Any woman wary of the girl best friend will be ready to say, “I told you so,” after reading Emily Henry’s upcoming novel Funny Story.
The romance author known for New York Times bestsellers Beach Read and Book Lovers will release her new book on April 23.
Funny Story follows a pretty average initial love story: Daphne meets Peter, falls in love, gets engaged, relocates to Michigan for him—away from her friends and mom in the Northeast, moves into a new house with his name on the deed, plans a wedding, prepares for the future that awaits her … only for Peter to tell her the night after his bachelor party that he is in love with his girl best friend Petra and is going to pursue a life with her instead.
Daphne is rightfully shocked and heartbroken at this horrifically timed news and is forced to move out of her new house for Peter’s new girl to move in. She decides to live temporarily with Petra’s now ex-boyfriend Miles who is experiencing similar feelings of sadness and confusion.
Miles and Daphne are complete opposites. Daphne is a straight-laced librarian who gives voices to the characters in picture books she reads to children every Saturday story hour, and Miles works at a vineyard and doesn’t log his daily activities on a calendar.
When Daphne and Miles receive a invitation to Peter and Petra’s wedding, they decide maybe they could pretend to be unbelievably happy, too. It’s not that unethical given what their exes did to them, right?
But as they spend more time together, the lines between fantasy and reality blur. If you’re a fan of fake dating and friends to lovers tropes, this one’s for you.
I devoured Funny Story in less than 24 hours within my busy schedule because I was so in love with the characters. Henry paints a beautifully relatable character with Daphne. She grows up with a single mother and learns to be independent and self-sufficient, always prepared for the next shoe to drop. Peter finally makes her feel safe for the first time in her life, only to later take it away. Daphne is careful to choose someone to let her guard down with, and he still leaves.
Henry develops Daphne’s painful transitional period with grace and understanding. She discusses the idea of a “we girl,” someone who is always doing things with her partner and the importance of not losing yourself and what you want in loving someone else.
Daphne also struggles deciding between living in a new place where her ex lives but working a job she loves or moving back to a place that is more familiar and closer to family without her dream career. I appreciate Henry’s portrayal of these conflicting feelings and how Daphne’s ultimate decision doesn’t come down to a man—it’s about what feels right for her future.
I also love Miles, though this story is more about Daphne’s journey. He is one of those rare men who notices when you drink chai instead of coffee and brings it to you without being asked. He plans cute adventures for the pair to go on and is the perfect combination of messy and organized.
Funny Story hits the shelves on April 23, so make sure to grab a copy then!