Emily Henry does it again! The banter is excellent a must read this summer! I feel in love with all the characters and didn’t want the book to end!

📖 BOOK REVIEW

📱 FUNNY STORY by @emilyhenrywrites
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genre: contemporary romance
Did I cry: yes
Published in 2024 (april 23)

💭: this book🥹🫠 Emily Henry’s writing holds such a special place in my heart. It feels like she writes character specifically for me, to relate to & connect with as I follow their stories. I always find bits and pieces of myself in her characters, and this one was no exception. And we all know that the characters in a romance novel truly make the novel what it is. These two MC’s had such intense physical and emotional chemistry I could not get enough of the two of them.

The plot & tropes used in this book were perfection. It was a quirky story with the characters in pretty unideal circumstances. This book had maximum character development & I really felt that that was the central piece to the book. All of the supporting characters were seamlessly entwined into the plot & the MC’s lives. The writing is the kind that makes you read every single world on the page. The banter continues to be top-tier, laugh-out-loud funny. The themes outside of the love story, as always, were really moving and powerful. I really don’t have enough good things to say about this book.

I do not read in the car. I do not and I cannot. I sacrificed my car sickness to finish this book in the back of an Uber on my phone, which was a bad idea because not only did i get car sick, i started SOBBING in the back of the Uber. That’s how invested I was and NEEDING to finish no matter what. While this wasn’t my new fav Emily Henry, this one definitely is top 3 and holds a very special place in my heart🥹 it is IMPERATIVE that you preorder this book, it will take the world by storm on April 23💜💙

4.5/5 stars
another emily henry book that i ate up! i’m convinced emily’s books are the only straight contemporary romance books that i actually enjoy. daphne was her most relatable character for me so far which definitely factored into how much i enjoyed this book. without saying too much her growth from the start to the end of the book with the relationships she made was very well done and i really appreciated how the story dug into difficult parental and familial relationships, friendships, and romantic ones.
miles was a great “love interest” but emily gave depth to his character so he was more than the typical male love interests that are in these kinds of books which i really appreciate. the backstories and little details she includes really made the book more enjoyable. also the banter in this book was too good and the dynamic between daphne and miles was really fun to read since it was one that was so unique.
thank you to netgalley and berkley for the arc!

Emily Henry is the author who made me discover I do actually enjoy romance books.
Her characters are so well-drawn and relatable. The situations they find themselves in are heartwarming, sometimes hilarious, occasionally heartbreaking, but also very plausibleness. I think this is what I enjoy most about her books. The characters all feel like people I could be friends with.
This story was so fun! I love that the characters are kind of thrown together and become friends before they fall in love. Miles is an absolute cinnamon roll!
Throughout all her stories, Henry also describes the importance of friendship and having people who are there for you. I think in this story more than any of her others I really felt that was true.
Also, as I librarian, I LOVED that the main character is also a librarian. I loved the descriptions of being in the library when nobody is there and reading at story time. It did feel like the author had definitely been in a regular little community library and was writing about a place she knows.

So…this is kinda a ~ funny story ~

Thank you @berkleypub for my #gifted copy!

Daphne is getting ready to get married when her fiancé Peter leaves her for his best friend Petra. Eager to move out and move on with her life, Daphne does the only thing she can think of - she moves in with Petra’s ex Miles. The two avoid each other until one day they realize that maybe being friends isn’t such a bad idea. I wonder what could happen next 🙃

I have to say this one fell a bit flat for me. After Emily’s past few books, this one just didn’t live up to my expectations. I loved the banter between Daphne and Miles and I LOVED the setting. However, I struggled to get truly invested in their story.

I like Daphne’s growth was the saving grace of this book for me. Emily is so good at character development and this book is no exception. I think a lot of people are going to love this one, and I can’t wait for everyone to finally read it!

Out April 23!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

emily henry's writing has a certain charm that makes you excited to read her books and become invested in its characters. and while i enjoyed miles and daphne's story, some part of me was still waiting for it to "wow" me. this is probably my least favorite book from her.

don't get me wrong - it's still a very good book. the writing here feels a lot more playful and lighthearted compared to her other works which is surprising considering the predicament that miles and daphe find themselves in after their partners leave them for each other. part of that is due to their chemistry - its easy together, their banter develops naturally and its very obvious that they've grown on each other. again, a part of me just wanted more from it, from them, and to not have everything happen in the last 30% of the book. that being said, it did wrap up well and i was satisfied with the ending.

one thing i really enjoyed about funny story were daphne's platonic relationships. she really learns to stand on her own; she builds a community that supports her and makes her feel wanted and belonged. its very heartwarming and easily one of the best parts.

ill always recommend EH, her writing is great and her stories are easy to become attached to. there's something for everyone. thanks berkley romance for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I have loved all of Emily Henry’s books and being selected to receive this ARC through the Berkley Besties program felt like winning the lottery.

It was everything I hoped it would be! It is so impressive how she manages to tell so many love stories with distinctive, unique, and charming characters, settings and plots. She has her own voice but each book truly stands on its own.

Beach Read will always have my heart, but my second favorite is Book Lovers and I think this one is tied there. I loved the gorgeous setting with the close-knit small-town. I loved both Miles and Daphne (was this Frasier-coded? LOL the personas were not a match but the names made me laugh.)

The pace was perfect, the plot was compelling, the angst was at the perfect level to be interesting without being stressful. I loved this one!

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“The important thing, though, was that she was too happy with the life she’d built for herself to change it for anyone who didn’t set her world on fire.”

Daphne is devastated when he fiancee breaks up with her after his bachelor party to be with his best female friend that he has always told her not to worry about. Needing a place to live, she ends up moving in with his new girlfriend’s ex boyfriend. Now they both have a place to stay, and they can help each other through the betrayal of their ex’s. When they get a save the date to the wedding, Daphne maybe accidentally says that she and Miles are now dating…so pretend to date they must.

This is one of my favorite Emily Henry books! From page one I was furious at Peter and Petra! I loved how good of a guy Miles was, especially as their friendship grew, he was just such a caring wonderful guy. Another reviewer compared him to Nick Miller…and YES. That is it to a T! While I was a little wary of the foursome switching partners idea, I just loved this one so freaking much! As always, Emily Henry hit it out of the park!

This book felt like a reunion with an old friend. To be honest, I read Beach Read years ago and thought it was amazing. I really enjoyed People We Meet on Vacation, but then my feelings on the next EH books were a bit neutral - I enjoyed them, but didn't feel the need to gush. Funny Story took me back to my Beach Read feels. I loved everything about this book - from Daphne's wallowing and Miles's chill to Miles's tender heart toward Daphne and her unapologetic championing of him.

Emily Henry winds the press of old childhood wounds into the bruises of adulthood and allows them space to heal. While reading Funny Story I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more. I love the way EH marries humor and heartache (really - is there any other way to navigate it!?) and makes the characters' plights that much more relatable.

Funny Story reignited my Emily Henry love (and inspired me to dig out my copy of Beach Read to enjoy again).
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have read Funny Story by Emily Henry—so let’s talk about it!
First of all, five stars. I don’t think anything Emily Henry writes could be under five stars for me. However, this is not my favorite of her books. I’m not sure it’s even in my top 3, and I’ll get to it’s short comings in a minute, but first—I need you to know that I laughed out loud so many times during this book. Like I was reading it in the student union between classes and laughed so hard I had people shooting me funny looks. The banter had me cackling and kicking my feet, but the narration itself was pure Emily Henry wit and I was completely obsessed with Daphne’s narration.

Characters are Henry’s forte. Both Daphne and Miles felt as if they were moments from crawling off the page. They were fully formed, raw and earnest in their portrayal. They’re both dealing with the effects of childhood familial trauma, and while there were similarities, both characters experiences were distinct. I loved watching them grow, and I love the way that they do so in a real, imperfect way. They stumble, they fuck up, they’re human. Miles and Daphne are far from perfect, and that is what makes them so compelling. It is easy to see yourself in them, your own pain, your own failures, and that makes them easy to love and root for.
Alongside Miles and Daphne, we get supporting characters that feel no less developed than the main couple. Ashleigh and Julia have my entire heart, and they, too, feel so real that it’s almost hard to believe that Emily Henry created them. Both of them had their own, defined and compelling character arcs, distinct voices, and back stories. I have read so many books with protagonists less developed than Ashleigh and Julia. I don’t know how Emily Henry does it. I am simply in awe of her.

The place where this book suffered, for me, was pacing. From 60-85% or so, the plot dragged a bit. There were interesting and even important developments happened, but it was lacking an urgency. I was, at times, a little bored. Unlike Emily Henry’s previous books, I found myself setting it down several times to return to it later as opposed to being so absorbed in the book that I couldn’t bear to stop reading. However, I do think there’s a good chance that some of that gets tightened up in the final draft, and the majority of the book was strong and had me completely absorbed.

I can’t wait until this book is in everyone’s hands—I think it will be a new favorite for many. I am also really looking forward to rereading this book once the finished copy is available. No one does romance like Emily Henry. She is a master of the genre, and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next year!

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This written review will go live on GoodReads, StoryGraph, and BookBub 2 weeks prior to publication. On the same day, a TikTok review will also go live. I will link those posts here on that date.

This was my first Emily Henry book and I'm so glad to say that it will not be my last! Emily Henry is a new auto buy author for me, as her writing style and the witty banter between the characters is exactly what I like to read. I love a book that can both make me laugh and also make me tear up from the emotional situations the characters are going through. Emily did that for me. I loved the relationship between Daphne and Miles. Miles dry humor was so funny and probably of all the characters he was my favorite. I also really enjoyed that our main character Daphne was a reader. Whenever a book has a main character that is a reader always brings the story up a notch for me.
I cannot say there was anything about this book that I did not like. It made me laugh and emotional. I felt like I really knew the characters and was experiencing everything right along with them. Can't wait to start working my way through Emily Henry's backlist!

Emily Henry is an absolute magician. I was hesitant on the premise of this one and nervous if I would like it or not - but she made me love it because she made me LOVE the characters.

This is a story of messy, regular people with messy, regular lives, who find their way together after heartbreak.

I truly enjoyed this one just as much as Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, two of my favorites from this author. As always, the top notch banter + chemistry + characters created made for an entertaining and emotion-provoking story.

Perfect for you if you like:
Opposites attract
Forced proximity
Strangers-ish to friends to lovers
He’s the Sunshine
Fake dating
Excellent banter + witty dialogue
Bingeworthy reads

Another charmer from Emily Henry. I’m usually not a huge romance fan but this has enough, heart, banter and lovely characters that I enjoyed it from start to finish. This is probably a fave up there with people we meet on vacation.
This should be another hit and I’m sure Henry fans will rejoice.

Gosh, I just loved this book. Absolutely did not want it to end. It's filled with the witty banter, colorful characters, and distinct sense of place one comes to expect from an Emily Henry book. Playful romance tropes-- fake dating, friends to lover, and they were roommates!-- are nicely layered over a thoughtful exploration of the way our perceptions can differ from reality. As the heroine finds herself and finds love, she is forced to challenge her perceptions of herself, her perceptions of others, and her perceptions about the situations she finds herself in. Several of the supporting characters are called upon to take a similar journey of internal growth, making for a thoroughly satisfying character-driven reading experience.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc!

LOVED IT. Emily Henry has done it again! Henry has such a beautiful way of taking the romance genre and adding such life into her characters and the struggles that they face. Within about five pages, I saw myself in Daphne, wanting something so badly that you're just completely blind to everything going on around you that you don't even notice its going downhill. "You are sunshine" add it to the list of things male Emily Henry characters have said that belong in the hall of fame of romance. This book is definitely one of those "you can hear it in the silence" type of romance books. Henry does an incredible job of adding humor into situations where it's not necessarily a funny scene but to the characters experiencing the worst moments of their lives it makes the situation funny. "It's kind of a funny story" being a written line towards the end of the book honestly made me giggle because this book really is a great representation of when someone asks "how did you guys meet?" and the response is well... kind of a funny story"

Daphne, a 33 year-old children's librarian, is counting down the days until she can escape the town she moved to for her ex-fiance. It's a little awkward when you don't know that many people and your fiance left you for his childhood best friend, Petra. Let's not talk about how she's currently living Petra's ex. Actually, let's do talk about it. This fake dating and forced proximity trope of a romance is pure Emily Henry; written for people who love books and what it means to be human. If you're already a Henry fan, you won't be disappointed. If you're new, welcome and enjoy the queen of contemporary romance. Please be aware that there is a slight trigger warning: if you're sensitive to narcissism or family trauma, tread carefully.

How do I even begin. This was so amazing!
Emily Henry has done it again. A fun set of characters with terrific banter, a setting worthy of planning my future vacations, and enough emotion to warrant me crying (multiple times). What more could you want?

Daphne’s ex fiancé has uprooted her life in the worst way, by getting together with his childhood best friend and leaving Daphne alone and essentially homeless. When she decides to move in with her ex’s new gf’s ex-boyfriend Miles, she “accidentally” tells her own ex that they are now dating. What could go wrong, and what could go right?

Miles Nowak was the star of the show for me. His quirky personality, and easy to love persona makes him the perfect person to show Daphne around this tiny town that she feels like a stranger in. And not to mention, he is “diabolically handsome”. Miles was seriously written for me like I cannot stress enough how much this man is FOR ME. Everything about him that may make him hard to love, also makes him so EASY to love, and boy did I love him so bad. I will be thinking about him forever. And as Daphne puts it best “it makes being around you feel like standing in sunlight”. And I stand by that!

I found that this cast of characters was so lovable and so enjoyable to follow along with. As per usual, Henry’s characters are masters of the giggle-worthy banter that is prominent throughout this story. Daphne was so amazing, watching her find her feet was so emotional, and I loved it! I so badly wanted her to realize she could stand on her own, and her journey in this book was so sweet. It feels relatable in so many ways, that when we are lost or feel stuck, there is always time to start again and trust that we have the strength to do so. I love that.

As always, I will be recommending this to all and I can’t wait for everyone to read and enjoy! I found this was an amazing follow up to Happy Place, a bit more lighthearted but still heart-wrenching in the warmest ways. The easiest 5 stars.

Oh, the way I was swooning and absolutely loving Miles Nowak. Another hit from Emily Henry--and one with a ton of humor throughout and not as much heartbreak. Henry always nails the lead up to the romance with her fully fleshed-out characters and interesting plots. and this was no exception.

Emily Henry does it again y’all!! This was up there with Beach Read for me, and I am finding it hard to decide if I love Daphne or January more… BUT I admired Daphne for her headstrong attitude toward Peter, and every other aspect of her life she wanted to face head on. Miles is sunshine as a person, and is the most precious man and needs to be protected at all costs!!! He was so understanding and patient with Daphne and gave her the sweetest and supportive friendship. Daphne believed in him and the urge to protect him at all costs filled my heart all the way up. A 100% 5 star read. Thank you to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the ARC!

Emily Henry just keeps getting better and better! “Funny Story” is tied for my fave book of hers; it was everything I could’ve wanted and more. I will be hand-selling this to anybody who listens.