I love Emily Henry's writing style, and this was an immersive and enjoyable read. The main characters were likeable, and had amazing chemistry, and I thought the friend characters were really well fleshed out and realistic too. This is an amazing summer read!

I will never not adore something written by Emily Henry, and Happy Place is no exception. We follow the story of Harriet and Wyn, who after 10 years have decided to separate but haven’t told their friends. When their annual trip comes around things are awkward and faking being still together seems like the surefire route to an easy life, only things don’t quite go to plan.

I’d call this an exes to lovers, fake dating and second chance at love amalgamation and it’s a combination that works so well together. I really believe that Emily Henry was destined to write about love, and Happy Place simultaneously hurt and healed me at the same time. It is deliciously warm, simultaneously sad and uplifting and looks at the theme of happiness so intrinsically that I even began to question if I was content with my life and my choices. Reading an Emily Henry novel always feels as comforting as a warm hug and I couldn’t have read this at a better time. Loved it!

I can’t thank the team at Viking Books enough for my copy via Netgalley

This is the story of Harriet and Wyn, together for ten years but then decide to separate, only they haven't managed to tell their friends that yet so when they surprise them with bringing them together for this weekend things get awkward fast!

It has exes to lovers/second chance/only one bed tropes and found family.

Emily Henry writes banter like no other! I can always feel the tension simmering between the characters and picture the closeness of the characters as they brush against each other. This book was no different in that respect but it did have a different tone. This whole book to be had a layer of sadness and even though I got the banter and the connection of the characters, it's a slow burn that makes it more contemporary fiction than rom-com ad while I loved the writing it left me feeling more sad than happy.

Another Emily Henry smasher. I just know I’m going to love whatever she writes. The banter, the wit, the male and female MC’s: All brilliant. The only downside was that it went on for quite a while towards the end and could easily have dropped a lot of the final chapters that added nothing in order to get to the conclusion quicker. Bit draggy. But will definitely look out for her next.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this early copy of Happy Place.

First and foremost, this has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and I am so glad that this book was all I expected and more!

I have fallen in love with Henry's writing, but most of all with her characters. And Harriet and Wyn were no less, as well as Sabrina, Cleo, Parth and Kimmy. From the first meeting to the last day in the cottage, you have to root for all of them.

I saw so much of myself in each character and I think Harriet's story and background are so relatable as well as from the rest of the characters, which is what makes Henry's books even better. The banter and flirting are top and something that you never miss in Henry's novels.

This is the first Emily Henry book I’ve read and I have to fully agree that the hype surrounding her is spot on. Within the first chapter I was instantly hooked and any time I wasn’t reading it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’ll definitely be buying her other books and devouring every single page!

I struggle to find the words to describe this book but I'm going to try. Because everyone must read it. Everyone should feel the way I felt reading it. Joy, excitement, worry, heartbreak, pain and the delicious warm and fuzzy feeling at the end.

Six friends who have become family. One cottage in Maine who has been their happy place every summer. What could go wrong? Except if you ask Harriet who meets her ex fiance there, Wyn, who happened to break her heart a few months ago. The thing is, no one knows they are not together anymore.

This book does something that is becoming more and more rare in literature. Every character has a different personality. A distinct one. With all their flaws and dark pasts but also positive traits that somehow, complete each other. Somehow one of them is just what the other needs at a given time. I loved all six of them, I laughed and I cried with them and their wonderful interactions and dialogues. I even envied their friendship turned family.

The setting and the descriptions transfer you to a place very far from home, let you experience the weird little habits and everyday life of the people living there. I even felt like I could smell the place let alone see all the images the author painted for me. That's just good writing folks.

I saved the best for last. That is the main couple, Wyn and Harriet. Their relationship is presented in two timelines. There is the present when they meet at the cottage being already separated and the past when the author takes us on a journey through their relationship from the moment they met and fell in love until their breaking up. I loved them both. Their character arcs were so complete, their actions always supported and explained, their personalities so three dimensional that it was like I was reading actual people and not characters in a book. I empathized with their pain of losing each other and all the other struggles in their lives which they expressed in their own unique ways. I celebrated their successes and mourned their losses and rooted for them. Oh I rooted for them since the first page they appeared together. The chemistry was explosive. The sexual tension between them just the right amount serving to deepen their soul connection as it should be. Their love for each other, vast. I couldn't tear my eyes from the page every time they expressed their feelings. Two people so made for each other, so meant be each other's soulmates and anchors through life that it causes physical pain to imagine them apart.

This book hurt me but I loved every page. Every character. Every dialogue line. These are people I wish I could meet. This is a place I would love to be. A happy place.

Firstly, thank you to Emily Henry for writing this book. Really. Thank you. Also thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this gem of a book.

Happy Place was full of great characters, lovely writing and all the sizzling chemistry, which I expect from the author. However, this book didn’t quite hit the spot for me like the others. It felt too angsty as there was a lot of tension and hurt between Harriet and Wyn, which didn’t feel adorable or cute. It made me feel quite sad. I do think this with resonate with a lot of people who have been in relationships which have fallen apart due to miscommunication, and making big personal life decisions like moving for a job. It felt different to the authors previous books in the sense it wasn’t a cute romance, maybe more heavy and relatable. I liked the friendship group in the book, and would love to read more about them. The humour was top notch as expected. I’m here for the banter and laugh out loud situations. The ending was satisfying and left me happy. I just wish they had all communicated better 🙃

Harriet and Wyn are madly in love and engaged to be married. Except, they actually broke up 5 months ago. And haven't told any of their friends. And are now on holiday with those friends, pretending they're still together ... What could go wrong?

So, I love a second chance romance and this started off pretty strong. Unfortunately, that changed very fast. I felt there was far too much focus on the past, and I knew far more about how they originally fell in love than how they were doing now. The book went on for too long and began to drag, so that by the end I was mostly just skim reading. Didn't really feel the romance by the end, I just wanted everybody to move on! Not the book for me.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

“In every universe, its you for me. Even if it’s not me for you. “

Harriet, Sabrina and Cleo have been best friends since college. They formed a friendship as tight as your high school jeans, and met the love’s of their life’s together. Now after years of not seeing each other, Sabrina invites them all to a cottage for a surprise get together. Harriet, who just recently broke things off with her fiancé 6 months ago still hasn’t told her best friends this heartbreaking news, gets the absolute shock of her life when Wyn also shows up at the cottage. With the secret of them breaking up still not broadcasted, Wyn and Harriet have no choice but to fake it till they make it for this week. But when the faking feels all too familiar and like home, will Harriet and Wyn remember why they called it off in the first place…?

I’m going to be completely transparent, it took me a while to get into this book. Literally about 70% before I started enjoying it immensely. But damn, that last 30% knocked my heart so hard, I could feel my knuckles getting whiter as I clutched my phone so hard as I got so invested in Harriet’s story. Yes its a beautiful story about friendship, and fake dating, and the drama that comes with it. But what stood out to me the most was that it was about how hard life is trying to figure yourself out. Being able to internally analyze and see the career you might have studied years for, isn’t something you love. The hard look in the mirror of not being happy or content or have a clue who you are. Having have to disappoint others for a bit so you can find your passion for the long run. That was so damn good. Emily Henry straight up knocked this realistic, so relatable 30-trying-to-find-myself ball so hard out of the park. It legit gave me courage and hope, and maybe even a small blueprint of what matters in life. Incredible🤌🏻 simply just magnificent. All the stars🫶🏻

Happy Place - Emily Henry

This is Emily Henry’s fourth novel, and another one for me to race through! She somehow manages to strike this balance between romance and friendship in her writing which makes it interesting and enjoyable.

Wyn and Harry (Harriet) have been together for years, are part of a close knit group of six friends who vacation together as couples, and are due to get married as soon as Harry can get enough time off work at the hospital.
Except they’re not together anymore, have been living separately and haven’t told their friends.
It’s going to make this summer’s holiday really awkward.

Told from Harry’s point of view, we get to know her friends, her life, her relationship with Wynn and their difference and similarities told both through flashback and in present day.

Emily Henry is great at writing relationships, and while the romance ones are great, I tend to gravitate towards the friend and sibling relationships, like Nora and Libby, the sisters in Book Lovers. Wyn and Harry’s friends are ones I’d like to hang out with, like in Red, White & Royal Blue <link>. That doesn’t mean they’re nothing but 2D fun - actually, they’re all irritating at times and definitely have their own issues to work through, but their conversations are interesting and they’re nice people who seem to genuinely care about each other.

The other great thing is the descriptions of the food - a holiday with a crowd of people always involves lots of meals and delicious snacks, and this is no exception. I recommend you read this with snacks, or you’ll find yourself with a rumbling stomach!

A bit like in People We Meet on Vacation <link>, this wasn’t my favourite love story of Emily Henry’s. The reasons that Harry and Wyn aren’t together feel like compelling ones, and maybe they are better off apart. This might reflect on some personal circumstances and when I read this, so I’m planning to read this again and see if some time makes a difference. The chemistry between Harry and Wyn was still incredible, and they clearly have a connection that goes beyond the physical. I think this is what makes Henry’s books so readable - they’re multi layered, self and pop culture referenced and with real people who are recognisable.

Thanks so much to Viking for the early DRC, it really was an excellent present in my inbox! Recommended for fans of Emily Henry and Nora Ephron.

Another Henry gem! Past regrets, misunderstandings, fabulous setting and intriguing characters. What more could a reader want? Perfect summer read!

I really enjoyed this book. Definitely one for fan’s of Henry’s other romances. It was fun and flirty but had a lot of heart. I liked the explorations of friendships as well as the main romantic arc and the way those two elements played upon each other.

Emily Henry's books are my happy place so I went into this one without reading the synopsis. It didn't matter to me. It was Emily Henry and I was going to read it.

But sadly this book had tears streaming from my eyes most of the way through it. Instead of the joy and laughter that I normally get I found myself feeling depressed. So it wasn't quite was I expecting.

However, one of the things I loved about Beach Read was how well Henry balances the sad real life stuff with the highs of romance. It's a recurrent theme throughout her adult books in varying amounts. Happy Place arguably leans more towards the sad. I repeat that this book had me crying every few chapters. The empathy I felt for Harriet was immense. At times I didn't want to finish the book but I trust Henry to deliver exceptional fiction and I wasn't disappointed.

I think that opinions might be divided on this one. Fake dating as a trope is fun. When the fake dating involves two people who are still reeling from the breakdown of their relationship to EACH OTHER, it's less fun. In fact, it's hopeful at best and excruciating at its worst.

But Happy Place is about more than romance. It's a story about the people and places that feel like home and as Henry shows, our happy places might not always be where you'd expect but rather where we feel we most belong.

Harriet and Wyn appear to their 4 uni friends as the perfect couple at their annual reunion. They split up 6 months ago, but haven't told anyone and anyway their romance was a year old before any of them guessed anyway. Can they bear to be in close proximity, including sharing a room ? What will the outcome be at the end of the week? Enthralling read; couldn't wait to find out if they stayed split or paired up again.

I received an arc through net galley in exchange for an honest review. This book was so fun to read, so cute and I absolutely loved it. This was my first time reading Emily Henry and she has definitely made me keen to read the rest of her books! Very well written and such a fun romance, even though parts of the book had me tearing up the ending made it all worth it. Thank you to NetGalley, penguin books and Emily Henry for the chance to read this one early. Very happy with it.

“This is how I used to think of love. As something so delicate it couldn’t be caught without being snuffed out. Now I know better. I know the flame may gutter and flare with the wind, but it will always be there.”

This. Book. Emily Henry has done it once again, she’s produced yet another book that I’ve rated 5 stars. However, this one was 5 stars in a very different way. 5 stars in more of a literary fiction way than a romance way, but still containing the cute elements of her previous works.

This book took me completely by surprise, I knew it was second chance romance but I had never read one before so had no idea what to expect. This book is founded less on sexual tension and physical attraction/ intimacy, but instead on Harriet and Wyn’s profound and unmoving love for each other. The use of two time periods - past & present - makes this book have the depth I deeply crave, making you understand every intricacy of every character and every situation required.

I highlighted approx 250 quotes (I know, insanity) because I was addicted to this book, and once again addicted to the way in which Henry writes. This book made me cry … multiple times. I am a massive crybaby when it comes to books and films, but I have to feellll what is being portrayed to me, and that’s certainly what I did with Happy Place. The emotions were portrayed so BEAUTIFULLY, one thing I have come to expect from Henry’s books is the main characters communicating in a healthy, deep way.

Harriet and Wyn … all I can say is I adore them and rooted for them every step of the way. Their understanding of each other, and willingness to know each other inside and out is so visceral. You can feel the heart of their relationship palpitating through the screen. Their love is so profound, and they are such beautiful ‘people’. They felt truly like soulmates. I adored Harriet’s narration - it was so vulnerable and raw, delving deep into the impact of childhood trauma.

This book additionally explores the value of friendship, and growing within friendships as we age. Platonic love was just as prevalent as romantic, and the topics explored were equally emotional and meaningful. This was something that made it distinctly different from her previous works, and it was something that worked SO well. It took the book to a whole other level.

I cannot place this book in any Emily Henry book ranking as it felt so different, but it’s equally as special as her previous books. Just in a different way.

This publishes in April, read it 🫶🏼

- Lara <3

Wow - how do you spell chemistry? I’ll tell you – it’s Harriet and Wyn!

This book is a romantic, second chance story of friendship that I guarantee will have crying all the tears until you are an emotional puddle on the floor (in the best way).

I love the format of Happy Place. We dip into Hariette’s life, past and present, her happy places and her unhappy places. We met Wyn, Sabrina, Cleo, Parth and Kimmy and get swept up in their idealistic friendship, this group of friends, each their own separate puzzle piece coming together to fit perfectly.

And we’re introduced to Knott’s Harbour, Maine, one of the most magical places I’ve ever read about, and where the majority of the book is set. But the cottage at Knott’s Harbour is being sold and the friends are coming together for one last amazing week.

Henry has included all the favourite tropes, friends to lovers, second chance love, found family, one-bed and crafted something completely special. And did I mention the chemistry? I didn’t even mind the miscommunication, which is not my favourite, I somehow didn’t even realise it was miscommunication until the end which just goes to show how amazing and all consuming the story was.

A++++ 10 out of 10 would recommend and will until the end of time.

I really love Emily Henry's writing, and each book inread just gets better. The characters themselves, their relationships, the setting of the book. Every word I read I want to belong in the book and this was no different. This was the kind of book I got angry about having to be in real life and put it down. I really love this book and if I could read it again from the start I would

Emily Henry hits the jackpot again with her beautiful character development and witty one liners. I love the friendships and relationships she builds between characters, and she’s become one of the authors I’ll buy as soon as I see a new release, because there’s not a single story she’s written yet that I haven’t enjoyed. Although Happy Place didn’t hit the raving heights of Book Lovers for me, it’s definitely an excellent read and I’ll be recommending it to my book club buddies and friends. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me an ARC on my brand new account, I’m delighted to have hit the review road with such a great book.