What Order to Read Emily Henry Books

If you love reading romance books, Emily Henry is an author you should know. Since 2020, she’s become a number one bestseller for her keen observations of modern relationships that she spins into sweet love stories that are full of banter and fierce chemistry.
Her storytelling has been praised for creating relatable characters, well written inner monologues, and unexpected tangents that are entertaining without straying too far from the main storyline.
To help you decide where to start with Emily Henry’s romance books, we’ve compiled the complete list of her novels in the order you should read them. So get comfy and prepare to read some fresh romance with pretty metaphors and relatable female main characters that love books -  just like you!
 

 

Emily Henry Books in Order

All of Emily Henry's books are standalones and can be read in any order. We’ve pulled together a list of Emily Henry’s books in publication order, starting with her Adult debut, Beach Read.
 

Adult Books

#1 Beach Read (2020)

Why we love it:
- The sarcastic, humorous, and clever dialogue between the two main characters is excellent.
- The emotional depth that goes beyond just romance, diving into themes of grief, family dynamics, and personal growth.
Emily Henry’s debut adult book, Beach Read, just hits the spot. It follows January, a romance writer who has stopped believing in love, and Gus, a literary writer with writer’s block, swapping genres as they stay in neighbouring lake houses. To help each other out, January takes Gus on a tour of romantic spots, and Gus arranges interviews with surviving members of a cult. It’s the perfect set up to get them out of their respective creative ruts, but there is an undeniable connection between the two of them, building tension right to the end. It’s a beautiful enemies-to-lovers story and Emily Henry sure knows how to melt your heart.
 

#2 You and Me on Vacation (2021)

Also known as: People We Meet On Vacation

Why we love it:
- It’s a heartwarming friends-to-lovers romance with a beautifully crafted build up of tension and emotion between the main characters.
- Poppy and Alex are both relatable and endearing characters with realistic flaws and lovable qualities.
You and Me on Vacation is a heartbreaking romance with a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the best 90s rom-coms. Poppy and Alex are best friends, despite their differences - she’s adventurous and he prefers a quiet life. Every summer for a decade, they’ve gone on holiday together, until two years ago when they ruined everything. Poppy soon realises that her happiest moments were with Alex so convinces him to take one final trip together to mend their relationship. Inspired by ‘When Harry Met Sally’, the book takes us on a journey through each holiday, creating a captivating puzzle about their friendship for readers to piece together. The book is emotionally charged, with a powerful speech from Poppy that is deeply moving, providing an emotional reading experience with flawed, relatable characters at the heart of it.
 

#3 Book Lovers (2022)

Why we love it:
- The chemistry between the two love interests is slow burn and built on witty banter, filling your heart with warmth and adding a layer of realism.
- Beyond the romance, Nora’s bond with her sister adds emotional depth and explores the complexities of family love and support.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry follows Nora, a sharp and ambitious literary agent who is more comfortable negotiating deals than getting involved in romantic clichés. When her sister convinces her to spend a month in a small town, she repeatedly bumps into Charlie, an editor from the city. Their interactions challenge them both to rethink their self-perceptions and the stories they’ve constructed about their lives. Not only is this book full of banter and chemistry, perfect for fans of a witty romance, Emily knows how to write family with heart, adding depth to the story with the sibling bond between Nora and Libby. 

 

#4 Happy Place (2023)

Why we love it:
- The vividly described setting provides pure escapism, adding to the charm of this heartfelt and humorous story.
- Explores the theme of second chances, in love and friendship, with an emotionally rich narrative.
Before Harriet and Wyn broke up, they were the perfect couple. They met in college and were the embodiment of  bread and butter, cheese and wine, salt and pepper. On their annual week-long break with their friends, they pretend to still be together in order to not spoil the holiday. This brings up unresolved feelings and the facade becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. Can they rekindle their love? Happy Place is for all romance fans, but particularly readers who gravitate towards fake relationship, forced proximity, second chance, and friends-to-lovers tropes. It’s a story full of relatable characters navigating complex relationships, blending humour and emotion in true Emily Henry style.

 

#5 Funny Story (2024)

Why we love it:
- The witty banter between the two main characters, Miles and Daphne.
- It combines opposites attract, friends-to-lovers, forced proximity and fake dating in a perfectly written story.
Funny Story by Emily Henry is the perfect blend of love and friendship. Daphne and Miles are forced into living together when their exes break up with them and get engaged to each other, leaving Daphne with nowhere to stay and Miles with a spare room. Soon enough, they find themselves fake dating to make their exes jealous, resulting in them getting to know each other better. Not only are the two main characters in this book a lot of fun together, with Miles arguably Henry’s best created boyfriend, the side characters are highly entertaining and well written too.
 

Young Adult Books

Before Emily Henry became one of BookTok’s most popular romance authors, she penned three young adult books to start her career. So if you want to start your journey with Emily Henry’s writing from the very beginning, and enjoy reading young adult fiction, read on for the complete list in order.

 

#1 The Love that Split the World (2016)

Why we love it:
- It’s very imaginative, mixing fantasy, sci-fi and contemporary in a fun way that keeps you wondering.
- The heartbreakingly real way it portrays first love and each relationship between the female protagonist and other characters.
In Emily Henry’s debut novel, The Love that Split the World, Natalie navigates two parallel realities, driven by visions from a mysterious figure called Grandmother, as she tries to save a boy who exists in only one of these worlds. As she unravels the secrets of the past and the nature of her visions, Natalie discovers the profound impact of love and the power of choice shaping her destiny. This debut from Emily Henry is beautifully written, full of short stories and life lessons from the mysterious Grandmother. It’s a heartwarming story and the perfect book to discover her writing. 

 

#2 A Million Junes (2017)

Why we love it:
- Emily Henry writes magical realism very well in A Million Junes.
- It’s a refreshing read with a unique story.
June O’Donnell has always obeyed her family’s rule to avoid the Angert family, but her life is turned upside down when she meets Saul Angert and sparks fly between them. As their bond deepens, they uncover the truth about the century-old feud and the harrowing curse that haunts their families, forcing June to question everything she knows and decide if it’s time to let go of the past. With June’s funny personality, strong female friendship and well written magical realism, A Million Junes is an inspiring read that feels fresh and new. Emily Henry also writes grief in a raw and vulnerable way, making it the perfect blend of light and dark.

 

#3 When the Sky Fell on Splendor (2018)

Why we love it:
- We love the characters and the setting of this book.
- A great story about friendship and what happens after a disaster.
A story of grief and friendship, Emily Henry’s third young adult book follows seventeen-year-old Franny in the wake of a tragic steel mill explosion that has left her brother in a coma. She seeks solace in a group of friends called The Ordinary who explore local ghost stories for their YouTube channel which leads them to investigate a mysterious bright light crashing from the sky that alters their lives forever. This is definitely a bit of a marmite book amongst readers, but is a compelling story about friendship and family that is hard to put down.

Happy Reading!

So there you have it - all of Emily Henry's books in order. Whether you're a newbie when it comes to her novels or a devoted fan, these stories offer romance, drama, unforgettable characters, humour, and themes of friendship, grief, and love all told through beautiful writing, making them essential reading for any romance and contemporary fiction fan. So grab a cuppa, get comfortable, and prepare for an emotional rollercoaster inside Emily Henry's thought-provoking worlds.

For more book inspiration, we have top picks for easy summer reading and the best reads for a staycation that are sure to multiply your ‘to-be-read’ pile!