I have always loved books. The stories, people, adventures, even the sometimes terrible endings. One time, in third grade, I was grounded for changing my outfit for picture day (to be fair, I hated the original outfit) and lying about it for as long as I could. As a punishment, my bookcase was taken out of my room for an entire week. This point in my life was filled with tears and pleas of returning it to its rightful place. As I got older, all of the adult novels seemed so incredibly boring; all the same looking cover and predictable storylines. Nothing stood out to me and thought I had lost my reading spark. But on a trip to Cape Cod one recent summer, that spark roared back to life. This was when I got my hands on an Emily Henry rom-com.
What I think is unique about her writing is how she ties it all together. Her first novel, Book Lovers, stars two pretty popular writers (enemies to lovers). Her second novel, People We Meet On Vacation, follows a travel blogger who falls in love with her best friend, an avid reader. Her third novel, Beach Read, involves two writers who end up in the same small town and fall in love. All three books have some tie to the writing/reading world. It feels like she lets a little bit of herself into every book, which is important as an author – like a signature on artwork.
What I find to be truly spectacular about her novels is her writing. Sometimes, the fiction genre can be read like Wattpad (an online site that lets you share amateur stories/fanfiction), and if I’m cringing after every page, it’s not going to take long for me to put down the book. However, with Emily Henry, this is not the case. The characters are relatable, have personal struggles, and they avoid the “I’m not like other people” cliche storyline. While dealing with real life issues, the novels are lighthearted and the covers beautifully encapsulate the heart of the books. The bright colors she picks for the front covers draw in readers and has now become a sight I love to see. This type of art on rom-com covers is now a new staple in the genre. Other authors like Ali Hazellwood and Abby Himenez have tapped into this style and created eye-catching covers as well. To me it has become a beacon or a sign signifying that I’m about to read a great story.
Outside of reading, Emily Henry is quite active online (as many of us are). Her social media presence consists of her dog and reviews of other authors’ novels. She is sweet in her reviews; congratulating her friends on their up and coming projects. She has been number one on the New York Best Sellers List for these three entertaining novels, and hopefully many more to come! People We Meet on Vacation is currently being adapted into a movie on the Big Screen! Her other stories such as, The Love that Split the World and A Million Junes are also great reads but the new wave of her novels are all 100% MUST READS. Remember to keep a look out because her new novel, Happy Place, is out on April 23rd.
Happy reading!