Reviewing Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt: An Emotional Rollercoaster

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Last updated on September 30th, 2024

Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt is a swoony story about friendship, love, and looking for the laugh in life.

It touches on the creative spirit and all that comes with sharing that gift, and how oftentimes the comedians in our lives are the most sensitive, or struggling.

It features two friends, one incredible little girl, and a kaleidoscope of feelings along the way.

Synopsis

Farley Jones is being forced to date Meyer Harrigan, the man she has come to love, in order to make all of her stand-up dreams come true. Meyer and his daughter Hazel have been everything to her since they came into her life three years ago. So, all joking aside, the stakes are especially high when it’s not only her career, but both of those relationships on the line.

A former stand-up star himself, Meyer has been vital to the trajectory of her career since he began managing her… Since he became her closest and most treasured friend, in the process.

This friendship is the only reason why, when the biggest opportunity of Farley’s career includes thrusting him back into the spotlight to stir up publicity, he agrees- in spite of his grumpiness, his protectiveness over Hazel, and his disdain for public attention.

It doesn’t take long for their act to bring all those other funny feelings out into the open, and, like most matters of the heart, it quickly begins to feel like anything but a joke.

Characters

The main characters complimented each other very well. Meyer grounds her through her insecurities, and Farley helps him to see the lighter side of any situation.

However, the 10-year age gap between them was evident on some pages, especially regarding their communication. As someone who prefers open communication and honesty, Farley’s deliberate avoidance of talking things through was sometimes a bit frustrating for me to read.

Farley

She’s sassy, brave, and wears her wit on her sleeve instead of her heart.

Her quirks add to her charming personality, but her mind drew me the most to her.

Her tendency to jump to conclusions based on her insecurities is something many people can relate to.

We paint pictures based on our own experiences and assume the worst. But her development throughout the story in becoming her own keeper is commendable and worth reading.

And I loved the relationship she has with Hazel, Meyer’s daughter.

Meyer

The author gave him multiple layers, which made him one of my favorite book boyfriends.

As the story progresses from friendship to love, you see how he’s pushed out of his comfort zone and forced to go after what he loves. He’s an excellent father and an even more incredible friend. He’s supportive, sweet, and patient.

The fact that he’s older is evident in his priorities and the way he navigates life, especially his pro-therapy stance.

“Going to therapy should be like getting coffee. It makes us feel good even though it also makes you feel a little jittery and bad, it helps you get your shit out, and it makes us better to people around us.”

Hazel

The daughter of Meyer Harrigan is not someone who lets her disability slow her down. She’s sweet, sassy, and the smartest kid you’ll meet. And a charming addition to the story.

Plot

The story’s pacing was well done. As they crossed the line from friendship to lovers, Dewitt did a great job highlighting the hesitancy of both parties in not wanting to ruin the friendship.

There were a lot of adorable, sweet moments between them that will remind you of having your first crush.

Conflicts surrounding communication issues tend to be a pet peeve of mine, but it was written in a way that was right for the story – the problems brought out by the conflict were believable and resolved well.

Adding the ASL (American Sign Language) component enhanced the richness of the story. This is my second book including it – the first is Hannah Bonam-Young’s debut novel – and it made me want to learn more about it.

Writing

Funny Feelings is written in dual POVs and dual timelines, which gave a better grasp of how their friendship evolved (mild spoiler alert: I’m a sucker for books where the guy falls first).

And the spice scenes were great for those who love intimate scenes without a lot of smut (I would suggest an age rating: 16+)

The author included quotes from famous comedians at the beginning of each chapter, and I loved some of them so much that I will be adding them to my vision board (see the quotes below).

Some sentences were a bit wordy and hard to read, but these were few and far between. And I liked the dialogues where the characters spoke directly to the reader because it felt like I was immersed in the story.

But I found only a few of Farley’s stand-up routines funny. And seeing as how that is a major part of the book, I was disappointed. I don’t like comedy that relies heavily on insulting others to be funny, but this is just a personal preference.

Best Quotes

“My focus is to forget the pain of life. Forget the pain, mock the pain, reduce it. And laugh.” – Jim Carrey

“I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel alone.” – Robin Williams

Conclusion

If you love relatable and funny characters with adorable, swoon-worthy moments, then Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt is for you. The author did a great job, and I look forward to reading her other books.

Enjoyed this review? Then, add ‘Funny Feelings’ to your TBR. And if you have already read this book and have some thoughts to share, drop them in the comments below. I would love to hear them!