Bestselling Romance Novelist Emily Henry Believes in the Earnestness of the Genre: “Love Is the Thing That Has the Most Power in the World to Change a Person”

This week, author Emily Henry released her latest novel, Funny Story. Henry, known for her modern take on romance novels, is the hit author of bestselling books People We Meet on Vacation, Happy Place, Book Lovers, and her first foray into the genre, Beach Reach. While romance novels have often been seen as light and breezy, Henry’s books are full of characters that are real, dynamic, and at the same time, enjoyable. In fact, three of her books, Beach Read, Book Lovers, and People We Meet on Vacation, are in the process of being adapted for film. 

While the world can feel especially dark at times, reading a good book can have a transformative quality. And reading a romance novel can truly take you somewhere magical. When asked in an interview with ELLE Magazine why she writes romance, Henry answered, “A lot of people tend to think of romance as purely escapist: “It’s silly; it’s brain candy. So even if I approve of someone reading it, I don’t think that it’s got real merit.” But the thing that I love about writing love stories is that I think love is the thing that has the most power in the world to change a person. Love is transformative. We go through so much hardship, and love—romantic or otherwise—is the grounding force that helps us keep going.” 

Henry doesn’t care whether you approve or disapprove, because love is truly all that matters. And she’s having fun while doing it… as is her audience. And sales prove it! Romance novels generate over $1.44 billion in revenue, making romance the highest-earning genre of fiction, and this is as overall book sales are declining. So maybe love is really all we need? Or at least a really great (and funny) love story?