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kricxx's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child abuse
stormeno's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Abandonment
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
fanboyriot's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
♡ Fake Dating
♡ Roommates
♡ Unexpected Friends to Lovers
This was honestly such a funny book. The humor was amazing, I laughed so much.
Daphne moves in with Miles after their significant others break up with them to date each other, childhood friends who just had to break off a wedding and crash two lives apart. Though without spoiling things, it works out in both Daphne and Miles favor. So what better way to get back at their trash ex’s than to fake date each other?
Miles and Daphne had such a great dynamic, they were hilarious together, friends before anything else genuinely worked so well. Both of them learning how to trust people again, healing from heartbreak and their past.
While this did have some more serious moments character history and their childhood traumas coming into play with their lives still. I thought the character development with this was done really nicely.
For the most part things are lighthearted and a simply funny enjoyable read.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ (2/5)
Angst Level: 💧(1/5)
POV: First Person
Release Date: 23, April 2024
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Classism, Sexual content, and Gaslighting
Minor: Grief, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Death of parent, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Infidelity
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
“Life’s short enough without us talking ourselves out of hope and trying to dodge every bad feeling. Sometimes you have to push through the discomfort, instead of running.”
➽ Funny Story was indeed hilarious and heartfelt. I love Emily Henry's books but Happy Place was a big miss for me, so I was a bit apprehensive. I needn't have worried as Funny Story was amazing! The story is about Daphne and Miles whose partners left them and started dating each other instead. Distraught, Daphne is basically kicked out of her future home and becomes roommates with Miles instead, the only person who can understand her situation. It's still an awkward situation, especially when Daphne decides to make it seem like they're dating to spite their exes, who are now planning their wedding.
➽ Daphne and Miles really stole my heart. Daphne wants to escape town as she has built her entire life around her ex-fiance Peter and now that he's left her for his childhood best friend Petra, she feels lost. I felt sorry for her, as Daphne doesn't have any friendships, as everyone sided with Peter and since they only had mutual friends, she has no one on her side. She loves being a children's librarian - the only highlight in her life right now - but still searches for new jobs far away from her heartbreak. I loved how the story discussed finding new friends as an adult and building your own connections outside of a partner. Daphne is horrible at small talk (same), but still starts befriending Ashley, one of her coworkers. I loved their dynamic and how Daphne realized she tends to focus on being part of a couple but forgets to leave space for herself.
➽ Miles was also easy to love. He had a tough childhood filled with a manipulative parent, so he copes by always being positive and friendly to everyone. Unlike Daphne, he's good at drawing people into his orbit and actually works to befriend others by showing them kindness. He's a good guy and seeing him receive judgement for his job and background made me so angry. It was also great getting to see Julia, his younger sister who was amazing and definitely deserves her own book! I loved the chemistry between Daphne and Miles, they had such great banter from the start despite being stuck in an awkward situation. They complimented each other nicely and helped each other cope with their insecurities. The fake dating wasn't a big part of the story, but felt natural, especially with Peter and Petra having the audacity to invite them to their wedding. I thought there would be more drama about that, but I didn't mind the direction the plot took.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved this book so much. I think this is my favorite book of the authors yet! And that’s saying something seeing as I’ve loved every single book by her! I loved Miles and Daphne so much, and I loved the side characters too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug use
amyteurhour's review
4.5
Content warning: infidelity, child neglect, abandonment, gaslighting
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I liked both of the protagonists almost immediately, and really rooted for them both (as well as them as a couple) pretty early on. The banter kind of reminded me of Book Lovers, but starting from a less antagonistic place. This was a great start-of-summer read, and I can see myself revisiting this again. This is probably what will keep me checking out Emily Henry releases as they come out. I was really frustrated with Happy Place and was just about ready to accept that enjoying Book Lovers was a fluke before this.
The audiobook narrated by Julia Whelan was great.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I liked both of the protagonists almost immediately, and really rooted for them both (as well as them as a couple) pretty early on. The banter kind of reminded me of Book Lovers, but starting from a less antagonistic place. This was a great start-of-summer read, and I can see myself revisiting this again. This is probably what will keep me checking out Emily Henry releases as they come out. I was really frustrated with Happy Place and was just about ready to accept that enjoying Book Lovers was a fluke before this.
The audiobook narrated by Julia Whelan was great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Infidelity
aksmith92's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had an absolute BLAST.
The Setup: Funny Story by Emily Henry is a heartwarming story that resolves around Daphne and Miles, two people whose lives are upended when their respective partners leave them for each other. Stranded in a beautiful town - but not HER town - of Waning Bay, Michigan, Daphne, a passionate children's librarian, finds herself pretty much homeless and completely heartbroken after her fiancé tells her he is in love with his best friend. Miles offers her a place to stay since he is now without the love of his life (the said best friend just mentioned).
Then, after an awkward conversation with her ex, Peter, Daphne lets it slip that she and Miles are "dating," which is a straight-up lie, something that Daphne rarely does but feels is the most straightforward course of action at the moment. Therefore, a fake relationship ensues, partly to make their exes jealous and partly to support each other through grief.
Daphne and Miles bond unexpectedly as they navigate their pain and anger. Daphne, who has always struggled to trust others due to many fleeing her life in the past, learns to prioritize her own needs and desires. Charming yet troubled by a tumultuous childhood, Miles faces issues head-on with Daphne's support. Together, they rediscover their identities and what they truly want in life.
In her signature style, Emily Henry crafts a narrative of healing, self-discovery, and unexpected love. Yet, Funny Story goes beyond the typical romance, delving into themes of family, career, and friendship. It also paints a vivid picture of a small-town setting, with its charming lake vibes and picturesque descriptions of Waning Bay.
What I loved: I loved this book. Many people I talk to share that they have a favorite Emily Henry book because they related to it, or it was just a great book that made them feel lovely in a moment of their life. My favorite was Beach Read, which may be outside the majority for most folks. However, Funny Story came in with a close second or even a tie. This novel met me in my moment. This book's main character, Daphne, felt real to me - the first female character in an Emily Henry novel where I didn't cringe at moments or become frustrated at her internal monologue. (I love most of Emily Henry's stories and have rated them mostly in 4s, so that statement may seem bad, but I still love her books, so don't fret.) I understood Daphne. Additionally, I loved the romance - Henry built it nicely and made it seem semi-relatable (if I'm being honest, this whole situation is a little extreme - living with your ex's ex.). But it worked. I also absolutely adored Henry integrating many aspects of life - Daphne dealing with a lack of friendships, having a passion for her career as a librarian, and navigating the relationship with her family, and Miles working in more of a gig economy, emphasizing his cheery personality that may not be as cheery as we think, and building his beautiful relationship with the town of Waning Bay. Lastly, some other characters were well fleshed out, especially Julia, Miles's sister, and Ashleigh, Daphne's fellow coworker at the library and a new friend.
Oh, and this novel was plain funny to me at times—I laughed out loud in parts. So, not only was it amusing, but it was also heartwarming, beautiful, and poignant. All-in-all, this worked for me, and I am oh-so-happy about it.
It's pretty spicy and steamy, by the way, definitely more so than some of her other ones. Still, I think it worked!
Anything That Could Be Improved? Listen, an Emily Henry novel may or may not work for you. I did think the whole situation was a little unbelievable. In addition, the main characters were supposed to be in their mid-thirties, which I believe was mostly on point but possibly still felt a little young. And yes, in typical Emily Henry fashion, there was SO much info dumping about Miles and his woodstove smell (and he was just a bit of a ding dong at times). However, all those things didn't bother me this time, and I just had a good time reading this book.
I have zero complaints, and like Beach Read, I can't wait to re-read it eventually. Thank you, Emily Henry, for always drawing me back into the contemporary romance genre.
The Setup: Funny Story by Emily Henry is a heartwarming story that resolves around Daphne and Miles, two people whose lives are upended when their respective partners leave them for each other. Stranded in a beautiful town - but not HER town - of Waning Bay, Michigan, Daphne, a passionate children's librarian, finds herself pretty much homeless and completely heartbroken after her fiancé tells her he is in love with his best friend. Miles offers her a place to stay since he is now without the love of his life (the said best friend just mentioned).
Then, after an awkward conversation with her ex, Peter, Daphne lets it slip that she and Miles are "dating," which is a straight-up lie, something that Daphne rarely does but feels is the most straightforward course of action at the moment. Therefore, a fake relationship ensues, partly to make their exes jealous and partly to support each other through grief.
Daphne and Miles bond unexpectedly as they navigate their pain and anger. Daphne, who has always struggled to trust others due to many fleeing her life in the past, learns to prioritize her own needs and desires. Charming yet troubled by a tumultuous childhood, Miles faces issues head-on with Daphne's support. Together, they rediscover their identities and what they truly want in life.
In her signature style, Emily Henry crafts a narrative of healing, self-discovery, and unexpected love. Yet, Funny Story goes beyond the typical romance, delving into themes of family, career, and friendship. It also paints a vivid picture of a small-town setting, with its charming lake vibes and picturesque descriptions of Waning Bay.
What I loved: I loved this book. Many people I talk to share that they have a favorite Emily Henry book because they related to it, or it was just a great book that made them feel lovely in a moment of their life. My favorite was Beach Read, which may be outside the majority for most folks. However, Funny Story came in with a close second or even a tie. This novel met me in my moment. This book's main character, Daphne, felt real to me - the first female character in an Emily Henry novel where I didn't cringe at moments or become frustrated at her internal monologue. (I love most of Emily Henry's stories and have rated them mostly in 4s, so that statement may seem bad, but I still love her books, so don't fret.) I understood Daphne. Additionally, I loved the romance - Henry built it nicely and made it seem semi-relatable (if I'm being honest, this whole situation is a little extreme - living with your ex's ex.). But it worked. I also absolutely adored Henry integrating many aspects of life - Daphne dealing with a lack of friendships, having a passion for her career as a librarian, and navigating the relationship with her family, and Miles working in more of a gig economy, emphasizing his cheery personality that may not be as cheery as we think, and building his beautiful relationship with the town of Waning Bay. Lastly, some other characters were well fleshed out, especially Julia, Miles's sister, and Ashleigh, Daphne's fellow coworker at the library and a new friend.
Oh, and this novel was plain funny to me at times—I laughed out loud in parts. So, not only was it amusing, but it was also heartwarming, beautiful, and poignant. All-in-all, this worked for me, and I am oh-so-happy about it.
It's pretty spicy and steamy, by the way, definitely more so than some of her other ones. Still, I think it worked!
Anything That Could Be Improved? Listen, an Emily Henry novel may or may not work for you. I did think the whole situation was a little unbelievable. In addition, the main characters were supposed to be in their mid-thirties, which I believe was mostly on point but possibly still felt a little young. And yes, in typical Emily Henry fashion, there was SO much info dumping about Miles and his woodstove smell (and he was just a bit of a ding dong at times). However, all those things didn't bother me this time, and I just had a good time reading this book.
I have zero complaints, and like Beach Read, I can't wait to re-read it eventually. Thank you, Emily Henry, for always drawing me back into the contemporary romance genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Cursing, Drug use, and Alcohol
Moderate: Mental illness, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
howlinglibraries's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was so wonderful and I think it's tied for my favorite Emily Henry title now. I absolutely loved Daphne so much, especially her inner struggles with feeling like she wasn't "enough" for anyone. Without getting into it too much, it was immensely relatable and flipped a switch in my mind that helped me finally make sense of some of my own childhood experiences and how they've affected my life and my relationships. 20+ years of searching for an answer for where those feelings of inadequacy came from, and Emily Henry comes in and kicks the door down with one rom-com. Go figure.
While Miles is also a delightful character and I definitely enjoyed his golden retriever energy at first, I loved the reveals about his own inner turmoil and found him so easy to root for. The chemistry between these two was perfection! I love a good best-friends-to-lovers romance, and despite the bizarre circumstances that first brought Daphne and Miles together as roommates, that's exactly the vibe this story gave me: best friends first, partners second, and I adored it.
I'd be remiss to review this book without talking about the side characters, too: Miles' sister Julia and Daphne's co-worker Ashleigh were incredible and I'd happily read a spin-off novel about either of them, should Emily Henry ever choose to write one (or both). Honestly, Ashleigh finding joy would probably be an instant Book of the Year for me. *nudge nudge, Emily*
Emily Henry knocked it out of the park again, and nobody is surprised. I adored this book and am so glad I read it. Thank you yet again, Emily Henry, for gifting your stories to the world. 🥰
Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the gifted audiobook! All thoughts are honest and my own.
While Miles is also a delightful character and I definitely enjoyed his golden retriever energy at first, I loved the reveals about his own inner turmoil and found him so easy to root for. The chemistry between these two was perfection! I love a good best-friends-to-lovers romance, and despite the bizarre circumstances that first brought Daphne and Miles together as roommates, that's exactly the vibe this story gave me: best friends first, partners second, and I adored it.
I'd be remiss to review this book without talking about the side characters, too: Miles' sister Julia and Daphne's co-worker Ashleigh were incredible and I'd happily read a spin-off novel about either of them, should Emily Henry ever choose to write one (or both). Honestly, Ashleigh finding joy would probably be an instant Book of the Year for me. *nudge nudge, Emily*
Emily Henry knocked it out of the park again, and nobody is surprised. I adored this book and am so glad I read it. Thank you yet again, Emily Henry, for gifting your stories to the world. 🥰
Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the gifted audiobook! All thoughts are honest and my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol
caitlinspeachyreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is my favourite Emily Henry story yet! It is such a relatable, hopeful and inspiring story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cursing
corrieroe's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Abandonment