Can I just say that this is by far my favorite Emily Henry cover? I mean her other ones are adorable too but this one stands out so much and I am in LOVE! I knew I’d love this one based on the cover and that’s exactly how I felt the whole way through. Happy places is a second chance, exes-to-lovers, romance with a forced proximity and one bed trope. But this book is also MORE than just a romance. This is a book about friendship. It’s a book about chasing your dreams and changing the course of your life. It’s a book that deals with raw and real feelings, and a book that shows us that communication is indeed IMPORTANT in any relationship. Overall, it’s a total must read an I can’t wait to have a physical copy on my shelves so I can re-read it again in the future.

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Happy Place is a well written romance comedy by Emily Henry. It follows Harriet and Wyn, the perfect couple who met in college. They broke up six months ago, but still haven't broken the news to their closest friends. Now they are forced to spend the week together in Maine at their yearly get together with these friends.

Henry does an amazing job creating dimensional characters that you can connect with. She also excels at witty and entertaining dialog. This book was a pleasure to read and needs to be in everyone's beach bags this summer!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this fun book!

4.5 stars

Emily Henry is my comfort author. She's phenomenal at romances that's a known fact but its not just that. She understands all relationships. How friendships are so important and Happy Place nails that. The fear of growing apart, lives changing, people moving. I was in tears from happiness to heartbreak throughout Happy Place. Any book that gets me to happy cry to my best friends on how much I miss them and need them forever is instantly 5 stars.
Oh and the guy is cute too. Ranked #2 of the Henry Men.

This was my first Emily Henry book and I was disappointed. The book follows Harriet and Wyn's story of them falling in love and then breaking up but not telling their friends. I really enjoyed the storyline of this book and the way it was written. The plot was well structured with many conflicts in the story. The book is written in the past and the future and I wish it was labeled as that at some points I would get confused about what year it was. I did enjoy the setting and how the friend group would meet up there every year for vacation. About the story, I loved how there were a lot of heartfelt moments of healing and growing between the MCs and the friends. This book is only from Harriet's perspective but I wish we also got Wyn's.

Harriet is the main MC and I loved how caring of a person she was. We were similar in ways we were not but I loved her development with the way she reconnected with her friends again. Wyn is the hero of the story who had some trouble in the past but wants to be with Harriet again. As I wish we got his pov, I did enjoy his story and everything I learned from the book about him. He also developed in the books. There were many side characters but mainly the 4 friends. I loved how they are all so different but understand each other. They also shined in the book with reconnecting and developing with oneself. The romance is a second chance at love and friends to lovers. Honestly, I didn't feel the chemistry between the main couple but I loved the side couples a lot.

The ending was well done and very cute. I really enjoyed this book even though there were some minor issues for me. It was overall a great read that is perfect for the summer that deals with friendship and love. I recommend reading this book if you love Jenny Han and Carley Fortune.

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college, except, for reasons they refuse to discuss the duo have not been together for 5 months and have told no one of the split. When it comes time for their friend groups yearly getaway to Maine they agree that Harriet will be the one to go but things do not go as planned. When Harriet arrives Wyn is already there and since no one knows they've separated they are forced to share a room and a bed. Determined not to ruin their last getaway at the cottage for their friends, Harriet and Wyn pretend they are still together and decide to lie their way through it. But the more they fake it, the more it becomes apparent that maybe they still want each other. Emily Henry is a great writer and I devoured this book. I can't wait to see what she puts out next!

Harriet Kilpatrick, Sabrina Armas, and Cleo James met in college and have been best friends ever since. Every year the group heads up to Knott's Harbor, Maine to Sabrina's family cottage for a week of fun by the ocean. After the girls meet Parth Nayak and his friend Wyndham "Wyn" Connor at college they also join in the fun, along with Cleo's girlfriend, Kimmy Carmichael. Every year the group does the same fun, silly things. This year though things are different.....Sabrina's dad sold the property so it will be their last time there together. Throughout the years, Harriet and Wyn started dating and now are engaged. Sabrina and Parth are also dating and decide this last time together would be a perfect time for them to get married in Knott's Harbor just like her parents did. Unfortunately the group does not know that Harriet and Wyn broke up 5 months ago. With Harriet's medical residency in California and Wyn having to take care of his mother in Montana, the two have just drifted apart. Now they have to pretend to be happy for one week so as not to ruin their best friend's wedding. How hard can it be? Well considering Harriet and Wyn still both deeply love the other it ends up being very hard.

As these two try to face the changes in their lives as well as their friend's a few secrets come out, while emotions are running high. Along the way the group does have some fun, crazy times but in the end, certain things are realized. It will take a good long, hard look inside each person in order for the group to find their happy ending, but once they all do it makes for a perfect story.

I really enjoyed this contemporary romance about friends and lovers that had so many emotions. All of these characters brought something fun to the story. Be prepared to laugh, swoon and cry because this story is one big, roller coaster of emotions.

someway, somehow, emily henry went into my brain and took every emotion, thought, and experience out, and then proceeded to put it into a book. this book speaks to me BEYOND personal levels, this was written for me and only me…i don’t know what to tell y’all🧍🏾‍♀️

the way emily writes and tells a story is so distinctive, nobody is doing it like her, she is in her own category

i’m not seeing where some people say the romance isn’t romancing because it is right there in your face😭this book is told in past and present timelines so we see what harriet and wyn looked like when they first fell in love vs how they’re navigating having to be around each other post break up, while simultaneously acting like they are still together for the sake of keeping the peace on their friend groups last vacation. despite them being broken up and practically walking on eggshells around one another, you can clearly see that they still have so much love for each other. like i have never seen a love that was a pure as theirs. WE WITNESSED TRUE LOVE‼️

harriet and wyn are my babies, i saw so much of myself in both of them, it was slightly unnerving..

harriet is a people pleaser down to her core and is always finding a way to keep the peace, not wanting conflicts to arise. what she’s doing in life, it’s purely just to please the people are around her and she isn’t truly happy with what she’s doing, but doesn’t want to disappoint everyone who she believes is supporting her

wyn, my sweet golden boy, him as a character is extremely multifaceted and just has so many layers to his personality. on the surface, you see he’s such a flirt and quite the charmer, but as you start to chip away at that, you see a lot of his insecurities, fears, and overall vulnerability

although we all were here for the romance, the real heart of this story is the friendship and found family all these characters have found with one another. even though we are only in harriet’s head, you still get such a deep insight into sabrina, cleo, kimmy, and parth’s thoughts and how they are as people. alongside seeing the romance in past and present timelines, you also see these friendships form between all the characters and ultimately how you grow up and sadly can grow apart.

although this book is different from what we normally see from emily (not to me but i digress) i believe that if you’ve experienced something close to any of the themes in this book, you’ll find comfort in feeling and being seen. having actual words and phrases to truly describe thoughts and feelings you’ve felt so alone with

side note, i’ll never forgive emily for writing chapter 28 and 29…I’ve NEVER felt so unwell???? the chapters actually jumped me

double side note, even though this story isn’t what everyone thought it would be with themes of happiness and the good ole summer time feeling, it doesn't negate the fact that this was still an extremely beautiful story that needed its time to shine. just because it wasn’t what you expected, doesn’t mean its bad

This book broke my heart but in the best way. The writing was fantastic and Harriet & Wyn’s story felt so real and relatable, as heartbreaking as it was.

Sometimes the strongest of loves can’t be enough to sustain a relationship and I think that Emily Henry explored that in a realistic way. Grief can hit in the most unlikely of ways and has a tendency to exacerbate any other emotions/issues someone might be going through. It was hard to see Wyn and Harriet try to navigate all of this while trying to pretend everything was great around their friends. On top of all of that, they are also dealing with the changes within their friendship group that come with growing up.

This book was much more than a romance and as heartbreaking as it was in all aspects, I loved the journey and I closed the book with a satisfied smile and, what I imagine will be, an incredible book hangover.

*I received an early copy from NetGalley & Berkley Pub for voluntary review

Happy Place is so much more than just another summer beach read. The feelings and friendships are deep and true; the relationship is full of yearning, anger, and what-ifs. Happy Place will make you believe in love and friendship while also punching you in the stomach with heartbreak. SO good.

Zero surprises here, but I absolutely loved this book! Emily Henry pulls on the heartstrings like no one else and Happy Place is no exception. Normally I don't get those physical pangs in the heart until the third act break up, but this book I had them the whole time. I fell in love not just with the two main characters, but with the whole group of friends. I loved every page of this book!

3.75 stars. I have very mixed feelings about this book because of the ending. I absolutely adored the friendship and the coming of age story - how people can grow up to be different from their younger selves but yet still be a tight knit group. The romance bit - I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the characters and the ending made me feel like Emily took a step back. It might have been better if they had spent some time apart before coming back together.

Emily Henry deploys predictable tactics and tropes to Happy Place, and mostly the motivations of characters fall quite flat. These are allegedly accomplished, professional people -- with strong, long standing friendships -- who just refuse to talk to each other. This is in complete juxtaposition to everything we are shown about the characters. Nothing about Harriet or Wyn is memorable, and Henry once again employs a past/present timeline that arrests pacing and development. My library will be purchasing the title as Henry is an absolute juggernaut, but I don't think there's anything new here.

Happy Place by Emily Henry Review

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

Do you remember how much I loved Book Lovers last year? Well, I think I loved Happy Place even more. This book from the very fist page reminded me of my happy place. Just like the friend group in the book every summer, my friends and I also have a tradition every year to spend a week in a small village next to a lake (I know in happy Place it’s beach but its almost the same) and it is one of my favorite times of the year. It just doesn’t matter how our lives are changing or what is going on, we always show up and spend some time together doing the exact same things every year.

I don’t think it will be a surprise, when I say my favorite part of this book was the friendship, how they stuck together despite distance and differences in their every day lives after college. They have their ups and downs, they grow apart, but they still find a way to be there for one and other.

And then let’s talk about the romance, because I was very sceptical going into this book knowing it is a second chance romance. That trope is probably my least favorite one, yet I was more than pleasantly surprised reading Wyn and Harriet’s story. I practically felt the love they had for each other reading their story and I was bawling my eyes out more than once while reading. I felt how much they were missing each other, their anxieties, trying to find their way back to each other, even when they felt their future is not heading the same direction.

Wyn was a very easy person to fall in love with I understand Harriet completely, he is the type of person who makes you feel warm and safe, while also challenging you and bringing out a side of you you never knew existed. And we have all been where Harriet is, not knowing what we actually want: what was expected of us and have known our entire lives or what would actually make us happy, but make everyone else disappointed. It was a rollercoaster, until everyone could find their way, to what they actually wanted, but I loved every minute of it.

Thank you for @prhinternational for sending me a copy for review.

This second chance broke me. At the end I was sobbing and I don't know if they were happy tears or just tears of being so overwhelmed with emotion. I was expecting to feel, but not quite that much.
Harriet and Wyn go back to the Happy Place, a home on the ocean with their friends, for one last time. Harriet thinks she is going along and will tell her friends that Wyn and her had broke up, but when she gets there, Wyn is there too. Neither of them have told their friends of their demise and they don't want to ruin the memories for their friends of the last chance at her Happy Place.
Harriet and her two best friends have been friends since the first semester at college, they are her people. They are the best people she knows and she would be no where without them, so why did she wait so long to share her biggest secret? Why did she push them away for so long?
The longer they are there, the more that starts to come out. Each of them struggling in a different way and unable to communicate. None of them want to change the dynamic that has been going on for years, but as we grow, we change and our very best friends will be with us along the way.
This wasn't just a story about Harriet and Wyn, but it was a story about fighting for what you really want and not what is expected of you, being scared and putting yourself out there, communication and not trying to be the person everyone expects, but doing what is right for you.
At the end, I was left a crying mess because we knew Harriet and Wyn were meant to be, you could see it leap off the pages, but I didn't know if they would ever grow up enough to fight for it. If you like second chances at love with all the emotions, pick this one up!
Thanks to Berkley, Emily Henry and Netgalley for an early copy.

Emily Henry is undoubtedly the queen of the romance genre and Happy Place is the latest example of why. I have been in a slump for a couple of months, but when somebody described this book as "if Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn broke up and you ask why because they seemed so perfect together" I immediately opened my copy. And they were right.

We meet Harriet and Wyn as exes and see their relationship unravel further while also getting a glimpse of their past and how they fell in love. These two were written tenderly and with so much love, it's obvious. Plus, it's more than just the story of how Harriet and Wyn fell in love and fell apart, it's also a story of everlasting friendships. I loved, loved this one.

Emily Henry, you never miss.

Emily Henry is just one of those authors who never disappoints. Her latest novel, Happy Place, is one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and I’m thrilled to report that it not only exceeded my very high expectations, but it’s also my new favorite read from Henry.

The story follows Harriet and Wyn, who have recently ended their years long relationship. The break-up is awkward enough in its own right, but the awkwardness is compounded by the fact that Harriet and Wyn are part of a close knit friend group that dates back to their college years. Harriet and Wyn have been putting off telling their friends for fear of “breaking up the band,” so to speak. This is all fine and good until they head to Maine for the group’s annual vacation getaway. When they learn that the family home they have always stayed at is being sold and that this may be the group’s last trip together, Harriet and Wyn decide it’s easier to just pretend they are still together rather than wreck their friends’ final trip together. It’s only a week, so how hard can it be?

One of my favorite aspects of the story was how Henry incorporates flashbacks from Harriet and Wyn’s past into the story. I loved seeing how they met and became friends and how that relationship blossomed into something more. Seeing how perfect they were for each other made it all the more bittersweet knowing that they were no longer together. It also made me that much more emotionally invested in learning what went wrong between them and if there was any path to a second chance.

While Harriet and Wyn’s relationship definitely drew me into this book, what really took the story to the next level for me was Henry’s moving portrayal of the entire friendship group. There’s a major nostalgic vibe as this group of friends both relives some of their best memories as friends from over the years, but there’s also a sense of fear of the unknown and of drifting apart as their lives are pushing them in different directions. I loved how realistic and poignant that aspect of the story was and how it really allowed for some wonderful character development. I think it’s something that will resonate with many readers. I know it resonated deeply with me.

Filled with Emily Henry’s signature banter as well as heartfelt emotional moments, Henry’s Happy Place is perfect for romance readers who enjoy tropes like second chance romance and forced proximity, as well as for anyone who enjoys a beautifully written story about friendship.

“I could never forget how to love Wyn.“ ✨

THIS BOOK IS AN ABSOLUTE GEM. I loved every single thing about it, which is no surprise. Everything Emily Henry writes is pure magic.

Harriet and Wyn were everything, and I loved all the subplots with their friends. I was so intrigued to find out what kept these two people apart when they were clearly so perfect for one another. I could not put it down.

I want to read this book over and over again!

While this book is classified as a romance, it's depth far surpasses most in this genre.

Harriet, Cleo and Sabrina found each other in college and have been best friends ever since. They belong in a way that none of them have ever found with family or friends before. Every year, along with Wyn, Kimmy (Cleo's girlfriend) and Parth (Sabrina's fiance), they spend a week in Maine on a friends' trip. But this year is different. Harriet and Wyn have broken up and haven't told their friends yet. So the annual trip is one last hurrah for all of them before the cottage is sold with Wyn and Harriet pretending at being a couple.

The depth of emotion in this book is a achingly beautiful, yet emotionally painful, to read at times. Harriet is a people pleaser, and works so hard at being a version of "happy" that it has affected her relationships with family, friends and her fiance, Wyn. Emily Henry has made Harriet relatable and recognizable. This book is about friendships, about women's sacrifices, about why relationships can fail, and why they work. It's about the whys and whens of shutting down, and the fears of opening up. I read it with my heart in my throat and hope in my heart. It's brilliant.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley, and Berkley Romance for an advanced copy!

This is by far my favorite book that Emily Henry has ever written! The characters, the setting, the relationships! I loved everything about this book and related to all of the characters, their feelings and relationships! I felt like I was transported to Maine and was right there with these college best friends, as they learn to adjust to what their new friendship looks like, and let me tell you it is so relatable. Each character is so important and this story would NOT be the same without all of them! With multiple tropes, banter, setting, and an array of emotions, I cannot truly say how much I related and loved reading this book!

Family, career, secrecy, honesty, LGBTQIA, mental health, grief and finding what truly makes you happy (no matter what others think that is for you) are all themes in this book and Emily Henry wraps it all up in a little bow so perfectly. Watching Harriet and Wyn find what truly makes them happy outside of their relationship is ultimately what made this book for me. Not only does this book focus on the struggles of one couple within a friend group, it dives into the realities of college best friends entering adulthood, new jobs, careers, and new cities all while loving each other as family!

Just the romance I needed rolling into summer. Doesn’t top my fav Em Hen - I wasn’t a fan of Sabrina and Parth and felt that Wyn and Harriet’s chemistry was hard to read at first in the beginning of their relationship, lastly, the ending was a little interesting with Harriet’s ultimate career choice 😅 but I can look past that and still enjoy it!