Honest Book Review of Funny Story by Emily Henry
Check out the full book review of the latest of the Emily Henry novels, Funny Story, including recommendations for similar books. If you’re a romance reader, read the review below to find out if this book is for you.
Here’s a short synopsis of the book:
“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?”
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Full Book Review Without Spoilers
Get ready for another fun romance with a fake relationship and slow burn. If you’re a fan of romance novels, you’ve probably already seen the hype for this one since everyone’s been waiting for Emily Henry’s next book. For full disclosure, I’m not a huge Emily Henry fan, but I have liked some of her other books before.
The short review is that this is a good book but not great. Honestly, when I put the book down, I didn’t feel the need to come right back to it. I did want to finish it, but I wasn’t dying to see how it ended.
There were positives to the book like the premise of plot, the fake dating, and the small town aspects. The best thing about the book was the witty dialogue and banter between Daphne and Miles, but I wanted even more! And it was more realistic than other romance books I’ve read lately.
The main characters were not my favorite in a romance book because at times it seemed boring, and I thought they needed a little more personality. But I did like to see Daphne’s growth throughout the book as well as Miles opening up at the end.
There are some serious themes in this book especially around childhood traumas from both of the main characters as well as spice in a few chapters.
Characters
Overall, the characters worked for this story, but they seemed almost boring sometimes. Some of the side characters, like Ashleigh and Julia, made the story better, though. Miles was a solid love interest in the book, but I wish we got more of him and his banter with Daphne.
Plot
The basis or concept of this plot is awesome for a romance book, especially in a small town as well. But I do wish there was a little more that happened between Daphne and Miles when it came to being in forced proximity. And while the plot moved nicely in most of the book, some parts felt a little slow.
Writing
The writing style of the book had both positives and negatives for me. On the positive side, there was some really cute romance ideas and good banter between the characters. On the negative side, the writing didn’t always pull me in.
Full Book Review With Spoilers
You’ve been warned that from here on out there will be spoilers.
Right away, I love the premise of this book. Two people in a small town that are forced to be roommates because their exes got together is such an enticing plot for a romance book. And the setup for the two characters piques your interest right at the beginning.
Throughout the book, there is some awesome banter and cute scenes between Daphne and Miles. This is a true slow burn romance, but because of that, it can feel a little slow at times. The tension between doesn’t start for a while, and I wanted more of it throughout the book.
I really appreciated that Daphne commits to having her own life outside of relationships by the end, but there was something about the ending that didn’t leave me fully satisfied. There’s a miss communication at the end that causes problems which is so frustrating. Daphne and Miles just needed to talk to each other, but that’s something they struggle with the entire book.
Overall, if you’re a romance fan, I think this book is worth the read. It’s not my favorite book by any means, but still enjoyable.
Pros of the Book
One of the biggest pros for me was the relationship between Daphne and Miles felt very real life and relatable. Some people were mad that the characters couldn’t get over their exes, but I thought that made it feel realistic. And Daphne and Miles help each other work through that in such a cute way.
Another pro of the book is the forced proximity of the main characters. The unique situation they’re in plus being forced to be roommates makes for a great setting for a romance.
Cons of the Book
The biggest con of the book for me was that it was a little bit slow and boring in the middle. It may have been the writing or the actual plot, but I set it down a bunch of times. Usually, I like to plow through romance books, but I didn’t feel that way about this one.
Another con of the book was that the ending wasn’t super satisfying. I don’t like the miss communication causing all the problems at the end, or both characters sort of giving up on the other. I wanted more fight for the relationship or at least more talking between the two at the end.
Conclusion
Overall, this was an above average romance book, but not great for me. There were definitely parts I enjoyed like the fake dating and Miles, but other things I really didn’t enjoy. I’m glad I finished, but there’s lots of other romance books I’d choose before this one.
You can find the book here.
I have a full summary of the book here if you need a refresher on any of the main points.
Rating-3.5 Out of 5 Stars
This was an enjoyable read, good for a weekend vacation maybe, but not my favorite. I wasn’t super eager to continue reading, and I forgot about most of it once I was done. If you like Emily Henry a lot, you may like it more, but this didn’t live up to her other books for me.
Here’s how I rate all my books: My Rating System
Who Would Enjoy Reading?
This is a slow burn, beach read romance if you’re looking for that type of book. If you’re a big fan of the fake dating trope, especially when it involves a pair of opposites, you should give this book a try.
What to Read After Funny Story
If you liked this book, or liked the idea of this story, and are looking for what to read next, here are my recommendations. Whether you want another of Emily Henry’s books or someone new, I have a few in mind.
Picking Daisies on Sundays by Liana Cincotti
Here’s another cute fake dating romance to try. This one has a lot of the same sweet vibes as Funny Story. You can find it here.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
If you’re looking for another light beach read that’s also got fun summer vibes, try out this book. There’s also small town summer vibes in this slow burn romance. Check out the book here.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Here’s my recommendation for the best (and my favorite) Emily Henry book. If there’s one trope I like better than fake dating, it’s rivals or enemies to lovers in romance books. Check out this one here for your next romance read.
