Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Funny Story by Emily Henry

111 reviews

emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character

Gosh! Emily Henry hits again! This is only my second Emily Henry book, and I am starting to add her to my "must read all of this author's book" list. The characters have dimensions and things are not completely perfect in the end, just like reality, but enough pinches of a happy ending for the characters to feel satisfied with the emotional roller coaster ride Henry took us on. I had tears when I thought
Miles was spending the entire time he was missing helping Petra move. The pulls on my heart strings 😭

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is my first Emily Henry and I have to say...I'm a little disappointed ngl
I enjoyed it, it hooked me from the start, and the love interest, Miles, was very swoony and made me giggle and kick my feet, but I dont know, I had to stop in the middle of the third act conflict reconciliation scene and when I picked it back up the next morning I was left feeling dissatisfied

Pros: 
  • Even tho I've seen reviews saying Miles
    helping Petra move and leaving Daphne hanging was shitty and meant he really wasn't over Petra (among other things I don't remember very well)
    , I disagree, I think Miles' actions throughout the book (
    minus him standing Daphne up
    ) showed that he cared deeply about Daphne and truly valued her, I really liked his character.
  • I also really liked Ashleigh and Julia, and Daphne's friendships with both of them, I liked the conflict with Ashleigh too, and how Emily Henry resolved it. 
  • In general I had a good time reading it

Cons: 
  • I was weirded out by the way Daphne mentioned her nipples a couple times, nothing wrong with talking abt nipples ofc, it's just the way it was written was really weird ("My nipples are tightening against his chest (...)" and "(...) my nipples choose that instant to stand at attention, like eager little meerkats" are two I highlighted that were weird).
  • I would have liked more awkward-roomates phase, I felt the story went from "I'm living with this guy who I don't know" to "My roommate is invested on making me stay in this town and we're besties"; because of that, I also felt that the attraction was somewhat insta-lovey/insta-lusty. 
  • Re: Daphne, there was a moment where she felt like "Oh I'm not like other girls" (also, the trope of girl that dresses drab and doesnt realize she's pretty but every guy falls in love with her was present, too), and also, she always says oh im so bad with people and at small talk and yet she always talks perfectly fine, with witty banter, and without putting her foot in her mouth. 
  • For being a fake dating book, they only committed when they were near Peter and Petra, and told SO MANY PEOPLE that it was fake, yet it never bit them in the ass (which I think could have been interesting)
  • Oh, and also, even tho there was character development,
    for so much of Daphne's self introspection about how after her break-up with Peter she was left alone bc she never bothered to make her own friends and only tried to befriend Peter's friend, she eventually ended up in a really similar situation with Miles (which I get is bc they became friends first, and created their little friend group while being friends, but still): she befriended his sister and people he already knew and was friendly with, and the friend she made at work also became friends with Miles, becoming a singular friend group

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Cheesy and too many quips sometimes in the writing but an addictive read and also some very spicy content. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional funny hopeful 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: No

Finally a romance book that doesn’t end in marriage or maternity. It ends in mortgage, and in the current economy, that’s now the real dream. 

This book had me laughing and kicking my feet like a teenager. It also made me hungry. Yes, for food. Those asparagus sounded delish. Don’t get me started on the milkshakes - WHY AREN’T THERE MORE MILES OUT THERE? There. I said it. 

0 demure, but indeed very cutesy. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
funny inspiring reflective 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

I read this book in three sittings and i really enjoyed it! I don’t typically read romance, but this is the second one and i could see myself reading more! (both were Emily Henry, the first was Book Lovers) 

I also get scared that I won’t be able to relate to the characters in these types of books, but I’m 21 and found a lot in common with the 30 y.o. characters! (friendship and relationship wise) 

Not a big deal, but I did notice that ā€œchortleā€ and ā€œsidelongā€ were used quite frequently. It made me giggle seeing that the author has specific words they keep coming back to, but it can be a turnoff. 

Overall, an epic book. I plan to read more of Emily Henry in the future! :D

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional hopeful lighthearted sad 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

I rarely give a romance five stars, but this one found a way to take the past hurts of both primary characters and let me share in their personal growth in a way that I wanted to root for them all the way to the end. The premise for the book was ridiculous to me, but it probably happens more often than I think it does. I also liked that the book gave Daphne friends, real friends, who helped her grow up and that she could do the same for them. I liked this book, because it let me be a part of a whole story, rather than just the tug and push between the two protagonists. Loved her relationship with her mom too and the way she worked things out with her dad (good girl!). I'd like to think Daphne and Miles make each other better people and that theirs will be a happily ever after.

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

This was my first book of Emily Henry and this will definitely not be my last. I absolutely loved this book! And I connected to so many of the characters it's almost unbelievable. 

First of all, having a lot of dry humor myself, I instantly felt connected to Daphne. But also the deeper and more emotional parts of Daphnes character made me feel very connected to her. Not knowing who she is after giving everything up for all the people she loved - deeply relatable. 

I also loved Miles character. He is such a kind, lovable and warm person. I loved there was more to him than just his sunshine personality and that this part of him also was there for a reason.
I loved how he made Daphne realize how important she is and how worthy of love and how Daphne on the other hand helped Miles realise that he has been bearing too much all this time. And that
the dark parts inside of him could never be too much

Their conversation where Miles talked about
his childhood experiences
actually broke my heart. The way Daphne helped him see how much he
did for his sister and how he saved her
touched me deeply.

It was so sad to see how
both of their defense mechanisms drove both of them away from each other: Miles panicking and self sabotaging and Daphne pushing him away after he stood her up, afraid to let him in.

But I liked that this was a realistic consequence of Miles behavior
and that Daphne did not magically take him back just cause he apologized and told her he loved her.
And I loved that it wasnt unnecessary drama or the obligatory third act break up. The conflict felt organic and understandable from both of their points of view. 

I felt for Daphne deeply. How she
was stood up and left so many times. And again and again by her dad :(. How she drew the conclusion that she was the problem and something about her made her unlovable. No wonder she couldnt forgive miles just like that. It just cut too deep.

And I also felt deeply for Miles. How he
believed he was only lovable showing his best parts and was not allowed to show his dark sites.
The way he thought he
was responsible for all the shit his parents put him through broke my heart


Being a trauma survivor myself with experiences in parental abandonment and emotional abuse
I connected deeply to both Daphne and Miles. 

At times, especially in the beginning to middle, the story or rather Daphnes and Miles bond felt a bit rushed. Also, I would have loved to explore Miles past and its consequences a bit more.
But still I loved the complexity of the characters and felt like the consequences of experiencing
that kind of trauma
were accurate and felt natural. 

I loved how the story not only focused on romantic but also on platonic and familiar love and explored Daphne and her moms and Miles and Julias relationship as well as Daphnes and Ashleighs friendship.  

Really looking forward to my next Emily Henry book :) 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

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