Funny Story by Emily Henry: Book Review

Funny Story Book Summary

Funny Story by Emily Henry is a romance novel about Daphne and Miles whose partners, Peter and Petra left them for each other. Heartbroken and with nowhere to go, they move in together and over time become friends, decide to fake date to get back at their exes, and attraction sparks between them.

Funny Story Book Review

Funny Story feels very much like a rom-com, especially at the beginning. It has those 90s/early 2000s romantic comedy vibes, like You’ve Got Mail or Bridget Jones’ Diary (which does make an appearance). The premise itself is funny and filled with drama, and it’s just full of shenanigans that made me giggle. 

This is not to say that there isn’t any angst — around the half point, the emotional baggage of our main characters’ past does start to make an appearance and affect the story in a bigger way. Parts of it made me either choke up or outright cry. But compared to Happy Place, which is probably Emily Henry’s angstiest book, Funny Story isn’t that serious. I’d say it might be her most romance-focused novel, with a lot of comedy and spice as well.

It’s extremely readable — but then again, all Emily Henry books are. Her writing style is joyful, fun, and she has a way of making you want to sink into the book and let go. 

However, I don’t believe it was necessary to include the fake dating trope. It never plays an important part because our main characters rarely interact with people they’re trying to deceive and otherwise are fine with telling everyone they’re friends. Since it was included, I wish it played more of a part in the book. 

I also think that Miles and Daphne shouldn’t have been roommates. Daphne has a tendency to absorb the personality of her love interests, and she should have gotten some space before jumping into a new relationship. This way, I feel like she ends up conflating what she wants and needs with what Miles wants and needs. Overall, their romance could have benefitted from more time.

I also believe there’s way too much going on in this story. It should have focused on them healing and finding themselves (as well as the romance). But instead, we have a library event, his sister and his family issues, her absentee dad, a tour through the town where they live, her looking for a new job, and more. It would have been a tighter story if it focused on them and their emotional growth, rather than all of this other stuff. 

Highlights

• Fun, readable prose
• A very sweet romance you can root for
• Funny side characters
• Some tender, sad moments
• One of the most loveable and realistic heroes in romance books

A few more things you should know before you read Funny Story: 

• It’s written in first POV, present tense from Daphne’s perspective
• It’s loosely based on New Girl, particularly Nick and Jess and their relationship
• Trigger warnings for on-page drinking, explicit sexual content, and child abandonment

Books Like Funny Story by Emily Henry

1. Other Emily Henry Books

The best place to go for more books similar to the one you liked is usually the book’s author. And Emily Henry is a treasure trove of romance books very similar to Funny Story though with different plots and characters. My personal recommendation would be Happy Place or Beach Read, but there are a few others, so pick one that sounds the best.

2. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

If you want some more fake dating (that actually plays an important part) and a similarly funny book, you should read Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. It follows Luc who needs a proper boyfriend in order to keep his fundraising job, and Oliver who needs a boyfriend to appease his controlling family. They’re completely different and not really fans of each other, but as they are forced to interact, their tentative alliance develops into a lot more. This is definitely one of my favorite fake dating books. 

3. Electric Idol by Katee Robert

If you want fake dating (well, marriage), but with a lot more spice, you should read Electric Idol by Katee Robert. It’s a second installment in her ongoing Dark Olympus series but you don’t really need to read the first part to get into this one. It follows Psyche who unknowingly ends up irritating Aphrodite enough to warrant her own execution. Her murderer is meant to be Eros, Aphrodite’s son. But instead of killing Psyche, he ends up marrying her to protect her. Shenanigans ensue. It’s a lot of drama and tons of spice, which is just perfect when you need something simple and relaxing to read. 

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