Yahoo Lifestyle I've Read Every Emily Henry Romance And Here Is My Ranking Of Each Book
All hail the romance-writing queen, Emily Henry! If cutesy love tropes mixed with incredible character development and relatable protagonists are your thing, Henry's books are an essential addition to your TBR.
Personally, I love these novels for a multitude of reasons: Henry goes beyond romance and writes friendship, family dynamics, and self-growth so well. Her books are like the warm comfort of binge-watching Gilmore Girls or listening to your favorite Taylor Swift album too often or eating your favorite dessert.
US author Emily Henry attends the TIME 100 Next Gala in New York City on October 24, 2023. TIME's annual TIME100 Next list recognizes 100 individuals who are defining the next generation of leadership Artists, Phenoms, Leaders, Advocates and Innovators poised to make the climb and in doing so, make history. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
With five standalone titles in Henry's romance collection, I'm ranking my favorites from really great to one-of-the-best-books-I've-read-this-year great. Cutesy tropes incoming!
Henry delivers a deliciously captivating friends-to-lovers tale in People We Meet On Vacation. Alex and Poppy have been best friends since college and, even when living states apart, they always look forward to their annual summer trip together. Throughout the novel, we explore various points in their friendship — from being close as ever to not speaking for months — in a heartfelt story about what it means to care for someone. Though it ranks fifth in Henry's collection for me, I still absolutely adored this book and can't wait to watch the upcoming movie adaptation.
Read this if your trope of choice is: Friends To Lovers
Beach Read was my first foray into the Emily Henry universe and I've been hooked since! The first in Henry's collection of romance novels, it follows two authors — January and Augustus — who wind up residing in neighboring beach houses. Augustus is a serious writer. January writes rom-coms. They challenge each other to a genre swap and are completely set on the other one failing. It's a glorious enemies-to-lovers romp in all its beachy goodness.
Read this if your trope of choice is: Enemies To Lovers
If Beach Read strikes your fancy, Book Lovers is definitely your cup of tea. I must admit that I am a sucker for books that are book-related (i.e., protagonists with literary jobs who sit around mentioning Jane Austen) and we encounter that in Nora, a book agent who lacks work-life balance. Nora follows that classic city-girl Hallmark trope and ventures to a small town to do a little soul-searching. There, she can't seem to get away from Charlie, a book editor, who she is simultaneously annoyed with and enamored by. Predictable as this plot may be, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Read this if your trope of choice is: Enemies To Lovers
After eight years together, Wyn and Harriet decide to call it quits. The problem is, they've both agreed to their annual getaway with friends at a quaint cottage in Maine, so they decide it's best not to damper the mood with breakup news. Happy Place is Henry's beautiful exploration of the ups and downs of long-term relationships and, of course, the road to finding personal happiness. From the relatable friend dynamics to a unique growth journey for Harriet and Wyn, this is one of Henry's best books to date.
Read this if your trope of choice is: Forced Proximity / Second Chance
Ranking at number one is Henry's latest work — and my personal favorite. After their significant others dump them to date each other, Daphne and Miles become roommates in small-town Michigan out of convenience (or rather, inconvenience). The two have nothing in common except for the fact their lives have been uprooted and they're both wallowing in sorrow. To lift their spirits, they form a plan to fake date to show their exes they've moved on... No feel-catching potential here, right? Funny Story is a charmingly witty tale that goes beyond romance and touches on the healing journey of two people rebuilding their lives.
Read this if your trope of choice is: Fake Dating
Fellow readers, do you agree with this ranking? Share your favorite Emily Henry book in the comments below!
