The 6 Best Emily Henry Books Ranked – Which Romance Deserves No. 1?
Choosing your first Emily Henry book is surprisingly difficult when every reader seems to swear a different one is her best. This ranking will help you find the right romance for your mood—and, if you have already read them all, give you a No. 1 pick to argue with.
Henry’s novels often look like breezy summer reads from a distance. Open one and you are likely to find a character worrying about work, family, friendship or the person they thought they would become. The jokes are good. So is the kissing. But the reason many readers stay with these books is the feeling that the romance matters alongside the rest of a character’s life, not instead of it.
For this list, I’m ranking Henry’s six adult novels published from 2020 through 2025: Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation, Book Lovers, Happy Place, Funny Story and Great Big Beautiful Life. I’m leaving out her earlier young-adult books so the comparison stays focused on the contemporary romances readers usually mean when they ask for the best Emily Henry book. Penguin Random House’s guide is handy if you want to see the titles together.
A low placement does not mean a bad book here. It usually means one story takes longer to click, or another delivers a more satisfying combination of characters, chemistry and ending. My favourite may not be yours: friends-to-lovers readers could reasonably put a different novel first, while anyone who likes a prickly heroine may know my winner before they reach the bottom of the page.
I’ve kept major twists out of the descriptions, so you can use this as a reading guide. Expect an opinionated countdown, a few suggested starting points and, at the end, the book I would hand someone who wants to understand the Emily Henry appeal.
Let’s get into it 👇
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I admire how much Great Big Beautiful Life wants to do, even if it is the Emily Henry book I reach for least when I want a straightforward rom-com. Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson are writers competing for the chance to tell the story of Margaret Ives, a famously elusive woman with a complicated past. Their assignment brings them into one another’s orbit, but Margaret controls what she will share—and when.
That gives the novel two engines: a present-day rivalry with romantic potential, and a mystery about the life both writers hope to capture. The broader canvas is appealing. Henry is interested in how people shape stories, especially when someone else’s reputation, privacy and pain are involved. Alice and Hayden’s attraction has to make room for their professional ambitions as well as Margaret’s increasingly intriguing account.
Why sixth? The structure asks me to invest in several layers at once, and I missed the sustained, close-up chemistry of Henry’s more focused romances. Readers who enjoy family secrets, storytelling and a sweeping feel may well put it higher. It is a good choice if you want more than a beach-read setup; it is not where I would begin if your main craving is banter.
Start here if: you like a romance threaded through a larger mystery about someone’s past. See the publisher’s Emily Henry guide for formats and purchasing options, or check your library.
🎧 Need something to listen to after your reading session? Discover original romantic audio dramas, comedies and stories from That Love Podcast: Listen to That Love Podcast.
Happy Place is the book I recommend with a gentle warning: it may look like a sunny holiday romance, but it is ready to make you ache. Harriet and Wyn broke up months ago and have not told their closest friends. Now their group is gathering for one last stay at the Maine cottage that has long been their shared retreat. To avoid spoiling the trip, the former couple pretend they are still together.
It is a deliciously uncomfortable premise. They have history in every glance and a whole roomful of people they are trying not to disappoint. Henry uses the group holiday to ask what happens when friendships formed at one stage of life must survive everyone growing into another. That question gives the book its emotional reach.
My hesitation is that the concealment can be exhausting. You may spend part of the novel wanting Harriet and Wyn to have the conversation they keep avoiding. Yet the frustration is also part of its honesty: people do sometimes protect an idea of happiness so fiercely that they stop saying what is wrong.
Start here if: you want second-chance romance, shared history and friendship-group drama. The publisher’s excerpt will help you test the tone before you commit.
Poppy and Alex are the pair to pick if friends-to-lovers is your favourite romance trope. They met in college, became unlikely best friends and kept taking summer trips together as their adult lives moved in different directions. After one vacation damaged their friendship, they stopped speaking. Poppy’s attempt to reconnect brings them onto the road again.
The book alternates between past trips and their present reunion, so you get the pleasure of watching a friendship form while trying to understand where it went wrong. Poppy’s restless energy and Alex’s steadier nature make familiar opposites-attract material feel affectionate rather than mechanical. At its best, the romance understands that falling for a longtime friend means risking a relationship you already treasure.
I rank it fourth because the withheld history occasionally made me more impatient than curious. Readers who love a long emotional build may have exactly the opposite reaction; for them, the slow reveal is the treat. Either way, Poppy and Alex are easy to spend time with, and the travel framework makes this an especially inviting summer romance.
Start here if: you want a decade-spanning friendship with holiday settings. In the UK, look for it under the title You and Me on Vacation. Check the publisher’s book page or your local library for available editions.
You’ll also love: Our People We Meet on Vacation book review.
This is the one I would hand a reader who wants an Emily Henry novel to make them laugh before it makes them unexpectedly emotional. Daphne’s fiancé leaves her for his childhood best friend, Petra. Stranded in a town she moved to for him, Daphne ends up sharing a home with Miles—Petra’s ex. It is an awkward arrangement with considerable potential for a terrible decision, which is to say it is a superb rom-com beginning.
Daphne and Miles are compelling because neither can skip straight to a shiny new life. They have to sort through embarrassment, anger and the practical mess left by their former partners. Miles’s easygoing manner plays beautifully against Daphne’s urge to keep herself together. The story’s warmth comes from watching them make room for one another, not merely from the cleverness of the setup.
Third place is no slight. Funny Story is perhaps the easiest book on this list to recommend to a new reader: it moves, it charms and its leads have the kind of chemistry that makes one more chapter seem reasonable at midnight. My top two stay with me a little longer after I close them, but this is the book I would choose when I need my spirits lifted.
Start here if: you want forced proximity, humour and a hopeful fresh start. Find edition details in Penguin Random House’s guide, or ask for it at your library.
You’ll also love: Our review of Emily Henry’s Funny Story.
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2. Beach Read (2020)
If you have ever wished a romance novel would take its heroine’s work as seriously as her love life, Beach Read is an excellent place to begin. January Andrews writes romance and no longer feels certain about happy endings. Augustus Everett writes literary fiction with a bleaker outlook. Both are struggling to finish their next books when they find themselves living near each other for the summer, and they strike a deal to exchange genres.
It is a wonderfully productive excuse to spend time together. The writing challenge creates funny research outings and sharp conversations about what either genre is allowed to value. More importantly, it lets January and Gus challenge assumptions about each other. The rivalry is entertaining; the growing respect gives the romance its weight.
This book is not quite as frothy as its title might suggest. January is dealing with grief and a painful change in how she sees her family. Gus has his own difficult history. Henry lets the emotional material complicate the banter without taking away the pleasure of two smart people discovering that the other might understand them.
Second place comes down to taste. Beach Read has a terrific premise and an unusually satisfying conversation about romance itself. For readers who like writer characters or rivals-to-lovers tension, it may be the winner.
Start here if: you want a bookish love story with real emotional depth. You can read more in Penguin Random House’s Emily Henry guide before buying or borrowing a copy.
You’ll also love: Our Beach Read review.
🎧 Before we reveal our No. 1 pick, you can discover original romantic audio dramas from That Love Podcast. Listen here.
1. Book Lovers (2022)
Nora Stephens knows the sort of story in which a hardworking New York woman goes to a small town and loses the man to someone supposedly more charming. She has no intention of becoming its convenient villain. Then her sister Libby persuades her to take a trip to Sunshine Falls, where Nora keeps encountering Charlie Lastra, a book editor with whom she has already had a disastrous professional meeting.
The setup promises a joke about romance tropes. What makes Book Lovers my No. 1 is that Henry follows through on the characters beneath it. Nora is ambitious, protective and sometimes prickly. The book does not insist that she become a completely different person to deserve love. Charlie meets her with wit, intelligence and a surprisingly welcome understanding of the pressures she carries.
Their dialogue is excellent, but Nora’s relationship with Libby gives the story another centre. The sisters love each other; they also have to make room for the fact that they may want different lives. That tension makes the romance richer. Nora’s happy ending cannot simply be a handsome editor appearing at the right moment. It has to leave her recognisably herself.
Book Lovers earns first place because it is funny, romantic and clear-eyed about the way stories tell women who they are allowed to be. Start here if you want the fullest introduction to Henry’s strengths. Penguin Random House’s book description has edition information, and a library is always worth checking.
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The final word
The pleasure of ranking Emily Henry’s books is that the answer changes with the reader. If you want laughter and a messy new beginning, take Funny Story. If you want friends slowly admitting what they mean to each other, pack People We Meet on Vacation. If you like a romance that also examines why we tell love stories, choose Beach Read.
My recommendation remains Book Lovers. Nora and Charlie have wonderful chemistry, but Nora’s bond with Libby and her resistance to becoming a stock “difficult woman” give the novel its lasting bite. It is the one I would most confidently lend to someone who wants to understand the enthusiasm around Henry’s contemporary romances.
I would not tell a new reader to tackle these six in ranked order. They are separate stories, so start with the premise that pulls you in. Then come back and tell us what I got wrong. Did Happy Place break your heart in the best way? Is Funny Story your undisputed No. 1? That is the fun of a book ranking: it should send us back to the shelves and into a conversation.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best Emily Henry book?
My pick is Book Lovers for its sharp romance, funny dialogue and unusually satisfying story about ambition and family. That is an editorial choice, not a universal answer. Readers who prioritise a lighter mood may prefer Funny Story, while fans of a more emotionally complicated writer romance could choose Beach Read.
Which Emily Henry book should I read first?
Start with Book Lovers if you want a good overview of her strengths, or Funny Story if you want an especially accessible, funny entry point. You do not need to begin with the earliest book in this ranking: these six adult novels tell separate stories, so your favourite premise is a sensible place to start.
Do you have to read Emily Henry’s books in order?
No. The six adult novels ranked here are not instalments in a continuing series. You can read Beach Read before Book Lovers, or begin with Great Big Beautiful Life if that story appeals to you most. Publication order may be interesting if you want to follow Henry’s development as a writer, but it is not required for understanding the plots.
Which Emily Henry book is the funniest?
I would choose Funny Story. Its uncomfortable roommate arrangement gives Daphne and Miles plenty of room for humour, and their differences create banter without making either character seem foolish. Book Lovers is a close second if your favourite jokes involve publishing, romance conventions and two people who can keep up with each other.
Which book has the best enemies-to-lovers or rivals-to-lovers feel?
Beach Read is the strongest choice for a creative rivalry: January and Gus challenge each other as writers and reconsider their assumptions along the way. Book Lovers also begins with professional friction between Nora and Charlie. Neither book relies on outright cruelty to make the relationship interesting, which is part of their appeal.
Which Emily Henry novel is best for a summer holiday?
Take People We Meet on Vacation if you want travel and a long-running friendship at the centre of your reading break. Beach Read is another tempting pick, though it deals with heavier emotions than its summery title may lead you to expect. For a group getaway with more tension, try Happy Place.
Is Happy Place a sad book?
It can be an emotional one. Harriet and Wyn are pretending they have not broken up, and the book spends time on changing friendships as well as their romance. It has humour and warmth, but I would not choose it when I wanted Henry’s lightest story. Try Funny Story for a more buoyant first read.
Which Emily Henry book is most romantic?
For me, Book Lovers wins because Nora and Charlie are drawn to each other without needing to abandon the traits that make them themselves. Readers who love years of friendship turning into love may find People We Meet on Vacation more romantic. The answer depends on whether you prefer quick, sparkling understanding or a long emotional history.
Are Emily Henry’s adult novels connected?
The books in this ranking are separate novels with their own central characters and premises. They share Henry’s interest in work, friendship, family and love, but you can choose one without studying the others first. If you are shopping for a particular person, focus on the trope they like rather than worrying about a reading order.
Where can I buy or borrow Emily Henry books?
The publisher’s guide links to available formats and retailers. You can also check a local independent bookshop or public library for print, ebook and audiobook options. Availability and editions vary by location; remember that People We Meet on Vacation is also known as You and Me on Vacation in the UK.
For another way to compare reader reactions, visit Goodreads’ Emily Henry author page.
More Places to Find Great Books and Their Screen Adaptations
Looking for your next romance read—or curious about a book’s film or TV adaptation? These sites can help, though retailer listings, reader ratings and screen-project news may change over time:
Goodreads — Reader reviews and reading lists.
StoryGraph — Reading preferences, reviews and mood-based discovery.
BookPage — Book reviews and recommendations.
Kirkus Reviews — Professional book reviews.
IMDb — Film and TV adaptation details.
Rotten Tomatoes — Screen-adaptation reviews.
Metacritic — Screen reviews and scores.
Entertainment Weekly — Books and entertainment coverage.
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