Reading | Books By Emily Henry

The order in which I read them. Don't ask me to pick a favorite. 

Happy Place | Emily Henry

People We Meet On Vacation | Emily Henry

Book Lovers | Emily Henry

Beach Read | Emily Henry

Emily Henry writes romance novels and pulls no punches about it.

Within the first handful of pages of each of her books, we meet a woman, gain insight on her miserable relationship status, and get our first glimpse of the man with whom - after a crazy string of misunderstandings, misplaced moments, and a few spine-tingling kisses - she will fall madly in love.

There will not necessarily be a lot of surprises.

But as my eldest daughter says, romance novels are not about surprise endings; it's fine if the outcome is made clear from the start. The fun of the book is in its journey.

And Henry's novels sure are fun. Despite the predictable structure, Henry is not afraid to mix things up and color outside the lines as she develops distinctive worlds for each story:

• Happy Place features four female friends from college days who reunite every summer with their partners for summer vacations at a darling Maine seaside cottage. But this year, one of the couples is trying to hide the fact that they have secretly broken up.

• In People We Meet On Vacation, a man and woman have a longstanding tradition of going on a his and hers vacation every summer...platonically, of course. Or is there something more going on in their hearts?

• Book Lovers sets two rivals from the New York City publishing world against each other, all while experimenting with a slower and sweeter life in a Hallmark-movie style small town. Will they stay or won't they?

• Set on the shores of Lake Michigan, Beach Read sets up our main characters as novelists turned next door neighbors. Their writing styles clash, their professional egos take some bruises, but is that enough to keep them apart?

While romance novels are not always synonymous with high quality writing, Henry imbues her romances with intelligence and thoughtfulness. She often explores themes of independence and self-expression, particularly from a woman's point of view. And make no mistake, Henry writes like a house on fire: her prose is sharp, witty and incredibly enjoyable to read. Her dialog features bantering conversations that positively slap and set the tone for the fun ride that each of her books provides.

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I'll be honest.

Over the summer, I'd seen several of my daughters reading these books poolside, and talking to each other about how great they are. But I was not necessarily convinced that Emily Henry's writing was my cup of tea, so I kept my distance.

Until I saw the four books' covers.

Dang. 

The cute, mostly concise titles.

The neat, geometric graphic art.

The vibrant, eye-popping colors.

And while I hate to admit that I do very much judge books by their covers, I also figure any writer who can cause her stories to be housed in such adorable books must be doing a whole lot right. So I decided to give Emily Henry's books a shot. 

Now that I've read all four, here's what I think. There are parts that strike me as sappy, cliched, and overly sentimental. But these stories also ring with truth, with honesty, with characters that are not afraid to stare in the face of the world and wish it could be kinder, more thoughtful, more filled with love. And that, my friends, is exactly the kind of writing that is my cup of tea. I'm delighted that I gave these books a chance. 

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More stories about books I've read in 2024:

Books By Anthony Doerr

What My Bones Know

Books By Emily Henry

The Poisonwood Bible

Harvesting The Heart