Funny Story by Emily Henry: How to survive a humiliating breakup?

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Berkley Books (April 23, 2024)

Daphne and Miles – two complete opposites, decide to attend their ex’s wedding as a couple. 

Emily Henry’s last release had a very divided critique. Some adored Happy Place, while others disliked it. It is the only of her books I haven’t read yet, just because of the mixed reviews. However, I had high expectations for her book Funny Story, and I am glad it didn’t disappoint me. It is my favorite book by Emily Henry. 

One of Emily’s strengths is her ability to balance depth and humor in her writing, resulting in realistic stories with extraordinary character development. 

Funny Story by Emily Henry Publisher 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?

Funny Story by Emily Henry Review

Although the title is Funny Story, Emily Henry is known to tear you up, and it did happen to me. So, be warned and prep tissues. However, this is not a sad book, but it is emotional, especially since you fall in love with the characters.

As previously mentioned, Funny Story is my favorite Emily Henry book. It starts with a bang. Daphne’s fiance has cheated on her and decided to pursue a relationship with his best friend, Petra. Devasted and heartbroken, she needs to find a place to live. Enter Miles, Petra’s ex-boyfriend and Daphne’s new roommate. 

They are both heartbroken. Moreover, they are complete opposites. Miles is an unconventional male lead and has become one of my favorite book boyfriends. Furthermore, Daphne and Miles are my favorite book characters from this author. I was ten percent in the book when I wrote in my notes that I adore Miles. 

However, he didn’t make the best impression during his initial introduction. It was quite the opposite. He was high and quite inconsiderate. However, he was dealing with a breakup, so it is understandable.  

Nonetheless, I was curious to see how the relationship between the two would develop due to their circumstances. As previously mentioned, they are complete opposites. At the same time, both are going through a bad breakup. Both factors included, the relationship seems unlikely.

As they spend more time together, it becomes apparent that Miles and Daphne are perfect for each other. 

Funny Story by Emily Henry: Characters

Daphne has built her life around her fiance. After the breakup, she counts the days until she can leave Michigan. The only thing keeping her is her job. She is a child librarian. Currently, she is organizing a big project for the library. After that, she plans to move. She is very devoted to her job. The best part of her day is when she reads to children. In this regard, she reminded me of Kathleen Kelly from You Got Mail. 

Despite having a warm and close relationship with her mother, the absence of her father has been a constant source of pain in her life. Daphne always waited for him to show up. Even now, she struggles with her feelings toward him. 

Along with developing a relationship with Miles, she starts to form relationships with her coworkers, especially Aslegih. Henry did a remarkable job of portraying the complexity of friendship development.

Funny Story by Emily Henry Relationship Development

Miles is a fun person. Opposite to Daphne, he forms friendships easily. I loved that in the Funny Story, the love interest is a simple, sweet guy. 

Miles also has a complex relationship with his parents, especially his mom. He learns about Daphne’s plans to move and decides to be her guide to make her learn about Michigan before she decides to leave. He is a very considerate person. They were open and honest towards each other, and I liked that. Miles is the epitome of a golden retriever, and I think it is impossible not to fall in love with him. He is an act-of-service guy, and we learn a lot about him through his actions.

Daphne is protective of Miles and his feelings. She would get defensive when people, especially her ex, started criticizing Miles, even in the early stages of their relationship. Daphne couldn’t bear it when someone judged him, probably because she could relate.

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