Given how much hype is around Funny Story, it’s hard to try to talk about everything without giving too much away. When going into an Emily Henry book, it’s best to know as little as possible so you’re willfully unprepared for the emotional bomb she’s going to drop on you.

With a title like Funny Story, this book does follow Daphne who gets dumped by her fiance as he wants to be with his girl best friend. Peter kicks her out of their house and she ends up rooming with Petra’s former boyfriend, Miles. While it takes a while for these two to become friends, it eventually happens.

To try to make things more bearable, they agree to fake-date to prove to Peter and Petra that they’re moving forward. All in all, it seems like a foolproof plan until feelings get involved. I won’t give too much away on that end, but as with most Emily Henry stories, this book isn’t just about their relationship.

Daphne is trying to figure out life in a new city as she hasn’t been away from her mother much and she worries. She’s also dealing with a father who floats in and out of her life. Miles is also dealing with some family issues and at one point, takes his younger sister in. Frankly, this book doesn’t shy away from those topics and it ends up playing a factor in their relationship.

While this book doesn’t live up to the title's moniker of being funny, Emily Henry manages to pull off a compelling romance while juggling it with real-life elements. I don’t know how Emily Henry continues to do this with every single release. While Funny Story doesn't feel as romantic, I think this one will appeal to those wanting something more from their romance books.

5++ stars

I swear Emily Henry gets better and better. This one truly spoke to me with the way it delves into difficult parental relationships and recognizing the trauma that those relationships can cause.

I love a good first act breakup book because the events that come after are always super juicy. In this, we find out that Daphne’s fiance has discovered the love shared between he and his childhood best friend, Petra. Unfortunately, that means that THEIR carefully planned life won’t be happening anymore.

Kicked out of their house, Daphne is out of options. Why not run to the only other person who might feel a smidge of her pain, Petra’s ex, Miles…?

A friendship starts to bloom, even if it involves them faking a relationship to show just how moved on they both are… What’s the harm? What’s the worst that could happen? What happens when the fake feelings start to become real?

Not only do we have this storyline that is my literal catnip, but we have these wonderful characters. Daphne and Miles are both such great people. This book deals with commitment issues and difficult family relationships. Also, Daphne is a children’s librarian and we get to see all sorts of fun shenanigans.

I was very excited about this one since I have loved all of Emily Henry's romance novels. However, this one fell flat for me in a few ways, so it ended up being my least favorite.

What I liked:
•the first 50%-the pacing was good, I was captivated by the story, and I enjoyed the romance
•The banter between the 2 main characters!!
•Waning Bay and it’s descriptions. Emily Henry sets a scene so well.
•The premise was honestly fun. 2 people bonding over their shared relationship failure & trauma? It was a good dynamic

What I didn’t like
•So it was “fake dating”…but majority of the people in the story knew it was fake, and they only had to keep up the appearance of fake dating like twice
•I didn’t like either of the main characters. They both came off immature & slightly annoying to me sorry
•I get that quirkiness is one of the things Emily Henry does best, and I usually love it. However it felt overdone in this book. It was trying to be quirkier and more eccentric than it needed to be.
•The romance was so….odd? It was like up and down up and down and then we barely got to see the main characters together.
•I didn’t leave this book feeling like these two characters were meant to be and would survive all obstacles together.

Ohh Emily Henry you have done it again. I always look forward to when a new book of hers lands on the shelves and this one delivered. Funny, heartwarming, compulsively readable; a perfect romantic read. Funny Story is indeed a funny story but like all her books, so much more than what meets the surface.

<i>ARC Provided by NetGalley<i>

funny story is in fact not a funny story. however, in emily henry fashion... it is a beautifully written story and i absolutely adored this with all my heart and will probably think of nothing else for the foreseeable future.

Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for both my free book/e-book for review.

There is simply something special about reading an Emily Henry book. It's like being caught in a gentle drizzle on a sunny day, with the promise of a rainbow just around the corner. Her words have a way of weaving magic, drawing you in from the very first page.

In her latest novel, Funny Story, Ms. Henry once again displays her unmatched talent for banter. The dialogue between the characters is sharp, witty, and always on point, creating an atmosphere that keeps you engaged and wanting more.

Daphne, the protagonist, is a character who resonates on a deeply personal level. Her childhood experiences have left a lasting impact on her, turning her into an introvert who struggles to navigate social settings. As she moves to a new place where she knows no one, the reader can't help but feel a pang of empathy and curiosity about her journey.

But it's not just Daphne's story that captivates. The relationship between the two protagonists is given great care and attention, allowing it to develop organically. As their connection grows, the walls they've built around themselves crumble, exposing their vulnerabilities and the essence of who they truly are. It's a beautiful exploration of human connection and the power it holds.

And amidst Ms. Henry's masterful storytelling, I found myself getting to know Daphne in a way that felt intimate and real. Her quirks, her insecurities, and her hidden depths were gradually unveiled, allowing me to form a bond with her character. I couldn't help but root for her every step of the way.

Reading Funny Story is like embarking on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It's a heartwarming tale that explores the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of self-discovery. By the end, you'll be left yearning for more, eagerly awaiting Emily Henry's next masterpiece.

All hail Emily Henry! Another amazing read from one of my favorite authors. She really understands the complexities of relationships. As someone who has complicated feelings about family, I connected so hard to Daphne and her struggles with her parents, partner(s), and friends. Daphne's insecurities surrounding being capable of being loved and her struggle to learn to trust in others was so real and familiar and real. The characters are complex and broken and make mistakes.

It's also another Emily Henry that makes me want to move to a small town in Michigan on the lake and live my best life. Finally, I rarely see a book that features a librarian be so true to life. I often see them as some kind of sappy cliche, when life as a librarian is so much closer to the one portrayed in this book. Yes, there are wonderful parts where you get to connect with others through books, but you also have to clean vomit off the floor and deal with creepy callers and people who get mad at you because you don't know their Gmail password. Emily did her research and, from one librarian, it's very appreciated!


Tropes:
fake dating
opposites attract
friends to lovers
forced proximity
found family

I think a rarely found and truly magical power of a good author is when you read their books and feel a connection with each of them as if the books are written for you. The story is so relatable, their experience, your own. You find yourself nodding at something they do or say, understanding their reaction completely. You cry at their pain, and then again at their happiness.
This happens every time I read one of Henry's books. There were many emotional similarities, but as a children's librarian, I loved that she got that delight and joy of storytime right on the money.

I can't pick a favorite book, just like I can't pick a favorite author, but I can say she's at the top for me.


Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advance reader's copy for an honest review.

4.5 amazing stars!

”This is enough.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“Then why do I feel better?”

Funny Story is our fifth book by Emily Henry, and our love affair with her stories continues. We adore her characters, they’re so warm, charming, and relatable, and Daphne, Miles and their pals have cemented themselves in our hearts, along with so many others Emily Henry has created. Funny Story did convey a somewhat, for want of a better word, morose undertone, however, Emily Henry managed to perfectly balance the sadness, the emotional and the funny in a such a beautifully harmonic way.

”You’re wonderful. You’re the reason for the word wonderful.”

For Daphne Vincent and Miles Nowak, their lives are turned upside down, everything they thought they knew is brought into question when Peter, Daphne’s fiancée and Petra, Miles’s girlfriend, decide to take the relationship beyond friendship. Moving in together and leaving Daphne and Miles heartbroken and becoming roommates.

“I think it might break my heart to be someone you don’t like.”

When Daphne uprooted her life to follow Peter to Waning Bay, Michigan, she saw a life before her, one very different to her life now. As a librarian at Waning Bay library, broken hearted Daphne decides she will see out the summer, to complete her heart project, the Read a Thon for the children. Returning to her one constant, her Mum. Miles Nowak, nursing his own broken heart has other plans. He decides to show Daphne the parts of Waning Bay she hasn’t experienced, and hope she falls in love with the town enough to stay.

”Thank you,” he says.
“For what?”
“Just, thank you.”

We fell in love with Miles, Daphne, their friends, and adored experiencing the beauty of Waning Bay with Daphne. Waning Bay became a character all on its own. We dipped our toes in the sea, we became excited about the Traverse City Cherry Festival. We wanted to pack our bags and move there!

Will the sweet gentle Miles convince Daphne her place is in Michigan, will she fall in love with more than Waning Bay? Will their hearts heal. Well, you’ll love every minute of finding out all the answers. Another winner from this fabulous author.

Something that never ceases to fascinates me about Emily Henry's works is the way that she explores human relationships. To me, her books are always comprised of many little love stories. She doesn't limit herself to the traditional, romantic kind, weaving love stories into familial relationships and friendships as well, in a way that always feels intentional and meaningful.

Funny Story was no exception to this. I adored the main love story between Daphne and Miles, but I also loved reading about Daphne's relationship with her mom, her newfound friendship with Ashleigh, Miles and Julia's sibling relationship, and even Daphne's relationship with her job. I was thoroughly charmed by Daphne's love for her job as a children's librarian, and how she was able to find solace and meaning in doing what she loves.

Daphne and Miles were absolutely stellar main characters. Their banter and their humor was top tier; I lost track of how many times I giggled or genuinely laughed out loud while reading this book. Miles, to me, felt very fresh and different from the love interests in Emily Henry's previous books. I loved that, and I'm positive that all my fellow Emily Henry girlies will too. Actually, I'm convinced that there's not a single person on this planet who wouldn't like Miles Nowak. And Daphne...where to even begin?

I had a very singular experience reading this book. While I try to avoid sharing personal details on here as much as possible, I can say that, much like Daphne at the beginning of this story, I recently went through some pretty difficult, painful and abrupt life changes. Reading this book after unexpectedly finding myself bereft of the life I had, and feeling abandoned by people I thought would always be in my corner, helped me feel less alone in a way that I haven’t felt in all these months because I hadn't found someone (or something) that could truly understand what I was going through or that I could relate to in regards to my situation. This book felt like a balm I didn't even know I was seeking.

While the thought that a work of fiction might coax such a reaction out of me may seem silly or inconceivable to some, there is a rare kind of solace to be found in seeing your very thoughts and feelings written on a page because, while the story itself may be fiction, it is a reminder that somewhere out there someone shares my grief and my anger and my sorrow. It is a reminder that I am understood, because fiction doesn’t exist in a vacuum. To some degree or other, it is always inspired and informed by real life events, feelings, thoughts, experiences, opinions, etc., be it your own or otherwise.

Words cannot express how much reading this book at the time that I did means to me.

This may be my favourite of Emily Henry's books? I think I say that about each new book but I genuinely raced through this one and I loved the main characters and their relationship.

As an aside, I was worried when I read the main character was a librarian because rarely do I feel like it's an accurately portrayed profession but some of the regular patrons mentioned were SO familiar..

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was by far my favorite Emily Henry book yet! Forced proximity/fake dating =the best tension! Also sign me up for more Miles anytime! New book boyfriend unlocked! This was an ode to how wonderful and magical libraries that made my heart grow 10 sizes; plus it was just the cherry on top of this cute story. I devoured this and would love to revisit the characters later on. Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy!

Funny Story is our fifth book by Emily Henry, and our love affair with her stories continues. We adore her characters, they’re so warm, charming, and relatable, and Daphne, Miles and their pals have cemented themselves in our hearts, along with so many others Emily Henry has created. Funny Story did convey a somewhat, for want of a better word, morose undertone, however, Emily Henry managed to perfectly balance the sadness, the emotional and the funny in a such a beautifully harmonic way.

For Daphne Vincent and Miles Nowak, their lives are turned upside down, everything they thought they knew is brought into question when Peter, Daphne’s fiancée and Petra, Miles’s girlfriend, decide to take the relationship beyond friendship. Moving in together and leaving Daphne and Miles heartbroken and becoming roommates.

When Daphne uprooted her life to follow Peter to Waning Bay, Michigan, she saw a life before her, one very different to her life now. As a librarian at Waning Bay library, broken hearted Daphne decides she will see out the summer, to complete her heart project, the Read a Thon for the children. Returning to her one constant, her Mum. Miles Nowak, nursing his own broken heart has other plans. He decides to show Daphne the parts of Waning Bay she hasn’t experienced, and hope she falls in love with the town enough to stay.

We fell in love with Miles, Daphne, their friends, and adored experiencing the beauty of Waning Bay with Daphne. Waning Bay became a character all on its own. We dipped our toes in the sea, we became excited about the Traverse City Cherry Festival. We wanted to pack our bags and move there!

Will the sweet gentle Miles convince Daphne her place is in Michigan, will she fall in love with more than Waning Bay? Will their hearts heal. Well, you’ll love every minute of finding out all the answers. Another winner from this fabulous author.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for access to this arc.


After reading and loving her books for a number of years now, I’ve come to have high expectations of what to expect. And I’ve yet to be disappointed. There must be a signal released in my brain when I recognise her words; something in me just relaxes and prepares to be all-in on the story. I guess all my favourite authors have it – that thing where recognition occurs from that first page. It’s comforting and exciting all at once.

Funny Story is about Daphne Vincent, a children’s librarian who moved to Waning Bay on Lake Michigan with her fiancé, Peter. Daphne has always wanted to belong somewhere and to someone. She is very close with her mother, but after her dad left when she was little, they moved around a lot and Daphne learned not to make friends because they wouldn’t be staying long enough for her to keep them. She wants roots and friends and family beyond her mother and thinks she has it in Peter. She’s made an incredible effort to be accepted by his friends and family.

But then, following his bachelor party, Peter announces that he’s actually in love with his best friend, Petra, and Daphne is left very much alone. Petra had been living with her boyfriend, Miles Nowak. When Petra moves in with Peter, Emily needs a place to live and Miles could use help with the rent. So Daphne moves into the second bedroom in Miles’s apartment. Daphne is hurt and reeling and counting down the days until she can leave Waning Bay and go somewhere else, to start again. Miles is not any happier and they bond over their shared heartbreak.

Very shortly after they are dumped, Daphne and Miles are shocked to receive wedding invitations in the mail for Peter and Petra. After the initial pain of it wears of, Daphne allows some anger in. And, when Peter is being condescending in a phone conversation, she blurts out that she and Miles are dating.

Daphne has a deep sense of not being good enough, not being worth staying for, not being anyone’s first choice (apart from her mother). She wonders what is wrong with her that people leave. Miles has his own baggage. Raised in an extremely toxic household, he feels great responsibility for his (13 years’ younger) sister, Julia. He feels like he didn’t do enough and let her down. He feels like he always lets people down.

Beyond the relationship between Miles and Daphne though, Funny Story, charts Daphne coming into her own, learning more about herself, putting herself out there and finding her own sense of belonging rather than looking for it from others. She makes a good friend at work, Ashleigh, and their growing bond is also great to witness. I liked Ashleigh very much – as well as the other library staff and other locals we meet along the way.

I also liked that Daphne learns she isn’t perfect and that, ultimately, it’s okay – people make mistakes and hurt others, even she does. She has to grapple with not just being the one being left waiting, but being a person who has let others down. It’s a thing she’s never realised before – mostly it’s never come up (my impression was this was largely because she lived her life in such rigid compartments before the Peter/Petra catastrophe – which turned out to be the best thing for her). But things get a little messy and Daphne realises that not everything needs to be inside the lines. She also realises she’s worth loving, worth staying for and worth investing in – by others and by herself.

I liked very much that Miles got support he didn’t even know he needed from Daphne and was able to see himself through her eyes and realise that he’s worthy too.

Funny Story is told entirely from Daphne’s point of view which makes sense given the eventual conflict between she and Miles. Henry sets up very well the reasons for each character to act as they do. I did think that Miles’s initial explanation as contrasted with the more complete version was a little bait-and-switchy. It made the ending more satisfying but it felt to me a bit like the conflict was a tad manufactured. That’s really my only criticism of the book – otherwise, I pretty much loved it from start to finish. And, I want to reiterate, the HEA was extremely satisfying.

Everything Emily Henry writes is pure magic. Her writing speaks to my soul. And I know so many of us feel this way, but sometimes it feels like she writes them just for me. This book was absolutely perfect.

Like all of her books, Funny Story was the perfect combination of witty banter and swoon-worthy moments. I was quite literally kicking my feet and giggling. But Emily Henry’s books are so much more than romance. They are so real and authentic. She writes in a way that makes you connect with every single character. She just makes you see them and she makes you feel seen.

Thank you for this gift of a book. I’m so sad it’s over and I can’t wait to scream about it with everyone who will listen to me.

This author never lets me down. This is such a heartfelt romance and I loved every page of it.
Her writing is just so good, the way she describes things makes them so easy to picture and her descriptions of emotions are so vivid that you’re feeling them right there with the characters.
Daphne and Miles feel so real, it was such a joy to read about them growing as individuals and in their friends-to-something-more relationship. The forced proximity tension mixed with the fake dating was the perfect formula. Daphne and Miles got really close over a short period of time but it felt believable because of their shared experience. The banter and back-and-forth interactions between the two are so good but their communication during more emotional and tough times is really the highlight. They’re so supportive of each other even if they didn’t always realize it in the moment.
This author has such a gift for writing incredibly romantic stories that don’t shy away from the messy honesty of real life. I’ve loved every one of her books and this was no exception!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley and the author for the early copy!

FUNNY STORY by Author Emily Henry is a sweet, poignant fake dating and opposites attract romance with a super interesting premise. On one hand, you have Daphne, a librarian and neat freak who's highly structured and organized and then you have Miles - an adorable but sloppy man working at a winery who doesn't mind living in chaos. And it’s a really 'funny story' how these two became roommates and eventually more. Daphne's ex-finance is now engaged to Miles ex-fiancé leading to Daphne moving in with Miles. Confused yet?

Daphne's wedding to Peter is nigh when Peter goes out to a bar for his bachelor party. Peter's best friend is childhood friend, Petra, and she's at his bachelor party when she professes her undying love to Peter and he to her. Back at their house, Peter tells Daphne she has one week to move out and then he and Petra leave for a week's vacation. Miles shows up in hopes of stopping Petra from leaving him only to discover she's already gone, and a devastated Daphne is in tears trying to figure out where she'll live. The answer seems obvious - she'll move in with Miles who just happens to now have a vacancy. For weeks, they co-exist in the same space - just two ships passing in the night as they both deal with their grief. But when Daphne speaks to Peter again, she lets it drop that she and Miles are now a happy couple. She has no idea why she did that, but when she confesses to Miles he quickly gets on board the idea of 'fake dating' to make their exes jealous. As the story unfolds, Daphne and Miles begin to realize they have real feelings for one another, but the baggage and insecurities suffered by both keep them from revealing their real feelings. Sparks fly and a 'fake kiss' feels anything but fake. This is just a rebound thing, right? It's not possible that they're really falling in love, or is it?

Author Emily Henry has a gift for rendering heartfelt stories with incredibly real characters. While the trope of fake dating has been done a million times, Henry adds a unique twist to the story and then fleshes it out with characters readers can't help but love. The support cast is outstanding with most having intriguing backstories of their own. Themes of friendship, family or the lack thereof, and finding oneself are prominent. The small-town setting where everyone knows everyone is perfect for this story. I love that Henry develops these characters over time, letting them deal with their personal issues before writing them a happy ever after ending. The chemistry sizzles, and the warm fuzzies are plentiful. I read FUNNY STORY in one setting because I simply couldn't put it down. Highly recommended to fans of fake dating, opposites attract and friends to lovers' tropes. And to fans of heartwarming romance. It doesn't get any better than this!

Ahh this one hurt. I enjoyed this. That goes without saying. Emily Henry is SUCH a talented writer and I finished this book within 2 days. I also loved the storyline and mostly liked all the characters. It just didn't make me feel anything and I just can't give a book 4 or 5 Stars if it doesn't do that.

This is my favorite Emily Henry yet - and I may be partial because I am a librarian. But I also went into it ready to judge if she didn’t do well by our profession. But she did! Oh she did. The premise is naturally, completely over the top, but isn’t that why we gravitate to these books? After being dumped by their respective partners, who are now together, Miles and Daphne move in together, to wallow in self pity and save on rent. But there is so much more going on with both of them than meets the eye and they continuously learn that throughout the book. This one was deeper, for me at least, than some of the past works. Like I said, the best so far - so how is she going to get me next time?!

Daphne and Miles have been left high and dry after their significant other's had an epiphany and realized they weren't just best friends, but in love with each other. Daphne's whole world is upended, as she moved across the country to be with Peter. Now, she is here all alone.
Miles thought Petra was the love of his life. He doesn't think he will ever be ready to move on. One night, when they drink too much, they decide that they should RSVP to the wedding they were invited to and also try to get back at their exes by posting photos together to make them think THEY are a couple now. Surely it will make them rethink this whole breakup thing, at a minimum.
I went into this book knowing the blurb, but for some reason I wanted to connect to these characters more. I wanted there to be more anger towards what had been done to them instead of infinite sadness. The book was emotional, of course, how could it not be? But what I didn't expect is the way that Miles acted and pined for Petra for so long. I feel like, once I am cheated on and treated so incredibly poorly, the door for rekindling something closes, but Miles just sat there for months pining. Even when he felt connections to Daphne, it felt like, he wasn't really there and with all the talk about "the love of his life", I wanted him to feel BIG love for Daphne. In the end, it all works out, thankfully, but there is something that happens that of course we (i) expected and it just rubbed me the wrong way.
The story did feel genuine and real so I give major kudos for the feels and I really related to Daphne in this and felt a connection to her, but I wish I felt more of a connection between the two of them.
Thanks to Berkley, Netgalley and Emily Henry for an early copy.