Coming Soon: 'Funny Story' by Emily Henry

Plus 12 more rom-coms brimming with authenticity and heart

Bestselling romance author Emily Henry's newest book, Funny Story, comes out on April 23 and available for preorder. Here's the premise:

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. That is, until 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.

Henry's fans have fallen hard for her authentic, believable stories with realistic protagonists who are misunderstood, mistaken, and messy. In Beach Read, January struggles with insecurities about the legitimacy of her career as an author. Harriet from Happy Place endeavors to be what others want her to be rather than following her heart. In People We Meet on Vacation, Poppy tends to be impulsive and flaky. Nora from Book Lovers is regarded by many as an ice queen, cold and haughty. These are characters we can relate to and that makes the heartfelt stories all the more moving.

More rom-coms for fans of Emily Henry

If you're a fan of Henry's authentically lovable protagonists and realistic, heartfelt stories, here are twelve more like that.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

This modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice (the original rom-com?) is delightful. Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home, a crumbling Tudor in Cincinnati, to help out.  

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

After a wild bet, a gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and a cuddle with a baby goat, ER doc and city girl Alex Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a country carpenter who's ten years younger than her. Their lives are worlds apart, but their chemistry is undeniable.

Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes

Deflated Sam gains surprising confidence when she puts on the red Louboutin heels in the bag she accidentally grabbed from the gym. Meanwhile, Nisha, the privileged owner of the pricy footwear, is appalled to have to don Sam's plain black pumps. Both find their lives transformed walking in someone else's shoes.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

The son of famous rock stars, Luc has been caught in one too many compromising photos. Now he's under pressure to clean up his image with a nice, normal relationship. Straightlaced Oliver is as nice and normal as they come. So, even though they have nothing in common, they agree to pose as fake boyfriends.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Emily Henry herself called this book a "perfect 10." Hannah is a no-nonsense Executive Protection Agent, aka a bodyguard, assigned to protect heartthrob actor Jack Stapleton from a stalker, a task she regards as unexciting. Making matters even worse, Jack asks her to pose as his girlfriend while visiting his family.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

For August, moving to New York City has just confirmed her cynicism about love. That is, until she sees the gorgeous girl on the train. Pretty soon, August's subway crush becomes the best part of her day. But there's something strange about Jane. She looks like someone from another time. And it turns out, she is.

The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams

When Britta gets the assignment to write about her experiences with a hot new body positivity fitness app that includes personal coaching, she knows this is a huge opportunity to prove herself. But it gets complicated when she starts to fall for her personal trainer, Wes, who also happens to be the app's creator.

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

For six summers growing up in their lakefront hometown, Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually their friendship turned into something more, before it fell spectacularly apart. Now Percy is back in town for Sam's mother's funeral. Their connection is still undeniable, but can they get past the mistakes of their past?

All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim

Even though he's a piano prodigy, Quito is struggling to make his way in New York City. When his dad, a high school choir teacher, asks him to put on a charity performance in his hometown, it brings him face to face with former classmate Emmett, now a celebrity, who upended Quito's life almost twenty years ago.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

When human tornado Eve Brown accidentally hits Jacob Wayne (the exacting perfectionist who just turned her down for a job) with her car, it's not exactly a meet-cute. In the third installment of Brown Sisters series, a pair of opposites struggle to find common ground.

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

When Delilah's estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding, Delilah finds herself back in her godforsaken hometown. She plans to get out of there as soon as she can. But when she sees Claire, one of Astrid's stuck-up besties, she decides to stick around for a little fun—and retribution.

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne

Another fresh take on Jane Austen's classic, this retelling centers on DJ Liza B. Staging a protest against the developer taking over her D.C. neighborhood, things take a turn when she goes toe-to-toe with company CEO, Dorsey Fitzgerald. Now, in addition to wanting him out of her hood, she also wants him out of her head. 

As always we love to hear what you think. Let us know if you have any Emily Henry-esque reads to add to this list.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon