I really liked this twist on fake dating. Emily Henry write wonderful characters, including her supporting characters and this book is no exception. Each character has their own distinct personality and voice. Friendship and found family play as big a role in this novel as the romance does, and it is heartwarming and thought provoking as always.

3.5 stars/rounded up! Happy Place is the newest release from Emily Henry. I’ve read her previous 3 books: Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation, and Book Lovers, so I was so excited to get an ARC of Happy Place! This story follows ex-fiancés pretending to still be together for the sake of an annual friend-vacation. But it’s also about finding what, and who, in life makes you happy.

Harriett and Wyn were together for 8 years before their engagement broke off. When they split up, they didn’t tell anyone so now it’s months later and they find themselves having to pretend to still be together for the sake of their friends. Harriett, Wyn, and their mutual friends have been coming to the same Maine cottage for vacations since college. Now the owner of the cottage (one of the friend group’s fathers) is about to sell and the friends want to have one last hurrah together! So Harriett and Wyn suck it up and pretend to be together still to enjoy this last weekend with everyone, but of course sharing the room and being around one another is leading to some unresolved feelings…

“But it doesn’t feel like I’m moving backward. It feels like the first step toward someplace new.”

This started off kind of slow for me, I wasn’t as immediately pulled in like I have been for other EH books in the past. I do think Harriett and Wyn are very typical of other couples she’s written before, so if you like her previous couples you’ll probably enjoy them as well. We do get flashbacks as well of when the friends first met, when Harriett & Wyn first met, their relationship, falling out, etc. The flashback chapters and time spent with the friends didn’t work for me, I just wanted to stay in the present day wrapped up with Harriett and Wyn only. The moments we get with them was so sweet and tender and achy, and I just wanted to stay in those and have more. The last half of the story did pull me in more, which is why I rounded up. I enjoyed Wyn a lot more than Harriett, but I did really like Harriett’s realization of what makes her happy.

Thank you to the publisher (Berkley Romance) for an e-ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own. Happy Place is out April 25, 2023!

I laughed, I cried, and I contemplated my entire life. Emily Henry knows exactly how to tear out my heart and put it back together again.

One week every summer in the crisp blue of Knott’s Harbor, Maine. Friendships that have stood the test of time. Lobster festivals and a familiar sticky bar, with the people they love most for one final trip to their “happy place”.

Harriet and Wyn were the perfect couple. Now they’ve secretly broken their engagement and have to spend the entire week surrounded by their best friends, pretending. When they’re forced to act like things are still rosy, they also begin to question their own lives and, maybe, their futures. But change is hard. Will the changes they’ve made be enough to make them happy?

Happy Place is a poignant, moving love story about finding yourself and your happiness. We see so much character growth, from well developed side characters you can’t help but fall in love with and profound storylines that really dive into understanding grief and mental health. Henry’s sense of humor (and affinity for epic happily-ever-afters) perfectly balances these deep themes to make Happy Place an all around success. This is definitely one of my Top 5 reads for 2023, and maybe forever.

Emily Henry does not miss! Her books bring me so much joy and happiness - I love that this plot featured chosen family tropes and a second chance at true love.

This book took me on an emotional journey, as expected when reading a book from this author. The genius of her writing is how realistic she is able to portray her characters and situations. These are your friends, you are falling in love with this person, and as their heart breaks so does yours. Following the two MC's and their growth as friends to lovers, then heartbroken exes. The dual timelines worked well to heighten the emotions between what was, the loss of it, and the possibility of more. At its core this was a love story, not in the traditional romance sense, but in all types of love; family, friends, partners, and the evolution of those types of love. It was heartbreakingly beautiful and had me entranced from start to finish.

This book was given to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

4.5. This is a nice mix of Emily Henry's previous books; there's melancholy and emotional depth, but the banter feels light and cheesy in a lovely way that made me want to immerse myself in that charming, cozy Maine town and the lives of those tight-knit friends. As a couple, Harriet and Wyn feel a little fated-mates to me, but I appreciate how Henry explores the flaws in their relationship and the other factors that lead to their inevitable relationship status. It was also refreshing to read about friendships growing and changing even as those involved resist such change; it feels visceral and relatable.

With everything happening in the world (and, on a personal note, impending changes happening in my life), it was nice to read a reliably good Emily Henry romance. If you've enjoyed her other books, you'll enjoy this one too.

Harriet broke up with her fiancée Wyn, but hasn't told any of her friends. When they have their last hurrah vacation, Wyn shows up and they must pretend to still be together for the sake of their friends. With romantic tensions high and emotions running hot, who knows if they can manage through cozy book shops, vulnerable interludes, and friends growing apart.

Alright, Emily Henry. I get it. You are the queen of romance tropes and emotional vulnerability. I bow before you. Seriously though, what a wallop this book packed! The second chance romance, meddling friends, fake dating, one bed, forced proximity, it had it all. Harriet and Wyn were an intriguing couple, both bringing flaws and wonder to their relationship. Not to mention the growth both need to go through in order to make the HEA work (and it does work ... I think)

What I truly enjoyed about this book was the found family and Harriet's friends Cleo and Sabrina. It's so hard to keep up with your friends/ chosen family as real like sneaks in and destroys all your hopes and dreams. This book really hits home for that. It's about expectations and understanding and knowing that friends will love you no matter what. That's what I really pulled from this book. That and that emotional trauma comes in all shapes and forms and we should be mindful about how that shapes us as people.

I liked the back and forth in the plot, the real place versus happy place versus bad place. It helped to navigate where we were and where things were heading which helped me a lot as I read. The vacation home sounds like a dream and a cozy Maine town is always a delight to be in.

I've been waffling on how I liked the ending of the book, going back and forth between she did the grand gesture of coming to be with him or maybe she should've taken a little time to find herself, but I digress. Overall, a stunning read from Emily Henry!

I adore Emily Henry, and it's a testament to her skill that I stuck with this book that centers a second chance romance AND leans heavily on the miscommunication trope. It all came together for me in the end with some lovely reflections on friendship and chosen family as we grow up.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly April New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago, but neither wants to tell the best friends they share. And since everyone lives far apart it doesn't matter... until it does. It matters a lot on their annual friend vacation. This year everything is changing, not just Harriet and Wyn.

Emily Henry cleverly weaves together past and present- a time when everything seemed perfect and carefree, and now when the burden of responsibility hangs over everyone. As past and present converge their is hope to be found in the growing and changing that is creating something new- and old.

Harriet and Wyn are seen by their friends as the perfect couple, they never fight, they are madly in love, and support each other through thick and thin. But when they join their friends on their annual vacation to their "happy place" they agree not to reveal to a secret that would flip everyone's world upside down; Harriet and Wyn broke off their engagement six months ago.

When I say this heart wrenching second chance romance had me sobbing for the last 30% of the book, I truly wish that were an exaggeration. Told in duel timeline of "Real Life" aka current time, and "Happy Place" aka the events over the past 10 years, Emily Henry tells the story of complex friendships, mental health, love, loss, expectations, and discovery of passion. To say this book is so much more than a love story would be putting it lightly, however, Harriet and Wyn's relationship is both the catalyst of each theme and moment of discovery as well as the heart creating a strong and steady beat. From the moment we first see the two of them on page to each scene revealing more about their character, we see two people reaching desperately to each other without knowing the right words or actions to reach the other. It is messy and raw and oh so real in the way they need the other. I spent so much of the story holding my breath and waiting for them to finally find the words to ask for what they need from the other, and when we finally reach that tipping point it feels like the entire book releases a long exhale.

I loved how Harriet's entire friend group also has a long and complicated relationship with each other. There is an emphasis on how friends and friendships change and grow of there the years and how there is an expectation for everything to between friends to stay the same, which is just unrealistic. I appreciated how not one person is to blame or at fault for their communication, or lack there of, and the growth we see from everyone involved.

Finally, running through the romance and friendship, there is a central thread concerning mental health and self worth. This aspect of the story is told with so much care and love that just felt so healing to read about.

As alway Emily Henry consistently creates such relatable and beautiful stories and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a disappointing one, not going to lie.

- BUT -

The only reason I was disappointed was because it is not like the other works by Emily Henry.

Her other books are light, upbeat (for the most part), and smuttyyyyyyy.

This one was a more somber, anxiety-filled knot of a relationship. With a happy ending :)

So if you want more of her writing, but sadder, go for it!

HAPPY PLACE 🌷💞

This is the theory….
If you loved People We Might on Vacation; you’ll love Happy Place.

In case you don’t know, this is about two exes who pretend to still be together on a vacation with their college friend group.

The #1 reason this book will stick with me is surprisingly not because of the romance - it’s because of the friendship. Particularly the group dynamic between this pack of 30-somethings that felt so real.

I almost wanted more of this & less of the romance (who am I)? But don’t worry. The romance is perfectly swoony. But a little too realistic to be escapist-romance, in my opinion 😎 For a girl who loves realism, I’m okay with that. TW: breakups lol.

Other things I loved:

💞 FLASHBACKS. This is not everyone’s thing, but personally I’m a fan. I loved getting an inside look at Wyn & Harriet’s origin story compared to where they are present day
💞 Would it be an Emily Henry novel without complicated parental relationships??? Nope, and I wouldn’t have it any other way - this adds such a realistic element to romance & the way our parents affect the way we love.
💞 I loved the entire idea behind a “happy place” and what that means for this couple specifically

(Last pic is me in my happy place).

Thank you @berkleyromance for the free copy, Happy Place is on sale 4/25!

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. I have heard a lot about this author so I was really looking forward to reading this book. I am sorry to say that I was somewhat disappointed. The book was okay but did not pull me in. When I find excuses to do other things rather than read a book, I know that the book has not gripped me. The story was good and I cannot say why it didn't grab my attention. It could possibly be that this author has been so hyped to me that I was expecting so much more and had built up the expectations in my head so high. I can see how this story would grab some people, as it is a good romance story. I think it was just too predictable for me.

As much as I hate to not fan girl over the latest from Emily Henry... this was a disappointment to me. I wasn't expecting Happy Place to be sad and angsty, with whiny and complaining main characters for 75% (or more) of the book. The author's typical wit and storytelling ability held this book up when I was tempted to DNF it, but overall this was not my favorite book of hers. The description of the book (and the title) made it seem like the story would be full of happiness and a bit of comedy as Harriet (Harry) and Wyn try to hide their breakup from their friends, but that was not the case at all.

This book was redeemed from a two star to a three star book for me for two reasons. 1) There was some redemption in the last quarter of the book as Harry and Wyn FINALLY had some honest communication with each other, themselves, and their friends. But the reason behind the angst and their breakup was just... dumb (if I can say so). Yes, they experienced real heartache, mental illness, and family of origin issues but the rationale felt incomplete and unnecessary. And 2) I liked the emphasis on friendships changing and growing, not just staying stagnant and stuck in college days.

You may read this book differently than me, but I was expecting something different, I'm still glad I read it though!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I've always loved Emily Henry's book and this one was no different. The storyline finds a group of friends in their happy place one last time and really digs into the complexities of family, friends and the natural evolution of relationships. Emily Henry always does a great job of digging deep into the history of the characters and I always fall in love with the bond that the main couple have

sweet & succinct buildup combined with heart-wrenching angst (the kind that gets you sobbing non-stop from 2-4am in the morning), it's everything you want from a second chance romance book written by emily henry.

complemented with realistic and highly relatable characters & relationship dynamics, this book deserves nothing less than 5 stars.

thank you to berkley and netgalley for providing this arc!

Honestly for my first Emily Henry book, I loved this so so so much. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for sending me an ARC of Happy Place!

If there's one trope I never knew I would eat up it would be the 'we used to date, but we're not anymore, but we're hiding it from everyone, but we still love each other' trope. I loved everything about Wyn and Harriet sneaking around and making each other jealous but still seeing the true and insanely deep love they have for one another. I also loved how this book wasn't just about romantic love it highlighted the special love that comes out of friendships and the bonds you grow up with (which really are something so so so special.) I think I really just loved the writing style in general. It was funny, fast paced, and I enjoyed the characters storylines so much. I was really happy that this turned out into a good experience for me and I will 100000% be looking into her other books now!

Harriet and Wyn's relationship fell apart months ago, but they haven't quite found the right way to break the news to their shared friend group. So when they both have to go to the same summer getaway, they're forced to pretend everything is fine. But how long can they keep up the act without real feelings getting involved?

This book didn't have quite the same whimsy and playfulness as what I've come to expect from Emily Henry's romances. Instead, it felt more grounded, realistic, and earnest. These felt like real people with real messy histories and complicated ties to each other. It's still got some laughs, of course, and it pulls on all the heartstrings as only Emily Henry can. It's immersive and full of characters that feel like hanging out with your own best friends.

As a long-time fan of Emily Henry, I was beyond excited for the chance to get my hands on this ARC. And while it did have a bit of a different feel compared to her previous works, I still enjoyed it a ton (so much so that I read it in a single sitting!). Harriet and Wyn ended their engagement and split up months ago, minor details they failed to mention to their four friends—Sabrina, Cleo, Parth, and Kimmie—before embarking on a week-long reunion in the close quarters of Sabrina’s family home in Maine. The combination of the forced proximity to her ex-fiancée combined with her desperation to keep up the appearance that she is still totally in love and engaged, thank you very much creates a perfect pressure cooker of a situation for our beloved narrator Harriet. This is further compounded (Emily, you’ve outdone yourself) by the split perspectives from which the story is told: past and present Harriet. Though the situations with Wyn in present day can be challenging to get through, especially when the reasons for their split are still unclear, it’s impossible not to fall in love with him right alongside Harriet during the flashbacks of their time together.

Happy Place has a more meditative, even melancholy, feel than most of Henry’s other works. In that sense, it strays from her typical rom-com narrative and encourages us to look at things in a more nuanced way. Harriet and Wyn are perfect for each other. Sabrina, Cleo, and Harriet are the perfect trio of friends. Unfortunately, nothing is literally ever that simple in life. It’s inevitable that these characters—like us—face obstacles of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, inevitably, they handle challenges poorly or make decisions that are just plain bad. But throughout the book Henry truly did a great job of demonstrating how truly this trio of friends knows, cares for, and supports one another. And she does an amazing job of demonstrating how deep the love runs between Harriet and Wyn: at their best, at their worst, and at their most mediocre-but-trying-to-be-best. It was a lovely rumination on how love, in all its many forms, can pull people together and hold them close through the good and the bad.