I loved this book--for an Emily Henry it's just about perfect. I enjoyed it much better than her last book. She does wear me out with the big speeches at the end, though.

I am so incredibly grateful to have been given this e-ARC, because I cannot get enough of Emily Henry's writing. I have absolutely loved each and every one of her books. And the last three, Funny Story included, have become some of my favorite books of all time. I do not know how she does it where she writes these fresh stories, and each one is so completely their own. I cannot even rank them in order of how much I like them because each one is so different and so so good. And I feel like asking me to pick my favorite is like asking a mother to pick their favorite child....its not possible.

I loved Charlie & Nora, I adored Wyn & Harriet, and I could not get enough of Miles & Daphne!!!! They had such amazing chemistry between the two of them...AND THE TENSION. OH MY GOODNESS. IT WAS SO GOOD. I love how complex her characters are written. There is so much more to them, than you find in other Romance books. I also could not get over the fact that Daphne was a librarian!!!! The crazy library patrons stories were so spot on and I could not stop laughing whenever Daphne or Ashleigh mentioned one of their crazy and lovable patrons. It was so relatable.

The only thing that I would change a little bit, was if there was more of a argument/climax regarding Daphne's friend Sadie. I feel like that almost hurt more than what Peter did (almost) and I wish we could have seen something more there, (Also would have loved for Daphne to have punched Petra & Peter , but I know that's not her style) but other than that, I ABSOLUTELY ADORED EACH AND EVERY SECOND OF THIS BOOK. Literally, everything that she writes, is pure gold. I don't think she knows how to write a bad book, like I think its physically impossible for her to do so.

Anyway, thank you so much to Emily Henry, NetGalley, and Berkley publishing for this opportunity and for this AMAZING, FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL, e-ARC. It was everything I expected & more. <3

As an avid Emily Henry reader, I can honestly state that Funny Story is close to being her best book. The prose is stronger, more sophisticated, compared to earlier books. The character development is wonderful, honest, and real. In fact, the two protagonists do not come across as stock Emily Henry characters who happen to be cast in an Emily Henry novel. I found myself identifying with Daphne and Miles more so than any character from Henry’s other books. Also, there were elements of this work that reminded me 0f Beach Read — the pop culture references, waxing poetic about the power of books and libraries, the bond between Daphne and Miles or Daphne and her mother. I can’t explain it, but while reading Funny Story, I had the impression that the author had as much fun writing it as I had reading it.

This year's Emily Henry rom-com does not disappoint. Daphne is a children's librarian who was raised by a hardworking, single mom and ends up being dumped by her fiance after she built her life around him. Throw in a strained relationship with her dad and you are rooting for her to get her happy ending. Miles (also dumped) is a delightful guy and beloved by everyone in their small town. He has some family issues, but I felt like they weren't as clearly fleshed out as Daphne's, which was a weakness in the story. The residents of this small town in Michigan are quirky and entertaining. Ashleigh particularly shines as a snarky sidekick to Daphne. This book also serves as a love note to libraries and librarians and for that I am grateful.

Emily Henry has another hit on her hands. Funny Story is more than contemporary romance; it’s about healing childhood trauma, taking responsibility for your emotions and actions, and opening yourself up to new friendships, new ways of looking at life, and yes, new love. 10/10 would read again.

I wasn't sure I was going to like this friends to lovers roommance at first since the premise felt a little too convenient (Daphne's fiance dumps her and she moves in with her now ex's new fiance's ex - Miles, a pot-smoking, bearded, bartender) plus Daphne felt kind of wishy washy/doormat-ish in the beginning.

However, once I really got invested in Miles and Daphne's growing friendship, the way they supported one another through tough family drama/trauma (both suffer from cPTSD/neglectful parents) I couldn't put this story down!

Daphne in particular has a great character arc, discovering her independence and unwillingness to go along with what's expected/easy but fight for the friendships and love of the people who show up for her (her friendship with co-worker/single mom Ashleigh was a particular highlight and the way the author wrote about the challenges of making new friends as an adult was top notch!).

I also really loved that Daphne was a kick ass small town children's librarian or that this was an AMAZING small town Michigan summer setting. Perfectly pairs with Abby Jimenez's upcoming, Just for the summer (another book with cPTSD rep and extreme family/childhood trauma).

A side note that Miles took a while for me to warm up to but as he works through his own issues and tries to show Daphne how to have fun and trust in people, he grew on me too (even though he's not much of a reader but I will forgive him that due to his dyslexia). Many thanks to NetGalley and the Berkley Romance for an early digital copy of one of my MOST antcipated 2024 releases!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts are my own.

What a fun read!

I love the worlds Emily Henry creates and this one was no different. I enjoyed falling into Daphne and Miles' lives as they navigate the world post-breakup. I loved the setting and the cast of small-town characters. I loved the slow build to Miles and Daphne figuring out their own messes and how they could stand on their own and together. I loved Daphne learning how to be an 'i' instead of a 'we' and the messy way she went about it. I loved Daphne and Ashleigh finding their way to true friendship and that their love story was just as significant as the one between Daphne and Miles.

In true Emily Henry fashion, this story was warm and captivating. I fell into this book easily and quickly. The emotional impact wasn't as big for me as Happy Place (my favorite EH book) but I was endeared to these characters and loved this book nonetheless.

Emily Henry, my rom-com queen!

First, I LOVE that the main character is a children’s librarian. This is everything to me. So much of this book took place in libraries and it was heavenly.

The love interest, Miles, was the sweetest man on the planet and he and Daphne together was just 🥰🥰🥰. To me, this book felt closer to Beach Read than to her other books. Very classic rom-com format. Emily Henry never misses!

WHAT A FUN READ - thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC! (slight tropes/vibes spoilers ahead but honestly they should hype you up)

Things I LOVED:
- The concept of "what happens to the two people that are dumped when two childhood best friends get together" and all the angst and karmic revenge happening
- Miles (the LI) who's a TATTOOED hipster man who knows everybody at the farm stand
- I am slightly convinced I should move to small-town Michigan?
- I loved how DESPICABLE some of the characters are. Like, genuine assholery which I feel is new and fresh in Emily Henry books
- THERES SLIGHT FAKE DATING (but its not the whole plot, which is nice) which always gets me feral
- WE GET A LITTLE MORE 🥵 SLIGHTLY EARLIER ON IN THE BOOK
- The banter is excellent (but imo, nobody tops Charlie Lastra (sorry !))
- I laughed out loud and wanted to throw my kindle across the room 8x times minimum

Things I wanted slightly differently:
- Emily Henry herself says that Karma by Taylor Swift is THE SONG for this book, which I agree like...PLOT mechanic wise, but in terms of VIBES, no. I personally wanted more 😈🗡💀 KARMA rather than 😝🙊🤞KARMA you know? The MC is quite a soft girl but I would have preferred ANGRY VENGEFUL B*TCH rather than a SAD wallow-y kinda vibes
- I had a really hard time imagining the MC and getting a sense of her personality other than being sad
- The pacing in the climax/end was a bit rushed because there were a LOT of emotional baggage beats in rapid sequence, and I appreciate how she's trying to pull off BOTH character arcs of the MC and the LI, which in past books I didn't feel we got as much of
- MORE SPICE PLS BUT I GET IT OKAY THIS IS A ~*CHARACTER*~ BOOK
- Random note the use of drunken confessions + frequency of heavy drinking is a lot in this book so I just wonder how future books will turn out as more and more readers go alcohol-free and it just happened so often I ended up taking a mental note of it

Things that made me to go ????????? but you may be into it:
- Love interest has a beard
- Love interest is described as grown Macauley Culkin with a beard (??????)...imo just...no. i invite you to google him, it is not GIVING
- She's a librarian who is literally very buttoned up (clothing-wise)?

Gobbled it up in a day, as per usual with a new Emily Henry book! With a likeable and flawed heroine, complicated but sweet love interest, small town cast of characters, and a library at the centre (Daphne is a children’s librarian after all!), what’s not to love??

I love Emily Henry and always find myself drawn to her characters. They are relatable and emotional.

Daphne and Miles have heartbreak in common, but they don't really know each other. When they suddenly become roommates, Daphne sees that Miles is a really friendly, kind guy. She's always been bad at small talk and doesn't have a lot of friends.

Daphne is a librarian and is super passionate about the work she does at the local library. She loves her job and the kids at storytime. As a librarian, I loved reading about her life at the library. It was realistic and fun to dive into.

Both of our main characters have a lot of emotional baggage to unpack and Emily Henry makes you feel the big emotions while they do. I cried and smiled and.really rooted for them both to find their own happiness.

Thanks to netgalley and Berkeley publishing for an ARC to review.

I LOVED this book. Easily Emily Henry’s best yet. It has the banter of Book Lovers, the emotional depth of Happy Place and overall love that is so unique and sweet. Miles and Daphne come together from the most absurd circumstances and yet they form the sweetest friendship. They work on healing themselves while also healing each other. 10/10 recommend this book to anyone who loves a sweet romance full of self discovery and swoon worthy moments.

I ate this up so quickly. Miles is a different kind of romantic interest than I have read in quite some time, but Emily Henry just has a manner of writing characters that are so so so incredibly real and genuine. I know these people, and I could be friends with these people. They are so honest, and as a bookseller/book hoarder, Henry's protagonists always hit so close to home. Thank you for the opportunity to read the ARC!

i really enjoyed this book. it wasn’t what i was expecting but i loved the build up between daphne and miles. i loved all the side characters and the found family aspect. however, i do feel that at times the storyline got very repetitive and dragged a bit. but overall it was very enjoyable. i laughed and i cried and definitely recommend this one!

Emily Henry has done it again. Funny Story was everything I wanted it to be, tied with the perfect bow of an ending that will have me thinking about this book until it comes out and I can buy it and read it again.

Thrilled with EmHen's newest, bringing the humor and setting similar to Beach Read but with a fresh protagonist and love interest. She writes with her signature emotional depth and laugh-out-loud scenarios.

6 star read!!! ⭐️

This is for the ones who so desperately want to feel accepted + wanted despite how broken you bright feel. For the girls who always feel like the second choice, but somehow always end up shining brighter.

One thing about emhen is she will immediately draw you into story from chapter. I was immediately captivated by Daphne + Miles. I truly felt all the emotions and I was only 10% in the book. That’s how enraptured you get while reading Emily’s work. There’s always an ease between the characters Emhen writes even when they just met or early on into their relationship. It just feels so right.

Both characters were so real, raw, and vulnerable and it was refreshing to read. I truly felt like pieces of myself were woven between both Miles and Daphne.The bond and intimacy that grew within their friendship was breath takingly beautiful. This book felt very archer + matilda coded!! I’ve said this before I’ll say it again never met an Emily Henry book I DIDNT LOVE!!!!

Thank you so much NetGalley + Berkley for the arc!!

EMILY HENRY DOESN’T MISS!!
I received an arc copy of this book for an honest review- and I am HONESTLY in love with it. The premise is GOLD: her new roommate is her ex-fiancés new girlfriends ex boyfriend. And naturally they’re going to fake date to shove it in their ex’s faces 😌

DAPHNE: has realistic insecurities and hang ups that she needs to work through- and her growth through the book is just *chefs kiss*.

MILES? Nick Miller coded. If that doesn’t immediately do it for you, then you and I are not the same. But for real, his character is lovable, even in his imperfections.

One of my fave EH books so far, I read it in literally less than 24 hours.

Note: content warning for difficult childhood/neglect. It’s not on page, but it should be taken into consideration if you are sensitive to that.

It is important to note that most of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the book's subject matters & those detailed in my review overwhelming. I suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters that contain reflections on parental abandonment, parental abuse, psychological abuse, parental neglect, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, & others.

n all the stories of romance, the epicentre of the narratives that leak love derive their fluorescent nature from darkness. Whereas once the lonely heart beat on its own, enjoying the days as one must when one is alone; now the heart beats in a thrum, like hands over the steady skin of a drum.

What makes the romantic narrative so engaging? Which part of the lovers’ odyssey sings to the lonely-hearted auditor? The nature of love is that it is attainable to all, no matter the pestering pain or deep-rooted ache; every single monstrous fear & deeply hopeful dream leaves room in their catacombs for the visually invisible magic that changes the world, one person at a time.

When I learnt Henry was publishing another book I was less than enthused. I have read every single book she has published & only one (1) mildly settled my reader’s soul. I have always advocated for readers to find the books that speak to them. Not all books are for every reader but, it is good to try something different; like an aroma unplaced at a fancy dinner. However, I tried & we never met at a place where the efforts of the author were appreciated by me; my efforts never reached her ears, falling, rather, into the wasteland of reviews that I have written over the years.

Who is to blame? I wanted to love each of Henry’s books because everyone else did but, I am not everyone else. Yet, time after time, I was reminded of the type of reader I am; a reader who longs for realism even when writing about the most mystifying aspects of life.

This has left me not a little sad. The Romance genre appeals to so many readers & though I knock my skull against the library shelves, I have yet to find the cozy warmth so many readers have nestled themselves into. I suppose it is to my credit that I did not abandon all hope. I do not say this to be coy, rather, I know Henry can write & this is why I was disappointed.

Throughout our time together, I have found her books to cater to a very particular reader, one who is perchance rather dedicated to the online world of acronyms & a tragic lack of vernacular. I cannot be unkind to these readers; I admire them & their eagerness to love all books. It is refreshing to see people approach reading freely, without the inhibitions of a mind that critically deconstructs & analyses at every turn.

Readers, like myself, who pick their books as though it were their last meal; seated to devour the prose, the scenery, & the intimacy with the author like being born anew while keeping the skin they have always lived in—are less likely to simply love a genre meant for the causally earnest consumer of words.

It is with gratitude to the publisher that I come to you now, ravishingly pleased with the story I have read. I prepared myself by reading nothing of the synopsis & no word of the praise her dedicated fans brought to her door; I came to Henry’s writing desk & asked her to give me a chance to see in her efforts the skill I knew she possessed. She obliged.

Daphne is thirty-three; she has no idea where she fits into the world or how her life has gotten to a point where, on the flip of a coin, her days could become so devastatingly empty. Whereas one spring day she was engaged to a man who was tidy & scheduled, on the eve of a new life, he cast her aside to run away into the sunset with his best friend.

The tale as old as time is rather not the dramatics of being abandoned by someone whom you thought would care for you, but rather, that love is in the small things; the cool breeze, gentle waves of the river; the warm Chai, the fresh bedsheets; the person who wandered the periphery casting light into all your cloistered shadows.

The romance that develops between Daphne & Miles—the roommate; the ex-boyfriend of her fiancé’s best friend turned lover—is slow. It is not painstaking but earnest. Neither character is entirely sure of themselves but, this does not mean that they are incurably flawed.

What I found in Henry’s writing was her ability to make real the dark ink on the page; her characters are people who breathe life into their own stories. Henry’s ability to present readers with entirely genuine characters is a skill that should be admired; it is not altogether easy to achieve vivid images of people while asking the reader to empathize with something they might not understand.

The characters in this book have had difficult childhoods. When I went into this book, I did not expect to see reflections of myself in the blank faces of people that did not even exist but, there I was. I applaud Henry for incorporating the essence of cruelty & lasting pain into characters who fought for their day on the page; their spot in the sun & the peace that was brought to them in the conclusion.

That is to say; trauma is a very difficult thing to present to readers. Some people go through life unscathed & the presentation of complex human experiences is tedious to explain. Not everyone has lovely relationships with their parents but this does not mean that they were abused. Therefore, an author must either choose to present a middle ground or, encourage their reader to follow them into deep dark water.

In Henry’s case, she allowed the reader to remain safe outside the book. Ultimately, readers know that love will prevail—it always does. However, readers such as myself, who have personal experience with the events that cause Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (c-PTSD) & who have read more than their fair share of books, might linger & that is, as Henry allows it, entirely to their discretion.

Somehow, Henry has welcomed the array of readers to the sandy beach where they will root for the tender touch of Daphne & Miles, while still allowing for the mind of the reader who will become stuck in the memories that cloud their mind. This is an extraordinary skill.

Though stories can be accessible to all, it is challenging to write for everyone; this is something no author can do. However, Henry has gotten very close. While reading about the escapades & trials that Miles & Daphne endured in their own lives, I found myself relaxed & eager to see what life had in store for them. It was helpful to have characters walking the roads in a town that was filled with good people. We live in a world that often seems starved of tenderness, leaving readers malnourished.

Whereas Miles was a complicated man, he never came across as stupidly egotistical. The fine line was drawn by the author when she accentuated Miles’ gentility & friendliness. Once again, veterans of life & lore will see in Miles the characteristics of a person who is friendly without being profound & their walls might begin to rise.

I found the repetitive nature of Daphne’s compliments towards Miles rather trite. It is not a good thing to be liked by everyone; one cannot be friends with the world or one is rather hollow. I found myself annoyed that Miles was only known as a nice person & that the sole compliments Daphne could give him were that he was adventurous, super nice, & hot. These traits are not very telling. Who is Miles?

I am not altogether convinced that Daphne understood who Miles was as a person; rather their interactions skimmed the surface of a shallow pool. Yet, as the book went on & the essence of their person was elaborated upon, I felt confident in the direction that Henry was taking her story.

Though I do not trust a person who likes everyone & whom everyone likes, I can appreciate the desire to avoid the needless conflict that arises by allowing people to see who you are. In Miles’ case, his pattern of avoidance was to ensure his protection. Whereas he was a good person, his kindness was used against his inner peace to satisfy the world around him.

When an older crowd of onlookers took the time to converse with him, I am inclined to believe that their eyes saw through the casual kindness of a person who understood how far manners got them. In this way, I grew protective over Miles, in a laid-back sense. I wanted to see his success as much as I hoped he grew to understand that safety was now in his hands.

This observation made me fearful that Daphne would be the ever-annoying character I have seen so often in this style of book. When she was first introduced I found Daphne to be someone who harped on a nearly insignificant aspect of her life far too much. I wanted her to tell the reader why she kept putting herself down; this was not attractive, cute, coy, or funny, it was mean. Her nostalgia for a time when she was small & relied wholeheartedly on adults who were out in the world, living a life they were unsure of, made it clear to me who I was dealing with & then, I felt afraid she would misunderstand Miles & in turn, me.

When I go into books, I do not expect to meet myself nor do I need the ego wrapping of a Christmas gift to appease my innermost self. I read because the world is filled with people who I am not & in some corner of the earth, someone is probably very alike to me, & in some special niche cases, we meet in the pages of a storybook.

When I come upon classically telling features of a person I can clock like the hands of a round timekeeper I become somewhat defensive. I worried that the author would misunderstand the very clear reality that I have lived; already living in the shadow of truths I shall never reveal; I hope to find these revelations written with earnest intent. That is to say, when Miles spoke about the shadow he became & when Daphne revealed the despair of being left to wait while life moved on, actively without her; I grew protective of something I know well.

It is not easy to trust an author. Some stories seek out the controversial & they do so with the intent to advertise misdirection. Somewhere deep inside, I hoped that Henry would write in a way that spoke to those of us who stood solid on the beach; waiting in the library aisles; experiencing a childhood that is not known, shown, or seen.

It was not her responsibility to do her characters justice. Ultimately, this could have been a story about lovers who were so tortured & traumatized, that they could not overcome the very real struggles that resulted from years of parental neglect & active harm. However, as I have said—love does prevail & in this case, I am glad to have seen it steaming around the corner with rosy cheeks.

What this story sought to present to readers was the complexity of timing. Daphne & Miles are people in their thirties; they have loved people, & had their love cast aside; their parents hurt them & could not protect them from the adult world that loomed over their childhood spirit. The magic in their relationship comes down to their desire to reverse the tides of trauma in their life & the lives of those around them.

Henry has presented a slew of secondary characters who experienced their own levels of mistrust of others. Via the tormented & often strained relationships that each of the characters held with family, & friends, & their struggle to overcome that which held them back; readers were allowed to see how a person can be both complex & blithe of the life they wish to live.

In this sense, Henry’s storyline was able to see the multiplicity of having a parent be absent; a friend forgetting their promise; a love dissipating; & the weight held by speaking truth to secrecy. In all of these experiences, readers grow intimately alongside the characters. Their path is not unbound by struggle but, the characters trust in themselves, even if only a little; enough to put their faith in tomorrow’s promise of a warmer sun, a cooler breeze, & a more restful moment along the way.

Perhaps this is what made me appreciate this story. Through the jaunts around a town that casually reminded me of the town in which I grew up, I found in this story the charm of a gentle tug; there is beauty in life & so much more light than there ever was dark. In a theoretical sense, light can mean anything. One can find light sitting in a dark room via the memory of a smile or the warmth emanating from a person they loved. Technically, the universe & all her Black Holes might swallow us up tonight, but this does not mean that the soul dies.

Therefore, what can a reader take away from this story? Daphne learns that her place in the world is just as important, if not more so, than the space she has held for the people who left her in waiting—the parents who are far away & who have walked away from her life, expecting her to be stagnant until their return. Miles has allowed a breeze in the locked room of his mind—the stale space where he has hidden himself is now being freed. The secondary & tertiary characters of this story reveal a truth that is useful to all readers; the life we lead is as good as our luck, our efforts, & the dime we flip to encourage hope to flourish in ourselves & our choices.

Ultimately, I find myself grateful that Henry allowed me to read her book. I am grateful for Daphne & her desire to intricately read the pages of her life to ensure that her narrative is sound. I am grateful for Miles & his desire to create tenderness in the confines of his mind for an everlasting glow.

This story is romantic in that the characters fall in love; they remember the details that count, the time frames that shape their days & the sweet treats that make life nectarous. Readers will find in this book the tenderness of life in all its dimensionality, presented to them in a way that will guide the pages like a saw through wood; slowly building the home dreamt of in faraway fantasies, wherein love lived safe, soft & sound.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, & Emily Henry for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

An excellent new romance from Emily Henry. Spicier than her previous novels, Funny Story embraces the fake dating trope with open arms, with a twist of and-they-were-roommates. Like most of her books, Funny Story is filled with a lively cast of characters, although the focus is primarily on our main character Daphne. I would recommend this to fans of Henry's previous books as well as readers who want something hotter than her usual.