While most of my reading is horror-centric or adjacent, I’ve been trying to branch out into less familiar genres this year. So, naturally, I went the complete opposite and started reading romance. Like horror, romance has its own rhythms and tropes and typical endings, but finding ones that work for me has been a bit hit or miss. Sometimes, especially when books are adapted from fan fiction, I connect with them on a different level (that isn’t always satisfying). I don’t mind spice but prefer if there’s a build to it. Essentially, I’m pickier with my romance than with horror.
So imagine my surprise when I read four Emily Henry books in one month. Now, there are contemporary authors who are on my ‘automatic read’ list, but I haven’t had the experience of devouring a single author this way in many years. Henry also now has the distinct honor of making me cry multiple times, even while laughing. I’ve been describing her as an adult Sarah Dessen, and I feel that for many millennial readers who grew up with those books, Emily Henry will hit the same spots.
While I could review each of those books separately, I wanted to write a shorter, concise guide for readers who may be new to Emily Henry or aren’t sure where to dive in. Many of her works have similar themes or things done well and may even reference each other, but they’re also standalone novels that are perfect for a taste of romance.
Beach Read, published in 2020, follows January Andrews, a romance writer who only does happy endings, as she contends with writer’s block, grief after the loss of her father, her father’s secret life, and her handsome neighbor who happens to be her MFA rival. When she and Augustus Everett, literary fiction author and said rival, make a bet to write each other’s genres and learn more about their processes, January discovers that going outside her comfort zone can produce new inspirational sparks.
Obviously, as a writer myself, I related to January’s struggle with writer’s block, and it was fun to read someone else’s writing style (although unhealthy at times) and see how it comes together. Anytime writers write about writing, I’m a fan. The relationship between January and Gus is fun to read, and it’s a great sign that taking risks outside what you know can be helpful when you’re stuck. Like other Henry books, their banter and back-and-forths are a highlight of the dialogue. Both January and Gus are going through their own issues, and it’s a valid lesson in taking care of yourself before you can take care of someone else. The setting is a picturesque lakeside town with its own quirks – from a book club that only reads disappointing thrillers to a coffee shop with subpar drinks and a nearby cult site.
This is a good introduction to Henry’s contemporary romance books. January and Gus are familiar archetypes in her novels, but, among the four, this might be the weakest. The good thing there is that Henry improves with each book, and all of them are enjoyable in their own ways. I recommend Beach Read for writers stuck in a rut, hopeless romantics who have lost their hope, and anyone struggling to unpack their parent’s secrets. And, yes, you can read this at the beach.
People We Meet on Vacation, published in 2021, is an ode to travel. Poppy Wright and Alex Nilson, two friends since college, haven’t spoken in over two years. Poppy, lost amongst the life she’s always dreamed of, plans a trip to Palm Springs to rekindle their friendship – just a normal, platonic friendship. The book is split between the present trip in Palm Springs, which is going horribly awry, and their past summer trips to other exotic locales. Can Poppy and Alex still be friends, or is there more unsaid that will get in the way?
Obviously, this a friends-to-lovers romance, so if that isn’t your cup of tea in terms of tropes then this might not be the Emily Henry book for you. As far as that trope goes, however, this has to be one of the best I’ve read. The relationship between Poppy and Alex is genuine and, in the present, you can feel the weight of those shared experiences and the strain when it’s been lost. It’s a good example that, even when traveling, we can never really leave our issues behind. Poppy’s dream of being a travel writer and success at it is a fun angle, and the antics of the two in the past and present bring readers along on the journey. Henry is at her best with characters at odds, miscommunicating and keeping secrets, and how those all come to a head is fantastic. Of the four, this one probably has my favorite spicy scene and it’s literally hot.
Poppy and Alex were probably my favorite pairing, and I loved seeing how they came together and apart. The pacing of the novel works well, and each chapter reveals new things that amp up the tension. The drama of having everything you wanted in life and still being unhappy, and having to move forward is relatable, and I was just as invested in Poppy’s personal journey as her romantic one. People We Meet on Vacation is perfect if you’ve ever had an inappropriate crush on a friend and tried to keep those feelings boxed up, for the adventurous travelers who love exploring, and for those who may feel lost at the top of a mountain. If you’re a fan of When Harry Met Sally, then this will hit all the right notes.
Book Lovers, published in 2022, feels like a cousin to Beach Read but with an excellent tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement from Henry as to the tricks and tropes of romance. Nora Stephens, a cutthroat literary agent, has sacrificed many things to have a stable life for her and her family. After an idyllic if financially difficult childhood and the loss of her mother, Nora puts aside her dreams to take care of her sister, Libby. Now years later, Nora takes a vacation with very-pregnant Libby to the Hallmark-perfect town of Sunshine Falls. When she runs into her literary enemy, editor Charlie Lastra, in a place she least expected, she comes to find they have more in common outside the barbs and books, and that maybe she can start living for herself again.
If you’ve ever sat through a handful of Hallmark movies, then you should be familiar with the set-up. A big city businesswoman vacations in a small town, meets one of the locals, falls in love, and gives it all up for romance. Henry winks at the familiar plot, plays with it, and gives readers something familiar yet new. The traumatic loss of their mother is something Nora and Libby both contend with in different ways. More so than Nora’s budding friendliness with Charlie, the relationship between Nora and Libby is a highlight. The novel begins with an obvious reference to the grumpy/sunshine trope, but, as we delve further into Nora and Charlie’s lives, we can see they are more than first assumptions. The will-they-won’t-they is delicious in this novel, and readers will want these characters to JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY. While it’s set up as a lite enemies-to-lovers romance, the development and changes in their relationship happen quickly enough that they’re never really enemies.
This is probably one of my favorite settings of Henry’s. Nora has all these assumptions of Sunshine Falls from one of her client’s books, but the reality is far different. It’s a gorgeous small town with both the small town charm (pun-named shops and handsome farmers), but moments of unpredictability. This novel is perfect for fans of the Hallmark formula, older sisters who have carried a weight they were never asked to, little sisters who need room to breathe, workaholics, and anyone from a small town they’re trying to escape.
Happy Place, published in 2023, is probably my favorite of the bunch. It’s funny to say that because every time I’d finish one Emily Henry book, it would be my favorite until the next. This is to say that every book keeps getting better as Henry hones her niche. Harriet “Harry” Kilpatrick usually loves visiting an idyllic cottage in Maine with her friends, but this year is fraught with unsaid tensions. That’s because Wyn Connor, her ex-fiance, is there too, and their friends don’t know about the split. The book is divided between the present “happy place” and past places where Harriet has built love and happiness with her friends or Wyn. Can the two of them pretend to still be in love for one week, or will it only reopen old wounds?
This. This book. I’m familiar with the ‘fake dating’ trope, but Henry pushes it into more fertile ground here with all the familiarity of a years’ long relationship. Everyone says Harriet and Wyn are perfect for each other, but now they’d disagree. Harriet, pursuing her residency in San Francisco for neurosurgery, aches with the loss of Wynn but there’s plenty of bitterness too. Wyn, taking care of his mom in Montana, leaves a lot unsaid as the gap between them grows. As usual with this trope, pretending to be in love comes with a lot of complicated feelings and desires. It’s fun to see how the two push and pull at each other to maintain the facade. While the Maine setting is gorgeous, it’s the relationships in the friend group and those supporting characters who really make this book special. Like Harriet and Wyn, they’ve been growing apart and keeping secrets, and it comes to a head spectacularly.
This book has the unique distinction of making me cry through the last quarter of it. Every major dialogue or conflict hits straight to the heart. Some of that is, of course, because I relate to the difficulty of long distance relationships and making them work. But, of all the Henry protagonists, I related to Harriet the most. She’s been chasing this prestigious job for her entire life in the hopes of making others happy, but at the cost of her own happiness. Again, the friendship component, especially between Harriet, Sabrina, and Cleo, is the best part. It truly shows that happiness isn’t always a place, it’s who you’re with that matters.
I recommend Happy Place for those who try to be everything their family needs, for couples struggling to find their happiness, or friends who feel more distant than they should. If you like The Five Year Engagement and want to push two characters together and force them to kiss, then this is it. You’ll find plenty of happiness within.
While I focused mainly on the differences between the four books, the similarities are what make Emily Henry’s romances feel like they all live in the same world. Characters leave their big city homes (usually New York) for smaller locales that allow them to be more introspective. At least one of the supporting characters will be LGBTQIA+ and in a happy relationship. The main character or the love interest will have a dead parent and some trauma revolving around that loss. The family dynamics will have their own complications, but a strong sense of love no matter what. Most of the characters work with books or literature in some way: authors, editors, agents, English teachers. The climax will be full of rom-com speeches that you could imagine Billy Crystal or Meg Ryan crying through. Most of the men seem emotionally closed off or unapproachable, but we peel back their layers and fall in love all the same. They all have happy endings.
Emily Henry’s newest, Funny Story, was released on April 23, 2024. I’m sure I’ll love it like I’ve enjoyed all of her books. As far as contemporary romance goes, she’s my queen. Hopefully, following this review, you’ll feel inspired to read one or more of these books and escape into the familiar worlds. I definitely recommend it.
Reading Malone 