thoroughly enjoyed this book! this spoke to me in ways i can't even explain. it felt real and raw and i felt so many emotions while reading it. i understood the friendship dynamics and the craziness of general life!
i would give more than 5 stars if i could!
fantastic look forward to more from this author

I loved this book! This was the second time I’d read it as I read it so fast the first time nothing stuck except for the fact I loved it.

It’s quite different to Emily Henry’s previous books, more melancholy and introspective. It is one of the few romcom books that has kept me guessing until the very last chapter.

There is enormous amount of emotion in this book, from friends, lovers and parents and Emily Henry hits the nail on the head every time - it’s written so beautifully.

I cannot recommend this enough!

The biggest thank you to Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business for early access to my most anticipated release of 2023.

To be quite honest, every time Emily Henry announces her new title, as excited I get, I get a mirroring sense of nervousness. Will this title be a major flop? Will this be the first Emily Henry title that just isn't my jam? I can let out a sigh of relief and say that this is another home run for Henry. Though, are we surprised?

I don't how what otherworldly being Henry made a pact with to ensure each of her titles are better than the last but they are. Henry's skill is continuously cultivated into a masterly level and I hope Henry's novels never reach the ceiling.

The romance plot of Henry's novels are simply spectacular but what gets better each time to transform the story into something ethereal is the growth and dedication Henry spends on building the side characters you could get to know off the page. Each character feels like an entire person with flaws and feelings. Their relationship with each group member feels authentic and brings out the best of each member. What I would do to have such amazing friends.

I've seen chatter about the miscommunication trope in Happy Place, and while it's not a trope I am particularly fond of, the character dynamics of Wyn and Harriet and the skilled character development of their opposing personalities and life experience, would lead to their relationship struggles quite naturally instead of feeling that miscommunication needs to be added in to move the plot along.

I absolutely adored Happy Place and I am ready for what's to come next year :) Thank you again!

Poignant writing but not overdone. Emily Henry is a formidable writer and manages to write beautiful stories with relatable characters that appeal to a wide range of readers. Highly recommend.

Happy Place by Emily Henry is a romance masterpiece. Harriet has been keeping a secret from her friends Sabrina, Cleo, Parth and Kimmy. Every year they take a holiday together and on Harriet’s arrival she gets the shock of her life when her ex-boyfriend Wynn turns up. Surprise! This trip is a special one, the last one at the house and two of the friends are getting married in a small ceremony with just the friends group. To not mess up the weekend Harriet and Wynn agree to pretend they are still together to keep up appearances and not tell the group about the break up until the end of the trip.

I loved that this book had a lot of tropes – from found family, to one bed, to fake dating. I absolutely enjoyed the found family trope and the timelines from the past to now. I was 100% invested in the story and didn’t want to stop turning the kindle pages to find out how everything would end. This is my first Emily Henry read and now I need to go and read her previous books.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin General UK for a copy of this book for my honest review.

This book was absolutely amazing. I didn’t want to put it down.
I loved each and every moment and the characters were relatable
4 stars

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Another e-arc from Netgalley

After reading A Thousand Boy Kisses and being utterly broken, I knew I needed something the complete opposite.

So it was an obvious choice when I remembered I had a backlog of Netgalley books to read

Emily Henry is my comfort read.

Harriet and Wyn have always been the perfect couple. The ones their friends look at and aspire to be.

Called to have one last holiday with their friendship group, Harriet and Wyn haven't yet told their friends that they broke up... 6 months ago.

Determined to give the cottage one last hurrah, they vow to pretend they're still a couple for one final week. Fake dating trope at its finest!

Will they last the week without everyone finding out? Can they deny how they truly feel?

It's definitely one of my favourites (I think I said that about her last book too)

Cannot wait to see what they write next

This book was amazing. The characters were so real and relatable. This book wasn’t just a love story, it was about friendships, and growing up, and not knowing what to do with your life. It was just such an easy and cozy read, and I feel like I read it at the perfect time in my life. Plus I loved the coastal New England setting. If you love Emily Henry then you’ll love this.

This took a VERY long time to finish and several different attempts, and even thoughts of putting it back on my shelf.

The first half of the book is very slow as the story progresses. But, along the way, we get a deep insight into each of the characters. What drives them, what tips them off, who they are, their fears. It all comes together in the end. Full circle.

If anyone goes into this book thinking it’s a romance novel, you’ll b disappointed. This is a story about broken people. Searching for meaning, fostering friendships and relationships. Finding happiness in your career, in yourself, your life path. Difficult family and sibling relationships. It’s so much more than any of Emily’s previous books. So much more mature and grown up.

Emily Henry books are always delightful reads, this one especially so.

Harriet and Wyn are THE perfect couple, meeting up every year in their Happy Place with their special friends, only this year is the last time there as the cottage is being sold, what their friends also don’t know is they are no longer together, let the lying commence…

The friendship dynamic is heartening, struggles keeping in touch through college/uni, even though they’re all in different parts of the country but still being there for each other.
Rooting for Harriet and Wyn to get back together as the chemistry was always there.
I fell in love with every character and felt I was there with them during the festivities by the sea, my happy place.
Love the message having to heal and love yourself before you can fully invest in a relationship.
A fab beach read.

loved this so so much. would definitely hand-sell and add to my staff recommendations. will probably go buy a hard copy when out because this was honestly amazing. normally have a little trouble getting into books but this was perfection.

Emily Henry is the queen of romance , this one surprised me though !!

It gave us all the classic Emily feels but also touched on some pretty heavy subjects ?

I’m counting the days until Miss Emily graces us with a new release 😂🙌🏽

Emily Henry sets the bar very high, but clears it effortlessly every time. I loved Harriet and Wyn's story - the reasons they broke up felt real and insurmountable. You know that Emily will get you there in the end, but you keep wondering how on earth she will square the circle so these two can have their happy-ever- after.

A winner from a writer who's fast becoming one of the all-time best in her genre. Bravo!

Emily Henry never lets me down. I was really into Harriet and Wynn’s dynamic, the friendship group and the setting. I wished that there was less miscommunication but that aside I enjoyed the storyline.

Emily Henry didn't disappoint. A really great read. I loved the different layers each relationship had, and the bond of the friendship that rode insecurities and second guessing was fascinating and kept me hooked from start to finish. Definitely one for the summer book shelf!

Oh my good lord, Emily Henry has done it again and punched me directly in the feels. I am not exaggerating when I say my heart ACHED throughout the whole of this book from start to finish. Yet I could not put it down! I don’t think this woman is capable of writing a bad book!

I think I might have come to the conclusion that Emily Henry and I will never be a perfect match when it comes to her books. There's nothing inherently wrong with the story, but it just wasn't for me.

I can honestly say that Emily Henry is one of my favourite authors ever. When I read the excerpt of Happy Place it became one of my most anticipated reads for 2023 and I’m so lucky and grateful that I was sent a copy. I always know that anything written by her will tug my heartstrings and make me feel a multitude of emotions. Happy place was no different. We explore the broken relationship of Wyn and Harriet and what led them to be where they are in the present. The layout reminded me of you and me on vacation, as we flitted about between the different timelines. I personally like that in some books as it keeps the intrigue up. As well as following their story and reconnection we look at their ties to their close friends and follow their troubles and relationships.

To me, what Emily Henry does well is her characters. They always have a lot of complexities and feel like real people. The romance can sometimes be secondary to the friendships and I think that can be refreshing in the romance genre. To show that love isn’t just about romantic love but the love we have for our family and friends too. I adored Harriet and the groups friendships, the evolution as they aged and what happens as we grow up and our priorities begin to shift.

Overall this was another 5 star read and I cannot wait to see what Emily Henry comes up with next!

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!
EMILY HENRY HAS DONE IT AGAIN
I LOVE HER AND THIS MADE ME CRY SO MUCH, I WILL BE BUYING THIS FOR ALL OF MY GIRLFRIENDS ASAP

The title and cover of this book made me think, light-hearted romcom. That couldn't be further from the truth. This book is so much more than that. It broke my heart before putting it back together again. It's a story about the rare friends you make who become family. It's about memories and decisions and grief. Most of all it's about love. Messy, complicated, confusing love.

A truly beautiful story that absolutely captivated me and will become one of my firm favourites.