Emily Henry's books can be hit or miss for me. I absolutely *loved* PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION but disliked many things about BEACH READ and HAPPY PLACE. Still, I can't seem to stop auto-buying her books because there's something I love about her writing/prose—it never fails, there are always a handful of lines that jump off the page as being utterly perfect—and I'm always hoping to find another masterpiece like PWMoV.

The brokenhearted roommates-to-lovers aspect of FUNNY STORY was really great. I felt the main characters' chemistry in my gut, which is a testament to Henry's strong writing. Yet, everything outside of the romance felt uneven. For example, I never really got Miles. His backstory felt like an afterthought, and while he was an extremely likable character, I never felt like I really knew or understood him.

(Editorial note: I think this story would've worked way better if it had been written in dual POV.)

I also think the title is misleading. This isn't as humorous as some of Henry's other stories, although there are some funny/witty lines. But overall, it's not a funny story. If you're looking for a rom-com, this won't fit the bill.

That said, I enjoyed a lot about the book. The surrounding cast of characters was fun, and the romance pacing was great. I just have high expectations for Emily Henry books, I guess—I want the storytelling to be as perfect as the writing.

RATING: B+ (4½ stars)

Emily Henry is my favorite author so there is no way for me to review this without bias. I think all I can say is I NEVER thought Beach Read would fall from my #1 Henry ranking...and my #1 is now Funny Story. Hilarious, heart warming, swoon-worthy. Checks all of the boxes and then some.

Thank you to @berkleyromance, @librofm, and @prhaudio for the review copies!

I was not prepared for how heavy the parental trauma was going to be in this one - definitely reach out or look up the content warnings if that’s an area of sensitivity.

As much as I tend towards fluffy romances than ones like this that make me feel my feelings, I absolutely adored Funny Story. Emily Henry is a master at balancing humor, romance, and deep feelings to create a story that sticks with you for a long time after reading it. In fact, I loved it so much that it took me weeks before I could read another contemporary romance book, because nothing held up to this masterpiece.

In the very beginning, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this one, because the premise includes my least favorite trope of “ooops I’m actually in love with my best friend” and our introduction to Miles gave me the ick. But I was quickly drawn into the story, and absolutely loved both Daphne and Miles.

🎧 Julia Whelan is simply a master storyteller. It is always a treat to listen to her work and completely lose yourself in the story.

Another winner from Emily Henry! Miles was the best book boyfriend and him and Daphne had my heart. I loved the premise of them being forced to live together because their exes, who were childhood friends, decided they were in love and broke Miles and Daphne's hearts. This had a lot of funny laugh out loud moments as well as the sweet and emotional ones that Emily Henry is know for.

4.5⭐️!

emily henry literally does not disappoint!! this book had me HOOKED from the start!! literally was the most perfect release to happen right around taylor swifts ttpd!! like, how did they plan that??

anyway, i absolutely adores miles & daphne! they were so fun!! i do have to say, out of all of emily’s books, i feel like this is a book that so many people can relate to. i mean other than the fact of living with your ex’s ex. this book felt like it was written about two average joes. don’t get me wrong, i looooooved them!! but it just felt like such a relatable story about two normal people who found each other & fell in love.

i highly recommend reading this book still!! so so good!!

DNF @ 65%. I was so incredibly bored, sadly. My friend filled me in on the ending. It was just a miss for me, but not every book is for every reader, and that’s okay! Thank you so much for letting me ready early. 🩵

This was such a great and fun read. I did not expect the plot as I thought this would be just a fun mindless beach read that left you feeling good. Instead it took you on a journey and made sure you had a good time the entire way while leaving you afterwards with a fun feeling. Loved it!

No surprise here, just another 5 star read from the queen of romcoms, Emily Henry. At first I thought these two were just trauma bonding, and yes it was a bit of that, but honestly Miles really is the better match for her. If you don’t feel like you can just be you or that you don’t belong— honey he is not the one for you. And that’s what it was like with Peter. Meanwhile with Miles, she was having a whole different experience. It could be because they were friends first, since their former significant others were now together (yikes) and therefore obviously didn’t rush into anything romantic. But Miles is honestly just such a sweet guy, it’s impossible not to love him. He allowed her to explore more of herself without the constant anxiety of her insecurity of not being enough. I absolutely adored them. It wasn’t just one sided either; Miles had his own insecurities, and once Daphne realized them, she did her part.
One of the things I love about Emily Henry’s books are how quotable they are. I’ll definitely have to get a physical copy of this, because there were so many quotes and moments I wanted to tab. I highly recommend this one if you’re look to laugh, cry, and just have an overall great time with a romcom.

Thank you Berkley for the eARC!

Wow, what a great book 🥹 an easy 5 stars for me.

This was my first Emily Henry book and I am now in love with her writing style and the characters that she creates.

I love Miles so much and how caring and sweet he is with everyone around him, but especially with Daphne. He KNOWS her and SEES her. And she makes him feel deserving of love 😭

I related to Daphne so much throughout this book; the way she felt like a second choice to so many people in her life hit me hard but her growth throughout this story was amazing and the ending was perfect!

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

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

“He loves me. Present tense. And I love him. He knows me, and I see him.”

“You make love so easy, Daphne. You make me think I already deserve it, exactly how I am.”

“You aren’t what I pictured. You’re so, so much better than what my cynical little brain could’ve ever come up with.”

i have now read three emily henry books, and while she is undoubtedly a talented writer, what i find most fascinating is the loyalty of her readers; going to your nearest bookstore on release day for a book that is probably no less than $30 — that’s dedication. and you know what, i think i finally get it.

i didn’t have particularly high expectations for funny story, but in all transparency, this just might be my favorite book of hers, hovering right above beach read (which i thoroughly enjoyed) and book lovers (of which i have no recollection but still think highly). funny story is far from perfect, but it does a lot of things well, and that’s quite a feat considering it’s less than 400 pages (proof that less is more!) and, according to the reviews i’ve seen, her most “romantic” romance novel yet.

still — i think funny story, like her other books, straddles the line between lighthearted romcom and introspective women’s fiction. the banter in this one is some of the best she’s written — it’s reread worthy, the kind that makes you laugh out loud. the characters themselves are wonderfully written; it’s obvious that emily henry adores them. she crafted miles and daphne with so much care and thought, adding dimension to the characters through their experiences and focusing on how said experiences changed and ultimately shaped them into the miles and daphne we read about in this book. its rare for me to like one mc in a romance book, let alone both, but daphne felt so relatable — her thoughts mimicked my very own at times. and miles i had a soft spot for because how could you not? he’s this is me trying personified. and the romance? god, the romance. i’m a harsh rater, even more so when it comes to contemporary romance. but in every! one! of! her! books! emily henry prioritizes the emotional connection between the two main characters. and the way she develops their relationship and has them slowly open up to each other? it gets me. every. time. i live for their vulnerable moments, for their conversations about their pasts, about what haunts them, as much as i live for their banter.

despite this being first and foremost a romance, it is also a story about rediscovering yourself, relearning who you are and what you like and what you want out of life. it’s a reminder to live for yourself, to spend your days with the people you love, to love them without restraint or inhibition. the ending is beautifully uplifting, the last sentence tying back to the very first, the tone hopeful and reassuring. it’s what i think i needed right now as someone who’s entering her twenties and is so intimidated by the unknown, who’s tempted to run away from the unpredictability of it all. and i’m sure it’s a book i’ll come back to when, in five years, my life will probably make even less sense than it does now.

I loved it. This book is exactly what I needed. Just read it. Daphne + Miles have my whole heart 🩵

I’m in repeat awe of EMILY HENRY’s incredible writing and storytelling talent and FUNNY STORY hooked me from the start. And it didn’t take long for me to be legit, doubled-over, laughing on the side of the road 👉🏻 I was out for a walk while listening to the audiobook for some context. I never knew Jordan almonds could bring me to tears. The. Best.

Fake dating. Charming small town vibes. Heartbreak. A Michigan summer. Two ex’s that are too close for comfort. Found family. And actual family. And a story about what happens when the life you had all planned out goes totally off course.

When Daphne’s fiancé Peter breaks up with her to be with his childhood “I swear we’re just friends” bestie, Petra, she’s devastated. When Peter gives her a week to find a new place to live, she’s stunned. Daphne left her job, her friends and her mom to move to Peter’s lakeside hometown and now she’s lost everything.

The last place Daphne expected to turn for help was to Miles — aka Petra’s ex. But if anyone understands what she’s going through it’s Miles. They are the unlikeliest of roommates, but somewhere in that heartbreak a friendship starts to grow. And when they hatch a plan to make their exes jealous by pretending to date, things really get interesting. But it’s all just for show, right?

This story really struck a chord with me with the prospect of having life not go the way you expected and finding a way to keep moving forward. Miles and Daphne’s friendship is everything. No one knows how to banter like EMILY HENRY. There’s so much emotion woven into this story and so much warmth and tremendous humor. And kick that bedroom door open for some delicious scenes ❤️

I enjoy Emily Henry's books and I also enjoyed this one about a woman who gets dumped by her fiance and moves in with the boyfriend of the woman he left her for. Basically, 2 people leave their partners to get together and the remaining partners become roomies. It's an interesting set up and I've definitely wondered in the past if this happens in real life! It's got a lot of heart which I think is true of Emily Henry's books and the characters are multi-dimensional and very relatable. I just didn't buy into the chemistry or else I would have probably liked it more and it felt really long at times. Perhaps because the set up didn't leave a lot of room for anticipation? It was a fine romance read but nothing that blew me out of the water. The audiobook narration by Julia Whelan was fantastic, as usual! Highly recommend on audio!

Another gem of a book by Emily Henry. I loved the story of Mile and Daphne. Seeing them go from where they started to where the ended was truly a journey of personal growth for each of them. I love that 2 people that were complete opposites on paper where exactly what the other needed. They also had that superb friends to more energy/chemistry and I was 100% there for it. I also was a fan of the side characters. Not Peter and Petra, but the good people. All in all a great read for my 4th book of 2024. Get this on you TBR.

I loved Funny Story SO much! Em Hen can do no wrong. This book is perfect for summer reading- it will make you want to have an outdoor dinner party with friends and become a librarian. SO GOOD!

I haven't even finished it yet and I know it's already a 5-star book. The banter between the characters and the initial tension is just right!

Emily Henry did it again. She always writes books with such interesting characters and realistic dialog.

Audio Review: Julia Whelan is an amazing narrator and always does Emily Henry's books justice. This is no exception. The audio version is excellent, capturing characters, emotions and tone so well!

Review (Possible spoilers- read with caution!)
I'm taking deep breaths in attempts to curb my gushing. First, I live in Traverse City, MI and this book takes place in a fictionalized town in my region. The author is obviously familiar with the area. I actually attended a book signing at one of our local indies in 2018 when she wrote A Million Junes (excellent YA book) before she started writing romance. The knowledge of the area came through with details in Miles and Daphne's activities, the scenic descriptions, and even the grocery stores (she listed our three main grocery stores!). It was a delight to see my home through a different perspective. It makes me want to go exploring out my back door!

And Miles and Daphne. They might be my new favorite couple. I loved how nuanced their characters are- Emily Henry is magical with character development. I also loved the slow burn of their relationship. . And I especially loved their growth and hope and ability to trust and take a risk.

The side characters were equally awesome. I really am looking forward to a re-read. I always feel hopeful and grounded after reading one her books. And have a satisfied smile on my face.

Thanks to the publisher for sharing a copy with me. All opinions are my own.

It has been a bit since I've read an Emily Henry book and this one I was really excited for! I really liked the premise/set up for this book. Our characters felt drawn quite different emotionally (in my opinion) to Henry's usual suspects. We also got a bit more in the spice department this book and that was a pleasant surprise, but I am not sure how I felt about it at times, which is weird to say because I am not one to turn down a good sex scene. I honestly do think that this may be one of her weaker novels- while I have yet to read Happy Place, this one just felt different to me than her first three by way of there was not as much charm in the dialogue for me, and while I really liked Miles, he fell a little bit short on charisma that I felt like I was expecting based on his characterization. I think that theres so many layers to both Daphne and Miles that I would need to read this a few more times to be able to pick apart all of my thoughts thoroughly, but upon first read I am entertained and I enjoyed enough. My feelings are definitely very mixed on this book. I feel at the end that the romance was good and there was some classic trappings of an Emily Henry book, and is worth the read for sure, but I feel like if I read this again, my opinions may change some.

Thank you @prhaudio for the free audiobook!!

This book just added a new item on my bucket list: sleepover at a library. How are we going to make that happen, besties? 😂

So our female lead Daphne had always been part of a “we” - meaning she’s always in a relationship and makes her life revolve around said relationship that when her fiance ended things with her - she literally was almost left with nothing. No friends, far away from her family, no home.

And that’s how she ended being roommates with Miles - the ex of Daphne’s fiance’s current fiance. Talk about messy 😂

Finally!!! Emily Henry wrote a fake dating book!

I’ve read all of her books and this one is going to be another favorite (it didn’t beat Book Lovers as my number 1 EmHen though 😅) I love the found family subtrope, the witty dialogues, and I love that this digs deeper emotions other than romantic love.

I love reading all about the side characters too!! This is the spiciest EmHen so far, I’m not super bothered by it because the plot for this book is 👌I loved reading about the slow burn progress from friends to lovers too!! I think I didn’t enjoy it as much because I got so excited with the fake dating trope and I felt like it wasn’t utilized enough. It’s still a solid romance book though!

I have the physical copy of this book but I mostly listened to it on audio because @justjuliawhelan is just honestly amazing!!!

💭 What’s your last read for April?? Also, do we know of any May BOTM spoilers?!

#romancebooks #bookstagram #bookreviews #romancebookstagram #emilyhenry #funnystory #fakedating

I loved this so much. I love how relatable the characters felt and how realistic the story feels. I loved and savored every moment of it. The book cover design also makes me so happy.