“I want to feel like if I stop running for a second, I won’t die. I want to stop trying to burn down the world because I think it’s going to burn down no matter what.”

Sam and Bree have been friends their whole lives. They both grew up in less-than-stellar homes and scraped their way out of their dumpster fire lives and into careers they love.

Their friendship becomes co-dependent where neither one can truly move into a meaningful relationship with anyone else. Bree realizes this and decides to finally distance herself from Sam, but of course Sam realizes at this exact moment that he feels more than friendship for his best friend.

Funny Guy by Emma Barry will tear your heart out and make you happy about the experience. It really goes in-depth into the mind of the resident tortured funny guy who seems happy-go-lucky on the outside but is battling major demons on the inside.

At the same time, it makes you laugh until your sides hurt while you hope the two main characters get out of their own way so they can truly SEE each other.

Favorite quotes:

“Who among us hasn’t been publicly flogged by a pop star?”

"I could break everything else in the world, but not you. Never you.”

I was given an e-ARC of this book for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity!

I really enjoyed Funny Guy! This is my first book by Barry and I was immediately sold!

The premise of a comedian drew me in initially because I hoped that it would be a light hearted Rom com. It absolutely is, but Barry still manages to tackle some really tough subjects at the same time. My heart ached for Bree trying to find her place while also being in love with her best friend. My heart ached for Sam trying to find something permanent. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a fun rom com but with some emotional development!

⭑ Thank you to the publisher, Montlake, and the author, Emma Barry, for the ARC on NetGalley! #FunnyGuy #NetGalley ⭑

Funny Guy was an enjoyable, light read. We have Bree and Sam, who are childhood best friends living in NYC.
Bree is a talented architect who dreams of improving urban spaces and making them livable, and Sam is a comic who features weekly on the show Comedy Hour (think SNL but instead of Lorne Michaels, it's run by the formidable Jane Heeley). Bree has a work opportunity waiting for her in a different state, but she's reluctant to take it because she's been in love with Sam for far too long, and knows that her moving would shake up his life. However, Bree knows that the best way to move on from her unrequited crush is to move on and away－but she can't quite muster up the courage to tell him.
Sam, reeling after a breakup and release of his ex's pop song thereafter, decides to camp out at Bree's apartment to avoid the paparazzi. The romcom tropes roll out from here on out: close proximity, the one-bed trope, the jealousy, and the tension finally tips over after a heated discussion between the two leads.
Bree is such a likeable character: career-oriented, considerate, and decisive, despite the inner turmoil roiling in her with regards to her feelings for Sam. Sam is honest and unapologetic: he tells it like it is and he doesn't sugarcoat things, even when it's almost necessary to do so in an industry such as his. Sam and Bree's issues were easy to sympathize with; readers will not encounter any emotional upheavals in the course of reading this book. There's very little angst and the pining wasn't overdone.
I liked Bree's friends and Sam's friends; they served both as work friends and counsel when the two leads needed someone other than their best friend to listen. I'm a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers story and this was a light, easy read.
The romance progressed at a moderate pace, and I like how they both reflected on their own feelings before diving in to their newfound relationship. However, I found it very light on the comedy aspect, it definitely leaned more on the romantic side of romcom and focused heavily on the progression of their relationship, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The third act of the book is what I deem to be the strongest arc out of all three, not only did it tie the book together but we see the main leads making the kind of decisions they might not have made at the beginning of the book.
Overall, a light and easy read, if you're looking for some pining between childhood best friends.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I'm very much of two minds on this one, as there are several things I think the author did really well, and several that are just not my cup of tea in stories. I think Barry walked the fine line of Bree's pining that was certainly part of and informed by childhood trauma bonding and long-time friendship, but made it believable that she really did love Sam and their dynamic wasn't just habit and clinging to the past.

Bree was a good balance of grown up and a competent professional, and a solid, caring friend, but still a bit of a mess on some fronts, with trouble believing in her own competence and in that she makes a difference in the world. Even if it's something you don't personally relate to, it feels like a common issue and you probably know someone who struggles that way.

Sam I found fairly exhausting, but then, comedians are pretty often very messy people. The book does get across that for a variety of reasons, as talented and hard-working as Sam is, it's amazing his world hasn't completely crashed and burned already. It definitely sets you up to expect that; it's just a matter of when and how. Plus, as much as he loves and relies on her, Sam pretty clearly doesn't deserve Bree as a partner as he is.

A lot of angst is not really my thing in romance, and there was too much of it for me in this story, but it was well handled in showing how often people can and will just keeping walking on a broken leg, so to speak, until something happens to knock them over hard. I don't know that Sam's big gesture was quite right or enough, but that's just opinion and I'm sure others would think it's perfect.

I had trouble staying in the story when the comedy or sketches were included, because I don't think that's something that translates well to a book. I understand it kind of had to be there, but it's so contextual and such an individual experience. What's supposed to be funny never is to me; song lyrics don't sound catchy, etc. (And really, authors don't tend to be songwriters or standup comedians.) It's not unique to this book. It's something I tend to scan through quickly.

ARC REVIEW (Thanks NetGalley!)

OMG ALL THE MUTUAL PINING AND YEARNING 😩😩😩

Bree has been in love with Sam since childhood and she’s finally taking the steps to break away from him to be able to move on with her life. Sam is a dumbass and doesn’t realize it’s always been her.

While I thoroughly enjoyed book I felt it hard to connect with either Bree or Sam due to the 3rd person narrative book was written in. There was a lot of fluff involving Sam’s “comedy hour” show that I probably could’ve gone without knowing. Their conflicts seemed realistic (as realistic as could be when dating a tv comedian

For those of you that loved Meghan Quinn’s “A Long Time Coming”, this is a must read. “Funny Guy” follows lifelong best friends Bree and Sam after Sam’s pop singer ex releases a song about him that hurts his ego and brings up some old feelings he has never worked through.

Bree has known that she’s loved Sam for a long time and thinks that it’s time for her to move on, quite literally, and looks at taking a job in another state. Sam is a star on the show Comedy Hour and also kind of a jerk to people in real life, everyone except Bree.

When Bree gets sick with a simple cold and Sam takes care of her, he starts questioning his feelings and realizes maybe he’s had more than friendly ones for her all along.

Full of humor, some soul bearing, and romance, this read was engaging and hard to put down. I rooted for Bree and Sam from the start. Sam’s character was the perfect mix of masculinity with a bit of ragged edges from his childhood. Bree’s character was strong but soft in all the ways we wish to be as women.

The second book I’ve read by this author, I loved this one and think I can handle 3rd person POV now. I will definitely be recommending this book for readers who like rom-coms and friends to lovers.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for the approval.

Ahhhh this whole book is just *suffused* with yearning, and I loved it!

Sam and Bree have been devoted best friends ever since they were kids, when their friendship got them both through abusive childhoods. Now they're both successful in their own fields in New York City, Bree as an urban planner and Sam as a comedian on the fictional equivalent of Saturday Night Live. (Think: a much more appealing and attractive Pete Davidson, basically.) They date other people, they have different jobs - but they're always, always linked...and Bree's been keeping a secret for decades: she's head over heels in love with him. She's terrified to admit it - but when Sam's latest ex, a pop star, releases a #1 single all about their breakup and his inadequacies, he retreats to the emotional safety of Bree's apartment...and everything begins to change.

Like Sam's own comedy, this book is, on the surface, light and clever and funny - but absolutely roiling with the intensity of the emotions underneath. It is the most emotionally intense romance I've read in ages - and as quiet and steady and Bree is and as fiery and caustic as Sam is, I 100% believed they were genuine soulmates. I was rooting SO HARD for them to work - which made it really painful to see the Black Moment inevitably coming. But the character work is so delicately, persuasively done that I absolutely believed in both of their decisions and reactions - and I loved the way that it all got resolved.

I really, really love this new era of Emma Barry romances! I already can't wait for her next one. (I enjoyed her earlier romances, too, but these latest two have really hit a whole new level and are just *wonderful*.)

This is a more realistic romance than most, but to be honest I couldn’t gel with the hero of the tale, and found his actions irritating, even though the author took great pains to explain his actions in light of his childhood. It was an ok read, but I admittedly had moments when I thought of giving up part way through as I found I genuinely didn’t care for the characters

This was a good story! From the cover, I had expected Meghan Quinn, funny vibes and that wasn't necessarily what this was. If my expectations were set correctly, I think I may have liked this better. It was deeper than I expected and the 3rd person was a bit tough for me. Still a good romance if you like comedian main characters and are on board for a lot of character development!

I really liked this story! I love comedians because I feel they can be such nuanced, unique characters. Sam was a bittersweet character to me because he seemed so sad and lost during the first part of the book unwilling to do the things he needed to get better (like many of us struggle with). But he was so sweet and loving to Bree who I absolutely loved! She was kind and loving and gave Sam maybe too many chances all because she loved him so much. Just when she's resolved to leave for her own benefit is when they finally get together and that was kinda aggravating because it continued to put off Bree's valid concerns. I felt like there wasn't much build up to friends to lovers. It was like one minute friends the next... doing it. I wish we had more of their backstory, a little bit more of what their families were like growing up just to round out the characters more. I also had a hard time following the point of view here too. Overall, I really liked this unique story and am so thankful for the ARC :)

A funny four-star read. This was a great story, but it could have been shorter, there was a chunk that just felt repetitive and I hated it, as I loved the rest of the story. I adored the friends to lovers and understood why it took them so long to realise all the different forms of love. Bree needed to pick herself up a little, and how she worked it went well, and I adored Sam and his way with people, yes he is a little lost boy, but there is so much more going on with it. What surprised me was how much I liked Salem, that surprised me lots.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the e-arc.

This is the first Emma Barry I have read and I really enjoyed it.Often a friends to lovers story where the MCs have known each other since childhood has uncomfortable echoes. In this case, Sam and Bree have been best friends for years. Both - consciously or unconciously - have been going into relationships either knowing they will end or self-sabotaging. Sam and Bree are both successful in their careers and both come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Sam is famous and on TV and known to everyone. Bree is great at her work in urban planning so not so famous.

With the paparazzi staking him out as the object of his ex's hit pop song, Sam stays with Bree for a few days. It has been a long time since they've spent a great deal of time together and they both learn anbout themselves and each other and grow.

I found the relationship between the two of them touching and believable - with occasional frustration as it is obvious the given actions will make things worse. The characters are equally aware they aren't making the best decisions so it works. The secondary characters are strong and support the narrative.

I intend to follow-up on Barry's back catalog.

Recommend.

Sam and Bryony/Bree's story is NOT one you should start later at night, or during your lunch hour, or on a weeknight, or any other time when you cannot devote yourself to just sitting and reading their entire narrative without interruption. I'm talking from experience. I started it late one night, lost sleep, and then read during a Zoom meeting the next day! Sam, the funny guy, uses his self-deprecating (or is that self-sabotaging) humor instead of therapy to deal with the demons from his childhood, while Bree, Sam's best friend, uses her drive to escape. It's them against the New York world, but as friends only. That is, until Bree gets an offer for her dream job in Michigan. As she tries to decide if she can leave, Sam drives his career off the edge of the cliff he's been flirting with for years. And that's before they reveal to each other their lifelong secret .... An absolute must read!

FUNNY GUY by Emma Barry comes out in May, but is available now in NetGalley.

The story of two childhood friends who experienced similar difficulties growing up that molded them into the two main outcomes of childhood trauma: one is risk averse and the other takes unnecessary risks. And yet of course, they are in love with each other.

Barry does a good job of creating three dimensional characters. The self-destructive a-hole Sam is not completely irredeemable, so we aren't left wondering why the almost too-good Bree has been in love with him her whole life. Their problems feel real, too. Like sometimes the conflict in a relationship feels too constructed, like makiking mountains out of molehill, but this one works. It's also just very funny...which is good, since he's a stand up comic who works on a very SNL-ish skit show.

It's a very realistic take on friends to lovers without all the bookish drama, grandiose scenarios, and implausibility of this being how someone's real life may play out.

It was a little boring for me specifically because I went in expecting a fictional romcom, heavy on the comedy, but what this book delivered was exactly what the blurb promised about this being a more heartfelt and emotional read. I just didn't feel particularly invested in the characters or their feelings, I am glad this all worked out for them but not glad enough that I'd reread this just to witness their love story all over again, y'know?

The best part about this for me was honestly that the MMC read as an extremely thinly veiled Pete Davidson, which may or may not have been an accident but was fantastic all the same. Love that guy.

I knew I needed to read Funny Guy after seeing the MMC had a song called "Lost Boy" written about him. Instantly made me think of Kelsea Ballerini's song!

If you're going into this thinking it's a cute romcom, you're going to be disappointed. This is an emotional roller-coaster of a book. The two main characters are both dealing with a lot and turn to each other for comfort. This is made more complicated because they are best friends, hence the drama of the book.

I think the two main characters were really well developed. I could totally relate to Bree (who hasn't been in love with a guy friend?) and I thought Sam was a complex character too. They were really good together and I found their journey to love to be heartfelt and angsty.

Would recommend to those who enjoy: angst, friends to lovers, drama, celebrity romance, contemporary romance, and emotional stories.

I’m in love. These hero and heroines were purely amazing. I had so much fun trying to see them to navigate their relationship and their very own feelings. I definitely loved and enjoyed it

I think my expectations for Funny Guy might have ruined my experience reading it a bit. In my head, Funny Guy would be funny, a romantic comedy. That title, that cover, a comedian as one of the MCs... I was wrong. The blurb with its "heartfelt friends to lovers" probably should have tipped me off. This was an emotional romance with both MCs having a lot of growing up, backstory drama to deal with. It was an emotional and sweet romance, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. The third person narration created a detachment between me and them. That's not to say I didn't like them; I Just didn't connect with them. I have a feeling everything I've said here is very much a "me" thing and that other readers are going to fall in love with this romance. It was unique and emotional.