Okay, I was terrified to read this book. Emily Henry’s books are some of my favorites, and from the reviews I’d seen online, Happy Place has been pretty polarizing. Now that I’ve finished it, I think I get it.

If you did not enjoy the timeline structure of People We Meet on Vacation, I’m confident that Happy Place is not for you. However, there are a few more qualifiers than that. I enjoyed Happy Place because I have my own wack-a-doodle friend group that has transcended time and space, but still suffers from growing pains. Henry’s writing about that felt so earnest, and it added a lot for me. If your friend group does not suffer from these ailments, you might read this book and think “get your shit together.”

I also really appreciated her depiction of depression in a long term relationship. It’s not alway fair, and it’s not always logical, and for me, that all felt very realistic.

Is this book for everyone? Nah. It’s not Emily Henry’s most universal book. But that didn’t stop me from loving the majority of it wholeheartedly.

Absolutely loved this one!! This was my first Emily Henry book and for sure won’t be my last. It pulled out all my emotions. I laughed and cried. Wyn was the perfect book boyfriend! Overall highly recommend!

this book was not my happy place. it was super cringe and the whole setup was dumb. would not recommend!

I read this in 24 hours because I just couldn’t put it down! This is for sure my new favorite of hers.

This is a book for anyone who’s loved someone and lost them, or for someone who’s grown up but still trying to find themselves, or someone who has memories with special people in special places that you can’t seem to let go of.

It’s a laugh out loud, cry some tears, & find where and who makes up your happy places. I won’t stop thinking about this one for awhile!!

This story is the mood I'm in this year. I thought Wynn and Harriet's love for each other was
so clear and real. I love to see how their relationship evolved in the flashbacks. It was such a
real portrayal of love not being enough even when you desperately want it to be and are not
quite sure why it isn't. It spoke to me on such a personal level the way they both sabotaged
their relationship in a tragic attempt to protect it. I just really related to Harriet on such a
personal level, there was no way for me to not love this book.

This is probably my favorite of Emily Henry's novels thus far. I loved the backdrop of Maine and all the characters just seemed so realistic. I also loved the concept that a "happy place" doesn't even need to be a place at all. You can have multiple happy places and make your own happy place. I'm eagerly awaiting Emily Henry's next book.

A fun beach read. I like to think of it as bubble gum for my brain. Super cute little story, very unrealistic but that's what makes these fun and enjoyable, right? Overall, good job!

Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for my advance copy. All opinions are my own!

Emily Henry's signature crisp prose and witty, sharp banter shine. Wyn and Harriet were both so clearly in love and so clearly hurt by life, by the growing pains of learning about themselves when pressed against loss and growth and fear. It was an angsty, emotionally raw road to their reconciliation, but I loved seeing them finally soften and be brave, opening up and working to communicate their fears and hopes and needs as individuals and as a couple. The secondary characters were also compelling and easy to love, and I appreciated seeing their growth and the reconciliation that their friend group arrived at, as well.

Not my favorite Emily Henry book but I enjoyed it. I hate when miscommunication is the primary thing keeping people apart. but I did enjoy the friendship aspect of the book.

This was my least favorite Emily Henry book thus far, though I'm still looking forward to reading her others. I just felt like every character was obnoxious and childish.

This was absolutely one of the best books I have ever read. I'm not sure how Emily Henry keeps outdoing herself, but she does! There was so much to love about this: the summery setting, the dual timelines, the friendship nostalgia, and the friends-to-lovers second-chance romance???? LOVED IT ALL. So good.

Harriet and Wyn have been together for years, and their friends see them as the perfect couple. There's just one problem, they broke up six months ago and haven't told anyone yet. So when they are invited on a friend's trip they have to pretend they are still together, while trying to control a strange mix of anger and lust. Meanwhile, their friends are going through some heavy stuff of their own, but Harriet and Wyn are too wrapped up in themselves to really notice.

I think I'm probably in the minority when I say this book was meh. I mean it was fine, a little depressing with a major side of poor communication and lies, but it was fine. It just didn't knock my socks off, and I kept waiting to care more about the characters, or stop being so frustrated about them causing their own drama, but it never really happened. I also expected a bit more com in this rom com, but I don't think I chuckled, chortled, or even cracked a smile once. All in all, not my favorite Emily Henry book.

I generally enjoy all Emily Henry, but this one fell a bit flat for me. I just wanted the characters to TALK to each other and it drove me crazy! Much more believable if they had been younger, but I just don't really buy it for characters in their 30s.

Can Emily Henry write a bad book? No, she cannot. Another amazing read that is a romance, but also totally not one in the best way. Her characters are so well thought out and realistic, I feel like they could be someone I know. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was given an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a fan of Emily Henry's since the week Beach Read was released, so it's no surprise that I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of Happy Place early. I came for the romance (and various tropes) and stayed for the friendship and setting.

Our protagonist and her five friends are spending one last vacation at the coastal home they've been visiting for the last 10 years. Oh, and she has to fake date her ex-fiance because her best friends can't know that they're no longer together. Of course, I really enjoyed the banter between Harriet and Wynn, but I also found myself getting emotional at times. Henry takes us through the trajectory of the relationship, which allows us to learn how they met, how they fell for each other, and how they ended things. It was beautiful and sad at the same time.

And of course, the setting was fantastic. If you read The Summer I Turned pretty as a kid and were obsessed with the beachy setting, then you might enjoy the coastal setting in Happy Place.

Really enjoyed this one. Looking forward to more work from Henry!

𝘚𝘪𝘹 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘔𝘊’𝘴, 𝘞𝘺𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥.

There was a lot to like about this book, but overall, this wasn't my favorite Emily Henry story and I didn't find myself feeling the feels that I've had with her other books.

What I loved: Emily Henry is a master of her craft. She has the most engaging, emotive, and atmospheric writing that really places you in the setting with the characters. The stories feel authentic and the dialogue is so natural and fun.

However, where it missed the mark for me was with the characters. I didn’t find myself caring for them or invested in their motives or relationships. Not to mention, the lack of communication amongst the friend group was super frustrating for characters in their 30’s.

But because this is such a character-driven story and I am a character driven reader, major props to Emily Henry for still keeping me engaged, even though I didn’t connect with that aspect.

So even though this is getting a lower rating from me (torn between 3 or 3.5 stars), I highly recommend you read this one and make a decision for yourself, because I know a lot of people who absolutely loved it. This one just wasnt for me.

I was invested in Harriet and Wyn right of the bat. Their banter was perfection. I also enjoyed the friendship between the 6 friends and seeing how that friendship changes and grows along with the changes and growth in their own lives. A really fun read!

I mean, it's Emily Henry, so what can be said? I love everything she writes, but HAPPY PLACE is my new favorite. At its core, it's a romance, but I also loved the realistic and empathetic pen Henry used to draw the friendships. They only get more complex as we get older and Henry expertly portrayed that. Harriet and Wyn were just heart-wrenching—the longing they both felt for each other was visceral, and I was rooting for them to figure themselves—and each other—out from page one. As always, a masterpiece.

What we’ve all come to expect from Emily Henry - well-drawn, relatable characters, sizzling banter, and all the feels. Just delightful in every way

First, a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Emily Henry does it again with Happy Place! Harriet and Wyn seem to be the perfect couple, the one their friends are certain were simply made to be together. But unbeknownst to said friends, the so called "perfect couple" broke up over five months ago. With their annual friend group trip to Maine coming up, Wyn and Harriet agree to pretend to still be together to avoid ruining the trip for their friends with any ensuing awkwardness. Henry switches scenes from the past to the present so seamlessly, readers will be swept into Harriet and Wyn's romance. Another stand out hit from Henry that will tug n readers' heartstrings in all the best ways.