If you’ve been in the reader space for the last few years, you probably know the name Emily Henry and have likely read one or more of her books. Originally a young adult author, she released her first adult romance in 2020 called Beach Read, and the rest has been history. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and every release since 2021 has been bought and read immediately by me. Every Emily Henry fan has their own book ranking, and here is mine!
5. People we meet on vacation
People We Meet On Vacation is a classic friends-to-lovers romance that follows Poppy and Alex, who meet in college and quickly become friends despite being complete opposites. There are flashbacks throughout the book leading up to why they stopped being friends. It’s not that I didn’t like the book, I’m pretty sure I gave it 4.5/5 stars and read it in one sitting the day it was released. It’s just not my favorite. I had a hard time connecting to Alex and Poppy, and while I love Henry’s storytelling and writing, this story wasn’t my top pick.
4. Book lovers
When I read Book Lovers, also the day it came out, in one sitting, I was shook. That’s the most straightforward way to put it. It’s about Nora and Charlie, who both work in the literary world and are kind of assh*les. They get off on the wrong foot in the prologue, and a few years later, Nora’s sister Libby convinces her to go to a small town in North Carolina for sister bonding. Who just so happens to be from that small North Carolina town? Charlie Lastra. Now these two are horny, but they’re also deeply flawed and get each other in a way no one has before. This book, similar to Henry’s other novels, is a love letter to books. It’s also to its core a story about sisters. Nora’s relationship with Libby isn’t perfect, and parts of that come from having a tough relationship with their mom. Book Lovers is a story with the message that you deserve to have a happy ending no matter who you are.
3. Funny story
I was nervous about Funny Story, because Miles, the male main character, is wearing Crocs on the cover. Could I love a character who wears Crocs? I was about to find out. I couldn’t read this when it came out because, well, college, but I had heard great things about it. People were saying it topped Beach Read, which is crazy to me. When I finally got my hands on it, though, I completely understood. Funny Story follows Daphne and Miles, who meet because their respective partners leave them for each other. They end up moving in together and initially just exist in the same space, until they devise a plan to make it look like they’re together to get back at their exes. The synopsis is chaotic, and I was very intrigued, but this book had a depth that I was not ready for. Daphne is me, and I am Daphne. Seeing yourself portrayed to a T in a book is wild because it felt like I was reading about myself. Daphne has a complicated relationship with her dad and has trouble meeting and making friends, especially as an adult. While this is a romance, it’s also so much more. It’s about two characters grieving a relationship that they thought was endgame. It also follows Daphne figuring out her relationships with her parents and learning how to be a friend. This one had me gagged, truly. Emily Henry burrowed into my head and wrote Funny Story without my permission. I love this book and its purple cover.
2. Happy place
First of all, this being published in hardcover was criminal. Second, I must be honest in that I didn’t read this immediately. I bought it during release week but started seeing tons of mixed reviews and started to get worried I would be on the side of people who didn’t love it. However, once I picked it up, I was floored. Something about this book touched me in a way that not many books do. It follows Harriet and Wyn, who, after eight years, break off their engagement but don’t tell their friends. They end up on their annual trip to Maine and are forced to pretend they’re still together for the week so as not to disrupt the friend group. I relate so much to both Harriet and Wyn. Harriet, my girl, is so “mirrorball”-coded. She has a fear of people leaving her because they’ve stopped loving her. She wants to keep the peace with her friends so things don’t change and she doesn’t lose anyone. Her and Wyn’s relationship is classic miscommunication/lack of communication, which can be frustrating, but I didn’t mind it. They both love each other so much, and they’re each other’s Happy Place. This is also a story about friendship and how growing up affects it. I love that because it’s so realistic. Henry knows how to pack a punch in the emotional department, and this was no different (chapters 28 and 29 had me sobbing). I think it’s safe to say I love this book.
1. beach read
One quote: “When you sleep I feel overwhelmed that you exist.” Period. No one is doing it like Augustus Everett.
What’s Next?
I also need to bring up Great Big Beautiful Life because this cover and the announcement had me gagged. Miss Emily just dropped it recently, as if it were nothing.
We knew from hints that it was inspired by a song from Folklore, The Last Great American Dynasty and it wasn’t a two-word title, hello PWMOV. Sticking with her usual release time, it’s coming April 22 of next year and she’s said that it has been the hardest thing she’s written. While it’ll still be a vacation romance like her other novels, this one has other parts that add to the story. The intrigue to see what she does with TLGAD story elements is strong and I’m interested to see what kind of family dynamics will make me cry this time around.
I’m so excited to meet Alice and Hayden and get my hands on this story next year. Henry’s book releases are something I look forward to every year, and this will be no different.