This is my second Emily Henry novel, and I like it just as much as the first. Henry writes solid romances with emotional depth. In this one, Daphne moved in with Miles after their respective partners Peter and Petra declared their love for each other, and former fiancé Peter kicked Daphne out of the house that was only in his name. Daphne had uprooted her life to move to Waning Bay, Michigan, with Peter and had built her life around him. The only thing that’s really hers is her job at the local library, so now she’s counting down the days to when she can leave. She’s just waiting for the library’s Read-a-thon to happen first.
Initially, Daphne and Miles are nothing more than roommates who barely interact with each other. Then while drunk they get invitations to Peter and Petra’s wedding and decide to RSVP as a couple. So, there is a fake dating trope in this book, but for the most part it takes a back seat to Daphne and Miles getting to know each other as friends and then recognizing the chemistry between them. Miles wants to take Daphne on a tour of the best spots in town, and they really only keep up the fake couple act on the rare occasion they bump into one of their exes.
The plot is a basic romance plot, and what elevates the novel are the fully-realized romantic leads. Miles is a genuinely sweet, caring guy who immediately gets others to open up to him, which Daphne appreciates about him. Daphne is much less social but loves her job. She loves being a librarian and her interactions with the kids who come in, especially during Story Hour, which I really enjoyed. Both characters have been deeply affected by challenging childhoods and experience growth related to that over the course of the novel, largely through their interactions with each other.
There are some great side characters, as well. Miles’s sister Julia and Daphne’s coworker Ashleigh are great additions to the novel. Overall, Funny Story is a thoughtful, enjoyable read that I recommend to other fans of romance novels. Immediately after finishing this book I started reading Beach Read. Soon I’ll have read enough to rank them!