I don't have enough wonderful things to say about Emily Henry. She is such an incredible author, and I'm so grateful I got to read this book in advance!

The main draw of this book for me (besides the author, of course) was the description. One of my favorite books of the past few years is You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle, and the premise of this book sounded very similar. While I adore the two books individually, they differ in that You Deserve Each Other has more of a rom-com feel while Happy Place has more of a romantic drama vibe.

The characters are so well-written and the depictions of mental illness in all its forms (workplace anxiety, relationship anxiety, grief, depression, etc.) are expertly crafted and delicately handled. I loved getting to know them through the "before" of their relationship and the "during" of their break-up. There are so many emotions involved, and there wasn't just one thing that went wrong in the relationship... sometimes it bugs me in books where a single miscommunication results in the breakdown of a years-long relationship. In this case, both characters needed to do some reflecting and growing before they could find each other again.

I laughed. I cried. I read it in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was so cute!! I love love love the way Emily Henry writes characters and how relatable they are in so many ways. I loved the friendship between the characters in this book, but especially how certain issues were dealt with. I think that's what makes her books so good to me, her characters feel real in a way that I've never noticed in other books.

I love Emily Henry's characters, and Happy Place is no exception! This latest installment of the Henryverse follows Harriet and her former fiancé Wyn as they navigate a messy, unplanned reunion with their already-tense friend group. Harriet is a driven doctor sludging through a surgeon residency, and Wyn is a loyal son carrying on his family's furniture repairing while struggling with his self-worth. Their whirlwind romance begins at a small liberal arts school, but their engagement recently came to an abrupt, confusing end. When they're both summoned to Maine for their friends' annual summer vacation, they scheme to hide the breakup from the group.

I'm not a huge fan of the exes/second chances trope, but this was a good version of it! There was a bit too much miscommunication for me, but I felt the issues dividing the couple were realistic.

4/5: Another great story from the reigning queen of well-rounded, funny, and witty romances.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Another can’t - put - it - down, sexy, heartfelt book from the boy - can - she - write - sexual - tension superstar Emily Henry! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read! Love the story of Harriet & Wyn and their wonderful friends — it’s also a love letter to Maine and the friends we make in college who change our lives. Add it to your TBR pile!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for a copy of the digital ARC*

Every time I think Emily Henry has reached the peak of her writing, she publishes another book, and all my expectations are exceeded. Like her three previous books, I devoured Happy Place in a day, staying up into the wee morning hours sobbing every fifty pages because Henry's writing is so personal and raw.

Summary:
Harriet met Sabrina and Cleo when they were randomly assigned roommates in college, and it's been history ever since. Harriet, a midwestern pre-med student and a child of married, yet not-in-love parents; Sabrina, a classic New York heiress, pre-law student, and child of many divorces; and Cleo, an art student with divorced--yet completely healthy--parents, immediately click, and become inseparable from the moment they're united. Each grew up isolated and lonely, longing for friends, and since meeting each other, they've never been left wanting.
When freshman year exercises its usual grief, the three girls take a trip to Sabrina's family "cottage" in Maine, forever bonding themselves through late night stories, crying, and, of course, fire. The cottage becomes an annual tradition, a week-long getaway from the stress of school and work and families.
As the years progress, the trio add Parth and Wyn to their group, the former a year ahead law student with whom Sabrina always lovingly clashes, and the latter a flirty, handsome furniture repairman from Wyoming. Of course, the second Wyn and Harriet meet they're drawn together like magnets, and leading to a whirlwind romance, months of flirty and longing as they debate the pros and cons of a romantic relationship within a friend group, before finally giving in and falling head-over-heels in love.
That is until eight years into their relationship, Wyn calls Harriet to break up and cancel the wedding out of the blue, breaking the promise they made to their friends that nothing would ruin the yearly trips to Maine.
Thus begins the classic Emily Henry shenanigans. Of course Harriet and Wyn have to pretend to still be engaged for this year's Maine trip, because even though five months have passed, they haven't told their best friends. Of course they have to share a bed in the most romantic room in the cottage, and of course they have to keep their hands all over each other the entire week, because otherwise it would be suspicious.
But as the week goes on, Harriet and Wyn are tortured by each other and their lack of communication. Both need to work on themselves before they can work together, but will they ever get over their hurt and anger to try?

Thoughts:
Happy Place has my favorite cast of characters from Emily Henry yet. I loved each of the six friends, especially their found-family dynamic and dedication to keeping a decade-long friendship alive. I cried more while reading this book than I have for any other of Henry's, let alone any other romance, mostly because I saw so much of myself in Harriet.
As a bookseller and publishing student pursuing a career in editorial work, I thought there would never be an Emily Henry book that connected to me more than Book Lovers, or a character I related to more than Nora, but Harriet spoke to me in ways no other character has, leaving me sobbing at multiple points throughout the book from how seen I felt. Harriet is a classic over thinker, people pleaser, over achiever, and conflict avoider. Everything she has accomplished in life has been for others, never herself, and she's riddled guilt and pressure to prove to her parents that their investment was worthwhile.
I also felt more emotionally attached to this romance than any previous one, and I believe that came from Henry's use of flashbacks. Henry has split the book into "Happy Place" and "Real Life," where the "Happy Place" consists of flashbacks throughout Harriet and Wyn's relationship, and "Real Life" is the current getaway to Maine. Each time I earned a new happy memory of Harriet and Wyn's previous life together, I felt even more heartbroken when I returned to real life and saw them arguing. I loved Wyn's family, and the way he revered Harriet, and how passionate each of them were about the other. I was unable to put the book down until the end, because I needed a resolution more than sleep.

Overall:
I truly believe this is Emily Henry's most emotional and raw novel to date, although that may be because Harriet was basically me but in STEM. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the characters and plot since I finished, and I keep catching myself thinking that I can pick the book back up and keep reading because I don't want to let it go. The witty dialogue, setting (boy am I a sucker for Maine/New England), flashbacks, found-family, all the classic romance tropes, and above all the cast of characters made Happy Place simply a perfect read, and I'm already counting down the days until I can get my own physical copy (shoutout to JosephBeth, mine and Emily Henry's home indie bookstore).

Read Happy Place by Emily Henry as soon as it comes out. You will not regret it!

I think I need to sit with this one for a bit. I think Emily Henry might be an every other book author for me. I loved Beach Read, didn’t finish People We Meet on Vacation, loved Book Lovers, and I, not quite sure about my feelings about Happy Place.

The setting/scenery and feel of a friend vacation is perfect. The sights and sounds are magically described, as well as the friendship dynamics and that strange push-pull of growing up and trying to stay connected while also growing apart.

But Harriet and Wyn? I’m still undecided. I liked the flashbacks to their romance, but the present day stuff was me frustratingly yelling at them to just talk to each other. The book is basically a communication in relationships 101 manual and I grew tired of their angst. Grow up, talk and be honest with each, stop assuming. While I liked the overall cast of characters and parts of the romance, I also found myself growing weary of it.

Some people are going to love this and find this one incredibly swoon-worthy. They’ll find incredible insight about what makes you happy. It just didn’t quite get there for me.

I laughed, smiled, cried, beamed, and cried again.

Emily Henry perfectly describes how our heart, mind, and body can say all different things but simultaneously the same thing when it comes to love.

Her characters feel familiar in Happy Place. The love Wyn and Harriet share made me so happy. Harriet makes choices to control her life and live it how she wants to. She didn’t let things happen to her. The underlying message of being happy in the life you’re living resonated with me. The overall concept of having a happy place was very clever. I found myself enjoying both the “real life” chapters and “happy place” chapters.

This book perfectly describes friendship and changes we go through in our 30s. We are holding onto the past instead of enjoying the now. I’m glad the friend group was able to work it out.

Harriet and Wyn felt so real. They are hot, sweet, and passionate. This may be my favorite Emily Henry couple yet. Thank you for writing this story. It’s exactly what I needed.

Harriet and Wyn, a couple who has always had it all figured out, no longer does. Six months ago, for reasons that remain undiscussed and undisclosed, they broke up and have been hiding it from their closest friends ever since. Harriet, a star-surgical resident, is now traveling alone to their friend group's annual summer getaway in Maine; or so she thought. When she arrives she is faced with her ex-fiancé she hasn't seen for months. If that wasn't enough, they all then learn that this will be their last hurrah in a place they've considered a second home for the last decade. Harriet and Wyn now have entered a pact to pretend to be the doting and loving couple that they always were, while avoiding addressing the fallout from their relationship to make sure that the cottage in Maine remains a happy place.

This book was so cute! The relationship between Harriet and Wyn was so realistic and well thought out. Their personal struggles are those that every 20-30-something suffers through; self-worth, anxiety, knowing your place in the world, and finding out what to do with your life has made Happy Place one of Emily Henry's most relatable books yet.

The greatest strength of this novel is the setting and the friendships. As much as I love our two leads, I adored their friend group even more; a tight-knit pack of wildly different people who have been together for years. Anyone reading this book will want to be a part of their squad. The setting of the book is gorgeous and gives off the coziest of vibes. Emily Henry excels in making her novels and characters all very distinct and unique from one another which keeps her writing familiar, but her stories fresh.

Anyone who has loved an Emily Henry book before is sure to love this one as well.

This book is now my happy place. I absolutely devoured this- read in one sitting! The setting (beautiful Maine), characters (I want to be in their friend group, badly), and romance (second chance is one of my favorite tropes)... this book has it ALL. If you liked Every Summer After or Love and Other Words, you will eat this UP. I feel so incredibly #blessed to have read an early copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC of Happy Place

"I haven't forgiven you for breaking my heart."
"Good, don't forgive me. Stay mad at me. Don't get over me."

Harriet and Wyn, a seemingly perfect couple, ended their relationship 6 months ago. But they've kept it a secret from their family and friends. Trouble is, they 're spending a week with their closest friends on an annual trip to Maine. Trying not to ruin a last perfect vacation, Harriet and Wyn are resigned to play happy couple for one more week.

I absolutely loved this book.. I really enjoyed Book Lovers but, I feel Happy Place resonated with me a bit more. I connected with Harriet a lot, especially with her anxiety. and her need to clean things when she is anxious, There wasn't as much tension between Harriet and Wyn like there is with other Henry characters. But, it makes sense since Harriet and Wyn have known each other for almost a decade. I got the sense of how they fell in love with the flashbacks. As well as how their relationship evolved overtime.

The characters were entertaining and I loved the friendship they all have with each other. My only complaint is that I feel we didn't get enough time with the other characters and they felt a little 2 dimensional. However, it don't think it hindered the story. After all, this is really about Harriet and Wyn's relationship and how they can heal together.

Emily Henry really captured the feel of Maine and the joys of vacationing with friends. This book genuinely made me laugh and cry at times. Happy Place is another phenomenal book from Emily Henry and I highly recommend it!

This was by far my favorite read of the year. Emily Henry has a fantastic way of developing characters who are so drawn out and perfectly flawed. Even the supporting characters were fantastic. Having read all of her previous books, I can say for sure Emily Henry is an author I will always pick up and read.

Reading an Emily Henry book feels like she is holding my heart in her hands. Her writing is so stunningly beautiful I find myself covering my mouth with my hand, my breath catching, or spontaneously crying over a passage that I wouldn't necessarily have guessed I would cry over. I loved every minute I spent with Harriet and Wyn and their friends in Maine. Emily has a way of bringing you into a group of people and you feel as though you've known them all your life. I can't recommend her books enough. Happy Place was a delight, beginning to end. Her writing, this book, the allusion to Gus and January from Beach Read, I just cannot get enough.

Emily Henry quickly became one of my favourite authors after Beach Read, and I loved Happy Place just as much. The characters in the book were relatable and the banter between every character, but especially our main couple Wyn and Harriet, was perfect. I loved the love that they had for each other, and I caught myself tearing up throughout the book. The beginning of the couple’s relationship was so beautiful, and the end to their story was heartwarming and inspiring. The book touched on very real topics that I believe will resonate with many readers, and I am so honoured I was given the opportunity to read this masterpiece via an ARC. Definitely one of my favourite reads in 2022, or maybe ever.

I've had a bit of a literary crush on Emily Henry in that I've inhaled every book of hers I could get my hands on, including this new one. Holy cow, but I think this might be her best yet. I loved the main character, the family the three friends have created for themselves and how that bind has changed over time. Even the setting becomes a major character. Standing applause. I can't wait for book five.

3.5 stars

I went in expecting a light easy rom com, but it gave me so much more than that. I loved the characters and the setting. I loved that it was much deeper of a story than I originally expected, full of many different emotions. I enjoyed this quite a bit.

This was such a pleasant surprise. I don’t read much romance and I’ve never read an Emily Henry novel but I’m so glad I read this one. I’m a sucker for a found family with some great banter. I also found a new book husband in Wyn Connor so there’s that. I just know tiktok is gonna go crazy when this one comes out and rightly so. It was such a treat and I can’t wait to tell my friends to read it!

I honestly cannot keep my cool about this book, it was so good! One of my most anticipated releases of 2023.

Six friends take an annual trip together on the New England coast every summer to celebrate their years of friendship. Harriet and Wyn have made a pact to keep their break up a secret for their yearly getaway with their friends in order to make this last trip to their happy place absolutely perfect. But the lines of what’s real and pretend become hard to distinguish and that can threaten the already precarious vibe of the trip. Everyone has their parts to play: Harriet is the people pleaser, Wyn is the charming go-with-the-flow guy, Parth is the ultimate party guy, Sabrina is the planner, Kimmy is the party amplifier, and Cleo is the one to make sure nothing gets too out of hand.

These characters are impossible to not fall in love with. And all of them are so complex that really add something to the story and to the group dynamic. You as the reader feel like you are a part of the group.

In true Emily Henry fashion, this book is more than just a sweet rom-com. This is a master class in how to explore truly deep themes like self-perception, grief, depression, loss, and the weird and complex dynamics of adult friendships, all while keeping the story light and fun in an extremely funny and charming way. You find yourself laughing out loud one moment and the next you are crying about your childhood and the pressure you put on yourself to be perfect then next, all in the best way possible.

It’s so easy to identify both with Harriet and Wyn. Both are highly lovable characters with quick wits, all while suffering with some deep emotional pain. You either are exactly like them, or you know people exactly like them. All you want to do is to wrap both of these little idiots (I say this in the nicest way possible) in a blanket and let them know everything will be ok.

I will read anything Emily Henry writes. Happy Place is some of her best work, both in the storytelling and in her writing. Honestly… PERFECTION.

Emily Henry excels at character-driven novels with romantic themes, and Happy Place is no exception. When Harriet and Wyn first hooked up, they kept it a secret from their college friends–some of whom they lived with–for a year before revealing their relationship. Almost a decade later, the same friends don’t know they broke up five months ago, and in the interest of keeping up appearances at their annual retreat in Maine, where the hostess Sabrina and their mutual friend Parth are planning to wed, Wyn and Harry must keep up the charade of their long-distance relationship and engagement. Happy Place swings back and forth between remembrances of summers and times past (Harry’s Happy Place) and Real Life, where ex-lovers are acting lovey-dovey and touchy-feely in front of their best friends while sharing a gorgeous master suite and behind closed doors, showering separately and one of them is sleeping on the floor.

The novel explores relationships of all types and how they change: college roommates grow up, get married, get pregnant, change majors and careers. Children become caregivers to widowed parents with Parkinsons. Friends hold onto resentments, keep secrets, betray and forgive. Harriet still isn’t clear on exactly why Wyn broke up with her–midway through her surgical residency in California, he returns home in Montana caring for his mother; they did live together briefly, but he was a shadow of himself, still fighting to hold minimum wage jobs while she was exhausted and never home.

Henry writes so evocatively. Throat-achingly full of Harriet’s and Wyn’s pain, angst and longing, she also made me feel the stickiness of the movie theatre floor at the cinema, the fuzzy edged world after a pot gummie, and the joy of a swim during the golden hour. She must have pages of details about Cleo, Sabrina, Harriet, Cleo’s wife Kimmy, Parth and Wyn that never even see the light of day. Each has a signature scent, a style, and a unique way of moving through the world that shows their individuality and similarities, the glue that holds them together, still. Having spent my life in New England, with many trips of Maine, she captures it’s appeal beautifully, and the story is masterfully, brilliantly plotted, with just enough tease to propel the reader forward to find out what really happened.

Sabrina, intent on making sure everybody has the best time ever at this last hurrah before her dad sells the vacation home, has a by-the-minute itinerary that schedules everything from grocery shopping to special surprise treats that speak to each one’s passion. Sabrina books studio time for Harry, whose newfound hobby of making pottery is a saving grace. Wyn shows up and Harry invites Wyn to take a turn at the wheel, and their conversation becomes a metaphor for their relationship. “You didn’t ruin it. We’re just changing the shape of it.” she tells him, summing up their struggle to remain friends with someone who was more than a friend from the moment they met.

I have two minor quibbles with the book, neither of which is with the author: there is sometimes repetitiveness in the way things are described (“creamy lobster rolls” pops up twice), which I chalk up to imprecise editing. I do not care for either the ebook or hardcover art, for which I lay fault with the art director–it’s too hot pink for New England, and poppy for the sadness within; Wyn is described with dark blond hair, and Harriet with dark and neither cover gets both right.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #HappyPlace from #NetGalley.

This book successfully passed my two personal markers for a great read: I devoured it in one sitting and I cried (an extreme rarity). If, like me, you loved Book Lovers, you will adore Emily Henry’s newest.

Happy Place is a second-chance romance novel told from the perspective of the painfully relatable Harriet, who spends the novel balancing on an emotional - and professional - fulcrum point as she contemplates what it means to truly be happy.

I adored the framework of the story. Rather than bouncing in time (in the way that People We Meet On Vacation does), the chapters in Happy Place bounce between Harriet’s real life and her various happy places. For me, these settings were the real highlight of the story as they not only set up the internal conflict of our main point-of-view character, but they also serve as the vehicle for introducing us to Harriet’s friends and family. The periphery cast of Happy Place is a joy to hang out with, everyone feels fully-realized and three-dimensional and her friends’ various existential crises that come with facing change all feel earned. True to Henry, the banter between all of the characters is top-notch and if I wanted anything more from this book, it’s more time with Cleo and Sabrina.

Generally speaking, I am not one for the second-chance/exes-to-lovers trope, but this one worked. Harriet and Wyn’s initial breakup felt inevitable, but not insurmountable. Portions of this novel ache under the weight of their mutual pining and regret and it’s impossible to not root for them to find their way back to each other. More importantly, it’s equally impossible not to root for them as individual characters: I cheered when Wyn confronted his insecurities and I cried with Harriet when she finally admits her struggle balancing personal happiness against the weight of expectation.

5/5 stars for this fun, relatable, and pining romance by Emily Henry. I have already started recommending it to my friends to pick up when it’s released.

My gratitude to NetGalley and to Penguin Publishing Group for an ARC to read in exchange for this honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy! For starters, Emily Henry books are simply wonderful and hard to put down. I never find any of her books to be over the top, cheesy, or cliché. I love friendship stories and really enjoyed the friendship dynamics between all the characters. Happy Place centers around a cottage trip in Maine where Harriet and Wyn alongside their group of best friends [Cleo, Kimmy, Sabrina, Parth] visit Sabrina’s cottage one more time before it sells.

Harriet and Wyn do not want to ruin the festivities by telling their friends they have broken up, so it’s silly and fun to see them “pretend” to be together and figure out their issues along the way. I really liked how Emily intertwined flashbacks into the story – I was rooting for Harriet and Wyn, so it was heartwarming to learn how they met and fell in love but also how all their friendships came to be. Emily investing in her story and characters resulted in well-developed story lines and real characters!

To me, Happy Place was truly more of a friendship story. I thought the second chance romance was a bonus. Maybe I have watched too many Friends episodes, but I visualized a Friends type dynamic with the witty banter while reading this. It can be difficult navigating a story with an ensemble cast of characters, but overall thought Emily did an amazing job creating genuine and *gasp* likeable characters! That does not always happen! At this point, Emily does not even need reviews for readers to pick up her books. Her previous books speak for themselves, and I am excited to see what she writes next! Thank you again to NetGalley for an arc, I feel very lucky!