Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!!

This book was my most anticipated read of 2023 so I was incredibly excited when I was approved for the arc and wow, it did not disappoint, not that I expect anything less from Emily Henry! It made me cry like a baby multiple times.
Happy Place follows Harriet and Wyn, two exes who have to pretend they are still together for their annual summer trip with their best friends, having not told the group about their separation.
Written with a combination of flashbacks and present day, this book is an emotional rollercoaster.
I fell in love with Harriet and Wyn from the moment they met; the way they immediately understood each other’s humour and constantly bounced off of one another. Harriet Kilpatrick is quick-witted, emotional and an incredibly loveable narrator, and Wyn Connor is charming, thoughtful and just as funny. Together, they make a couple impossible not to love. Reading about them falling in love, working through their problems, and falling in love all over again was so so heartwarming.
But, like all Emily Henry books, this was so much more than a romance novel. Not only did I fall in love with Harriet and Wyn, but their friends too: Sabrina, Parth, Cleo and Kimmy - their found family. Happy Place also told the incredibly relatable story of a group trying to navigate friendships in adult life, the scary idea of change, and the reassurance that it’s never too late to do what makes you happy.

I loved this book more than I can put into words, though I tried my best in this review. It will be well worth the wait when it comes out in April!
Emily Henry, I love you!!!

Another wonderful book by Emily Henry - all her books are so popular with readers. They are always easy to get into, heartfelt and memorable.

This one is for the You’re On Your Own, Kid girlies.

Emily Henry has an eye for writing heartfelt, introspective romances. Her multilayered stories deliver thematically significant depth while also hitting the notes of several classic romcom tropes.

Honestly, Happy Place is more reminiscent of People We Meet On Vacation rather than Book Lovers.

We follow Harriet and Wyn, a couple who have been together for years and have just broken up. Despite the fact that they are no longer together, they decide to go on their annual vacation with their best friends and pretend that everything is normal. Fake dating shenanigans ensue.

I must have missed the final boarding call when the second-chance romance hype took off. Maybe it’s because I find it’s often done poorly. The author has to tread so many fine lines, balancing past flashbacks with the present romance - along with developing compelling reasons for why the relationship didn’t work + why they’re back together again. Besides, I love experiencing the meet-cute spark and watching couples slowly fall for each other in realtime. Flashback-heavy books tend to obscure that connection for me. Hence, exes-to-lovers/second-chance romance is usually not high up on my favourite tropes list. Despite the above, I should’ve known that if anyone can pull this off, it’d be Emily Henry.

The most noticeable aspect is the refreshing writing filled with sensory details. Emily Henry always has a sharp eye for detail in establishing setting. I really enjoyed the setting of the Maine cottage and the descriptions of the charming coastal town. The sense of place is so vivid and immersive that I felt like I was right there with the characters, soaking up the salty air and enjoying copious amounts of wine and cheese.

However, amidst the picturesque vacation setting lay undertones of sadness and grief. I honestly don’t think I would’ve enjoyed this book if I was in a different mood or on the verge of a reading slump. I had to be in the mindset as this book covers topics relating to mental illness.

Throughout the story, you feel like you’re missing a puzzle piece. As you watch their relationship unfurl, you wonder why Wyn and Harriet broke up. It keeps you turning pages, searching for a concrete reason. Unlike PWMOV’s lacklustre reveal, this one was just human nature. A small part of me resented that it boiled down to not communicating, which is why I docked a star. I was underwhelmed by the grand reveal/the aftereffects of the ruse they’ve been playing on everyone.

Alongside the Wyn x Harriet relationship, the core of this book is the dynamic friend group. Each and every single one of this vivacious cast of characters is well-developed. Witty comebacks and snappy retorts abound in this book. The friendships are riddled with laugh-out-loud funny dialogue and banter. It’s like watching a tennis match - very Gilmore Girls-esque.

The character beats are also nuanced. For example, a major plot point is everyone dealing with the changing landscape of friendships in adulthood. The way it was written authentically highlighted the feelings of insecurity, and the accompanying fear of loss and permanence.

Happy Place captures the complexities of relationships (platonic and romantic) and the challenges of communication. It is a reminder of the importance of communication and the magic that can happen when we open ourselves up to love and forgiveness. The themes of friendship, grief, and personal growth are

If you’re looking for a feel-good romance with depth, substance, and a touch of nostalgia, then look no further.

An easy read which kept my interest throughout as six friends get together to enjoy a last weekend in the holiday home. Two of them try to keep their break up a secret which causes tensions for everyone.

Great new novel by Emily Henry, I've now read all her books and was excited to be able to read and review this latest treat! Happy Place definitely didn't disappoint, great characters, great setting. Romance, laughter and tears but managing not to be too mushy if that makes sense. Couldn't wait to get to the conclusion - but was then sad it had ended as usual. Would make a lovely movie or mini series - listen up #Netflix :)
Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#HappyPlace #NetGalley

Every time I think Emily Henry has peaked she proves me wrong.

Every time I think I don’t like a trope, Emily Henry proves me wrong again.

Happy Place was the novel I needed to complete my 2022, I read it in less than 24 hours because I was that invested. Harriet & Wyn are probably my favourite characters Emily has written, their relationship feels so real & is horribly relatable too. The bittersweet, hopeful, yearning tone of the book really can’t be faulted & it captures that awkward age between teenager/uni & “proper adult” so well.

The supporting characters are all a wonderful diverse group & the back stories really helped build the dynamic you see between the members of the group, without it over powering the main storyline.

An excellent way to finish 2022!

Thank you to Penguin UK & Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

honestly didn’t think it that anything could come close to how i felt after reading beach read but here we are…
i can’t wait for this book to come out officially so i can re-read again and again

HAPPY PLACE// Emily Henry ✨ Aesthetics ✨
Out in April, this one book you want to have on your TBR - it has all the feels! 4.5 🌟

The perfect unique contemporary romance with fake dating/second chance vibes.

Who doesn’t love an annual trip to their HAPPY PLACE? It is something Harriet looks forward to every year - some time with her best friends and boyfriend to have fun and recharge. But this year she’s dreading it - she has to go solo and tell her tight knit friend group that her and fiancé, Wyn, have broken up. So, imagine her surprise when she arrives at the cottage .. and Wyn is there. And … they are sharing a room - a BED. Do they have to keep up this charade of loving couple for a whole week? Awkward is an understatement …

Gah, I loved this book (if you need a bingeable book THIS IS IT) - full of unforgettable friendships, love, some steam 🔥, and a journey of self discovery. I laughed, I welled up - sometimes at the same time. I found this story just comforting, like my own happy place. Make sure you mark your calendars for April 👀

💭 Where’s your happy place?

I'll return with a more detailed review next year but for now../

On 3rd November, I got an e-mail out of NOWHERE that went something like this-
[Hello lovely reader,
We’re popping into your inbox with an early Christmas present . . . the new novel from Emily Henry on NetGalley!
Because you read and enjoyed Book Lovers by Emily Henry, we thought you would like early access to Happy Place before anyone else.]

!!!!A NEW EMILY HENRY BOOK AND I AM GETTING EARLY ACCESS!!!!
(Needless to say, I bragged about it to my besties)

I started reading it the very night and finished it the very next day(4th Nov) and it was...well...underwhelming.

I loved the characters- It felt like Emily Henry cherry picked some of my traits and then liberally spread it among the characters. I related to at least one trait of every single character of the main friends group. Harriet, my darling darling Doctor, is the character who I felt like was this vision from future for me as a medical aspirant. The things she was facing/agonizing over were the very things that me and my besties (who are medical aspirants) have discussed and worried about.
It was as if these characters were written just for me.

The writing is as good as always. EH, you are really one of the best!!!!

So, why rate it 3 stars?
...Because I disliked it more than I liked it...

It was as if this book had all the ingredients it needed to potentially surpass Book Lovers as my fav EH book but the finished product didn't pass my taste test. Throughout the duration of reading, I was unsure about its rating even though the characters felt so relatable.

When I first read the synopsis, I had pictured a sorta plot that Happy Place gave to me only in bits and pieces-- Maybe this book just isn't for me or Maybe I'm not the right reader for this book

My Ranking so far(16/11/2022):-
Book Lovers > Beach Read > Happy Place > People We Meet on Vacation

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I have loved every Emily Henry book more than the last, and this one is no exception (which is saying a lot considering how much I loved 'Book Lovers'). I had tears slowly streaming down my face for the second half of this book. There was just so much love in it! Yes romantic love, but also friendship love, and family love. And each kind was written so well.
I really enjoyed the characterisation of each character, from Harriet and Wyn (our main couple) to the other four best friends. Every one felt like a whole person, with layers and distinct personalities. Their histories were well enough explored to understand how the friend group worked together. But it was never overwhelming, or difficult to remember who was who. Also, the banter! Between Harriet and Wyn, and then between all the friends. It was so fun, and I thought it made them seem like they've all been friends for a long time. But thankfully, I never felt like it out stayed its welcome.
The format of interchanging chapters of present day on holiday, and then chapters of the past perfectly work together to weave a realistic and cohesive story that invests you in the characters and their relationships.
If I had to compare it to another Emily Henry book, I think I'd pick "You and Me on Vacation/People We Meet On Vacation". Similar vibes.

I have mixed feelings about the book, i enjoyed reading most of it and did like it, but i do feel like parts where very forced and did not really fit the story.
Overall I liked the story and most characters. I really liked the different happy places that got mentioned in the book and how they were described, together with important things that happened for the story.

Emily Henry you are my Happy Place!
I have read this book twice now and still feel all gooey inside for their second chance romance. It is more than that though it is about the love of friends as well.
I can’t write without gushing as Harriet and Wyn as a couple are exactly as described they go together and are the ultimate couple goal but the sadness that stems from each of them is so tangible in the way Emily writes this story I felt my heart break.
Obviously a Happy Ever after otherwise Happy Place would be slightly ironic but o worth the read and then some!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm6uC5JDvei/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Happy Place by Emily Henry
Pub Date 27 Apr 2023
Publisher:Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Viking
Genre:General Fiction (Adult) | Romance | Women's Fiction

This is my first Emily Henry novel, so I divided it. Harriet and Wyn have split up; however, they've made a pact to pretend they're still together whilst on an annual vacation with their best friends.

Their friends surprise them, and now they are stuck together for the week for a celebration.

I adore their friendship, Sabrina, Parth, Cleo, and Kimmy. It made me laugh at their stories and interactions.

I liked the duality of flipping from the past to the present. This helped to get to know the characters better.

I feel for Harriet in this book. Her situation is complex and makes me feel very emotional.
Wyn, I didn't feel for him because I adore Harriet. At the end of this book, I did feel a bit more for Wyn because I understood him better and his side of the story.

Thanks to Penguin UK for the arc copy, and my opinions are my own.

Sabrina, oh wow, I didn't expect that, but it made me smile.

#NetGalley #bookreview #generalfiction #womensfiction #booklover #booktok #bookclub #romance
@penguinukbooks

Thank you to NetGalley and Emily Henry for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

This was another great story by Emily Henry with a comforting setting and fun characters. I personally preferred her previous book, Book Lovers as this one didn’t keep my attention all the way through and the miscommunication between the characters got a little annoying. It was still a fun read though and the ending had me tearing up.

first of all to netgalley and the publisher: thank you so much for sending me this arc.
this is one of the top 5 best books i've read last year (emily henry's book lovers also makes the list).
left me sobbing at 2am. i loved all of the characters tbh. Wyn's love language is physical touch which is just *chef's kiss*

Just when I thought that I couldn't adore Emily Henry more, she goes and releases Happy Place.
I've loved all of her previous books but they seem to get better and better with each one that she releases and her fourth book perfectly exemplifies that.
I really enjoyed seeing Harriet and Wyn fall in love during the flashback chapters, as well as seeing how the group came to be, with those scenes being contrasted to the present day.
I've not read anything quite like this before, in terms of the two main love interests being broken up but having to pretend to still be a couple. It was definitely an interesting take on the typical romances that I read but with all of the magic of an Emily Henry novel.
We also have some of my favourite tropes, such as fake dating and there only being one bed, which are two that I always appreciate seeing. Add in the frustrated back and forth but genuine longing between Harriet and Wyn and Happy Place is now my happy place.
And this isn't just a story about the love and lost love between two characters, it's about family and creating your own family of friends, as well as how we all grow and change as we get older.
Then add in the great escapist vibes of spending time with the group on their yearly trip to a small fishing village/town and it is easily going to be a must-read this summer.
As per all of her previous books, I will 100% be recommending Happy Place to everyone!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My happy place is a Emily Henry book. Getting to live inside the pages of a world she’s created. The comfort of a writer who is so assured in her prose, in her ability to weave a narrative filled with depth and heart lined with characters who make you ache because of how relatable and honestly depicted they are.

Happy place is a story about love in all its different forms- romantic love, platonic love, familial love and self love. The love story of Harriet and Wyn is so captivating and heart wrenching I was stopping every few minutes to reread a line of dialogue or pausing to swoon.

These two characters find themselves pretending they’re still together so they can have one last perfect week with their friend group at the place they’ve always been the happiest. Tension and drama and feelings abound. This is truly Emily Henry’s most romantic book yet. It will emotionally destroy you and then put you back together again.

A good story about friendship, saying goodbye to old memories. Exs who your friends don't know have split up so it becomes very awkward with very awkward and hilarious situations. A good book if a little predictable

My oh my, that was a phenomenal book, I didn't expected anything else and I will need a minute to write a full review, just know that you should clear your day for it because once I started I couldn't stopped before I finished it.

Okay time for my review!

Reading is my happy place but for Harriet, Wynn and their group of friends is the vacation house where they have spend many happy times. The house symbolize a lot of millstones, this time they can all be together for one last trip before it is sold.

The problem is that Harriet and Wynn have broken off their engagement but no one know it. Now months after their break up they have to spend time together and act like they are still together and happy as always.

So the question is can you fake date your ex fiance? You can or at least you can try just so that you can keep the balance between your close friends for a few days. But what will happen when feelings that never went away resurface at full force.

It was lovely seeing how they were able to grow while they were apart and that I am very glad we meet them again months and not years after their break up.

The characters are multilayered and I enjoyed many aspects of their pasts through the flashbacks and their present in the current timeline. This book is about the people as it is about the romance and I loved the balance between the two.


* I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin publisher and Emily Henry for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Is there anything Emily can’t do?? This second chance romance was full of so many emotions for me, I absolutely loved it and can’t wait for it to come out in stores so more people get to read this work of art.

I love how not only did it focus on a relationship, but also friendship and so many of the real challenges associated with our lives and growing up.

I’ll definitely be rereading when it releases