#41 [2024/CBR16] Funny Story by Emily Henry

I've read a number of books by Emily Henry and always found them enjoyable. So, when I saw that her latest book, Funny Story (2024) was out, I knew I was going to read it. Like all of her books so far, I enjoyed this one. The characters were fun and likeable, and I occasionally felt that ache in my chest that comes with well-written, romantic yearning. The details of Henry's books don't usually stick with me for long; I mostly just remember the general emotions.

Daphne lives in Waning Bay, Michigan with her fiancé, Peter. Her world is torn apart when Peter comes home and dumps her--saying that he's actually in love with his childhood best friend, Petra. Petra is gorgeous and comes from the same rich background as Peter. But just because they seem to make sense together doesn't make it any less heartbreaking for Daphne. To make matters worse, the house they lived in was always Peter's, so Daphne has to find a new place to stay.

Daphne ends up at the home of Miles Nowak, Petra's ex-boyfriend. At first, they are both wholly caught up in their own heartache. Daphne initially thinks he's a dirty slacker and a druggie, and he honestly did not seem very appealing to me when we first meet him. However, they slowly begin to interact and Miles becomes much more attractive the more we know him.

When Peter and Petra have the gall to invite Daphne and Miles to their wedding, Daphne and Miles decide to R.S.V.P. as a couple. Really, they just wanted to make Peter and Petra nervous, but the more time they spend together, the more they like each other. Miles starts showing Daphne all the fun, quirky things to do in Waning Bay that Daphne never had a chance to see before. He brings fun and companionship to Daphne's life. 

Both Daphne and Miles have their own personal and family issues--not to mention their recent breakups--that make both wary of beginning a relationship. Yet most of the time things work out great between them. The real test occurs when Peter and Petra break up, and the reason Daphne and Miles came together in the first place isn't there anymore.

I enjoyed this book, and I'm planning on reading more Emily Henry books as she writes them. My only issue was that I didn't love Miles's personal issues that kept him from Daphne. They seemed to both come out of the blue and be solved relatively easily. However, this little nit did not ruin the book for me. Recommended.