I don’t think any other Emily Henry book will ever knock “Book Lovers” off its throne as my favorite but “Funny Story” came VERY close. It’s probably 1A. The writing and the pacing was perfect as always. Our main character, Daphne, is the type of FMC that you can relate to. She was real, she was full of emotion and her character development from start to finish, inspired me in the best way possible. Miles is as charming and adorable as you would expect from Ms. Henry. “Funny Story” is one of the best strangers to lovers stories I’ve ever read. I truly believed Miles and Daphne’s trajectory from two separate heartbroken people to a unit that seemed destined to end up together. I love how despite seeming like complete opposites, they had so much in common and they complemented each other. They also had great chemistry and their slow burn was perfect! Her trademark banter is in full force and the steam is steamy. I loved all the side characters. As a librarian, I appreciate the anecdotes thrown in about library patrons. Daphne and Miles are well-dimensioned and realistic characters and I adored their trajectory in this novel. I think the magic of EH novels are that she envelops romance with themes of personal growth and connection with friends and family that feel so intimate and relatable. I loved that this one was about learning to love yourself and have a full life outside of a romantic relationship. I think that this would make such a good film adaptation. If you are already a fan of Emily Henry, don't miss out on this one; if you haven't read any Emily Henry yet, this is a great one to start with, although you can't go wrong with any of them! Thanks to Emily Henry, Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I absolutely CANNOT wait for Emily’s next book!

it was such a fun read! emily henry's books are always a joy to read because of her signature wit and banter. i still love book lovers and happy place much more. i wish this book had a bit more introspection and a bit of a better pacing re: the chemistry between miles and daphne. but so happy i got to read this! and so excited to have a paper copy in my hands!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an egalley of Funny Story. Funny Story is an adorable romantic comedy from Emily Henry. If you loved her other titles you will love Funny Story. I couldn’t put the book down because I was enjoying it so much. My library will definitely be purchasing a book, large type, audio, and e copies of this book.

Emily Henry never misses.

Oh goodness, I'm all happy tears here. I don't know how Emily does it, but every single book is an easy five stars, and that's rare for me. This one is no exception. Everything from the writing (gorgeous!) to the humor and banter (stellar) to the emotional arcs -- pretend I'm miming a chef's kiss.

From the opening, I couldn't put this book down. In short, Daphne is dumped before her wedding, Her fiance ran off with his childhood best friend Petra--- and Petra dumped Miles in doing so, to run off with Daphne's fiance. With nowhere to go, Daphne moves in with Miles. Watching them both heal both apart and together had my heart soaked with feels. I can't put into words how emotionally beautiful this book is. But it's also SO MUCH FUN, Come on -- fake dating to make your exes jealous? Oh, the satisfaction.

I can't say which of Emily's books is my favorite, but oh this book was a joy, and the biggest hug.

I have always been an Emily Henry fan. Her books have always felt so real and I have been able to relate to the characters lives and insecurities that are portrayed in the book. Funny Story is no different. This small town and is full funny characters. I loved the odd situation that got the two main characters together. Overall this book was excellent and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Funny story

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC!

I hope I never stop getting to read and fall in love with Emily Henry books. The magic she puts in these is UNREAL. Her writing is like comfort for me. I love love loved this. I haven’t laughed this much reading a book in awhile - it was indeed, a Funny Story. Buhdumchhhh. Anyhoo, the banter was in fact off the charts and not just Miles and Daphne but everyone! The wit was chef’s kiss. As was the romance as was the found family as was the character development, esp for Daphne, as was all of it! I felt so connected to this setting and these characters. I especially saw a lot of myself in Daphne and although that admittedly bothered me at first, it also made me love her. I am going to have to ponder where this falls in my ranking but hot dang - everyone get ready for April 23rd.

Just from the start, I immediately started laughing. I just love Daphne so much. She is more than what meets your eye. It’s definitely refreshing to read her story because it’s literally a few weeks after her breakup and she's still processing everything. It definitely stinks to be in her situation, and I just love it that she didn’t roll over when her ex-fiancé told her the news. She literally threw almonds at them. Too funny, yet too satisfying. That’s what they get.
I just love the messiness of these characters. It makes the read so relatable. You can totally understand their situation and pain, but yet, you cheer for them to keep moving. Life is always messy. And it’s something for Miles and Daphne.
I just wanted to hug Daphne and Miles so many times through the book. They each have baggage that they are both dealing with individually and together. It’s heartbreaking to read about their pain from childhood, but it gives us an opportunity to learn who they are and how they are maturing into their true selves. It’s not perfect or settled. And yet, it’s very realistic to learn who they are later on. That’s something Daphne relearns as she navigates her new chapter. Same as Miles as he learns to let Daphne in closer.
I don’t know how to express how much I love this book. It made me laugh so many times as well as cry so many times too. There was so much emotion between the two of them. I feel for them because they spent much of their time with the wrong person, and they are now dealing with the aftermath. It’s not fun or pleasant, but it gets easier for them as they spend more time together. They start to realize how much is missing from their lives. It makes them realize that it wasn’t meant to be with their former exes and deserves much more. And Daphne and Miles deserve each other.
What I love the most about Daphne and Miles is their slow-burn romance between them. Nothing was rushed between them. They were strangers at first, even though they were roommates. But they become so much more when they start to bond and learn more about each other. It’s such a beautiful thing. I love how organic and realistic their relationship was because they actually spend time with each other and share more than they usually do.

It really isn’t a funny story when her fiancé Peter, breaks up with Daphne after his bachelor party because he suddenly realizes that he DOES actually have feelings for his beautiful, (but only platonic) best friend, Petra and that he is marrying the wrong woman.

But, it is what it is.

Daphne has a week to pack up and move out of “their” home, in Waning Bay, Michigan-a place she moved to for Peter. With no family, and just a couple of acquaintances where she works as a children’s librarian, she has nowhere to go.

But there is one person who also suddenly needs another person to split the bills-Miles Nowak -who just happens to be her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex.

Got that?

They would appear to be complete opposites.

Daphne is buttoned up, and has trouble making small talk with strangers. Miles is a scruffy, tattooed guy in Crocs who serves wine at the local wine bar and has never met a stranger. And, they end up forming a tenuous friendship when Miles begins showing Daphne all his favorite places in their quaint lakeside town.

When each receives a wedding invitation in the mail, they agree to RSVP yes.

Peter calls Daphne and assures her that she really shouldn’t feel obligated to come alone. That’s when it slips out that she won’t be alone, because she’s dating Miles.

Except of course, that she isn’t-

But, Miles is game to play along.

Before you know it, he is seeing that underneath all of those buttons is a very funny woman. And, she is seeing that underneath all that “scruff” is a very warm and caring man.

Could Daphne actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex?

I loved meeting both Daphne and Miles-her best couple yet-and their chemistry is sizzling! 🌶️

FUNNY STORY is now my FAVORITE STORY by Emily Henry.

And, it’s available on April 23, 2024.

Thank you to Berkley for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

this was so witty and so thoughtful. emily henry knows how to write characters! everything about this book came to life: the environment, the conversations, the relationship dynamics. every depiction of food made me salivate; every mention of the ocean breeze filled my senses; every tender moment between loved ones made my heart flutter. i truly don’t know how she does it every time!

as a children’s department library employee, i felt very seen in daphne’s love for storytime and each kid that she interacts with. the small town library didn’t feel like a caricature of what it’s like to actually work in a library (unsurprisingly common in these kind of books). it was authentic right down to the tragic toilet incident at the read-a-thon.

as a friends-to-lovers hater, i feel wholly embarrassed. perhaps it was the added fake dating element that helped seal the deal, but i can say, without a doubt, that this trope finally worked for me. the romance and friendship ran so deep between daphne and miles that i really believed in it. also the uncanny circumstance that brought them together helped a lot. (ps- thank you emily henry for the croc-wearing love interest representation. it’s hard for us girlies who love croc men but worth every minute.)

thank you to netgalley and berkley publishing group for the earc! i very much appreciate it.

Emily Henry is one of my must read authors. I read everything that she publishes and have never been disappointed. This book has kept that trend going. I loved it and loved the characters.

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Emily Henry even though I “don’t read” romance. Somehow this non-romance reader has managed to work her way through just about her entire backlist in a year, so…

This novel is definitely my favorite by her and, I think, her best yet. It’s got all the same great features I’ve loved (terrific characters, a few steamy scenes, HEA ending) without the sometimes forced-feeling tropes. The tropes are still there, of course, but they felt a bit more natural in this book and the characters felt less like they were at the whims of those tropes. The characters felt a bit more REAL - and Daphne was an absolutely superb representation of a librarian, if I may say.

So what do you do when your fiancé, Peter, realizes that he’s in love with Petra, his childhood best friend, and gives you a week to move out? You move in with his new fiancé’s ex-boyfriend of course!

Daphne moves to Waning Bay, Michigan, not knowing a single soul, well except for her new roommate, Miles Nowak, natch. Her only real saving grace from this messy breakup is that she’s offered her dream job as a children’s librarian at the Waning Bay local library.

Daphne is as buttoned up and reserved as they come and is a bit of a loner. She grew up moving around a lot which made it difficult to make and retain friends. She’s a mystery to her coworkers but soon realizes that she doesn’t know who she is, herself.

Miles is the complete opposite of her. He’s chaotic, doesn’t appear to have his sh*t together, and has the natural ability to connect with anyone.

They mostly avoid each other until one day they form a friendship which leads to a little white lie: that they are dating and post incriminating photos on social media to prove it.

Miles offers to be Daphne’s personal tour guide to show her all the wonders and hidden gems in their small coastal town. They both realize that they enjoy each other’s company and their budding friendship starts to become more. Miles and Daphne try to fight off their attraction towards each other until one day it comes to a head.

Daphne, finding true happiness for once, can suddenly see herself making a life in Waning Bay. She has a fabulous job, friends, and a new potential love in Miles, who lets her be her true self. Daphne’s falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancé’s ex-boyfriend. What could go wrong?

OMG, how I loved this book. In true Emily Henry fashion, the book was funny, emotional (I bawled for like the last 30% of the book, and had such great, witty banter. The characters were quirky and flawed, yet beautifully crafted. I loved Daphne and Miles so much! Daphne was so real and relatable and Miles was an absolute cinnamon roll / golden retriever.

As with many of Emily’s books, FUNNY STORY includes a secondary story. I won’t spoil it for you, but I’ll just say that it involves a family member who’s not her mom.🙃 The book also included many themes as with her other books, like friendship, finding oneself, and the sense and importance of community. The book had such a Beach Read vibe, and I was here for it!

I know this review is not doing the book any justice but this is me telling you to read the damn book! I loved it so much and I think you will, too. It’s easily one of my top reads of the year. It deserves all the stars! 5⭐️

Thank you so much, @berkleypub and @berkleyromance, for the #gifted copy of FUNNY STORY!🥰

Henry once again brings her trademark insights about family drama and trauma into a story that's hard to put down. Really well done.

Daphne Vincent is a youth librarian and fresh off a breakup. Turns out her now ex-fiancé was actually in love with his female best friend (someone he swore Daphne need not worry about). Out of house and love, she's forced to move in with her ex-fiancés, current fiancés, ex boyfriend, the only other person in the world who could understand what she's currently going through. As the weeks go on, Miles, the ex boyfriend, and Daphne start a sort of friendship. And when they both receive invitations to their exes mutual wedding, they both drunkenly RSVP yes. Called out on it by her ex, Daphne slips in a tiny lie that her and Miles are actually dating. This little lie then spirals all summer as they keep bumping into their exes, and the pair have to keep faking being into each other, though after so long it stops being fake for both of them. Though after her heartbreak, Daphne doesn't have plans to stick around town long, she's only holding out for her libraries big Read-A-Thon, a program she spear headed, and then she'll set sail into her new life, wherever that may be. Through the summer, Daphne spends time with Miles, as she shows her all the good spots around town, to try and convince her to stay, and she also befriends the adult librarian she works with, Ashleigh, and the two quickly form a tight bond. Things can't stay perfect forever, when her dad comes for an impromptu visit and turns everything on it's head, Daphne finds herself loosing Miles and Ashleigh, and is stuck picking up the pieces.

This is Emily Henry's best book yet. And you can hold me to that. I felt myself cheesing the entire time I read this book and was SO happy with the ending we got. I personally hate when the third act breakup happens over miscommunication. And sure, there was definitely some miscommunication between Daphne and Miles, but I didn't feel like it was the same as every other story where the FMC intentionally keeps something a secret from the MMC, this is a true miscommunication, done by our MMC for once. Wow. Love to see it actually. And then we also have our friend third act breakup, which is new for me, and I also found quite refreshing. Daphne was a bad friend and forgot Ashleigh. And things were magically fixed with an apology. AND, I think most importantly, Daphne realized she screwed up and also recognized that Ashleigh didn't owe her anything for her fudge up. It felt honest and so wholesome to have a Main Character with integrity and that didn't behave like the world revolved around her. As a librarian too, man it was great to read a book where it actually feels like working in the library. Because yeah, I don't get to just checkout books to people, I do also have to answer weird questions and I have personally had the guy call in and ask for the love poem and then for you to spell every word (not exactly that, but so similar). Henry really did her research. And yeah it's probably just the librarian in me, but I cried during the Read-A-Thon scene where Maya is reading her book next to someone else. Literally just this week I had my own library kid come out of their shell, similar to Maya, and man did it hit home for me in the best way. So yeah, high praise from this librarian for writing a believable librarian character.

I could go on and on about this great book honestly. 10/10. I will recommend this to EVERYONE.

And to the person who said Miles in Nick Miller coded, you are SO right.

Emily Henry has done it again! This author's writing just pulls you in like no other...so full of depth and charm! And the banter between our main characters was so on point...it's got everything -- fake dating, roommates (forced proximity!!), friends-to-lovers...don't miss this one!

Probably my favorite Emily Henry book so far! Lovable characters, a wild story line that somehow works, just enough tension and spice, and the hilarious banter Henry is known for. We'll definitely be selling lots of copies of this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Forced Proximity
- Opposites Attract
- Bonding Over Shared Trauma
- Michigan Setting

Hmm yeah, this is easily my favorite Emily Henry book. Everyone needs their own Miles because he is the best MC I’ve read in a while.

This was such fun, funny, relatable and heartwarming story that also just hits you in the guts and gives you all the feels. Nothing felt rushed between Daphne and Miles - just two heartbroken messes commiserating with each other that turned into more. The way that they supported each other through their heartbreak and being able to move forward was handled so well.

Through the story, Daphne really found herself and what she wanted which honestly was the type of FMC that I needed to read right now.

For me, each book that Emily Henry puts out is more and more up my alley so I cannot wait to see what she decided to put out next!

Emily Henry writes the most satisfying romance novels. Her books have substance, romance, feeling and intrigue. While Funny Story follows a similar story line to all Emily Henry novels, her characters stand out and each hold their own. Henry writes characters that are flawed and real and we as the reader got to go through the motions alongside them. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Emily Henry continues to impress with another great rom-com that will be sure to delight readers. Daphne's planned and organized life is completely thrown when her fiancee leaves her for his (female) best friend the night after his bachelor party. Daphne is forced to move in with her ex-fiancees new girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. While counting the days until she is able to move, Daphne and Miles proceed to rediscover themselves as they think about what they lost and what could lie ahead. Daphne begins to figure out what life could be like if she focused on herself and find what matters most to her is her.

Emily Henry’s books often feel like a warm cup of tea, and a warm hug — which was exactly what I needed, when I picked up my ARC of Funny Story. Funny Story is simply put, to borrow one of my dear friend’s common phrases, delicious. It’s charming and witty, and to borrow from its title: quite funny. Funny Story takes place after children’s librarian, Daphne Vincent, is stranded in Waning Bay, Michigan, with no family or friends, and with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex, Miles, as a roommate. When Daphne receives a call from Peter, her ex-fiancé about her RSVP to his wedding, one thing leads to another and before she knows it, she’s telling Peter that she’s now dating Miles. Miles is more than happy to play along; getting back at his own ex in the process.

Unlike Emily Henry’s other books, Daphne isn’t so much struggling with millennial ennui, as she dubs it in People We Meet on Vacation. Instead, Daphne’s searching for what it means to create a home for herself, and how to rebuild a life after loss — like all other Emily Henry protagonists, except this loss is different. Funny Story is a story centered around loss in a different way; the loss of familiarity, and the mourning of expectations of someone. But the Emily Henry Adult Romance thematic staple of rebuilding your life after everything fell apart, and putting the pieces back together is still very much there.

If I’ve ever met a character that was the embodiment of Taylor Swift’s The Archer, Daphne would be it. "Who could ever leave me, darling, but who could stay?" and "Can you see right through me?" seem to be the guiding questions in Daphne’s relationships. Over the course of Funny Story, Daphne’s reluctance to let people in — in part due to her own complicated relationship with her father, and also the end of her relationship with Peter — shifts and we get to watch Daphne as she builds a life for herself in Waning Bay. While initially her entire social circle revolves around Peter, she learns to grow to love Waning Bay and its residents, with the help of Miles. Beach Read affectionados will appreciate Miles and Daphne’s standing Sunday dates, where Miles is determined to introduce Daphne to his favorite spots in Waning Bay. Daphne starts to integrate herself into the community — not just through Miles’ tour, but also through her work. And as much as I loved reading about the broader Waning Bay community, I just as much loved the dynamic regulars at the library, and Daphne’s coworkers. Emily Henry does best, I think, when she focuses on a central couple, and peppers in a fun, smaller community — similar to Beach Read’s North Bear Shores, and Book Lovers’ Sunshine Falls. While I am every bit a city person, there’s something about Emily Henry’s books that make me think that I’d be happy moving to a tiny town.

As for Miles, I adored him. While he’ll never be my favorite Emily Henry love interest (no one can ever top Charlie Lastra, his snark, his organized lists, and his beautiful rent stabilized New York City apartment), he’s just so charming that I couldn’t help but love him. I loved how Daphne and Miles started out as reluctant roommates, then became unwavering friends. No matter the underlying tension between the two of them, they always had each other’s best interests at heart, and were friends before anything else.

I absolutely adored Funny Story — ranking it just below my top two favorite Emily Henry’s, Book Lovers and Beach Read, respectively. But then again, there’s no such thing as a bad Emily Henry, is there? I couldn’t recommend it more highly, and will definitely be revisiting it come publication day!