Stories, with their unpredictable twists and turns, can serve as metaphors for life and love. Emily Henry, author of five bestselling romance novels, understands the power of a good love story. However, from the start, Henry sought to infuse her romance novels with depth, complexity, and emotional resonance. Through skillful writing, she layers rich character development with thought-provoking themes that elevate her stories beyond the typical romance genre. Henry says that falling in love and writing about love are similar in that they require a certain amount of vulnerability. Her stories capture the embarrassing, giddy freefall into romance and the messier parts of falling in love, like awkward meet-cutes or emotional outbursts. For her latest novel, Funny Story, Henry focuses on the power of personal stories, especially the humor of when life situations go sideways or wrong. In particular, she examines those situations that feel humiliating or “cringy” at the moment—for example, having to move in with your ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend—but later become a “funny story” one tells at parties.

Another way Henry adds depth to her stories is through interweaving a love of books and storytelling into each of her stories. By incorporating books and reading into each of her novels, Henry invites readers deeper into her stories by adding a bookish motif.