Emily Henry is like the Taylor Swift of romance authors. I know, I know, it’s not a small statement to compare anyone to one of the biggest pop stars of our time. But if I had to name any one author the superstar of the romance book world, it would have to be Emily Henry, and it’s fully deserved.
Emily Henry’s romances have amassed a massive fanbase thanks to her witty banter, spicy sex scenes, and romance tropes galore (nobody does enemies-to-lovers like Emily). But on top of that, Emily gets points (and fans and off-the-charts book sales) for her nuanced characters. The people in Emily Henry’s books feel like real people with real quirks and flaws. They’re people you want to spend 300 pages-plus with. And a lot of people do, so much so that not one, not two, but all five of Emily Henry’s romance books are getting screen adaptations.
I feel like all of that should be enough to convince you to read Emily Henry’s books, but now you’re left with another dilemma: Where to begin? Well, ranking these books is a bit like picking a favorite child (or a favorite Taylor song), but I can do my best. And of course, this ranking might change when Emily’s newest book, Great Big Beautiful Life, comes out April 22. Until then, here’s your ranking of the best Emily Henry books.
5. Happy Place
Second-chance romance is a hard trope to pull off IMO, but Emily makes it work with this deeply emotional book about a separated couple who need to pretend to still be together for one weekend for the sake of their close-knit friend group. Have a tissue box ready with this one because there will be tears.
4. People We Meet on Vacation
This book is another one with a trope that isn’t my favorite, but Emily pulls off. This time around it’s the friends-to-lovers trope for characters Poppy and Alex, who have a very When Harry Met Sally… kind of history.
3. Funny Story
Funny Story has such a unique and, well, funny setup: When Daphne’s ex Peter dumps her for his best friend Petra, Daphne winds up roommates with Petra’s ex Miles. Not only that, but Daphne and Miles decide to fake-date to try to show Peter and Petra that they’ve moved on. You better believe that fake-dating turns into some real sparks between them.
2. Book Lovers
Book Lovers earns the number two spot on this list because it really showcases what I think Emily Henry does best: Making you fall in love with characters other people might deem “unlikable.” In this one, the main character is the kind of cold, career-driven woman who gets dumped in most rom-coms. But in this one, you can’t help but root for her.
1. Beach Read
Not only is this my favorite Emily Henry book, but it’s one of my favorite books of all time. The first of Emily Henry’s romances (she published some other books in other genres before), Beach Read combines everything that’s fabulous about the other books — messy characters, heartfelt speeches, quirky hijiinks — and turns them into a perfect enemies-to-lovers romance that will make you feel everything.
