i can’t believe i took almost a month to read funny story, but in my defence, i was trying to take my time for once and not binge it all in a week. this book was one that i knew i’d have such a fun time reading based off the premise and it didn’t not disappoint at ALL. the characters all felt so real and fleshed out, the banter was perfect and had me cackling and the romance was absolute perfection.

i knew going into this book that i was going to deeply dislike peter and petra for leaving daphne and miles respectively, but god i didn’t expect to hate them as much as i do. my blood pressure was going crazy anytime they appeared on page. this book was a really funny spin on the romance books that usually has the main character and the love interest leave their current partners for each other. i usually love those stories, with all the drama and angst of their forbidden romance. they never really tell you what happens to ex’s afterwards, how they took the breakups. or if they do, they’re often villainised (although they’re usually already terrible people in those stories) and so you don’t really care how the break up affected them. this book made me look at that trope in such a different light. this time it was the typical ‘main leads’ that were the horrible people who upended all their lives. i love how emily is able to find such refreshing stories to tell in each of her novels, and they never feel repetitive even when they share some elements in their stories.

daphne was a character that i immediately related to with her upbringing almost to a t, it was kind of weird (made me feel like emily had done a background search on me lol). she was such a loving and caring person who simply wanted to live a normal life with the man she loved and ends up being betrayed in the worst way possible and the fallout immediately after made it even worse. it barely took 8 pages for me to root for her and to see her get the happy ending she deserved. her relationships with her mum, ashleigh etc were so wonderful to read, i loved how they were clearly as important as her romance with miles was.

speaking of miles, he instantly became my favourite emily henry male lead from the moment he appeared on page. he gave me golden retriever/brown labrador vibes so much it was so sweet. he is such a romantic and loving person and was honestly for perfect for daphne, even with all his faults. getting to know him and his heartbreaking backstory had me choking up with tears as he opened himself up to daphne. i just want to give him such a big hug. i love that we got to know him so well to the extent we did despite this being a single pov book and with daphne at times struggling to get a read on him.

the romance was written so well and the tension had me gripping my book every time it reached a peak before something would happen to interrupt them (until it didn’t 🌚). they had such effortless chemistry and it felt so organic and real. daphne describing how she felt when she realised she had fallen in love with miles made me feel as though i was her and feeling the exact same way. when it came to the confession scene and the chapters leading up to them, i was so stressed my stomach was hurting, then i was crying when we got to them finally talking it out. i didn’t expect to love these two hopeless romantics as much as i did.
the banter between the two of them was ridiculously amusing and i could genuinely read an entire book on just them talking and interacting with one another. ashleigh was also such a wonderful character and friend and honestly the funniest character in the book, i adore her.

i couldn’t tell you if this book replaced happy place as my favourite emily henry book the same way happy place replaced people we meet on vacation, simply because it feels so differently from her previous novels. it’s definitely in my top 3 favourites but for now, i’m not changing my rankings as i stew on how i feel about them all. it doesn’t change the fact that this book will always stay with me, along with these characters that truly spoke to my soul, they will always have a little corner of my heart.

For some reason, Emily's books have never done anything for me. Until now! I looooved this and literally raced through it. I was OBSESSED!!!

Emily Henry always manages to capture her style in her writing regardless of her different books and it’s something I always find quite comforting to read- familiar without being overly familiar and that was the same in this book.

I really enjoyed the characters in this one; their development felt organic and naturally which helped with the connection I felt towards them and the interest I had in their relationship. I really liked Miles and thought the MC’s had good chemistry that wasn’t over the top. I think to anyone that loves romance they will really enjoy this one.

All that being said I did find this book to have a lot less depth than her other books. Not necessarily in a bad way but I think it felt a lot more romance without any sub genre than her others. For me, what I love about her other books is the way I find parts of myself in the characters however, without the depth I didn’t find myself being able to do this one AS MUCH and sort of found myself comparing these characters to her previous book characters as appose to relating them to myself. Again, this is a very mr preference and I did still enjoy this book I think it’s just something that I personally really look for in a romance with it being a genre I don’t often read.

Overall this book was good but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have if there had been a little more depth to the characters and maybe even a bit more humour.

I've found myself completely captivated by the book I'm currently immersed in. It's a captivating blend of mystery, humor, and passion, which have woven together seamlessly to create an emotional journey that resonates with me on so many levels.

With each turn of the page, I'm drawn deeper into the lives of the characters, feeling as though I'm experiencing their joys and struggles alongside them. The mystery elements of the plot keep me eagerly guessing, while the moments of humor and levity provide much-needed relief, allowing me to connect with the characters on a more personal level.

Moreover, the steamy scenes in the book ignite a fire within me, making my heart race with anticipation. It's rare to find a story that manages to strike such a perfect balance between these different elements, but this book does it flawlessly.

As I continue to delve deeper into the story, I find myself completely engrossed in the rich tapestry of emotions it evokes. I'm constantly amazed by the depth and complexity of the characters and their relationships, and I can't wait to see how their journey unfolds.

In a world where every book I read seems to surpass the last, I'm thrilled to have stumbled upon this literary gem. It's a journey I never want to end, and I eagerly anticipate each new twist and turn that awaits me.

Emily Henry never fails to deliver when I want to feel better about the world. Her humorous writing, sarcastic banter and engaging characters always hit the spot.

This book isn't my favourite of hers, but it definitely provides the right mixture of warm, syrupy goodness. It's about Daphne, who finds herself in her early thirties, unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé Peter who runs off with his childhood friend Petra. In a strange town with nowhere to live, Daphne ends up moving in with her ex-fiancé's new girlfriend's ex-boyfriend - got that? He's called Miles, and to save some face, the two thrown-together flatmates decide to tell their respective ex-partners that they're happily dating.

I liked the premise, but this book isn't really about fake-dating. The two develop real feelings for each other quite quickly, and overall they're actually really respectful of each other's boundaries and problems. There's a lot of talk of weddings, but I was disappointed that a wedding never really materialised - I would have loved an Emily Henry wedding, with the fake-date trope on top!

But, ultimately, this book does raise itself above dating tropes. It's actually quite an emotive story of a woman at a crossroads in her life. Getting dumped after her fiancé's bachelor party isn't a great start, but throughout the story she discovers a new place, friendships, and love in equal measure. The Lake Michigan location is brought to life beautifully, with the characters kayaking on the lake, watching the sunsets, visiting farm shops and drinking at bars in barns.

For me, it did feel at times that things fell a little too perfectly - but that's romance. This was ultimately a heartwarming, uplifting story which is guaranteed to melt hearts.

Funny Story by Emily Henry
I give this book 4.75 stars

Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story.
Until it became the prologue to his actual love story with his childhood bestie, Petra.
Which is how Daphne ends up rooming with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra's ex, Miles..
One tequila night they form a plan.
If it involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together, well, who could blame them?

This now has top spot out of all this authors books. The sign of a great read the characters come alive! I absolutely loved the way the romance developed between Miles and Daphne and I was engaged by both their growth as the story progressed (separately and together.) Daphne is an overthinker (I can relate) and a children’s librarian (my dream job) and Miles turned out to be my favourite dream book boyfriend. Funny story has the perfect premise,side characters that added to the plotline and ended up making me we want to move to Waning! As with all her books the fun and romance is equal to the serious issues explored and the story and characters always feel real and relatable.Emily Henry is the master of rom com. Do opposites attract….. I believe they do.
With thanks to Emily Henry, Penguin General Uk,Viking and Netgalley for my chance to read and review this book.

This book was absolutely brilliant, and completely re-affirmed for me why Emily Henry is one of my favourite romance writers of all time,

Daphne has recently been dumped by seemingly perfect fiance Peter for his totally-nothing-to-worry-about best friend Petra. In the thralls of heartbreak and having being made homeless, Daphne is forced to rely on the one person (other than the perfect couple) she wants to avoid. Miles, Petra's long term ex-boyfriend. She moves into his flat, keeps herself to herself and gets on with her work as a children's librarian for Waning Bay. That is until she comes home one day and hears the unrelenting, extremely loud and dramatically sorrowful tunes of Bridget Jones Diary being played on repeat coming from Miles' bedroom. And thus, a fake-dating romance ensues.

This book was absolutely brilliant, and completely re-affirmed for me why Emily Henry is one of my favourite romance writers of all time. I am usually quite a slow reader, having many other boring life things to do, but this book made me cast aside every responsibility. In 24 hours I had devoured it all and felt like a warm blanket had enveloped my little ball of coal for a soul (cringe I know, but true).

I won't say too much as I don't want to spoil anything and I think every scene needs to be a surprise, but if you like fake-dating, forced proximity and unlikely romances that deal with heavier subjects like psychological abuse, control and mental health issues carefully and deftly- you will LOVE this!!!

Also, how have I not said this yet, this book is hilarious!! Absolutely, laugh out loud, grinning ear to ear, knee-slapping funny. Just, go and read it!

Children’s librarian Daphne was all set to get married to Peter. Until his bachelor party, when he realised that he wanted to be with his childhood best friend, Petra, instead.
A disillusioned Daphne ends up moving in with Petra’s ex, Miles, and tells her former fiance that they are together, posting some photos on social media to prove the point.
This story gets off to a cracker of a start, especially for those like me who hadn’t read what the book was about. What’s not to love about a complicated situation of being roommates with your ex-fiance’s new fiancee’s ex! Emily Henry has become a must-read author for many but I never really got the devotion. But finally, with Funny Story, I did.

Delighted to have been sent a finished copy prior to publication so I can gush about this early. Happy Place was my top read of 2023 so Funny Story had a lot to live up to, and I'm very happy to report that it succeeded!

Emily always writes such real, tactile characters. Right from the first page, Daphne's terrible story-telling voice clangs through and had me giggling and gasping at her misfortune. I fell in love immediately. And then Miles, with his Bridget Jones and poor pot habits, popped his head out of his bedroom door and I fell in love again.

Funny Story recounts the tales of these two unfortunate ex-partners - no no, they're not each other's exes, it's so much worse than that. Daphne's ex-finacé, Peter, has left her for Miles's love of his life, Petra, right before their wedding day. In the wake of such destruction, Daphne and Miles (now roommates) have to rebuild their lives and themselves, with Daphne planning to leave Michigan as soon as the annual Read-a-thon at her library job is complete.

This book - dare I say it - is Emily's spiciest by far. The way this woman writes sexual tension is so delicious and I've genuinely never read anything like it. Poor Daphne was so confused while I was giggling and kicking my feet like a teenage girl at her first crush. I loved every minute of it.

Highly recommend Funny Story to anyone who already loves Emily's books or is just discovering her. Perfect for anyone who likes Christina Lauren, Ali Hazelwood, Lynn Painter, Elena Armas etc. or just wants a damn good romance. Emily Henry never misses and I will advocate for her with every release, without fail.

Just two people who were not supposed to fall in love, but did in the best way.

Daphne has the life every woman could dream about, a loving mother, a fiancé she's ready to marry, amazing friends and a fantastic home, expect all is not what it seems. When Peter, her fiancé, goes away on his bachelor party, Daphne could have expected him getting drunk, having fun with friends and maybe a massive hangover, but what she did not account for was him coming home to call off the wedding because he's in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
Oh, and they are going away for a week and she's moving in with Peter so Daphne has a week to up change her life. Good thing Petra's boyfriend (now ex), Miles, has an extra bedroom in his flat.

Daphne does not want to stay here, she loves her job as a School's librarian but she doesn't seem like she fits in. And with Peter and Petra parading everywhere, what could possibly make her stay?

Daphne and Miles are genuinely the sweetest couple I have ever had the chance to read about. They're both dealing with a breakup where their exes have gotten together so they can relate but they are also complete strangers who live together so it's awkward, but that's what I love about Emily Henry, she makes it real.
I devoured this book in two days and want to pick it right up again because this book about found family, amazing friendship and love makes it all possible in the world, even if you're in love with your ex-fiancés new fiancés ex boyfriend, it doesn't matter.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this proof, along with Emily Henry.

Another Emily Henry book that I couldn't put down! Daphne is one of the author's quieter heroines, which made her all the more relatable to me personally, and Miles is possibly her sweetest hero.

For fans whose favourite book of Emily Henry's is Beach Read, the frame work of the plot gave me similar vibes, with the central couple coming together to explore the town/city Daphne has found herself adrift in since her ex dumped her just before her wedding. The fact that she's now living with Miles, who is the ex of her ex's new girlfriend (the friends to lovers trope but from the perspective of the dumpees) and they decide to put on a fake relationship, just adds the icing to the cake as it delivers a touch of much deserved pettiness! This book is full of the gorgeous escapism of young people having fun in beautiful locations, new friendships, and as always, there is plenty of heartfelt emotion to put your heart through the wringer! Another wonderful read.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for the NetGalley ARC.

I really enjoyed Funny Story, the characters are great (especially Ashleigh!) and I loved it from start to finish. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Penguin & Viking for this arc!

Funny Story has shot up to the #2 spot in my Emily Henry rankings. I thoroughly enjoyed this newest addition to her oeuvre - I think because I found the romance between Daphne and Miles so convincing. Emily Henry writes snappy, flirtatious dialogue like nobody’s business, constantly reminding me of the rapid-fire quips found in the old screwball comedies. I also found myself really moved by the friendship between Ashleigh and Daphne, and thought that the whole host of side characters were pretty charming too.
Overall, this will thrill any Emily Henry reader, any romance reader, or anyone looking for a fun and bright warm-weather read that stirs up cravings for blue skies, outdoor swimming, and a really earnest and quirky love story.

This review is for Funny Story by Emily Henry which releases in the UK on the 25th April! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Viking Books UK for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Have you ever read a book and then when it’s done, all you feel is empty inside and don’t know how to feel because you loved it so much and now it’s gone and you don’t know how to feel and the world feels weird? Yeah me too, and it was after reading this book. Emily Henry has fully cemented herself as one of my must read and most favourite authors and I’m so grateful I was able to get an early copy of this. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it has lived up to every expectation I had.

I devoured this in one sitting, I could not put it down because I was so obsessed and I needed to know what happened. It had fake dating, forced proximity and chemistry that was burning through the page. She always manages to take such stereotypical and well used tropes but put her own twist on them, turning them into something special. She also always manages to create such complex and realistic characters, I’m captivated every time.

I know everyone else is going to say it, but the characters were so New Girl coded. You have Daphne, a buttoned up and creative children’s librarian with a passion for story telling, and then you have Miles, the easy going and seemingly carefree bartender. They were both so sweet and I fell in love with them both. The chemistry and sexual tension was also *chefs kiss*.

I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who gets to read this, so all I will say is that you will giggle, you will cry and you will want to pull your hair out in frustration. But you won’t want to put this book down. I loved every second, and wish I could wipe my brain so I could read this again for the first time.

In Emily Henry novels I can always trust that I will

a) have a fun time
b) always find some form of relatability in her protagonists
c) Feel all sappy by the end

At the beginning of the novel, we see the protagonist Daphne in a rough place- her ex-fiancé left her for his childhood best friend, she’s lost all her mutual connections and the house she lived in and, as a last resort, she finds herself becoming roommates with her ex-fiancé’s new partner’s ex-boyfriend, Miles. What I liked most about Funny Story was the pacing and of course, the great banter that I’ve come to expect and adore about Henry’s writing.

Another element of Emily Henry’s novels that I’ve come to really appreciate is the emphasis she places on the importance of connections and friendships aside from the main romance plot point. In Funny Story in particular this is such a key factor in Daphne’s personal growth, and I loved being in her head while she figured that out. The setting is also so much fun in this book and Miles is so sweet.

With a swoon-worthy romance, funny dialogue, a librarian protagonist, and a wonderful sense of small-town community, Emily Henry fans, romance readers and general book lovers (ha, see what I did there) are in for a real treat with this one!

There are some guarantees in life and one of those is that I am going to adore any novel that Emily Henry delivers into the universe 🫶🏻

Funny Story is the newest offering by the queen of romance and it’s SO good 🥹 while Book Lovers retains its place as my absolute favourite EmHen book, Funny Story comes steaming into my top 3. Close proximity, friends to lovers, slow burn attraction - what more do you need?

Miles Nowak is truly a top tier character, he may even be the crème de la crème of all of Emily’s creations thus far. He is thoughtful, caring, attentive and just the most perfect book boyfriend, I was obsessed with his budding relationship with Daphne - like could happily read several more books just about them as a couple! Also Daphne is a great main character - she’s fiery and stands up for herself and is a child’s librarian aka the dream job 🫶🏻

There is honestly so much to love about this book: the sizzling romance, the powerful female friendships, the less than perfect and therefore entirely realistic view of strained familial relationships, and just that familiar way Emily Henry has of drawing you into a story with the magic that is her words.

Thanks to Viking & Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Emily Henry's books and Funny Story was no exception. It was so refreshing to read a protagonist who feels socially awkward around people/isn't the world's-greatest-friend/is a little introverted. And Miles was adorable and unusual in all the right ways. I did find their requisite emotional turmoil a bit over-explained and wordy, especially in the final 1/3 of the novel, but I also appreciate that our main characters are complex and have reasons for their behaviours. Overall a brilliantly entertaining read.

It's a funny story (he he) but I found this really hard to get into and thought the first 10% was quite chaotic! After that, I pretty much devoured the rest of the book 😂 I did enjoy it, but as you can see by my rating, I thought it was good, but nowhere near as good as Emily Henry's previous books, which all got 5⭐ from me...

I'll start with what I liked.
⭐I liked both of the main characters, Miles was charming, kind and giving; he was adorable. Daphne was a bit bland, but she grew on me, and after a while, I found her quite funny and I felt for what she had been through. Both were realistically written, with sad back stories and flaws.

⭐The chemistry between the characters was 🔥They had great banter, and I enjoyed their slow burn relationship.

⭐I enjoyed the side characters, especially Ashleigh and Julia.

⭐I adored the location of Waning Bay in North Michigan! It sounded like a gorgeous place, and I could really visualise all the places they visited on their not dates. The sunrise and sunsets sounded beautiful.

⭐The writing was addictive, the dialogue good, and I found the story both funny and emotional.

There were some negatives for me personally though.
😐Obviously, I mentioned the start already..It was rocky.

😐The characters felt a bit familiar, predictable and bland?

😐Certain parts of the book bored me and I actually skimmed (I know, I know I can't believe it either!) like the readathon, certain parts of Daphne's job etc

😐How long the miscommunication went on for. I'm not a fan of this trope, and it irritated me, even though the crossed wires ended well.

😐The fact that Daphne lost everything and realised that she needed a life outside of her partner but then fell straight into the same trap. This was somewhat resolved, but even then she only really had one friend outside of the relationship.

😐I also felt like both characters needed to spend time by themselves, and get a whole lot of therapy (especially Miles) to move on from their childhood family traumas. It wrapped up too quickly, whereas we could have had some really great character development.

So I did enthusiastically binge read this, and I did enjoy it, but it didn't wow me or leave me with that feeling of walking on sunshine, that Emily's other books did. It's a good, quick read, but maybe expecting authors to churn out a book a year is having a detrimental effect? Or maybe it's a blip? Or maybe it's just me...

I think most fans of this author will love this, and it has a high rating from other early readers, so give it a shot and see where you guys fall! Definitely read it for Miles, for the amazing setting, for looking for love after loss. 3.5 rounded up to four stars is by no means a bad rating, but it does reflect my hesitancy, despite steaming through it.

🍷🍷🍷🍷

Hello Emily Henry cinematic universe and why have I misjudged you for so long? Funny Story is the first EmHen novel that had me truly encapsulated from beginning to end. The main characters were to die for. With Daphne’s witty, dry sense of humour and her love of all things books, how am I not supposed to love her? She is everything I desire to be. Along with Miles’ Nick Miller personality. Please just give me the plot of New Girl in another font and I will EAT IT UP. I adore how Henry intertwines women’s fiction with an added romance. It’s one of my favourite genres. Like, yes, I want a book that makes me feel empowered and not alone in this scary world, but also give me a sarcastic brunette to crush over - perfect, thanks.

Time to reread her whole discography with a whole new outlook on life.

This is my favourite Emily Henry so far.

The characters are a delight to spend time with, I loved them all, I even loved hating Petra & Peter. Obviously, I was a huge fan of Daphne & Miles (even after our initial less than flattering introduction to him) & I read a lot of it with a cheesy grin on my face. Two of my favourites were Julia & Ashleigh, who brought a wonderful snark/banter level to the book.

I really enjoyed the friendships in this book, Daphne & Miles, Daphne & Ashleigh, Miles & absolutely everyone.

There was just something about this one that made it stand out.

Fake dating, acquaintances to lovers, friendships, found family & just the right amount of will they won't they.