A review by mackenzierm
Funny Story by Emily Henry

3.0

Daphne always loved the way Peter, her fiancĂ©, told their story. He was really good at telling it, right up until he realized he was in love with his best friend, Petra. Daphne is now thrust into her new story, where she's alone and stranded in Waning Bay with only her dream job as a children's librarian to keep her afloat. She finds herself proposing to be Petra's ex, Miles' roommate since he's in the same boat as she is. They mainly avoid each other, until one day, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. 

FUNNY STORY starts off strong with EmHen's classic humour and flirty banter that made me first fall in love with her writing. I adored both Miles and Daphne as the main characters to this story - they're both wounded souls in the aftermath of a big break up. Their characters are well developed, genuine, and relatable. Miles in particular is wholly endearing and a guy you can't help but want to be around. I am a sucker for fake romances so I absolutely loved the scenarios Daphne and Miles get themselves into and truly adored the friendship they developed.

This all sounds like it's a winning recipe right? Great characters, excellent banter, and a lovely setting (Waning Bay sounds magical) but it felt like there's something missing to make this story great.  It's around the 50-60% mark where everything falls apart for me, as the reader. It's slump city with no end in sight. I wanted more from the characters and way more from their relationship. 

FUNNY STORY tackles difficult family dynamics and difficult childhoods with care. EmHen does this really well in fact. However, I feel like part of this subplot really derailed the vibe of the overall story and ruined it for me. It does end on a cute note though and you'll still find me reaching for her next release.