I can’t even describe to you how much I loved this book. If I could rate this book higher than 5 stars I would have GLADLY done so because this is probably one of the best books I’ve read in my life and I am now scared I will be in a reading slump.

Emily Henry literally gets you immersed within literal seconds. She presents the standard tropes of “forced proximity, friends to lovers, second chance romance, fake dating” in such a unique amazing way I literally couldn’t get enough of it. Her story telling skills are impeccable and not one word she writes is out of place. The way she writes perfectly describes situations from what it’s like to meeting someone for the first time to getting into an argument.

There wasn’t one character I didn’t immediately fall in love with. All your initial impressions of each character are so strong and I loved how independent their personalities were yet how well they intertwined. And the friendships?!!? I could write a whole essay about that topic alone because the depth of these relationships is beautiful. Friendship was the root of this book and I am here for it.

I could relate to Harriet SO MUCH on a personal level it opened my eyes up. And Wyn had my whole heart. He reminds me why men written by women are just elite and nobody can tell me other wise. Their relationship was complex and had so many twists and turns yet I just couldn’t get enough.
On top of that there are funny, heated, deep, sad moments. Like Emily Henry ticked every single one of the boxes because I found myself laughing but then crying and then feeling relaxed and then having a panic attack al in one???? AND ITS THE FACT ITS ALL REALISTIC. I genuinely felt I was there experiencing all this and that’s exactly what a good book does.

AND THE AMOUNT OF LESSONS YOU CAN LEARN FROM THIS BOOK?! About mental health, self-love, the importance of taking time out for yourself, communication like every person can and will take something from this book.

I could re-read this whole book again right now even though I’ve just finished it and I would still rate it 5 stars and have a whole lot more to say. I genuinely have not one bad thing to say about this book. I have so much more to say but this would just go on. This book is my Happy Place.

🏝️ HAPPY PLACE 🏝️

What is your most anticipated read of 2023? Mine was this one. And when Viking invited me to read and review Happy Place, the forthcoming novel by my favourite, Emily Henry, I dropped all other reading plans and devoured it straight away!
🏝️
This book is everything. It has all of Henry’s trademarks: smart writing, tonnes of chemistry and characters you’re really rooting for. But it also has a lot to say about family, friendship, mental health, grief and that tricky transition between those heady students days and true adulthood.
🏝️
I’m going to go ahead and say it: I think this is my favourite of all Emily Henry’s novels. I loved Harriet and Wyn and all of their friends, and I thought their story was very well written with plenty of food for thought.
🏝️
This one isn’t out in the UK until the 27th April so there’s a little while to wait. But what better way to treat yourself this Valentine’s than putting in a cheeky preorder..? 💜
🏝️
With thanks to Viking for making my January so much brighter! This one will be a contender for my book of the year, without a doubt.

Happy Place by Emily Henry
I give this book 4.75 stars

Two exes. One pact.
Could this holiday change everything?
Harriet and Wyn were the perfect couple for the past decade.Except this year, they broke up six months ago.and still haven't told their friends..One last holiday all together in their Happy Place before the cottage is sold.
But how can you pretend to be in love - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best?

Meet Harriet the people pleaser and gorgeous Wyn (swoon) who feels like he doesn’t belong,add their lifelong friends into the mix and off we go.
.This book explores what happens to friendships and relationships over the years as life becomes more complex and you change.There’s something in this book for everyone to relate to,which is what I want in a standout read like this.The authors engaging writing style,relatable plots,flawed characters ( that I want in my life) and idyllic settings are what draws me in every time and leave me impatient for the next book.
2nd chance romance,
past/present timeline to draw you in,
banter,emotion,love,life,miscommunication,secrets,found family and plenty of angst
Find your happy place and embrace your life!
I LOVED IT
With thanks to Netgalley,Emily Henry and Penguin General UK for my chance to read and review this book

This book commits 100% to giving you all the angst, and let me tell you, I felt it. Parts of this had me so tense that my stomach started to hurt, but also compelled me to keep reading in the hopes that I would finally find out what had happened between Harriet and Wyn.

It takes a while before we get there. The story is told in two timelines, where we explore how they met and fell in love up until their breakup, while in the present, they are struggling to keep their single status a secret from their best friends. Of course, this goes about as well as can be expected when both of them are hurting but pretending they're perfectly happy.

Even though there were misunderstandings and lack of communication (not my favourite tropes), I found that these didn't bother me in this case because I understood why they hid certain things. There were a few moments where they were discussing their problems and opening up to each other that had me emotional, and even though a second chance romance doesn't always work for me, I was rooting for them. I do think the way it gets resolved was a bit weak—at one point Wyn says, "Because there's nowhere I wouldn't go for you," which completely erases their entire history and feels a lot like the definition of insanity.

As is usually the case, Emily Henry tackles a lot more than just the romance. In Happy Place we have a group of six friends who have been slowly growing apart, but so far refuse to acknowledge it. I really liked the focus on friendships and how much work you have to put into sustaining them, especially once you're in different physical locations or different phases of your life. The banter within the entire group was top notch as always—the snappy dialogue is definitely one of the reasons Henry's writing tends to work for me.

Oh, and if you've read Beach Read, there's a blink-and-you-miss-it easter egg in this one.

Happy Place isn't my new happy place, but it's another solid entry from Emily Henry, who has become an author whose romances I will always pick up.

Emily Henry has done it again! Switching between the present and flashbacks, you're taken through the love story of Harriet and Wyn, and their heartbreaking split. I was instantly hooked and obsessed with their relationship, rooting so hard for them to get back together! I absolutely flew through this book, it might be the most gripping romance I've ever read. Will be recommending to anyone and everyone!

This was a really great romance read which explored all the six main characters in great depth. Another Henry book that I loved!

Did not finish. I tried hard to like this author, but I've come to terms, and she'll never be my cup of tea, sadly. I won't rate it since I didn't finish the book

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.