It’s time to fall in love

If you’ve been on BookTok, then there’s a chance that you’ve heard about the lovable Emily Henry and her romantic books. With all the deserved hype she gets, I decided to rank my favourite Henry rom-com books, and I’ve read all of them. If you’re looking for banter, tropes done right and happy endings, then stick with me, because she delivers swoon-worthy books that makes you giggle and smile.

For all the veteran and newbie readers, here are Emily Henry books ranked from least favourite to the all-time front runner.

A guide to Emily Henry’s romance books:

5. People We Meet on Vacation

Let’s start with my least favourite—not that this isn’t good, Henry just has other books that made me cry and giggle. People We Meet on Vacation follows Alex, a routine-loving man and a free-spirited woman, Poppy and their up-and-down friendship, before getting their second chance at love. I loved the slow-burn, friends-to-lovers and miscommunication trope that Henry showcased in this book, however, it wasn’t memorable or as vulnerable as her other works. The book itself felt incredibly slow-bloomed, meaning, it takes a while for you to get into—it isn’t a one-day binge-reading kind of read and it’s honestly because I couldn’t pinpoint the chemistry between Alex and Poppy at the beginning of the book. But, as you pull yourself together and continue reading, you get the gist of how it’s going to play out and how they are “soulmates”. When you get the hang of the book, you’ll thoroughly adore the characters, their banters and how real their emotions are portrayed. I can’t wait to see this on-screen soon, because I can totally imagine Tom Blyth and Emily Bader as Alex and Poppy!

4. Beach Read

Beach Read was the first book I read by Emily Henry—essentially my first foray into her universe. However, it didn’t “hook, line and sinker” me. Yes, it’s a glorious enemies-to-lovers romp that made me laugh, but it didn’t entice me to read her other books immediately—it was taking me a while to fully understand the hype BookTok was screeching about. And, I honestly think it was just because I read other romance books before this one that grasped my attention wonderfully in such a short time and I expected it to be the same. But, this was a great, fast-paced book about two polar opposites acclaimed authors who live on neighbouring beach houses and end up challenging each other on a writing quest. January Andrews is set to pen the next great American novel while Augustus Everett is stuck spending the summer writing something happy. It was a cute, romance read, I just wasn’t swooning hard. 

3. Book Lovers

Book Lovers was my fourth Emily Henry book, so I knew what I was getting into. I was at the point where I understood Henry’s writing style, so this book was “Chef’s Kiss”. Although there were a few draggy moments—wasn’t a huge sticking point to me—this was such a cute, lovable read that I had to binge-read in one day. The small-town romance, enemies to lovers plot sold me and Henry did it wonderfully by introducing the sweet yet broody Charlie Lastra’s character. In this book, Nora Stephens, a city workaholic book agent goes to a small town to get away from the hustle and bustle where she keeps bumping into Charlie, a book editor. I loved the way Charlie and Nora’s relationship took off and developed in this book, which is why this is number 3 in my ranking.

2. Happy Place

I read Happy Place after Beach Read, so let me tell you that, that was the best decision ever. Going into this book, I was sceptical, but I was blown away by its raw, unfiltered concept. It’s a fun yet heavy book about broken relationships, finding happiness and soul searching. You’d think it’d be a downer, but the way Henry wrote this book makes you believe in second-chance romance and love itself. There was banters, and laugh-out-loud moments that cohesively worked together with the emotional depth that needed to be told.  It was beautifully written and I think it’s a great book to read if you’re planning to dive into Emily Henry’s world. This is a book about a couple who broke up months ago and made a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual vacation with their best friends.

1. Funny Story

This is one of my 2024 favourite reads—and that’s saying a lot considering I read over 50 books a year, and honestly, this is Henry’s best book to date. It’s such an easy read that’s peppered with tons of humour, banter, fluff and fun—I was left swooning for months. It’s such a charming witty read that I finished in one sitting. This is a book about Miles and Daphne who become roommates after their significant other dumped them for each other. What I loved about this book is how it goes beyond romance and tells the story of how someone rebuilds their life after a heartbreak. If Henry is on your mind, then opt for this for your first-ever book in her world.