The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

I don’t typically like celebrity books and I don’t read much in the way of memoirs or comedy books. However, Ron Swanson is one of my all time favorite TV characters and I pretty much love everything about Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. So, I broke my literary fiction trend and picked up this celebrity memoir at Book Expo this year. The Greatest Loves Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman
Release date: October 2018
Reviewed by: Jen
Rating: 4 stars
Pre-order your copy here: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

I finished this book with a big smile on my face. This is not the sort of book you pick up if you’re looking for Hollywood gossip. There are no scandalous revelations or big secrets dropped. It is the sort of book that will leave you with warm fuzzy feelings and genuine respect for the two actors.

Reading this book is like being dropped into the middle of an interview with Nick and Megan — I feel like I’m on a first name basis with them after reading this book. The majority of the book is dialogue between the two actors as they discuss how they met, their families, religion, and other aspects of their relationship. Interspersed throughout the dialogue chapters are anecdotes written by each person.The anecdotes and conversations are funny but they are also touching in how they reflect an unusually normal (for Hollywood standards) relationship. At one point they make a joke about how others often refer to them as “relationship goals.” After reading the book, I too feel like they are a great example of a well functioning and loving couple although I will try to refrain from referring to them as my personal relationship goals.

Nick and Megan clearly love each other and humor is one of the threads that brought them together and keeps them together. As Nick so eloquently describes the impact of Megan’s humor on him…

I have withstood Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler. I have tolerated Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, and Andy Samberg. I have stoically endured soft-core porn scenarios with Eric McCormack and Debra Messing. Chris Pratt! The cast of Children’s Hospital! Melissa McCarthy! Even Conan O’Brien, of whom it has been said, “To even countenance his puppet’s physique is to chortle with gaiety!” All of these master clowns and more have I resisted, but I have never been and Lord willing never will be, equipped to resist the love shuriken of my wife, the ninja of my heart.

I enjoyed this book for several reasons. It’s light and funny but it is also a great example of how to make relationships work and it highlights the qualities and behaviors that sustain relationships. I was a fan of the two actors before reading the book and I love them even more after reading the book. The pictures are amusing and there is a whole chapter dedicated to photos of puzzles they have completed together. The puzzle photos are genius for so many reasons (you’ll have to buy the book to check them out) and made me laugh out loud. How charming is it that they spend evenings/days together listening to audiobooks whilst assembling puzzles together? Definitely relationship goals!

I recommend this book to those of you who are familiar with the two actors and who enjoy comedy memoirs. They do make reference to their work and the shows they have worked on. So I think the book will be more enjoyable to those who have seen their shows but if you read it first, you’ll want to go back and check out their work. The couple has been together for 18 years, somewhat of an anomaly for Hollywood couples. I think the clues as to how and why they have lasted this long would appeal even to readers who are not that familiar with the actors. The audiobook will be narrated by the two of them so it might be worth investing in an audio copy and a print copy since the photos alone are worth the purchase of the print copy.

You an preorder your copy here: The Greatest Loves Story Ever Told

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