Member Reviews
It's a funny story (he he) but I found this really hard to get into and thought the first 10% was quite chaotic! After that, I pretty much devoured the rest of the book 😂 I did enjoy it, but as you can see by my rating, I thought it was good, but nowhere near as good as Emily Henry's previous books, which all got 5⭐ from me...
I'll start with what I liked.
⭐I liked both of the main characters, Miles was charming, kind and giving; he was adorable. Daphne was a bit bland, but she grew on me, and after a while, I found her quite funny and I felt for what she had been through. Both were realistically written, with sad back stories and flaws.
⭐The chemistry between the characters was 🔥They had great banter, and I enjoyed their slow burn relationship.
⭐I enjoyed the side characters, especially Ashleigh and Julia.
⭐I adored the location of Waning Bay in North Michigan! It sounded like a gorgeous place, and I could really visualise all the places they visited on their not dates. The sunrise and sunsets sounded beautiful.
⭐The writing was addictive, the dialogue good, and I found the story both funny and emotional.
There were some negatives for me personally though.
😐Obviously, I mentioned the start already..It was rocky.
😐The characters felt a bit familiar, predictable and bland?
😐Certain parts of the book bored me and I actually skimmed (I know, I know I can't believe it either!) like the readathon, certain parts of Daphne's job etc
😐How long the miscommunication went on for. I'm not a fan of this trope, and it irritated me, even though the crossed wires ended well.
😐The fact that Daphne lost everything and realised that she needed a life outside of her partner but then fell straight into the same trap. This was somewhat resolved, but even then she only really had one friend outside of the relationship.
😐I also felt like both characters needed to spend time by themselves, and get a whole lot of therapy (especially Miles) to move on from their childhood family traumas. It wrapped up too quickly, whereas we could have had some really great character development.
So I did enthusiastically binge read this, and I did enjoy it, but it didn't wow me or leave me with that feeling of walking on sunshine, that Emily's other books did. It's a good, quick read, but maybe expecting authors to churn out a book a year is having a detrimental effect? Or maybe it's a blip? Or maybe it's just me...
I think most fans of this author will love this, and it has a high rating from other early readers, so give it a shot and see where you guys fall! Definitely read it for Miles, for the amazing setting, for looking for love after loss. 3.5 rounded up to four stars is by no means a bad rating, but it does reflect my hesitancy, despite steaming through it.
🍷🍷🍷🍷
Hello Emily Henry cinematic universe and why have I misjudged you for so long? Funny Story is the first EmHen novel that had me truly encapsulated from beginning to end. The main characters were to die for. With Daphne’s witty, dry sense of humour and her love of all things books, how am I not supposed to love her? She is everything I desire to be. Along with Miles’ Nick Miller personality. Please just give me the plot of New Girl in another font and I will EAT IT UP. I adore how Henry intertwines women’s fiction with an added romance. It’s one of my favourite genres. Like, yes, I want a book that makes me feel empowered and not alone in this scary world, but also give me a sarcastic brunette to crush over - perfect, thanks.
Time to reread her whole discography with a whole new outlook on life.
This is my favourite Emily Henry so far.
The characters are a delight to spend time with, I loved them all, I even loved hating Petra & Peter. Obviously, I was a huge fan of Daphne & Miles (even after our initial less than flattering introduction to him) & I read a lot of it with a cheesy grin on my face. Two of my favourites were Julia & Ashleigh, who brought a wonderful snark/banter level to the book.
I really enjoyed the friendships in this book, Daphne & Miles, Daphne & Ashleigh, Miles & absolutely everyone.
There was just something about this one that made it stand out.
Fake dating, acquaintances to lovers, friendships, found family & just the right amount of will they won't they.
This amazing set of characters very quickly became friends and I was pulled into their lives and willed their futures to be happy.this is the second book I have read by this author and she is fast becoming one of my favourite reads.
This story moves from heartbreak to what if? Can Miles and Daphne move past their disjointed childhoods and recent heartbreak to fully commit to each other?
Beautiful descriptions of Lake Michigan and the surrounding area transported me to this lake and small towns around it.
I really did not want this book to end, but I also needed to discover what.happened to the characters.
Highly recommended
Enjoyed this so much!!!!! May be my favourite Emily Henry book yet. Really heartwarming and charming with an attractive love interest and a really interesting plot. All of the characters felt incredibly well developed and the dialogue was realistic.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Emily Henry has done it again and reminded me why she is still one of my favourite authors.
I loved Daphne (and not just because she is a librarian too), she grows so much during this book. We meet Daphne when she is in a difficult point in her life and trying to find out who she is as an individual and not in a couple. I really enjoyed her journey!
Miles is just a sweetheart and I loved getting to know him better along with Daphne.
This was easy to read and addictive as Emily's books always have been.
As always, I can't wait to see what Emily is going to write next!
I was just so happy to get the chance to read this book before its release date; Emily Henry is my favourite romance writer of all time, and she just brings sunshine to my life with everyone of her books, and all of her previous novels (with the exception of Book Lovers) have been 5 star reads for me. Sadly, this was not the case, but it was still so good, hence the 4 stars.
I had the best time reading this story of finding oneself again, and of starting to trust people for the first time. I felt so much for Daphne, the main character, she doesn't trust easily and what happened with her ex-fiancée was horrible. Luckily she founds Miles, and together they find a way to overcome the wrongful things life threw at them in the past, and these things were also what brough them together. Their relationship felt real for me, and even if the way they meet is quite funny (hence the title), the rest of their story is a sweet discovery of how we are never alone.
I think this was not a five star read for me simply based on gut istinct. I read a lot of romance novels, so sometimes you just have to go with how a book makes you feel in rating it. And this made me feel less than the other Henry's books (as above, with the exception of Book Lovers). I preferred other stories, and in the end I didn't connect so much with Miles and Daphne as much as her previous couples. But that's just a me thing, this book is still so sweet and full of that beautiful balance Henry has to mix a light-hearted novel with serious topics. I totally recommend it.
Emily Henry has done it again.
I knew I would love this book, but it's officially my new favourite book of all time. Emily managed to create two characters who feel so real and relatable by using such an unique concept. This book made me laugh, cry and feel butterflies. I was invested in Daphne and Miles, together and individually, from the moment they were introduced. The chemistry was off the charts and their relationship felt so genuine. All the side characters and setting were so wonderful too. I loved this book so much and I will be recommending it to absolutely everyone.
Also, if you're a Taylor Swift fan this book is for the people who resonate with Mirrorball.
This was incredibly good! I didn't expect anything less from Emily Henry, but it still wowed me
In Funny Story, Daphne ends up sharing an apartment with Miles after her fiancé decides he's actually in love with his best friend, Petra, who was in a relationship with Miles at that time. Not only does Peter, now Daphne's ex, ends their relationship out of the blue, but he makes it clear that it's his house she's living in, so she needs to figure out where she's going to go. Funny Story is a romance, yes, but also a journey of self-discovery for Daphne because she realizes she had centred her whole life around Peter - where she lived, who she was spending time with, and even the activities she took part in. Miles is dealing with his own breakup, but also learning a lot about himself and his extreme sense of responsibility and guilt.
I loved this book! Both of these characters felt very real and so did their struggles, even if the premise setup felt a bit rushed. Emily Henry keeps getting better and better with each book she writes. From a person who was not a huge fan when she published her first two books and now considers her to be one of my auto-buy authors, I truly believe her writing has matured and her characters feel more believable and complex with each new book. I also loved how this was a love letter to books!
Thank you so much to Viking UK and NetGalley for this e-ARC!
Emily Henry's books are ALWAYS amazing and she's an instant pre-order author for me, but I so loved this one! It's such a great set-up and I can't wait for my friends to read it too so we can all DISCUSS!
EH just keeps getting better and better. Daphne and Miles are both such interesting, nuanced and imperfections characters and I adored getting to know them. This book is heart-warming, silly and really deep all at once.
I loved Daphne and Ashleigh's relationship so much and the exploration of what it feels like to find yourself after the rug has been pulled out from beneath you.
Waning Bay is also a super adorable location.
Highly recommend this!
“I’m not sure what parts of me are him and which parts are genuinely my own. And I want to know. I want to know myself, to test my edges and see where I stop and the rest of the world begins.”
Thank you so much to the Viking Books team and to NetGalley for gifting me an eARC of this funny, sexy, and utterly delightful romance by Emily Henry! I had the most joyful time reading this, and it’s one of my new favorite romances 🩷
This book is for anyone that enjoys a good romance with a lot of heart and a bit of spice! And it’s especially for you, if you like:
💫 opposites attract
💫 sunsets and sunrises
💫 forced proximity
💫 good food (so much of it)
💫 small adventures
While this didn’t make me cry like Happy Place did, it made me giggle more than once! I loved it, and I loved Daphne and Miles, in all of their flawed perfection! They both hurt people around them, but they grow, and they become better people, not just for themselves, but for each other and for the people in their lives.
In typical Emily Henry fashion, this book is not only an incredible romance, but so much more! It’s a wonderful portrayal of characters learning to heal, learning to stand up for themselves, and learning to build community. Community is such a central theme of this story, and the large cast of supporting characters made this novel unique in the best way possible 🥰
Although this isn’t my favorite Emily Henry book, Daphne and Miles’ story still holds a place in my heart. I see a lot of myself in Daphne, in her weird, genuine laughter, in her desire to belong with others, in her fear of being abandoned and of not being good enough. It is rare for me to relate deeply to characters, so it felt really special to me!
TW: Alcohol and drug use, absent parent, infidelity, child abuse.
Emily Henry has done it again. Her signature detail to the senses (the smell of ginger and woodsmoke *chefs kiss*) was evident, as well as the impressive balance between scenery description, witty dialogue, and moving the plot along. Will’s almost golden retriever energy is complimentary to Daphne’s sometimes self-deprecating ways. The chemistry truly crackles in the beginning from their first kiss to Daphne getting stuck in her wedding dress and beyond. Daphne evolves not only in her romantic relationship, but in her friendship with Ashley and her strained acquaintance with her father (and Starfire). Overall, it was a wonderful read.
I know when I pick up a book by Emily Henry, I am in for a five star whirlwind of feel good vibes and romance. I say whirlwind, because I cannot stop reading her books once I start. I got everything I was expecting and more from Funny Story. I couldn’t help but feel for Daphne and Miles and root from them after their worlds are turned upside down when their exes couple up. I love the forced proximity trope and the delivery of it was pitch perfect in this book. More than that. I loved the small town and the side characters. Why don’t I have a 24 hour readathon to attend? I would love that.
Romance readers, relax; you have found your next favourite couple, beach read and pick me up, all rolled into one book.
Thanks to Emily Henry, her publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review and advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Daphne finds herself homeless after her fiancé announces he's leaving her to be with his best friend, Petra just before their wedding. So she ends up moving in with Miles, Petra's ex. After a drunken might out they both RSVP to the wedding and fake date as a way to get back to their exes, but somewhere along the way Miles and Daphne grow closer and the line between fake and real blurs.
I love Emily Henry's books, she is great at writing romantic banter and her characters are always layered. This book didn't disappoint, especially the character of Miles who needs to be protected at all costs. Compared to her other books it did feel like it took at bit to get into it, but once the story hit its stride it was great.
I love how many of Emily Henry's books (I haven't read them all) are based in the book/publishing world. This time it's a library. The characters are very relatable, the premise is pretty funny-peculiar but kind of plausible too. Really enjoyed it. Emily Henry does not disappoint!
Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and Emily Henry for providing me with an ARC of Funny Story in exchange for an honest review.
While it did take me a little bit to get into the storyline, once I did- I absolutely loved it.
This book made me laugh so hard at times and it was hard not to root for Miles and Daphne!
4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
The perfect romcom but make it written by @emilyhenrywrites , what more could you want!? 🍇
Funny Story is the perfect balance of dysfunctional and healing, I consumed this book in a few days. There is just something about emily henry’s writing that calls to me, forever finding the best way to take any situation and make it magic. This book was no exception, her ability to intertwine heartfelt emotion and depth into a lighter touch romcom is honestly unmatched.
I cannot wait until you all get to meet Daphne & Miles and get immersed in their story. Funny Story is out on
Thank you to @vikingbooksuk @berkleyromance @netgalley for the ARC of this book, I am forever grateful 🫶🏼
#emilyhenry #funnystory #romcombooks #2024booksreleases #2024books
A new Emily Henry novel is always cause for celebration, and Funny Story is no different: once again, Emily proves why she's the reigning queen of romcoms. Nora Ephron for a new generation!
All of her books are exceptional, but Funny Story really is my perfect match. It's like someone asked me to describe my idea of the perfect romcom and then sent Emily Henry to the lab to cook it up. The premise - a pair of jilted fiances as unlikely roommates, accidentally ending up in a fake-dating scheme - is just amazing. But it's the way Emily understands chemistry and dialogue and attraction that just give her novels that special something. Easiest 5 stars I've given in a while.
In Funny Story Emily Henry delivers an addicting friends-to- fake dating- to- lovers storyline, providing a refreshing take on traditional romance tropes. I found Daphne and Miles to be loveable yet flawed characters, and the special connection between them that slowly forms to be the driving force of the book. The reason this wasn't a perfect 5 star for me is that the pacing felt inconsistent, with some parts feeling very rushed and others feeling as though they were dragged out. Despite this, Funny Story does not disappoint and Emily Henry's remains to be my favourite contemporary romance author .