This was my first Emily Henry and I wasn't disappointed - it was an easy read and very enjoyable. I liked Harriet and Wyn as leads and I particularly liked Harriet's growth throughout the story. It had a lot of the components I like (exs to lovers, forced proximity, sharing a room, fake dating) and was well executed but it still felt like something was missing... I'm not sure if it was something in the plot or perhaps the writing but it just felt like it fell a bit short of being a four-star read.

I almost wish it didn't flick between the past and present as much - simply because I was so invested in the present I found myself racing through the past chapters to get to the next present. however, this is also a sign of how invested I was in the story.

I'll definitely be picking up some more of her books because I'd be interested to see how they compare.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Henry’s new novel is funny, heartfelt, and just an overall great read. The queen of rom-coms is back with a second chance romance with some awesome characters and her trademark great writing.

I love Henry’s writing style, and this book manages to make you feel so much while having an amazing time reading. One thing I really loved about this book is the complexity of the characters, including the side characters. I felt that there was a good balance between the focus on the main couple and the other characters in the story. Henry is so good at writing emotions, and this book is a deeper dive into the relationship dynamic that I’m sure everyone will enjoy.

I don’t have any huge criticisms about this book, as you’ve already guessed, I loved it. Second chance romance is definitely not a favourite trope of mine but this is the best execution of it I’ve read and I would obviously recommend this book to any and everyone, but especially romance lovers.

Make sure to check trigger warnings before reading, I rated this book 4.5/5 stars.

This book felt like the title, cozy, a Happy Place. I was deeply invested in the characters from page one and read the whole thing within a day. It's a great mix between fluff, angst and sadness to still feel good, but keep you hooked throughout. The whole relationship dynamic was incredibly done and overall, it's a 4.4 star rating from me. Not quite enough to warrant 5 stars, but close (I'm picky). 0.6 points deducted because most problems could have been fixed with a little more communication.

This was such an enjoyable read, and a perfect book to have with me while on my holiday! Emily Henry writes the BEST beach books.

The story covers two timelines, the characters present day, and her 'Happy Place' which is a backstory of her relationships with friends and now ex-boyfriend, Wyn. This differs from Henry's usual 'meet-cute, friends-to-lovers' rom-com style. This book is surrounded by sentimentality, melancholy and heartbreak, as we follow this couple's beginning and end. That being said, there is plenty of classic Henry humour and adorable side-characters (more fleshed out than usual in this book I was pleasantly surprised to find!) so this gave the book a beautiful balance of heartbreaking yearning, and fluffy cuteness that Emily Henry does so well.

Where is your happy place?

This books questions not only Harriet’s- the protagonist- and the readers’ as it considers what it means to be in your happy place with the ones you love. Harriet and Wyn’s relationship is both heart wrenching and beautiful, leaving me feeling captivated. For me, this was the best book of Henry’s collection because I love the characters, the setting and the different versions of love explored. Certainly one for any fan of romance, as well as books which explore relationships between friends and family.

Once again, Emily Henry has produced an utter delight!

I love Emily Henry! I’ve read all her books and they’ve all been major fun. I had no reason to think that I’d be reading the last 10% of this one through floods of tears.

It was so beautiful, the way that Harriet and Wyn’s romance is portrayed is just so right? The book is 2 parts cozy romance, 1 part messy humans and 2 parts tears. Just my thing ;)

Even when the characters weren’t particularly likeable and were frustrating me, they felt so real and that really made all the difference.

The message about finding yourself and pursuing your own ambitions not anyone else’s is one of my favourites and just made this book that touch more special!

I’ll read anything that Emily writes :)

5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for my e-ARC of this amazing book! Xx

4.5 stars rounded up.

I read Book Lovers last year and very much enjoyed it so I was really excited for Happy Place and Emily Henry absolutely delivered.

Once again Emily Henry came through with top tier banter that made me laugh out loud and a brilliant cast of characters while also touching upon heavier topics throughout.

I really liked the exploration of the complexities of navigating childhood friendships as adults. Harriet, Cleo and Sabrina are such a great trio and I loved watching them develop and try to adapt to change.

Wyn Connor. One thing about me is that I'm quickly becoming a simp for men written by Emily Henry. All the different emotions Harriet and Wyn battle with during the week are written so well. I also relate to both them on multiple levels thus making them very easy to root for.

Overall, I'm a big fan. This book made me laugh and cry and want to read the rest of Emily Henry's books and anything she writes in the future!

I went into this book with such huge expectations. I was so happy when I received the arc. I was so determined that THIS will be MY EMILY HENRY book. So, my fav was Beach Read, and I thought this will top that and I would fangirl with the rest of you.

Sadly, this is not the case.
Is this book bad? NO.
Is is my favorite book by this author? also, NO.
Did I ignore sleep and just read it in one sitting? Absolutely YES!

I was on cloud 9 and like a kid at Christmas when I got approved this on Netgalley. I was so grateful and wow it didn’t disappoint.

Emily has a way with her writing that sucks you in and makes you not want to put the book down.

This is a love story and strong friendship plot in one. I adored all the characters and getting to know them. I got myself easily lost in this and shut the world out.

I was invested in Harriet and Wyn’s love story from the beginning. That banter and electric chemistry, they hit it off right away. That’s what romance is all about for me. That instant chemistry! So I knew early doors I would love this book.

My emotions were all over the place reading this and it left me guessing what was going on not just with Harriet and Wyn but with all the friendship group. I was so engrossed I had to know what was going to happen.

This also is set in the most wonderful location that really makes you wish you was there!

Favourite line:
“It could still happen. Life’s long.”

What I took from this:
Just be happy, that’s all that matters!

I have read and loved all of Emily Henry’s books and am a massive fan. Book Lovers was my favourite but this is now up there too.

Definitely add this to your list.
I will be buying the book to add to my EH collection.

I liked this, but it definitely wasn’t my favourite Emily Henry. The cutesy seaside town setting was nice and almost Gilmore Girls-y, but with the three couples at the centre of the story on such a tight schedule of forced fun in a bid to save their friendships we don’t get to see an awful lot of it or of the locals. The life shift that the main character Harriet decides on to save her marriage was also a little bit unrealistic. But I’m willing to forget all that for a lovely and unusual romance of rekindling love and friendship.

Incredible, incredible book. Emily Henry explores friendship, love, grief and communication in such a captivating way - I found myself feeling like I’d come out of this book with each character a part of me, my own happy place.

Henry implemented comedy into this book in such a lighthearted way, breaking up heavier themes without distracting from them at all. It felt so human and natural.

I’ve only previously read two books by Henry; Happy Place is my favourite by far. The dual timeline as well as the multitude of personality in these characters brought this book to life! I adored it and can’t wait for it to be released!!

Happy Place by Emily Henry is absolutely incredible! I love all of Emily Henry's precious books, so I was over the moon to be able to read this one early.

Happy Place is so much more than your average romcom or romance book. It explores friendships, and how friendships change and grow, as well as relationships and communication.

We follow Harriet and Wyn through two timelines, the past and the present. As more of the story unfolds, we start to discover Harriet and Wyn's backstory, the events that led to the present, and we start to realise how much impact mental health can have on a relationship.

The humour and banter between Harriet and Wyn was hilarious, and I loved the comedy aspect of this book. It helped to break up the heavier themes in the book.

The love between the two main characters is so strong, and it definitely broke my heart to read their discussions on why they can't be together and why it would never work. While reading, you could almost see the love spilling out of the pages, the connection between Harriet and Wyn was just that strong.

Emily Henry is such an amazing author, and the way she brings her characters to life never fails to amaze me! Happy Place is a solid 5/5 stars for me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of Happy Place!

This was the best Emily Henry book yet.
I loved every character and the part they played in the story. There was so much detailed backstory that intertwined throughout the novel, it made each character feel so whole. I enjoyed that the book covered not only a complicated romance but also the difficult moments of friendships, family, and careers.
The premise of the book was great and I loved the setting, it was perfectly in the style of Emily Henry, but this book went deeper than I exected it would in the best way possible.

Easiest 4 stars I've given. ❤️

I would boldly say that this is my favourite Emily Henry book. I first read "People We Meet On Vacation", then "Book Lovers" and now "Happy Place" and I've liked each one better than the last. (Which also begs the question what to do with "Beach Read", now that I have this streak going.)

"Happy Place" is a lovely book about friendship, happiness and nostalgia. The main character, Harriet, has had a group of friends since she went to university and 10 years later she still loves them deeply. The group has grown since the initial three friends and now also contains their partners, though some of those were also just friends at the beginning. The friends make an annual visit to a house on the coast of Maine where they spend their best week of the year, which is also why this is Harriet's happy place. Harriet has been with Wyn for the last 8 years and they even got engaged, however, they are no longer together, which now threatens the very existence of their group, which, in turn, is the reason Harriet and Wyn have not told anyone and must pretend to be together for 1 more week while they are in the happy place.

If you're expecting a funny romance, you'll be wrecked. The book was super emotional, it made me happy, it made me sad, it made me feel the anguish of Harriet over her broken relationship and hear fears for her relationship with her friends. There was a lot of longing, not a little bit of suspense and a lot of chemistry between Harriet and Wyn.

Honestly, up until about 80% of the book, I had no idea how the whole situation would work out and that's a testament to Emily Henry's skill in portraying difficult relationships, romantic and otherwise, because they were so well written that, as much as the "negative" potential outcome pained me to imagine, I could see how it would make sense under the described circumstances. I still rooted for my characters, but had the book ended in any other way, I would have been sad, definitely, but also, I would have respected the decision because of how realistic it might be.

If I have any issues with the book, those would be that I would have liked to get a bit more from Sabrina's perspective, because she was a main moving force in the friends group, but her actions were largely seen through the lense of her friends' opinions of her motives, and also, the ending seemed kind of abrupt and much was left to the imagination, which I would have liked to see on page.

Regardless, the book was great and, as it has not yet been published, storm the bookstores when it's out!

4.75 Stars

Harriet + Wyn

Harriet found her two BFFs on her first day of college over a decade ago. Chloe and Sabrina and Harriet spent the most amazing times together - especially every summer in Sabrina's dad's mansion on the Maine coast. But now he's selling the place, so this is the last summer.
They went to Maine every year - after a while they all started bringing their better halves too. All six of them are the bestest of friends - even though they all live very far away from each other.
These summers are sacred.
Harriet and Wyn met at that place one summer. And they've been together for over eight years now.
At least everybody thinks so.
But they broke up six months ago - without telling any of their friends.
And now they have to spend the week in Maine pretending ....
That happy place might not be so happy anymore... right?

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN ... ☺

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HARRIET + WYN?
WILL WE GET A SECOND CHANCE AT A HAPPILY EVER AFTER?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT 😁

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Adorable!

That was such a sweet book!
I usually hate books that go back in time a lot. But we had to know how they all met and how things happened with Harriet and Wyn. But most of the book is set in present time Maine.
And it's all so sad! Why did they break up? They're so perfect for each other!!
I really wanted them to get that second happily ever after...
But it's not easy. There was a reason for breaking up... but we don't know what it was.
But the mood is not all sad and heartbreaky all through the book. We have an amazing time with all the friends. Lots of laughter and alcohol and sitting by the pool and talking and soo much more.
I wanted to join them in that beautiful little tourist town and eat all the lobster rolls and drink all the maple lattes!
I loved seeing those friendships and all their problems and the secrets they're keeping.
It was all so very adorable and funny and sad and ... just beautiful.

I need to see this as a movie one day!

HAPPY PLACE was such a sweet and heartbreaking second-chance love story. Full of friends and love and fun and summer and everything good! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Wyn - he'll be sold out in no time! 😍

This was a wonderful, uplifting, sad and everything in between read. It made me want to look for beach houses with pools to enjoy with friends. It was a past and present timeline , expertly written and a real joy to read.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college. They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends. Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?

OK so I dont even know where to start with this book!?!??!?!
"the feeling of being so grateful to have something worth missing." I've come to expect a certain writing style from Emily Henry's contemporary romances, but this one felt different. it was less of a rom com, I LOVED IT. I didnt enjoy People We Meet On Vacation or Beach Read, yet I LOVED Booklovers, so i really didnt know what to expect from Happy Place. It gave me everything I needed from a romance book. I've never read an ex-to-lovers trope and I am a huge fan of close proximity tropes - so this was a huge hit for me!

i think this is the first romance book i read where i could palpably feel how much and how desperately they love each other—not in an angsty or sexual way, but just in how overwhelmingly they care. I have to admit this book is sexiest, steamiest novel the author has written. this is inspirational novel about self growth, friendship, growing up, changing, grief, mental illness! I returned back to read some chapters over and over again! Harriet and Wyn are up there with my favourite romance couples!

I'd rate it 4/5 - the missing point would be the miscommunication trope ... i feel like in this day and age things can be really easily sorted with communication and the fact she just blocked his number and didnt receive any of his texts is just like ???? unrealistic? but apart from that - i looooved this book!

I think this is her best yet! Emily Henry is a brilliant author and j was looking forward to this book. From the outset I was hooked. The main character is so relatable.

The book is about a group of friends having their last trip to their happy place. It is a tale of love, loss, identity, growing up, growing apart and family.

Harriet is looking forward to a trip with her friends, until she is faced with an unexpected guest!

I adored all the characters, such a mix, and I loved the realness of the book. Everyone has their own insecurities and is dealing differently with the changes in their lives and their friendships.

I love how Harriet learns to fight! I love the contrast between those characters who knew how to do this safely already and those for whom it is terrifying.

A wonderful book but boy do you have to go through an emotional rollercoaster to get to the end! Absolutely brilliant, I adored it start to finish.

Emily Henry is magic. I don't even know how to begin writing this review, as everything about this novel was exceptional.

The book is an exquisite exploration of romantic and platonic love, what it means to give and receive in return, to fight and lose. I have not read such an impactful and fulfilling novel in a while.

It has all the qualities found in a good book:
1. Diverse, fully-fleshed-out characters, with the romantic duo of Harriet and Wyn being excellent protagonists.
2. A clear and captivating exploration of human emotions, how we process things and what holds us back (I found this to be the main focus of the book, more so than the romance).
3. Great setting and plot.
4. Well-written dialogue, at times devastating, at times hilarious.

Overall, a novel that goes beyond just being a romance.

I would like to say a huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read and review this book early!

My favourite part of the last few years as a bookseller has been Emily Henry’s new books. I was desperate to read this one, and I was right in assuming she will just continue to get better. This book about Harriet and Wyn, but also their closest family Sabrina, Cleo, Parth and Kimmy is incredibly special. The love is palpable and honest, and the story is wildly funny and brilliant. Emotional moments high on weed gummies on top of Ferris Wheels, outside secluded moss covered showers, and the true difficulty of loving your people from 20 to 30 years old and through all the changes and people you become. I’ll be looking forward to Henry’s new books and if she has one fan in the room that fan is me.