Growing up with a single mother whose job constantly relocated meant never settling in. Even at 33, Daphne Vincent always has one foot out the door — she has no attachments to anything or anyone. That is, until she meets Peter, her loving fiance, who makes a decision that leaves her unstable. Daphne’s story unfolds in romance author Emily Henry’s newest and highly anticipated book, “Funny Story.”

Turning complicated situations into entertaining stories full of tension and textual complexities is familiar territory for Henry. In an interview with The New York Times, she had said “bad things happening, in surprising ways, is what makes a story funny.” Her newest novel tells the story of a couple that finds love by pretending to date.

At the point readers meet Daphne, she has a job she loves, a great group of friends and is just about to marry Peter — she’s even ready to make their new house in Michigan a proper family home. But when Peter returns home from his bachelor party, he confesses that he is in love with his childhood friend, Petra, and — melodramatically enough — they plan on getting married. Still processing what the hell just happened, Daphne moves in with the only person who can relate to how she’s feeling: Petra’s now-ex-boyfriend, Miles. One thing leads to another, and the two conjure up a rather hilarious plan: to attend Peter and Petra’s wedding while pretending to date one another.

In “Funny Story,” Henry carefully works humor and hope into the plot so as to coexist with the stress and heartbreak the characters are feeling — not replace it. Her novels are my go-to when I feel like reading a rom-com because, unlike others in the genre, I don’t have to suspend disbelief and imagine a world where two perfect people meet and fall in love and everything’s wonderful. Both romance and comedy are elevated when there are hurdles to overcome.

Now single, Daphne faces the fact that she has grown to be codependent, and based too much of her identity on her ex. This is a tough pill to swallow, and readers accompany her as she traces the trajectory of this tendency back to her childhood. At the same time, Miles is coming to terms with the love of his life loving someone else. What I found most compelling is how these characters — virtually strangers — are meeting up and conspiring together while they’re at their lowest and most vulnerable states. They didn’t expect anything from each other, which is ironically what strengthens the relationship.

Henry cemented herself as the queen of adult rom-coms with the release of “Beach Read” and “People We Meet on Vacation.” Whether it’s two authors helping each other through writer’s block over the course of a summer, or college best friends taking a trip to make amends, there’s a consistency when it comes to making the protagonists feel and act like real people — a feat that is admittedly difficult to achieve in literature. This is particularly the case in “Funny Story” with the female lead — which is refreshing because, while I personally pick up rom-coms as a form of escapism, I’m still looking to be moved. It’s hard to lose yourself in a story if you don’t care about what happens, but Henry gets you to care — deeply.

As a longtime fan of Henry and enjoyer of the popular fake-dating trope, “Funny Story” exceeded my expectations. It wasn’t what I expected, but in a good way. If you’re looking for a new comfort novel with great banter and ridiculous situations, I recommend this book. I’ve officially added Miles Nowak to my beloved roster of fictional boyfriends. 

Contact Ana Sofia Erath at [email protected].