Funny Story: My First Emily Henry Favorite!

Posted On May 13, 2024

Hi Readers! It has been a while since the last review, because guess what? I have not really been reading a lot of books worth reviewing. And the ones which are worth reviewing take some processing time which eventually reaches the ‘Now I cannot remember anything to review this book’ phase. But, I recently read Emily Henry’s latest book Funny Story. If you have been around for a few years, you must be very well aware of my intense dislike of Emily Henry’s books. I have never liked a single of the four books: Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation, Book Lovers & Happy Place. With a bitter sweet feeling, I now have to admit that this era has ended, because I liked Funny Story!!

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

~~THOUGHTS~~

Funny Story worked for me for a lot of reasons. Most importantly, it did not have all the flaws that the first four books had. No annoying characters. No cliché stories. Predictable yet not cringey. Hot romance. And most importantly, it wasn’t just a romantic novel. It was about glorifying healthy relationships.

Let’s talk about characters. First of all, really well molded, holistic and as complicated as actual humans. Daphne, is shown as someone who has a core couple mindset. Whenever she is with someone (friend or partner), her whole life is subsumed by that person. She went from that ‘we’ person to a ‘me’ person. This transition was wonderful to witness. As for Miles, we read about how he is unable to trust his emotions. Reading this in the first instance sounded so bizarre, but then he acted just like how a person who doesn’t trust his own emotions would act. But, this time he diagnosed what he was doing and fixed it. So, this was again miraculous to watch.

Aside from these two key character developments from our main characters, it was also just refreshing to watch how Miles’ quality about being nice was infectious for the reader, how Daphne’s understanding of her abandonment issues was almost healing for the reader as well. I also loved other characters: Julia, Ashleigh and even the obnoxious ones Peter and Petra. I felt like I was a character in the story witnessing all of this unfold first hand.

Now about the plot! When I first read that the main characters have both been dumped by their partners who decided to get together, my first reaction was, “That’s hilarious! But, this makes it so predictable.” I mean, of course, Peter and Petra were not meant to last. And, of course, neither of the main characters would want to get back together with their former partners. So, how would it unfurl for Daphne and Miles with their co-housing and fake dating trope? But, then it evolved to a friends to lovers trope. And then, there was so much amazing travel within Waning Bay. And then, there was all the food experimenting. And then, there was also the romance parts which were the perfect amount of steam and anticipation. And then, the fact that Daphne was a children’s librarian who planned an all night long Readathon. And then, the small town charm! And then, female friendships! I wouldn’t have even cared how the book ended, because the journey was so worth it!

To sum it up, I am so glad that I can finally write a positive review for an Emily Henry novel. I think in retrospect, I have more affection for the book because I can appreciate the entire finished puzzle better rather than just looking at single pieces.

~~TO READ OR NOT READ IT~~

I am in the minority when I say that I did not like any of the Emily Henry previous novels. But, if you loved them, then you should read Funny Story. And, just in case if you haven’t liked any of her novels, try this one, you might end up like me, adoring it. If you like something more in a romance novel than just chick flick, then you should read this book. If you are looking for smut, then this one is not it. If you are looking for a slow-paced novel, then this might work out for you. I have rated Funny Story by Emily Henry at 4/5 stars!

Until next time,