I really enjoyed this book, maybe not quite as much as Book Lovers but it was a great story with really brilliant characters. I really liked the storyline too, I liked the time jumps which kept you guessing about the details of the backstory.

emily henry is THE mainstream romance author i would defend to death - not a single one of her romances so far have been a miss, and this is not an exception. her characters, like always, are startlingly and refreshingly realistic - throwing them together in this particular scenario quite literally makes me want to scream. their backstory and insecurities are so real, and only adds to how invested i get.

I read this all the way back in November but I didn't review it then because I didn't love it, in fact I felt distinctly lukewarm about it, and that's such an odd way for me to feel about this author I had to let my feelings percolate a while! I had a strange year for reading last year - a MUCH higher rate of DNF than usual, and virtually all eagerly awaited book releases missed the mark for me completely (Book Lovers being a rare exception). So I think taking all of that into account, plus the fact that structurally this book is similar to People We Meet On Vacation - two timelines, the present and vacations (or happy places in this case) from the past, not necessarily in chronological order, leading back up to the current timeline - which I didn't love either, it was definitely me not the book!

All of that coupled with the fact I wanted to shake Harriet (be proactive!) and slap Wyn (it was a small thing but as soon as he was described as always having to have a hand on her or in her back pocket or whatever my brain said 'absolutely not, back off sparky' and I wanted to punch him!) meant it just didn't quite hit the spot for me. But because Emily Henry is a genius and nobody writes better romances than her, I found myself swept along and rooting for them despite myself! I do think if PWMOV is your favourite Emily Henry this will appeal a bit more, but it's a good solid romance that will have mass appeal.

It's official, Happy Place has made it to my favourites shelf 😍💫

This was one of the easiest 5⭐ reads I've ever given. I don't think I've read such a relatable romance book before but wow this book. Everything was resonating with me, I couldn't stop underlining passages or giggling or crying, my heart was clenching and unclenching constantly.

I think there's something so wonderful and innately human about all of Emily Henry's characters, but especially the ones in this book. I feel as though I am them or have known them my whole life, like they are people who actually walk our earth rather than existing between the pages.

If you've read any other of Emily's books (maybe you liked them, maybe you didn't) believe me that you will regret it if you do not read Happy Place. This is a masterpiece of a book, and I will be putting it into any and every customer's hands for the foreseeable.

Can you tell how much I love it?

Harriet and Wyn, who broke up six months ago, pretend to still be together during their annual holiday with friends at a cottage that is up for sale. They struggle to keep up the act and wonder if this holiday will change everything.

-Thoughts
One thing that I absolutely love about Henry’s writing style is that no matter the plot difference, the character differences and just the overall differences in her books they feel familiar to each other. But not in a way that feels like they are a different font of the same story but instead that they feel comfortingly familiar, gripping you in from the very first page and this one was no different to that.

The thing that stood out the most to me in this one was the friendships, of course we all love a good romance but I absolutely adored the relationships between friends and how their friendship group evolved as they got older, how it was easier to feel more disconnected from each other but ultimately how the connections they had with each other were still just as strong underneath the life stuff.

Everyone knows I love a multiple timeline book and I thought it worked really well in this one to show us the friendship/relationship dynamics more quickly and feel more connected with the characters

Overall I think this book has the most depth of all of her books so far; I think it’s relatable and thought provoking and demonstrates the self growth required to become an actual adult and all the confusion that brings really well. Overall a really enjoyable read!

1. It’s Emily Henry - you know you’ll love it.
2. If you don’t know who Emily Henry is, then you’re about to know because this is perfect to dive into!

something joyful ✨I really loved this book! Full of some of my fave romance tropes, fake dating, second chance romance, forced proximity… #HappyPlace is perfect if you love any of these! I especially loved the way the chapters were split up into ‘Happy Place’, ‘Real Life’, and ‘Dark Place’ and there were lots of moments throughout that made me giggle! Definitely one to pick up (and I think perfect reading for a summer holiday!) Thank you to NetGalley and @vikingbooksuk for the advance copy!

This book was amazing! I expected to love it and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I read two of the three other books of her and I loved those two. But this one is taking the top as fave for the moment.
Harriet and Wyn are so intriguing main characters. It’s all told out of Harriets perspective and that makes for all the more tension. They broke up but haven’t told anyone yet. But then they both get invited to their friend groups yearly getaway. Can they keep pretending to still be together. That aspect brought so much tension between the two of them and I loved it. Seeing them still act like lovers even though they broke up. The interactions with the friend group were also so fun to read as they seem like such an amazing bunch. The book also included lots of flashbacks to when they were still together and how their relationship came to be. Definitely recommend this book so much if you loved Emily Henry’s books before.

Omg! She's done it again!!!! I love second chance romances and her writing style keeps getting better and better!!!

I’ve had mixed experiences with Emily Henry's books in the past. I LOVED Beach Read, I liked You and Me on Vacation and then I found Book Lovers underwhelming.

I was nervous to pick up Happy Place because second-chance romance isn’t my favouirite trope, but this more than exceeded my expectations.

I thought the two main characters had great chemistry, and I loved the banter.

I also really appreciated the realistic friendship group that Emily Henry created and the way this talked about the difficulties of maintaining friendships as an adult. I felt like I was reading about real people and I almost cried towards the end because I felt so emotionally invested.

This book was AMAZING!!
I was really excited when I got this ARC and I couldn't wait to start reading! It did not disappoint! Everything I've read from Emily Henry so far was really good!

While reading the synopsis I thought it was supposed to be a rom-com, but it's definitely not. This book broke my heart, but it was definitely worth it! Thank goodness I chose to read it at night, because I couldn't stop crying.
The main characters, Harriet and Wyn, are so real and the difficulties they had in their relationship is something that a lot of couples go through every day.
I just loved them and I felt like I was in their places. There were so many emotions involved! And it was really interesting to see the progress they both made and that they were able to find themselves and do whatever made them happy!
The side characters were perfect as well
They made the perfect found family!

I would definitely recommend this book!! It will make you cry, that's for sure, but it's definitely worth it!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I was beyond excited to be granted this review copy!

Harriet and Wyn have broken off their engagement, they just haven’t told their best friends yet and when they are both invited to a week-long holiday in celebration of their friends’ wedding, they are just going to have to pretend to still be together.

This is a story about love, obviously, but it is also a story about friendship. About changing relationships when you grow up, about melancholy and the work you have to put in to keep your friendship, and your relationship good.

The perfect book for a sunny afternoon!

Harriet, Cleo & Sabrina have been best friends for years. Each year they holiday together at Sabrina's parents summer home.

When Harriet met Wyn everyone thought they were the perfect couple but they broke up months ago and haven't told their friends. Now they are all on holiday together and the former couple have to hide their secret. Can they pull off their fake romance or will they rediscover those lost feelings?

Romance at its best with some really witty laugh out loud moments.

Chapters alternate between 'Happy Place' (then) and 'Real Life' (now).

This is the second book I have read by Emily Henry and I will definitely read more. She has a really fabulous  writing style with such warm characters that you can't help falling in love with.

Truly heartwarming, heartbreaking and hilarious all rolled into one.

Oh, and I adored Wyn! He's probably one of my favourite leading men now. 💗

Thank you so much to the publishers and the author for an ARC and to netgalley for being such an amazing place to discover new favourite authors.

Happy Place by Emily Henry is fantastic! I have enjoyed all of Henry’s books but I think this might be my favourite. Harriet and Wyn have joined their closest friends for one last holiday at their friend Sabrina’s cottage before her father sells it. This is their happy place, well it usually is but Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago and they’ve not told their friends. They now have to pretend to be in love for a week when they haven’t spoken in months.
I think this book is perfect for this time of year, the holiday vibe is so good when we are all starting to think about summer and the days are warming up. It was one of my favourite aspects of the book, Henry really captures that nostalgic feel of long days spent in the sun with your favourite people.
Harriet and Wyn are both great characters and the tension between them is brilliant. I loved how Henry keeps us guessing about their relationship, just giving you the odd bit of information and leaving you wanting more. The other characters are great too and they keep the pace going as they each have their own separate story line.
I feel like Emily Henry has her own little genre going on, I can’t think of anyone I would compare her to. She is so good at really getting deep with her characters whilst still keeping the romance and humour whilst avoiding the many cliches that could be included. I would highly recommend this one, it would be a great holiday or long weekend read.

This is one you do not want to miss!
Perfectly crafted, multi layered characters and a plot line worthy of a mini series. I love the way Emily Henry writes, she draws you in and makes you feel part of the story.

Having adored Book Lovers, I’ve been looking forward to reading Emily Henry’s newest delightful release, Happy Place.

“Think of your happy place, the cool voice in my ear instructs….Sunlight, everywhere. Not just on my bare shoulders or the crown of my head, but inside me too, the irresistible warmth that comes only from being in the exact right place with the exact right people.”

Harriet is excited to be joining her best friends, Sabrina and Cleo in her ‘happy place’. Every year, since they met in college, the trio have gathered at a vacation home owned by Sabrina’s father in Maine, joined in time by their respective partners, Wyn, Parth and Kimmy. Now that the three friends all live in different cities the tradition is more important than ever to Harriet, but she’s been keeping a secret that she worries could ruin it all.
Six months ago, she and Wyn ended their ten year relationship but haven’t yet told anyone. Harriet plans to break the news when she arrives sans Wyn, who has agreed to make his excuses, but Sabrina has a surprise or two for Harriet of her own. Reluctant to spoil the occasion Harriet and Wyn agree to pretend they are still a couple, a tortuous proposition for Harriet who was crushed by their break-up, but she’s willing to do anything to stay in her happy place.

I really enjoyed Harriet and Wyn as a couple, there is plenty of chemistry between them in the present, despite the awkwardness of their reunion. A series of flashbacks reveal the history of their relationship, from their first meeting to the moment it ended. I was invested in understanding why they broke up, and felt for them both as those reasons, including insecurity, miscommunication, family expectations, and depression, became apparent. There are several recognisable romantic tropes at play such as second-chance romance, forced proximity, and fake dating but they are well executed.

The portrayal of the friendship group is a real delight, even as the week progresses and some strain begins to show. The dynamic of the relationship between Harriet, Sabrina and Cleo became as important to me as the feature romance. I particularly liked that Henry addressed how friendship changes over time, and how important it is to let it.

A joy to read, though both romantic and funny, Happy Place is also a heartfelt story exploring friendship, family, self-determination, and love.

Emily Henry never misses! I am in awe with the way she writes her characters (not just the main ones but side characters as well!), the way they’re trying to navigate through life feels incredibly realistic.

“Happy Place” is where a close knit group of friends became three couples and where one couple spring a surprise wedding, another couple hide their breakup and the final couple hide their secret.
I loved Emily’s style of writing, she made the reader feel part of the story and feel the emotional disruption. The structure of the story meant that we understood the the background history of the friendships through flashbacks and gradual reveals. we are continually hit with the uncertainty of the direction the couples will take..should they recouple to find their Happy Place, should they marry to keep their Happy Place, should one couple return home to their Happy Place?
I became so involved in this book that I became an emotional wreck, urging everyone to find their Happy Place.; not many books have had that effect!
A wonderful story not to be missed.

Ugh, this beautiful, beautiful book. Emily Henry really knows how to weave stunning tales full of heart and hope and love, and leave me wanting more.

Second-chance romance is not often a trope I gravitate towards; however, when I discovered Emily Henry's next book was going to be focused on previously engaged Harriet and Wyn, I knew I needed it. These characters were so relatable and realistic. I truly felt everything that Harriet goes through and spent the entire book reminiscing over her happy place and wishing she could return to that feeling.

Wyn, oh Wyn. There is something about Henry's leading males that just makes me want to sigh happily. Wyn is the charming yet insecure boy next door. He's perfectly flawed, full of witty banter, and so damn swoon-worthy.

And the group of friends? I want. This book is basically a big hug and I want to become friends with these characters.

I really don't have any more words for how much I loved this book. It's all just warm, fuzzy feelings and happy tears. As I mentioned before, this book is a big hug and I can only hope this review conveys the big return hug I want to give Emily Henry.

I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys Henry's other books, contemporary romances, or rom-com stories full of heart.

Another brilliant romance from Emily. She had me rooting for everyone to find their happy endings and kept me on my toes waiting to see how it would unfold. Lots smiles, laughs and heart bursting feels throughout! Will be back for more of her novels!