4.5/5 Emily Henry needs to stop making me want to move to Michigan.

In true Emily Henry fashion, I was immediately pulled into the story. The premise was so entertaining - I was very invested in the drama of two people’s exes leaving them for the other. Watching Miles and Daphne live together while trying to reconcile with this insane situation was so hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing Daphne and Miles become friends while healing from their breakups and learning to enjoy their lives. Miles’ characterization was a major highlight for me. He was such a sweetheart and was not afraid to show his emotions. I loved his character development and his flirty personality had me swooning. The setting was also developed extremely well. I felt like I had been to this Michigan town before because of how immersive the descriptions were.

Unfortunately, the resolution fell flat for me which is why this wasn’t a full 5 star. I didn’t get that overwhelming feeling that I usually get at the end of Emily Henry books when the final love confessions occur. I think I needed just a little bit more romantic development because it felt slightly rushed to me. I hold Emily Henry’s books to a very high standard so it seems unfair to be so picky, but compared to her other books, this didn’t wrap up as strongly for me personally.

Although I wished for a more impactful conclusion, I loved the character development, the emotional writing, and witty banter. Emily Henry KNOWS how to write a romance with depth and Funny Story definitely fits in well with her previous works.

Thank you Berkley Romance for the advanced copy!

emily henry is at her best when she's writing about people who love and live for books. the concept of this book is immaculate to me and the execution of it does not disappoint. while the fake dating is a bit on the back burner, the falling-for-your-ex-fiance's-new-fiancee's-ex-boyfriend of it all is soooo rich with humor and angst and complications and making out against a truck because peter is watching!! i love daphne and miles (GREAT names) together and as characters because they're both messy and trying to be better and find steady ground after this huge life derailment and honest and funny and earnest. it's a very human story with very human and flawed characters, but it's also fun and beautiful and lovely. all the third act conflicts were a bit too much for me at the end, but overall i truly enjoyed this and am desperate to listen to this on audio later this year. (4.25/5 stars)

Easily my favorite Emily Henry book, Funny Story beautifully captures the essence of human imperfections, reminding us that everyone makes mistakes, but redemption and growth are always within reach.

Miles and Daphne's evolving connection serves as the beating heart of the story. Emily Henry skillfully portrayed their progression from friendship to romance. As they bonded over shared experiences and misery, I found their connection authentic and endearing. The emphasis on acts of service and physical touch (UGH I LOVE MILES) had me giggling and kicking my feet at 3 am!

The book explores the concept of individuality—that we should avoid losing our true selves while seeking a sense of belonging. Daphne has consistently identified as part of a 𝘸𝘦 throughout her life, rather than embracing an 𝘐. The characterization of Daphne deeply resonated with me. There were moments when I found myself pausing and reflecting after reading a passage, mainly because her narrative mirrored aspects of my own life. I find this really special since I seldom experience this kind of relatability and comfort with a book character. Daphne’s character development surprisingly helped me better understand myself.

Moreover, the book also underscores the importance of being present in the moment, highlighting that life's true beauty lies in the mundane. I was reminded that showing up matters, and these little things ultimately shape our existence.

Funny Story isn't just a romance novel; it's a nuanced exploration of the human experience, a reminder that in our flaws and vulnerabilities, we find our truest selves.

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the ARC!

Oh my god this was INCREDIBLE. I will say I was not the biggest fan of happy place but I was very optimistic about Funny Story and I was VERY HAPPY with the emotions this one brought out of me.

Daphne and Miles are so grounded as characters, and I feel like I completely understood why they made very decision they made through the book. Miles especially endeared himself to me quickly. Emily Henry has a history in her adult books of writing women finding their place in the world and stumbling on a PERFECT MAN (I am not complaining, Charlie Lastra please call me), but I think I love Miles so much because he was ALSO a broken boy, making mistakes and figuring out how he was going to move forward in his life after this complete derailment. He was kind, and sweet, and GOOD, but also flawed. I grew to love him in the face of those flaws and forgive his VERY HUMAN mistakes just like Daphne.

I cannot wait for the audio version because I know Julia Whelan is going to eat this UP. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read early ily!!

LOVED IT! I always love Emily’s writing, and this one did not disappoint! My favorite thing about this book was the way it really made me feel the emotions the characters were feeling. Few authors do this as well as Emily - she has a way of writing emotions that just really hits the reader right where it’s supposed to. I adored Daphne, the FMC, and really connected with her a lot. Miles, the MMC, had me swooning. Side characters were spot on as well. As always, after reading her descriptions of northern Michigan, I have now added another spot to my vacation bucket list. I just cannot say enough good things about this book! More to come with links to my post closer to pub date!

Best Emily Henry book!

-that's me everytime Emily Henry releases a new book since Beach Read.

And yes, in my honest opinion, Funny Story is my top 1 in the Emily Henry universe.

What's funny about this book is how the story started with Daphne revealing that her fiancee, Peter, is calling off the wedding after attending his bachelor's party with his childhood bestfriend, Petra. For me, this is effective because it made me root for Daphne right from the start.

After the breakup, Daphne moved out of their newly-bought house to a shared apartment where Petra's former fiancee, Miles, is living so the setup is that Peter and Petra is off gallivanting about their upcoming wedding while their ex-fiancees Daphne and Miles are living in a cramped apartment starting their life from scratch.

This is an adult romcom and to be honest the writing is superb because you can easily distinguish the romance parts and the funny parts in a way that it is balanced along with a dash of emotional redemption before the novel ended.

Daphne Vincent is a main character that is easy to root for after reading the first few chapters and knowing her experiences in life as an only child of divorced parents, as a student who has to move places to places due to her mother's work, as an adult who wasn't able to secure enough friends, and as a partner who had been dumped days before their wedding.

Daphne is a shy sunshine character who loves books, people, and places even though the only constant fixture in her life is books that's why she ended up being a librarian in Waning Bay library where she resided for good with Peter.

Miles is also a lovable sunshine character who is also a people person. Miles can easily run as a mayor in Waning Bay and he will have a chance to secure the post given how good he is with his connections.

Mix Daphne and Miles in a tiny apartment with their broken hearts and you'll have an epic story that is filled with humor, hope, compassion, and love.

This book is emotional. Aside from the romantic development between Daphne and Miles, we also get to read their improvement as individuals who had terrible childhood experiences - Daphne with her daddy issues and Miles with his lack of parenting figure.

Both Daphne and Miles grew up having this image in their head of what they need to achieve in order to suffice the hole that one (if not both) of their parents left. Yes, this book is for girlies with daddy issues and as someone who grew up with a father that is, most of the time, absent in the family picture, reading about how Daphne and Miles healed from their trauma and released their feelings to each other felt therapeutic.

This book is inspirational. I think one of the underlying themes that is injected in Funny Story is the message about how people can change. And yes, this change or transformation may not be 100% or 360° turnaround but it highlights the possibility that human can change if they start with small steps.

This book is easy to love. Daphne and Miles, as individuals, are lovable already so it's not hard to picture them as a couple who brings the best in each other. Love Daphne Vincent and Miles Nowak.

Overall, this is a masterpiece and I can't wait to reread it again once I have a finished copy. 5stars

This is my favorite Emily Henry book. I was convinced that nothing would ever top <i>Beach Read</i> for me, but this one is EVERYTHING. It's wise and comforting and (lightly) angsty, healing and hopeful and just so SO fun. 🥹

These characters are complex, messy, deeply relatable, and so unexpectedly perfect for each other. I just love stories that give 30-somethings the space to still be growing and making mistakes and figuring their lives out. 💙

Emily Henry does it again! She consistently produces characters and stories that are authentic, touching and hilariously chaotic. Funny Story leans towards romcom, but still has the depth and emotion that readers are familiar with when it comes to Henry’s writing. There’s a reason why she’s one of the most highly regarded writers in the romance genre.

Funny Story subverts multiple romance tropes, lending for an incredible meet cute. Daphne and Miles become roommates after they are both dumped by their respective significant others who have decided to date each other instead. If that’s not messy enough, to make said exes jealous, Miles and Daphne pretend to date each other. To keep up the ruse, the two of them begin to hang out and start to realize that the sparks they’re faking might actually be real.

The dialogue in this book is seriously top notch. There are so many laugh out loud moments where I felt like I was reading direct conversations I’ve had with friends and loved ones. One of the themes of this book is loving someone in small moments just as much as in big ones and Emily Henry gives us so many tiny, tender moments between Daphne and Miles. As a male main character, Miles is very different from Henry’s other leading men, but his idiosyncrasies and positivity were incredibly charming. Daphne is a character that many readers will find themselves mirrored in. I mean, she’s a children’s librarian…if that’s not relatable to the book lovers than I don’t know what is!

Thank you to Berkley/Berkley Romance and NetGalley for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review! Funny Story is out April 23!

I mean it's Emily Henry's world and I'm just living in it. I'm starting to subscribe to the odd number books theory but I was nervous going into this. Book Lovers is one of my favorite books of all time and Happy Place, though I enjoyed parts of it, was a disappointment in comparison. But Funny Story hit. I already can't wait to reread. The banter was bantering, it was paced so well, and I love that we got more of a friend group than previous books. I LOVED the message of finding love but still building your own life and the way Daphne approached her relationship at the end of the book. if I had to offer one critique, it's that I wish we got to see a little more of their adventures together (like in Beach Read) but we still got plenty of on page time together so I was not disappointed in the slightest. I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands!

This book is great. The characters are hilarious, but real. The banter between everyone is laugh-out-loud funny. The story did devolve into a little melodrama near the end, but the story was very heartfelt. I love that the main character was a librarian. Her descriptions of what it means to be a librarian and the purpose of the library brought me joy.

My first 5 star read of 2024 and my first 5 star from the author!

Daphne is all set to be married to Peter, but that plan goes up in flames when he announces he’s leaving her for his childhood best friend, Petra. Since she gave up everything of hers to move wherever he wanted to be, Daphne has to find a new place to live very quickly. She rents a room from Petra’s ex, Miles, and the two heartbroken souls generally avoid one another. Until…

Omg the cuteness!!! The character development! The chapter lengths and internal dialogue were perfect. If you’re a fan of some fake dating (but like the perfect amount of fake dating? They don’t fake it to their parents or close friends? Just the two people they’re trying to make jealous? It makes so much sense) definitely add this to your TBR!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC!

Let me warn you, this will not be the last time you see me posting about this book. I ate this up!!! This book is another great example of girl dinner.
You can always count on Emily Henry to write a story with the perfect combination of humor and emotions.
Just like her other books, the banter is TOP TIER. The title is legit in the way that the banter makes it a FUNNY story. There were so many moments where I was laughing out loud. I’m not exaggerating when I say it took less than ten pages for this story to have me hooked.
I loved these characters so much. They are hilarious, but also complex and relatable. They handle their situation with grace, they are in tune with their emotions, and they know their flaws. Daphne and Miles felt so realistic as they navigated this unforeseen situation in their lives.
I can always count on an Emily Henry book to have an emotional plotline that crushes my heart and then puts it back together. Just like I can always count on the romantic plotline to feel like a warm hug.
Both characters have quick wit, and at many points, I felt that Miles reminded me of Nick Miller from New Girl. This book reminds me of “mirrorball” by Taylor Swift.
Books by EH always have so much depth to them. I feel like this book will hit home with anyone who craves stability or anyone who aspires to make everyone around them happy.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and the emotional lessons in this book will stick with you.
Funny Story is available on April 23rd! Trust me you won’t want to miss this book!

Read If You Like:
💐fake dating
💐roommates
💐top tier banter
💐golden retriever MMC
💐opposites attract

Love. Love. Love. I could not love this book any more than I do. And I am not just saying that as a Librarian from northern Michigan.

I love all of the quirky townspeople.
I love the Nick Miller-esque Miles.
I love the realistic family trauma representation.
I love the celebration of found family.
I love that Michigan itself was character. (but also perhaps make MI look a little boring, so the fudgies don't completely take it over)
I love the visibility of how much work actually goes into library events.

I highlighted so many passages in this book and I never highlight anything, like ever.
This is my 2024 book.

Emily Henry balances the seriousness an humor really well in Funny Story. Daphne has just gotten dumped and ends up living with the ex-boyfriend of the woman her fiance left her for. While this is largely a romcom, Daphne and Miles have serious issues they have to look in the face to figure out relationships and who they are to find their happiness. I loved Miles and Daphne. Both are complicated people, but they are fun characters. I also really loved the side characters, with Ashleigh and Julia being fun and chaotic without ever getting annoying. I's recommend this to anyone who loves a good romcom with a serious side.

This was definitely a story that is funny, and light hearted and as always lots of angst I loved getting to read about these the most because they lost their other half to their other half and then became roommates and eventually fell for each other it was so much fun to read

This is Emily's best book and I absolutely devoured it. This was emotional, funny, sexy, introspective, and so sweet. I cannot wait to have a physical copy on my bookshelf.

Absolutely adored this book! Become a huge fan of Emily Henry and this is easily one of her best. Loved the characters and the plot line, as well as the writing, it was gorgeous. Definitely recommending!

Definitely my favorite Emily Henry book thus far. The banter, the fake dating scenario, and the personalities of all the main characters were delightful.

4.25 ⭐️

My first Emily Henry book and I am obsessed with her writing. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I was not disappointed.

Daphne’s fiance leaves her right after his bachelor trip for his childhood friend. Then, said childhood friends (now) ex boyfriend ends up rooming with Daphne in his apartment. They end up fake dating to attend the wedding of Daphne’s ex fiance and his new fiance. And the rest is history.

Definitely a must read and such a fun palette cleanser.

I loved it. This is a true Emily Henry novel with small town quirks, loveable yet challenging characters trying to figure themselves out, and gut wrenching romance. I resonated with both Daphne and Miles a lot and loved their friendship before their romance so much. As always the banter is *chefs kiss*. Any contemp romance or women’s fiction readers will love this