Book recommendations for Jane Austen characters, from Mr. Knightley to Elizabeth Bennett.

Features

Books we’d recommend to Jane Austen’s best characters 

New romance books of 2025, including Atmosphere, Riding the High, Consider Yourself Kissed, Great Big Beautiful Life, One Golden Summer, Silver Elite, Notes on Infinity and The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny.

New romance books of 2025

Reading lists

New romance books to read in 2025

Image of Olivia Rodrigo, with books that match the themes of her songs.

Image of Olivia Rodrigo

What to read based on your favourite Olivia Rodrigo song

Headshot of Great Big Beautiful Life author Emily Henry

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Interviews

The Penguin Podcast: series 2 episode 2 – Love and Romance

Emily Henry quiz illustration of characters

Emily Henry quiz

Quizzes

Quiz: Which Emily Henry character would be your perfect match? 

Best new paperbacks (2)

The best new paperbacks of 2025

Funny Story by Emily Henry book cover

Extracts

Extract: Funny Story by Emily Henry

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Best romance books for ultimate escapism

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The best books about friendships

Happy Place book cover on a sunset beach background

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Extract: Happy Place by Emily Henry

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What book to read, based on your favourite rom-com

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The book to read based on your favourite Taylor Swift song

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Emily Henry and Erin Morgenstern: How TikTok changes authors’ careers

An image of Emily Henry's novel Book Lovers against a colourful backdrop.

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‘I’m the one who gets dumped’: an extract from Emily Henry’s Book Lovers

An illustration of a turquoise-coloured book, spine facing upwards, with letters and hearts falling out of its pages onto an outstretched hand, against a pink background.

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Emily Henry: How I fell in love with romance novels

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What it’s like writing that tricky second novel

People We Meet On Vacation

The special sprayed-edge edition of the bestselling romance

** NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX RELEASE STARRING EMILY BADER AND TOM BLYTH! ** 
 
------ 
 
'One of my favourite authors' Colleen Hoover, It Ends With Us 
'A gorgeous romance' Beth O'Leary, The No-Show 
'Loveable characters, hilarious wit and steamy sexual chemistry' Laura Jane Williams, Our Stop 
 
*Also known as You and Me on Vacation* 
 
------ 
 
Two friends. Ten trips. Their last chance to fall in love... 
 
12 YEARS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they'll never speak again. 
 
11 YEARS AGO: They're forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together. 
 
10 YEARS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver. 
Poppy holds his hand the whole way. 
 
7 YEARS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans. 
 
2 YEARS AGO: It all goes wrong. 
 
THIS YEAR: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives. 
 
People We Meet on Vacation is a New York Times bestselling love story for fans of When Harry Met Sally, One Day and Casey McQuiston. Get ready to travel the world, snort with laughter and - most of all - lose your heart to Poppy and Alex. 
 
------ 
 
'Our generation's answer to Nora Ephron' Sophie Cousens, This Time Next Year 
 
'So warm and funny' Paige Toon, The Minute I Saw You 
 
'The hottest book of the summer - the pages simply sizzle!' Josie Silver, One Night on the Island 
 
'Emily Henry is my newest automatic-buy author . . . a heartfelt, funny, tender escape that you wish could last forever' Jodi Picoult, Wish You Were Here 
 
'A compulsively readable book full of sparkling wit, dazzling prose and a romance that grabbed me by the heart and wouldn't let me go' Abby Jiminez, Part of Your World 
 
'Funny, and seriously sizzling' BEST 
 
'If whipcrack banter and sexual tension is your catnip, you'll adore this book' Sally Thorne, The Hating Game 
 
'What an absolute flipping triumph of a novel!!! I LOVED it ' Emma Cooper, It Was Always You 
 
 
Emily Henry, Sunday Times bestseller, May 2024

Emily Henry is my newest automatic-buy author . . . the perfect getaway: a heartfelt, funny, tender escape that you wish could last forever

A gorgeous romance, full of sexual tension and tantalizing possibility. I fell head over heels for Alex and Poppy, and loved travelling all over the world with them both

he hottest book of the summer - the pages simply sizzle!

The ideal getaway for those who wish to travel without leaving the house!

A funny, quirky and addictive read - if you loved When Harry Met Sally, you're going to fall for these two. We did!

A gorgeous page-turner of a novel that provided the perfect escapist romp

Clever and funny, this is a tender love story

This sizzling love story had us on the edge of our deckchairs!

Exuberant wit, hilarious badinage and enough sexual tension to cause the vicar to unbutton her dog collar

The epitome of a summer novel... perfect for these long, (mostly) sunny days

Full of vacation magic underpinned with the importance of home

Emily Henry's writing is succulent and addictive, making this a novel that is sweetly charming from start to finish, filled with yearning and tension. Above all though Henry allows space for authenticity, the characters have very real struggles and challenges to undergo - Poppy is at a roadblock in her career. It is this that makes the novel so engaging, as it feels immensely real and immediate. This is the perfect summer read and we can't recommend it enough

Emily Henry is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of the butterfly-inducing romantic comedies Beach Read, You and Me on Vacation, Book Lovers, Happy Place and Funny Story. She studied creative writing at Hope College and now lives and writes in the American Midwest. Great Big Beautiful Life is her sixth novel.

TWO FRIENDS. TEN SUMMER TRIPS. 
THEIR LAST CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE. 
 
12 SUMMERS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they'll never speak again. 
 
11 SUMMERS AGO: They're forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together. 
 
10 SUMMERS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver. 
Poppy holds his hand the whole way. 
 
7 SUMMERS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans. 
 
2 SUMMERS AGO: It all goes wrong. 
 
THIS SUMMER: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.

Beach Read

Emily Henry’s beloved New York Times bestselling novel now in this stunning hardcover collector’s edition featuring: 
<ul><li>A gorgeous revamped cover</li><li>Sunset endpapers and sprayed edges</li><li>Gold foil stamped case, and...</li><li>A new introduction from the author and a bonus January and Gus epilogue, “The Layover”</li></ul> 
Two writers. One holiday. A romcom waiting to happen... 
 
------- 
 
'One of my favourite authors' Colleen Hoover, It Ends With Us 
'A great love story' Jodi Picoult, Wish You Were Here 
'The perfect escapist romp' Laura Jane Williams, One Night With You 
 
January is a hopeless romantic who narrates her life like she's the lead in a blockbuster movie. 
 
Gus is a serious literary type who thinks true love is a fairy-tale. 
 
But January and Gus have more in common than you'd think: 
 
They're both broke. 
They've got crippling writer's block. 
And they need to write bestsellers before summer ends. 
 
The result? A bet to swap genres and see who gets published first. 
The risk? In telling each other's stories, their worlds might be changed entirely... 
 
Set over one sizzling summer, Beach Read is a witty love story that will make you laugh a lot, cry a little and fall head over heels. For fans of The Flat Share and If I Never Met You. 
 
------- 
 
'My heart ached for January, and Gus is to die for - a steamy, smart and perceptive romance' Josie Silver, One Night on the Island 
 
'Full of banter, heat, and sexual tension, I felt the thrill of falling in love right alongside January and Gus. A gorgeous page-turner of a novel' Laura Jane Williams, One Night With You 
 
'Funny, and seriously sizzling' Best 
 
'If whipcrack banter and sexual tension is your catnip, you'll adore this book' Sally Thorne, The Hating Game 
 
'Touching and heartfelt . . . I closed this book with a satisfied sigh' Jasmine Guillory, While We Were Dating 
 
'Clever and funny, this is a tender love story' Woman & Home 
 
Emily Henry, Sunday Times bestseller, May 2024

Reader, I swooned! Beach Read is the hottest book of the summer - the pages simply sizzle! My heart ached for January, and Gus is to die for - a steamy, smart and perceptive love story. I was engrossed!

Josie Silver, author of bestselling One Day in December

Full of banter, heat, and sexual tension, I felt the thrill of falling in love right alongside January and Gus. A gorgeous page-turner of a novel that provided the perfect escapist romp

Laura Jane Williams, author of 'Our Stop'

Original, sparkling bright and layered with feeling. If whipcrack banter and foggy sexual tension is your catnip, you'll adore this book

Sally Thorne, author of 'The Hating Game'

A touching and heartfelt book about learning how to love again. I closed this book with a satisfied sigh

Jasmine Guillory, author of 'The Proposal'

Emily Henry’s beloved New York Times bestselling novel now in this stunning hardcover collector’s edition featuring: 
<ul><li>A gorgeous revamped cover</li><li>Sunset endpapers and sprayed edges</li><li>Gold foil stamped case, and...</li><li>A new introduction from the author and a bonus January and Gus epilogue, “The Layover”</li></ul> 
Two writers. One holiday. A romcom waiting to happen... 
 
He doesn't believe in happy endings. She's lost her faith that they exist. But could they find one together? 
 
January is a hopeless romantic who narrates her life like she's the lead in a blockbuster movie. Gus is a serious literary type who thinks true love is a fairy-tale. 
 
But January and Gus have more in common than you'd think: 
They're both broke. They've got crippling writer's block. And they need to write bestsellers before summer ends. 
 
The result? A bet to swap genres and see who gets published first. 
The risk? In telling each other's stories, their worlds might be changed entirely...

Funny Story

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR & GLOBAL TIK TOK SENSATION, EMILY HENRY 
 
'One of my favourite authors' COLLEEN HOOVER, It Ends With Us 
‘Emily knows how to craft a love story like the all-time greats’ TAYLOR JENKINS REID, Daisy Jones and The Six 
 
----- 
 
Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story. That is until it became the prologue to his actual love story with his childhood bestie, Petra. 
 
Which is how Daphne ends up rooming with her total opposite and the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra's ex, Miles. 
 
As expected, it’s not a match made in heaven – that is until one night, while tossing back tequilas, they form a plan. 
 
And if it involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together, well, who could blame them? 
 
But it’s all just for show, of course. 
 
Because there’s no way Daphne would start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right? 
 
A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Emily Henry 
 
----- 
 
PRAISE FOR EMILY HENRY 
 
'The master of witty repartee' Daily Mail 
 
'I've loved every single one of her books more than the previous' Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis 
 
'The book that you just know all the girls are going to be reading by the side of the pool this summer... ' The Mirror 
 
'My newest automatic-buy author' Jodi Picoult, Wish You Were Here 
 
'This book is an utter delight' Prima 
 
'Emily Henry has become one of my favourite authors' Beth O'Leary, The Flatshare 
 
'Emily Henry's books are a gift, the perfect balance between steamy and sweet' V. E Schwab, Gallant 
 
'A joyful and cathartic romcom that is truly the funniest of stories' The Skinny 
 
'Nobody does it quite like Emily Henry' Casey McQuiston, Red, White and Royal Blue 
 
'The queen of rom-coms is back' Refinery29 
 
'Our generation's answer to Nora Ephron' Sophie Cousens, This Time Next Year 
 
'As a storyteller, Henry is in a class of her own' Elle Kennedy, The Deal 
 
 
Emily Henry, No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, May 2023 & No. 1 New York Times bestseller, June 2023

Emily Henry at her absolute best. Warm, sexy and beautifully written. I adored it

I'm officially in my Emily Henry era and I never want to leave. She is the queen of heartwarming contemporary romance

Emily Henry is fast becoming a firm auto-buy author for romance lovers

Funny, warm, emotionally stirring and sexy, Emily Henry is an author I keep returning to

Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story. That is until it became the prologue to his actual love story with his childhood bestie, Petra. 
 
Which is how Daphne ends up rooming with her total opposite and the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra's ex, Miles. 
 
As expected, it’s not a match made in heaven – that is until one night, while tossing back tequilas, they form a plan. 
 
And if it involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together, well, who could blame them? 
 
But it’s all just for show, of course. 
 
Because there’s no way Daphne would start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right?

The Emily Henry Collection

No one can write a love story like Emily Henry! 
 
This special collection features four of her classic titles: Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation and Happy Place. Read on for characters you will wish you were your friends, settings that will have you booking flights, and delectable slow burn romance... 
 
 Beach Read: A romance author who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily-ever-afters. 
 
 People We Meet on Vacation: Alex and Poppy are the best of friends, and every summer they have taken one glorious week of vacation together—until two years ago, when they ruined everything. Now, Poppy wants her best friend back and convinces Alex to go on one more trip together: one week to fix everything. 
 
 Book Lovers: A cutthroat literary agent agrees to accompany her sister on a trip to Sunshine Falls, NC, in order to become the heroine in her own story, only to keep bumping into the brooding editor from back in the city. 
 
 Happy Place: Meet Harriet & Wyn. Two exes. One pact. Could this holiday change everything? 
PRAISE FOR EMILY HENRY 
 
'The master of witty repartee' Daily Mail 
 
'I've loved every single one of her books more than the previous' Ali Hazelwood 
 
'The book that you just know all the girls are going to be reading by the side of the pool this summer... ' The Mirror 
 
'My newest automatic-buy author' Jodi Picoult 
 
'This book is an utter delight' Prima 
 
'Emily Henry has become one of my favourite authors' Beth O'Leary 
 
'Emily Henry's books are a gift, the perfect balance between steamy and sweet' V. E Schwab 
 
'A joyful and cathartic romcom that is truly the funniest of stories' The Skinny 
 
'Nobody does it quite like Emily Henry' Casey McQuiston 
 
'The queen of rom-coms is back' Refinery29 
 
'Our generation's answer to Nora Ephron' Sophie Cousens 
 
'As a storyteller, Henry is in a class of her own' Elle Kennedy

This special collection features four of her classic titles: Beach Read, You and Me on Vacation, Book Lovers and Happy Place. Read on for characters you will wish you were your friends, settings that will have you booking flights, and delectable slow burn romance...

Happy Place

Brimming with characters you can't help but fall for and off-the-charts chemistry, this is TikTok sensation Emily Henry doing what she does best! 
 
----- 
 
Two exes. One pact. 
Could this holiday change everything? 
 
Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple - they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. 
 
Every year, they take a holiday from their lives to drink far too much wine with their favourite people in the world. 
 
Except this year, they are lying through their teeth, because Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone. 
 
But the cottage is for sale, so this is the last time they'll all be here together. They can't bear to break their best friends' hearts so they'll fake it for one more week. 
 
But how can you pretend to be in love - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best? 
 
----- 
 
'Hilarious and wise . . . Another knockout’ Taylor Jenkins Reid 
 
'One of my favourite authors' Colleen Hoover 
 
‘A must-read book of the year’ Lauren Asher 
 
'Another Emily Henry masterpiece' Hannah Grace, ICEBREAKER 
 
'Tender and sexy, bittersweet with Henry's trademark warmth' Bolu Babalola, HONEY & SPICE 
 
Happy Place, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, May 2023

Emily Henry's books are a gift, the perfect balance between steamy and sweet

Nobody does it quite like Emily Henry

Our generation's answer to Nora Ephron

Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple - they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Every year, they take a holiday from their lives to drink far too much wine with their favourite people in the world. Except this year, they are lying through their teeth, because Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone. 
 
But the cottage is for sale so this is the last time they'll all be here together. They can't bear to break their best friends' hearts so they'll fake it for one more week. But how can you pretend to be in love - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best?

Book Lovers

One holiday. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming... 
 
-------- 
 
'Her best yet' Taylor Jenkins Reid, Malibu Rising 
'One of my favourite authors' Colleen Hoover, It Ends With Us 
'Magical, delightful, and utterly one of a kind' Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis 
 
Nora is a cut-throat literary agent at the top of her game. Her whole life is books. 
 
Charlie is an editor with a gift for creating bestsellers. And he's Nora's work nemesis. 
 
Nora has been through enough break-ups to know she's the one men date before finding their happy-ever-after. To prevent another dating dud, Nora's sister has persuaded her to swap her city desk for a month's holiday in Sunshine Falls. 
 
It's a small town straight out of a romance novel, but instead of meeting sexy lumberjacks, handsome doctors or cute bartenders, Nora keeps bumping into...Charlie. 
 
She's no heroine. He's no hero. So can they take a page out of an entirely different book? 
 
Brimming with witty banter, characters you can't help but fall for and off-the-charts chemistry, BOOK LOVERS is Emily Henry's best novel yet. 
 
-------- 
 
'Emily Henry's books are a gift, the perfect balance between steamy and sweet' V. E Schwab, Gallant 
 
'So smart, so funny, so sexy' Beth O'Leary, The No-Show 
 
'Emily Henry has another hit on her hands' Sophie Cousens, Just Haven't Met You Yet 
 
'A thoroughly modern yet classic romance' Sunday Times 
 
'Heartfelt, funny, and full of joy. (Also, three cheers for Nora's super-relatable bangs journey!)' Tia Williams, Seven Days in June 
 
'The master of witty repartee' Daily Mail 
 
'Super fun, sassy, smart, sexy... Emily Henry is now an auto-buy author for me' Red Magazine 
 
'Book Lovers is Schitt's Creek for book nerds' Casey Mcquiston, One Last Stop 
 
'The most phenomenal portrayal of enemies to lovers I have ever read. . .' Laura Jane Williams, Our Stop 
 
Sunday Times bestseller, May 2022

Schitt's Creek for book nerds

Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop

Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising

One of the most enjoyable books you'll read this year

Sizzles on each page. This romcom is perfection

Her characters fizz like good champagne

JOSIE SILVER, author of One Night on the Island

A LOL enemies-to-lovers rom-com that is calling out to be read on a beach

This book is perfect. I couldn't love it more

CRESSIDA McLAUGHLIN, author of Christmas Carols and a Cornish Cream Tea

When I read an Emily Henry novel I always feel a particularly undignified kind of jealousy, because I wish I'd written it. Book Lovers is no different: I loved every page, every line. It's so smart, so funny and so sexy. Nora and Charlie have sizzling chemistry - they even make discussing a contract hot. Readers are going to fall head over heels for these two

You KNOW I love a book-and a writer-when I bust out my trusty ballpoint and absolutely maul the pages...and that's exactly what I just did to the divine Emily Henry. I could not devour Book Lovers fast enough. Emily Henry is pure delight. I'm utterly enchanted by her wry, self-aware sense of humour, the relish that she brings to every cleverly crafted sentence, and her irrepressible love for love

Katherine Center, New York Times bestselling author of Things You Save in a Fire and How to Walk Away

Emily Henry's books are a gift, the perfect balance between steamy and sweet. The prose is effortless, the characters charming. The only downside is reaching the end

V.E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author The Invisible Life of Addie LaRu

I would follow Emily Henry anywhere. A small town, a literary enterprise, a bookstore to rescue, and sex in moonlit streams? Yes, please! Book Lovers is sexy, funny, and smart. Another perfectly satisfying read from the unstoppable Emily Henry

Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of All Adults Here

Emily Henry is my newest automatic-buy author

Jodi Picoult on PEOPLE WE MEETO ON VACATION

If sexual tension is your catnip, you'll adore this book

Sally Thorne, author of 'The Hating Game' on BEACH READ

Josie Silver, author of bestselling One Day in December on BEACH READ

A classic slice of enemies-to-lovers fun

A rom-com set in the book world - can't wait to read this!

The most phenomenal portrayal of enemies to lovers I have ever read

Nora is a cut-throat literary agent at the top of her game. Her whole life is books. Charlie is an editor with a gift for creating bestsellers. And he's Nora's work nemesis. 
 
Nora has been through enough break-ups to know she's the woman men date before they find their happy-ever-after. That's why Nora's sister has persuaded her to swap her desk in the city for a month's holiday in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. It's a small town straight out of a romance novel, but instead of meeting sexy lumberjacks, handsome doctors or cute bartenders, Nora keeps bumping into...Charlie. 
 
She's no heroine. He's no hero. So can they take a page out of an entirely different book?

Now on Netflix as People We Meet on Vacation — the ultimate friends-to-lovers romance

You and Me on Vacation

Brought to you by Penguin. 
 
**NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX RELEASE STARRING EMILY BADER AND TOM BLYTH! ** 
 
*Also known as People We Meet On Vacation* 
 
TWO FRIENDS 
TEN SUMMER TRIPS 
THEIR LAST CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE 
 
12 SUMMERS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they'll never speak again. 
 
11 SUMMERS AGO: They're forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together. 
 
10 SUMMERS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver. 
Poppy holds his hand the whole way. 
 
7 SUMMERS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans. 
 
2 SUMMERS AGO: It all goes wrong. 
 
THIS SUMMER: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives. 
 
People We Meet On Vacation is a love story for fans of When Harry Met Sally and One Day. Get ready to travel the world, snort with laughter and - most of all - lose your heart to Poppy and Alex. 
 
'A gorgeous romance' BETH O'LEARY 
'The perfect getaway' JODI PICOULT 
 
© Emily Henry 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Emily Henry is my newest automatic-buy author . . . the perfect getaway: a heartfelt, funny, tender escape that you wish could last forever

A gorgeous romance, full of sexual tension and tantalizing possibility. I fell head over heels for Alex and Poppy, and loved travelling all over the world with them both

The hottest book of the summer - the pages simply sizzle!

The ideal getaway for those who wish to travel without leaving the house!

A funny, quirky and addictive read - if you loved When Harry Met Sally, you're going to fall for these two. We did!

A gorgeous page-turner of a novel that provided the perfect escapist romp

Funny, and seriously sizzling

Clever and funny, this is a tender love story

This sizzling love story had us on the edge of our deckchairs!

Exuberant wit, hilarious badinage and enough sexual tension to cause the vicar to unbutton her dog collar

The epitome of a summer novel... perfect for these long, (mostly) sunny days

Full of vacation magic underpinned with the importance of home

Emily Henry's writing is succulent and addictive, making this a novel that is sweetly charming from start to finish, filled with yearning and tension. Above all though Henry allows space for authenticity, the characters have very real struggles and challenges to undergo - Poppy is at a roadblock in her career. It is this that makes the novel so engaging, as it feels immensely real and immediate. This is the perfect summer read and we can't recommend it enough

This author writes such fabulous romcoms

TWO FRIENDS. TEN SUMMER TRIPS. 
THEIR LAST CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE. 
 
12 SUMMERS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they'll never speak again. 
 
11 SUMMERS AGO: They're forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together. 
 
10 SUMMERS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver. 
Poppy holds his hand the whole way. 
 
7 SUMMERS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans. 
 
2 SUMMERS AGO: It all goes wrong. 
 
THIS SUMMER: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.

Emily Henry

Emily knows how to craft a love story like the all time greats

I've loved every single one of her books more than the previous

An expansive, sweeping love story that also feels so intimately tender...it enveloped me from start to finish. Beautiful.

Great Big Beautiful Life has everything you love in a classic Emily Henry novel, plus so much more. Nobody writes chemistry like Emily Henry, and you're guaranteed to fall head over heels for Alice and Hayden.

With a delicious slow-burn romance, a perfectly grumpy hero, and a setting that comes to life, this one checked all my boxes. Two compelling stories to move the plot forward meant I couldn't put it down! Emily Henry does it again!

A sweeping love story about the choices we make and the threads that knit us together. Thoughtful, moving, and deliciously tender. Emily Henry is as captivating as ever. I love everything she does.

A true joy. Playful, fun, and virtuosically plotted, Great Big Beautiful Life is a novel about life's winding paths and dangerous dead-ends—and the way that love can lead us out of the labyrinth.

Great Big Beautiful Life simmers with longing and glitters with secrets and scandal, all set against a hot summer in Georgia. A joy of a book!

When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island, Alice knows this is it: her big break. And even more rare: a chance to impress her family with a Serious Publication. 
 
The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, is sure of the same thing. 
 
The proposal? A one-month trial period to unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century, after which she’ll choose who’ll tell her story. 
 
The problem? Margaret is only giving each of them tantalising pieces. Pieces they can’t put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room. 
 
And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story – just like the tale Margaret’s spinning – could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad … depending on who’s telling it.

Emily Henry

Praise for Great Big Beautiful Life

Emily knows how to craft a love story like the all time greats

One of my favourite authors

I've loved every single one of her books more than the previous

Emily knows how to craft a love story like the all time greats

One of my favourite authors

I've loved every single one of her books more than the previous

Emily knows how to craft a love story like the all time greats

One of my favourite authors

I've loved every single one of her books more than the previous

Books by Emily Henry

Articles featuring Emily Henry

Books we’d recommend to Jane Austen’s best characters

New romance books to read in 2025

What to read based on your favourite Olivia Rodrigo song

The Penguin Podcast: series 2 episode 2 – Love and Romance

Quiz: Which Emily Henry character would be your perfect match?

The best new paperbacks of 2025

Extract: Funny Story by Emily Henry

Best romance books for ultimate escapism

The best books about friendships

Extract: Happy Place by Emily Henry

What book to read, based on your favourite rom-com

The book to read based on your favourite Taylor Swift song

Emily Henry and Erin Morgenstern: How TikTok changes authors’ careers

‘I’m the one who gets dumped’: an extract from Emily Henry’s Book Lovers

Emily Henry: How I fell in love with romance novels

What it’s like writing that tricky second novel

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