Romantic Comedy

A comic writer believes she has given up on love, but all of her presumptions are turned upside down by a gorgeous pop singer. The humorous, perceptive, and very poignant book Romantic Comedy is written by New York Times bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld.

Sketch writer Sally Milz contributes to the late-night live comedy program "The Night Owls," which airs every Saturday. After a few failed relationships, she gave up on finding true love a long time ago. Now, she contented herself with the odd hookup, professional success, and a tight bond with her stepfather.

However, Danny Horst, a fellow writer and Sally's friend, joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but unremarkable-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who have fallen in love with extraordinarily attractive and accomplished women when he starts dating Annabel, a glamorous actor who guest-hosted the show. Sally takes her frustration and turns it into a skit dubbed the "Danny Horst Rule," which makes fun of this phenomena and emphasizes how improbable it is that a woman would ever experience the opposite.

This week's program will include pop music prodigy Noah Brewster as both the host and musical guest. Brewster is well-known for dating models. Captivated by his allure, Sally and Noah click right away, and as they work together on drawing after sketch, she starts to question whether sparks could really be flying. However, this is real life—not a romantic comedy. Furthermore, he would never date someone like her in real life, right?

Sittenfeld deftly examines the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the contemporary day while delving into the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering beauty of love. Her signature ability to depict multidimensional women on paper and her astute observations make it an engaging read.