“Some people are natural storytellers. They know how to set the scene, find the right angle, when to pause for dramatic effect or breeze past inconvenient details.”
This comes from Henry’s most recent book, but it seems that the main character, Daphne, has just described the famed author who created her. Henry’s other rom-com titles include “People We Meet on Vacation,” “Book Lovers,” “Beach Read” and “Happy Place,” which came out this time last year.
Daphne Vincent is left on the couch with her jaw dropped after her fiancé, Peter Collins, told her he was “sorry” and that it “wasn’t going to work.” He was in love with someone else, after all: Petra Comer. His childhood best friend, whose name was alphabetized along with his, and the one person he told Daphne to never worry about.
But Daphne’s not alone. Petra’s boyfriend of several years, Miles Nowak, is heartbroken as well, and has just come in need of a roommate for his newly empty room. Daphne, now needing a new place to stay, moves in with the only person who could conceivably understand her predicament: her ex-fiancé’s new fiancé’s ex-boyfriend.
As Daphne spends more time with herself, she comes to realize that she never really knew who she was with her ex-fiancé, or who she is now that he’s out of the picture. His charismatic aura and storytelling capabilities have always garnered admiration, which was something Daphne always loved about Peter. But now, after their mutual friends have all taken his side, she wonders where her storyline is supposed to lead.
Miles is a perpetually content person. He’s dealing with the breakup like any other heartbroken 30-something—with plenty of wine from the winery he works at and action movies, an affinity he shares with Daphne. Daphne believes there is something deep and complex about Miles, but he only ever puts on a shaggy bearded face and a smile for her.
That is until they begin spending every Sunday together. Miles offers to ferry Daphne around Waning Bay, Mich. while they try an assortment of things: from farmers market shopping to sunrise kayaking. One fateful day, Daphne and Miles bump into none other than Peter, in which he ponders what the two could possibly be doing together. That is when Daphne accidentally says, “We’re dating!” to which Miles replies with an adamant kiss.
Miles and Daphne’s fake relationship begins to morph into something more, but their friendship and living situation are at stake. After complications with Miles’s parents and sister, and Daphne’s complicated relationship with her father and lack of female friends, the two must determine if they really are good for each other, or if they hold the other back.
Though the common romantic tropes of forced proximity, friends-to-lovers and fake dating are weaved throughout the story, it does not change the fact that Henry’s read is something new and fresh to the bookshelves. Her enigmatic word choice and character line delivery make for a read that is just simply enjoyable, not to mention hard to put down.
One thing Henry never fails to do is create eccentric and laughable side characters that feel akin to those we watch on TV. Whether it be your Judy Greer in “13 Going on 30” or Kathryn Hahn in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” Ashleigh, Julia and Starfire from “Funny Story” will make you chuckle with their quick wittedness and slightly cringe responses. Though Henry’s writing does feel geared toward a more “hopeless romantic” audience, her ability to garner a crowd through her talented writing does not go unnoticed.
Overall, Henry’s newest novel is an ode to her previous works, intertwining meet-cutes and fun date ideas with complex and difficult topics of family and loss. “Funny Story” is a joyous read that will have you laughing, smiling, and pondering where life may take you.
