This was my least favorite book of hers, unfortunately. I felt myself skimming it at times and was ready for it to be over. It just didn't have anything that interesting to tell, storywise. And I felt the characters weren't well developed.

I wish I could express how much I loved this book. The main character, Harriet, really connected with me. She is a people pleaser who stives to make everyone proud of her without causing any upset. I loved the message of love, found family, and change. This book was a giant hug and a cup of warm tea. Please, please read this.

THIS BOOK IS MY HAPPY PLACE!
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Yay! Another Emily Henry book that left me with all the warm feels! Happy Place did not let me down folks :).
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Henry writes romance, but what I loved about Happy Place is that there is a lot of other themes going on aside from the main romance (however, the chemistry was on point and I loved reading about Harriet & Wyn!). In Happy Place we delve through the importance of friendship, being true to yourself, the value of honesty, growing and changing as a person, and what a happy place really means. This one felt deeper than Henry's other books and I really love it. I know I will remember the characters so much more than in other romances I read.
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I also really loved the atmosphere of this novel. From a cozy house in Montana to a memory-filled cabin in Maine, I wanted to transport myself. That was another part of the book that felt more developed - the descriptions of the places. Ugh - just so good!
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If you're a fan of Emily Henry, I'm sure this is already on your list of books to read! I also rec for fans of romance, character-driven stories, and those that enjoy a good arc.
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Thank you to Berkley for the copy!

If you are already a tried-and-true fan of Emily Henry, Happy Place is another must-read. If you've never read Henry but are looking for a place to start - start at Happy Place. While perhaps not as hilariously snarky as Beach Read, or as high-profile as Book Lovers, Happy Place is an ode to the messy and complicated side of relationships. Harriet and Wyn are complicated, flawed, they have misgivings, and many, many misunderstandings - they aren't always sure how to communicate, or what to say - but they are always connected. Happy Place is about more than just a cute second-chance romance. It's about working on ourselves, acknowledging our own wants and needs and placing ourselves first, so that we can more fully love ourselves and those around us. Harriet felt like a reflection of myself in so many ways - a people pleaser, a pushover, confident when working toward a goal but unsure of herself when it came to making space for her own feelings, and I absolutely loved seeing her emotional and personal transformation over the course of the book. A lovely, atmospheric romance where you feel like you've been personally invited into this group of friends and their yearly vacation, and where you root the whole book for Harriet and Wyn's happy ending - I couldn't put it down!

Emily Henry’s writing is absolute magic, capable of capturing my attention 100% and bringing me into the world she has created. Her characters have depth and she can depict the love between them so incredibly well. I will never pass up one of her books. She continues to amaze me!

I will read anything Emily Henry writes, so it didn't even matter what Happy Place was about, really. Turns out, I got so much more than I bargained for in this sweet, yet deep, story of friendship. As usual, Emily Henry had me laughing out loud. I am continually impressed at her ability to write such snappy and hysterical dialogue.

I fell in love with this group of friends, and I cared deeply about what happened with their stories. I appreciated how the story moved from the past and present while revealing elements of the characters. This is a story I can envision reading again just to marvel at the dialogue. I will be recommending this to my friends.

2.5

I want to preface this by saying this was read in the midst of a romance reading slump which may have contributed to me not being able to get into this as much as I'd like. As such, I've rounded my star rating to compensate.

Let me start by saying I think overall, the Emily Henry stans will eat this up. It includes the charm and witty humour of a diverse cast of characters.

I did quite enjoy the friend group dynamics as a whole, but that said, I could not buy into our main protagonists relationship.

I'm not sure if the format suited the story correctly. I felt as though jumping between their happy place of the past and the present would have been fine if we had any preintroduction to these characters, but I did not find myself rooting for the main couple nor caring if they ended up together in the end. I feel like a longer introduction of their life together then falling apart THEN coming back together would have been more interesting. I felt the pacing in the actual story was off and left it dragging in places. I was also super disappointed that the "fake dating" trope was not executed very well, we didn't get to see them fake date much at all.

I did really enjoy the humour and friendships in this book. I also really liked the diversity (with culturally diverse characters and LGBT representation). I also really liked how she included mental health struggles too.

I think overall this book missed the mark for me, but it was a solid ode to friendships and new beginnings.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review ❤️

Thank you SO MUCH NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the digital arc!

Oh Emily Henry, how you hold a special place in my heart. This book was so easy to read, and it was sad to finish. Honestly it was pretty sad throughout, even though you know OF COURSE they must end up back together in the end, watching their relationship grow then deteriorate then be rekindled REALLY REALLY PLAYED MY EMOTIONS LIKE A SAD VIOLIN. I really wanted to reach into the pages and give basically everyone a smack and yell USE YOUR WORDS!! This book really shows how important communication is in every relationship, whether it's romantic, familial, or friends.

This book was brilliant, but because I cried so much more than I thought I would I'm giving it 3.75 rounded up to 4 / 5 stars. I loved it, and I can't wait to sell it, but it wasn't my top favourite Emily Henry.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book although I had a hard time buying into the breakup. I can’t imagine ever being that in love with a person and not finding a way to make it work. Sure, they did in the end but the questioning throughout the book was exhausting. I love Emily Henry and she will forever remain an auto read for me but this was not my favorite book of hers.

Emily Henry knows how to do a third act conflict that's for sure. This book but especially the ending had me just YELLING in my apartment. Reveal after reveal! The characters are so well-realized and I love how much kindness and care Henry puts into making her characters well-rounded and REAL. I love her writing and this book is like a big hug, hot cocoa, a warm blanket. LOVE!

I just finished reading Emily Henry's latest book and I am absolutely in love with it! I was particularly impressed with how she was able to develop the romance between the two main characters in such a believable way. Emily Henry is definitely an author I would recommend to anyone looking for a great romantic read.

This book felt like much more than a romance. It was about finding happiness in people, in life, in work, and in places. All the characters are going through struggles and feel the friend group is falling further apart. I have never read a romance where the side characters are just as important and impactful as the two leads. I loved 🥰 all the characters and am so glad I got to read about their happy place.

Ahh, another thoroughly enjoyable Emily Henry read. I am not typically a fan of the "second chance romance" trope, but I had a feeling she could make me love it-- and I was not wrong! I couldn't put it down. This book has everything Henry's fans crave: characters who feel real, laugh-out-loud witty banter, and a layered exploration of some substantial topics- in this case, the complexity of friendships, struggles with mental health, and the beauty of found family. As one would expect, given the title, this book carries a vivid sense of place. The only thing I missed here was characters who work in writing or publishing!

I absolutely loved this and highly recommend it.

I stayed up way too late reading this book! Emily Henry never disappoints! Her characters are real and relatable, settings are descriptive and detailed, and romance is sexy and swoony. I wanted to be at the cottage in Maine with Wyn, Harriet, and the rest of the crew. This will be next summer's beach read for sure!

Harriet and Wyn are a side note in the story of Harriet’s friendship with Cleo and Sabrina. The cast of six was colorful and well-fleshed. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I appreciated the themes of love and found family woven throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

this book is CLASSIC emily henry -- simply perfection!! i was rooting for Wyn and Harriet the entire time, and the side character's relationships i was equally invested in. themes of family, mental health, friendship, growing apart, finding out what you truly want, honoring communication .... just wow

A fantastic read!!
It was an amazing, witty, second chance romance and I loved the focus on Harriet's friendships with Sabrina and Cleo. The back and forth between the present in their 'happy place' and their history made the book very engaging.
Highly recommend!

So good!!!

This book felt self-indulgent, like I too was hanging out with all my friends in a beautiful place, with tons of wine, doing our favorite activities. The ensemble actually reminded me of the show Friends, all the different personalities meshing together. I loved the established relationships and friendships, all the rich backstory they shared, that we were coming into Wyn and Harriet's love story at the end of it instead of the beginning.

Obviously I'm always going to be a sucker for the fake relationship trope and the only-one-bed trope. NOT a fan of miscommunication, but I understand that there needs to be a plot. I think the only thing I wanted more of was moments of just Sabrina/Cleo/Harriet. That three way friendship was good for my heart. It deserved its own book.

arc provided by netgalley!

Harriet (Harry) instantly becomes friends with her two roommates Sabrina and Cleo when they start college. Along the way they become friends with two guys Wyn and Parth and they all become inseparable. They stay at Sabrina's family cabin in Maine every summer. But this summer Harry and Wyn have broken off their engagement and she hasn't told anyone yet. She's afraid it would affect all their friendships so she makes an excuse for Wyn and shows up by herself in Maine. Unfortunately Wyn is there too and for the rest of the week Harry and Wyn will pretend to still be a couple because this is the last Maine vacation since the cabin has been sold and Harry doesn't want to disappoint Sabrina. I liked how real the relationships were portrayed. Harry and Wyn don't have a perfect relationship, thy don't communicate well and have left a lot of things unsaid. Also Harry, Cleo and Sabrina have drifted apart through the years and don't all have the same priorities.

I adored this book and simply can not wait to get it into our customers hands. Somehow, Emily Henry just keeps getting better and better. We will be recommending this for Romance book clubs and it will be featured in our store subscription boxes as well. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this title for our independent bookstore!