Holy moly, what a great read. This isn’t your run of the mill romance novel. Firstly we meet Sally who is a writer on The Night Owls commonly known as TNO, this is basically a fictional version of Saturday night live and the first half of the book revolves around a week long on set from the development to performance of an episode. The host Noah is a singer/songwriter, gorgeous and also a great guy which of course starts having instant chemistry with Sally. But is isn’t a movie, it’s real life so Sally the no one isn’t going to end up with the dreamboat celebrity (that only happens for the male nobodies on the show). 

We then skip forward two years to pandemic America and follow Sally as she finds her footing in this new normal including an email from that pop star who was on the show 2 years ago. Some of the novel is then a series of emails back and forth before we switch back to a real time narrative. 

I lapped this book up. The TNO chapters were as if we got a sneak peak on the workings of SNL and I found it fascinating, it was great to have an interesting background plot and learn some things while the romance storyline was flowing well. In the acknowledgements the author references an amazing amount of research into the subject and it’s probably why the novel feels so realistic and not fantasised subplot. 

The rest of the book is really thoughtful and even though there are moments when the FMC puts her foot in it, they aren’t annoying, unrealistic antics like pretending to be someone else or wearing a costume to disguise yourself you find in some books, but highly realistic “f#%k! Why did I say that” moments.

Only reason I think I didn’t give 5 stars is the novel started so well and so differently to so many contemporary romances but it went back to usual pattern of 3rd act break up which I’m not sure was needed. 

There are funny moments, heart breaking moments and some wonderful thoughts into the modern day gender roles and presumed rules of dating.