Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of Funny Story.

I absolutely adore Emily Henry and everything she writes- I've literally been checking NetGalley for this arc since she announced the book- MONTHS. I saved it for my first read in 2024 because I knew it would be absolutely perfect . . . and then- it wasn't.

So maybe it's my fault that I didn't completely love this one. Maybe I built it up SO MUCH in my mind and was so excited that when I finally started it, I was inevitably going to be a bit let down. Look- this book isn't bad. I loved the ending. I enjoyed the middle immensely (although can we skip the 3rd act breakup meltdown bs just once, EH?) Something about the beginning just didn't work for me- too slow, too . . . boring?

Look, I eventually came to adore our two main characters, Daphne and Miles, especially when it's just the two of them. I enjoyed Daphne getting to know her coworkers, as well as meeting many of the locals (I always love a quirky local.) Unfortunately, that all is interrupted repeatedly by family members. Miles' sister? Sure, she's young and means well. Daphne's dad? Stop. Our mid 30s characters suddenly acting like 20 year old's who have never adulted in their life? NO.

I'm sure most people will love this book- in the end, I enjoyed it and honestly, I went from not being sure about it, to not being able to put it down pretty quick. It's not my favorite EH but they can't all be perfect bangers. I just felt like there was too much in this one and it took away from the stuff I did really enjoy. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4, because even a "just okay" EH is pretty great honestly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I will say it didn't live up to the standard I set for Emily Henry in my head, but it was still a very good romance novel. I liked the setting of a Michigan town in the summer, I liked having the countdown at the beginning of each chapter to heighten the stakes of the plot, and I liked the charming cast of characters. The amount of back-and-forth will-we-won't-we that Miles and Daphne did when it was clear they were both really really into each other did begin to exhaust me, but the other aspects of the book made me happy to keep reading. As a children's librarian there were certain descriptions/elements of Daphne's job that read as absurd to me (random adults being invited to storytime is horrifying to me, but sure, have your absent father and some woman named Starfire come to an event for young children and their caregivers).

Overall a very lovely and fun read! I will definitely recommend it to friends.

My first three-star Emily Henry, alas! This is a perfectly serviceable romance novel, but it doesn't really have that zing that her books usually have. I think Miles is the weak link; he seems like a nice guy, but there isn't much in the way of drama or tension, and his "big weakness" (I panic when things get real, or whatever) doesn't really manifest. He's just kind of...there.

And (unrelated to the quality of the book, but just because I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea): "Story Hour" (aka storytime, as most people would call it) is not just an hour of uninterrupted reading aloud. Sing a song in there somewhere, Daphne, please. I'm not going to complain too much about a sweet, sunny depiction of children's librarianship, but that part (and the part where she's going to read The Stinky Cheese Man as a storytime book?? No one would ever) truly made me shudder.

Another absolutely delightful read by Emily Henry! Those who have already come across her work will be delighted with this romp of a novel, and new readers are sure to be swept away as well. Daphne is a likeable and well rounded character - human in her heartbreak and triumphs.
(My only quibble as a children's librarian is that the books she picks as read-alouds for her storytime - while delightful! are too long for her described audience.)

That aside, an excellent read I'm sure to recommend!

Emily Henry's novels always focus on female friendships almost as much as the romantic relationship and Funny Story is no different. I enjoyed the Michigan setting and the details of Daphne's career as a children's librarian. Henry must have a very close friend who is a librarian, because she nailed all the details, from small budgets to trying to earn the trust of moody teens. Overall, this was another fun one that will be beloved by Henry's loyal fans!

I forgot how much I love an Emily Henry book. The fat that this one includes a librarian as the main female character is even better. Quick and fun read with some surprises along the way. Highly recommend. Thanks for the advanced copy NetGalley. #NetGalley #FunnyStory

4.5 solid stars for "Funny Story" by the reigning new Queen of Rom-Com's, Emily Henry!!! I really enjoyed this latest title so much more than the previous "Happy Place" - mostly because of the male MC, hottie Miles!! This one is a fun "friends-to-lovers" and "Fake dating" tropes combined as we see jilted children's librarian, Daphne get together with fellow-dumped Miles, and bonding over their exes. Very well done & well written, I was totally engaged with this one & also found it quite humorous at times, which is an Emily Henry trademark. This one will be uber-popular, for sure!! My deepest most thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC, my very sincere pleasure to review this one!!

This may be the very best one of her books… Funny Story has officially overthrown Book Lovers for me. The pacing of this book was perfect, I was pulled in right from the start. Daphne and Miles’ chemistry did not feel forced (even though they were fake dating hehe). Gosh, I honestly feel like this book takes all the best parts from her others. It has the banter from Book Lovers, the steaminess from Beach Read, the emotional impact from Happy Place, and the deep conversations from People We Meet On Vacation. I already want to re-read this book again. Thank you to the Berkley Team for sending this ARC because I officially cannot get it off my mind.

A huge huge thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of Funny Story by Emily Henry. This was one of my highly anticipated books of 2024! I was so exited to get an advanced copy in January and I read it the week I got it.

But unfortunately, this was just meh. I was very underwhelmed and it didn't feel like an Emily Henry book to me. I loved Beach Reads, People We Meet on Vacation and Book Lovers but found Happy Place just okay and Funny Story comes in dead last of her books.
The idea is cute -- falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex and I loved the Michigan setting and that Daphne is a librarian/library love in this book but that's all I liked.

The romance and characters felt flat to me. I read most of the book on a flight and while I read it quickly, I was kinda bored through most of the book.

I know this will be an unpopular opinion.

And my first 5 ⭐️ read of 2024 goes to Emily Henry!!! I’ll admit I may stan her a little but her books have a way of reaching into my shriveled little black heart and making me feel all the good things.

I went into it totally blind - after getting an unexpected netgalley approval. The premise is a jilted bride moving in with the ex-boyfriend of the girl who is now dating her ex-fiancée. Yup. That’s some 70s key party shit right there and lemme tell you…I AM HERE FOR IT!

They were both flawed and fractured people and they felt real and genuine. I love this book and I hope you will too!

I love that I just read what will no doubt be one of my top books of 2024 in the first week of the year.

It is absolutely no surprise to anyone that I could not put this down. I don't know how Emily Henry does it but every single book just feels like it was written directly for me. She always manages to write a story that has me needing to know what happens from the first page. And while the title might have been Funny Story, there were of course some tears shed along the way.

Even with the tears, the banter in this was SO good. Miles and Daphne's chemistry had me smiling so hard at the pages. The way Miles shows how much he cares for her actually squeezes my heart in such a good way. There was so much growth between the both of them that was both fun to read but also had that emotional part that Emily Henry does so well and left me in tears. On top of that, the friendships and relationships that were formed made my heart so happy. I loved watching each character learn how to open up to each other and add even more to their relationships. The depth of the characters makes them that much more relatable and I love this story for it. Emily Henry never fails with a love confession and this one has been living rent free in my mind since I finished the book.

Daphne and Miles have made a little home in my heart and I already cannot wait to reread this.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the digital arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This is now my number one Emily Henry book. I’m sorry Happy Place, but Funny Story takes the favorite spot. The only character I’ve ever read about that I could 100% relate to was Jacob Maddox, until I read Funny Story and met Daphne. Daphne is my soul character through and through. Every thought, every emotion she had, I’ve had. Reading about her literally felt like looking in a mirror. The Archer girlies, this book is for you.

Besides that, the romance and plot in this book was perfect to me. Miles is now my favorite emhen mmc. SWOON!!! I loved who he was for and to Daphne. The progression from roommates, to friends, to lovers was done so well and I was rooting for them the whole time. The banter and tension were perfect and the spice!! Done so well. The character growth was also one of my favorite parts of this book. I love how Emily’s books are always so fun and flirty but deal with more serious topics underneath. I think the balance in this book was perfection.

I finished this book in December but am already itching for a reread. I think this book is incredibly special and will be relatable for so many, and I can’t wait for the world to experience this book. This is the definition of my perfect book. Infinity and beyond stars ✨🫶🏼

I've loved everything I've read by Emily Henry, and Funny Story did not disappoint. This book had everything - it was funny, relatable, sad, charming, and everything in between. I spent most of my time reading this book laughing out loud, following by some wiping of my tears. Between Funny Story and Beach Read, I'm starting to feel like I should move to Michigan.

This was the first book I read this year, and it's set the bar high for the rest of 2024. I could not put this book down, and I have a feeling I'll be picking it up again soon for a re-read.

Yet another brilliant story from Emily Henry. With so many romances and new novels falling into traditional tropes (which, while easily marketable, can be a bit tiring), Henry never disappoints with a phenomenal new premise. The character dynamics were incredibly thoughtful, interesting, and engaging, leaving me invested in every moment with these characters.

Hilarious and charming! An unlikely romance that make you root from the heart! Emily Henry does it again with her snappy and relatable dialogue.

Funny Story isn't just a funny story. It's what Emily Henry does best giving what could easily be a light hearted rom com a deeper plot. We watch as the two main characters grow separately before finding their way into the cutest romance. This book gives everything from a light hearted Michigan summer to a woman experiencing personal growth after going through a very unfortunate. event. Miles and Daphne finding each other gave in my opinion the perfect balance of realistic first impressions and dreamy romance. Emily Henry does it again entering common troupes but doing it in a way so entertaining and different. My personal favorites we see played out are the jealousy, fake dating and forced proximity troupes. In saying all this I believe I found my new favorite Emily Henry book and that this is a must read for all romance readers especially in the upcoming spring and summer months.

While not my favorite Emily Henry, she never truly misses. This was just as charming and romantic as her previous works, and I LOVE Miles; he was SO FUNNY. Peter and Petra can burn in hell together; they were horrible and I’m so glad Peter showed his true colors before Daphne could marry him.
I felt like the third act breakup was kind of contrived. Sure, Miles should have just told Daphne about trying to get her dad back, but he actually had nothing to apologize for.

THIS. BOOK.

Emily Henry can write a grocery list and I will read every single item multiple times.

Daphne’s engaged to Peter. Petra’s engaged to Miles. Until one day, Peter dumps Daphne for Petra. *Ouch*
Daphne moves in with Miles… and so it begins.

Oh Daphne and Miles. I love them so much. The banter was top notch. As someone in her 30s, I was able to relate to them a lot. This book made me smile, made my heart so giddy and made me cackle more times than it should’ve. I loved the depth to each character, their insecurities, the baggage. How it makes you see that change is constant and it’s ok to embrace it. It was sexy, funny, messy, and the mix of friendships / ages was so refreshing.

💜 Roommates
💜 Fake dating
💜 Forced proximity
💜 Opposites attract
💜 Friends to lovers

I did not want it to end. I can’t wait to read it again!

Emily Henry never disappoints! I’m so so grateful to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Emily Henry, has not once, let me down! Book Lovers has always been a hard one to beat. It's one of my favorites. Buuuuut I think Funny Story actually did it! The tension, the characters, the plot, the back and forth hilarious talk... and of course the romance. Gah I am so glad this was my first read of 2024!

This was a good story, and I enjoyed the main characters, Daphne and Miles. They are both emotionally screwed up in different ways, but they manage to "find" themselves when they get together. The plot was well developed, and there were aspects of Daphne's character that I could identify with. I laughed. I teared up. I sighed. It had all the elements of a good love story. The only gripe I have, and I believe I said this in my review of Happy Place also, is that the author really should write her 30-something-year-old characters acting more like grown ups. If they were in their late teens to early 20's I could probably understand the pot smoking and whatnot, but it's very hard to relate to characters in their mid to late-30's who smoke weed and act like 20-something wannabes. Overall, I would still recommend Funny Story, but unfortunately I won't be anxiously awaiting the author's next book and pouncing on it, like I usually do.