager to read it! The premise sounds interesting, fingers crossed it doesn't disappoint :)

How would you describe the tone of the book? Does the author’s writing style engage you? Are there any particular lines or passages that stand out?

I’ve read this book back in May and the story itself is more of a slice-of-life situation, but all the set up is descriptive of all the great romantic comedy movies of the late ‘90s and early ’00s. The writing itself is rather descriptive of the three settings of the story: a fast paced work environment (like in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or 13 Going On 30), the slower email exchanges that happens during the pandemic (think Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail) and then the penultimate reunion (satisfyingly like Serendipity or Notting Hill). My favorite part is definitely all the back and forth emailing between the two main characters because it shows good communication and understanding - something other stories forgot how to do to reflect how a relationship builds.

As you read, how does the book compare to your expectations? Is it what you anticipated, or has it surprised you in any way?