In this month’s Author Highlight, you’ll see why Emily Henry is the Queen of RomComs and a savant in contemporary romance. Henry is more than a romance author—she gives her readers stories that explore relatable, real-life problems like grief, loss, and second chances, making her characters deeply compelling.
Below, you can find Emily Henry’s list of books, along with what makes them unique and some common FAQs related to her novels.
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Emily Henry Books
Henry has quickly become a master of popular romance tropes, creating five books in five years that cover friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and second-chance romances.
What’s not to love about an Emily Henry book? Let’s dig in.
Beach Read
January Andrews is an accomplished, beloved romance author who has stopped believing in her ability to write the next big novel in her genre. She rents a beach house for the summer, hoping to immerse herself in nature to find inspiration to break her writer’s block. There’s just one problem – Augustus Everett, a crass intellectual on the hunt to write the next great American novel.
Being in a similar situation, January and Andrew come up with a crazy, yet ingenious plan. They are going to swap genres: Augustus is going to write a happy novel, and January is going to create a novel that captures the American spirit. She throws Augustus into the rom-com deep end, and he takes her into the dark underworld of the Backwoods Death Cult. What could go wrong?
Beach Read is full of clever dialogue and authentic characters. It’s where I’d start when reading your first Emily Henry novel.
People We Meet on Vacation
People We Meet on Vacation is Emily Henry’s take on the friends-to-lovers trope. This story focuses on Poppy, a free-spirited travel writer, and Alex, an introverted homebody. They met in college thanks to a ride-share home and became best friends. Even after Alex stays in their hometown while Poppy finishes college, they stay in touch and promise that every summer they will take one week of vacation together. That is, until they ruined everything on their last trip, and they haven’t spoken since.
Two years later, Poppy realizes Alex is the key to her happiness and convinces him to take one last trip, giving them seven days to repair their broken friendship and finally admit their deeper feelings. This story explores friendship dynamics with poignant humor, dual timelines, and heartwarming moments, suggesting that rekindling an old friendship might be the key to putting one’s life back on track.
Book Lovers
Literary agent Nora Stephens is a cutthroat visionary who is definitely not the heroine of her own life. She struggles with relaxation, which is why her sister Libby suggests a trip to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, for their August vacation. Nora is enjoying the small-town charm of Sunshine Falls when a dark cloud storms in. Welcome, Charlie Lastra, Nora’s arch-nemesis and rival literary agent. After the most awkward of run-ins, Nora just wants to have a good time, but Charlie keeps popping up in the most unexpected places.
This brilliant enemies-to-lovers story is a meta-romance that satirizes and celebrates the small-town trope, proving that Nora and Charlie’s connection runs deeper than the manuscripts they compete for.
Happy Place
College sweethearts Harriet and Wyn broke up months ago, but they secretly pretend to still be a couple during their annual friend group vacation in Maine. Stuck in close proximity in the group’s beloved cottage (which is now for sale), this fake dating plot forces them to confront the unspoken issues that led to their split.
It’s a poignant exploration of generational change, the struggle of holding onto old friendships, and the heartbreak of realizing that sometimes, being soulmates isn’t enough to make a relationship work.
Happy Places answers the question: How hard can you fight the gravitational pull between soul mates?
Funny Story
What happens when childhood best friends reconnect and immediately know they are in love with each other? Well, you act on it, of course, just like Peter and Petra’s love story shows, but everyone forgets the previous partners, right?
This story begins with Daphne, a newly hired child librarian, stranded in stunning Waning Bay, Michigan, after Peter leaves her. She has no family or friends nearby, so she reaches out to the only person she knows – Miles Nowak, Petra’s ex – and asks if she can move in while she figures out what to do next.
/Bonding over their shared grief and humiliation, they hatch a plan to make it look like they are madly in love over the summer. This second-chance romance for other people’s exes explores the complexity of redefining one’s life after an unexpected loss, leading to a heartwarming story about finding a better, more authentic love.
PS: Daphne is so secretive, she becomes the butt of a bet between the townies (HILARIOUS).
Great Big Beautiful Life
Emily Henry’s latest novel, Great Big Beautiful Life, follows rival writers Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson, who are competing to write the biography of reclusive heiress Margaret Ives on a remote Georgia island. Margaret only gives them contradictory fragments of her family’s scandalous history, forcing the writers to form a reluctant, tension-filled partnership to uncover the truth. It is a sweeping story that blends contemporary opposites-attract romance with a historical family saga, exploring profound themes of legacy, memory, and generational trauma.
Common Emily Henry Novel FAQs:
- Does Emily Henry write Young Adult (YA) novels?
Yes, she has two young adult novels:
1. A Million Junes: Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
2. The Love that Split the World: Paperback | Kindle - What themes do Emily Henry’s books cover?
Friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, second-chance romance, small-town romance, opposites attract, and relatable characters. - What is Emily Henry’s writing style?
Emily Henry tells authentic stories that are bittersweet with clever dialogue. She writes heartwarming romances that sometimes have dual timelines or different perspectives. - Are Emily Henry’s books connected?
No, they are not connected. - Should I read Emily Henry’s books in order?
There isn’t a specific order for Emily Henry’s books. - Are Emily Henry’s books spicy?
I would say Emily Henry’s books are closer to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s level of spice. I would rate them 2.5/5.
Looking for something similar and spicier? Give Helen Hoang’s novels a try – they are witty, page-turning romances with more spice. If you are looking for other authors to try, check out my other author highlights.
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