How to Read All of Emily Henry's Books in Order
Wondering what the best Emily Henry book to start with is? We've got you covered with our guide.
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If you’re into books or find yourself in online book spaces, chances are you’ve heard about Emily Henry. Henry published her first novel, The Love that Split the World, in 2016. This and her next three books were young adult fiction. However, her career began to take off when her first adult romance novel, Beach Read, was published in 2020. Beach Read was an instant best seller, paving the way for the next five books (also bestsellers). With extremely successful books and several book-to-film and series adaptation deals, Henry has become one of the most popular romance authors in recent years.
Henry’s cozy romances are usually set in fictional, small vacation towns in regions like the American Midwest and New England. While her books' storylines aren’t interconnected, Henry incorporates easter eggs. So, you don’t need to read a previously published book to understand the next, but catching a hidden reference when you come across it may be rewarding. When it comes to the question of how to read Emily Henry's books in order, we’ve found that reading her romances in the order in which they were published is the best way. However, this only applies to everything she’s published since Beach Read. Once you’re done reading her adult novels, you should solidify your status as an Emily Henry fan by picking up her YA works, which we’ve also included below.
So, before you start your Emily Henry journey, reference this list to see her books’ publication order and plot descriptions. Happy reading!
Augustus and January are both book authors, but their stories are opposites: Augustus writes heart-wrenching literary fiction, and January writes romance. But, they have a few things in common: they’re both living in neighboring beach houses for the next three months, and they both have writer's block. Their vacations take an interesting turn when the two decide to switch genres for the summer and guide each other in the process. And of course, no one’s supposed to fall in love.
A film adaptation of Beach Read was announced in 2023, with Yulin Kuang set to direct.
People We Meet on Vacation (2021)
People We Meet on Vacation is a friends-to-lovers romance following Poppy and Alex, two best friends who have been taking annual summer vacations together for a decade. After an incident during one of their trips, they stop speaking for two years...until Poppy decides to reach out to Alex and plan one last vacation to hopefully recover the friendship they once had.
A film adaptation of People We Meet on Vacation starring Tom Blyth and Emily Bader is coming to Netflix on January 9, 2026.
This enemies-to-lovers novel follows Nora, an ambitious literary agent and Charlie, a successful book editor. Their paths first cross during a work negotiation in New York City, but it’s not until several encounters during a forced vacation organized by Nora’s sister that the two realize that there might be more to the other than meets the eye.
In 2023, Tango Entertainment revealed they wanted to adapt Book Lovers into a feature film.
When Harriet arrives at her best friend’s cabin for her friend group's annual summer vacation, she never imagined her ex would be there. Wyn, Harriet’s ex, who is also part of the friend group, broke up with her months before the vacation, but they have yet to tell their friends. They decide to keep their breakup a secret, but to do that, they must pretend they’re still together during the entire trip. What could possibly go wrong?
In 2024, Netflix optioned the novel for Jennifer Lopez’ Neuyorican Productions to adapt as a series, and Leila Cohan (Bridgerton) is set to be the showrunner.
Funny Story is a “pretend dating” romance about Daphne, a children's librarian who moved to a new town following her fiancé, Peter. When Peter leaves Daphne for Petra, his childhood best friend, the future Daphne dreamed of begins to crumble before her eyes. Similarly, Petra’s boyfriend, Miles, has a difficult time processing their breakup. Having nowhere to stay in her new town, Daphne decides to move in with Miles, who is now in need of a roommate. What can you do when your ex-fiancé and your roommate’s ex-girlfriend send you both invitations to their wedding? You pretend you’re dating and plan to go together, of course. Or at least that’s what Miles and Daphne decide to do — not knowing that their decision would be the start of a very funny story.
Funny Story is being adapted into a film by Lyrical Media and Ryder Pictures Company. Henry herself is set to write the script.
Great Big Beautiful Life is Henry’s latest novel. It follows Alice and Hayden, two writers competing to write a biography of an heiress living in a small coastal town. Hayden is a seasoned writer, and Alice is relatively unknown in the industry. While competing for the same opportunity to bring their subject’s story to life, Alice and Henry find themselves uncovering truths about her life and realizing she’s more than what she seems. In a month, their joined journey sparks an unimaginable connection.
Hello Girls is a young adult novel about high school seniors Winona and Lucille, who decide to run away together to escape their difficult home situations. Their Thelma and Louise-esque journey involves a stolen convertible, a cross-country trip from Michigan to Las Vegas and robbing gas stations. Henry co-wrote Hello Girls with Brittany Cavallaro, and it’s the last YA novel Henry worked on before pivoting to adult romance.
Franny’s life changed when her town’s steel mill exploded, and so did the lives of most of the town’s residents. Some were casualties, and others are related to someone who was. Now, in a coma, Franny’s brother is amongst those affected. In search of an escape, Franny joins a group of teenagers who call themselves The Ordinary. Together, they explore their town’s mysteries and upload videos on their YouTube channel. Everything changes when one of the mysteries turns out to be a real anomaly.
June O’Donnell’s family has one rule: stay away from the Angerts, their neighbors. When the Angerts’ oldest son returns to their magical town, an instant spark is lit between him and June. Together, they must unveil the mystery behind their families' feud and their town’s magical nature.
This book follows Natalie, a high school senior who finds herself occasionally drifting into an alternate reality. There, she meets Beau, a boy who only exists in this world. Together, they must embark on a journey to save someone’s life and discover the reason behind their connection.
Rosamelia is an Editorial Intern at Good Housekeeping. She's also a graduate student in NYU's Magazine and Digital Storytelling program. In her free time, you can find her reading and reviewing books on her bookstagram: amelias_biblioteca.
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