Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC! Emily Henry's latest is a fake dating, second chance romance, friendship extravaganza! We follow Harriet as she journeys across the country to Maine for a vacation in the sun with her best friends. She also plans to break the news that she and her fiancee, Wyn, have split up, except once she gets there, complications arise that keep her from confessing the truth. Not only that, she must now pretend that her feelings for Wyn are as strong as ever (and they just might be). While I found myself frustrated with Harriet and her lack of communication, I do know how hard it can be to be honest with your loved ones, and I found her relationships authentic (as well as the wide cast of characters). While I feel that the tone of Happy Place is different from Henry's literary romances more melancholic, the relationships and love story are sure to please fans.

Harriett and Wyn have loved each other it seems forever, As they finish college and Wyn moved to be with Harriett as she studies to be a surgeon their life starts off sweet but as times go by the toil of her intense hours and Wyn trying to stay afloat with somewhat mediocre jobs and dealing with several family tragedies brings Wyn to break up with her and not at all in good way. So begins this novel as the ex couple who broke up five months ago is drawn back together by their friends for one last summer excursion in Sabrina family summer home. Unbeknownst to the rest of their friends no one not even their family knows they are broken up. Both end up at the vacation home with their friends pretended to still be together. As they navigate and try not to pretend with their friends we find out backstory of both individuals of how they ended up broken up and what truly is their happy place.

Emily Henry is basically an author you can count on to write a story full of people you like and a plot you feel good about to the very end. At my library we no longer discuss it, when she has a new book, it gets ordered without question.

My favorite author knocks out of the park with a sweet romance between best friends in HAPPY PLACE. Every year a tight-knit group of friends meet at a lodge in Maine. Only this year there are some drastic changes. What happens?

Harriet and Wyn who are engaged have broken up. Their best friends haven't a clue and they intend to keep it that way. However, Wyn and Harriet are constantly thrown together. Is it fate telling them that they are perfect for each other?

Wyn and Harriet are magnetically drawn to one another, so it's not hard putting on a front for their friends. They learn that the cottage is up for sale. Where will they all meet next year?

HAPPY PLACE is a shining example of the true bonds of friendship. Ms. Henry is a master of witty quips, irresistible characters, emotional bonds and real struggles. When a group of best friends meet at their favorite cabin for a retreat, major changes are ahead. Wyn and Harriet aren't together anymore, but the rest of the group doesn't know. Also, their favorite meeting place is up for sale. Is this the end of an era? Ms. Henry's stories are charming, complex and very satisfying. This is a soul warming novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don't know how people can still turn their noses up at romance as a genre when Emily Henry is sitting right there.

Happy Place emptied my cup filled it back up, and then some. Emily Henry must be a such keen observer because otherwise, I can't explain how she manages to create such real characters and settings. I loved all of her previous books - each one has something special, but Happy Place takes it to another level. You can feel yourself in Knott's Harbor and you can picture each essential piece of this friend group like you're there making s'mores with them.

This book has such a melancholy feel, but in a good way, if that means anything. It encapsulates the feeling you get when you leave summer camp - intense, and sad but completely changed in the best way. That's a poor analogy, but it's the best I've got because my head is still with Harriet and Wyn. Do yourself the biggest favor this year, and read Happy Place.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of "Happy Place". "Book Lovers" was one of my favourite reads of 2022 and when I found out Emily Henry had a new book coming out I absolutely couldn’t wait to read it - and it did not disappoint. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t put it down.

Harriet and Wyn are forced to pretend they’re still dating when their annual friends trip to Maine rolls around and they still haven’t told anyone they broke up 5 months ago. The story is told alternating between past and present, so in the past we get to see them go from friends to lovers to exes while in the present we get a second chance romance with fake dating and one bed.

There is no doubt in my mind that Harriet and Wyn are absolutely made for each other and it was so clear throughout this whole book that they love each other deeply, despite their breakup. It was the best kind of torture to see them go through all of this and be rooting for them to get back together.

This book would not be the same without the whole friend group. Sabrina, Parth, Cleo, and Kimmy have such different personalities that fit together so well. You can feel how connected they are and how well they know each other after so many years of friendship. They have a great time when they’re all together and "Happy Place" is about them as much as it is Harriet and Wyn.

As someone who usually picks up rom com style romances, this was a different tone than I’m used to. While I would still classify it as a romance, it also focuses heavily on friendship and growing up without growing apart.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think anything will top Beach Read for me, but Happy Place comes pretty close. It's absolutely my second-favorite Emily Henry novel. I love second-chance romances and the angst that ensues because of it and Harriet/Wyn's story was perfect (I also think it's my favorite depiction of the "fake dating" trope).

For anyone else who can't help but associate Emily Henry's books with Taylor Swift, to me this book felt like a combination of Folklore/Midnights (with a strong emphasis on Hits Different, Maroon, Mirrorball, and This is Me Trying).

I've seen a lot of comparisons between this book and People We Meet on Vacation and structurally I agree as the jumping between past/present and the mystery surrounding why Harriet and Wyn broke up was very reminiscent of Poppy and Alex's story. However, I think tonally this book is closer to Beach Read. There's a lot of melancholy and heavier moments in this book that felt similar to Beach Read. While the romance is central, this book also focuses a lot on the characters' personal journeys (particularly Harriet as she's the narrator). This is something Emily Henry does well in all of her romances and why her books are my favorite. Harriet may have overtaken January as the Emily Henry protagonist I relate to the most (a future Beach Read reread will settle this in my brain) as she's a fellow overthinking, anxious, and conflict-avoidant person and there were a lot of moments with her (particularly at the end) that I related to so deeply in terms of how I process emotions/handle things. I even connected with her on such a deep level that I was as oblivious as she was to the problems she was causing. I also connected a lot with Wyn though I don't think he has overtaken Gus in my personal ranking of Emily Henry love interests.

This book also places a strong emphasis on friendship. All of the members of the friend group felt real and three-dimensional which is impressive because sometimes side-characters in romance books don't feel all that important. I was equally invested in the friendships as well as the romance and I loved their "found family" feel. I was also impressed that they all genuinely felt like friends, not just "three friends and their significant others" which can sometimes be how these dynamics turn out. The melancholy tone extends to this friend group as a major theme of this story is how relationships change over time - basically everyone this tightknit friend group are going through major life changes and it's clear that they're not exactly the same people they were when they met in college (I couldn't help but think of the Lizzy McAlpine lyric "Everything changes, what a shame" the entire time while reading). It's a theme that I think will particularly resonate with people in their late-20s/30s.

Overall, like all of Emily Henry's books, Happy Place is top-notch contemporary romance but also, like all of Emily Henry's books, enjoyment and where this will land in personal rankings is very subjective (this is second place for me). If you're a fan of her writing, you'll find something to enjoy here even if it's not your personal favorite as it feels quintessentially Emily Henry.

Review as posted on Goodreads:

Thank you so much to Berkley for a NetGalley ARC in exchange for a review!

Happy Place follows Harriet and Wyn, an ex-couple who used to be engaged but secretly broke up 6 months ago and told no one else. However, now that the Maine cottage where their friends have spent many summers at is for sale, Harriet and Wyn pretend they’re still dating for the sake of their friends. And then, of course, chaos ensues. 😈

For the record, I didn’t cry reading Happy Place—I was just VERY close. Here are some aspects of Happy Place that I loved:
🩷 Dual timeline POV
🩷 Second chance romance
🩷 Fake dating
🩷 Laugh out loud dialogue
🩷 Found family

Reading Happy Place was like watching the final moments of a sunset: the once vivid colors have become dull and faded, and you feel the crushing nostalgia of wanting to see it again, but you know deep down that there will be a sunrise that is just as incredible.

Maybe it’s just me reading Jane Austen for my senior thesis, but Happy Place reminds me SO MUCH of Persuasion. Perhaps it’s the second chance romance angle. Maybe it’s the tone. Happy Place is waaaay more melancholic than Henry’s other novels—plus we’re experiencing Harriet and Wyn’s relationship in media res, at some of the lowest moments of their lives—but those lows were eclipsed by the blinding hope and optimism for a new beginning.

I’m still not sure if Happy Place has toppled Book Lovers as my favorite Emily Henry novel, but it’s almost a tie! 🫢

Thank you again to Berkley for sending me my most anticipated book of 2023! it definitely delivered🫰🏻

Review originally posted on Goodreads.

There's something very honest about Henry's writing, and sometimes she writes a moment that feels so universal and poignant, and it's like, yes, we've all been there. She also really loves a metaphor and a quirky or dramatic, overly-earnest moment, too, and those sometimes made me roll my eyes (I hate to compare her to Dawson Leery, but...the energy can be similar. "I could bottle this scent and burn Wyn-scented candles for the rest of my life!" or something to that notion and, like, LOL.)

These characters have very realistic hang-ups, and that is what made this book kind of annoying to read at times. Just fucking talk to each other!!! COMMUNICATE. Yes, yes, you're so in tune with each other's bodies and you're intoxicated by each other's scents and eyes and all of that, but how the hell did you actually make it eight years and literally never have an honest conversation?? (I mean, I can clearly SEE how, but that reticence would be such a personal turn-off / pet peeve that sometimes it was hard for me to care enough to root for them.)

With all the half-finished conversations you know nothing's going to get resolved until the last 20% of the book in any kind of meaningful fashion, and like montages of lobster rolls and Ferris wheels are nice and all, but *I* am not nostalgic for Maine, and because Harriet avoided talking to Sabrina and Cleo so much sometimes I didn't feel that connected to them either. So often I was silently urging the story to just GET ON with the secrets revealing so we could finally make some forward progress. There was just as much lack of communication between the friends as the lovers, and because Harriet was feeling so disconnected from everyone, that left me, the reader, isolated right along with her since she basically brought me along as a seventh wheel. And Harriet didn't even want to hang out with herself, so how do you think I felt??

It was a well-written story but not a very fun romance, and, in general, I enjoyed it, but I didn't LOVE it. I don't know how much will stick with me after a few months go by.

I don't usually read second chance or slow burn romance books, but this book was very well-written. I really liked how Emily Henry incorporated details from the past; it was easy to see how Harriet and Wyn's relationship develops, both in the past and the present. While second chance romance books usually frustrated me because most of them consist of the characters just denying their feelings for each other, this was not the case. You can definitely see how much they love and care for each other but they both have their own things to work on first. I really liked the self-growth and healing that both Harriet and Wyn experience. It was also endearing to see how they always find their way back to each other. However, I was kind of unsatisfied with the ending for some reason. I guess it was because it doesn't feel as... big? I personally would have liked a bigger revelation, maybe a little more groveling. Part of me feels like this ending made sense considering they have 10 years of history together so the small break they had didn't seem like much, but it also made their break up feel so downplayed and didn't affect them as much as I would have expected.

After breaking up and not seeing each other for months, Harriet and Wyn must pretend to be together for a week while on vacation with their college friends. Told in alternating "happy place" and "real life" we learn about Harriet and Wyn's relationship and its downfall. In every universe, I believe Harriet and Wyn were meant for each other.
I am so glad I finished this book. After getting approved for this book, I started reading it but only read it on and off for a couple of days. I picked it back up today, and I finished the 82% that I left unread for months. I have been in a HUGE reading slump, but this book has busted it. I was in just the right mood to finish this book in one sitting today. Most of the fake dating books that I read are nothing but fluff, however, this book was the complete opposite. This book touched on so many sensitive topics and I really connected with this book, Wyn, and Harriet.
Emily Henry has written yet another amazing novel with amazing characters, and a beautiful setting. Knott's Harbor sounded like the best place to escape for a week. The friendship shared between Sabrina, Cleo, and Harriet is so heartwarming. I am still processing this book, but it will definitely be one I read over and over again.

Harry is unhappy with life and looking forward to her annual Maine vacation with her best friends. When she arrives, she sees her ex in the house - they've been secretly separated for months. Soon she finds out that this isn't the only bad news these friends have been keeping form each other. The next week is filled with attempts to make everything feel "normal" and avoiding any change.

Happy Place is about love in many different forms, and all of them were real and relatable. I often find myself frustrated with Henry's characters to the point where I don't love the book, but this one was different. The relationships are frustrating and I wanted to lecture all of the characters on communication BUT everything makes sense, and everyone has very valid reasons for their fears. Henry's writing makes it easy to picture yourself in this lazy coastal town with Harry and her friends. All around a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced e-galley of this book

Another great Emily Henry book sure to please fans of her other work. I think this might be her best yet, with realistic and deeply lovable characters, real human emotion, and a classic romance happy ending.

Oh Emily Henry, I desperately love you so and all your books are just amazing. Except maybe not this one. Happy Place has a lot of wonderful elements that I loved from Henry's previous books. Found family, vacations, second chance, pining, lost loves, dual timelines. Just so many things I love. For some reason though all of this together with the characters just didn't click for me. I honestly didn't hate any of the characters, but also didn't love them either. I think Cleo and Kimmy were some of my favorites and they were very much side characters. I feel like the MC's truly didn't communicate and for people who were together so long I just found it hard to believe what they "fought" over and how it ended. I did enjoy the dual timelines though to see how the relationship started and ended though. The present timeline just was annoying, and I didn't see how anyone in this group stayed friends, I didn't see how they truly connected.

My favorite things about Emily Henry's previous books have been the little Ohio/midwest references sprinkled throughout them. This one did have them, but they might have had something better, though... MY GIRL HARRIET ALSO FALLS ASLEEP TO MURDER, SHE WROTE!!!!

Harriet is a surgical resident, and she's very, very stressed and doesn't seem to be thriving in her normal life. When it comes time to retreat to her best friend's family cabin in Maine with her group of friends, Harriet is so thankful for a chance to visit one of her happy places. Unfortunately, when Harriet arrives, she finds that she will be sharing a room with her ex-fiance, Wyn-- and none of her friends know that she and Wyn have been broken up for months. Another bomb is dropped when her friend announces that her father is selling the beach cabin, and this is their last time together in this space that has become so integral in their friendship. They decide to play nice with each other for the sake of their friends. Surely it can't be that hard when they've known

I really enjoyed the structure of this book-- Harriet flips back and forth between her various happy places (and why they became happy places) and real life. I loved seeing the evolution of the friend group from the first three girls into a group of six. Emily Henry has a way of writing her characters so you feel absolutely gut-punched when they do. Seeing the breakdown of Harriet and Wyn's relationship was devastating, the back and forth between them while trying to pull one over on their friends was agonizing, and finally getting to the bottom of why things happened the way they did had me super teary. Just take all of my stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

3 ⭐️ Disappointed because I wasn’t expecting a sad, angsty Emily Henry book


"Our love is a place we can always come back to, and it will be waiting, the same as it ever was. You belong here."


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ new england beach setting
✨ second chance romance
✨ fake dating (ex fiances pretending to still be engaged)
✨ friends to lovers
✨ one-bed
✨ forced proximity
✨ open door romance with minimum spice
✨ flashbacks / dual timeline
✨ single pov
✨ found family
✨ friend group drama
✨ angst, sadness, heartbreak
✨ miscommunication
✨ omissions of feelings
✨ HEA
✨ tw: breakups, mental health, depression, perfectionism, burnout, high expectation parents, sick parent, death of a parent


My Thoughts:

This is a hard one for me to rate, so I’m settling on 3-stars for now.

Let me preface this review by saying I am a HUGE Emily Henry fan! So much so that I own multiple copies of all her books as hardcovers, paperbacks, and Uk editions. I love her stories and I was so excited to get an ARC. But sadly, I didn’t like this one very much.

On one hand, this was well written, the storyline about friendship was lovely, and there’s a lot of depth to each character.

However, because of the title and fun cover, I went in expecting a fun, heartfelt rom-com. Instead, I got a sad, painful, grief-filled story that feels more like women's fiction than a romance. Any sort of positive experience I had while reading was fleeting and replaced with angst due to the nature of the story. I only felt reprieve during the flashbacks of the main couple when they were happy together. The rest of the time, I anxiously waited to learn what caused the breakup. But they don’t discuss their breakup (which was due to a lack of communication and the MMC making stupid assumptions) or get back together until the last 10% of the story, and even that isn't fully settled till the last few pages. ⁠
⁠
Was this a bad story? No. I think Emily Henry is a talented writer, and this one dove deep into mental health, what it means to find yourself, and how friendships change. But this book was marketed incorrectly, which set the wrong expectations and ultimately made this read a disappointment.

But now that I know what to expect, I'm going to do a re-read to see if my rating/review changes. Stay tuned.

I am a big fan of Emily Henry’s writing, it always makes me feel all the feels; both good and bad. Happy Place made me cry and made me sad for about 90% of the story.

Wyn and Harriet’s story was about loss, grief and second chances. Their story was told in flashes between the past and the present; a present in which they have been broken up for months. Watching them pretend, for the sake of their friends, that they’re still together while broken-hearted over their breakup was painful to read.

I understand the reasons that led to the end of their relationship, but I still didn’t really understand them. Wyn suffered a loss that overwhelmed him emotionally and Harriet, in an effort not to burden him further with her own fears and insecurities, somehow only pushed him away.

Wyn and Harriet’s love for one another was very obvious to me as a reader which made their push and pull all the more frustrating. Their happy ending seemed insufficient in my opinion, I needed a bit more after all the angst. Emily Henry continues to write compelling stories that make me feel a lot and Happy Place definitely made me feel a lot, even if not happy.

I struggled to get this book started. The style and story line were difficult to enjoy (the game like trope can get really frustrating for me). I will try again - sometimes timing is everything in when to read a book.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always, Henry writes chemistry really well. This title will appeal to the young, contemporary romance reader who is okay with a little formula. Not Henry’s best but enjoyable.

Emily Henry is an author who is always consistent with her romances. In addition to making an entire list of Emily Henry books, you can find a few of her books on our Ultimate List of Romance Books.

Harriet and Wyn have been together for years until they broke up 5 months ago. The only problem is that they still haven’t told their best friends and now they will be sharing a room during their yearly vacation with their friends. How hard can it be to keep up the facade of a happy couple?

There is something special in every one of Emily Henry’s romances and this newest book is no exception. It is also a perfect beach read!