Henry's previous book, Book Lovers, brought several new readers from our library. As a rural library, the book didn't actually touch the shelves for over 6 months due to the lengthy hold list and the overwhelming praise and recommendations from staff and patrons. I was looking for the same magic in Happy Place; however, it just didn't hit the same. That being said, it was a fun second chance romance filled with Henry's usual banter, heart gushing moments, and solid writing. There is some movement of jumping back and forth in the time line. Generally for readers like myself, this can become a bit frustrating and disorienting. Not in Happy Place. Henry does a wonderful job of making sure the transitions are there and that readers know where the story moves in that timeline. While I'm not gushingly in love with the book overall, I know our patrons will adore the story, characters and romance.

unfortunately this is my least favorite emily henry, i think the issue is that the fake dating trope has just became so over-saturated that i may just need a break from it. i thought the friendships in the book were subpar like very much tell and don’t show also the relationship just didn’t give me the warm and fuzzies like they usually do :(

my heart is singing and sobbing at the same time.

i absolutely adored harriet and wyn. this was the most nuanced emily henry book so far; it definitely crosses over into the literary fiction space. each time henry releases a new book, it seems her books move more and more into realism, weaving in so much more than just the romance and incorporating the difficulties of relationships, both platonic and romantic.

To many readers, BookTokers and Michigan Daily Arts writers, Emily Henry is the unquestionable queen of romance. With her complex characters and deep storylines, she masterfully weaves together romance novels that entertain readers and set romantic expectations very high.

Her upcoming novel “Happy Place” is one of the most anticipated books of 2023, which is no surprise after the success of her past three novels — the most recent of which won the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards for the romance genre.

“Happy Place” is a second-chance romance, where protagonist Harriet and her love interest Wyn are reunited at their friend’s summer house shortly after breaking off their engagement. Their friends are unaware of their breakup, and after receiving upsetting news from their friend group, Harriet and Wyn agree to maintain the facade of their engagement for the course of their vacation so as not to disappoint their friends further. What does that mean? It means that they undertake the classic fake relationship trope. Unsurprisingly, the book follows them as they find their way back to one another.


Similar to her second novel, “People We Meet on Vacation,” “Happy Place” has a dual timeline — we read chapters of Harriet in her “happy place” (moments of time in the past when she and Wyn are happy together) and chapters of “real life” (present day, where Harriet, Wyn and their friends are all struggling with various secrets). This format keeps readers eager to continue reading; in particular, we get little hints here and there about why Harriet and Wyn break up, but it takes reading both past and present storylines to get the full picture and understand just what went down between the two characters.

In a departure from her previous novels, “Happy Place” features far more side characters than readers might typically expect from a Henry novel. “Beach Read” was very insular, focusing primarily on January and Gus, and “People We Meet on Vacation” had a few side characters, but none of them were very important. “Book Lovers” featured a primary character beyond the main couple (Nora’s sister Libby), but “Happy Place” has an entire friend group that frequently appears on the page. The inclusion of a friend group was ingenious — it allowed readers to get a deeper understanding of the characters and the evolution of all their relationships with one another. As a result, we immediately feel more connected to the characters — Harriet in particular. Harriet’s relationship with her best friends Sabrina and Cleo especially adds to her own characterization; she becomes so much more than just another romantic lead when we understand her past and why her friends are like her family.

In terms of the romance, Harriet and Wyn are complicated. Wyn is unlike most of Henry’s literary love interests. He holds a lot of responsibility for their breakup, and that can make it difficult to feel sympathy or forgiveness toward him. In fact, he has a lot to make up for. When reading, I was wholly on Harriet’s side, unsure whether Wyn’s actions would make up for the heartbreak she’s feeling. That being said, in true Henry fashion, both characters make sacrifices for one another and learn more about themselves and each other on the road to repairing their relationship.

In many ways, even if romance isn’t always your preferred genre, Henry’s “Happy Place” should still capture your attention. Her focus on creating detailed characters and pure, platonic friendships contributes to a feel-good book. And if you do like romance, “Happy Place” will certainly be another Henry story that goes down in history.

Daily Arts Writer Sabriya Imami can be reached at simami@umich.edu.

This was my first time delving in to Emily Henry and she did NOT disappoint!!! Her prose is excellently written and I love how the words flow on the pages giving us a thorough image of her diverse characters and their stories. I don't have much experience with friends but this book truly made me wish I had a friend group like Harriet and Wyn!

I loved this book - lots of angst, wit, and surprises until the end. I will be promoting this as the perfect summer read.

Emily Henry does one thing really well: she creates characters that are so well-rounded, they feel real. This story of a group of friends coming back together for one last 'hurrah' in a building full of memories felt so real, like I was watching it in front of me.

𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: second chance romance, nostalgic feels, New England setting, found family, fake dating, college sweethearts, vacation

"𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧"

I feel like everyone and their mom have read and reviewed this book already but in case you need another one, here it is… 😂

So we all know I’m not biggest second chance romance fan, but this story is one I can fully support because there’s actual character growth between the two leads from the time they broke up to them being back together! Oh man, those insecurities and miscommunication always ruin any good relationship, do they? Emily Henry just has this class with her writing that she touched on these issues so beautifully.

Also, I appreciate the slight nod to my cozy mystery loving people out there like me! 😂 I swear Idk why not a lot of people like this genre more but it’s honestly so entertaining minus the stress lol plus don’t you just love an animal, baked good, murder weapon trifecta on your book covers? 😂

Love the Maine setting! Honestly, anywhere in New England has this quaint feeling of a small town and it’s just always the perfect background for nostalgic stories like this.

As any EmHen book, this one is also rich with witty banters and I just love the found family trope and all the vacation feels from this read!

Definitely worth adding to your bookshelves! I can’t add a synopsis anymore because insta will just cut me off again 😂

💭 Give me your top 3 happy places!
☕️ Home, beach, bookstore cafe for me

Quick Breakdown:

Destination Romance
Second Chance
Relationship in Crisis
Found Family
Multiple Timelines
Single POV
Open Door - Mild Details

Thank you @prhaudio for the ALC & @berkleyromance for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m not a big second chance romance fan, but with Happy Place, it seemed to work for me. Harriet & Wyn reunite after 6 months apart, but with SO MUCH left unsaid, it felt almost like a relationship in crisis instead of a full second chance. They were written with an abundance of undeniable chemistry that left me incapable of not rooting for them.

There is so much more to love here, too. All of which stem from Emily’s beautiful writing. She crafted this big, found family full of dynamic characters I became fully invested in. The lifelike coastal Maine setting described in such detail you can practically see, hear & smell it.

As much as I loved the over all story, I found myself conflicted while reading. Happy Place is riddled with miscommunication, between the MCs & the friend group alike. This is where I struggled. Given the MC’s histories / backgrounds, I couldn’t necessarily blame them for the emotional hurdles they had to jump over to properly communicate & work through their issues, but it left me incredibly frustrated. Angst created from circumstance is one thing, angst created from not communicating is a red flag for me.

Side note: I am a firm believer that Happy Place, just like any other Emily Henry book, should be consumed via audio. It’s just TOO GOOD not to listen. Julia Whelan is a master narrator. Her performance fit the emotional aspects perfectly. I swooned, I cried. Then I cried some more. This story is told in single POV, but (mixed with the top notch writing) I loved how well she voiced the male characters. Sexiest male voice acted out by a woman, IMO.

Emily Henry does it again. I don’t know how it’s possible but every single new book by her becomes my new favorite, and that was also the case for Happy Place. She is just so good at making me fall in love with the characters she creates, writing people that feel real and relatable in a way that not a lot of writers can do. This book also happened to have a couple with so much chemistry that since the very first moment they met I was rooting for them. Doing the past/present chapters worked so well because with this book having a second chance romance, I always enjoy the trope more when the author provides us with a more detailed explanation of what happened between them in the past, it just makes you connect to the characters and the romance being sold so much easier! Could gush about this book for hours and hours and I could not recommend it enough.

I have a book hangover from this one and now need to find my own Happy Place. :). I loved this book! Found family, angst, wonderful friend group, humor and spice. This had it all. Harriet and Wyn are friends first, but super flirty and then they just cave in and become a thing. Harriet is very driven, her goal is to become a surgeon and Wyn isn't sure what he wants to be. But he's likeable, friendly, funny and has an amazing close relationship with his equally lovable family. The two of them are a perfect match, until they're not. I could actually feel the pain seeping off the pages at time. I wanted to throttle them. To me, this story was as much about the couple as it was about the friend group. I would like them all to adopt me. Just disregard the fact that I'm much older and have been married for decades... I want to hang with them, anywhere, anytime.

I've read all of Emily Henry's books, and Happy Place was her best writing yet. Everyone says Henry writes the best banter and that is so spot on. Her banter is unbeatable, and Happy Place is no exception! I wish I could banter like any of her characters! I still find her steamy scenes and descriptions to sometimes be a little clunky, but it's greatly improved from her past books. Happy Place, also like her other books, I enjoyed all the way through, but I didn't feel like I couldn't put it down. It read a little slower paced to me. But I absolutely loved the setting and it made me picture my happy place beach town the whole time while reading, which I think readers will love and connect with being able to imagine their own happy places. Overall, this was a fun, feel-good read and I would recommend it to her fans and those on the fence.

Would LOVE to see a Sabrina and Parth spinoff! I loved their relationship, and there's lots to unpack with Sabrina's dad and what happens next for their family after their wedding and the sale closes.

Happy Place by Emily Henry is out in the world and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

This book has all the hallmarks of a Henry romcom: authentic and layered characters, relatable and complex relationships, laugh out loud scenes, and a swoony romance. It was a total win for me!

If you’ve been following me for a bit, you’ll know that second chance romance is my least favorite trope. I rarely buy into the relationship and the plots never seem quite right (my one and only DNF this year was a second chance!).

But let me tell you, I 💯 bought into the second chance romance Emily Henry created! I was so invested in the story of Harriet and Wyn. My only complaint about this book was the slow unveiling of information about their past - not because it wasn’t well-done, but because I needed MORE of every detail of their lives and I needed it now (well, then).

And the friends in the story? So well-written! They added to the story in a way that didn’t draw away from the main characters. I no longer have a core group of friends like the one in the book and I’ll be honest, it made me a little sad and jealous.

Also very jealous of the “cottage” on the Maine coast with a pool, guest house, and within walking distance of a cute town. Anyone with a seaside escape in need of a new friend (who comes along with 4 family members)?!

If you’ve read Emily Henry in the past, I’m sure this one is already on your tbr. If you haven’t read her books before, you won’t be disappointed starting with this one!

Emily Henry does it again!! This book is so unlike her other stories, yet it has that familiar Emily Henry feel that made it so addicting and un-put-downable. I loved these characters and this setting, and I especially loved the then/now timeline. Definitely in my top 2 of favorite books by her!

Emily Henry has the unique ability to really immerse you in her the world of her books and Happy Place is no different. I wanted to be in Maine having one last memorable weekend with this group of friends!

This one hurt so fucking good. I went in blind. Didn’t look at ANY reviews and it hurt soooo good. I cried SO much, I didn’t think it was humanly possible to cry even more. We get a dual timeline: the present and the past where we also learn about the relationship and the characters.

Tropes we see? Fake dating. Second chance. One bed. Forced proximity. Friends to lovers. Enemies to lovers. Basically ALL of the good ones.

Wyn and Harriet shattered my heart. Watching them broken, falling in love, and falling apart did a special little number to my heart and soul. Being apart of a group of friends and knowing that dating between a friend circle can produce a very special hardship - but it’s a risk that they were willing to take. We also get some side stories about their other best friends in the group - and can I just say that Sabrina had me seeing red at one point?!

This one truly surpassed ALL of my expectations I had. I loved her other 3 books, but this one easily became my absolute favorites of all of her work. She poured her heart and soul into this story and you can feel the emotions.

This was so much fun, great chemistry between the lead characters and just enough spice to keep things interesting. The book also has a perfect summer setting making it ideal for outdoor reading.

I am not a romance reader and I still loved “Happy Place”!

To go back to what I said about not being a romance reader — this is very much a romance novel but it’s also a love story about different kinds of love. The character arcs were just fantastic. It’s a good read all the way through — I picked it up to get out of a slump, and it worked — but the ending really pushed it over the top for me.

I also have to acknowledge just how brilliant this hot pink cover is. I tip my hat to you, Berkley cover designer — this one grabs the eye and will look phenomenal in beachy instagram stories this summer.

Synopsis: Harriet and Wyn broke up five months ago, but they haven’t told their friends — and now they can’t, or they risk ruining the friend group’s last summer at a Maine cottage where they’ve been vacationing for a decade. So they make the only logical choice (🤔) and pretend to still be together.

Absolutely loved it!

Harriet didn't have a lot of friends growing up, but she met her best friends in college and together they built a strong little tribe.

One summer Har falls for one of the guys in their friend group and it seems perfect, until one day it isn't.

Now the group of 6 best friends, gather together at the cottage in Maine they have visiting together for years, and this trip is going to mark the end of an era, and help all the friends inch closer into the next phase of their lives.

Told in alternating timelines from past to present, we learn the history of the group, but also if Harriet and Wyn. This is very much a coming of age story for young 20-somethings transitioning in to full on adulthood. The struggles each character faces regarding careers, relationships, parenthood, and holding on the the memories of what made them all friends in the first place was so relatable. I wish I had this book back when I was in my 20s.

Henry writes such realistic characters, ones I would totally be friends with myself. I highly recommend this one and will anxiously await the next Emily Henry love story.

I don’t think I could love a book more! A TOP FAVE of 2023!! I spent all night reading this book and finished at 6am. It was unputdownable!

This group of friends have been friends forever. Wyn and Harriet, the most perfect couple for 10 years, until one day five months ago their engagement ended. The friends are getting together at their happy place in Knott’s Harbor, Maine, and Wyn and Harry are there pretending they are still together for the sake of their friends.

This book is told in past and present pov so we can experience their friendship and how Wyn and Harriet came to be and what’s happening with this group now. First off, I absolutely loved how close this group of friends are, how well they knew each other, how much they just loved each other… they are each others family. I found myself smiling over the banter between Harriet and Wyn, and I loved the push and pull between them. Most especially I just loved Wyn, the good guy who could say the most perfect things, the one you could trust your heart with. You could feel that the love between them wasn’t over and the will they/won’t they absolutely had me with knots in my stomach because I just loved them SO MUCH!

"I'm not going to stop fighting for you, Harriet." My vision blurs behind the tears. He pulls me in, holds me tight. "I'm not going to stop loving you."

This book is so much more than just about love and second chances. It’s about friendship and family and trust and loss, it’s about finding yourself and that happiness that everyone in the world deserves. This is a feel-good romance in every way but be ready with tissues, because oh how I cried. 😭😭

"Everything's different and nothing's changed, Harriet," he says. "I tried so f'ing hard to let you go, to let you be happy, and when I see you, I still feel like—like you're mine. Like I'm yours. I got rid of every single piece of you, like that could make a difference, like I could cut you out of me, and instead, I just see everywhere you're supposed to be."

I just loved this book soooo much and I don’t want to spoil anything for you. Just read it! I promise you will love it too! Packed with emotion, beautiful words and characters, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year!