7 Emily Henry Books To Read In 2026

If we are looking for books that combine romance, emotional depth, witty dialogue, complicated relationships, and unforgettable characters, Emily Henry is one of the authors we keep coming back to. Her novels often look like lighthearted romances on the surface, but underneath the banter and chemistry, we find stories about grief, friendship, identity, family, healing, second chances, and the difficult choices that shape our lives.

Below is a list of 7 Emily Henry books to read in 2026.

1. Beach Read by Emily Henry

Beach Read follows January Andrews, a bestselling romance novelist who has stopped believing in happy endings, and Augustus Everett, a literary fiction writer who lives next door. When the two writers challenge each other to switch genres, their playful competition becomes much more personal. The novel explores love, grief, family secrets, creativity, and emotional healing while maintaining Emily Henry's signature humor and sharp dialogue. What makes Beach Read memorable is the balance between lighthearted romance and serious emotional themes. It is an excellent choice for readers who want a funny, heartfelt romance with meaningful character development and plenty of romantic tension.

2. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

People We Meet on Vacation centers on Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen, two best friends who seem completely different but have maintained their friendship through years of vacations and life changes. After a falling-out separates them, Poppy realizes that the happiest moments of her life have often involved Alex. Their decision to take one final vacation together creates an opportunity to confront everything they have avoided. The novel explores friendship, love, fear, personal growth, and the transition from friendship to romance. With travel, humor, emotional vulnerability, and slow-burning chemistry, it is an ideal choice for fans of friends-to-lovers romance.

3. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers follows Nora Stephens, a successful literary agent who is used to being the ambitious, intimidating woman rather than the romantic heroine. During a trip to a small town, she repeatedly encounters Charlie Lastra, a literary editor with whom she already has a complicated professional relationship. Their sharp conversations and undeniable chemistry gradually reveal a deeper connection. Beyond the romance, the novel explores family, ambition, sacrifice, sisterhood, and the expectations placed on women. Nora's relationship with her sister adds emotional depth to the story, making Book Lovers more than a conventional romantic comedy. It is especially appealing to readers who love witty banter and enemies-to-lovers tension.

4. Happy Place by Emily Henry

Happy Place follows Harriet and Wyn, a couple who have broken up but have not told their closest friends. When their annual vacation brings everyone together, they decide to pretend that they are still happily in love. The arrangement becomes increasingly complicated as old feelings return and they are forced to confront why their relationship ended. Emily Henry uses the romance to explore growing up, changing priorities, friendship, grief, and the painful realization that loving someone does not automatically solve every problem. The emotional tension makes this one of Henry's more reflective novels. Readers who enjoy second-chance romance with complicated feelings will find plenty to appreciate here.

5. Funny Story by Emily Henry

Funny Story begins with Daphne's life falling apart when her fiancé leaves her for another woman. Even more painfully, Daphne finds herself sharing an unusual connection with Miles, the ex-boyfriend of the woman her fiancé chose. Their unexpected friendship slowly develops into something neither of them anticipated. The novel explores heartbreak, identity, friendship, starting over, and learning to build a life that belongs to you rather than someone else. Daphne's journey is particularly relatable because her romantic disappointment forces her to reconsider who she is outside her relationship. With humor, chemistry, and emotional honesty, Funny Story is an engaging choice for readers who enjoy romance after heartbreak.

6. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Great Big Beautiful Life introduces Alice Scott, a writer looking for the opportunity that could transform her career, and Hayden Anderson, a successful writer with his own reasons for protecting his position. Their professional competition becomes connected to the extraordinary story of an elderly woman whose life contains secrets, relationships, and unexpected twists. The novel combines romance, ambition, journalism, family history, storytelling, and personal identity. One of its most interesting ideas is the relationship between truth and the stories people choose to tell about their lives. For readers looking for a newer Emily Henry novel with romance alongside mystery and family secrets, this book offers something different.

7. A Million Junes by Emily Henry

A Million Junes follows June O'Donnell and Saul Angert, two young people whose families have been divided by a mysterious and deeply rooted feud. Despite the history separating them, June and Saul develop a powerful connection that challenges everything they have been taught about their families. The novel combines romance, magical realism, family secrets, grief, and generational conflict, creating an atmosphere that feels both romantic and mysterious. Rather than focusing solely on falling in love, the story asks whether people can escape conflicts inherited from previous generations. Readers who enjoy forbidden romance with supernatural elements and emotional family drama may find this earlier Emily Henry novel particularly memorable.

Conclusion

Emily Henry's books are often marketed as romances, but that description only tells part of the story. Her novels are also about people trying to understand who they are when life refuses to follow the plan they created.