Another great Emily Henry! Funny Story was witty and banter-filled in a way that always gets me, so I really enjoyed my time reading it.
This would have been a 5 star but I didn’t like the third act break up at all. It’s hard to call it miscommunication when there is literally 0 communication. And shock of all shock the second they talk for more than a few seconds everyone is fine.
Even with all that, I loved the characters and the main romance.

Funny story is different, it is not your typical Emily Henry romance. Neither does it compare to her previous work such as Book Lovers and Beach Read. But it´s an excellent book about carving out your own path, even if it means going back to once worked. Funny Story is the perfect example of everything is not what it seems. I love that Emily Henry went a different route for this title!

"All those moments throughout the days, weeks, months that don't get marked on calendars with hand-drawn stars or little stickers."

This book was for the overthinkers! Thr girls that are going through it, thank you for seeing us Emily x

“Oh, I love a good meet‑cute. Let’s hear it.”

Funny Story is another sparkling romantic comedy from Emily Henry.

When Daphne’s fiancé, Peter, returns from his bachelors party he takes her by the hand and confesses he and his life long best friend Petra have realised they are in love, the wedding is off, and Daphne has a week to find somewhere else to live. Heartbroken, and with no where else to go, Daphne moves in with Petra’s equally devastated ex-boyfriend, Miles. They barely know each other, but when invitations to their respective ex’s wedding arrive just a few weeks later they agree, after more than a few drinks, to RSVP …as a couple.

It’s a terrific set up for a fake-dating scenario that sees Daphne and Miles slowly fall in love as they create a Instagram reality to make their ex’s if not jealous, then at least a little less smug. Mile’s laid back charm is the perfect foil for Daphne’s need for plans and schedules. Their banter is delicious and I loved the development of their relationship from roommates to lovers, Henry is able to build exquisite romantic tension between the pair, even though the outcome is inevitable.

I immediately sympathised with Daphne who had uprooted her whole life in expectation of sharing Peter’s in his home town, only to be dumped so unceremoniously. Though planning to leave as soon as she can (each chapter begins with a countdown), with her dream job as a children’s librarian being her only anchor to Michigan, Daphne soon finds herself reconsidering the move.

Daphne’s new friendships with her colleague, Ashleigh, as well as Miles’s younger sister, Julia, who is temporarily living with them, are a big part of that. Ashleigh and Julia made me laugh a lot and I really enjoyed their energy.

Though there is plenty of humour in Funny Story, both Daphne and Miles have some past issues to deal with which impact their relationship in the present. For Daphne it’s her relationship with her flighty dad, for Miles his tortured relationship with his parents, adding emotional depth to their characters and the storyline.

Crafted with wit, warmth and heart, this is a Funny Story romance readers shouldn’t miss.

There are books by Emily Henry that I love (Book Lovers & Beach Read), and there are books that weren't for me (People We Meet on Vacation & Happy Place). This one sits comfortable in the middle between these two categories.

We follow Daphne as her fiance breaks up their engagement because he becomes entangled with his best friend. Daphne is kicked out her house, so she moves in with the aforementioned best friend's ex boyfriend Miles.

Then stuff happens. Lots of stuff. It's a slow burn of a romance novel, with a lot of relatable characters and well written dialogues (as always!). There was a point where I started getting slightly bored, but especially toward the end things picked up and the things Miles and Daphne say really hit home for me.

I can't wait for Emily Henry's next novel!

This is definitely Emily Henry at her most rom com but it’s also so much more than that!!! It’s for all the girlies with dad issues and parent issues and who feel too deeply and feel unlovable. I adore how she writes her male and female leads with deep vulnerabilities they come together to solve or whose broken parts fit together. No one is seeing Miss Henry!!! All hits no misses!!!

I always adore an Emily Henry book, and this one did not disappoint! Fantastic FMC & MMC with incredible chemistry - with swoon worthy romance.

I had low low expectations for this book because a stoner hero was not my cup of tea. But I should have trusted Emily He ry because well only she could have made me do a 180 and end up loving Miles. As for her heroines, I don’t know how but every single time it feels as if Henry has a direct connection to my innermost thoughts fears and feelings because every single one of her heroines including Daphne has been 100% relatable. Another 5 star banger from the queen of romamces, I highly recommend

Emily Henry at her very best. I genuinely am in awe of her skill to fully flesh out characters who are complexly built.

Love this author so much! I really enjoyed this book. The characters, setting and storyline were engaging and left me with a big smile on my face. Highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

I don't read a lot of contemporary romance, but Emily Henry is always the author I reach for when I do. I've enjoyed everything I've read by her - I still have Happy Place to read and I'm already looking forward to Great Big Beautiful Life - but Funny Story is the most rom-com title she's published so far.

Daphne thought her life was set. She has her dream job as a children's librarian and her dream man in steady, handsome Peter. The two were engaged to be married and Daphne even moved back to his hometown with him so they could settle down, only for Peter to come home on the night of his stag party and announce that he's in love with his childhood best friend, Petra. Forced to move out of their house - it's in Peter's name, after all - Daphne winds up renting the spare room in the apartment that belongs to Miles, Petra's ex. When they receive an invitation to Peter and Petra's wedding, the two decide to accept--and fake date while they're at it...

I don't know what it is about Emily Henry's writing, but I always fly through her novels and she remains the queen of banter. I was a little unsure about the premise of this novel when it was first announced, it wasn't a plot I was hugely excited about, but she quickly won me over because Daphne and Miles are so darn charming. If you're a fan of The Holiday, the superior Christmas rom-com, Daphne, Miles, and Peter feel vaguely Iris, Miles, and Jasper coded--in fact I couldn't help wondering if Miles had been named after Miles in that film because, as Kate Winslet says, "Miles. You really are an incredibly decent man."

I also appreciated the plot outside of the central romance, mainly Daphne having to find her own feet after building so much of her life around Peter. When he breaks off their relationship so suddenly, Daphne finds herself mostly friendless in the town where Peter grew up, and I appreciated this novel acknowledging how difficult it can be to make new friends in your 30s when many of the people you meet already have established friendship groups that they're sometimes unwilling to let newcomers into.

This novel isn't without its flaws, though. I do think Daphne and Miles develop feelings for each other a little too quickly - especially when both of them have just come out of relationships that lasted for years, with Daphne on the cusp of being married and Miles claiming Petra is the love of his life - and once I finished it, I did question where Miles's friends are. He's also from the same area as Peter, and is a genuinely nice man, but he doesn't really have a friendship group in the way you'd expect from someone who seems as popular as Miles is. In all honesty, though, I was happy to overlook this for a novel that really does read like watching a rom-com.

Funny Story was exactly what my brain needed when I picked it up, and I can't wait to read my next Emily Henry.

This was my favourite Emily Henry to date!!! I had the best time with these characters and she just knows how to write realistic humans! Everything about this book was done so well and just scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had! I laughed, cried and fell in love with the 2 as they did with each other. I knew I would enjoy this book purely because of the premise of fake dating because their exes left them for each other like it doesn’t get much better than that! Emily Henry just knows how I like my romance!

If there is one thing Emily Henry can do, it is write a solid rom com. And ‘Funny Story’ is exactly that; it’s engaging, witty, romantic, sensitive, well-paced and overall a good read. Both romantic leads are strong and interesting characters. The story itself had lovely overarching messages aside from the romantic portion. If you want to read a bit of a fun romance novel but still enjoy good writing, Emily Henry is always the way to go.

Despite this, I would like to see her go beyond this archetype of books she’s got into writing. As much as I have adored her last few books, I’d love to see something outside of the small town life in mid-east US, female lead recovering from a heartbreak of some kind, romantic interest being someone from her past somehow, female lead's job involving books in some way, etc, etc kind of format. Just because something has worked well in the past doesn’t mean you're not allowed to veer away from it! Henry’s writing is strong as always, but the lack of the overarching narrative creativity when you look at the book as a whole makes it a very familiar read if you’ve read some of her other work. While the characters and actual problems at hand are different, the narrative setting is, overarchingly, not. On its own, the book is great, placed in the context of her other novels it just doesn't feel wholly original anymore. Outside of that, my only criticism would be that there were times when the writing felt slightly repetitive and the female lead could have had a bit more of a backbone I’ll be honest. But that really is just me being fussy now.

As such, while I’d still recommend ‘Funny Story’ alongside all of her other books, I would warn returning readers of hers that you’re not going to get much that is new. So if you’re a fan of hers looking for a comforting, easy but still good read, this will be perfect for you - it'll be great, enjoy it! If not, read something else and come back when you need that so you can get the most out of the book. If you’re new to Henry’s work I’d recommend ‘Beach Read’ above all her others every time but this novel is still a good introduction to it.

3.75 stars overall

Big thanks to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Henry’s latest novel is a delightful romcom filled with witty dialogue and relatable characters. Her blend of humor and heartfelt moments keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

Henry’s knack for capturing the nuances of relationships shines through, making this a must-read for fans of romantic comedies.

As usual Emily Henry hits it out of the park and I’m just so glad to have another one of her books on my Kindle (and bookshelf!)

I absolutely adored this book from beginning to end. It reminded me of so many books that I wanted to love just that little bit more but couldn't and I didn't know why - Emily Henry can about pull anything off and this trope was no different.

My favourite book of hers by far I cannot wait to see this adapted into a film or series in the future so I can pump it through my veins!!!!

Love it!! Like all Emily Henry’s books!

A slow burn, opposites attract fantastic storyline.

Daphnes loves how her fiancé Peter tells the story how they met, until he realises it’s his childhood best friend Petra that he really loves.
Her dream job as a children’s librarian keeps her in Waning Bay, Michigan, but with no friends or family around she propositions Miles, Petras ex, about becoming roommates as he is the only one to understand her predicament.

There ensues much frustrations, merriment and the best of all karma for Petra and Peter and a HEA for Daphne.

Sympathetically dealing with broken relationships, family dramas, making new friends and becoming settled in themselves, along with some steamy chemistry sparking moments.

Beautifully written read.

This is one of the best Emily Henry books! I loved beach Read and this gave me the same feelings. Heartwarming and beautiful!

I loved every single Emily Henry book, and this one might be my new favorite alongside Beach Read and Book Lovers. The beginning infuriated me, how Peter and Petra treated Daphne and Miles… But I absolutely adored Miles, Daphne and their connection and rooted for them all the way. I’m so grateful to Penguin for allowing me to read this wonderful book early. Highly recommended!

When a dumping leads to a little fib…..and then falling in love with the loveliest man ON EARTH who is sweet and spicy……truly this is every romance lover’s dream come true. Another absolute SMASH by Henry. She can do no wrong! Highly recommend

Emily Henry does it again! Funny Story is a class act. Full of brilliant characters, full of sweet moments but not a sniff of cheesy romance. This is a love story to women finding themselves after heartbreak. It's a story about dealing with demons from the past and confronting difficult truths.

Daphne had a fairly chaotic childhood with an absent father and a hard working Mom who she adored but who had to move them in a bid to create stability.

Daphne believed she had found love and her forever home when she fell for Peter.

But Peter apparently didn't quite feel the same and after his bachelor party he makes a decision that will turn Daphne's whole life upside down.

Now sharing an apartment with a man called Miles she is definitely not looking for love. Indeed, she's just hanging on until she can leave town after the big charity event at the library where she works.

But life has a way of throwing the unexpected in our path and from heartbreak, Daphne learns how to live again, with hope not fear leading the way.

A gorgeous book that made me smile from ear to ear.