Romance is having a major moment onscreen, with the first Emily Henry adaptation finally making its way onto Netflix.

Titled People We Meet on Vacation, the new film — based on Henry’s 2021 novel of the same name — tells the story of Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth), two best friends who make a pact to travel the world together every summer. Somewhere along the way, the two fall for each other. Miscommunication and their own emotional baggage get in the way of their happily ever after, until one trip forces them to acknowledge their feelings.

Already obsessed with People We Meet on Vacation and all those fun romance tropes? There’s more where that came from. Author Henry, who began her writing career as a YA novelist before her 2020 adult romance novel Beach Read became a smash hit, now has several adaptations of her work on the way.

Beach Read

Henry’s first adult romance, 2020’s Beach Read, follows January, a 20-something romance writer who moves into the vacation home her father left her — and discovers her grad school rival Augustus, a successful novelist, happens to be her neighbor. As they go from frenemies to friends to something more, the two challenge each other to write a novel in the other’s genre.

Beach Read, currently set up at 20th Century Studios, will be written and directed by Yulin Kuang, the screenwriter behind People We Meet on Vacation. (She’s also the author of the romance novel How to End a Love Story.) The most recent update states that the film was in development, with the team looking for the ideal January and Gus.

Henry fueled rumors that Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri would be cast in the main roles after she reposted a selfie of the actors; however, she did not confirm the two were in talks.

“I can’t confirm or deny anything with casting for any movie,” Henry told Variety in March 2025. “I will say that those are two of my favorite ‘Irish’ actors.” (While Mescal is Irish, the idea that Edebiri is Irish is a long-running bit.)

Book Lovers

Ever wonder what happens to the career woman after her boyfriend leaves her for the small-town girl? That’s the premise of 2022’s Book Lovers, in which New York City book agent Nora — who is routinely left for women who are straight out of Hallmark movies — must spend time in a small town and see what all the fuss is about. Instead, she connects with Charlie, the grumpy book editor who once called the Big Apple home.

As of 2023, Girls writer Sarah Heyward is attached to adapt the script, and Tango — which worked on Mescal’s Aftersun — is producing.

In a March 2023 Instagram post, Henry gushed over the producing team, writing how “grateful” she was they wanted to come on board. “I’m so glad they understand why this kind of movie is important,” she wrote. “It’s not about a formula, any more than any other genre, though that’s how romances often get oversimplified in discussion. Some people scoff at the concept of a genre with a guaranteed “happy ending,” but the truth is, we all know the characters’ lives go on after the book ends. They’ll suffer other hurts. They’ll struggle. We’re with them for just a moment. But in that moment, there is so much hope. That’s why this kind of story is so important to me.”

Happy Place

Unlike Henry’s other novels, which follow characters who are yet to embark on a romantic journey together, the 2023 Happy Place tells the story of Harriet and Wynn, a longtime couple who break up and then have to pretend they’re still together in order not to ruin the vibes during their annual friends' trip. But fake-dating your ex? Yeah, that’s bound to stir up some feelings.

In 2024, it was announced that Happy Place was in development as a TV show with Jennifer Lopez’s company, Nuyorican. Now Nuyorican will team with Netflix for a film adaptation of the novel, the streamer announced this month. Henry will adapt the script.

Funny Story

If you loved People We Meet on Vacation but felt terrible for Poppy's and Alex’s partners (who had to know these two were endgame, right?!), Funny Story flips the script. In Henry’s 2024 novel, Daphne is a children’s librarian who fake-dates Miles, the ex-boyfriend of Daphne’s ex-fiancé’s new bride-to-be, in order to prove she’s totally over the heartbreak. Of course, Daphne and Miles end up falling in love along the way.

Funny Story will also become a Netflix movie, with Henry writing the script. It was announced at the same time as the Happy Place adaptation.

“I genuinely couldn’t be more excited to work on the adaptations of Happy Place and Funny Story with Netflix,” Henry said in a statement shared with Netflix’s Tudum. “The entire team there has been so passionate about, dedicated to, and supportive of People We Meet on Vacation from the jump, and getting to do it all over again — this time writing the scripts myself — has been a thrill. I feel so lucky to have found this home for these films, among people who believe deeply in the necessity and power of this kind of story.”