Another wonderful romance read from Emily Henry. I own and love Emily Henry’s other works, so I was extremely excited to get an arc of Happy Place.

This was a second-chance romance and personally, I loved the characters. They felt very real and relatable to me. I am an undergrad but these characters were mostly in graduate school and revisiting a place they grew up in for one of their friends wedding before the place is sold.

The relationship between Wyn and Harriet (being the star of the show) was a very nice one. I think the occupation of Harriet being a surgeon in residency is a little overdone in fiction but nonetheless, it was done in a good manner. The other characters were hard for me to distinguish at first, but as the novel continued, they became more “human-like.”

Overall, this was wonderful! Just as good as Emily’s other books!

Another absolutely phenomenal book by Emily Henry! I loved this book so much, I would even venture to say it may be my favorite by her so far, which is saying a lot because I have also really loved all of her others. I really enjoyed that the relationship between the friends was a big part of this book and that it meant so much to them. Emily Henry always writes such charming characters and this entire friend group is no exception.

Tysm to @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the #gifted copy of @emilyhenrywrites newest book! I had no chill and needed to start it immediately!

In case you’re new here, I’m a HUGE Emily Henry fan! She is one of my favorite authors, and pretty much anything she writes is going to be a hit with me.

No surprise here, I LOVED this! It’s my new favorite by her and one of my favorite books I’ve read this year!

This is my seventh book by her (I have one more YA book, The Love That Split the World), and this by far is her best work to date in my opinion. It almost felt mature while remaining light and funny and still handling some heavier topics alongside the romance.

It has nostalgia, a fake engagement, second-chance romance, top-tier banter, dual timeline, and just all the warm and fuzzies a EH novel leaves me.

The friend group was everything! I fell in love with them immediately, and especially loved the female friendships between Harry, Cleo, and Sabrina.

The romance had the tension and honestly everything that makes a romance perfect for me.

Second chance romance fans run and preorder this one, because you’re not going to want to miss it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Harriet and Wyn have been together for a long time but recently ended their engagement. They haven't told their college best friends and try to hid it during their annual group vacation.

I am tired of the let's pretend we are dating while secretly falling in love genre but I did enjoy Happy Place. Great group of characters/friends. This is a wonderful book and much more than a light romance. Highly recommend.

There’s a reason why Emily Henry’s books have the highest request in the romance genre of my library. Because of masterpieces like Happy Place.
Yes, this is a story about a romance, but it’s also a story about female friendship and the struggles of maintaining it as we grow older. Something I know a lot of us can relate to. Not to mention the portrayal of found families in Happy Place is tied to the turbulent relationship between Harriet and Wyn for me.

There’s more to say about this book, but I think readers need to experience without knowing too much instead I will leave it you with this -
I read that Emily Henry strongly relates the song Maroon by Taylor Swift to Harriet and Wyn’s relationship. As a casual Taylor fan I haven’t heard of it before, so I immediately went to listen to it. One lyric stood out in particular

“The mark you saw on my collarbone, the rust that grew between telephones.
The lips I used to call home, so scarlet, it was maroon.”
If this song doesn’t flawlessly describe their relationship I don’t know what will.

Emily Henry has done it again - she’s delivered one of those hit you in the feels, haunting your thoughts (in a good way) novels I’ve come to love from her. Her books a fall into what I consider the romantic drama category, and read like the equivalent of one of my much loved Taylor Swift album listens. In fact, I couldn’t help but picture this book as I was reading and it definitely brought to mind some Taylor songs for the background soundtrack (the moody track Happiness for one).

Back to the book - I loved the premise and it delivered more than I was anticipating even. Second Chance Romance, a Maine vacation getaway, reunion of old friends, found family… I felt like I was there from the descriptions and I loved the banter and connections between the characters. I really enjoyed the glimpses into the past as well. I love when a book can drive both a strong romance and have an equal focus on non romantic aspects (friendship, careers, hopes).

I found each character interesting and I wanted to know more about them. I started the book on a busy holiday, thinking I’d read one chapter - but I was so caught up I found myself finding time to sneak in more and more and finished it that same day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the chance to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered freely.

Harriet and Wyn broke off their engagement but their tight knit friend group don’t know. They are brought together for one last week in their favorite vacation spot, but will they be able to fool their friends long enough so they don’t ruin their last perfect week? Or will unresolved feelings make their way to the surface and complicate an already complicated situation.

Emily Henry has the very unique talent of finding specific relatable moments and putting them to the page for all to process (even if it’s something you didn’t plan on processing). The way she captures relationships and friendships is so real and comforting. I enjoyed how she displayed all the relationships and how over time they change. I enjoyed the tension between Harriet and Wyn and I loved seeing how they were able to come back together. And of course the witty banter was back and top notch. Emily Henry fans (and romance fans) will not be disappointed as this is another solid book from who I would call the leading lady in romance.

Oh my feels.

True to my usual response to Emily Henry books, this one enraptured me from the onset. There's just something about the way she tells stories. Beautiful prose, the extra 'it' factor that makes her characters feel like someone you would meet tomorrow, the way she escalates and holds onto tension---gah. Masterclass in romantic storytelling.

This one held up. I was so into Harriet and Wyn from the onset, dying to know what tore them apart, how they felt now, etc. And it was the perfect set up: being forced to play like you're still engaged as not to upset your friends --- in the cabin where you fell in love.

Usually, romance novels that center around friendships alongside a main romance tend to lose me (I have a hard time keeping track with the characters and I don't usually have a reason to care). But this one - oof I was feeling every character. I felt the friendships deeply, and it somehow enhanced the romantic storyline as well.

All in all, this one was a total WYN (lol see what I did there) for me. I'd read it again. I probably will. If you liked The People We Meet on Vacation, this one is for you (and don't worry, it feels totally different and unique).

*big thank you to berkley and netgalley for sending me an advanced copy!*

(4.5/5 stars)

i love emily henry books for so many reasons: travel, banter, how easy it is to assign taylor swift songs to characters, beautifully-written romances and depictions of family/home, but the biggest reason is that i see a part of myself in her female main characters in a way that i rarely get to in books, especially romances. they're whole, real people, and even though it can be hard to read sometimes, it's such a rewarding experience. harriet is one of those characters where i saw myself in her in ways that neither of us are very proud of, but i found a lot of hope for both of us in happy place.

emily henry's writing continues to blow me away: she's funny! she's deep! she can create a male lead like no one else! her use of short, descriptive sentences to set scenes throughout the flashback chapters is artful and helps the reader transition through time. it's so easy to sink into the warmth of happy place, to fall in love with new england and montana and the entire friend group, to laugh and cry more than i thought i would.

the romance between harriet and wyn broke my heart and put it back together, leaving me crying at 12:30 in the morning because i thought i could just read a bit of this book at a time without it swallowing me whole (obviously that did not work). it was painful, it was fun, it was scary and it was beautiful. not all second-chance romances work, but this one does, and it's full of dishwasher discourse, soulmate conversations, pottery and a ferris wheel. it's not my favorite trope (nor is the guy thinking he knows what's best for his partner, which was frustrating even though harriet challenged it), but if anyone can do it well, it's emily henry.

again, very very grateful to have received an ARC of this, and i can't wait for it to come out in april so we can all be in our happy place together. ❤️

playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KdkxsqYrUYFgZ54WRnGFs

thank you so much berkley for this ARC


5/5 stars


happy place brought me to a happy place. this book is very different than any book i have ever read, but it is extremely comforting. there are a lot of elements in the story when it comes to grief and personal growth. there are gritty parts in their parts that make you laugh with glee and chapters that break your heart all over again. yhe friendship at the core of this book is one of the most beautifully written friendships i have read this year. cleo, sabrina and harriet essentially became friends in college, and really found their own family, all of them come from broken homes, and in search of finding a family they found one in one another. i think that’s absolutely beautiful, i love the romantic relationships with in the book as well. parth and sabrina have such an interesting dynamic and seeing how the relationship started versus wear it and it was really beautiful to me, i would absolutely love to read a short story about them if that ever came out. cleo and kimmy are almost complete opposites, but i think they really balance each other out very well. kimmy is one of my favorite personalities. i read in a really long time, and not just because she’s my namesake, but because she is a firecracker, and you never know what to expect with her, and i had so much fun reading every conversation that contain her because you never knew it was coming next. cleo my Black princess, i loved her. wyn, he’s just such a precious soul and he’s someone that took a while to understand, but when everything clicked, i loved him all the more. i think he is a phenomenal in-depth character that just wants to be truly seen and not dismissed and i can 100% relate to that. i’m not going to spoil anything in this book, but i will say that every page had me, and I stretched out reading it, because i never wanted it to end, i absolutely adore this book.

RUN, DON'T WALK, TO YOUR NEAREST BOOKSTORE, EMILY HENRY FANS. SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN.

This book was the nostalgia of walking into your favourite place from childhood as an adult-- that place that watched you grow up and walked you through so many stages of life.

This is Emily Henry's "Love and Other Words" moment (#IYKYK).

I have become a fast and furious fan of Emily Henry. I am invested in her characters from page 1 and don't want to put the book down until I'm done. Happy Place was my 4th Emily Henry book and I was so worried that the shine would wear off and I wouldn't be as connected to her newest book. Nothing could be further from the truth. Harriet, Sabrina and Cleo were put together as roommates their freshman year at their college in Vermont. They also found their family that first day as well. Even though the girls are different they just clicked and have been inseparable since and are like sisters. Fast forward and their group expands to include Parth and then Wyn. The group swears to keep things platonic, but that quickly changes. Harriet and Wyn fall fast and hard for each other, dating secretly for a year before coming clean to the group. Cleo finds the love of her life in Kimmy and Sabrina and Parth finally give in to their attraction. Things seem perfect, but perfect is always an illusion. Harriet and Wyn, who are engaged to be married have yet to tell the group they are no longer engaged to be married. When Cleo finds out that her father is selling their beloved summer home on the Cape the group gets together for one last trip. Harriet is ready to make excused for Wyn's absence until she arrives and he's there. Now they have to spend the week pretending they are still together so they don't ruin this last group vacation at their favorite spot. I love Emily Henry's witty dialog and how she makes you fall in love with her characters. If you are a fan of her first 3 books add this one to your list right away!

A stellar new title by the wonderful Emily Henry! Beautifully written - well-developed characters - teeming with chemistry. Not only is it a great second chance romance, but it also serves as a powerful and complex love story about friendship. Will definitely recommend to patrons!

Emily Henry has definitely found her happy place - writing a flawless romance novel. Having had the great pleasure of reading "Happy Place" in advance, I'm already waiting for the next one. Well done!

Like most of us, I love Emily Henry, and she's able to write perfect romcoms with real heart and excellent, deep characterization. I loved Harriet as a character, there was so much to admire and love about her and (even though I don't think this is necessary for a compelling/good book), she was extremely relatable. My rating is only holding it against her other books (I think Book Lovers is a perfect book), as I think the second chance romance is not necessarily my favorite trope (I'm more an enemies to lovers gal), but the book is really, really good.

Love that this book was just as much about friendship as it was love. Many readers will relate to Harriet realizing in order to live a life she loves, she'll have to get out of the passenger seat and take the wheel.

There is NO Emily Henry book that I did not love. And that statement holds true even after her newest offering. As always with all her romances, there is so much depth and character growth, and this is no different. She manages to offer something new all the time, despite the use of familiar, much-loved tropes, and this again, is a home run for Ms Henry. Deservedly 5 stars.

Emily Henry has become one of the go-to's for contemporary romance and she exceeded all expectations with "Happy Place." The characters soared off the page and her trademark chemistry sizzled, both romantically and platonically. A gem!

I really loved Henry's other three books published before this one and had such high hopes, but I ended up being a little disappointed as I felt like this book was loosely romance but would have been better categorized as chick lit/women's fiction.

Pros:
I liked the whole going back to the past for some chapters and then fast forwarding to the present for other chapters. I think it helps reveal more about the relationship especially for a second chance romance where you're seeing the couple reconnect as opposed to falling in love for the first time.
I liked the found family trope. Some books attempt it but normally only have one or two friends, but I liked that this was a group of friends who continued to maintain their friendship.
Harriet's character growth was really great. Henry has a way of writing books that make you think and this book was no different. Harriet's character growth made me feel really introspective and the ending was done really well.
Wyn's character growth was done really well considering we didn't get his POV at all. I liked how he came to terms with what he wanted in life and was able to feel comfortable in saying "this is who I am."

Cons:
This book didn't feel like a romance. While there was an HEA, the overall tone of the book was bittersweet and I felt like I was reading more about Harriet's character growth and the relationship between the friend group and less about Harriet and Wyn's reunion. The romance read as though it was secondary to the other elements that I mentioned before which, to me, makes this book more chick lit/women's fiction and not romance.
I didn't see how these characters were going to get back together until about 80ish% into the book when Harriet's professional unhappiness became really clear. In fact, I was actively rooting against Harriet and Wyn getting back together for most of the book because it simply felt like their lives were heading in completely different directions.
I understood Harriet's people pleasing nature and why she acted how she did, but it felt like this was taken to an extreme without a backstory that would warrant how far Harriet went to make people happy. Going through medical school and picking a residency for the most difficult type of doctor to become felt so extreme and while Harriet's childhood wasn't ideal, I never got the impression that her parents ever pressured her to go into medicine. It seemed like she enjoyed science growing up and her parents encouraged that so Harriet twisted it into making up for her parents' lost dreams.
It took until the end of the book for me to warm up to Sabrina's character. I feel like this is a trend in a lot of books where if the main character has a friend group one of them is really bossy for no reason. I felt like Sabrina was being super overbearing and when the big blow up happened I felt like Sabrina was completely bonkers.

Overall, this was a good book, but because it wasn't what I expected it to be with the genre classification I gave it three stars. The writing style was done well as Henry's book typically are, and the story was intriguing, but again, this simply didn't read as a romance. The main story was really the friendship and character growth of the main and secondary characters.

Wow, I don't give 5 stars often but I could not put this book down! Right from the beginning I was enthralled will Harriot and Wyn's story. They go through ups and downs but are both mature and respectful to each other and their relationship.