Review: Funny Story by Emily Henry

Book Info & Summary

Say hello to my new favorite Emily Henry book. 🥹 Youth-program librarian Daphne has what she thinks is an ideal life in Waning Bay, Michigan - until her fiance Peter comes back from his bachelor party and dumps her for his childhood best friend Petra.

Now not only does Daphne have no fiance and no friends (were they ever really hers to start with or just by extension through Peter?) but Peter has kicked her out of the home they shared so Petra can move in. Where is she to go? Luckily she happens to know that Petra just vacated an apartment she lived in with her now ex-Miles...

Watching Daphne and Miles go through the stages of grief together and grow closer and learn to open up to one another was so sweet. Their banter was so fun and it felt so natural. Sometimes teasing dialogue in books can feel like the characters are trying to one-up one another or like the author is trying too hard to be witty, but Daphne and Miles had such an easy and natural back-and-forth.

If you're a foodie or just a person wondering what the heck people do for social activities nowadays and how to make friends as an adult then you will really connect with Daphne's personal journey. Her friendship with Ashleigh reflects a real friendship, including the awkward getting-to-know-you phase, the inside jokes and the accountability that comes with a lifelong friend and genuine connection.

My favorite part was that this is not a "two people get together and all their problems go away" story. Miles and Daphne both had to do a lot of work on themselves and open up to opportunities for personal growth, and you could tell that they would continue to do so whether they got together in the end or not. I've seen Miles described as a "Nick Miller" type and I can totally see that, but I feel like he is Nick Miller in some of the later seasons where he has matured a bit but still has that fun and silly personality. Nick Miller is not great at taking care of others - Miles is one of the best at it.

The characters feel well-rounded and the locations are described so vividly it feels like you're sitting on the private beach or making Peter jealous at the lavender farm right alongside Daphne and Miles. Overall a great read that is equal amounts of sweet, sexy and hilarious.