Funny Story

By: Emily Henry

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Named a Most Anticipated book of 2024 by TIME ∙ The New York Times ∙ Goodreads ∙ Entertainment Weekly ∙ Today ∙ Paste ∙ SheReads ∙ BookPage ∙ Woman's World ∙ The Nerd Daily and more!

A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

©2024 Emily Henry (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“When romance novelist Emily Henry releases a new book, it’s nothing short of a literary event. And this spring’s Funny Story—which has already been named one of the most anticipated books of 2024 by everyone from the New York Times to the Today show—is sure to be no exception... this sumptuous novel is Henry at her very best.”—Bustle

“Bestseller Henry takes on fake-dating in this equally poignant and charming tale of love after loss… Henry perfectly balances sorrow and discord with love and humor, and romance fans will appreciate watching the growth of the characters’ relationships and of Daphne as a person. This is a heartwarming take on summer love.”—Publishers Weekly

Emily Henry does it again

Loved this one! It’s full of wit and Julia Whalen is the best when it comes down to narrator’s! For those that liked Beach Read and Book Lovers, this is definitely the one! Plus anyone that has a heart for Northern Michigan—you already know how it’s going to make you feel.

A joy to listen to!

I absolutely loved this! Initially, based on the book description, I worried I might find the plot too "done before", since it incorporates some common elements of romantic comedies. But I needn't have worried. It's an incredibly charming story with lovable, relatable main characters. Funny and painful, the book made me cackle out loud at times and tear up at others. Very well-written with good prose, pacing, and overall storytelling. The narration was perfection, too. The narrator didn't just read it; she performed it. The nuanced and convincing emotions in her voice, as well as doing subtly different voices for each character that helped distinguish who was talking, all brought the story and characters to life. I will definitely be looking for more from both the author Emily Henry and the narrator Julia Whelan.

My very minor nitpicks would be: 1) a slight overuse of the word "rasp"; 2) I thought the scene in which a main character opens up about his past could have used a little more oomph, whether from added substance, context, or foreshadowing; and 3) I would have liked to seen the eventual outcome/aftermath of Daphne's pent-up, had-it-coming confrontation with a certain person.

Good Title

Great Read really enjoyed the book Emily Henry is one of my best authors Great love story funny emotopnal

A cynic is a romantic that is too scared to hope

This is such a beautiful story. Both main characters have been given a blow and persevere through the pain to find their HEA. I loved it! Julia did an amazing narration.

Brilliantly Drawn Characters

Terrific story told by a terrific narrator. The characters are so well-drawn that the story unravels in the background. You are not conscious of looking for plot or following left motifs because you are so absorbed in the character's lives and psyches. When a character you have heard about in a character's mind only shows up, the account of the real-life meeting does not go as you think it will - a sign of a master storyteller.

LOVED THIS

I loved this book & this audio. Paired together were AMAZING!!! I loved the whole experience. Julia Whelan is one of my fave audible narrators

Another Banger from Emily Henry

Couldn’t wait for her new book! This one was just as wonderful as all the last ones! She’s my favorite writer. Keep giving us these great love stories! The setting, the characters and plot were perfect. Loved the ending!

Chick lit, but I enjoyed it

I purchased this after listening to Kristin Hannah’s The Women as I was so impressed with Julia Whelan’s narration. She didn’t disappoint- she made a story that I would usually never choose to read or listen to very enjoyable.

Great read!

This is Emily Henry’s best book to date. My favorite thing was the sense of humor with the main characters. They had great chemistry!

Emily Henry always nails it.

The plot, characters, dialogue and steamy moments are easy to fall in love with, but the best part is that feeling of falling in love that this author just knows how to make a reader feel. My whole heart is invested and the narrator is my all time favorite!!