What to read while you wait for Emily Henry's Modern Classic

Q: What should I read while waiting for Modern Classic?

Reread Beach Read or Happy Place, then try Not in My Book by Katie Holt or When in Rome by Sarah Adams. And my own debut, a wedding-planner rom-com, is coming in spring 2027 too.

Emily Henry announced her next book, Modern Classic, and it comes out April 6, 2027. She's called it a pretty straightforward romantic comedy, a getaway story with a small nod to The Holiday. That's all we really know so far, which leaves a long stretch of waiting.

So here's my plan for the wait, straight from my shelf: a couple of rereads, a few books about people who badly need a break (and get one), and the banter-heavy rom-coms that scratch the same itch.

Reread these first

Beach Read by Emily Henry
Two blocked writers, side-by-side lake houses, and a summer genre swap. Still the one I hand to people who swear they don't read romance.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
A couple who broke up months ago pretend they're still together for one last week at the cottage with their best friends. The closest thing in her backlist to a getaway book.

For the person who needs a break (and gets one)

When in Rome by Sarah Adams
A burned-out pop star's car breaks down in tiny Rome, Kentucky, in front of a grumpy pie-shop owner who has no idea who she is. An accidental getaway that turns into a whole new life.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
A Los Angeles socialite gets banished to a Pacific Northwest fishing town and runs straight into the brooding local sea captain. Fish out of water, in the best way.
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore
Bennett is on vacation in Dream Harbor, trying to take a break from fixing everyone's problems, when he meets Kira, who just bought a Christmas tree farm and hates Christmas. The coziest kind of escape.

Same banter, same big heart

Not in My Book by Katie Holt
A romance writer and a literary fiction writer are forced to co-write a novel. Pitched as The Hating Game meets Beach Read, and it earns the comparison.
All I Want Is You by Falon BallardLucy rated it 4 stars
Two rival romance authors (and exes) get snowed in at a publishing event with one room and one bed. Funny, festive, and full of writer banter.
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Two screenwriters on the same TV adaptation, with a shared tragedy neither has gotten over. Big feelings, Emily Henry-style.

Quick answers

When does Emily Henry's Modern Classic come out?

April 6, 2027. Emily Henry announced the title and date in September 2026.

What is Modern Classic about?

Details are still under wraps. Emily Henry has described it as a pretty straightforward romantic comedy and a getaway story, with a small nod to the movie The Holiday.

What should I read while waiting for Modern Classic?

Reread Beach Read or Happy Place, then try Not in My Book by Katie Holt or When in Rome by Sarah Adams. And my own debut, a wedding-planner rom-com, is coming in spring 2027 too.

These are books I've actually read, with the star ratings from my own reading log. No sponsorships, no affiliate links, just my shelf. Ratings are on a five-star scale.

I'm writing a rom-com with the same mix of banter and heart, aiming for spring 2027, so we may be launching the same season. Newsletter readers will hear first.