Skip to Main Content

Comedic Timing

A Modern Romance

Part of 831 Stories
Published by 831 Stories
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

Moving to NYC means a fresh start for Naina, until an unexpected connection has her questioning everything she thought she knew about love, ambition, and her place in the world.

“People who've been ‘that woman crying on the subway just after moving to New York’ will feel so seen. (It's me. I'm people.) Comedic Timing is a raw depiction of romance and friendship, featuring all the complexity of navigating sex and love as a bi woman.” —Kate Goldbeck, author of You, Again

Naina Rao is ready for this to be her year: She’s entered her mid-twenties, landed a steady job, broken up with her intensely passionate older girlfriend Sofia, and committed to hustling her way into a creative career.

But the city doesn’t exactly embrace her with open arms – at least not until she meets David, an aspiring filmmaker and collaborator who makes New York start to feel like home.

But is this a professional connection or a romantic one? And does opening herself up to a relationship with David mean compromising her sexual identity and her aspirations?

The third book from 831 Stories, a modern romantic fiction company that prioritizes pleasure reading and the genre’s enthusiastic fans. For more pleasure reading, follow @831storieshq.

About The Author

Upasna Barath is a writer and performer who grew up in India and the U.S. She was a contributor to Rookie Mag and a Steppenwolf Theatre Literary Fellow. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Product Details

  • Publisher: 831 Stories (January 28, 2025)
  • Length: 176 pages
  • ISBN13: 9798893310238

Browse Related Books

Raves and Reviews

"I’ve never read a story that so deftly captures the beauty and overwhelm of expansive attraction. Sexy, profound, and deliciously funny, Comedic Timing plunges us into the exhilaration and terror that comes along when you try something—or someone—new."

– Haley Jakobson, author of Old Enough, a NYT Editors' Choice

“People who've been ‘that woman crying on the subway just after moving to New York’ will feel so seen. (It's me. I'm people.) Comedic Timing is a raw depiction of romance and friendship, featuring all the complexity of navigating sex and love as a bi woman.”

– Kate Goldbeck, author of You, Again

831 Stories: "The finest smut to the thirsting masses, with merch to match."

– Vanity Fair

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books in this series: 831 Stories