The supporting characters are super fun. I enjoyed the MC’s journey from strangers to friends to lovers. I especially loved that she took time for herself and didn’t just jump all in

Emily Henry does it again! This is such a sweet story. Miles and Daphne are opposites in every possible way, but a forced proximity situation has caused them to be roommates who now have to pretend they’re In a relationship. We all know where this is headed. But Emily told this story with such depth, wit, and tenderness In a way only she can do. I absolutely adored the side characters like the poker playing group. But I especially loved watching Daphne discover who she was without Peter telling her. 5stars hands down.

I haven't read an Emily Henry book since Beach Read, so it was well past time for me to give another one a go. I forgot how deeply she delves into the characters' minds, backstories, and emotions. She makes a well-rounded, three dimensional character with flaws that you can easily care about. I was intrigued with the premise of this story: two dumpees become roommates when their ex partners get together, use a fake relationship to get a little payback, and (inevitably) find actual love in the process.

Perhaps what I loved most about this one that it's a fake relationship trope story without actually feeling like one. I tend to stay away from the trope as it's typically not a favorite of mine. I just don't like the forced explanations for these fake relationships-they're usually some convoluted reason for putting on the "relationship act." If it's not super unbelievable, it's just a boring cliché like:

1)Athlete/actor/musician has bad reputation and needs to repair their public image.
2)In order the get the attention of a crush.
3)In order to keep someone's unwanted attention away.

Then you have the scenes where the couple is out somewhere, sees friend/family member/paparazzi, and they do their fake PDA kiss. I don't know, it all just seems so rushed from the get go and everything ends up feeling like a plot device to get them to the end result rather than the natural process of falling for each other. Luckily, this book did not fall into any of this trope's traps and in my opinion, was executed brilliantly. These two found solace in one another after getting their hearts broken, started a genuine friendship, and their feelings grew deeper as they spent quality time truly getting to know one another. Instead of the focus being on the artificial relationship act, their real connection took center stage. In their situation, there was also a possibility that their true relationship could have ended up being a rebound situation because they rushed into things too fast. Henry sidestepped that mistake as well, believably showing us that both were over their break-up and at peace with it before they left the friend zone.

Daphne was not only engaged, but nearing the date of her wedding when her life imploded with the news that her fiancé was in love with his female best friend. She feels completely blindsided, foolish, and stuck in a new town where she moved in order to fit into his life. Now that he is out of the equation, how does her life go on when her entire identity was wrapped up in him? Her friends were all his, they lived together in his home, and she didn't really have any experiences independent of him.

Growing up, she moved around a lot with her single mother, so she learned to never feel comfortable in any one place. Possessions were a hassle when you're always picking up and moving on to the next stop, so she owned the bare minimum. She didn't grow attached to people because she would only have to say goodbye to them in the near future. She became a pro at living in the moment rather than settling into a house and making it a home. Until Peter. Being a couple with Peter meant that she had that unattainable life that she always dreamed of-if she fought hard enough to measure up. In her mind, he was way out of her league, but she wanted them to work with every fiber of her being. When he callously left her to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, the one shining light left in her life was her job at the library. Though, even that will be lost to her, because she wants to get as far away from Peter as possible.

Daphne faces her broken heart with humor and bravery. Many people would fall into a long depression, but she doesn't waste much time feeling sorry for herself. Before long, she's dusting herself off and making tentative attempts to form connections with new people. She's a classic introvert, so the thought of putting herself out there is a scary one, but she's self-aware enough to know that she needs to start working on building her own independent life. Her co-worker Ashleigh was a fabulous friend and excellent secondary character. I loved to see the two of them forming their friendship because their personalities were so different, which led to some funny conversations. Ashleigh also helped hold a mirror up to Daphne's face so she could keep improving herself when she was scared to move forward.

Miles was a unique guy, and quite unlike any other romantic interest I've read in the past. On the surface, people see an unmotivated stoner with no ambition in life. He works at a winery, and he's very personable with everyone he meets. He reminded me a little of my mom who can start up a conversation with a complete stranger in a grocery store and learn their whole life story on the spot. That's him-and he can figuratively charm the pants off of you while he gets that life story. Daphne is in awe of his ability to draw people in like bees to honey. The more time she spends together with him, the more hidden depths she sees that she admires. While most see his easygoing side, his charming exterior shields self-worth issues. His mother did a lot of damage to the way he viewed himself-making him believe that he is a disappointment and unreliable to his loved ones. It was so sad to see him expect so little from himself when in reality, anyone would be lucky to have him as a brother or partner. His sister helps Daphne to see how his opinion of himself is horribly skewed, and that he needs a little help in seeing how truly wonderful he is.

Whereas he has "mommy issues," Daphne has some "daddy issues." Her dad is flighty, selfish, and completely self-centered. He was never dependable as a father, he would disappoint her regularly and never see the hurt that he was causing. As an adult, she still feels like she is not good enough for him to make top priority in his life, yet she can't kill the hope that one day things will change.

Daphne and Miles were so sweet together and endearing. I loved the introvert/extrovert aspect to their dynamic because their natural personalities balanced each other out very well. This was a wonderful story that explored love after a hard break-up, learning to grow after trials in life, and finding peace with the past in order to have a healthy future. I'm looking forward to catching up on Emily Henry's backlist very much!

New favorite. Emily Henry really doesn't miss.
Don't know why I didn't expect to cry.
Miles is my new favorite Henry man.
Daphne is too relatable. (I'm a library worker that finds an escape in Storytime Hour)

“𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚘’𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚎. 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎.”

♾️/★★★★★

Everything I love about Henry is found here: sparkling banter, easy charm, & characters I love endlessly.

Daphne felt like one of Henry’s most self-knowing and mature FMC’s. I loved that she still had bite and strength even when she felt shattered. My favourite Henry main character. I loved her instantly. 

After that gut-wrenching break-up (f*ck you, Peter) we dive right in and I was instantly kicking my feet, giddy in love with Miles. Who could blame me? Henry proves herself a romance champ (again) taking the fun of her premise and running with it full throttle. Her characters are so clear, you feel them making these choices, nothing is forced or gimmicky.  

And Miles “put me on the hook” Nowak?! That’s my man. The chemistry between these two had me SWOONING & I loved watching them inch closer to each other, emotionally and physically. The way this goes from blissful banter & fizzy flirting into a true understanding and knowing of each other is so gorgeous. 

These characters are both so sincere, leading to a lovely miscommunication-free friendship bursting with want that blooms into the tenderest love story. Their love isn’t intoxicating, but refreshing and clear. Easily Henry’s hottest book. And in my opinion her most lushly romantic.

No Henry book is complete without a backstory that will leave you decimated. After all, it’s not Peter or Petra that had Miles and Daphne hiding their true selves away. Peter and Petra were like bandaids over those wounds, but Daphne and Miles are each other’s medicine.

Catching the little moments where they both see each other and let themselves be seen, for everything they are?! That had me gasping over shared nachos and simple nights in a kitchen. Every little thing that happened between them had me knowing they were growing into forever. 

Such a huge part of this story was friendship - specifically making friends and keeping friends as an adult. That felt so raw and made Daphne’s character so real and alive to me.

I loved every page of this.

Typical Henry, offers up a sparkling glass of romcom wine and delivers a full-course meal of deep character growth and true love. I’m full up. 

'Mine' by Taylor Swift - 100%. 💙

Funny Story by Emily Henry is a romance, somewhat comedic story about overcoming heartbreak, feeling lost, and finding answers when one least expects it. There are themes of opposites attract, roommates turned best friends to lovers, and pretending to dating/fake dating, within this story.

Daphne Vincent, children’s librarian and Miles Nowak is an easy-going bartender with like three other side jobs, join forces when her fiancé Peter leaves her for his best friend and girlfriend of Miles, Petra. Daphne needs to move out of Peter’s home but has nowhere to go. Ironically, she turns to Petra’s ex-boyfriend Miles. He offers her a spare bedroom and the two become roommates, forming a friendship over their equally broken hearts. After receiving invitations to Peter and Petra’s wedding, Daphne and Miles decide to pretend they are in a relationship; in order to rub it in their exes' faces.

Exploring the town and area around, Daphne learns there is so much more to Miles than she thought. Spending time together, opening themselves up to each other, their feelings begin to grow, becoming real, and Daphne and Miles must confront past demons before they can move forward; possibly with each other.

Ms. Henry brings the fictional town of Waning Bay, Michigan, to life, to a place where I would want to live; with the beaches, wineries, quirky bars, coffee shops, and the library; complete with a cast of lovable and eccentric secondary characters.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Berkley

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I am sure some people will disagree with me, but this book was funny, very laugh out loud funny. I can see this as a romantic comedy movie, which is something I would like. Give me more romantic comedy movies Hollywood! I guess maybe one day, I believe all of Henry’s books are optioned for movies right now? Yes, it has the standard Emily Henry drama and trauma bonding: Daphne has attachment issues based on her dad and Miles has self esteem issues based on his mom. But the banter, the plot points, the side characters made me laugh out loud in this book a lot as well as smiling. If I could describe Emily Henry when she’s on, she just makes you smile, with her style, voice, and writing. Smile stories! I loved it, it made me cry and laugh and smile and think and it was great. I didn’t love it as much as Beach Read and Book Lovers, but I want to be clear that I don’t really think it’s fair to judge books against each other that way. Oh, another thing I love about Henry’s books is that you can tell she really loves and enjoys reading. I felt that with Daphne being a children’s librarian and I have felt that in her other books and I really appreciate this about her and her books. This book is great and will be great for fans of Emily Henry, romantic dramedies, and contemporary romance.

🫶🏽What I Enjoyed
Emily has once again written the story of the girl that gets left behind in the classic love story we’ll see on Hallmark, much like in Book Lovers, and it’s my new favorite thing! I talk alllll the time how childhood friends to lovers is my weakness, so reading from the perspective of the woman who gets dumped so the MC can unite with his childhood best friend was the complete opposite, and I was HERE for it! Omg the banter, the storyline, the EMOTIONS! Julia Whelan’s emotions at the beginning had me feeling Daphne’s pain IN MY SOUL! I just loved the way Daphne and Miles teamed up for logistical reasons out of necessity and it grew into so much more. Serious topics were touched on as Daphne continues to deal with her daddy issues but overall it was an uplifting and beautiful story.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🤷🏻‍♀️What I didn’t enjoy
There is some misunderstanding/miscommunication that killed me for a moment, but the ending is good enough to compensate.

Daphne’s fiance came home from his bachelor party only to break things off with her. Now she's stranded in his hometown, only knows his friends and family, and the only person who can relate to her is her ex-fiance’s new fiance’s ex, Miles. Yep. Then things get complicated after they both RSVP’d “yes” to their ex-fiance's wedding and they are going as each other's date. Now it's time to make their fake relationship look real.

I loved Daphne and Miles and getting to follow along with them from roommates to more. I also loved how we saw Daphne grow through this book and it wasn't solely focused on romance (although if you're a romance lover like me, don't let that deter you… it's still there, including the HEA!!) Honestly, I wasn't so sure about Miles at first… he didn't leave the best impression on me, but I ended up loving him by the end.

This was my first Emily Henry book (I know!) even though I've had her on my TBR for years! Now I know I'll be getting to the rest of her books A LOT sooner!

A big thank you to Berkley Romance and the author for letting me review this advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.

THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF: You love reading about people making the most of a crappy situation with lots of fun banter.

HAPPY PUB DAY

Thank you #partners @berkleypub @berkleyromance for my #gifted copies!

Funny Story
By Emily Henry
Available now

📖 Daphne and Miles have both had their hearts trampled when their partners cheat on them, and subsequently dump them, for each other. With nowhere to turn, Daphne moves in with Miles, her opposite in every way. Their shared heartbreak is a springboard to a friendship, and the potential for something more...

💭 Funny Story is Emily Henry at her very best! It's bright, playful, clever and quippy, with the ultimate swoooooon! The exploration of the complexities of human emotions is where Henry really shines. Her books are always multilayered, and more than "just romance," and Funny Story is no different. With relatably authentic characters, oodles of depth, the perfect slow burn love story, the right amount of steam, Henry is simply a master at her craft. I can confidently say Funny Story is her best yet!

📌 Definitely a top book of the year
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A great palate cleanser amidst the craziness in the news, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Of course, a book about a librarian would score highly with me. Daphne is a children’s librarian, a promoter of the library due to its role in her past. Daphne is reeling after her fiancée , Peter, calls off their wedding, and tells her he is in love with his female best friend, Petra. Daphne ends up living in the extra bedroom at the home of Petra’s ex, Miles. Both Miles and Daphne have family backgrounds that impact how they approach their lives and relationships. The ups and downs of their growing relationship, as well as the secondary characters, Julie, Ashleigh, and others, give humor and dimension to the story. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Rating – 4.5 stars rounded off to 5

Finally found my favorite #EmilyHenry rom-com!

Thanks NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

Synopsis –

Daphne is looking at a major upheaval in her life, thanks to this very ‘funny story’. She was all set to start a new life in the idyllic seaside town of Waning Bay, Michigan with her fiancé, Peter, until he fell in love with his childhood bestie Petra. Now Daphne has to crash with the only person who can truly commiserate with her situation – Miles, who is Petra’s ex. While they each wallow and recover from their heart-breaks, the roommates have no choice but to avoid each other, until one day when they have a better plan.

Review –

Goodness, what a brilliantly imagined premise – so original. Of course only #EmilyHenry, can come up with such ideas on which to base rom-coms on. Daphne’s narrative instantly got me invested in this ‘funny story’. It was obvious right from the start, the way Daphne’s life was going to play out moving forward, but exactly ‘how’ is where lies the soul and crux of this love story.

Oh how I loved Miles! I seriously couldn’t fathom how Petra could’ve dumped him. Handsome, kind, caring and with a great sense of humor, he was just amazing! I enjoyed the little outings that Miles and Daphne go on, in this gorgeous sea side town of Michigan – each bringing them closer, as they support each other through their shared grief and similar life circumstances.

Henry’s trademark banter and dialogues were cute, thoughtful and infused with jocularity. Miles and Daphne’s chemistry was sizzling hot, thanks to the slow burn build up and tension. We also have some wonderful supporting characters and I was glad Petra had someone in her corner when she needed the most.

The ending filled my heart with joy and that epilogue was utter perfection!

Highly recommend to rom-com lovers! Run, don’t walk!

And there you have it, folks. My favorite Emily Henry book.

First of all, the premise of this book is simply wonderful. Two roommates, living together because their exes dumped them for each other, hatching a fake dating scheme to get back at them, is pure gold. Give me the mess and give me the antics because I’m here for it. Combine that with Miles trying to convince Daphne to not leave town by taking her on weekly adventures, and you’ve got a romance book that is a delight from start to finish.

There’s so much that I loved that we need to unpack, but first let’s get into my favorite part of this book…

Miles. Freaking. Nowak.

He had me giggling, blushing, kicking my feet from start to finish, but also I was so here for his emotional journey. I was so fascinated by his character, and I loved being able to uncover his layers along with Daphne. Not to mention as a romantic lead he is downright SWOON-WORTHY. Say hello to your new favorite book boyfriend because he. is. EVERYTHING.

The relationship between Daphne and Miles unfolded so naturally. Fake dating has quickly become one of my favorite tropes this year, and this is just another book that executes it perfectly. And the way the “act” immediately felt so natural?? Pleaseee I was eating it up! At the same time, I love the way Emily Henry turned the trope on its head by having Miles and Daphne tell their friends about their scheme, and the fact that their friends are SO down for the shenanigans.

Speaking of the supporting characters, they were wonderful. I love the exploration of the struggle that is making friends when you’re an adult (because hello relatable), and I was living for the community that Daphne made for herself. The story was embedded with such hope that it’s never too late to find your people, and frankly I love that.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you to read this book because, hello, it’s Emily Henry. But dangit I’m gonna tell you anyway! It’s such a beautiful story from start to finish, whether we’re talking about the romance, the emotional journey for both leads, or the found family dynamic that they find writhin their community. It also captures the magic of my favorite books of hers, which is why I HIGHLY recommend picking this up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5

Honestly, this book is in my top 5 for the year! This story was perfection - no notes!

After not enjoying Happy Place, I was hesitant to go into Funny Story. But, I knew right from the start that this would be good. I mean roommates who start fake dating to make their exes jealous, ✨👌! Roommates who slowly start to see that their exes never really SAW them, but they do? PERFECTION. In this story, opposites truly do attract! 💕

🍷 The found family in this book was everything to me! I loved Daphen’s little library crew and their poker nights. Miles’s market stall friends and their love for him and his scraggly beard just warmed my heart. Emily Henry knows how to do small town characters!

🍇 This book broke my heart in so many ways. I couldn’t believe the audacity of Peter, Daphne’s ex. THAT MAN. And her father? A piece of work. I cannot express how proud of her I was when she finally told them how she felt. GO GIRL! 👏👏

🍾 But this story also made my heart sing! I mean, the tension between Miles and Daphne was TO DIE FOR! These two complete opposites found themselves with each other. They were able to open up to one another more than they ever did with their exes and I love how it showed. I loved how Miles made it his mission to make Daphne fall in love with Waning Bay and I did too! The ebb and flow of their friendship into a relationship made this book for me and I couldn’t get enough.

I truly loved this book so much and I can’t wait to read it again. This is going to be one of those that I will think about for a long time!

Thank you to Berkley Romance (@berkleyromance) for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hi! Hey! Hello! This is my new favorite Emily Henry book. It’s the perfect balance of wit and humor and emotion and heat, and I adore it. I’m getting a physical copy so I can hug it (and so it will look pretty on my shelves).

This is a roommates, friends-to-lovers, fake-dating, opposites-attract, small-town romance that’s sprinkled with that Emily Henry magic. It will hit you in the feels. It will make you smile. It will make you swoon.

I love both Miles and Daphne and am so happy they end up with each other.

Here’s a list of assorted thoughts I had while reading it:
- I wish I could be the Story Time lady (like legit would love that job).
- Emily Henry’s books make me want to go to Michigan on vacation. (Is the state tourism board paying her? jk…)
- [redacted] and [redacted] are the worst.
- Eeeeeee! (No context bc spoilers)
- Seriously, their chemistry is 🔥🔥🔥.
- More accidental (not-really accidental) touches, please and thank you
- I am here for the flaring pupils and cupping of the jaw moments.
- SWOON
- I DON’T WANT THE HURT
- Oh my gosh, Miles is such a sweetheart. I want to give him a hug.
- I feel like I may have a book hangover.

I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Funny Story by Emily Henry is everything that a romance novel should be. It feels like summer, and it feels like hope, and it sparkles through every page. It's so easy to love all of Henry's characters and to appreciate her clever means of storytelling, but Miles and Daphne feel different. They're lighter, even amid the crosses they carry. The book could not have had a better title: Funny Story is hilarious. It's sharp. It's witty. It's hopeful.

FULL REVIEW: https://marvelousgeeksmedia.com/2024/04/23/funny-story-by-emily-henry-review/

Thank you to Berkley publishers for the advance reader copy -- all opinions are my own.

Daphne’s fiancé, Peter, comes home from his bachelor party and tells her he is actually in love with his childhood best friend, Petra, and she needs to move out in a week. The only place she can go is to Petra’s ex boyfriend, Miles, apartment. They bond over a shared heartbreak and a need to get back at their ex’s a little by pretending to date each other. They form a friendship but it’s too messy to actually fall in love with your ex’s new fiancés ex, right?!

“The same universe that dispassionately takes things away can bring you things you weren’t imaginative enough to dream up.”

I adore Emily Henry and I love her writing and the banter in her books. I actually think this one is my new favorite book of hers. I loved seeing Daphne find herself outside of Peter and start to make Waning Bay Michigan feel like home. Miles! I freaking love Miles and he is adorable. It was so much fun to watch their relationship develop. There were some great side characters and Ashleigh deserves her own story:) In typical Emily Henry fashion it is deeper than just a romcom and they deal with some trauma from their childhood’s and with their families. Anyway, a library, poker nights, wineries and fake dating make this one so fun to read with just a few tears. Pick this one up!

By far my favorite Henry book (I also loved the others - minus Beach Read). This one is so heartwarming, hilarious, fun to read, binge worthy, and there are Nick and Jess vibes. Definitely worth the read and it’s a contender for one of my favorite reads this year. Already looking forward to a re-read. Also, there were so many Taylor Swift song references - I was obsessed.

Read if you like:
▪️fake dating
▪️opposites attract
▪️family drama
▪️love after heartbreak

I read this in Grenada this past February and ADORED IT. I haven’t been a huge fan of her past two books (or I guess I just didn’t love them like her first two), but this one brought me back. I love a fake-dating revenge plot, and Emily Henry put the perfect spin on it to make it feel deeper. The male lead was giving me Heath Ledger vibes from 10 Things I Hate About You. Couple that with a beach setting and a librarian lead character, and you have a perfect beach read. Pick this up for summer!

Thanks for the free book @BerkleyPub in exchange for an honest review!

When Daphne’s fiance Peter leaves her for his best friend Petra, Daphne moves in with Petra’s ex, Miles. When the two receive invitations to Peter and Petra’s wedding, a drunken night leads Daphne and Miles to RSVP yes. The next day, Peter calls telling Daphne she really doesn’t need to come and in a panic, she accidentally blurts out that she and Miles are dating. To save face, the two agree to a fake relationship to get back at their exes, but of course between living together and fake dating, lines get blurred and feelings begin to develop.

Emily Henry can do no wrong in my opinion. But in all seriousness, I love the stories she weaves, filled with humor and heart. As with all of her books, when reading this I found myself going through the whole spectrum of emotions - from giggling to myself to tearing up and everything in between, I felt it all while reading this. Of all her books, Funny Story takes the cake for best meet-cute. I was dying over Miles and Daphne RSVPing to their exes’ wedding and dying even more when Peter called them out resulting in their fake relationship. Despite the wild start, the way their relationship slowly grew was amazing. The way they supported each other was so much better than their previous relationships and I was so glad they could each finally be themselves. Aside from the romance, there was so much growth in this story. Both Miles and Daphne were recovering from broken hearts and finding themselves and who they are outside of their relationships. I particularly loved Daphne’s growth and how she went from being a “we girl” to finally determining who she was on her own. The side characters in this story were also amazing and I am here to say Ashleigh deserved her own book and her own HEA. In case you can’t tell, I adored this book, Emily Henry did it again with another 5 star read.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.