One of the hit writers of 2022 is Emily Henry. She’s recently found fame on BookTok for her summer trilogy. The three books, You and Me on Vacation, Beach Read, and Book Lovers, are all successes in their own right. Lots of readers have swarmed to buy all three of her books this summer. After having read them all, here’s my ranking of Emily Henry’s summer trilogy.
3. Beach Read
I read Beach Read first. Published in 2020, it follows the story of January and Augustus. After the passing of January’s father, she decides to stay at his beach house and prepare to sell it. She’s also working on a new novel. Her neighbour, it turns out, is someone she knew at college. Augustus, who she shared a night with many years ago. She also didn’t like him much in college. They’re now both writers working on their books. As the novel goes on, the pair eventually get closer.
One of the reasons I liked this book is because it has some deep themes within it. Henry deals with death, grief, and affairs in this book. It gives it a lot more substance than the typical romance novel. It is also heartwarming, and it’s nice to have that balance between serious and wholesome. The romance is exciting and it leaves you rooting for January and Gus to the very end. The reason this is third for me is because I found it to be a slow burner in some places. Some of the plots didn’t feel entirely tied up for me either. Nevertheless, it’s a great read to kick off summer with.
2. You and Me on Vacation
This summer story is the tale of Poppy and Alex, two best friends who let their feelings for each other spill over. They vacation every year, but on one vacation, they became slightly more than friends. Now, it’s all very awkward. Poppy invites Alex on one last ditch vacation to see if they can patch up their friendship.
I will say, a lot of this book relies heavily on the past. If you’re not someone that enjoys a shifting narrative, I don’t think this book is for you. Henry revisits past vacations in order to drive the plot forwards. It is a good plot, but can feel slow because it shifts. A bonus of this is that you get to know the characters much better. It’s important that you’re able to understand characters, and Henry gives us a good insight into them.
1. Book Lovers
For me, this book deserves the number one spot. This story follows Nora, a literary agent, and Charlie, an editor. They’ve had a previously bad encounter with each other and end up on the same holiday. Nora and Charlie are both complex characters with their own flaws, but it makes you more invested in their story.
Henry writes on their characters perfectly and shows that they are a great pair. Their story is also slightly different to the usual style that Henry uses, so it makes a nice change. There is lots of tension, lots of humour, and a good amount of seriousness in the book. It hits all of the right notes and is a perfect summer read.
So, without giving away TOO many spoilers, there is the ranking. All three of these books have lovely couples with very different stories to appreciate. There’s something for everyone here. I can’t wait to see what Emily Henry releases next year!