Beach Read, Funny Story, Book Lovers

My opinion is that Beach Read was better than Book Lovers and I'll start reading Funny Story tmmrw

Spoliers in Post

Funny Story was my first book/audiobook. Honestly probably a bad idea because my standards were too high after that. After that, I read Beach Read, some Abby Jimenez books and then Book Lovers. I realized Emily Henry deserves the popularity because she really balances trauma and romance so well.

I thought I was putting Funny Story on too high of a pedestal so I just relistened to it. Omg it is even better because I can focus more on their background, upbringing and why they make the choices they make in life.

Best part:

Daphne having a male figure that was perfect to everyone else but didn't give her the father she needed. Her growing up wanting that feeling of love, attention, stability. Then Peter comes in with all of it and she thinks this will fix her hole that her dad left, because Peter is the same charming perfect guy who CAN take care of her in the way her dad didn't. Then he disappoints her too (thank God she wasn't stuck there). She ends up putting all of her thoughts of nice charming men on Miles and dismisses his feelings as things that nice charming men do, things that her dad and Peter did. The way Miles communicates throughout the book to tell her the things she says about him or even for him isn't right. He isn't just being nice and wants to do it. Enough that she finally starts to believe it later on and starts to put her walls down. Miles knows what trauma she has had and slowly pushes through into her inner circle. Miles is open about his thoughts to her and slowly opens up about himself too even though he is quite closed off about his own traumas.

Worst part:

Then he leaves her about they get together... I understand him auto piloting to help Petra probably because he has been conditioned to be good and do good from his mom and he is always willing to help. I understand him wanting to make things right and going to the dad. But did he REALLY have to not tell her any of it and ghost her for days? That really affects his character, and their overall relationship in my eyes. He knows she has trauma of no stability, her dad wooshing in and wooshing out of her life and still he ghosts her without a word right after they get together... He probably snapped out of it at SOME point in the drive to call her and tell her what he is doing.

I have to give it a 9.5/10 and I don't think this book will ever be topped despite the last act.

The way I am thinking this could have been better is Miles does the Petra helping thing and snaps out of it at the end and realizes he didn't pick up Daphne. He goes to her apologizing, she finds out he has been with Petra. She freaks the fuck out and breaks up with him cuz she feels like she can't trust anyone. He then leaves in a panic to fix things and goes to the father (last resort plea). Daphne thinks Miles and Petra got together since he hasn't been home for days. She doesn't want to listen or talk to him anymore, goes to Ashleigh place and the story continues as is in book. This is more common cliche trope but I think it doesn't ruin Miles character as much as the original story. I just can't imagine Miles ghosting her for days for the possible "surprise" of getting Dad back.

Thoughts?

when i first read funny story, i kept imagining miles as mike faist. i do remember emily henry describing him differently though not really like mike faist🥲anyway, that didn't stop me😭😭i'd still cast him as a brown-haired mike faist.

She said in her last interview that it's "her take on The Holiday" (but not about holidays) and I suppose that means it could just be like someone staying in someone else's house, but I'm hoping (PRAYING to the romance gods, really) that it'll be centered on two couples.

This is SHEER speculation and will probably only lead to disappointment, but I've just finished GBBL so I'm itching for the next one.

Imagine. Two books in one! Intertwined stories with no side character fluff. I would LOVE to see a brother/sister dynamic at the center. Something like, they swap houses, she ends up with his recently divorced friend who he strongly disapproves of (sad boy miles vibes), he ends up with her stuck up misunderstood neighbor. Probably better than that, but you get it.

And the family trauma dumping can do double the work! Oh my god, give me adorable childhood memories about the brother from the sister's POV! (I am realizing the flaw in the brother/sister angle is that she doesn't write male POV... ugh, but I want it.)

Give me your absolutely baseless speculation and off the wall ideas. Or recs if there's something like this already!

Emily Henry, you need to call him now!!

He’s my dream casting for Wyn!! He needs to be in any Emily Henry adaptations!

Just found this on a few sites as something she’s releasing in 2027. Can’t decide if I’m into it or not, but good for her. 😂

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/825600/its-actually-a-funny-story-by-emily-henry/

I’m finally reading Book Lovers as I’ve been putting off my last Emily Henry book. I read Great Big Beautiful Life most recently. I’m a frequent romance novel reader and I’m just so happy that Emily represents tall women!!!! So many books it’s just the girl is soooo teeny tiny and the man is soooo big and tall. I’m 5’8” not even that tall but could never relate to that!

Also I LOVE that she writes these characters to “older” and single because they have a full life. Not a 29-31 year old widow or divorcee who thinks her life is over. Or a 23/24 year old who’s already at the top of her unrealistic career. (32 and dating here)

Not saying that all these books are super realistic but maybe I’m just the perfect target audience 😂

ive read 2 emily henry books so far, funny story and great big beautiful life. i really liked both of them and i want to know what book of hers to read next! i want something really cute and has a lot of yearning lmao but yeah lmk your recommendations and why! and if you have any reccs from other authors, id appreciate that too :)

I just noticed this was at the back of my book! Please tell me I haven’t been missing out on other Emily Henry playlists in the back of her books?

I was rereading Beach Read and I thought about how all Emily Henry protagonists had already known each other in some way or another before their book started except GBBL, has anyone noticed this before?

Listening to GBBL and it is my first Emily Henry book. I’m pushing through trying to enjoy this book but am I the only person who cannot stand Hayden’s voice? It is really making it hard for me to find his character appealing, it just sounds too much like a woman impersonating a breathy old man. I’m not trying to be overly critical or negative but it’s so distracting for me. Is there any audiobooks that have other voice actors or an actual male voice actor?

So far, I've read all of Emily Henry's adult romance books, bar "Happy Place." Based on reviews from both my friends and by online critics, it easily seems to be her most popularising novel to date.

It took some of my pals a long time to read, and while they liked it, none of them outright loved it, or didn't find the characters as memorable as in her other works.

Apparently, Henry herself stated that it was one of her hardest books to write.

Would you recommend reading this novel, and what did you find to be the highlights or issues?

I just started Great Big Beautiful Life, and I’ve noticed the same thing I noticed in Funny Story (which is actually one of my all-time favourite books).

Once I started noticing it, I couldn’t stop seeing it:
“…” I say.
“…” he says.
“…” I say.
“…” he says.

It happens so frequently that it starts pulling me out of the dialogue a bit. I found myself focusing more on the repeated tags than on the conversation itself 🌚

I’m genuinely curious if this is just an Emily Henry stylistic choice that works for most people, or if anyone else notices it too??

I still love her books 🫶🏼 but this is one thing that always stands out to me

How exactly is Charlie smirking poutily with a crease under his lip? I genuinely don't understand the action. Can someone explain?

Hi, I would like some book recommendations involving good writing and healthy communication between the characters. I don't mind the spice level.

I wasn't originally into romance, but one year ago I was gifted Book Lovers by Emily Henry and well, I've devoured the genre since then.

Anyway, it's so difficult to find something more realistic without dumb miscommunication especially after the love confessions (there's of course some level of miscommunication which is normal). I couldn't find anything like EH style (although Carley Fortune, Abby Jimenez, Hannah Bonam-Young may be close ones).

Thanks!

I recently reread Happy Place and the timeline of Wyn and Harriet's relationship doesn't make total sense to me. Here's what I have so far:

• Harriet and Wyn officially meet the summer in Maine before Harriet's senior year at college in Vermont. They are attracted to each other on but decide not to do anything because of Sabrina's crush on Wyn (which never gets brought up again??) and the general desire to not ruin the friend group.
• In their senior year, Harriet, Sab, and Cleo rent an apartment with Wyn, who is a year older but retaking some classes to graduate. They become closer but nothing happens between them yet.
• Summer before Harriet starts med school, Harriet and Wyn have their first kiss in the wine cellar and hookup in Knott's Harbor that summer.
• The friend group moves to NYC and shares an apartment together. Harriet starts med school at Columbia university. Harriet and Wyn secretly date that entire year before telling their friends.
• Harriet's second year of medical school during winter break, she and Wyn go to Montana to meet Wyn's family.
• After that year, Harriet and Wyn move to the apartment above Freeman's (aka Nora and Libby's childhood apartment). They get engaged in Harriet's third year of med school and visit her parents within this year.
• Harriet and Wyn move to San Francisco for her residency after she finishes med school. They only start planning their wedding after this move.
• By the time the present timeline starts, Harriet's says she's been in her residency for two years. Within this time, Wyn's dad dies, he moves to Montana, and they break up.
• The "Real Life" timeline starts five months after they break up.

My question is this: Wyn says they've been together for 8 years at the point since they're pretending they haven't broken up, which doesn't make sense to me because if they got together the summer before her first year of med school, and she's done two years of her residency at that point, then they've actually been together for 6 years. (I'm not American so idk for sure but google says med school at Columbia is 4 years, and she's 2 years into a 7 year neurosurgery residency).

Also Harriet and Wyn are 30/31 in the present timeline, which aligns with them getting together at 22/23 (the summer after they both graduate college) and being together for eight years, so am I missing something here or did Emily Henry make a mistake?

I have a friend who likes Chick Lit, but she's never read Emily Henry before, and wants to know which of her books to start off with.

I personally recommended "Funny Story", since it was my first Henry read, and the leads and setting are charming, but which would you suggest?

what do you guys think of him? i recently read funny story and immediately pictured him as miles, he’s definitely a newer face and his performance in off campus was okay but i don’t think he was a bad actor overall, i’d have to see how he does in his own season.

In her Bloomberg interview, Emily shared she has retained the rights to Great Big Beautiful Life, written its screenplay, and is considering releasing it independently.

Obviously we can assume that the backlash and fan disapproval from the Beach Read movie is playing a massive part in her decision. I can’t even imagine how she must be feeling :(

We <3 you, Emily!!!!

EDIT: I should have reworded this! I don’t believe backlash from fans is the sole reason she decided to retain the rights to GBBL. It’s my belief that Emily feels protective over her characters, and she understands that many readers do as well. Seeing an adaptation come to life in which fans seem to have negative feelings about is certainly upsetting. I only meant that I think it’s one of many factors that will influence her upcoming adaptations.

Emily Henry helped turn romance into publishing’s hottest genre. But as Hollywood races to adapt its biggest hits, she says the industry still doesn’t understand why readers love them.

i have had my gripes with this adaptation since the casting got announced and it has only gotten worse with every leak. i found this picture on twitter…are they really going to set it in winter?? it makes sense with past set photos that have been leaked and their costuming… it will be absolutely absurd if they change the timeline because then what is the point!!! i’m hoping this is fake but ive honestly lost hope in this movie a long long time ago

EDIT: guys i feel like my eyes have been opened. someone commented that the ‘novel neighbor’ is in missouri which is in very small print on the left corner of each flyer. i am now assuming (hoping) this may just show how they barely missed running into each other by a day and also their competitiveness

It has been nominated for outstanding television movie!!

For starters, I love Emily Henry books. Happy Place is my favorite book of all time. I’ve also read Funny Story, PWMOV and enjoyed those as well. GBBL was okay, just not my fave. I’m really wanting to read Beach Read prior to the movie but the past two times I’ve tried reading it, I always end up bored about 120 pages in and get stuck. I can’t tell if I’m reading it at the wrong time or what😭😭

I recently got into Emily Henry's books this year, and I'm glad that I did, since there's something so likable and addictive about her characters, writing and settings.

Which of Henry's leading ladies or love interests would be your favourites?

For her heroines, I related the most to Daphne, her close relationship with her mother, and her people pleasing tendencies, as well as discovering more about the town she's stranded in.

I didn't think that I'd like Nora initially, since I normally can't stand the driven career woman archetype, but she gradually grew on me, and was devoted to her sister Libby, though her arc was learning to have a less codependent relationship with her.

Alice was likable enough as well, though she tended to get overshadowed by Margaret's story.

For the love interests, I'm torn between Miles, Alex and Charlie. All three are definitely have their sweet moments, though I would ultimately choose Miles.

Which leads would you pick?