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.

She 👏🏼 never 👏🏼 bloody 👏🏼 misses 👏🏼

Perhaps my favorite Emily Henry yet??? Definitely the most relatable laugh-out-loud moments (the Renesmée reference had me cackling) and the most lovable love interest (Miles 4-ever).

Do yourself a favour and read it immediately, if not sooner.

I have loved Emily’s books before but for some reason this one didn’t click for me. I read about 60 but haven’t finished it yet I might go back to it one day cause I did really like the premise of the book so maybe it was not the right time for me to read it

Possibly the best Emily Henry since Beach Read, it was funny, sad, life affirming and all round wonderful, an absolute pleasure to read. Thank you

Another fun story from Emily Henry. Don't mind the pun. At this stage you can give me anything she writes and I will enjoy it. One of my favourites so far.

I could read Emily Henry’s doodles while she was on the phone and would be convinced it’s the best thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.

So it’s safe to say I absolutely love everything Emily Henry writes and Funny Story is no different.

This is a unique twist on the fake dating trope, all mangled together with friends to lovers and the roommate angle too. I LOVE THEM

Daphne and Miles might have just become my favourite couple of Emily’s, and for good reason. The pair spark a tenaciousness in one another and drive each other to be more. They’re there for one another when things are crap and the chemistry was INSANE.

I ❤️ you Viking books for the proof

What did I think of this book? THIS BOOK. Perfection. Pure Rom-Com vibes, excellent relatable characters, funny witty banter and swoon-worthy romance with an emotional kick, everything Emily Henry is known for. However this time I think she finally managed to crack the background characters, looking at her backlist it's so interesting to see her slowly introduce characters that are just as important to the plot as her romantic pairing and this is the one where I really felt like they hit the mark perfectly. 10/10 the only Henry I rate higher is Book Lovers.