It's a truth universally acknowledged that Emily Henry doesn't know how to write a bad story.
Every time I read one of hers, I am completely taken in by the world she creates, marveling at her ability to do something new, time and again, while maintaining her signature banter and unique voice.
Miles, especially, is pretty remarkable as a main protagonist, and unlike anyone Henry has written before. The way this man unapologetically listens to his sad songs playlist! Reading Funny Story was akin to slowly falling under the charm of Miles. He's the sort who genuinely likes people and sees the best in them. Daphne is the opposite of him - does not make small talk and finds it hard to make friends. Both have their baggages, and at first, the pairing seems unlikely. However, as Miles and Daphne fall into a friendship, and start developing feelings for each other, it becomes more and more clear that these two are (as trite as it might seem to say) absolutely made for each other. All of that, rounded up with a superb secondary cast, makes for an excellent reading experience.
A bookish romance year is incomplete without a Henry masterpiece. She keeps raising the bar.

Thank you to Viking Books UK and the EmHen dream team for the opportunity to review an advance copy of Funny Story. All opinions are my own.

Truly Emily Henry can do no wrong! I would honestly read anything this woman writes, including her shopping list!!!!

Headlines:
The extraordinary-ordinary guy
Trust issues
Friends to lovers

Emily Henry took the worst of break ups and gave us the funny, but not only that, she created a friend and hero that epitomised the extraordinary-ordinary guy. He wasn't rich, he wasn't beautifully handsome, he wasn't a high flyer with ambition but he was good, caring and someone you'd want in your life; meet Miles.

Daphne was the kind of heroine that was endearing, relatable and also pretty run of the mill. Daphne had one great parent and one awful parent that had left her with trust issues a mile long. She was a children's librarian who was good at her job but never quite believed herself worthy of the job, the partner, house or family. In actual fact, she trusted easily but beat herself up for it.

The friendship between Miles and Daphne was slow building and authentic. Their Sundays together were great reading as were the side characters that emerged. We got to find out more about the family issues these two had and how it had made them the people they were.

I didn't love the third act break-up but I did love the resolution, aided by the great chemistry these two had.

This was a banging summer read, easy on the bookish soul and full of emerging hope.

Thank you to Viking Books for the review copy.

Daphne is left to pick up the pieces after her fiance ends their engagement to date his childhood best friend. But at least she’s not alone because now she is roommates with said childhood best friend’s ex boyfriend Miles. After being invited to their exes’ wedding, Daphne and Miles form a plan involving posting misleading relationship-esque photos to Instagram to essentially get their version of revenge on their exes, which is obviously just for show…right?

I love Emily Henry’s writing, I’ve read quite a few of her books in the past so I was eager to start on this book. The whole living situation scenario established at the beginning of the book was quite a unique beginning to the story so it made me excited to read the rest. There were a lot of big personalities throughout the book and a lot of emphasis on characters’ personal growth as well. I also really loved the banter between our main characters

I really enjoyed this book and of course I would recommend it - I really felt like it could be a nice beach read for the Summer

✔️opposites attract
✔️fake dating
✔️ roommates
✔️ friends to lovers
✔️chosen family

4.5

I'm always utterly excited when Emily Henry announces a new book. She always manages to write wholesome but meaningful love stories. She writes them in such a way that you want to step into the stories, be friends with these characters, and live in these lovely places. And let me tell you, Funny Story wasn't the exception.

Daphne and Miles had so many heavy feelings; they were heartbroken and a bit hopeless, but they were able to find happiness, friendship, and love again in their lives and in each other. I absolutely loved reading about their journey and growth, specifically seeing Daphne fall in love with her life and Miles.

I think this is Emily's funniest book so far. It had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. I just loved Miles and Daphne's humour, jokes, and banter. It was witty and oh-so beautifully sarcastic.

One of my favourite things about EmHen's books is the characters she writes. They are genuine, relatable, and easy to like; honestly, I want to be friends with them. Daphne, our FMC, is a librarian, and I just love how passionate and dedicated she is to her job. I didn't have issues liking her; on the contrary, I loved her and empathised with her. Miles, our MMC, where should I even start with Miles?! He was down-to-earth, so honest, genuine, tender, funny and overall lovable. Where can I get a Miles? Honestly, Emily, stop writing these men cause I cannot not love them and this is getting out of hand (.... please never stop)

If you enjoyed Emily's previous books, you'll definitely enjoy this one, too. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House, Viking Books and Emily Henry for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

emily henry does it again! funny story is yet another triumph, full of witty banter, slow burn romance and, as the title suggests some funny stories!
first there is daphne and her meet cute with peter (it involves a hat and some noodles) then there is peter’s love story with his bff petra (not so fun, involves alcohol and jealousy), then there is daphne and miles. the jilted lovers turned room mates turned soul mates?

miles is the kind of leading man only
emily henry could write, while daphne is every girl you’ve ever met and wish you could cuddle and let them know it is all going to be ok.

charming, witty, engaging and bittersweet in places while being smirk inducing in others - funny story is the perfect romance for the summer, so grab yourself a
copy for your days lounging by the pool, sunning by the sea or just hanging out in your room!

thank you @netgalley for the early copy. funny story is out 23rd april.

thank you so so SO much to netgalley and the publisher for sending me this arc!

oh my god. emily henry you have done it again. it has been so long since i have read a book that i have been excited about reading when i get home. thinking about it constantly when i’m preoccupied with something else. not wanting to go to sleep without reading one more chapter. of course, i can always count on emily henry to change that. this book made my heart so full, and while i was desperate to finish it, i am so sad it is over. daphne and miles are everything to me.

after their respective partners leave them for each other, daphne and miles end up living together and entwined in a fake relationship in an attempt to make their exes jealous. and let me tell you, emily henry writing fake dating is everything i have ever needed.

daphne and miles have such a special bond, being each other’s safe spaces. i think one thing i loved most about them is the fact that their fake dating plan isn’t known by everyone. so, unlike in most books with this trope, they are rarely forced into situations where they have to pretend and so we get to see genuine interactions and see them build a real foundation of a friendship first. that being said, there is still plenty of tension and chemistry between them that had me giggling and kicking my feet.

daphne vincent is so me. i say this about every single emily henry book, but i don’t know how she somehow manages to always put my innermost thoughts into words. i think daphne is the most i have ever related to an EmHen character. especially because i, too, am in love with miles nowak. she says to him at one point that he is the nicest person she’s ever met and i have to agree. he is the sweetest, most thoughtful man ever. he is the standard!

i could go on and on. this book is so special and i am so incredibly grateful to have been sent this arc. i cried, i laughed, and by the end my cheeks ached from smiling so much.

miss emily henry never disappoints and this is no exception.

Emily Henry, how i love you and your writing skills.

I received Funny Story as an ARC and i absolutely loved it.
While Daphne absolutely captured my heart, as the up tight librarian with a big heart, Miles also managed to do so with his cute smile and loving personality. While they seem to be absolutely awful for each other in the beginning, this story shows that even the most unexpected pairings can make the best ones in the end.

I also loved the setting of Waning Bay and all the secondary characters who all come together whenever necessary.

Absolutely amazing and totally recommend. Coming out so soon!!!

Emily Henry is officially a staple author for me. I always reach for her books with happy anticipation and Funny Story is no different. It has everything that I love in Emily’s rom coms: a great premise, rounded characters who you can’t help but fall in love with and lines that make me laugh aloud. I’ve had the pleasure of reading all of her work now and am already eagerly awaiting her next book. Highly recommend.

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love Emily Henry. I have never rated one of her books below 4.5 stars. Funny Story was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 so I could not believe my luck when I got the chance to read this one early.

Now before you think the worst… I enjoyed this! I really did! It pains me to say that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped (better yet, expected) I would. I didn’t think it was possible for me to feel let down by an Emily Henry book. It’s kinda crazy that I even feel the need to justify a 4 star rating because let’s be honest, that’s not a low rating okay? But apparently my standards for Emily Henry are through the roof. I just expected… more? I don’t really know what this story missed, I just wasn’t as invested in this one compared to her other books.

I also partly blame myself because I didn’t really take my time. I usually reserve about two days for a new Emily Henry novel. Two days when I have nothing much else going on, so that I can divide my full attention to it. For this one I kept reading a little bit at a time spread out over two months. I admit this may not have been the best approach 🫣 but I think it wasn’t just me the story just didn’t grab me as much as her other books did. I’m hoping I can come back to Funny Story one day (years later, when I’ve forgotten this entire reading experience) for a reread. Maybe then I’ll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Book Lovers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Why can't I stop missing the dad I never had? Why is he this constant dull ache in my heart? I knew he wouldn't change. But a part of me kept hoping I had changed enough that he couldn't hurt me, or that this new iteration of me would be the one worth sticking around for. That I'd fixed whatever's so broken in me that I can't be loved.”

♾️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book: Funny Story
Author: Emily Henry

There’s one thing about me… if Emily Henry writes it, i’m gonna read it! This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and OH MY GODDD, in my opinion, this is EmHen’s BEST BOOK! I connected to Daphne in so many ways, i saw myself in the good and the bad of her character and at times it was tough to read and left me sobbing, feeling like a mirror was being held in front of me, especially her relationship with her mum and dad, it was so similar to mine that I am convinced that Emily Henry read my diary...

Miles and Daphne had SO much chemistry, i was giggling and kicking my feet and doing all of the things a brilliant romance book will have you doing (including crying into a pillow). The banter between them was just perfect and I was rooting for them all the way through.

I finished this book two nights ago and already have the urge to reread it. This will be on my list of books that I wish I could read for the first time. God, i just adored it. 🥹

Read if you enjoy:
🩵 Friends to lovers
🩵 Forced proximity
🩵 Opposites attract
🩵 Relatable MCs
🩵 Family issues
🩵 Golden retriever MMCs
🩵 One POV
🩵 Book loving FMC
🩵 Girls girls

(Thank you so much to Viking Books UK for gifting me the EARC in exchange for an honest review! I am so grateful! 🫶🏻)

🫶🏻

Funny Story
Emily Henry

“Life I’d learned is a revolving door. Most things that come into it only stay awhile.”

I adored this book! It was lighthearted, happy go lucky and so bingeable. Set to the most perfect summer backdrop, it was fun and filled with fantastic banter and lovable characters. Emily Henry is an automatic buy author for me, she always delivers.

“It’s easy to be loved by the ones who’ve never seen you fuck up. The ones you’ve never had to apologize to, and who still think all your ‘quirks’ are charming. It’s easy to be around people who don’t know you.”

There’s something magical about an Emily Henry rom com. Always heartwarming and wisdom filled, full of wit and heart. It’s more than the surface level emotions but grants you true insights into the characters emotional states and in particular the upheaval and acceptance that occurs when your life is flipped on its head. Themes of heartbreak and learning to love again, loneliness and avoidance provide relatability that will touch and warm every heart.

“You can’t force a person to show up, but you can learn a lesson when they don’t. Trust people’s actions, not their words. Don’t love anyone who isn’t ready to love you back. Let go of the people who don’t hold on to you. Don’t wait on anyone who’s in no rush to get to you.”

Miles is my favourite Emily Henry leading man. He’s obviously hot, but charming and easygoing, selfless and adventurous. The man can do no wrong! In particular I adored the domesticity of Daphne and Miles time together. They were so sweet.

“Those are the moments that make a life. Not grand gestures, but mundane details that, over time, accumulate until you have a home, instead of a house.”

Please do yourself a favour and buy this incredible book, released on 23rd April 2024 in Australia. It exceeded my already extremely high expectations.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for granting me this ARC. Dream come true.

“You were a realist,” I tell her.
“Honey.” She laughs “I’m a cynic. And a cynic is a romantic who’s too scared to hope.”

Centering your life around your fiancé and his family and friends is all fine until it isn't. Dumped after the bachelor party for his female best friend.
Sharing a flat with the only person who can understand the best friend boyfriend.
Friendship allows the opposites to bond,
The hilarious meetings with the exes. Life begins to be fun again.

Emily Henry has such a knack for making me fall head over heels for her characters. In Funny Story, you will fall in love with Miles and Daphne. This seemingly unsuitable match will have you swooning.

The character development throughout is expertly handled and I honestly didn't want to farewell this gorgeous bunch of people.

Another 5 star read from the Queen.

Everything that Emily Henry writes is immediately a five-star read for me, I had no doubts going into this book that I would love it, and to say that I loved this book is a drastic understatement. Love stories are subjective depending on the reader, but I know that many will agree when I say that every book by this author just radiates love, pure and simple. Whether it’s between strangers or friends, Emily Henry knows how to write the most heartwarming and real romance. ‘Funny Story’ was everything that I had initially hoped it would be, I always feel safe setting high expectations for every one of this author's books because I’m never disappointed. Although each one of her books varies, I still get the same warm feeling in my heart upon turning that last page every time. This book is going to be just as loved as the rest if not more!

I miss this book, Miles and Daphne so much and I only finished their story a few days ago. Something that Emily Henry nails every time is managing that connection between the character and the reader. Whether it's the tiny pieces of information about each character, or the small dashes of humour and banter in conversations, she always manages to make you feel as though you know her characters personally. Almost as if you’ve come to know and love them as you would a dear friend. The slow-burn romance between these two characters was perfect, after they both had been through something so heartbreaking, it was almost as if the other became a beacon of light to help guide them through their individual heartbreak. The beloved friendship that the two of them had before finally falling in love with one another solidified the five-star rating for me.

I’m so happy that I got the chance to read this one early, but now I feel such immense jealousy for all of those who get to read this one for the first time. Because if I could erase my memory of this book and read it all over again, I would, just feel those emotions and watch this love story unfold one more time. It was messy at times of course, but aren’t most funny stories?

Thank you to Netgalley, Emily Henry and Penguin Random House for sending me an early copy of this book, I already can’t wait for the next one!

One of my favourite Emily Henry books! At this point I don't even read the blurbs of her books because I trust that every one of her books will be an entertaining and enjoyable read.

This is Emily Henry’s fifth novel, and I have loved every one of them. If I had to choose, my favourites before this one are Beach Read and Book Lovers.

Daphne is heartbroken, her fiance left her for his childhood best friend. She’s now humiliatingly living with her fiance’s childhood best friend’s very recent ex boyfriend, Miles and trying to be okay with everything. Thankfully, Miles is a good roommate in that she never sees him as he’s always barricaded in his room. I actually laughed out loud at one of these sections, where Miles is watching Bridget Jones’ Diary over and over, eating ice cream while wrapped in a blanket. Emily Henry manages to speak to my soul.

Daphne and Miles are real, live people. Anxious and excited and hoping for the best and sometimes getting it wrong, with the best of intentions. Even Peter and Petra are depicted not as the big bad villains, but two people who realised they were in love with each other and needed to act on it. Not exactly selfless, but the alternative was to make four people miserable forever. One of the things Henry is great at is writing characters who you wish were your friends, and actually, you feel like they could be your friends, if they existed and were real people.

The other Henry themes are there too - complicated parental relationship, a sense of loss or longing around a childhood or teenager event, the message that home is where the heart is and not necessarily the place you spent most of your youth living in.

I also loved that it was a love story about libraries, and not just about romantic relationships. Daphne works in a library, and her enthusiasm is palpable. It made me want to run down to my local library and check a book out, just to make sure it stays open.

Recommended for fans of Emily Henry, of course. This is now in my top three of her books. I think it also felt similar to Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guilory and Yours Truly by Abby Jiminez - thoughtful romances, is what I’d call it. But not boring!

Buy your copy of Funny Story from all good bookshops from April 25th 2024, and you can pre-order a beautiful signed hardback from Waterstones, here.

Thanks as always to Viking for the early DRC (what a present for Blue Monday!) and Netgalley for the platform.

If there’s one thing about me it’s that I’m first and foremost an Emily Henry girlie, so when I saw that Funny Story was available to read on Netgalley I JUMPED to request it.

Funny Story follows the relationship between Daphne and Miles as they become flatmates of convenience after their partners run off together. The dynamic between the two reminded me of that of Gus and January in Beach Read, and Charlie and Nora in Book Lovers, two of my favourite Emily Henry novels, but I loved the way that the forced proximity of the flatmates dynamic added a depth and complexity to their relationship. I also really enjoyed the way that this novel includes familial and platonic relationships as crucial, not secondary, to the plot, which really strengthened the story for me. As for the plot itself, Funny Story is a classic on-form Emily Henry novel, I devoured it over the course of a couple days and could barely put it down.

The only drawback for me was the main character’s name, as Daphne is a name that is very deeply tied to Scooby Doo so I find it hard to apply it in other fictional contexts, but I feel that this is likely because I’m British and it’s not a common name here, so it would perhaps have a different impact on a US audience.

All in all, if you’re an Emily Henry girl, or a lover of well-rounded romance then you will love this!!

From the very beginning Funny Story wrapped me in a warm and comforting hug and wouldn't let go, not even when I was laughing out loud or fighting back tears. I have found this to be true with everything I have read by Ms Henry - it feels like coming home.

Funny Story is at times funny, sure - just ask my family how many times I laughed out loud while reading - but more than that it is a touching and moving story about life, and about what to do when the rug has been pulled from under you and you have to start over, once again. Told from Daphne's point of view I actually found both Daphne's and Miles' stories and personal growth equally meaningful and I loved how they supported each other and gave the other person space to grow. The book is written in such a tender way that all the emotions feel very real, the self-doubt and the fear of trusting other people and life itself are very relatable, and all the little moments of joy that these two wonderful characters experienced filled my heart with happiness.

A wonderful, wonderful novel - thank you so much for the ARC!

This took me a little while to get into as I have struggled with physically reading vs just putting an audiobook on for the last few months, but once I got to the 50% mark I absolutely devoured it. I loved this story, and I adored Daphne and Miles. I loved their vulnerabilities but also how their relationship blossomed out of that. Julia and Ashleigh were great characters too, and from about 80% I completely sobbed, so I'm going to say it's another win for Emily Henry! Definitely one for the Happy Place fans.