5/5

OKAY y'all!!!! buckle in because I have A LOT TO SAY

So at the beginning I wasn't feeling it. The writing was bothering me (too many "I say" and "he says" like WAY TOO MANY esepcially between literally only Daphne and miles there'd be a break to say "I say to miles" like WE KNOW OKAY) and it was pissing me off.

However...

This book had the magic that happy place was missing, that I found in beach read and in book lovers. It had that same magic!

Daphne is another one of Miss Henry's complicated, early 30s character. Her fiance, Peter, just slept with a childhood friend and called it off with her. Leaving her to call up Miles and stay with him in the time being.

"Life isn't a competition, and neither is love, but I'm still the loser."

There are several layers to Daphne's character. First, we have some librarian representation, thank you EH. I feel seen! Second, and the main conflict we're introduced to, was her relationship with Peter. She kinda "chose" him and "chose" his lifestyle because it was easy, it was there. She was settling on something that was dependent, that was sure, that she knew the end from the start. (I'm not really supposed to include quotes because they aren't set in stone, but I can't help myself.) "I've always cleaved to the people I love, tried to orient my orbit around them. Maybe, I realize, I've been trying to make myself un-leave-able." There was also a part somewhere where she said with Peter and his family, she always felt like she was auditioning but never "got the part." that resonates heavily with me and I think with probably most people. To be somewhere you don't quite fit in but not knowing what to do about it and trying to pretend like it fits anyway.

"You can't force a person to show up, but you can learn a lesson when they don't."

Then we have Daphne's daddy issues. Emily Henry, I see you and you see me. Every single word written about her relationship with her father was like looking through a mirror. Waiting for a man to change despite how many times he's shown you his same, true colors. The betrayal you feel when they do exactly what you expected of them, but for some reason that time, you felt it'd be different. It tore Daphne in two to realize that, that after 33 years, no he isn't going to change. But that hope is always there. it always rekindles any time you get some sort of attention or affection. I thought that was so perfectly portrayed.

I loved Daphne's braveness to put herself out there and make new friends. Due to her living situations through childhood, she never could put down roots. But in Waning Bay Michigan, she found a circle of people she wanted to put her hooks into, but she was scared (reasonably so). Ashleigh is a recurring character and Daphne's friend, especially since Peter had "dibs" on her other friends (Sadie and Cooper). It was heartwarming to watch the two of them figure it out given that they were in similar-ish situations. No matter the age, friendships can be a rocky road!

Now, the entree.

Miles

I LOVED MILES! I love that name so there's that already, and I loved his character. From the start he was this mystery that I wanted to uncover. And like all of EH's other male main characters, they're like a clam. hard on the outside but so soft and delicate and fragile on the inside.

Miles was such a little baby (in a good way) and I wanted to hug him. He endured so much pain in his life and carried so much guilt regarding his sister Julia that it was hard not to empathize with him. Especially since he was also in the same boat that Daphne was in, his GF of three years leaving him (and cheating) to be with the "friend you don't have to worry about" (everyone knows how that goes.) He was charming and showed up for everyone he loved. Everyone knew him and he knew everyone. His energy was riveting, and I thought he was so lively. He reminded me *briefly* of Iwan from TSYS, especially with the baking and the drinking and the food markets etc.

I loved how delicately Daphne loved him. "Now I understand that the breezy, carefree Miles I first met is only his topmost layer, that his nonchalant way of moving through the world is a product of self-control, but beneath that surface, he wants. The last bite of cheesecake. The final sip of wine. The bracing cool of the lake. To be kissed. To be held. To be protected. He wants it all, even the things he'd never let himself ask for, or won't let himself have.

I LOVE HIM!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. There is always something so gentle and precious about EH's MMC's that just have me absolutely heartbroken for them.

And he, too, was there for Daphne. He drove all the way to her dad after he dipped to curse him out!

I wished this book was out so I could vent about the PARTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT that broke me but I have to wait. but y'all!! I was ready to CRY

There were some issues I had with the book, aside from the writing style itself as mentioned previously. Like, Miles is apparently 36, and despite his traumas from growing up and his inability to let himself have things he won't ask for, I found it extremely immature of him to disappear to (view spoiler) It felt like I was reading two twenty-five year olds with the way Daphne literally kept running away (like, literally) and the way Miles texted, too. Like??? grow up a little? Pushing 40 and you still haven't had a heart-to-heart with your sister?

The cherry on top was how Peter and Petra didn't work out. The entire length of the book was the length of their relationship. and that scum came crawling back to Daphne asking for a second chance, basically saying he needed to figure out if it could work with Petra before he settled down. FUCK him and FUCK that. I was so glad Miles had told her forthright that that was what peter was doing. he was testing the shiny new rock before realizing he left home a diamond.

And trust me when I tell you that this is not that spicy. It's spicy if you think salt is spicy, alright?

I loved this book and all it's ups and downs and twists and turns. It bleeds Emily Henry and it was so good. It is one of those books that I will reread just because it feels so homey. And that epilogue? Shit! That epilogue had me giggling and swinging my goddamn feet in the air!

Everyone needs themselves a Miles 🥹🥹 I'm so in love with this man. This was fun, relatable, and heartwarming ❤️

The character development for both our MCs was amazing 🫰🫰🤌🤌

This has the best third act I've read in contemporary romance thus far! Ugh, it was so perfectly executed. I felt for both of them & I love them both. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year.

Don't wanna say too much, but definitely, 1000% recommended!! Worth the wait for the release!!

Emily Henry is just a hit every time!

Also, thanks to NetGalley & Berkeley Publishing Group for this arc!

Emily Henry has became an instant “auto buy” author for me, I’ll read absolutely anything she puts out. Her books are such a wonderful blend of laugh out loud hilarity and heartbreaking tenderness, and I’m happy to say that the newest addition, “Funny Story”, is no different. You will wish you could befriend all of the characters IRL. You will yearn to visit their ultra hip hangout spots. You can’t, because life is tragic, but at least reading the book is the next best thing.

This might be Emily Henry's best work yet. It was simultaneously so funny and charming and also so gutwrenching and I love Daphne and Miles more than anything. This is a MUST read.

Oh my god she’s done it again. Received the ARC just in time for Christmas and oh. my. GOD. Can’t wait to read it again and talk about it with everyone!

Five big fat stars, oh my god, I loved this!

This book was *perfection.* It was SO funny, THE BANTER, I cannot. By far her funniest book yet, I cackled aloud more times than I could count. But it was also real. It was messy. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked perfectly. I love Daphne and Miles and each other their journeys in this book, and I love that it wasn’t just about finding each other. The depth of the story is what made this work.

In terms of Emily Henry rankings, Book Lovers is still my forever favorite, but I think this takes #2, closely followed by Beach Read.

Thank you so much Berkley and NetGalley for this e-ARC. I’ve placed my pre-order for a physical copy already!

4 STARS!!

Emily Henry you will always be famous!!!

While I’m sure it was evident to others for some time, I’ve never realized how EH tends to write
fiction + romance vs. contemporary romance. Instead of HEAs that leave you wondering if the couple makes it another week without breaking up, let alone the epilogue time jump of 5 years and a baby, Funny Story takes you on a personal journey of healing for both the FMC and MMC. I love how she writes characters that feel so authentically human. Daphne (a loveable neurotic with abandonment issues) and Miles (100% modeled after Nick Miller from New Girl) have strong character development and a chemistry that left me audibly saying, “AW!” multiple times in the final pages.

This was VERY similar feels to Happy Place- beautiful character development from both leads and yearning for friendships as an adult. I think as long as people know that this is more of women’s fiction that features romance, they’ll enjoy this for what it is. Personally, it was the slowest start of an EH read for me and I would’ve DNF’d if not for the chokehold this woman has on me. But I’m so so glad I stuck it out.


(If this is helpful to you my favorite EH books ranked are Book Lovers Happy Place Funny Story Beach Read PWMOV)

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and publishers Berkley Romance / Penguin Random House for the ARC! Funny Story is out April 2024

if I didn't already love Emily Henry this would have done the trick. Her writing is just beautiful. This story had me laughing, crying and just smiling like a lunatic. How do I get myself a Miles? I'm asking for a friend.

Thank you thank you thank you for the early copy! I'm telling everyone

4.9 Stars

Daphne + Miles

Daphne should be on her honeymoon with Peter now.
But things went wrong somewhere.
And now she's stuck in Peter's little hometown by the lake in Michigan. Living in a tiny apartment with Miles. Who is the ex of Peter's new girlfriend Petra.
Daphne and Miles are both grieving what they lost. They're sad and teary most days and nights. But then P+P's wedding invitation comes in the mail. And they're so RSVPing to that thing. And not only that ... why should they sit around at home all sad and mopey? Let's start to live again! Let's start having fun again...

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO DAPHNE + MILES?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺

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Adorable!

Such a sweet book.
It starts all sad and grievy for Daphne and Miles. But then they start to get to know each other and things get better. Daphne starts to like the town and the people. She's not counting down the days until she can leave anymore.
Miles is so much more than what she always thought - or what Peter told her about him.
Daphne's job at the library is her absolute dream job. She starts making friends. She starts having her own life. Not the WE-life she had with Peter, where it was always only about him.

I just loved reading this.
Daphne and Miles are so perfect for each other. Both so broken and sad. And both not really ready for anything new. But at the same time so ready for their very own amazing happily ever after.

It was a really great book. Great cast of people. Great locations. Just a very beautiful story!

I need to see this as a movie one day!

► FUNNY STORY was such a sweet and adorable and funny love story. Run to your nearest book dealer for your own Miles - he'll be sold out in no time!

This is BY FAR Emily Henry’s best book!!

The love story gave me “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift, and I absolutely ate it up. I love how Emily Henry took a common trope, “childhood friends-to-lovers,” and asked herself “What happens to the two exes left behind in the wake of a childhood-friends-to-lovers trope? Yeah, I’m going to write THAT story.” IT WAS SO FRESH.

Emily Henry stands out in the romance genre in a few different ways:

1. While the love stories are always central, the external factors are not glossed over. They affect the romance and the characters’ relationship arc. This creates very clear and defined motivations for each character. Funny Story was especially good at this.

2. Her dialogue!!! Holy crap it’s so well done that I feel like I’m watching a movie scene play out. The dialogue is always realistic and witty as hell. The banter between Daphne and Miles was next level and had me laughing out loud, gasping, and everything in between.

3. The spice is relevant. It’s not thrown in there for shock value, it always moves the plot forward. She was very intentional about this in Funny Story— a book that could’ve easily devolved into trope-y smut.

I am so excited for everyone to read this!!!

Thank you to Berkley publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The best Emily Henry yet. I always forget not to start her books on a work night. Without fail I stay up way too late to finish her books, usually after ugly crying and then happy crying at the end. . This story is just divine. Daphne and Miles are two damaged people who are afraid of inflicting more damage on themselves and each other. Seeing them find the best versions of themselves was the best. Henry’s books are so beautifully written, it makes me happy to just be a reader in a world where her books exist.

From the second I read the description of this book I knew I had to read it. Funny Story sounded like the ultimate fake dating trope and I was here for it.

“he nodded, somberly, and headed for the door, totally empty-handed. Like he had everything he needed and not a lick of it was in this house.”

Emily Henry has slowly but surely been making me love her work.

In my opinion Happy Place has been her best work yet… However this comes close to that.
Happy Place was heavier writing style and plot wise. Almost like grey overcast and you’re waiting for sunshine. Funny Story is its opposite. It felt real, funny, and had witty banter, but not the self deprecating kind that, let’s be honest, we all love so much. The banter was comical and didn’t take itself too seriously. It worked so well in this book, and had me giggling.

Though Happy Place holds a special place in my heart Funny Story definitely has one BIG thing over it…. It’s two main leads. Miles and Daphne are written so well. Though they are figuring themselves out after their breakups, their personalities feel fully developed. Even feeling like you’re being dropped right into everything happening (promise that’s not a spoiler) it felt as if I already knew them. Couldn’t get enough of them together. It’s probably why I consumed the whole book in a handful of hours.

“It makes me feel a teensy, tiny bit better to think she could see a picture of me sitting in your lap and staring adoringly at you and remember that you deserved that all along.”

I won’t go to deep into the plot for obvious reason (doesn’t come out till April and I’m a non spoiler girlie), but I do want to rattle off a few more things:
The pacing of this book was spot on, never felt it dragged on too long. The side characters were in it just enough to give some life, but not to overpower. The way Henry describes scenes, moments, and feelings has 100% developed from her past writing. A lot of the verbiage she went with is beautiful. Chef’s kiss truly.

My only negative is I really wanted something to happen in the book that doesn’t. I was actually DYING to see it play out, and then I never got it. It’s the only thing that kept me from rating this a bit higher.

Oh and one last thing… I saw a few people who have also read this talking about how this is Henry’s spiciest book yet… I feel I need to let everyone know this isn’t a spicy book. Don’t get me wrong there are some spicy scenes, but they’re not SPICY if you get what I mean. You’ll enjoy what you get because it fits this book, but let’s not get it twisted.

Romance done right! All the feelings of love with a hearty helping of the human condition and millennial uncertainty.

infinite stars.
– first, thank you to berkley and netgalley for the arc. i am immensely grateful <3

it should come as no surprise to me, or anyone, that emily henry has, yet again, created a literary masterpiece. that she has, yet again, simultaneously made me laugh til it hurt and cried like i never have before. emily henry's ability to create characters that transcend fiction, that literally feel like she reached inside the deepest, darkest, depths of your mind is both INCREDIBLE and a wee bit terrifying.

daphne and miles are two incredibly raw, genuine, realistic, and comforting characters that expose the beauty of "opposites attract". i relate so heavily to these two characters, in a way that is hard to explain without either bawling my eyes out or spoiling it for you.

daphne is for those who never felt like they were enough to be remembered, to be put first, to be chosen first. for those who so desperately want to stay within their comfort zone, have their futures make sense, and hate surprises because the unknown is too scary. those who believe hope is a fickle thing. for those who feel immensely, who are a tad bit stubborn, kind, and caring. she is so real, she is so raw and vulnerable, and so well-written. her depth, her complexity, and her growth was so incredibly beautiful. i love her to death, she is so special and lovely and amazing to me.

miles is for those who aren't sure how to be comfortable with their emotions because they've never had the chance to be. those who want to be the first in line to help everyone else, even if it means putting yourself to the side. those who want to make people smile, spread kindness and joy and love, while deep down, never knowing if they truly deserve for it to be reciprocated. those who love spontaneity and "living in the now" because the past is scary, the future is far more terrifying, but the now is good. his vulnerability, depth, and overall character were so incredibly well-done. i love him so much, he is so wonderful and beautiful and special to me.

miles and daphne's relationship is SO beautiful. its a bit gut-wrenching in the way that emily henry's romance always is, but it is so damn beautiful. their friendship and their love is so special. the vulnerability, depth, and growth within their relationship was incredible. getting to see them heal and let themselves find comfort, safety, and belonging with each other.... im gonna cry thinking about it. their banter was INCREDIBLE (obviously, its emily henry). the chemistry, the tension, the intimacy was top tier, elite, out of this world. i love these two so much. the way that they match each other in ways that shouldn't make sense but 10000% do, UGH. so perfect. so lovely and amazing and wonderful and i love them.

this is also emily's spiciest book, which was FANTASTIC. miles is absolutely delectable and dreamy and wonderful, daphne is right there with him and i am absolutely so in love with them!!!!!!!!

april cant come fast enough because i cant wait to see the world fall in love with another emily henry novel :)

Few things bring me more joy than a new Em Hen. I loved watching not only the romance, but also the heroine’s sense of self develop throughout this summer treat. I dare you not to fall in love with Miles and Daphne. Good luck. It sounds trite, but this book is literally perfect for book clubs, and is sure to join your shelf of faves— to be kept forever and shared with friends.

so fortunate to have received an arc of this from netgalley! and because i just really needed it, i decided to go ahead and read it super early. i just couldn't help myself. my expectations were high after not loving happy place earlier this year. i really didn't think i could handle it if emily henry let me down 2 books in a row. luckily, that was not the case!

i identified so much with daphne, at times i felt like i was reading my own story. and miles is so nick miller-coded that i was bound to instantly love him (my husband is a little nick miller-coded so it was kinda like reading about our own relationship).

the true test of this book will be if it really sticks with me. if beach read is your favorite eh book, this will undoubtedly work for you. i liked beach read when i read it but i didn't find it incredibly memorable. so hopefully this one won't go the same way for me. i have a feeling this one is here to stay close to the top of my favorites list.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Emily Henry has done it again, and honestly, Funny Story might be her best one yet. It was such a fun book to read and I blew through it. The premise is comically tragic for the main characters but it sets the stage for a great story. Both main characters went on their journeys of self-discovery and Emily Henry has done some of her best character development with Daphne and Miles.

My only two complaints are minor and everyone else may not agree. First, I wish these characters had shown a bit more anger and emotion about the situation they found themselves in. They took the annoyingly placid high road in many situations where most people would at least have a biting comeback. Second, I think I expected some more shenanigans from a book where the main trope is fake dating. Overall, this book was great and I know Henry's readers are going to love this book because I know I did.

Another Emily Henry triumph. I got so caught up in Daphne and Miles' story and couldn't put it down. Also, I would now like to visit Michigan, so I hope their tourism board is grateful for that.

Thank you for this ARC!!

Emily Henry is one of my favorite authors. Every story she writes is gut wrenching but beautiful. Beach read will forever be my favorite from her but this THIS was absolutely spectacular. I am in love with Daphane and Miles. The banter—chemistry flowed so well. I was rooting for both of them.

I related to both characters in different ways. I recommend this book to anyone who loves more realistic approaches to relationships. Although faking dating is one of the tropes there’s not this typical back and forth between them.

I am so excited to buy the hard copy of this.

I will never be disappointed in a Emily Henry book, but this hit the spot! Daphne and Miles are dealing with all the grief and anger that come with a fresh break up... "funny story" they manage to find each other at their lowest, but also bring out the best of each other and heal.

A great love story for those fresh out of break-ups. Readers will find themselves cheering for Daphne as she discovers who she is as an individual AND then as she opens herself up to the possibility of loving again.

FANTASTIC!!