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adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I said it would be hard to beat People We Meet on Vacation, but she’s done it! This was a truly perfect romance novel. I’m so glad I read it while traveling for vacation. The relationships between the two love interests, the relationship they each have to themselves, and to their friends/families is both believable and realistic. I loved this one and I hope these characters are in love for ever and ever in fictional Michigan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Emotional abuse
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Funny Story is the most recent release by Emily Henry and is by far my most favorite novel written by her to date! The town, love of books, and the romance all together made for a perfect book for anyone who loves books and happiness coming from less than ideal situations.
First off Daphne is one of my favorite and most relatable characters from an Emily Henry novel! Her background about her relationship with her estranged father and her love for her hardworking mother. How because of this she had developed issues with people leaving her behind or getting tired of her. It was extremely relatable to me as I have gone through something very similar like this in my life growing up. Also her struggle with making friends as an adult was very relatable and safely I think a lot of people struggle with that concept. Miles was super sweet and I loved his attention to details, how he remembered all these little things that Daphne liked. Such a sweetheart of a man! His background too was also tragic and explained why he was the way he was. Why he cared so much for his sister wanting what was best for her. Despite not paying attention too much to what he wanted or needed.
The small town setting was so good! I loved all the little stores and farmer's markets they had, Miles also being the guy who knows everybody and can help someone out in a pinch was a cool part of his character too. Deep down though there was more to him than just that though. The romance and bond Daphne and him shared, how it started as just a way to get back at their exes who cheated on them turning into a legitimate romance. How they both were able to move past the hurt that their exes gave them and find their own happiness with each other. They were a great fit and I hope to see more of them in the future.
The overall theme of moving past traumas that happened in your life, taking your happiness into your own hands, and finding a sense of belonging in either a place or a person I loved it. It really hit home for me as it probably did with a bunch of other people. That is one of the many reasons why I loved Funny Story and it is at the top of my list as my favorite book of Emily's that she has ever written!
First off Daphne is one of my favorite and most relatable characters from an Emily Henry novel! Her background about her relationship with her estranged father and her love for her hardworking mother. How because of this she had developed issues with people leaving her behind or getting tired of her. It was extremely relatable to me as I have gone through something very similar like this in my life growing up. Also her struggle with making friends as an adult was very relatable and safely I think a lot of people struggle with that concept. Miles was super sweet and I loved his attention to details, how he remembered all these little things that Daphne liked. Such a sweetheart of a man! His background too was also tragic and explained why he was the way he was. Why he cared so much for his sister wanting what was best for her. Despite not paying attention too much to what he wanted or needed.
The small town setting was so good! I loved all the little stores and farmer's markets they had, Miles also being the guy who knows everybody and can help someone out in a pinch was a cool part of his character too. Deep down though there was more to him than just that though. The romance and bond Daphne and him shared, how it started as just a way to get back at their exes who cheated on them turning into a legitimate romance. How they both were able to move past the hurt that their exes gave them and find their own happiness with each other. They were a great fit and I hope to see more of them in the future.
The overall theme of moving past traumas that happened in your life, taking your happiness into your own hands, and finding a sense of belonging in either a place or a person I loved it. It really hit home for me as it probably did with a bunch of other people. That is one of the many reasons why I loved Funny Story and it is at the top of my list as my favorite book of Emily's that she has ever written!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse, Drug abuse
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I both love and hate this about Emily Henry and her books - she writes such compelling FMCs and side-character relationships (friendships, family, etc) that the romance feels almost distracting. The only book of hers that really filled this cup for me is Happy Place, which I know a lot of people didn't like, so maybe I'm more of a platonic-familial-relationship reader than a romance reader? Who knows.
I did like the setting and the premise of Funny Story, and I thought Daphne and Miles were very cute together, but I kind of wish there had beenless of the will-they-or-won't-they. If they had gotten together earlier (which I think every other character would have been fine with because most of them assumed they were already together anyway?) there would have been more space for Daphne's impressive personal growth to shine and for her relationships with her parents and her friends (particularly Sadie) to be explored in greater detail. I will say I liked the final chapter of this book - it tied up the story nicely but didn't feel too "and then they all lived happily ever after."
Also, this is a very small complaint and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, but it could have used some more editing. Some of the phrasing felt awkward, and a character was referred to by the wrong last name at one point.
I did like the setting and the premise of Funny Story, and I thought Daphne and Miles were very cute together, but I kind of wish there had been
Also, this is a very small complaint and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, but it could have used some more editing. Some of the phrasing felt awkward, and a character was referred to by the wrong last name at one point.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Emily Henry has done it again!! I love how all of her books blend friendship and family dynamics with the romance aspect. This book was so unexpected… in the best way possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol
Minor: Drug use
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
So good I love Emily Henry so much
For some reason this felt spicier than her other books? But it makes sense bc the tension between miles and Daphne was insane. I rly like how it was all written
My star rating doesn’t rly mean anything I liked it a lot but it doesn’t have the same meaning to me that pwmov does. And tbh I kinda forgot abt the minor details already
For some reason this felt spicier than her other books? But it makes sense bc the tension between miles and Daphne was insane. I rly like how it was all written
My star rating doesn’t rly mean anything I liked it a lot but it doesn’t have the same meaning to me that pwmov does. And tbh I kinda forgot abt the minor details already
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ugh, Julia Whelan, the narrator you are! Funny Story is already everything I want in a book: sexy, funny, emotional, and so smart. Add Julia Whelan’s narration on top? We’ve got a winner, folks.
The Funny Story audiobook brings Miles’ quick wit to life in a far better way than I can in my head. He is cuter and more heartwrenchingly gentle than I thought possible. I felt more impassioned for Daphne while listening too - she and I have so many similarities in our anxieties, and I felt myself wanting to reach through my phone and hold her constantly.
Funny Story is perfect, and its audiobook only increases that perfection. Love. A must listen.
The Funny Story audiobook brings Miles’ quick wit to life in a far better way than I can in my head. He is cuter and more heartwrenchingly gentle than I thought possible. I felt more impassioned for Daphne while listening too - she and I have so many similarities in our anxieties, and I felt myself wanting to reach through my phone and hold her constantly.
Funny Story is perfect, and its audiobook only increases that perfection. Love. A must listen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism
Minor: Infidelity, Grief, Toxic friendship
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another great story from Emily Henry (in the top 2 IMO)! I really enjoyed both MCs and seeing their relationship grow. I really related to Daphne's love of books, as well. Although I didn't necessarily relate to the trauma they experienced that shaped their perception of love, I thought that it was written very thoughtfully. The spicy parts were great too!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay, so I'm ending my little hiatus on writing book reviews because I feel like there's just.. so much to say about this one.
Things I liked:
Things I liked:
- How the very ending
paralleled her relationship with Peter via telling the story of how the two met - The setting of the library; working in it, her experiences as a children's librarian, even some humorous stories
- The fact that even though she
decided to stay in Waning Bay, she did end up getting her own apartment so her and Miles weren't navigating a fresh relationship while also being roommates. Honestly a very smart decision for both of them if you ask me, and I love a knuckle-headed FMC but idk something about that I was like damn... y'all are making responsible decisions I love that
As for things I hated, I feel like there's less a specific list and more, like... just, aspects of the writing more generally.
For example, the sex scenes were... not good.
- First of all, he doesn't eat her pussy, which, I mean we all know how I feel about MMC's refusing to go down on their ladies, especially when she went down on him... like... please tell me you're joking. Say it right now or else (knife emoji)
- So freaking cliche, literally full of cliches. She could feel herself shatter... she could feel the pieces of herself coming (cumming) together... she rose and as she fell she wasn't sure if she would ever get back up or even if she ever wanted to. Like girl please shut up it's a freaking orgasm you're f*cking fine
I know it was supposed to be lightly spicy, and I love that, however, you can make things lightly spicy or even closed door and not have it, like literally, cringeworthy
I also just felt like the chemistry between Daphne and Miles was nonexistent... not even bad, it didn't suck, it wasn't inconsistent. It simply was not there. I feel like she's talking about how weird and nasty he is, what a weirdo loser who smokes so much weed and doesn't use a calendar (which, like, also shut up and download Google calendar bc you're really making yourself look dim-witted rn, Daph) and then I turned a page and she's staring deeply into his brightly colored orbs and feeling a twinge between her thighs. It was so rapid from "This guy sucks, can't wait to move out" to "OmG i LoVe HiM" but without any passion or chemistry or lust.
I also feel like this probably has a lot to do with the fact that the sex scenes sucked.
Okay, and the final thing I will say is that this book fully convinced me that Emily Henry is using Chat GPT because her past handful of books remind me so so much of the following exchange I've had with AI:
Me: Please recommend me a recipe to make. I have these ingredients.
AI: Here you go! Here's a recipe, it's perfect for you because it has all of the ingredients you have. You're going to love it! You will need approximately $4,000 worth of cooking equipment.
Me: Okay, actually... please recommend me a new recipe, but preferably without needing to buy any equipment.
AI: Okay great, here you go! This time, you won't need to purchase any equipment! All you'll need is the ingredients you have, plus at least 10 ingredients that you don't. Good luck!
And, like, so on and so forth until one of us gives up. I genuinely feel like this book is her last several books, but, like, slightly to the left.
It feels so uninspired. There is not enough of a personality change between all of her FMC's. As a friend pointed out, her side characters are all the same person. I feel like you can't have a set of books that highlight how important friendship is in a relationship, but then make those friends not have full lives and characteristics of their own.
I also feel like the "childhood trauma" aspect of this book just borrows way too heavily from Happy Place (the last Emily Henry book I read) along with, like, whatever book on attachment styles is popular at the moment. I get it, I love it, childhood trauma sucks for sure, you struggle with accepting love, you're 35, now let's move on. I feel like there was one scene in particular where I felt like I was reading a list of, like,
"Things Your Childhood Trauma Might Say To You (Newsflash: They're All Wrong)" and it was like:
I also just felt like the chemistry between Daphne and Miles was nonexistent... not even bad, it didn't suck, it wasn't inconsistent. It simply was not there. I feel like she's talking about how weird and nasty he is, what a weirdo loser who smokes so much weed and doesn't use a calendar (which, like, also shut up and download Google calendar bc you're really making yourself look dim-witted rn, Daph) and then I turned a page and she's staring deeply into his brightly colored orbs and feeling a twinge between her thighs. It was so rapid from "This guy sucks, can't wait to move out" to "OmG i LoVe HiM" but without any passion or chemistry or lust.
I also feel like this probably has a lot to do with the fact that the sex scenes sucked.
Okay, and the final thing I will say is that this book fully convinced me that Emily Henry is using Chat GPT because her past handful of books remind me so so much of the following exchange I've had with AI:
Me: Please recommend me a recipe to make. I have these ingredients.
AI: Here you go! Here's a recipe, it's perfect for you because it has all of the ingredients you have. You're going to love it! You will need approximately $4,000 worth of cooking equipment.
Me: Okay, actually... please recommend me a new recipe, but preferably without needing to buy any equipment.
AI: Okay great, here you go! This time, you won't need to purchase any equipment! All you'll need is the ingredients you have, plus at least 10 ingredients that you don't. Good luck!
And, like, so on and so forth until one of us gives up. I genuinely feel like this book is her last several books, but, like, slightly to the left.
It feels so uninspired. There is not enough of a personality change between all of her FMC's. As a friend pointed out, her side characters are all the same person. I feel like you can't have a set of books that highlight how important friendship is in a relationship, but then make those friends not have full lives and characteristics of their own.
I also feel like the "childhood trauma" aspect of this book just borrows way too heavily from Happy Place (the last Emily Henry book I read) along with, like, whatever book on attachment styles is popular at the moment. I get it, I love it, childhood trauma sucks for sure, you struggle with accepting love, you're 35, now let's move on. I feel like there was one scene in particular where I felt like I was reading a list of, like,
"Things Your Childhood Trauma Might Say To You (Newsflash: They're All Wrong)" and it was like:
- You're not deserving of love.
- Everyone is going to give up on you.
- People are just waiting for the first opportunity to leave.
Okay, what is this? A middle schooler's tumblr account? LOVE! For a middle schooler. You're 35. Move on.
All that being said, EH is a very good writer, albeit I don't love her storytelling (I hope that makes sense). Idk. I enjoyed it, however, it was boring - both as a novel and as a concept.
PS. I almost forgot about my least favorite thing of the whole book! When Miles is going throughhis shit with his family and Daphne just like completely changes the subject I wanted to be like ma'am... he was talking. It pissed me off so much like she just has to be making this all about her.
All that being said, EH is a very good writer, albeit I don't love her storytelling (I hope that makes sense). Idk. I enjoyed it, however, it was boring - both as a novel and as a concept.
PS. I almost forgot about my least favorite thing of the whole book! When Miles is going through
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content