5 Authors to Explore If You Enjoy Emily Henry’s Books

Ashley Poston is first up on our list of recommended authors, with the South Carolina-native being behind bestselling romances like “The Dead Romantics” and “The Seven Year Slip.” Just like Emily Henry, Poston’s contemporary romance novels are typically written in the first person perspective, centering around the story’s leading lady. While romance remains a central element of the plot, these titles often focus on personal issues like grief, identity, and familial relationships alongside the budding love stories. In this way, some readers argue that Poston’s novels can read more general fiction than pure romance, a sentiment that Henry also receives. 

Though contemporary in setting, Poston’s romance titles contain magical realism or paranormal elements, with the author infusing her romcoms with a sense of whimsy and wonder. For “The Dead Romantics,” this manifested in a ghost-seeing heroine, while a magical, time-slipping apartment was the fantastical element in “The Seven Year Slip.” While these elements, paired with Poston’s millennial-coded humor and lighthearted hijinks, make for a distinct reading experience, she also manages to channel the heartwarming feels we want from a good romance read. 

Next up, Talia Hibbert is a beloved author who writes romance advertised as inclusive and sexy, with the British writer often featuring interracial relationships and plus-sized heroines while sometimes including queer and disability representation in her novels. Her work is written in limited third person and employs dual perspectives so that readers get a glimpse into the minds of both love interests, a notable difference from many other contemporary romances. Her “The Brown Sisters” trilogy is one of her most popular works, but she’s published YA romance, releasing “Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute” in 2023, and is dabbling in the romantasy genre with her 2026 release “The Last Thorn.” 

Like Emily Henry, Hibbert manages to expertly balance humor and witty banter with swoon-worthy romance and more poignant topics, making for some well-rounded and heartwarming reads. Henry even shouted out “Act Your Age, Eve Brown,” the final installment in “The Brown Sisters” trilogy, on Instagram back in 2022. “I wanted to interrupt that with a series that’s already out and is like cotton candy for the soul! Tea with honey for the heart!” she wrote, recommending Hibbert to fans of her own work and authors like Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Sophie Kinsella. As made clear by Goodreads reviews, another important detail to note is that the Nottinghamshire-based writer is also known for bringing fun and steamy sex scenes, with one of Hibbert’s works even landing on our list of the best spicy and exciting romance books.  

Uzma Jalaluddin is another romcom author that Emily Henry fans should keep on their reading radar. The Toronto-based writer has become known for taking inspiration from beloved romances like Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” and the Meg Ryan-starring “You’ve Got Mail” to craft modern and Muslim-centered retellings like “Much Ado About Nada” and “Hana Khan Carries On,” respectively. In this way, her books often examine topics like identity, religion, and culture while also exploring budding romances using familiar tropes. 

Though distinct, Jalaluddin’s novels are infused with a heart and humor reminiscent of an Emily Henry novel. She has also been described as compulsively readable, with fans devouring her releases, another thing the Canadian has in common with her contemporary. Otherwise, the novelist writes her contemporary romances in a third person point of view and incorporates dual perspectives, providing insight from both romantic leads. Readers looking for closed-doors romances that don’t feature a lot of spice should take special note of this author, as her books are typically low in terms of the heat level. If these romcom elements sound appealing, we suggest adding Jalaluddin to your TBR as soon as possible. 

Next, fans of Emily Henry should consider checking out up-and-coming romance writer Danica Nava. The Chickasaw Nation citizen published her debut novel “The Truth According to Ember” in 2024, becoming the first Indigenous romcom author to be published traditionally. She balances charming, fleshed-out characters and sizzling, swoon-worthy connections with real-life issues faced by Indigenous communities, creating romances that are fun, vibrant, and meaningful. For example, in Nava’s debut title, protagonist Ember struggles to land a job until she marks her ethnicity as Caucasian instead of Native American on applications, with the lie landing her in the same office as hunky IT guy Danuwoa.

Readers should also note that the Southern California-based author writes her romances with a limited first person perspective exclusively centering around each story’s heroine, an element of her writing style that overlaps with Emily Henry. Ahead of the July 2025 release of “Love Is a War Song,” Nava’s sophomore novel, Henry lent her support to her contemporary by providing a blurb for the title. “Danica Nava is a fresh, exciting new voice in the world of romantic comedies,” she wrote (per Hachette). It’s undeniable that the budding romance author is incorporating a new perspective into the genre, leaving us excited to see what she has in store for the future.

If you’ve looked online for reading recommendations after loving a popular romance book, then you’ve likely encountered pitches of Abby Jimenez as an author that fans of Emily Henry should get to know. The baker and Food Network competitor is another big name in the genre, being known for heartfelt, sweet, and hilarious romances like “Just For the Summer” and “Yours Truly,” installments in her “Part of Your World” trilogy. Her books, which feature dual, first person perspectives, often explore emotional and serious issues, with Jimenez being open about working with sensitivity readers and experts to responsibly depict mental health and trauma in her writing.

Henry took to Instagram to praise Jimenez’s book “Life’s Too Short” back in 2020, commenting on the depiction of health-related anxiety. “This is the kind of book that destroys you and then has you thanking it for doing so,” she wrote. “As a person with (fairly severe) health anxiety, this book was TOUGH at points—but the humor, joy, and romance got me through and the book left me feeling so hopeful.” While her novels can contain some heavy elements, the Minnesota-based author infuses trial and conflict with moments of humor, silliness, and human connection. She is also noted as having a knack for crafting thoughtful, idealized heroes, which is a plus for those who love escaping into the world of romance. So, if you’re an Emily Henry fan looking for your next read, Jimenez is definitely an author to look into.