Quote Of The Day By Emily Henry: 'It's So Easy To Be A Cynic And A Pessimist, But Ultimately, I Do Think That Love Makes Up For...'

Emily Henry shot to literary fame as the author of effervescent romance novels like "People We Meet On Vacation" and "Book Lovers." She released her debut YA novel, "The Love That Split the World," in 2016, but subsequently shifted to adult fiction. She has hit the New York Times bestselling list repeatedly and earned accolades as the highest-rated romance pick from Reese Witherspoon's book club. "Her books are like classic Nora Ephron rom coms mixed with women's fiction concerning career and family issues," wrote one Reddit user. "She writes great dialogue and swoony love stories with charming settings and some really deep and thoughtful lines told in a distinctly millennial voice."

Henry grew up in the Midwest. Christianity was a prominent part of her childhood and adolescence, and she credits her parents with instilling in her a positive relationship to faith and life. "Hope and optimism and the value of love are the most beautiful parts of what I took away from a religious upbringing," Henry told The New Yorker in 2026. It's clear that her sunny view on life has shaped both her writing and her relationship to success, which is why Emily Henry is today's quote of the day.

"There's an innate optimism to the romance genre that I really want to fill myself up with," Emily Henry said. "It's so easy to be a cynic and a pessimist, but ultimately, I do think that love makes up for a lot of the hardest and cruelest pieces of reality. It can make the pain feel like a worthy price to pay for the joy of getting to be alive on this planet, loving and being loved."

This quote comes from a 2022 interview Emily Henry did with United by Pop to promote her third romance novel, "Book Lovers." By then, she had already established herself as a powerhouse of the genre. The quote offers a peek into how Henry's happy childhood has in turn shaped her skill at writing romance. It seems Henry may have a knack for tapping into the hopeful side of life and translating that for her audience, which might be why you can find her among Goodreads' top 15 most read romance books of 2026 (so far).

Critics sometimes accuse the romance genre of being frivolous or escapist, but Emily Henry's quote speaks to the power of love stories. These are the narratives that capture the best aspects of being alive and connect us to our sense of vitality. Ultimately, it's clear that Henry believes love is worth living and hoping for, and so is the romantic writing that captures it. The quote also suggests that Henry sees optimism as something we cultivate in our lives, consciously choosing to reject more closed or negative worldviews.

Ultimately, Henry is reminding us to turn our focus on the love in the world, whether that's in novels or our own relationships. By giving our attention to it, we can live richer, happier lives. It's also a reminder to never feel ashamed of enjoying a good romance read, including any of Henry's iconic rom-com books.

• "Is there anything better than iced coffee and a bookstore on a sunny day? I mean, aside from hot coffee and a bookstore on a rainy day."
• "Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you."
• "That's the key to marriage. You have to keep falling in love with every new version of each other, and it's the best feeling in the whole world."
• "That's life. You're always making decisions, taking paths that lead you away from the rest before you can see where they end. Maybe that's why we as a species love stories so much. All those chances for do-overs, opportunities to live the lives we'll never have."
• "You can't force a person to show up, but you can learn a lesson when they don't."