EMILY!!! 🥲🥲🥲 Daphne and Miles are so sweet. The longing, happiness, and understanding here was palpable (so was the 🌶️🌶️🌶️, lol). I also loved the found family aspect of this one. Wholesome, real, and always magical, as all of EmHen’s books are.

Emily Henry does it again. I loved this book so much! Her characters are flawed and complex and that's what I love about them.

And FUNNY STORY was the perfect book to start the year with. This novel felt like a love letter to libraries, those sacred quiet places. A love letter to the distinctive smell of books. A love letter to all the girls like me, raised by superhero single moms, struggling with our daddy issues (ones we thought we had kicked and that this book kindly reminds us that no, we most definitely have not, so better grab some tissues babes!) A book for people who understand loneliness, who understand feeling like they’re not good enough. A book for those who have been made to feel unlovable due to the actions of others, the ways our loved ones show up for us, or don’t.

I loved the FMC Daphne & related to her more than I’ve related to any other EmHen character. I loved Miles, the MMC…and yeah…I think I finally understand why people have book boyfriends after meeting him. 😮‍💨

This one is out 4/23/24, and not a moment too soon. I can’t wait to gush about it with more people!! 💙

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the chance to read this one early!!

There is no doubt that Emily Henry is a fantastic writer. The story and setting are so easy to fall into that despite giving this a 3 star read, I spent 1 whole night (like evening up until 2AM) reading this and could not put it down. But the characters themselves and the plot just did not sit right with me.

Daphne’s schtick is that she made her ex-fiance her entire life, like she did not have a life outside of her fiancé and what he wanted. And I don’t fault her for that and I’m happy she could reflect on her relationship and see where she’d like to make changes for the future - go her! BUT the plot of Funny Story follows Daphne falling head first into her next relationship with Miles. The entire book is building up to something that happens very, very late into the book, to the point where it’s almost TOO late. (**SPOILER AHEAD STOP READING !!!** Daphne FINALLY comes to her senses about how her actions are literally going against everything she stands for in her journey to self discovery or whatever.) But then once you get to the turning point, it’s almost SO cheesy and there’s almost no real resolution that the “big breakthrough” moment feels like a moot point because of how the story ended and the epilogue.

I loved all the great attributes of Miles but there’s a lot to be said about these two characters supposedly being over 30 years old. Are we sure? Are we SURE.

The side characters are of course a great, hilarious addition (Julia is a breath of fresh air in this book) but they’re very one dimensional. Ashleigh was a good friend for Daphne, but for all the hoopla Daphne made about wanting to go after her own desires and build her own life, she literally makes ONE friend at work and then befriends her kind-of-boyfriend’s sister as her ONE other friend and then that’s her life?? She feels like she doesn’t need to do any more work to build a separation between her and Miles after everything that went down with Peter? The way the last 20% were constructed made me feel like I wasn’t allowed to make any of my own conclusions, like Daphne was driving this car and all of a sudden we were at the epilogue and things were seemingly very sunshine-happy-ending even though I felt like there was still SO much more to unpack.

This is all to say. Emily Henry, your writing is good and Happy Place forever changed me as a person. But Funny Story was a miss for me and I’m giving this a 3 rather than a 2 because it was at least entertaining. But for basically the entirety of the book I felt myself asking, “Daphne, literally what are you doing.”

This was so Nick Miller.
Emily Henry does it again with FUNNY STORY. I think this reminded me most of Beach Read. Henry never fails to write a perfect love letter to Michigan, weaving in the landscape and incredible views and benefits of life in the mitten, which is why I love her writing.
Daphne and Mile's exes get together and they plot to fake date to show up at their wedding. Messy, chaotic Miles supports Daphne in her story time at the library, and shows her around Michigan to make her see the beauty and stay, instead of running away from her ex.
I can never get enough of Henry's ability to write perfectly imperfect characters. I FELT it in my soul when Daphne realized that she was always part of an "us" and was not typically alone. I FELT it when Ashleigh talked about not having many friends, and all of the work that they both had to put in to become close friends. Daphne and Miles's romance was fun, messy, imperfect, and I loved every minute of it. An incredible read from Henry.

Thank you so much Berkley and Berkley romance for the ARC! Pub date 4/23
My favorite Emily Henry book to date by far!! This is the fake dating plot I never knew I needed, about Daphne who moves in with Miles whenever their exes decide they’re better off with each other. Despite the wild plot, the characters were so tender & reflective that the story felt so relatable. The book is written from Daphne’s POV and I couldn’t get enough of her inner dialogue. Even more than the spicy pining, I fell in love with her character growth. The setting was another favorite part of this book for me, it sent me right back to summers in Northern Michigan with sweet cherries, beautiful sand dunes, and the best lake days in all of history. I want to hug this story and read it over and over again. There were so many characters to fall in love with & sub plots to adore.

“There’s so much space between who I am and who I want to be, and there is no one to show me how to get there.”



What is there to do when your fiancé decides he is in love with his childhood best friend at his bachelor party? While watching Bridget Jones’ Diary on repeat is one fantastic option, it does not change the reality that Daphne’s world was intertwined with her ex after she moved to a brand new city to start a life with him. What’s worse, the only place for Daphne to go is to move into the spare room of Mile’s apartment, the man Daphne’s ex’s new fiancé kicked to the curb.
Funny Story continues Henry’s foray into the reality of mature and complex relationships, this time analyzing the reality that some relationships are sustained not because they are healthy but because of the ideals and beliefs gained from childhood trauma. And through heartbreak comes the removal of the rose-colored glasses to see those relationships for what they really were, not for the possibility of what they could be.
Funny Story begins as a friends-to-lovers/fake dating trope but blossoms into a story of a woman finding her way in life after a separation that sent her reeling. A rumination of the relationships that help sustain us after a breakup: friendships, romantic, parental (both good and bad), a city, and by the end, the relationship with oneself. But with the focus on a romance that begins as friends, there is no pretense, no pretending to be what the other wants.
While I loved how sweet and caring Miles is and getting to understand why he is as positive and purposefully kind as he is, Daphne is the one who stole the show. Daphne became my favorite of Henry’s leads not just because of how funny and biting her humor is (I was cackling at the Golden Girls and Phish references) but because of her humanity. She is not just a lead that things happen to, but one that makes mistakes and can own up to them. Daphne shows the strenuous growth one catapult into after being left while still planning for the future.

I enjoyed this one the most of hers that I've read. This will definitely be as popular as her previous books.

Daphne, a children’s librarian, recently moved to a small town in Michigan with her fiancé, Peter, to be close to his family. Everything is going great until Peter’s bachelorette when he decides that he’s actually in love with his childhood best friend, Petra. Since the house is in Peter’s name, Daphne has no where to go and knows very few people. Enter Miles, Petra’s ex-boyfriend who was also slighted by the Peter/Petra love affair. Miles allows Daphne to come share his apartment while she figures things out and they spend time together commiserating their losses.

Another can’t put down book by Emily Henry. Funny Story might just be her best book yet (up there with Book Lovers for sure)!

A fun summer read that truly was a funny story but also had a lot of heart!

At first, the way in which Miles and Daphne meet isn't quite so funny and more so is....devastating. After trying to salvage their lives after their exes run off together, these two don't have much in common but after a drunken night and some fun being had, this funny story feels a bit like fate for them both!

What a fun premise! I immediately enjoyed this read.
- The funny story of how they meet is HYSTERICAL! Obviously sad but truly like life is crazy. I enjoyed how opposite and distant they were initially. I could really buy into this new reality for both of them and loved how we eventually got to know them in the same way they got to know each other.
- The characters felt grounded and honest. I feel like I knew Miles and Daphne and could easily meet them out and about around town. Their traumas and insecurities felt relatable and just plain real. I empathized with them as individuals and loved their growth over time.
- The romance and smut was HOT. I wasn't expecting these two to have such GREAT chemistry given the circumstances but they were all in and so was I!
- I really enjoyed the use of the side characters, I'm happy Daphne found a real friend in Ashleigh. Julia really forced Miles to come to terms with his traumas and perceptions. And dosh, Petra and Peter - what a duo! I mean from start to finish, they give our MCs a run for their money!

Why isn't this a 5 star book for me?
I found the middle to DRAG! An initially fun and funny beginning led to a lot of slower and mundane happenings that showed their growth but also just kind of didn't show much at all. It took me out of the read and I felt like I was waiting for the next big conflict or external obstacles, which didn't come until the very end of the book. Wish we could've seen more action/change/revolt for the characters than we did.

Overall, I have no doubt others will love this read by this loved author!

My Emily Henry rankings are now as followed:
1. Happy Place (tie)
2. Beach Read (tie)
3. Funny Story
4. Book Lovers
5. People We Meet on Vacation

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book had me from the moment I read page one. I thought it was going to become a fake dating book with a revenge scene at the ex's wedding that ends in disaster but I was proven wrong and I'm happy about it. Everything about the characters' struggles to their emotional hang ups just felt grounded and natural. I love how Henry is able to find the core of all her characters and all of their misunderstandings feel logical and not just for the sake of plot. They feel like real people with real thoughts and logic and it's why I kept coming back for more. The romance between Miles and Daphne had me squealing the whole time.

I also really appreciated that even though it was a small mention, Miles having dyslexia and audiobooks still counting as reading was pointed out in the book. People can get gatekeepy on what counts as reading but the stories and community that comes with reading is emphasized the most. Daphne being a legit book lover and wanting to share her love of books with her community just resonated with me so much as I am a bookseller with the same enthusiasm about books especially giving reccomendations to others.

Overall, I'm very sure people who love romances with a bit of revenge will have a blast with this book especially those who can identify with having issues with their parents and struggling to find community as an adult.

I. AM. OBSESSED.

I'm going to try my best to put into words how I'm feeling because holy crap was this book amazing. I was hooked from the very start and genuinely didn't know whether to fly through this or take my time and savor it.

~ When Daphne's fiance breaks up with her for his best friend, giving her only a week to move out of their home, she has no choice but to move in with the man who is going through the same thing as her. With their exes so happy and in love so soon after their breakups while they're still nursing their wounds, fake dating seems like the best answer to show how better off they are without them. ~

The chemistry between Miles and Daphne is so explosive. I love how mature they were with their feelings especially so close to the breakups. The whole time I was screaming for them to get together but I love how things worked out for them, it was so much more enjoyable and angsty. IYKYK.

The friendships in this book though.. my heart was melting. I can't say it enough, the maturity of everyone in this book was so refreshing. I literally loved every single second of this. I already wish I could read it again for the first time.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.*

I finished the ARC (thank you endlessly, NetGalley!) only a few moments ago, so this review is going to be heavily skewed via the "oh my god, I just power read this book and I already want to start it over" emotion. The thing about Emily Henry is that she has this ability to make it seem like she's writing just for you -- at least that's what I feel like. Each female main character she writes holds a little piece of me inside and when reading their respective books I can relate to, love, cringe, etc. each of them in different ways. Daphne is different. Daphne is entirely and wholly me. Yes, even down to being a children's librarian.

Personal feelings aside, this checks all of the usual Emily Henry boxes; banter, chemistry, female friendships, found families. All of those, per usual, were top notch. I won't lie, this book at times made me audibly laugh, gasp, and even giggle, of all things, and that doesn't happen often! Miles was a refreshing and charming love interest that (shock!) was able to communicate his feelings, and his love language was, without a doubt, physical touch. Daphne is adorably relatable, aside from not being a coffee drinker, and perhaps my favorite thing about her was how easily and often she was able to throw in pop culture/book references into conversation/narration. It's VERY Lorelai Gilmore coded and I greedily ate up every bit of it.

Funny Story has all of the tried and true hallmarks of a romance, but it's so much more. I could wax poetic for paragraphs about how Emily Henry writes dialogue, how she is able to transport you to Lake Michigan so clearly that you almost have to squint away the bright reflection of the sun on the surface of the water, how you are able to read a page over and over again and glean different things from it each time. But I'll leave it at this; I treated this book like it was a piece of hard candy, savoring it as much as possible, enjoying the flavor little by little so it wouldn't end and that maybe, just maybe, if I read it slower, I'd finish it without feeling the all too familiar sting of leaving a great story, world, and friendship behind.

I cannot wait for the rest of the world to read Funny Story so that I can obsess over EH's characters and storylines alongside them.

This was my first Emily Henry book that I have ever read— I cannot wait to go back and read the other ones. This was a wonderful,book and so unlike the non stop thrillers and mysteries I read. I absolutely adored it!

Every year I think "this is the best one yet!" and every year, Emily Henry surpasses all expectations. A truly heartfelt story about finding love after heartbreak, not just with another partner but with yourself.

Emily Henry always reminds us that friendships are just as important as romantic loves, and nothing makes your life truly picture perfect like loving the people you surround yourself with.

She always makes me want to pack up and move to a small town in Michigan, but the cast of Wanning Bay might have really sold it this time. BRB looking up library jobs...

As a die-hard Emily Henry stan, it pained me to not absolutely adore this book the way I’ve loved her other adult romances.

The first half of this book was glorious. I wouldn’t be shocked to find out that this was inspired by Jess and Nick from New Girl; I loved the opposites attract chemistry between buttoned up librarian Daphne and stoner/bartender Miles. However, the back half failed to live up to the awesome setup. Steamy scenes are cut off by trauma dumps, messy family drama continually arrives on their doorstep (literally) to prevent the couple from having any alone time together, and the third act breakup/miscommunication was genuinely awful and didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. The resolution of the story seemed less about the romance and more about healing past traumas and hurts involving other people. While certainly not a bad book, this one just didn’t work for me the way the rest of her romances have.

I would say this is another Emily Henry classic and who loved Beach Read will definately love this one because they have a very much similar feel (I did go and reread it straight after finishing Funny Story).
I loved the character work in this story and I was particulary (and pleasantly) surprised with Miles. I have always thought that her male characater tend blend a little bit together and I was surprised to see how she fleshed out Miles. It reminded me a lot of what she did with Gus in Beach Read.
She is gently shifting more and more towards woman fiction's with strong romantic elements and to be quite honest I don't mind it at all because I love to read the journeys her fmc go through. Daphne's journey in particular had some aspects that hit very close to home. I always find something of myself in her heroines so that's why I love her books so much, she has a way with words!

The ever brilliant Emily Henry paints the most picturesque Michigan summer setting in her newest story. From the sunny hot shores of Lake Michigan to the mouthwatering cherries to the hot and mouthwatering Miles and Daphne, Funny Story hits all the feels. Yet another knockout best seller 5 star no notes.

First of all, I would like to thank Berkley for the opportunity to read Funny Story by Emily Henry.

my rating for this book is 3.75⭐️

I really liked this book, and of course, as always, Emily Henry's writing is amazing.
I loved Miles, I think he is my favorite male main character from Emily.

However, I really didn't like the female main character much. In the end, though, I really liked her at the start of the book, but I think that it just went downhill from the 60% mark and after. She just said and did things that I didn't like, and that's really a me problem.

The story was good, I just wish that some of the tropes in this book were, I guess, heavier than they were. I feel like we didn't get much of the "Fake Dating."

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would, which makes me sad. But I still enjoyed it. And I loved Miles, he is such a sweetheart and incredible. Also, the side characters in this book were amazing!! I am in love in Ashleigh 🤩🤩❤️

Had so much fun with this one and I loved Emily Henry’s spin on the fake dating trope!

I think I enjoyed the first half a bit more because of the possibility of where I thought the trope was going to go, which was unfortunately not in the cards, but for a reason I could come to terms with! I will say I don’t think Daphne and Miles were mad enough at their exes for me lol. I noticed I didn’t highlight this book as much as her other ones either which took me by surprise, but the story overall was really captivating and easy to binge.

I did enjoy seeing the flaws in each of these characters, especially sweet baby Miles. He’s so charming in such a disheveled, puppy way. I found myself really wanting to just kiss his cheeks!! My sweet angel Daphne. Loved the route she took at the end of the book and I’m glad she was able to create a life of her own!

As a girly from Michigan I’m so glad Emily is highlighting the beauty of this forgotten state! Now I need her to do a signing here so I can embarrass myself by crying in front of her!