I was so excited to receive an ARC of "Happy Place". "Book Lovers" was one of my favourite reads of 2022 and when I found out Emily Henry had a new book coming out I absolutely couldn’t wait to read it - and it did not disappoint. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t put it down.

Harriet and Wyn are forced to pretend they’re still dating when their annual friends trip to Maine rolls around and they still haven’t told anyone they broke up 5 months ago. The story is told alternating between past and present, so in the past we get to see them go from friends to lovers to exes while in the present we get a second chance romance with fake dating and one bed.

There is no doubt in my mind that Harriet and Wyn are absolutely made for each other and it was so clear throughout this whole book that they love each other deeply, despite their breakup. It was the best kind of torture to see them go through all of this and be rooting for them to get back together.

This book would not be the same without the whole friend group. Sabrina, Parth, Cleo, and Kimmy have such different personalities that fit together so well. You can feel how connected they are and how well they know each other after so many years of friendship. They have a great time when they’re all together and "Happy Place" is about them as much as it is Harriet and Wyn.

As someone who usually picks up rom com style romances, this was a different tone than I’m used to. While I would still classify it as a romance, it also focuses heavily on friendship and growing up without growing apart.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think anything will top Beach Read for me, but Happy Place comes pretty close. It's absolutely my second-favorite Emily Henry novel. I love second-chance romances and the angst that ensues because of it and Harriet/Wyn's story was perfect (I also think it's my favorite depiction of the "fake dating" trope).

For anyone else who can't help but associate Emily Henry's books with Taylor Swift, to me this book felt like a combination of Folklore/Midnights (with a strong emphasis on Hits Different, Maroon, Mirrorball, and This is Me Trying).

I've seen a lot of comparisons between this book and People We Meet on Vacation and structurally I agree as the jumping between past/present and the mystery surrounding why Harriet and Wyn broke up was very reminiscent of Poppy and Alex's story. However, I think tonally this book is closer to Beach Read. There's a lot of melancholy and heavier moments in this book that felt similar to Beach Read. While the romance is central, this book also focuses a lot on the characters' personal journeys (particularly Harriet as she's the narrator). This is something Emily Henry does well in all of her romances and why her books are my favorite. Harriet may have overtaken January as the Emily Henry protagonist I relate to the most (a future Beach Read reread will settle this in my brain) as she's a fellow overthinking, anxious, and conflict-avoidant person and there were a lot of moments with her (particularly at the end) that I related to so deeply in terms of how I process emotions/handle things. I even connected with her on such a deep level that I was as oblivious as she was to the problems she was causing. I also connected a lot with Wyn though I don't think he has overtaken Gus in my personal ranking of Emily Henry love interests.

This book also places a strong emphasis on friendship. All of the members of the friend group felt real and three-dimensional which is impressive because sometimes side-characters in romance books don't feel all that important. I was equally invested in the friendships as well as the romance and I loved their "found family" feel. I was also impressed that they all genuinely felt like friends, not just "three friends and their significant others" which can sometimes be how these dynamics turn out. The melancholy tone extends to this friend group as a major theme of this story is how relationships change over time - basically everyone this tightknit friend group are going through major life changes and it's clear that they're not exactly the same people they were when they met in college (I couldn't help but think of the Lizzy McAlpine lyric "Everything changes, what a shame" the entire time while reading). It's a theme that I think will particularly resonate with people in their late-20s/30s.

Overall, like all of Emily Henry's books, Happy Place is top-notch contemporary romance but also, like all of Emily Henry's books, enjoyment and where this will land in personal rankings is very subjective (this is second place for me). If you're a fan of her writing, you'll find something to enjoy here even if it's not your personal favorite as it feels quintessentially Emily Henry.

Review as posted on Goodreads:

Thank you so much to Berkley for a NetGalley ARC in exchange for a review!

Happy Place follows Harriet and Wyn, an ex-couple who used to be engaged but secretly broke up 6 months ago and told no one else. However, now that the Maine cottage where their friends have spent many summers at is for sale, Harriet and Wyn pretend they’re still dating for the sake of their friends. And then, of course, chaos ensues. 😈

For the record, I didn’t cry reading Happy Place—I was just VERY close. Here are some aspects of Happy Place that I loved:
🩷 Dual timeline POV
🩷 Second chance romance
🩷 Fake dating
🩷 Laugh out loud dialogue
🩷 Found family

Reading Happy Place was like watching the final moments of a sunset: the once vivid colors have become dull and faded, and you feel the crushing nostalgia of wanting to see it again, but you know deep down that there will be a sunrise that is just as incredible.

Maybe it’s just me reading Jane Austen for my senior thesis, but Happy Place reminds me SO MUCH of Persuasion. Perhaps it’s the second chance romance angle. Maybe it’s the tone. Happy Place is waaaay more melancholic than Henry’s other novels—plus we’re experiencing Harriet and Wyn’s relationship in media res, at some of the lowest moments of their lives—but those lows were eclipsed by the blinding hope and optimism for a new beginning.

I’m still not sure if Happy Place has toppled Book Lovers as my favorite Emily Henry novel, but it’s almost a tie! 🫢

Thank you again to Berkley for sending me my most anticipated book of 2023! it definitely delivered🫰🏻

Review originally posted on Goodreads.

There's something very honest about Henry's writing, and sometimes she writes a moment that feels so universal and poignant, and it's like, yes, we've all been there. She also really loves a metaphor and a quirky or dramatic, overly-earnest moment, too, and those sometimes made me roll my eyes (I hate to compare her to Dawson Leery, but...the energy can be similar. "I could bottle this scent and burn Wyn-scented candles for the rest of my life!" or something to that notion and, like, LOL.)

These characters have very realistic hang-ups, and that is what made this book kind of annoying to read at times. Just fucking talk to each other!!! COMMUNICATE. Yes, yes, you're so in tune with each other's bodies and you're intoxicated by each other's scents and eyes and all of that, but how the hell did you actually make it eight years and literally never have an honest conversation?? (I mean, I can clearly SEE how, but that reticence would be such a personal turn-off / pet peeve that sometimes it was hard for me to care enough to root for them.)

With all the half-finished conversations you know nothing's going to get resolved until the last 20% of the book in any kind of meaningful fashion, and like montages of lobster rolls and Ferris wheels are nice and all, but *I* am not nostalgic for Maine, and because Harriet avoided talking to Sabrina and Cleo so much sometimes I didn't feel that connected to them either. So often I was silently urging the story to just GET ON with the secrets revealing so we could finally make some forward progress. There was just as much lack of communication between the friends as the lovers, and because Harriet was feeling so disconnected from everyone, that left me, the reader, isolated right along with her since she basically brought me along as a seventh wheel. And Harriet didn't even want to hang out with herself, so how do you think I felt??

It was a well-written story but not a very fun romance, and, in general, I enjoyed it, but I didn't LOVE it. I don't know how much will stick with me after a few months go by.

I don't usually read second chance or slow burn romance books, but this book was very well-written. I really liked how Emily Henry incorporated details from the past; it was easy to see how Harriet and Wyn's relationship develops, both in the past and the present. While second chance romance books usually frustrated me because most of them consist of the characters just denying their feelings for each other, this was not the case. You can definitely see how much they love and care for each other but they both have their own things to work on first. I really liked the self-growth and healing that both Harriet and Wyn experience. It was also endearing to see how they always find their way back to each other. However, I was kind of unsatisfied with the ending for some reason. I guess it was because it doesn't feel as... big? I personally would have liked a bigger revelation, maybe a little more groveling. Part of me feels like this ending made sense considering they have 10 years of history together so the small break they had didn't seem like much, but it also made their break up feel so downplayed and didn't affect them as much as I would have expected.

After breaking up and not seeing each other for months, Harriet and Wyn must pretend to be together for a week while on vacation with their college friends. Told in alternating "happy place" and "real life" we learn about Harriet and Wyn's relationship and its downfall. In every universe, I believe Harriet and Wyn were meant for each other.
I am so glad I finished this book. After getting approved for this book, I started reading it but only read it on and off for a couple of days. I picked it back up today, and I finished the 82% that I left unread for months. I have been in a HUGE reading slump, but this book has busted it. I was in just the right mood to finish this book in one sitting today. Most of the fake dating books that I read are nothing but fluff, however, this book was the complete opposite. This book touched on so many sensitive topics and I really connected with this book, Wyn, and Harriet.
Emily Henry has written yet another amazing novel with amazing characters, and a beautiful setting. Knott's Harbor sounded like the best place to escape for a week. The friendship shared between Sabrina, Cleo, and Harriet is so heartwarming. I am still processing this book, but it will definitely be one I read over and over again.

Harry is unhappy with life and looking forward to her annual Maine vacation with her best friends. When she arrives, she sees her ex in the house - they've been secretly separated for months. Soon she finds out that this isn't the only bad news these friends have been keeping form each other. The next week is filled with attempts to make everything feel "normal" and avoiding any change.

Happy Place is about love in many different forms, and all of them were real and relatable. I often find myself frustrated with Henry's characters to the point where I don't love the book, but this one was different. The relationships are frustrating and I wanted to lecture all of the characters on communication BUT everything makes sense, and everyone has very valid reasons for their fears. Henry's writing makes it easy to picture yourself in this lazy coastal town with Harry and her friends. All around a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced e-galley of this book

Another great Emily Henry book sure to please fans of her other work. I think this might be her best yet, with realistic and deeply lovable characters, real human emotion, and a classic romance happy ending.

Oh Emily Henry, I desperately love you so and all your books are just amazing. Except maybe not this one. Happy Place has a lot of wonderful elements that I loved from Henry's previous books. Found family, vacations, second chance, pining, lost loves, dual timelines. Just so many things I love. For some reason though all of this together with the characters just didn't click for me. I honestly didn't hate any of the characters, but also didn't love them either. I think Cleo and Kimmy were some of my favorites and they were very much side characters. I feel like the MC's truly didn't communicate and for people who were together so long I just found it hard to believe what they "fought" over and how it ended. I did enjoy the dual timelines though to see how the relationship started and ended though. The present timeline just was annoying, and I didn't see how anyone in this group stayed friends, I didn't see how they truly connected.

My favorite things about Emily Henry's previous books have been the little Ohio/midwest references sprinkled throughout them. This one did have them, but they might have had something better, though... MY GIRL HARRIET ALSO FALLS ASLEEP TO MURDER, SHE WROTE!!!!

Harriet is a surgical resident, and she's very, very stressed and doesn't seem to be thriving in her normal life. When it comes time to retreat to her best friend's family cabin in Maine with her group of friends, Harriet is so thankful for a chance to visit one of her happy places. Unfortunately, when Harriet arrives, she finds that she will be sharing a room with her ex-fiance, Wyn-- and none of her friends know that she and Wyn have been broken up for months. Another bomb is dropped when her friend announces that her father is selling the beach cabin, and this is their last time together in this space that has become so integral in their friendship. They decide to play nice with each other for the sake of their friends. Surely it can't be that hard when they've known

I really enjoyed the structure of this book-- Harriet flips back and forth between her various happy places (and why they became happy places) and real life. I loved seeing the evolution of the friend group from the first three girls into a group of six. Emily Henry has a way of writing her characters so you feel absolutely gut-punched when they do. Seeing the breakdown of Harriet and Wyn's relationship was devastating, the back and forth between them while trying to pull one over on their friends was agonizing, and finally getting to the bottom of why things happened the way they did had me super teary. Just take all of my stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

3 ⭐️ Disappointed because I wasn’t expecting a sad, angsty Emily Henry book


"Our love is a place we can always come back to, and it will be waiting, the same as it ever was. You belong here."


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ new england beach setting
✨ second chance romance
✨ fake dating (ex fiances pretending to still be engaged)
✨ friends to lovers
✨ one-bed
✨ forced proximity
✨ open door romance with minimum spice
✨ flashbacks / dual timeline
✨ single pov
✨ found family
✨ friend group drama
✨ angst, sadness, heartbreak
✨ miscommunication
✨ omissions of feelings
✨ HEA
✨ tw: breakups, mental health, depression, perfectionism, burnout, high expectation parents, sick parent, death of a parent


My Thoughts:

This is a hard one for me to rate, so I’m settling on 3-stars for now.

Let me preface this review by saying I am a HUGE Emily Henry fan! So much so that I own multiple copies of all her books as hardcovers, paperbacks, and Uk editions. I love her stories and I was so excited to get an ARC. But sadly, I didn’t like this one very much.

On one hand, this was well written, the storyline about friendship was lovely, and there’s a lot of depth to each character.

However, because of the title and fun cover, I went in expecting a fun, heartfelt rom-com. Instead, I got a sad, painful, grief-filled story that feels more like women's fiction than a romance. Any sort of positive experience I had while reading was fleeting and replaced with angst due to the nature of the story. I only felt reprieve during the flashbacks of the main couple when they were happy together. The rest of the time, I anxiously waited to learn what caused the breakup. But they don’t discuss their breakup (which was due to a lack of communication and the MMC making stupid assumptions) or get back together until the last 10% of the story, and even that isn't fully settled till the last few pages. ⁠
⁠
Was this a bad story? No. I think Emily Henry is a talented writer, and this one dove deep into mental health, what it means to find yourself, and how friendships change. But this book was marketed incorrectly, which set the wrong expectations and ultimately made this read a disappointment.

But now that I know what to expect, I'm going to do a re-read to see if my rating/review changes. Stay tuned.

I am a big fan of Emily Henry’s writing, it always makes me feel all the feels; both good and bad. Happy Place made me cry and made me sad for about 90% of the story.

Wyn and Harriet’s story was about loss, grief and second chances. Their story was told in flashes between the past and the present; a present in which they have been broken up for months. Watching them pretend, for the sake of their friends, that they’re still together while broken-hearted over their breakup was painful to read.

I understand the reasons that led to the end of their relationship, but I still didn’t really understand them. Wyn suffered a loss that overwhelmed him emotionally and Harriet, in an effort not to burden him further with her own fears and insecurities, somehow only pushed him away.

Wyn and Harriet’s love for one another was very obvious to me as a reader which made their push and pull all the more frustrating. Their happy ending seemed insufficient in my opinion, I needed a bit more after all the angst. Emily Henry continues to write compelling stories that make me feel a lot and Happy Place definitely made me feel a lot, even if not happy.

I struggled to get this book started. The style and story line were difficult to enjoy (the game like trope can get really frustrating for me). I will try again - sometimes timing is everything in when to read a book.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always, Henry writes chemistry really well. This title will appeal to the young, contemporary romance reader who is okay with a little formula. Not Henry’s best but enjoyable.

Emily Henry is an author who is always consistent with her romances. In addition to making an entire list of Emily Henry books, you can find a few of her books on our Ultimate List of Romance Books.

Harriet and Wyn have been together for years until they broke up 5 months ago. The only problem is that they still haven’t told their best friends and now they will be sharing a room during their yearly vacation with their friends. How hard can it be to keep up the facade of a happy couple?

There is something special in every one of Emily Henry’s romances and this newest book is no exception. It is also a perfect beach read!

This was simply amazing. This is not a new revelation but I feel like it has to be reiterated: this author is one of my all-time favorite authors. I can’t get over how much I loved this! It was so so so good and lived up to every incredibly high expectation I’ve placed on her books.
Right after I read the first line, I thought to myself, “I know I’m going to love this book”. I loved it all: the vibes, the friend group, the setting, the past and present timelines, the fake dating/second chance romance. Her writing is just so good. It’s an extremely readable and enjoyable style that’s so easy to fall into.
The character dynamics were incredible, from the romance between Wyn and Harriet to the friendship between Sabrina, Cleo and Harriet. I loved how important the friendships felt to the framework of this romance. Each character learned so much about themselves and each other along the way. It was so satisfying to see the growth and vulnerability this whole friend group demonstrated.
There was so much angst and tension and it‘s so believable, like the conflict made total sense and felt real. I found myself asking how this book could possibly have a happy ending with the way things were shaping up. Though, in true fashion of this author, she pulled it out in the most gratifying and heartwarming way.
I loved this book so much and will forever crave the feelings it gave me in everything I read in the future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley and the author for an early copy of this book!

"Someone sedate me." - me, after finishing Happy Place.

I just feeeeel so much reading. Emily Henry writes SO WELL like this is why I’m here and keep coming back to her stories, her characters, and her settings (Maine, I need to be in Maine). For my emotional well-being: send help. Wyn omfg and Harriet, they made me cry DAMNIT. I love second-chance romances, I loved this time loop, I loved the present day, and I loved watching them FALL in love throughout it. This book is definitely a little sad but I think if you’ve read second chance romance, it’s kind of an expectation with it. Also if you’ve read Emily Henry before, she does do sad romances. So going in with the right expectations!

The friendships, I adore so much like that should’ve been the first note here!! Sabrina, Cleo, Parth, and Kimmy. Thank you for allowing me into your friend group while experiencing your story. The plot of why Harriet and Wyn ended their engagement? How did they end up there?! Had me EATING IT UP. I think the story has so much more than romance (which we all knew) but the discovery of yourself and growth, the mental health. Reading that along with Wyn & Harriet.

Okay I said Charlie’s love language is physical touch (from Book Lovers, ahem) but I AM SORRY WYN IS THE KING OF IT and quiet love 😭 LIKE I SAID SEDATE ME. He is an ADDICT for Harriet and how he always just says her name. I AM SIMPLY AN ADDICT FOR HIM. I'm sorry I'm using caps but yes, I am yelling in this review, I suppose.

I haven’t felt this way in a long time reading a book but the way Emily Henry writes relationships, it’s so realistic, and I want it SO BAD. The banter, the feelings, how expressive they are for what they want and what they say. Like Emily gives me WANT from her stories. A wanting. Then she goes off and says things like this in her books:"Want is a kind of thief. It’s a door in your heart, and once you know it’s there, you’ll spend your life longing for whatever is behind it."

Do you want to know how many times I cried reading this book??? A lot. I think the most out of all her books. I cried when Wyn and Harriet were high on the ferris wheel then I cried when they were explaining the Mandela effect.“In every universe, it’s you for me. Even if it’s not me for you.”

“Our love is a place we can always come back to you, and it will be waiting, the same as it ever was. You belong here.”

Harriet is our mirror ball girly. She wants everyone around her to be happy that she’s suffering her own happiness for it. I had so much HOPE for them in this book.“I’m not going to stop loving you.” Harriet keeps saying if I’m good, then everything will be okay, everyone will be okay, it’ll be better…and I couldn’t resonate more with this. How I used to be growing up. How I still kind of am right now. Want everyone to be HAPPY. The BANTER please & thank you bury me here forever, laugh-out-loud moments always expected from Emily Henry and for this, I bow down. “Happy Birthday, wicked pissah”

The way friend groups change and we change — it’s been how I’ve been feeling where we relive the past, but you can’t bring it back. Especially with growing up and friends with their life changes, when you're trying to adapt to it. Her friend group reminded me so much of those I'm surrounded with. “Everything is changing. It has to. You can’t stop time.”

This is one of the deeper love connections Emily Henry has ever written to me, personally, due to what Wyn and Harriet have gone through and their longevity together. Because it’s a second chance, where they’ve loved each other for so long and have built this love. You were hurting for them and wanted so much for them to be together. And the friendships? Unmatched. I wanted the best for all of them.

Wyn’s emotions are on his sleeve and how he communicates and what he battles, the self-deprecation 😩 I want to fix him, I want to love him, yet he’s perfect to me. We all want what's best for him. His quiet love. I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere. My thoughts with Wyn and Harriet and their sphere, their circles. Okay so not only is Harriet Mirrorball but Folklore is HAPPY PLACE to me.

Beach Read will always be my #1, my safe space, my love, but wow...Happy Place is really up there for me. I hope others will resonate with this book! It resonated with me deeply and maybe it was the timing of the book and when I read it. I also think a lot of people who relate to this book are end of their 20’s/in their 30’s too (purely my thoughts lol). I'm thankful for that! It's one of my favorites.

“I couldn’t leave you alone. I’ve never been able to.”

"If it was possible to stop loving you, I would've managed it in that first year of desperately trying to.”

“I knew who you were before we even met. Like I could get drunk on the sound of you. Or hungover whenever I go too long without you.”

"And then I met you, and I didn't feel so lost or aimless. Because even if there was nothing else for me, it felt like loving you was what I was made for.

“They belong to you before I ever saw you. They belong to you in every universe we’re in, Harriet.”

“And it doesn't get boring, just the two of us. Every bit of Wyn he gives me is something to treasure, to examine from every angle. The last words I hear every night are I love you so much. Sometimes he gets to say it last, but sometimes I do too.”

Triggers: depression, grief, mental health, family trauma.*

Thank you to @berkleyromance for the advanced reader copy!

The best Emily Henry since Beach Read tbh! I loved this book and how there was just as much focus on the friendships as on Harriet and Wyn's relationship. I am fast becoming a huge second chance romance fan and I thought this one was done particularly well - the forced proximity and quasi-fake dating aspects were fun and I thought their respective emotional journeys were handled well. This is also the first Emily Henry backstory "secret" reveal that I thought was good; PWMOV and Book Lovers both had wicked underwhelming reveals. I did guess a certain friend's plot point early on but I felt vindicated rather than cheated by that reveal. Overall a really excellent book!

Happy Place actually takes the reader to some not so happy places as we spend a week with Harriet and Wyn and their best friends on their annual getaway to Maine. Harriet and Wyn broke up months ago, for reasons we, and they, don’t yet know…and they haven’t told anyone. They weren’t planning on spending the week together, but their friends had big news that got them both there together. The week is looking to be an uncomfortable one which lets the readers into Harriet and Wyn’s love, and then shows the deterioration of their relationship.
This is Emily Henry on the top of her game…a book about love that makes you feel the love not only between the protagonists, but between all of the characters, and ties with Book Lovers for my favorite of her novels.
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

How does she do it? How does everything Emily Henry writes leave me with my chest aching and a smile on my face? How are characters that are nothing like me so deeply relatable? How do I find little details that feel like they were left <i>just for me</i> in every single chapter?

I wanted to savor this… to draw out my enjoyment of these new characters, but instead I couldn’t bring myself to stop flying through it. In such a short time, I lived an entire decade of Harriet’s life, I was thrown into her beautiful found family, and I added another happy place to my own personal list of happy places I can no longer return to. (Except, technically I CAN return to this happy place, even if Harriet and Co. cannot, because I plan on rereading this book many times over.) It all felt so real; so immersive. It was engrossing in a different way from Emily Henry’s other books.

For context, I’ve been a fan of Henry’s since I read “Love That Split the World” in one sitting and accidentally ruined a family reunion by being antisocial. Her settings feel familiar and I know to expect that her characters will be witty and wonderful and deeply human. And while those staples of her writing are absolutely present in “Happy Place”, I was quick to compare the characters to those in Henry’s other recent novels, and I kept drawing mental parallels to the multiple timelines in “People We Meet on Vacation” and the utter yearning in “Book Lovers” when this one is unique. The ensemble of this friend group gives this book an entirely different vibe. Like her other novels, “Happy Place” wasn’t just about the romance, and so this wonderful glimpse into a changing and growing <i>family</i> is really a book about friendship and growing up and growing into who you truly want to be. The romance is just an added, heartbreakingly beautiful bonus.

I am truly grateful to NetGalley and Berkley for my advanced copy.