Funny Story by Emily Henry is so charming and captivating! Her best work yet.
Emily Henry books are everywhere! She is a huge, breakout author of the romance genre. And many of her books are turning into film adaptations, which is so exciting as well.
I really enjoy her writing and I think her romances are so enjoyable. The characters typically feel real and aren’t perfect. There’s conflict, and past baggage, but it never veers too far into a dark territory. The stories have a healthy balance, of heart, humor, romance and substance.
And I think Funny Story might be my favorite of hers! It was so lovely and exactly the kind of book I needed to read at the moment. It’s one of those books after you finish it, you think—everything just felt right.
What’s the Story About
Daphne is happily engaged to Peter and already has her life mapped out. They’ll get married, live in a big house and have children. But everything comes to a grinding halt when Peter confesses his love for his best friend Petra, and he breaks off the engagement.
Absolutely heartbroken Daphne is now without a house and ends up in the most unlikely spot—becoming roommates with Petra’s ex, Miles. The two are as different as can be: Miles, the eternal optimist and Daphne, the realist, but they bond over their shared anger and grief.
Eventually, the two even come up with a plan: pretend to be in a relationship to get back at their exes. But it’s all just for show. Right?
Daphne and Miles
Aww, Daphne and Miles are both great. A criticism I’ve had with past Emily Henry novels, is that usually one of the characters in the romance, is a bit too much. For instance, in Beach Read, January was great but her eventual love interest, Augustus was a lot—negative and kind of mean. Of course, he grows and evolves but it took a lot of time to get there.
I don’t feel like characters have to be likable in all stories, but sometimes I think the negativity can be a bit much.
Luckily, we don’t have that with Funny Story. Of course, both Daphne and Miles feel real emotions and not everything is rosy, but I didn’t get the sense of constant angst and frustration that sometimes comes with these kind of stories.
Also, because they are so different—Daphne, the button-up librarian and Miles, the laid-back waiter—it really showed how they both grow and evolve as a result of being with someone so different. I truly enjoyed reading their journey together.
The Romance
There is a ton of talk about tropes in romance. This one had plenty! Closed proximity, opposites attract, fake relationship, friends to lovers, etc. I don’t think a lot about tropes when I select a novel but I felt it was very well done in Funny Story.
This is a slow burn one and you really get to see the relationship develop and also understand why they become so connected. And their past does have a big impact on how they approach relationships.
Also, just to point out there are spicy scenes but I don’t think it’s overdone. So if you like those scenes, they are definitely in there and if that’s not your preference, it’s not on every page.
Verdict
Funny Story is a fun and enjoyable story about the romance between two very different people. It’s about growing, evolving and learning to open up to new relationships and experiences. Highly recommend!
For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
