Ooh I was ridiculously excited when I saw the email for Funny Story in my mailbox!

So far I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Emily Henry. She never fails to write a story that engages me. Her characters have so much depth and her writing style is perfect for me as a reader.

Funny Story is about Daphne and Miles, two people who are very different but have one awful thing in common: their significant others have realised they are more than just childhood best friends. Suddenly Daphne finds herself homeless and living in Miles’ spare room. Despite having little in common, the pair build up a friendship and a plan on how to deal with their current situation, which just so happens to involve some fake dating.

As with most of Emily’s books, Funny Story is about relationships and how they shape your future and the person you become. It’s a fake dating romance with a found family that features brilliant main characters both heavily influenced by their childhoods and their relationships with their parents.

I loved both Miles and Daphne but I have to say, Miles stole the show for me. What an absolute gem of a man. He is genuine and caring and I could not love him more. We need more people like Miles in the world!

I’m keeping my review spoiler-free so I’ll leave it there but Emily is one of my favourite authors and I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next as it’s sure to be brilliant.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Viking Books UK for my early copy.

This was another wonderful Emily Henry romance story. I love the worlds she creates with vivid imagery. I can picture the beautiful scenery in which Miles and Daphne fall in love. I was rooting for these two the entire time. Their love story developed so naturally. I would highly recommend.

I’m not sure at this point if Emily Henry’s odd-numbered adult romances being better than her even-numbered ones is a real thing or just… some kind of psychological effect that numbering has on me because I’ve enjoyed her odd-numbered ones more consistently. Anyway, all this is leading up to the following: maybe this phenomenon is real. Funny Story joins Beach Read and Book Lovers as being the superior Emily Henry books in my eyes.

The start to this one is quite a bit messier than any previous of her romances (which, looking back on the other four, is quite impressive). That is to say, both the protagonist and love interest feel less put together than in previous books. I don’t know quite how to explain it further than that so I hope it’s clear enough, but what I’m driving at here is that I loved that mess. Add into that the sheer pettiness of Daphne and Miles’s campaign to post misleading photos together to get some form of revenge over their ex-fiance(e)s? So, messy.

At this point, I’m not sure I have much more to say regarding things like Emily Henry’s writing, or plots, or just… the books in general. I knew what I was getting into and I knew that I would like it. My only real worry would be how would the third-act break-up land for me (since Henry has a… strong propensity, let’s say, for inserting those). The worst so far for me has been in People We Meet on Vacation (a fact I know I’ve mentioned before), so at this point all I really ask is that it makes sense based on characters’ established motivations, pasts, and personalities. Here it did (although I maintain they’d talked things through just a bit much beforehand, so it almost toppled over into are you kidding territory).

I’ve probably been circling around the point up until now, so let’s get to it: the characters. As I said, they’re noticeably messier and less put together from the very beginning than earlier Emily Henry characters and I loved that. Along with the fact that they were petty and vindictive over what their respective fiance(e)s had done to them? Sign me up! And I liked that they balanced one another out in an opposites attract kind of way, almost harkening back to January and Gus and Beach Read for me (speaking of, I did feel a sudden urge to reread that and Book Lovers the moment I put this one down. I have, thus far, resisted).

To conclude, though, I think if you’re already an Emily Henry fan you’ll enjoy this just as much as the previous ones (and maybe it too will confirm your suspicions that the odd-numbered books just have something else in them). If you’re not, well you may just find it much of a muchness… but (to me) that’s in a good way.

I am not a regular reader of romance - not in a snobby way, but I generally don't find that it appeals to me. Emily Henry is very much the exception to this: after discovering her via a Netgalley arc of Book Lovers, I have avidly kept up with her new releases.

Funny Story has what I now know is a classic Henry set-up: throw two unlikely people together into a situation where they have to spend a lot of time together and romance (and sexytimes) ensue. In this case, the odd couple are librarian Daphne - newly dumped by her fiancée, Peter - and Miles - the now ex-boyfriend of the woman Peter has just left Daphne for. Forced by circumstances to live together, what ensues is a fairly predictable but nonetheless enormously enjoyable 'they were roommates!' romance.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. Emily Henry has done it yet again. Easily 5/5 stars, and I would recommend to absolutely anyone. I love her writing style, the characters and the way the plot unravelled. Yet again, absolutely loved it and cannot wait for her next book.

Emily Henry does it again. I’ve loved every single one of her books, each one better than the last, and Funny Story is no exception.

First, I want to thank EH’s team for the great honour of getting to be one of the first people to read this book. I am, once again, forever indebted to you for your kindness.

Every time I pick up a new one of Emily’s books, I’m immediately thinking ‘Wow, this is my new favourite book’. And that statement never fails to be true.

Daphne and Miles’ story is one for the ages. It’s always kind of crazy to me how EH manages to give relationships so many layers. They weren’t only falling in love, they were also becoming integral parts of each other’s lives all while finding love in the most important way; through friendship.
I loved that they grew together and I’m eternally grateful that they were a bit older but not too ‘adulty’, if that makes sense to anyone but me.
It’s also amazing that their heartbreaks and their love for each other wasn’t the main part at all times. It was finding friendship and companionship in other people as well. They taught each other to need and appreciate everyone in their lives, not just each other. I think it’s so important and very under-represented in many other books.

Anyway;
Emily, you truly are the one true love of my life. Whatever you write is gold in my eyes. I open one of your books and I’m immediately transported into a world of communication and love. Of understanding and problem solving. I wish the men you write were real because then I could still believe in love. Actually, scratch that, because of you I still believe in love. Thank you. I will appreciate you until my lungs give out and my heart stops beating.

Emily Henry does it again with a delightful romance, telling the story of two spurned lovers who actually end up falling for one another, but their path is hardly strewn with petals… Such a good read!

In my opinion, Emily Henry has discovered the secret to RomComs, because I enjoy it every time and then forget about it without any fuss. I guess that will be the case this time, too, and the next time I happen to request the ARC I will vaguely remember that I read almost everything she wrote.

Secondo me Emily Henry ha scoperto il segreto per le RomCom, perché ogni volta mi diverto e poi me lo dimentico senza patemi. Immagino che sará cosí anche stavolta e la prossima volta che mi capiterà di richiedere l'ARC mi ricorderò vagamente di aver letto quasi tutto quello che ha scritto.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Emily Henry once again delivered a perfect mix of romance, wit, fun and drama. I would say this is her best next to Book Lovers, I enjoyed it a lot!

"You, my girl, are whoever you decide to be. But I hope you always keep some piece of that girl who sat by the window, hoping for the best. Life's short enough without us talking ourselves out of hope and trying to dodge every bad feeling. Sometimes you have to push through the discomfort instead of running."

Emily Henry is just one of those writers that can take a handful of tropes that sound like they’re going to be a cheesy, cringy story and turn it into something so fun and refreshing with a contemporary twist on classic romcom styles. They’re books for book lovers (no pun intended)

It’s a story about female friendship, love, and about the different parts we all play in each other stories - it all depends who is telling it. And our main narrator was a hot mess in the most fabulous way, she’s in an entirely strange situation, her life is complete chaos but she was just full of love and let her heart lead her into all kinds of mishaps as she builds her life back together piece by piece - with some self-discovery, amazing friends.

Miles was the perfect Romcom love interest, I fell for him right away and his charm, their romance was warm and cute once the heartbreak and troubled past start to clear - with a little bit of steaminess as they get closed but it moved so naturally. The rest of the cast were absolutely delightful, each one was so loveable - aside from the exes of course, but even they were so well written to be confusingly loveable. They went from the classic romcom characters to fully developed people so quickly and while we might guess what they’re going to do next, it’s not a mystery novel so it keeps that cosy familiar vibes of a tried-and-true formula and mixes it with fun storytelling.

I read this entire thing in one sitting, it was perfectly paced and flowed seamlessly as the weeks moved on with a friendly tone that felt like our friend was telling us the story directly - this is Henry’s best work to date and it’s not just a funny story, it’s full of warmth, love and just a little silliness.

Emily Henry keeps getting better! I don’t know how, but every new book I read from her elevates the emotional maturity. For one weekend, these characters were REAL for me. I love how she brings us in and gives us a romance you can feel as well as learn from. Miles is perfect. PERFECT. I say he keeps the beard!

This is now my favourite Emily Henry, don’t get me wrong I love all of them, but this one just felt like it had stepped it up a notch. I absolutely loved the plot, I loved the characters and how everything so perfectly fit together… I was so incredibly lucky to get an advanced copy (thank you Netgalley and Penguin!!)

I was incredibly lucky to have received a digital ARC of this book, and I want to start off by saying that I can’t wait until this novel is released into the world. Henry is back at it with her signature wit, emotional intelligence, and complex and loveable characters. This is a friends to lovers/opposites attract romance that I literally devoured within the day.

One thing about Henry’s writing style that amazes me is how each of her books feels totally unique, but also strikingly similar. It’s a testament to her talent and dedication to her craft that I just know that every single book I pick up by her is going to live in my mind and heart for the foreseeable future.

Henry navigates specific emotional and psychological challenges in this novel which deeply flesh out her characters into three-dimensional people (something which I don’t believe is done often enough in romance novels). Additionally, her characters’ chemistry is incredibly well-written. As with her previous novels, I loved the way that she also focused on her main characters’ platonic relationships, as well as their hobbies and passions.

If I had to complain about this book, I would honestly say that I wished it was longer. I was slightly disappointed by the pace at which I finished this, and I would have loved to have seen a couple more nuanced complications or scenes to really flesh out the narrative.

Overall, this one is up there with the rest of Henry’s amazing novels, and I’d recommend it to all fiction and romance readers. Check TWs before reading, I rated this book 4.5/5 stars.

I’ve been an Emily Henry super fan from the start! This might just be her best work. A story with everything you want and more. I couldn’t out this down! Imagine this as a series or film? Brilliant.

Emily Henry has once again written a book I can find no faults with. I know I say it every time, but this one might actually be my favourite??

Daphne & Miles have such great chemistry, the way their friendship progresses & the bond they share is so lovely. Both of their characters are written in such believable ways, I really think it’s one of Emily’s strongest points as a writer, writing characters you root for & want to succeed but are still flawed in a completely normal believable way. I loved their journey both together & independent of each other.

The characters backstories in this book, although still somewhat traumatising as you’d expect from a Henry book, where not quite as traumatic as usual, so this feel cosier than her others, if that makes sense? But that by no means diminished the emotional impact of the ending, if anything I appreciated it more!

The plot was great, I love that it revolved around a library & a readathon. There was miscommunication which isn’t my favourite as it could have been easily avoided, but it was resolved fairly quickly which I appreciated. The supporting characters were amazing as always & I actually liked that a couple had a bit more page time than usual with a friendship forming.

In conclusion, please continue to write bangers!

Thank you to Viking Books/Penguin and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

A really good read. When Daphne's fiance Peter dumps her just before their wedding as he decides he loves his his best friend Petra she finds herself lodging with Petra's ex Miles. She plans to leave her job in a library and move home to be nearer her mother but in the meantime her and Miles pretend to be a couple and things are set to become more complicated..Love the story which is well written by the author and with romance, friendships and family drama holds your interest from the beginning.

I had high hopes for this due to Emily's previous books, and this did not disappoint. The chemistry between characters was so well written and cute. The characters individual backstories were wonderful and overall the book and story was so well rounded and a joy to read. Daphne and Miles are dreamy!

I like be Miles our main MMC and I’m not sure I loved Daphne as much but these two when choosing to live together because their partners decide to dump them for each other. We can all see where this ends up but the story to get there is sweet and funny and completely adorable if a little bit heartbreaking and with hidden depth.
This Funny story made me laugh throughout and was one I had been looking forward to for such a long time! I don’t think this is my favourite Emily Henry book but the lady knows how to write and I really enjoyed it!

Daphne and Miles were never meant to be roommates - but when their respective partners decided to dump them to be with each other, they end up living together out of sheer convenience while Daphne plans her exit from the one place she thought she'd stay forever.

They have little in common - Daphne is a closed-off, buttoned-up librarian who adores her job and lives for a schedule, while Miles is a scruffy, free-spirited bartender who takes the day as it comes.

When their exes announce their impending nuptials, Daphne does the only thing she can think of - and pretends she and Miles are dating. But they're not compatible, right? And how ridiculous would it be for the exes of the exes to become a couple?!

Well, it's not ridiculous. It's lovely, and it's the first time I've stayed up late to finish a book in a very long time (2.46am, to be precise, I am on coffee #3 today).

Emily does what she does best - weaves together two really likeable main characters together with a great supporting cast of side characters with their own stories, and turns what could be a straightforward romance into a heartfelt, touching story about learning to trust yourself and others, and not being afraid to take a chance on someone.

I identified so much with Daphne at times that it was painful (the Stephen King references, the love of the library as a kid, the difficulty in making new friends, the family stuff, the line "I've always been kind of a tagalong, I guess" - OOF), and Miles was a sweetheart (fine, he was a ride).

The miscommunication was kept to a minimum, which I appreciated, because had it gone on any longer I'd have gone to bed - but as it stands, this is my favourite EmHen so far (I say that every time, don't I?).

Thank you so much to Ellie @vikingbooksuk for the ARC, I really appreciate it!