Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Funny Story by Emily Henry

246 reviews

cmsreads's review against another edition

4.0

hopeful 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

Content Warnings

midnightbelles's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I liked this. I thought they were very sweet together and the buildup to the final chapter was fun to read. I also liked reading about daphnes life that she was making the effort to create outside of the PP drama. (The ending also was very satisfying to me)

Content Warnings

klm2620's review against another edition

4.25

emotional funny lighthearted 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

Maybe one of my fave Emily Henry rom-com novels. Very likable, flawed characters whose relationship start out as a ruse but end up being the best plot twist to their lives

Content Warnings

paulaferg's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

roorooreads's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny 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

This one had me by the heartstrings from the very beginning. Not too surprising really since I love the fake dating trope but this one was done expertly.

Content Warnings

readbyjaimes's review against another edition

3.75

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

Complex Feelings...

I want to start this review by saying that I really did enjoy this book, and I had a great time experiencing these characters. I thought that the flaws of these characters were well done and that Daph and Miles complemented each other in a lot of ways. For most of the book, I adored every moment and thought that it was flowing really well. I think Miles was a great partner for Daph and that his kindness really allowed her to open up. I loved the majority of this novel. Their weekend adventures were so sweet, and I thought that they brought a lot of tenderness to their relationship. Something I loved about them was that they built such a great foundation through trust and friendship before they started their more romantic connection.

But this book lost me in the last 25-ish percent. I think that while I did really enjoy Miles, he let Daphne down in the worst possible way for her trauma, and that felt pretty terrible. I know it's because of his own personal trauma, but I just couldn't completely move past it.

Him ditching Daph without a word to run to Petra was a huge red flag for me. It's great that he's a nice guy and is willing to help someone at the drop of a hat, but that becomes a lot less romantic when he's willing to do that at your expense. Especially when it's his ex-girlfriend, whom he said was the love of his life.

But besides the romance, I thought there were many other things to love about this book, which is what made it so enjoyable for me. Daphne, realizing that she was trying to make herself fit into others' lives and exploring who she was, did so in a really incredible and natural way. The friendships were also a shining star of this book. I freaking loveeeee Ashleigh and what she brought to the book, I'm so glad we got to see her and Daphne grow closer throughout the novel.

Once again, EmHen's third act shoots her books in the foot. It's a shame she keeps doing that lol.

Content Warnings

lost_between_the_pages's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

I'm going to have to take a breather before I leave a review .. so I can gather my thoughts. I see why people love Emily Henry so much. this story touched me in a way I never imagined it would .. sheesh!

But honestly, 6 stars from me! And I hardly ever read romance so that should tell you something!

Content Warnings

kcrockford's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

mandas_bookcorner's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny 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

In this book, readers follow a woman named Daphne. Daphne is planning her nuptials to her fiancé, Peter, or so she thought. When Daphne and Peter are reminiscing over their meet-cute in the park the day after his bachelor party, he informs Daphne that he is in love with his childhood best friend Petra and calls off the wedding. This situation forces Daphne to reevaluate her life and move in with Petra's ex, Miles, as roommates for convenience.
Daphne and Miles are opposites. Daphne is practical and orderly whereas Miles is a scruffy, messy free spirit. Miles and Daphne adjust to living together by acting standoffish with each other. That doesn't last long though. One day, while bonding over their mutual breakups, Daphne and Miles form a flimsy friendship and a plan for some casual revenge. 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?
Overall, this book is cute, funny, and engaging. The book's title is fitting as I found myself chuckling many times while reading. I was not an Emily Henry fan before but now, I am slowly warming up to her writing This was hilarious, heartwarming, and raw. However, Emily Henry's overuse of the word chortle was maddening. I also hated that Peter wanted to have his cake and eat it too. Peter gives me the ick, I stan Daphne and Miles though.

Content Warnings

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful 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

As always, Emily Henry is adored in the book community, so when this book was finally released on Paperback, I instantly pre-ordered it. I have loved some of Emily’s book, I have struggled with Emily’s book, so I was a bit nervous going into this seeing how hype it was, and I enjoy it.

This book is based on Daphne, and she has always loved the way her fiancé, Peter, told their story. How they met, fell in love, and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He was good at telling it, right up until the moment he realised he was 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, and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak. Miles is 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?

I enjoyed the storyline, and it was an interesting way on a meet-cute, both of the exes dating. I liked the character development Daphne went through where she was putting herself in a box to have this perfect family and joining in their traditions and changing herself, to sticking up for herself and what she wanted and making her own traditions, even when Peter came back, she realized how much she has changed and that she doesn’t need or want him anymore. I love how she managed to stand up to her dad because hearing Daphne talking about her relationship with her dad and how fucked up it was, well, it hit a little too close to home and I'm glad that Daphne got the ending and how she managed to say stop doing this dad, you are hurting me and I'm done. Miles was funny and I loved his attitude to get Daphne to enjoy the town and to not hate the town and to hate Peter instead. Ashleigh, Miles’s sister and Harvey saved this book from being 3 stars. I loved them and how they were calling them both out on their bullshit but also going through it themselves and the found family that they built within the small town.

I felt like it took a good while for the relationship to feel like a relationship or proper feelings. I would have loved for this to be a dual POV, I think it would have made the book 1000% times better. I was getting sick of the repeated thoughts from Daphne being “he’s just my roommate, I'm leaving, he is still in love his Petra, he deserves better”. I thought Miles was just going along with it for Daphne and to help him move on, so I would have LOVED for Miles’s POV to see this man pinning over Daphne and seeing her in a different light. I think I was wanting as dual POV as well because Daphne was giving me a headache sometimes throughout the book, being in her brain hurt my head and I found myself skimming over her monologue and her “I’m unlovable” thoughts. The third act conflict wasn’t needed, miscommunication on both of their parts and it just took a conversation to resolve it all.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I enjoyed the character development both went through. I think I was just expecting more with how hype it has been.

Content Warnings

More...