It's unfortunate but Happy Place did not work for me like Emily Henry's earlier Romance books did. It doesn't make it a bad book though. The writing is as always sublime. Henry is able to write realistic characters with real life dialogues. The setting is once again beautiful and the group of friends is dynamic and fun.

What's missing here is the actual conflict. While we're swooping from Happy Place (the main character's past) to now, things change in the now which make the Happy Place obsolete. I understand what this book is about because it's very generational. It speaks to my generation to do what our heart tells us like many other gurus do as well.

This does not make for an all to interesting premise though.

Now... All that having been said, it was still a good read and I know a lot of people love it. I'm looking to forward to seeing what Emily Henry cooks up next!

The book was a treat to read. So well written with the perfect balance of angst, pining and heartache mixed in with simplistic beauty. The storytelling was seamless and the book was easy to get immersed in.
I loved Harriet & Wyn's story with each other and their group of friends. This book gave me all the emotions, all the feels and is a definite favourite.

Emily Henry is fast becoming a favourite author of mine and I truly look forward to what she writes next, there is no doubt that she is talented and knows how to construct a story well.

It seems like this summer's releases are all connected in some kind of way: a lot of them are about exes on vacation together. I loved the writing for Happy Place and didn't expect anything less from Emily Henry. The characters were pretty likeable as well, the story itself entertaining enough to keep me reading, even though it took me forever to finish this book simply because I read it on my Kindle app and that wasn't comfortable. So I waited until our library's copy finally arrived and switched to that. I had to get used to the flashbacks, really seeing them as those without being completely confused. Also liked this variety of the diversity of the characters involved, the topics they dealt with. The main thing that bothered me was that Harriet got blamed for being a good girlfriend and actually felt sorry for the way she behaved, why she and Wyn fell off, though she did nothing wrong and Wyn should be the one to feel sorry. I didn't like that mind game at all, didn't like the way she was portrayed as the reason he ended things and how she should have been a better support etc. She was! Why would the author choose to blame only her? Nah! Fans will still love this one and I liked it, but it definitely wasn't my favorite.

I was really excited for this book as I really enjoyed Book lovers as I felt the character were representative of real people. I didn’t find this to be the case with Happy Place.

The whole precise of this book was miscommunication between a group of “best friends”, which personally I didn’t care for. I also found some of the side-character to be very immature and 2D.

Overall I would say this isn’t her strongest work. However If you enjoy romance books and are a fan of Henry’s banter and wit give this one a try.

I'm afraid I didn't meet the deadline for reading this one, although I enjoyed the opening immensely and plan to buy a copy. Apologies.

Absolutely ADORED this book! The e-copy was so badly formatted that I had to wait to borrow it from the library, but it was so worth the wait.
Wyn and Harriet were such a good couple and it was so interesting to find out their story.

Happy Place is my favourite of Emily Henry’s books to date. I loved the story of the romance, the setting and the evolving friendships within the group of friends and between Wyn and Harriet. I read in almost one sitting and can’t wait for Emily’s next book

My favourite Emily Henry book yet, she has a way of making you love every couple she creates. I could feel the chemistry at all times, and loved every moment!

This book left me wondering if it's right to call it a rom-com or I was reading a more complex, multi layered story that made me laugh, root for the characters, but also reflect on friendship and communication ?
This is a compelling and entertaining novel, tightly knitted and fast paced.
I was hooked since the first chapter and couldn't stop reading.
It's heartwarming, entertaining, and it confirm my idea that Ms Henry is a very talented storyteller.
So go and read it because it's an excellent read.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I have never been a fan of the miscommunication trope or second-chance romances but this book flipped my view upside down. I only picked this book up because Emily Henry has never failed me in delivering a great romance book with unexpected depth. This book was no different. Even though it was not the type of book I would usually go for the characters and the found family trope made it so much more enjoyable. The friendships that were portrayed in Happy Place seemed so real that, as a reader, I have felt like I belong within that universe. It is the perfect book to read when You feel sad, lonely, or are simply in need of a Friend

Just when you think that rom-coms are all a bit formulaic and nothing could surprise you, then Emily Henry decides to write her best book to date. Not just funny and witty, but also with themes of mental health and grief, this is a book that will play on your heartstrings and make you believe in love again; a love with flaws and ups and downs, and ins and outs. Read this for its reality and the beauty of what it means to be your truest self with the people you love.

I love everything Emily Henry writes, so I was head over heels when I received this arc in my email. I started reading it right away and, even if life got in the way and I couldn’t finish it as soon as I would have liked, I still ended up loving it, to the surprise of absolutely no one. I loved the setting, beach houses have such a romantic and cozy vibe, and the friend group was just amazing. Each time I start reading an Emily Henry book, I already know that I will fall in love with the secondary characters, and it was the same this time. Harriet’s friends are just the best, each with their own quirks and peculiarity, and the love they had for each other was palpable in every page. And the love story… Well, let’s just say that I lived for the beginning of Harriet and Wyn’s love story, the tension, the attraction, the way they started catching feelings, and I adored watching them realise that they weren’t and just couldn’t be over each other and rebuilt their relationship even stronger than it was before. The writing was exceptional as always. This book cemented Emily Henry in the top 3 of my favorite romance writers of all times and I can’t wait to read whatever she’ll come up with next! I can’t thank Penguin UK enough for providing me with this amazing arc!

The whole premise of this book is my least favourite trope, miscommunication. This story was just crying out for everybody to just talk to each other. The perfect couple breaking up because neither of them spoke to each other about anything important. This plus a group of friends who are constantly lying and coming up with elaborate plans to save their friendships instead of talking to these people who have supposedly been best friends for years was just frustrating. I also didn’t feel much chemistry between Harriet and Wyn and none of the characters acted like they were in their 30s. That being said this was still a fun and easy summer read and I was rooting for everyone to kiss and make up. The scene setting is also done beautifully and I desperately want a holiday in that house. I definitely preferred book lovers but I would still read more of Emily’s work.

3.5 rounded up to 4

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Another knockout from Henry, as I would expect! Warm, sexy, and simmering with that summer feeling I love in all my summer reads.

I was sooo happy when I got approved for this book since Beach Read is on of my favourite books.
Unfortunately Happy Place just didn't hit the spot for me. Both Protagonists seemed very one dimensional to me and I didn't find myself rooting for or even care about their relationship. If this wasn't an Emily Henry book I think I would've DNFd. From what I've seen other people say I am in the minority though which I'm happy about.
Either way, I'm still going to pick up her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC, however I've come to the conclusion that Emily Henry isn't quite for me. I really like her writing style but her stories are a bit too predictable to me and there are too many stereotypes.

Yet another fun book by Henry. Not my favourite of her, the setup, not telling their friends about their breakup is already a bit unbelievable. But when you go with it it's still enjoyable.

I went in expecting instant love not (like I experienced with ALL Henry's other books... But what I got was a bunch of 30 years acting like teenagers. Like all they had to do was actually bloomin' talk to each other 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

.....so GUTTED!!

I loved this book so much..Emily Henry is a favourite author of mine so I knew this would be amazing.

Harriet and Wyn had been together for years but broke up months ago and no one knows. And now, they have to share a room for their last trip in Harriet's happy place, the family vacation home of one of her best friends. And nothing is less easy.

After having loved Book Lovers, I was expecting a lot from this. I can't lie, this was a bit of a let down. Obviously, I didn't hate it but it fell a bit flat for me. I didn't fall for the main characters, they didn't enthrall me. Some of the banter was good and some of the main characters' traits reminded me a bit of my girlfriend and me but that was the highlight for me. Overall, I was more interested in Harriet's relationships with her friends and the friend group dynamics than the romance which is a shame for a romance novel.
So, basically, it was okay, I was just expecting more but i'm still looking forward to Emily Henry's next book.