After growing up moving from place to place, Daphne starts to feel at home with her fiancé Peter in his hometown of Waning Bay, Michigan. The morning after his bachelor party, he dumps her for his childhood best friend, Petra. With no friends or family in town and little savings, Daphne’s only option is to temporarily move in with Petra’s ex, Miles. Daphne loves her job as a children’s librarian but plans to relocate in a few months once the library’s highly anticipated read-a-thon is over. In those few months, Daphne and Miles fake date to make their ex’s jealous, Miles shows Daphne the beauty of Waning Bay, and she finds herself making new friends along the way.

This might be my favorite Emily Henry book yet! It has everything we adore from her previous books all wrapped into one—a cozy small town, fake dating, forced proximity, friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, book (library) love, and found family. Both the main and wide cast of side characters are lovably imperfect and the banter is hilarious. On a deeper note, Henry tenderly and realistically explores female friendships, self-discovery, and complicated family dynamics. This book is fun, sexy, and incredibly heartwarming.

I have looked forward to this book for so long, and it did not disappoint. As a librarian, I could totally relate to her job and the need to be perfect. The romance was sweet and I cheered at the end.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC copy of Funny Story by Emily Henry in exchange for an honest review.

As a librarian, Daphne was always a lover of stories and how they were told. The one she loved best was how her fiance, Peter, told their tale of meeting and falling in love. He enjoyed telling it and she loved hearing it... well, until the plot changed when he confessed his love for his childhood best friend and ran off into the sunset with her. Desperate for a new chapter to her story, Daphne finds an unlikely acquaintance in her new roommate, Miles. They have the unfortunate honor of sharing exes. His ex being her ex's childhood best friend and new found love. When Miles and Daphne unexpectedly receive invitations to Peter and Petra's upcoming wedding, they fumble up an plan to be each others plus one. Nothing could go wrong with fake dating your roommate... right?


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Everything Emily Henry touches is gold. I mean, it's ridiclous and I devour it. This book, while not my favorite of hers, is still a top contender for me when compared to other romance authors. Forced proximity? Check. Relationship of convenience? Check. Hot unconventional MMC? Check. I really did like Miles and Daphne. I love when characters are not buttoned up or something that fits in a sellable Lifetime movie. They're edgy and relateable. Miles being mopey and wallowing in sad love songs and romance movies? 1000% would be my husband if we broke up. Daphne having a negligent parent relationship? Common ground. I also love that the author adds depth to characters by giving them issues to deal with outside of the relationship (Miles with his parents and Julia, Daphne with her parents and Ashleigh). It makes the story about the romance, but keeps you around for everything else going on.

I would read Emily Henry's grocery list with fervor. I cannot wait for what she has in store next!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free copy of Funny Story by Emily Henry (April 23, 2024) - below is my honest review!

Emily Henry knitted everything I loved about her last 4 books into one. The hijinks and friends-to-lovers from People We Meet on Vacation, forced proximity of Beach Read, small town and complex families of Book Lovers, heartbreak and melancholy of Happy Place. With Funny Story, we get it all!

Daphne moved around her whole life until she met her fiancé, Peter. Now settled in Peter's hometown of Waning Bay, Michigan, she loves her job as a children's librarian and is planning a read-a-thon in a few months. On the night of his bachelor party, Peter announces he is in love with his best friend Petra, the wedding is off, and Daphne has a week to leave the house. Miles, Petra's boyfriend, is as shocked as Daphne. Counting down the days to put this town behind her, Daphne is Miles's temporary roommate. When, in a drunken haze, they RSVP yes to Peter and Petra's wedding, they set off a chaotic series of events, resulting in Miles becoming Daphne's fake boyfriend. Miles is a good guy who is a little odd but universally adored and doesn't think Daphne should pack up and leave a job she loves just because Peter is a dick. He has until the read-a-thon to convince Daphne to see the beauty of Waning Bay. As Daphne begins to make friends of her own, she wonders what it would be like to finally put down roots.

This book has humor, whacky characters, big emotions, and personal growth. Waning Bay is a magical town of small businesses, farmers' markets, quirky bars, and quiet beaches. Miles and Daphne have a lot of baggage from their parents. He always tries to appear happy, and she never expects others to follow through. They grow to become friends and share raw emotions while grappling with attraction, not wanting to jeopardize a friendship that is important to them both. I could go on and on about this book. I loved it.

FUNNY STORY by @emilyhenrywrites 📣 4/23/24
❤️ romance • 🌟 5 stars • 📱 ebook
•
A BIT LIKE 🍒
🌅 sitting on the beach at sunset
📀 a classic 2010s rom com
🌊 BEACH READ & EVERY SUMMER AFTER
•
FAVORITE BITS ✨
🧔🏻 MILES MILES MILES (obsessed!!!! disheveled king!)
🗣️ EH’s BANTER WILL ALWAYS BE ELITE!
🏡 the small town vibes!
🌱 I wasn’t totally sure about the FMC Daphne at first, but her personal growth ended up being a HIGHLIGHT!
•
BITS TO BEWARE 💔
👩🏻 the FMC isn’t for everyone, but stick with her!
🤥 cheating is the entire premise
•
BOOKISH THEMES & TROPES 📚
🫂 forced proximity
🥸 fake dating
🧲 opposites attract
🌊 Lake Michigan!
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family dynamics
👯‍♀️ female friendship
💔 heartbreak & healing
•
IN MY BOOK 📖 this is a new TOP ROM COM! the fake dating! the small lake town summer vibes! the growth! THE BANTER!! MILES!! you’ll laugh, cry, gasp & fall in love. Add this to your spring TBR ASAP!

It’s strange that in every Emily Henry’s book I read, I always tend to find something relatable (except in happy place, I don’t think I could ever trade working in the hospital with pottery) I love the fact that there’s always something I could relate to, something or someone I could see myself in. Reading her books for me is the same as feeling seen and being understood. I loved the way I felt while reading this. No surprise that this is my first five star of the year.

The first two chapters and the messy situation got me slightly worried, but in EH I blindly trust. Miles is the best!! I can’t believe I doubt him for like two seconds. He’s so charming, so sweet, so caring, so naturally easy going, and he got me smiling and blushing like a fool the whole time. He’s just so good!!! He has set my expectations up so high. I really loved Daphne as well, I related to her and I just wanted to give her a warm hug. She said and though if a lot of things that got me feeling like yeah, same girl. Same.

I really really loved their relationship. It was just so fun, so sweet, so adorable, so steamy, and so charming and warm. I loved their adventures. That FIRST FAKE NOT SO FAKE KISS. Their chilling talks! I loved how they were both aware of the situation they were in. How they started moping then decided to be bitter about it and in the end they just moved on and found comfort in each other. I loved Daphne’s new friendship with Ashleigh and how she found a place to belong in the town. Her and Miles romance just totally stole the show for me. I’d give love a try if it’s gonna be with a man like Miles

4.25/5
First of all, can I say how much I loved the very accurate librarian representation?? This is, among other things, a love letter to libraries, which I obviously ate up. Daphne is a very relatable character for me. I'm so here for seeing introverted characters get their heroine moments. Miles is a golden retriever boy who honestly reminds me a bit of my husband, so of course I loved him too.

Daphne and Miles move in when they are both dumped, Daphne by her fiancé Peter and Miles by his longtime girlfriend Petra, who just happens to have been Peter's childhood best friend. Daphne is left homeless and so Peter convinces her to move into his apartment so they can live together in misery. Being that this is Emily Henry, this is a lot more than just a roommates-to-friends-to-lovers story. Both Daphne and Miles have some childhood trauma and family issues to work out before they can make it to their HEA and if you're a cryer like me, you will definitely get misty-eyed a few times before the end. There are so many lovable characters, relatable moments, and that blend of humorous, heartwarming, and heartbreaking writing that we've come to expect from Emily Henry. Not my favorite book of hers, but certainly not my least favorite! (And now I really need some chai.)

I love love love Emily Henry and I will read everything she writes, but I will say something about this one fell a little bit flat for me. Beach Read meets New Girl in this one with nothing else much to offer aside from that. Will I still be buying every special edition and gushing about Miles/Nick Miller? Absolutely.

Emily Henry hit all of the emotions with this one.
I knew she could write a rom-com in her sleep but I was wildly unprepared for the raw emotions that the two lead charachters ,Daphne and Miles , could elicit from me. They eventually unwrap hurts and hang-ups about themselves that struck a major cord with me, helping me to empathize and relate to their story on a meaningful level.
Sure,there are wonderful, kind of satirically tragic moments that elicit laughs but my main take away is the character growth in Daphne and Miles. These two people, thrown together due to the selfishness of others , find love from hurt and wholeness through the breaking.
I found myself very emotional while reading this book.
Emily Henry is one heck of an author, able to pull,humor and pain from characters in a magical way.
Already looking forward to her next publication!

Special thanks to Berkley and Netgalley!

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!