This was outside of my usual reading area, but I could not have been more thrilled with the read! It was such effortless fun to read i tore through it in one sitting.

Funny Story by Emily Henry is a delightful romance about a librarian who moves cross-country with her fiancé, only to be dumped when he declares his love for his best friend Petra. Travel to beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan as Daphne finds herself stranded and sharing a two-bedroom apartment with Miles. Did I mention he’s Petra’s ex?

A children’s librarian, stranded in a small-town and living with her ex-fiancé’s new girlfriend’s ex. Yes, please. I loved the premise and was absolutely delighted by the tale that unfolds.

Miles and Daphne are adorable and I loved watching their relationship grow from two wounded strangers navigating a painful breakup to finding something more. Henry did a wonderful job of introducing us to not only Miles and Daphne, but to the charming people and places of Waning Bay.

While this is a contemporary romance, the author delivered friendships, character growth, dysfunctional families, trust issues, and more. I love when a story pulls me and the outside world slips away. That is exactly what happened as I read Funny Story. I laughed, swooned, got mad and cheered this couple on as they fumbled, swooned and found their slice of happy.

Funny Story is the perfect cute romance story with all the feels. You’ll want to toss it in your beach bag!

This story held me in its grip from page one. Emily Henry can really nail a realistic, slice-of-life story and suck you in so you’re invested in EVERYONE on the page. Daphne and Miles feel very opposites attract. Miles is seemingly too good for this world, to the point that Daphne by comparison felt flat and somewhat uninteresting. I’m not sure if that was Henry’s intention, but as Daphne learns to adapt to her new circumstances, she comes to life and shines.

Book Lovers has been my favorite EH book since I listened to the audio and had narrator goddess Julia Whelan talk small towns and publishing in my ear, but I think Funny Story knocks Book Lovers out of first place. This book had me laughing out loud one minute (thank you, Ashleigh) and then teary-eyed the next. I couldn’t put it down.

Also, now I am desperate to visit a vineyard on a peninsula near Lake Michigan.

Happy Pub Day to “Funny Story”. I’ll be getting the audio as soon as I can for a re-read. Thank you @berkleypub @letstalkbookspromo for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

happy release day to daphne & miles ♥️

funny story starts off with daphne and miles realizing they have the worst thing in common. their partners are breaking up with them and running off into the sunset together, leaving miles in need of a roommate and daphne a place to live. naturally, she moves in with him. forced proximity, roommates-to-lovers, with a dash of fake dating—this book is sweet, funny, and surprisingly super romantic (and horny).

I do feel like the character development took a backseat here. it is emily’s most romance-heavy novel to date, and while I love a romantic focus, I do wish we had a bit more of the inner change and development as the story continued. throw in the other woman sort-of drama towards the end, which it really kept it from being a 5 star for me.

miles really made the book for me. he’s sweet, caring, and all around nearly perfect. daphne had some family troubles and reading about her attempt to navigate that was hard at times.

my favorite thing about this was the classic emhen banter. I was laughing out loud and kicking my feet the whole time.

thank you sm emily berkley romance and netgalley for an arc!

tw
third act other woman drama

Have you ever met a reader that didn't adore Emily Henry?

No?

Me, either.

There is a reason for that.

Emily Henry IS the romcom queen. Not only does she tell a tale like no other, she has the ability to drag you in and consume your every thought.

How many of you want to fall in love like the characters in her book? I know, as a married woman, I have had many book boyfriends that have starred front and center in a Henry book. Petra and Peter are not going to be your most loved characters, they will give you the total ick, but in a weird way, you'll enjoy it. That's the thing about Emily Henry, she makes you feel it all. Including the complex family dynamic plaguing Daphne;s life. By the way, I absolutely adored everything about Daphne. Myles, oh Myles, what you would almost consider a hometown hero, not a mean bone in his body and adored by all.

This book will have you in tears, and then laughing out loud.

This was so much more than just a story to pick up. It will stay with you long after you conclude.

As im sure you're aware, Im a huge fan of Emily Henry, but this book needs so much more than "simple praise" , it needs to be shouted from the rooftops. An easy 5 star read.

Big thank you to Emily Henry, Berkley Pub and Netgalley for allowing me to read this gem early, in exchange for an honest review. This book is out today so run on over to your favorite bookstore before it's too late!!!

Check out this teaser :

A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

Funny Story may be my favorite of the Emily Henry Books I’ve read. (I haven’t read Happy Place). I loved Daphne and Miles’ story. For one, it had my favorite romance plot: fake dating. It also had forced proximity once Miles and Daphne decide to be roommates after Peter and Petra (Miles and Daphne’s ex’s) decide they’d rather be with one another instead of our main character pair. I honestly think their break ups did them a favor because it allowed them to take an open and honest approach up front with their friendship, although they never knew what they were in for. The two planned their fake relationship and owned it. From fake pics, fake social media posts, to fake appearances, they were committed!

I loved their journey. While entertaining to say the least, I laughed, I swooned, and I 💯 loved every minute. Now, I cannot go without saying that I also loved the narration! I mean, we have an all time favorite Julia Whelan of course. She kills any and everything she narrates! If she’s narrating it’s a must to grab the audiobook! So, first I’ll say this one is a must read, and second, the audiobook is a must listen!

Now, I need to read Happy Place to see where the 5 books stand for me.

Emily Henry books give me so much comfort. She’s an author I love reading and Funny Story is up there with ‘Beach Read’ and ‘PWMOV’ as one of my top favorites of hers.

This story starts out a bit messy as Daphne’s wedding has been called off last minute after her ex decides he’s in love with his female best friend. She moved to a new state for him and ends up moving in with that female best friend’s ex boyfriend when he offers her his spare room. His name is Miles.

Has Emily Henry created a better character than Miles Nowak? I think not. Funny Story was a book I savored. I read it slowly because I didn’t want it to end. I found Miles and Daphne so endearing. I loved watching their friendship grow into more and their banter was top tier. Did I mention again how much I completely adored Miles? He was the absolute best.
“You make the people you care about feel like…” He pauses. “Like you want all of them. Not just the good parts. And that’s terrifying to someone who’s spent a lifetime avoiding those other pieces of themselves.”

I adored the romance in this book, but I also loved the setting. The way Miles showed her around his town and made her fall in love with it made me fall in love with it, too. The other cast of characters and friendships were great as well. This is a must read romance and I hope everyone else loves it as much as I did!

If you’re familiar with Emily Henry’s writing, you know she has a knack for creating memorable friendships, charming side characters, and crafting emotionally-rich first kisses that leave you eagerly anticipating more. And if you're not familiar, then “Funny Story” offers the perfect opportunity to discover the magic of Emily’s storytelling.

Set in a small Michigan town, the story follows Daphne, a librarian who finds herself starting anew after her fiancé abruptly ends their engagement. With no place to live now, she moves in with her fiancé's ex's former flame, Miles.

Later, feeling the weight of the moment, Daphne blurts out to her ex that she and Miles are blissfully dating. Despite the shared laughter from their exes as a response, Daph and Miles are all smiles in front of them and of course on social media. Their exchange of the most swoon-worthy glances, hugs, and kisses, made me grin foolishly with delightful tingles dancing down my fingers.

It was gratifying to witness Daphne’s gradual realization of how her previous life revolved entirely around her ex, encompassing his friends, social circles, and every aspect of his existence. Through her journey, she learns to forge genuine connections, embrace friendship, and assert herself, particularly in navigating her strained relationship with her father. Miles enters her life at a pivotal moment, emerging as a steadfast source of support and optimism, broadening Daphne’s perspective of the town she now could call home.

I highly recommend “Funny Story” and any book that Emily Henry has ever written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

Another banger from Emily Henry. This time featuring the most golden retriever of book boyfriends and the most buttoned up children's librarian.

Right off the bat, I loved Miles. His somewhat manic energy was effusive and engaging, whereas Daphne was harder to relate to. She does grow on you as the book goes on. You learn to love all of her idiosyncracies and how they're the perfect compliment to Miles' frenetic energy.

Plot was good, if a bit predictable. Henry shines again as a banter queen - this books has that in spades. Her characters live for the gentle roasting they both give and receive in her books, so I'm glad to see that trend continue.

Overall, an excellent book.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC.

I had to take a few days and gather my thoughts after reading this book. This was my 2nd Emily Henry book and I really loved it. From the very first chapter I was completely enthralled in her characters and storytelling. Being told solely from the FMC Daphne’s perspective made me feel like I was her and her struggles were so relatable to me.

The insecurities she felt, and the difficulty she had feeling like she “fit in”, her buttoned up persona that desired to be more spontaneous but found it hard the make that leap, her relationship troubles with her family and her “almost” in laws, and of course her love of libraries and books.

The ache she felt for a place to belong and to feel wanted and chosen was so beautifully written and made it even more special to watch her “found family” come together.

Ok mushy deep feelings aside… this book was so funny. The snarky internal monologue she had about the terrible situation she found herself in by no fault of her own was so perfect.

And then there’s Miles… oh my goodness. This guy is her polar opposite and exactly what she didn’t know she needed. He SEES her in a way that no man ever has and the chemistry between them is so undeniable that it never felt like a rebound and you couldn’t help but cheer them on! He’s the eternal optimist to her pessimistic self and the guy that can make a friend anytime anywhere without even trying while she is the girl that watches with awe from the sidelines.

The setting was perfect for a spring or summer read with the adorable small town full of sweet side characters. Scenes at the beach, library, wine bar, and farm stand. Delicious food and wine…It made the story so cozy.

This book was one that I did not want to put down. I laughed. I cried. I was smiling at the very last line which wrapped the whole book up so perfectly and brought everything full circle.

I highlighted so much of this book… here are a few favorites:

“For someone with the innate social charm of a mounted fish (me), watching Miles befriend this stranger felt like seeing Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel: impressive, but also dizzying. Like any second, he might fall off his ladder and splatter on the marble below.”

“I remember loving a story. Feeling like I was living it. Being, even as a child, bowled over by how something imaginary could become real, could wring every emotion from me or make me homesick for places I’d never been.”

“Things were allowed to be complicated. They were allowed to be messy. We were allowed to disagree and argue and even hurt each other, on occasion, and it didn’t mean it was time to let the revolving door of life carry us away from each other. Sometimes things are hard. They just are.”

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

CW:
F words, multiple open door scenes, recreational drug use

Another winner book from Emily Henry! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I think this may be my new favorite of hers! Opposites attract is my second favorite trope and Daphne and Miles nailed it to the core! I fell in love with both of them —- their deadpan humor and funny banters made me smile so much it made my jaw hurt! I also liked that Daphne’s job is a children’s librarian. I would have loved to attend that readathon of hers! As for the side characters, Ashleigh takes the crown! She’s the perfect friend/sidekick and I hope she gets to have her own story in the future. Like the author’s previous novels, the story will tug on your heartstrings. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book of Emily Henry’s that I didn’t get emotionally affected!!! She never fails to elicit ugly cry from me lol! Funny Story is indeed funny, but also heartwarming, will definitely give you a nice fuzzy feeling during and after reading it! Thanks so much @berkleypub for the chance to read the eARC. I love love love it so much and absolutely recommend everyone to read it asap!

This book was so good and definitely one of my favorite Emily Henry releases. It for sure is the most romcom-y of her books and I enjoyed every second of it. The premise was so unique and fun; with a set up like that how could it not be chaotic? Daphne's journey of finding herself and her place in the community is everything, and Miles oh Miles Miles Miles. I loved him so much and how kind he is in the totality of the word. This sounds silly to say in a romance book but I love how they genuinely like each other, not just as targets of their affection but as people. Their friendship is so tender and I appreciate every single one of the stolen touches and wrist caress. Miles's love for Daphne is so selfness in how he was unwilling to disclose information that would clear his name but would cause her pain. Ugh they're everything I love them. Thank you Berkley Romance for the e-arc!

I really enjoyed this book. Was it exactly what you would expect from a book like this? Yes. Were there crazy plot twists? Nope. But was it fun any worth a read? For sure.

Thank you PRHA and Berkley Romance for providing me with a complementary audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I saw a reviewer, Aubrei (earlgreypls) provide her ranking of Emily Henry’s books to provide context in her review and I will be doing the same so you can gauge if Funny Story will be for you.

My ranking of EH books:
Beach Read
Book Lovers (uber freaking close to Beach Read)
Funny Story
Happy Place
PWMOV

Gosh, I LOVED Funny Story! And I loved that it was actually a funny story! Funny Story leans more towards a romantic-comedy compared to her other books. Funny Story still explores deeper themes of adulthood, grief, and friendship but does so in a more lighthearted way. I really loved how it was about witnessing Daphne and Miles pick up the broken pieces of themselves from their past relationships so they could be better for each other but more importantly, so Daphne could be a better person for herself.

Daphne and Miles fit so well together. I loved the way their relationship developed and their chemistry was undeniable! I thought it was smart EH for Daphne and Miles to go from true friends to lovers. And we even got a little fake dating! The classic rom com tropes work so well here. Ugh, I just love Daphne and Miles so much! I’m still thinking about them two weeks after I’ve finished the book!!

Julie Whelan’s narration of the audiobook is, to no one’s surprise, top tier. For me, it’s impossible not to read an Emily Henry book without Julia Whelan’s voice in my head. Julia always captures the heart and soul of Emily’s characters. Truly one of my all time favorite narrators!

If you didn’t love Emily’s last book Happy Place, I think Funny Story will be a huge upgrade for you. And if you’ve loved all of Em’s work, then you will definitely love installment. I can see Funny Story being a lot of readers’ #1!

I thought that Daphne and Miles were unlike any of Emily Henry's previous main characters. I thought that they were wholly unique in their personalities, however I did struggle with why all of her characters seem to have such aggressive daddy issues in each book. I'm not sure why they all have horrible fathers but it is kind of depressing to keep reading about. The story was kind of fun, but it took me a bit to get into. Also Peter and Petra SUCK. What horrible people.

Funny Story is Emily Henry’s most sitcom-esque novel—an observation that is very fitting considering its title. The concept alone of moving in with your ex-fiancé’s new fiancee’s ex-boyfriend is just the crème de la crème of rom-com setups. 🤌🏻

To my surprise, FS shot up to my 2nd (!!!) favorite EmHen novel (after Book Lovers, of course.) I loved just about everything about FS. Miles is EmHen’s most down-to-earth love interest so far. I love his obsession for sad girl playlists. I also love how EmHen casts expand with each book: you’re getting swept up not just in the romance, but in the other characters’ lives, too. Her books remind us that we are made of the people that we love.

Thank you Berkley for providing me an ARC via Netgalley!

Daphne feels stranded in Waning Bay, Michigan after her now ex-fiancé, Peter, moves her back to his hometown, only to leave her for his childhood best friend Petra. A surprising solution presents itself when Petra’s ex Miles suggests becoming roommates. Sure, he is the opposite of buttoned-up children’s librarian Daphne, and blasts sad love ballads through the house, but Miles mostly avoids Daphne. So Daphne sticks to her routine until one day she and Miles strike up a tenuous friendship while drowning their shared sorrows. Then they form a plan. A crazy plan. How others choose to interpret some staged photos is entirely up to them. Because no one would fall in love with their roommate slash ex-fiancé’s new fiancé’s ex for real. Right?

How does she do it? I haven’t read an Emily Henry book I didn’t love, but this one just became my favorite of them all. I wasn’t just laughing every time I turned the page, I was downright cackling!

These characters felt so genuine and real, like they really could be my friends. And not just our MC’s, but everyone we meet along their journey. I felt like I was right along side Miles and Daphne going through the ups and downs of new friendships, commitment issues, family trauma, heartbreak, and of course new romance.

I don’t want to give too much away so you should just see for yourself. I cannot recommend this one enough. It’s funny, sweet, zany and romantic.

Tropes: forced proximity, opposites attract, fake dating, friends to lovers.

*Thank you to @Berkley and NetGalley for my free copy!

“He knows me, and I see him. “

OMG…this is Emily Henry at her BEST!!! I absolutely loved reading this and didn’t want it to end. It’s a romance tied in drama and lifted with comedy… a mix of tropes (friends to lovers, opposites attract, close proximity, even a little bit of fake dating thrown in for fun) and all the feels…be ready for your heart to be squeezed to the MAX! (I think I stopped breathing a few times)

I LOVED Daphne and Miles…as friends and lovers…Emily Henry develops these characters, with dimension and storyline, so you really know and care about them. She has a FABULOUS supporting cast of side characters that REALLY set this book apart. And the beautiful setting is like another character…you will fall in love and want to move to Waning Bay and call it HOME.

Filled with Henry’s signature banter, funny situations, and excellent writing…let go and ABSOLUTELY fall for this book! BONUS feature…as a library employee, I really loved the very realistic library scenes! Because “The library is, like, the single best cross section of humanity.”

Tag line: Emily Henry always excels when writing romance, but the family dynamics in Funny Story just resonated with me.

| Story Review |

In Funny Story,  Daphne and Miles meet when their fiancés ditch them to run away together. Daphne has nowhere to go, and Miles is too kind to do anything but let her stay with him. Thus begins a surprising friendship.

Daphne originally sees Miles through her ex-fiance's eyes, but it's not long before she sees there is much more to him than Peter saw. Miles is kind to everyone he meets and leaves no strangers in his wake. After a night of drinking and not so wise choices (like RSVPing to their now-ex's wedding,) Daphne and Miles get caught up in a fake relationship scheme that shocks themselves even more than it shocks their exes. The characterization in this book was so well done. Knowing she and her mom would always be moving on before too long, Daphne has spent a lifetime keeping people at arms length. Miles has had his own family issues, and together, they should be a wreck, but they just fit. The way their friendship and romance blossoms is so beautiful. The way they witness each other just being themselves and get so caught up in it was something I loved seeing. They truly brought out the best in each other, and they had such a wonderful love story. The friends and family, including Daphne's coworkers and Miles sister, were such amazing secondary characters and really brought out different facets of the main characters.

As much as I enjoyed all of that, it's the family dynamics that really resonated with me. This story really explores how much of our identity comes from our parents, and I appreciate how deep the author dove with this. Both Daphne and Miles are caught up in who they are based on how their parents treated them, and it really is heartbreaking. But they're able to help each other through that, and that's another thing I love. Emily Henry's male characters always have so much to overcome, too, and it makes the path to love that much sweeter. 

No one has set the bar higher for themselves than Emily Henry, and the fact that she always delivers is nothing short of amazing. Funny Story will be in my Top 5 of 2024 for sure. And, obviously, I cannot wait to see what Emily Henry's next offering will be!

| Narration Review |

Julia Whelan and Emily Henry are the ultimate dream team. I've been listening to Henry's books since Beach Read, and I can't imagine reading them any other way. Julia Whelan is able to convey such emotion with her narration, and Emily Henry always gives her plenty to work with. If you have a choice between reading or listening to any book narrated by Julia Whelan, always go with the audiobook. No one does it better.

Thank you Berkley Romance, Penguin Random House Audio, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

Daphne moved to her fiancé, Peter’s, hometown, into a house that was only in his name, only became friends with his friends, and never made any connections in Waning Bay that weren’t connected to Peter, or the library where she works. So when Peter leaves her for his best friend, Petra, she decides to move in with Petra’s ex, Miles. They have nothing in common except a shared misery over their mutual breakups, and while Miles can quickly make friends anywhere, Daphne has always struggled opening up with strangers. As Miles works to properly introduce Daphne to the charming lakeside community she is living in, the two find healing through friendship that quickly develops into stronger feelings. When their photos imply they are more than friends, they let the charade continue, if only to make their exes uncomfortable - because CLEARLY, they could never actually get together, right?

As the title suggests, this one is actually really funny, and while many readers felt mislead by the title of Happy Place, I don’t think they will feel the same way about this one! This story spends a great deal of time dissecting the difficult task that is making friends as an adult, and I loved it. Friendship, and all relationships, can be messy, heartbreaking, funny, joyous, unpredictable, and Henry loves to show all of those sides. This was a great book to read during my final season living along Lake Michigan, and it will be the perfect summer read for so many!