Book Review: “Funny Story” by Emily Henry
Håfa adai! Welcome to my spoiler-free review of Funny Story, by Emily Henry.
This book review consists of two parts: a brief plot summary and my thoughts of the story. There may be some lightweight spoilers—such as how characters interact with each other and the world around them—but I will not give away any major plot twists or endings. I want to share my opinion of the book and encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.
Click on the tags at the bottom of this post to see all reviews with the same tags in the Romance bookshelf.
Spoiler-Free Plot Summary
Daphne Vincent uprooted her entire life to Waning Bay, Michigan, to build a new life with her fiancé. She was comforted with the knowledge that she could predict how the story of her and her soon-to-be-husband would unfold, starting with the rom-com style way they met several years earlier. What Daphne could not predict was how her “happy ever after” would be ripped out from under her when her fiancé falls in love with his childhood best friend, for the woman he swore up and down Daphne had nothing to worry about. Now, Daphne is single and forced to move out of the new house that was supposed to be her home. Fortunately for Daphne, Miles Nowak—whose now-ex girlfriend was the childhood best friend of Daphne’s now-ex fiancé—is looking for a roommate. Daphne and Miles start out giving each other space and minding their own business. Then, after a night of commiseration, the two roommates devise a petty plan to get under their ex’s skins by posting photos to social media that more than suggest their association is something greater than two heartbroken people sharing their misery. But things go from interesting to complicated when the line between pretend feelings and real feelings becomes blurred.
My Thoughts on Funny Store: 4 stars
Emily Henry’s Funny Story follows Daphne Vincent and Miles Nowak’s journeys from losing faith in love to rediscovering what it could look and feel like. This novel explores the process of starting over after an unexpected painful change and that, sometimes, new bonds can be formed with those who have been near you all along. In Funny Story, Emily Henry uses witty and entertaining banter to foster believable chemistry within multiple types of new relationships.
Funny Story utilizes the “fake relationship to real relationship” trope of romance storytelling. Daphne and Miles devise a petty plan to pretend being a couple as a way to get under the skin of their recently coupled ex-fiancés. There are also traces of the “enemies to lovers” trope, but this takes more of a backseat. As is the case with most romance stories, once you recognize the trope being used you can essentially predict how the overall story will go. But I am learning that the predictable tropes are not what makes romance the highest selling fiction genre in the United States. It is what happens between the “meet cute” and the “happily ever after” that holds the attention of readers all over the world.
I want to outline what I truly enjoyed and appreciated about Funny Story before I go into the details that bother me. I will be intentionally vague in detailing these points so as not to give away spoilers. In no particular order, aspects of Funny Story I especially appreciated include: (1) witty banter, (2) the chemistry between characters, (3) the types of relationships formed, (4) the character growth displayed, and (5) the effects of childhood adversity on attachment.
First, Emily Henry’s knack for witty banter hits again in Funny Story, making character interactions entertaining to read. Second, the chemistry between the characters is believable and palpable, creating a strong emotional vibe in each scene. Third, I love that Funny Story depicts Daphne Vincent’s journey in developing new a romantic relationship as well as a new platonic relationship. Emily Henry does an amazing job at depicting the sisterly bond in friendships between women. Fourth, the character growth throughout the story may seem small, but it is apparent, with each character remaining the same at their core while learning to love themselves more. And fifth, Emily Henry depicts how narcissistic abuse or abandonment by a parent experienced in childhood can affect a person’s sense of self and the attachment style they develop in adulthood.
Alongside the aspects of Funny Story I appreciated were a couple things I am on the fence about. The first item is a pet peeve I have developed through my experience with romance novels: once you see the trope, you know how the journey will unfold. A tenant of romance storytelling is that it must always have a happy ending. This combined with easily identifiable tropes make the average romance novel predictable. I understand that the draw of romance novels is the journey instead of the destination, but the same can be said of nearly all forms of fiction. And perhaps I am jaded, but I am more a fan of stories that have the possibility of ending on a bad or sad note for the main cast of characters.
The second item is more specific to the three Emily Henry books I have read so far: they seem to share nearly identical theses. Two protagonists lose faith in love after a painful betrayal, are placed in close proximity with someone they either despise or have been told to despise, and then learn that that person really is not as bad as they had believed. I go back and forth about this detail because, on one hand, Emily Henry is using the same formula yet, on the other hand, her writing in Funny Story is so much better than in Beach Read or Book Lovers. So she is using a rinse-and-repeat formula, but the stories she is creating are getting better over time (in my opinion).
I give Funny Story 4 out of 5 stars. I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I read Beach Read and Book Lovers with the intent of eventually reading this book to get a good sense of Emily Henry’s writing style. She is currently a very popular author within the romance genre, so I wanted to see what all the buzz was about. I felt disappointed after finishing her two earlier books and was not exactly looking forward to Funny Story. I started the audio book with a “let’s get this over with” attitude but finished it with an appreciation for how much Emily Henry’s writing has grown over the years. The story was entirely predictable, which is really my own pet peeve about the romance genre in general. But there is witty banter, believable chemistry between characters, multiple types of relationships formed, and subtle yet significant character growth.
Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'! Thank you so much for reading my review of Funny Story by Emily Henry.
Rating Cheat Sheet
4.75 - 5.00 stars: Everyone should read this book! (If you’re into that sort of thing.)
4.00 - 4.50 stars: I appreciated many aspects of this book. I recommend it!
3.00 - 3.75 stars: I liked some aspects of this book. I won’t revisit it, but someone else might really like it.
2.00 - 2.75 stars: There were some things I appreciated about this book, but I do not recommend it.
0.25 - 1.75 stars: I do not recommend this book. I did not enjoy or appreciate the experience of it.
Post Date: 31 March 2025
Published: 23 April 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Audiobook Publisher: Penguin Audio
Performed by Julia Whelan
