Written by: Express Intern
5 min readMay 14, 2026 04:01 PM IST
First published on: Apr 27, 2026 at 04:55 PM IST
(Written by Ria Jain)
Have you ever read a book that appealed to you even though you were sure it would be a disappointment? Emily Henry’s Book Lovers was that book for me. The book, a gift, refined my definition of urban romance.
You might know her for Beach Read, Happy Place and the recent Netflix hit People We Meet on Vacation, an adaptation of her book of the same name. Emily Henry, a New York Times bestselling author, made her debut in 2016 with The Love That Split the World.
With 10 years of experience and nine books, she is finally getting well-deserved recognition, and the multiple screen adaptations of her books lined up in the near future make her star-author career seem unstoppable.
For my fellow readers who wish to explore diversity of plotlines in contemporary romance, here are some Emily Henry recommendations and why they made me a fan:
Emily Henry, the author of Great Big Beautiful Life, Funny Story, Happy Place, Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read.
Book Lovers
She is not the main character of anyone else’s story–not even hers–but eventually becomes his. Book Lovers is a proof that reality can be beautiful. Nora Stephens is pragmatic and realist, and so is Charlie Lastra. It proves that two people don’t have to be opposites to fit together. I felt the book–every word, every sentence. I agreed with it and flew with it. The two characters proved that it is okay to live in the real world, not always be a daydreaming hopeless romantic, and still have your happily ever after. “I ached to turn the last page, but I did anyway.”
Happy Place
A heartfelt read that navigates the vulnerabilities attached to lifelong friendships, incomplete love and growing up. Our protagonists Harriet and Wyn, along with their four friends, spend a month every year drinking and dancing at the cottage. This year everything is different — the perfect couple has broken up and the cottage is up for sale. In pursuit of giving their friends one last happy summer, they agree not to reveal their little, heartbroken secret. What follows is a rollercoaster of love, laughter, confrontations and the revelation of feelings that never left, even when the people did. Happy Place won the Goodreads Choice Award for Readers’ Favourite Romance (2023).
Beach Read
Gus and January — two opposite souls facing the same writer’s block. They’re both broke and in desperate need of publishing a bestseller soon. Cherry on the cake? They’re not each other’s biggest fans: classic enemies-to-romance waiting to loop you in. After they strike a deal and swap their genres to see who gets published first, their perspectives of each other change — and so do their feelings. Beach Read is a heartfelt and witty read that delivers everything you ask for, and oh so beautifully.
People We Meet on Vacation
Before becoming a banger hit for Netflix, this was one of Emily Henry’s most loved books. Poppy and Alex — their story revolves around thirteen summers in the past and one in the present, and the lucky thing that is their friendship. Although I couldn’t personally connect with the characters and wasn’t that hung up on the book, their chemistry and angst are a delight to read. A perfect yin to his yang, Poppy is as wild as Alex is calm. Both are anchors to each other while also being very relatable on an individual level. Miscommunication plays the right antagonist to this seemingly perfect love story. The movie is one of the few must-watch book adaptations.
Funny Story
A cutesy little romance that follows a chaotic relationship born from complicated emotions. Daphne is deeply in love with Peter, but for him she turns out to be the girl he dated only to realise his unending love for his childhood best friend Petra — who, by the way, is with Miles. Cute, right? Not so much for our two heartbroken souls. When circumstances force Daphne and Miles together and an unexpected invite arrives, it’s their chance to take the ball back to their court. Only too much proximity stirs realisations and feelings. The book is a reminder that we find love in the most unexpected ways with the most unexpected people.
Well loved among her fellow authors too, Henry is a rising sensation on Bookstagram and TikTok. And if you’re a new entry into the world of contemporary romance, she could be your perfect start.
(The author is an intern with indianexpress.com)
% must read Emily Henry books. (Image generated with AI) 
Emily Henry, the author of Great Big Beautiful Life, Funny Story, Happy Place, Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read.
Share
