Walk into any bookstore and you’ll find Emily Henry’s colorful covers prominently displayed. With a cult following on BookTok and a perpetual spot on USA TODAY’s Best-selling Booklist, Henry reigns over contemporary romance.
If cover styles are an author’s signature, Henry’s Hancock is blocky white letters, bright colors and illustrated main characters. Now there’s a new title joining the family, and “Great Big Beautiful Life” marks just one project in a busy year for Henry. She’s also got five adaptations of her contemporary romance novels in the works.
Ready to dive headfirst into the Henry literary universe? Here’s everything you need to know.
Emily Henry books in order
“Great Big Beautiful Life” is Henry’s 10th book, but most readers know her from her six adult contemporary romance novels. Henry has also published four young adult books, including Thelma and Louise retelling “Hello Girls” alongside author Brittany Cavallaro.
She’s also dabbled in sci-fi. Her YA novel “When the Sky Fell on Splendor” follows a ghost-hunting friend group who, in the wake of a town tragedy, investigate a massive bright light hurtling down from the sky.
Here are all of Henry’s books in order of publication year:
- “The Love That Split the World” (2016)
- “A Million Junes” (2017)
- “When the Sky Fell on Splendor” (2019)
- “Hello Girls” (2019)
- “Beach Read” (2020)
- “People We Meet on Vacation” (2021)
- “Book Lovers” (2022)
- “Happy Place” (2023)
- “Funny Story” (2024)
- “Great Big Beautiful Life” (2025)
What is ‘Great Big Beautiful Life’ about?
Two writers must compete to write the biography of a tragic, scandalized heiress in “Great Big Beautiful Life.” Our protagonists are Alice Scott, an eternal optimist awaiting her big break, and Hayden Anderson, a grumpy Pulitzer Prize winner. Former tabloid princess Margaret Ives invites both writers to live on her island for a trial month before she decides who will get to tell her story, and it’s Alice’s chance to win Margaret over and prove herself as a writer.
Readers can expect beloved tropes like enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine and forced proximity.
Are any of the Emily Henry books movies?
There aren’t any Emily Henry movies out yet, though “People We Meet On Vacation,” “Beach Read,” “Book Lovers,” “Happy Place” and “Funny Story” are all slated for adaptation.
Eagle-eyed fans caught sneak peeks of “People We Meet on Vacation” filming in New Orleans in October. The Netflix film will star Tom Blyth (“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”) and Emily Bader (“My Lady Jane”) as best friends Poppy and Alex, who, until it all went south two years prior, reunited annually for a weeklong vacation. The movie will also star “White Lotus” alums Sarah Catherine Hook and Lukas Gage, as well as Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place”) and Lucien Laviscount (“Emily in Paris”).
The release date for “People We Meet on Vacation” has not yet been announced.
Yulin Kuang, who is adapting “People We Meet on Vacation,” will also adapt “Beach Read” for film. “Happy Place” is being developed into a Netflix series with Jennifer Lopez’s production company Nuyorican. And Henry herself is writing the script for the “Funny Story” movie.
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].
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