Emily Henry you are everything to me and I will read everything you ever write from now until the end of time<3

Gosh I love second chance romances! This was pretty dang good. Harriet and Wyn had a great connection and the book was filled with love and friendship. Emily Henry did a great job with this.

emily henry is the unparalleled queen of banter and friend groups. does that make me miss the golden age of my life during which she was writing about both and also magic and also realism and also ya? sure. but i'll take it

there is angst and yearning here and that is really my only romance criteria!!

4.5 stars

Emily Henry has really come into her own as a writer. With the exception of "Book Lovers," I’ve now read all of her adult romance novels, and I do think "Happy Place" is her best yet.

Her story of a broken-up couple pretending to be together while vacationing with their friends is so amusing, so steamy, and so heartfelt that I couldn’t resist picking it up, even when I only had a handful of minutes to read. The couple at the center of the novel, Harriet and Wyn, have excellent chemistry, and though their love story is quite angsty, it’s not so overblown that it veers into unrealistic and annoying territory. (I do acknowledge, however, that Harriet is a bit of a handful.)

And as a bonus to the romance, we are also given an emotional story of friendship. Harriet and Wyn and their friends have lived life together, and now this joint life is changing and taking the couples in different directions. We’ve all experienced the sadness of transitioning friendships in some shape or form, and it’s clear that Henry has as well, because she writes the pain of it into the story. It’s beautifully done.

"Happy Place" is my new Emily Henry happy place. When I think of her or am asked about her writing, this is the book I will think of fondly.


My sincerest appreciation to Emily Henry, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

The book opens up with Harriet meeting her old friends at their annual getaway spot in Maine. This trip has been a tradition for 10 years and they always visit the same coastal beach home. Only this year is the first year she is attending without Wyn ... or at least that was the plan.

What I appreciate about Emily Henry novels are the flawed main characters. I like how raw they feel at times. The couple and their friends felt relatable and it definitely isn't all sunshine and rainbows with them. And the setting was *givinggg* in this book. I love being immersed in an atmospheric romance book.

I think my biggest gripe, although there are many, lies within the male main character, Wyn. His lack of communication (especially with his WIFE) was infuriating and left me completely annoyed by the end of the book. Not to mention, the conversation was lightly dusted over and unsatisfying. Another issue I had (and I had this in Book Lovers) is that the main couple in the book lacked chemistry and felt stale. And finally, I was bored reading it, especially during the "happy place" chapters. Had I not picked it up on a cross country flight I may have DNF'd.

I'm usually not one to deter people from reading a book, so if the tropes and premise sound interesting, then by all means pick it up!

Emily Henry hits a homerun again. This book gives you all the feels, the entire time. You're rooting for the couple, you're rooting for the friendships and you're secretly hoping that the house sale falls through or there's a surprise twist later, that one of the couples secretly bought the house. Anyway, I love how Emily Henry explores the complicated friendships and the slight misunderstandings that happen in everyday life. It doesn't hurt that there's supercharged romantic feelings involved. This was another book that was easy to devour!

Emily Henry books always seem to find me at the exact moment in life when I need them most. Her characters continue to be so real and relatable while thriving in this romcom environment she creates. Happy Place was of course no exception. It’s not an easy task to give readers a second chance romance from a single POV where both the character and the reader don’t know what went wrong in the relationship. I felt myself wanting to give in but also guard my heart right alongside Harriet throughout the whole book. I wanted to root for them and get to the bottom of everything so I could fix it myself. The friendships in this book were so wonderful, and such a great look at growing pains in adult relationships. The atmosphere of the vacation home and small scenic town were everything I adore about an Emily Henry book. I continue to be so blown away by her ability to write seemingly light hearted, summery romcoms that ultimately pack such a punch and make readers feel seen and understood in new ways every time.

Emily Henry knocked it out of the park again!
I know not everyone enjoys the jumping from past to present but I don't mind it and I think it helped tell this story!
I think that this will soon be on everyone's TBR list!

Happy Place by Emily Henry is a "second chance" romance between Wyn and Harriet, but also is a story of friendship. Harriet has found a "second family" with her college roommates, Cleo and Sabrina. Junior year, a law student named Parth joins their group, bringing his friend and roommate, Wyn Connor. Harriet and Wyn are instantly attracted to one another, and try to hold off on their feelings to keep their friendship group intact. When the group travels to Maine to Sabrina's father's cottage, the sparks fly and then ignite for Wyn and Harriet, making them a couple for the remainder of college, Harriet's medical school, and then her residency. When Wyn breaks their engagement, Harriet is devastated. Soon after, Sabrina issues their annual vacation invitation to the Maine cottage, and has placed Harriet and Wyn in the same room. Sabrina and Parth have announced that they will be getting married at the end of the week, and all they want is their small group of friends to celebrate with them. When Harriet and Wyn here this, they realize they must keep their own break-up secret, and they pretend to still be a couple until after their friend's ceremony.
What could go wrong?
What I liked: the friend group, and eventually the realization that life changes, needs change, and friendships adapt.
What I did not like: The ridiculous amount of drama that ensued due to total lack of communication, both with the friends group, and Harriet and Wyn. The ending was a bit unrealistic to me as well, but I am an admitted cynic. It could also be I read this when the weather was unseasonably cold and rainy, so I wasn't in the mood for a vacation read.
If you are an Emily Henry fan, you will probably enjoy this. I still like Book Lovers the best. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.

Happy Place is the newest rom-com written by Emily Henry. This novel is set in Maine and follows the friendship between six people who met in college a decade prior. Every year they've met for a week of fun and relaxation at a family waterfront home. That home is now being sold so the friends must come to terms with this being their last get-together at the location. However, the friends soon realize that they haven't been completely honest with each other and secrets are about to be revealed. I finished reading this book with a smile on my face! Read and enjoy!

Second chance romance from America's next contemporary romance sweetheart. Always a good time, but not my favorite tropes to sit and steep in this go around. I found the characters and attitude of the book came together well, however. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity with the title.

My favorite Emily Henry book to date! I really enjoyed this one on audio. I found myself emotional in parts which always ups my feelings for romance books. I loved Wyn and think he was a superb book boyfriend.

This book was perfect! I loved how it made me feel so many emotions at once. I fell in love with this friend group, with Maine and with Emily Henry all over again.

Another book by Emily Henry that fans have been waiting for and just in time for the summer reading season.

How successful will a previously engaged couple pretending to still be in love and engaged desire ending their engagement without telling anyone?
If you are looking for a light read this summer with romance and tension then look no further- this will be your summer read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘯!

She did it again, another fantastic read from Emily Henry, so I’m going to keep this short. You need to read this book! Loved every page.

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 by @emilyhenrywrites released April 25, 2023.

Thank you to Berkley, PRH Audio, LibroFM and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: family tensions, sick parent (Parkinson's), death of parent (on page, past), grief, depression, anxiety, claustrophobia (on page),

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-second chance
-found family
-only one bed
-forced proximity
-growing up is rough
-fake engagement
-dual timeline
-mutual pining

I just love the way Emily Henry writes, just tossing you into the story, the vivid descriptions. This book was just so much about adulting being hard and I found it so relatable. Harriet has a high pressure job becoming a doctor and has been looking forward to this vacation with her very best friends for a long time. Except when she shows up who else is there but her ex-fiance that no one else knows is her ex.

This book is second chance angst at its very finest. I loved the use of the dual timelines to see Harriet and Wyn's relationship and just the trajectory of all of the friendships in the group, how their lives intertwined, and how they got to now. Harriet was so type A, just not wanting to ruffle any feathers, just be there for her friends and family and not let anyone down. To the point where she stopped sharing things about herself with the people she loved.

I adored the tension between Wyn and Harriet. Their relationship gave just as many funny moments as it did angsty ones. And the comparison between their growth and changes with the friend groups and how your friendships change and grow as you et older. Your relationships with your parents, and just your expectations with yourself. Another beautifully written book that gave me so many feels. Highly recommend this one on audio, it truly added to the experience.

Steam: 3

This book was an emotional journey. I felt like I went on this story with Harriet throughout the entire book.

The book is mostly told in the "Real Life" with brief interludes to tell you about her "Happy Place" that get less and less throughout the story. We see long term friendships change and evolve. relationships fall apart (but no one else knows), and touchstone places in their lives begin to go away.

I felt so many emotions while reading this book. I felt for the moments of changing friendships and how it feels like you can't get back to the way things were before and how you stop telling people your moments. This book was really beautiful in a way that I wasn't expecting this romance to be. While I cared about the romance, there was so much more in this book I cared about more.

Ex-fiancés pretend to be together during their annual vacation with their best friends—in Emily Henry’s HAPPY PLACE.

Ever since they met in college, Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple—until recently, when Wyn dumped Harriet for reasons she stills struggles to understand. With fears the news will forever alter their group dynamic, they’ve kept it secret for months. Harriet is determined to break the news during their annual vacation to Maine—her happy place brimming with memories of times past. But when she arrives, Wyn is there too, and other surprises upend everything she’d planned.

What’s clear is that Harriet and Wyn can’t say a word, even if they must share a bedroom and pretend to be together. The dynamic between friends feels fraught with fragility, heavy with words unsaid, and emotions kept hidden from each other. It’s more important than ever that this week together be perfect, despite how painful it is for Harriet to be with the man she still loves.

As days tick by, that fragility buckles under the weight of intensifying uncomfortable moments, revealing just how estranged they’ve all become, and just how much they’ve all been keeping from each other. Harriet and Wyn can’t help but be drawn to each other, rousing more questions on the reasons for their breakup, and more importantly their future.

HAPPY PLACE imparts a heartwarming and relatable story about friends and lovers, and the growing pains that challenge the longevity of those relationships. Rich with whip-smart banter, emotion, and nostalgia, Emily Henry once again delivers an unputdownable story told in her brilliantly singular way. It’s wonderful.

Emily Henry books are like a warm hug

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since college, engaged and on their way to happily ever after. At least, that’s what their friends think. In reality, they’ve been broken up for six months and haven’t told any of their friends or family yet. When the two of them are reunited on their annual trip with their friends, they must fake still being together again until they can figure out how to break the news to their friends.

I think Emily Henry has really grown as an author: I wasn’t the biggest fan of her book Beach Read, but I’ve loved all her books since. My favorite thing about her books is the attention she pays to her characters and their personal growth. In Happy Place especially, it was two people who loved each other, dearly, but who needed to overcome their personal issues first (even issues they didn’t already realize they had).

There is definitely less of a focus on romance in this book, but that really didn’t bother me. I loved seeing the pieces of the relationship, how it all fell apart and then Harriet and Wyn do their best to see how they fit together again. I felt the friends were a wee bit of an afterthought, at times their interactions felt too far spaced and at times random. But overall I loved it, devoured it. I had thought I could no longer read in print form (I usually only listen to audiobooks now) but this book proved that my brain could still devour a book and it made me really happy.

Is it therapy or is it Emily Henry? Answer: Yes. I stayed up until 2am to finish this book and I cried my way through to the end. She's become an instant read for me.