How did I get to this point in my life having never read Emily Henry? HOW? Better late than never as they say! THIS is the book I’ve been hoping I’d find in what’s been a rough patch for me with the romance genre this year. I laughed, I teared up, my heart raced at times, and I ended this book with the contented sigh of a happy reader. Aaaaaah. *Chef's kiss*

Children’s librarian Daphne is engaged to Peter and preparing for the perfect future in their beautiful home. Unfortunately, his long-time best friend, Petra, has chosen his bachelor party as the right time to confess her feelings for him … feelings which he suddenly realizes he has for her too! This leaves Daphne not only heartbroken but now homeless, and in a twist of fate and fortune that could only happen in a rom-com, she ends up finding a new roommate in none other than Petra’s now jilted fiance, Miles. You know the saying: misery loves company!

In what begins as the male-female version of The Odd Couple, straight-laced Daphne and earthy Miles find they have far more in common than they realized and friendship blossoms, with Miles coaxing Daphne out of her shell a bit, and Daphne offering a safe place for Miles to open up about his past. Over time, they both begin to realize that the dysfunction they grew up in doesn’t need to define who they are now. (Wow, did I relate to that part of the story!)

This book had everything I could want: two likable MCs with AMAZING chemistry, a well-paced arc from friends to lovers, hilarious banter, emotional depth, a beautiful Michigan setting, a thoughtful and realistic storyline, and a brilliant cast of secondary characters - I particularly adored Miles’ sister Julia, and Daphne’s co-worker/friend Ashleigh. So fun! The cherry on top? The narration by Julia Whelan. I listened to this as I read along on my Kindle, and Whelan’s gender voicing and overall storytelling made my first Henry book extra special!

Fair warning: there’s a moderate level of spice, so those who don’t prefer that may need to skip a few scenes. I don’t love open-door scenes myself, but it worked here because it felt natural and believable. You feel the pain Daphne and Miles have gone through and the evolution of their friendship, so when it gets to those scenes you not only feel the mutual attraction that's grown between them, but also their visceral NEED for one another. The slow-build to it was perfect!

If you want a rom-com that’s the complete package - HERE. IT. IS. I can’t sing its praises enough!

Emily Henry at her very best. She's an expert at writing fully realized characters with complicated histories, which makes the love story feel all the more earned.

I enjoy reading Emily Henry novels! This one piqued my interest with Daphne being a librarian. It was a slow burn (but sometimes too slow). Also not a fan of miscommunication in novels and there is some in this one. Overall - I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more from Emily Henry

✨Book Review✨
Funny Story by Emily Henry
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This was a very low 4 for me. That being said, it was by FAR my favorite Emily Henry book. I am someone who just doesn't see the hype. I think I liked this one a lot more than her others because it was not enemies to lovers. I think I just don't love the way she does that trope.
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While I did really enjoy this story, I do feel like it was about 100 pages too long. Definitely cute though and I loved the librarian vibes and the way this story centered around self-growth and friendship.

when your fiancé (now ex-fiancé) breaks off your wedding to run off into the sunset with the girl best friend he had told you not to worry about . . .

so you decide to move in with that girl best friend’s ex-fiancé instead.

the story of a woman losing herself in love, trying to rebuild her life, and finding new, healthy relationships along the way. I. WAS. OBSESSED. i will say that i was not a huge emily henry stan before, but this book changed my mind. i haven’t read something that had morals as strong as this one in a long time. the level of maturity was fitting for the atmosphere it was giving and is totally relatable to anyone dealing with early to mid-life crises. i still think about this book even though i read it a while ago.

and that ENDING !! that “we stan strong women” vibe we all know and love! daphne was everything. an absolute icon we can all look up to whenever we feel like life is falling apart.

This may be my absolute favorite Emily Henry book!
I thought it was so cute, and I loved seeing their relationship develop.
From absolute heartbreak to finding something unexpected and healing together.
It was so perfect!

10/10

What can I even say about this book. I am not normally a contemporary romance reader but for Emily Henry's books, I will drop everything else and dive right in - I don't know what magic she has. Her characters are real, they are interesting, and the minute I get introduced to them I want to be friends with them.

The friendship and then relationship that develops between Daphne and Miles was perfect and even though Henry had me nervous there for a minute...she came through. And the secondary characters in this book were fantastic too! They helped establish not only who Daphne and Miles were as individuals but also together.

If you haven't read this one yet, you are missing out. Go get it, sit down and read it. That is all.

Funny Story is exactly what I want when I open a new Emily Henry novel- characters that are so lifelike I wish I knew them, flirty banter and off-the-charts chemistry, and a story that feels fluffy and light but in reality is deep and meaningful. In this story, we meet Daphne, whose picture perfect life implodes when her fiancé Peter dumps her for Petra, the girl he swore was only his best childhood friend. She has no choice but to move in with Miles, Petra's now ex. Enter one of my favorite romance tropes- fake dating. Daphne impulsively tells her ex that she and Miles are together when Peter and Petra send them wedding invitations. I just loved every minute of this story and I highly recommend it!

What a wonderful read!!! Everything in this book worked so well. Who doesn't love a forced proximity romance, sprinkled with some fake relationship (or would it be the other way around?). All the characters were so ALIVE and complex, no one felt like they were only there to serve the A plot. The romance built beautifully and the story flowed and unfolded in such a delightful way. I loved every moment of reading this book.

I always devour Emily Henry's books and this one was no different! There is something so wonderful and lovely about her writing that I can't help but get sucked into the story and characters.

I loved the set-up of the story even if it is something that would probably only happen in a fictional world – the rooming with your ex-fiancé's new fiancée's ex-boyfriend part. Daphne and Miles are dealing with their respective break-ups very differently and it was interesting to see them slowly come out of their shells and finally get to know each other.

There were a few different parts of this story that I connected with – it's probably the Emily Henry novel I've connected with the most so far. Several parts of both Daphne's and Miles's journies hit close to home for me.

This is not my best-written recap of my thoughts but sometimes the books you love the most are the most difficult to write about!

Overall, another great one from Henry. I'm looking forward to whatever she gives us next – and in the meantime, I'll definitely be rereading Funny Story.

I’ve read Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, but this was my favorite Emily Henry book! The connection between Miles and Daphne was great, and they didn’t dislike each other to start! The growth together was so fun to watch, from both being heartbroken to becoming friends and then the added spice. It was great and I want more!

Gosh, Emily Henry just does it every time - well-thought out characters, beautiful romance, steamy scenes, and a talent for making you want to go to middle-of-nowhere places in the US. Can't wait to read what she writes next!

Great love story that's more about the main character finding herself (in a non-weird self-care way) and also making a real realtionship work.

I wasn’t a fan of Happy Place last year.. so I was very nervous to read this one despite enjoying other of EmHen’s past books like Book Lovers. But I am so happy to report Funny Story is now 10000% my favorite of hers so far and this is one of my top romances of the year now!

I read a lot of contemp romance, so it’s hard to find new and creative plots to get fully invested in. I really loved the premise of this one - two people (Daphne and Miles) who are complete opposites lose their fiancées to each other’s fiancees. In other words, their significant others run off with each other. In a bind, Daphne and Miles move in together as roommates and eventually begin the fake dating game to make their exes jealous. We all know how the rest goes! 😉

I absolutely loved the banter and chemistry between these two and by the end, I was so invested and never wanted their stories to end! Daphne is incredibly relatable as a fellow bookworm, and Miles is a genuinely nice guy who knows his way around some wine. Book boyfriend material for sure!

My rating: 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Emily, Berkley, and NetGalley for the e-galley!

She does it again! Another amazing book
I think this one hits extra hard bc I felt personally attacked by some of the things happening in this book.
Every book has a location as a character and somehow she made me love Michigan (somehow it feels like a very romantic city-or maybe it’s not the city but the people you love that make it amazing).
And every book touches a different theme of literature and the joy of reading and this one is all about libraries and the impact it has on so many young readers!
Found family trope and also finding yourself after a breakup.

Review: Emily Henry’s ‘Funny Story’ Has Everything Romance Readers Want—and More


On April 19, our countdown to one of the most anticipated albums of the year ended. But if you’re a rom-com lover, The Tortured Poets Department isn’t the only thing you were looking forward to in April, Emily Henry’s fifth adult romance novel, Funny Story, is on bookshelves and e-readers everywhere. Emily Henry is one of our favorite romance authors in the game, but the question remains, how does she keep doing it? And by “it,” I, of course, mean writing romance novel after romance novel that hit us right in the feels. If you’re wondering if Henry’s hot streak continues with Funny Story, you’ve come to the right place. Here are all the reasons Funny Story is yet another must-read romance. TL;DR: Just order it now, you won’t regret it.


Its simple premise isn’t actually simple at all

The premise of Funny Story is simple in the way that it can be boiled down to a sentence: When her fiancé breaks up with her, practical and buttoned-up Daphne moves in with scruffy and chaotic Miles, her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex. But there’s nothing simple about that situation. It gives us two characters who have been left by the people they thought they would spend the rest of their lives with. Both Daphne and Miles need to process their heartbreak, navigate their new living situation, and decide what is next for them. That’s a lot for anyone to handle, but it leaves the door open for endless possibilities.


It plays with almost every trope

Emily Henry is known for using classic romance tropes in unexpected ways. Here, she tackles the most tropes yet, giving us friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, and opposites attract, to name a few. But Emily Henry’s use of tropes never feels contrived. When we meet Daphne and Miles, they are both reeling from devastating breakups. So when they decide to fake date in the hopes of getting back at their exes, it makes perfect sense. And later, as they start to heal, of course, they see potential in each other.


It encourages you to be a tourist in your own town

When Daphne moves to Waning Bay, Michigan, she lets Peter, who grew up there, show her the town. Daphne and Miles spend every Sunday together, going to farmers’ markets and kayaking. Each scene is made real by Emily Henry’s detailed description of the gorgeous landscape. It made me want to travel to Michigan, but more than anything, it made me want to appreciate everything there is for me to do right here in my home of Charlotte, North Carolina.


It shares a refreshing take on friendship

Sometimes, it feels like there are two guarantees in romance novels: 1) The characters are going to end up together in the end, and 2) The female main character has a ride-or-die best friend. But that isn’t the case in Funny Story.

When we meet Daphne, she doesn’t have a best friend—or really any friends at all. When Peter broke up with her, he took her friends, including her college best friend, who happens to be dating Peter’s childhood best friend, with him. The end of Daphne’s romantic relationship forces her to start over with not just her love life but also her friendships. This is a painful yet relatable reality so many of us face when our relationships end; sometimes, we not only lose our partners but also our friend groups. In some cases, that loss can hurt even more than the breakup.

Don’t worry, though—in true rom-com fashion, Daphne doesn’t stay down forever. She eventually comes out of her shell at work, developing a true friendship with a coworker and building community by meeting local business owners and joining a poker night.


Its characters are still figuring things out

If I had to name one thing that makes Emily Henry’s novels so successful, it would be this: Her characters don’t have it all figured out, just like all of us. Daphne loves her job as a children’s librarian, but she isn’t sure if Waning Bay is the place for her. Miles is a friend to everyone in town, but his lack of a relationship with his parents still hurts him. Miles’ sister, Julia, is incapable of not leaving her things scattered all over the apartment.

Whether major or minor or both, each and every character has something they are dealing with. And although it isn’t easy to change, they all end up in better places by the time you turn the final page. That’s why reading Emily Henry’s novels is so comforting. They remind us of the joy in not just the destination but the journey.

I would just like to take a moment and say that Emily Henry can do no wrong. This is probably one of her best books. I truly thought that nothing could top happy place, and this just blew it out of the water. I absolutely devoured this book and will most definitely be considering this for a reread. The way I want to visit waning Bay is concerning the way that Emily describes these locations just transports you Miles is such Nick Miller coated that this just made me love the book even more their humor as well as relationship with Daphne is so freaking cute

Funny Story starts out with Daphne about to marry her fiancé, Peter. They moved to Peter’s hometown, Daphne has a great librarian job, and their life is about to begin! But then Peter confesses he is in love with his childhood best friend Petra. Peter and Petra – it’s giving ick! Peter calls off the wedding while Petra breaks up with her boyfriend Miles. With no connections and nowhere to go, Daphne finds herself roommates with Miles. You see where this is going?

I had such a good time reading this. I loved the forced proximity and opposites attract tropes. Emily Henry has this incredible gift to present tropes in ways that feels fresh and new. For example, the chaotic start that led to Daphne and Miles to becoming roommates. This was a fantastic hook at the beginning and something I hadn’t seen done before with the forced proximity trope. And Miles? Smash. That man loves his community and smoking a lil weed. I felt that.

However, the word “chortle” was used a lot. Daphne LOVES a chortle. You’re probably asking how many times it was used. At first, I was like “hmm don’t see that word often, what is that?” and then kept reading. The second time I was like “okaaay, I think I know what it is through context but not 100%.” Then the third and fourth chortles appeared, and I was too embarrassed to look it up – I was in too deep. Then enters the fifth chortle. You win EmHen, ya got me! If you didn’t know, a chortle is a breathy, gleeful laugh. It’s like nobody wants to chuckle these days.

I’m always so excited to read a new Emily Henry when it comes out. I was even more excited when I was able to get an audiobook copy from libro and prha.
The story starts off with the fiancé dumping his bride to be for his lifelong best friend (whom was also in a long relationship) and was given a week to leave his (their) apartment! A week isn’t much time to find a new place to live. She realizes her fiancées new girlfriends now ex boyfriend just lost his roommate, so why not be roomies with him.

If you following so far, you are good lol. At this point I was scratching my head very skeptical if I wanted to read anymore….but I’m so happy I kept at it because I fell in love with this couple.
They became friends and decided to fake date to prove to their exes that they were fine.
In true EH fashion, she delivered on making me feel like I was another character in the book.
4.25 stars

3.5🌟

The real funny story is how I received this arc and was sooo excited about reading it and then two days later my (now ex) fiancée and I split up 🤡 so yeah, it took me a while before I wanted to read romance again, let alone romance that has to do with fiancées breaking up. But I’m glad I finally was able to read it because it broke my month and a half long reading hiatus and I couldn’t put it down!

I really love how Emily Henry’s romances are so much more than just romance. She focuses a lot on parent/sibling/friend relationships almost just as much as the romantic ones and she does it really well.

That being said, I don’t think I loved this quite as much as I have some of her other books. I definitely enjoyed it, but I felt like the banter didn’t didn’t hit the same as it usually does.

Overall, a solid Emily Henry romance 🤌🏼

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review