A fun novel that brought in friendship and family as well as romance. The main characters are placed in a sticky situation that needs to be resolved without breaking anyone's hearts in the process and Emily Henry is a good writer who you know will keep things working OK. Depth is provided by the flashbacks between Harriet's happy place and real life, and you hope the two will eventually come together again.

Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple - they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Except, now they don't.

Now they are placed in a really difficult situation as they spend a week with their closest friends who don't know that they've split up. I am a huge fan of Emily Henry books and this book was a happy place to spend some hours devouring.

Yikes, for a while there I really thought I wasn't going to like a story from a favourite author of mine!

There was so much non-communication from both the romantic leads and the bigger friendship group that is was frustrating to read. Plus the behaviour from all the characters read like they were all still in university.

Eventually though the partying stopped and the secrets started to come out and this is where the story shined. Insecurites from family dynamics, depression, and grief were topics that were handled thoughtfully and with heart. I found myself tearing up a few times.

Once everyone started communicating this finally became the Emily Henry I know and love, but it was a little too late for me to truly love the book.

Loved it! Read it over 2 nights because it is just so easy to read. It's got a lot of the classic romantic tropes thrown in and it has that same witty banter that makes Emily Henry books so bingeable. I found myself smiling stupidly at my kindle at times. The two lead characters are cute, and yes the lack of communication at times was stressful for me, I mean for the love of God people, just talk to each other, I get that that is what creates the drama in a romance book, and so I can turn a blind eye and read on.

This one also has a great friend group, that I'm not sure was in the other 2 of hers that I've read. Think the cast of Friends or How I Met Your Mother (although maybe not that iconic). I loved them - the shared holiday in their Happy Place and the acknowledgement of the importance of communication and honesty between our friends as well as our lovers.

Overall, a fun, easy, enjoyable read. I think I need to read Book Lovers soon.

By now, Emily Henry has become a must read author for me, so I was beyond excited when back in December 2022 I was given the opportunity to get an ARC of “Happy Place”, one of my most anticipated 2023 releases 🥹

The way Emily Henry never fails (well, for me it failed once, but I choose to ignore that one) to give us a romance that goes beyond the romantic relationship and always tackles different subjects that we all in a way or another have or will experience throughout our lives, never ceases to amaze me. With “Happy Place” I felt that Henry was trying to answer the age old question of how relationships evolve over time, and how those relationship (wether romantic, friendship, family) can impact you and others around you. Comparing it to her previous books, this one is not a rom-com. “Happy Place” is a more mature, melancholy and at times even angsty story, that focus equally on romance, self-growth and friendship - it’s like she merged “Book Lovers” with “Beach Read”.

The story alternates between chapters called “Happy place” (the past) and “Real life” (the present), and we follow our MC, Harriet, throughout the past and present until the two narratives merge. I usually don’t appreciate going back and forward in time, because I get confused very easily, but in this book this was so beautifully made and it really helps you get things in perspective and to evolve and grow alongside Harriet. Don’t be fooled by the title, because this is not a happy fluffy romance book, but it’s a transformative and blossoming story of so many relationships, which to me it’s just the perfect book for spring time!

I’d like to profusely thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing a copy with me in exchange for my honest review 🖤

I did not actually enjoy this one as much as the previous book I'd read by this author. I think that's mostly down to personal taste, however, given I can't really imagine myself getting back together with someone who has broken up with me in the past.

Harriet is basically a wreck when we meet her. Six months ago, Wyn broke her heart in a four minute conversation over the phone. She hasn't spoken to him since, not even when he posted her stuff back to her without a note. And she hasn't told their mutual group of friends that they've had since college.

Then Sabrina invites them all on a trip. Harriet just thinks that it's her and their other best friend Cleo, but all the partners are invited and then, when they arrive, surprise! It's a wedding celebration for Sabrina and her partner.

Within this holiday, we see the only one bed trope, a whole lot of pining, a little bit of arguing and the flashbacks that Emily Henry seems to favour so much in her writing. We come to understand why they broke up and also the vastly different home lives they each come from.

There was an aspect of mental health and Wyn being on anti depressants that I really liked being included in the story for rep, but it also didn't take up a whole bunch of room. Within the romance, there was also the conversation of potential friendship break ups as these guys have all known each other such a long time and with time also comes the possibility of people growing apart.

I think, had I liked the premise of this romance more, I would definitely have given it a higher rating.

Okay so, I should preface this by saying that I haven’t read any other Emily Henry books so I had no idea what to expect when NetGalley kindly sent this through to me as an ARC to read. Having seen very mixed reviews of the author online, I was a little nervous to start it if I’m honest…

But OKAY. so, I cried for the vast majority of this book. Not always actual tears, but my eyes were pretty much constantly welling. I can’t imagine how sad this situation would be in real life so when I say my heart ACHED, it’s no exaggeration.

Harriet is invited to her “happy place” with her best friends for a summer trip. This is the place she made memories, met the love of her life (Wyn) and finally found somewhere that felt like home to her. The difficult thing about this trip is that, unknown to her friends, her fiancé Wyn had actually broken up with her several months ago. So when her friends surprise her by invite the guy that they believe is her fiancé, it’s not necessarily a good thing for her. How will this trip go? Will they reconcile? Will they finally tell their friends that they are over?

I could feel the love that they shared for each other with every page that I consumed. The tension between them had so many layers to it - yes of course there was sexual tension, but you just knew that there was more to the story than first meets the eye. The narrative flicks from past to present, telling the reader of Harriet’s life and then her life and love with Wyn, eventually culminating to right then and there when they have to make a decision. What will they do?

Beautifully written and broke my heart in ways I didn’t know it could. I’m actually really excited to read more of her books now.

I honestly can't remember the last time I read a book in a day. Until now.

Emily Henry has this insane ability to absorb you into her stories, to unravel your head and heart.
The characters, their relationships, the settings, the intense emotions- SO WELL WRITTEN!

This follows Harriet, her friends and her ex Wyn, who all reunite for a farewell trip. A farewell to their Happy Place, their old selves and a whole load of unsurfaced feelings. The twist? Their friends don't know Wyn and Harriet aren't together.

As they fake it for a week, they live in the past, confront their present, and turn their worlds upside down. My heart burst with the
Fun. Laughter. Reminiscing.
And a fair amount of tears.

For the record, it is SO MUCH more than a fake dating trope.

I adored every second.

P.s this will be the best film/series

For me, Emily Henry will always be a certainty. Happy Place is honestly the romance of my dreams. It follows a kind of exes to lovers situation, Wyn and Harriet broke up some months ago, but they have to fake being still together for the sake of a vacation with their best friends.

The premise honestly really called out to me, and to be honest the novel lived up to my expectations. I always say that Emily Henry is my Taylor Swift in romance novels, and that's because these two women really know the way to my heart.
Book Lovers, to be completely honest was not my favourite novel ever by Henry, so I didn't know what to expect for this one, but it was honestly so good.

I really love how Henry, in her books, has the ability to make you care so much not only about the romance between the main couple, but also the characters as individuals, and also the side characters.

This book has a strong element of found family, and I honestly was head over heels about this. I felt like at the end of the novel I really cared about each one of the characters, and the way they acted around each other, like they were actually family was just the cutest thing ever, and it warmed my heart.

The relationship between Harriet and Wyn was just so believable, I really rooted for them, and while at a point I really didn't know how Henry could resolve some of the more practical aspect of their relationship, in the end I was really satisfied about how things turned out.

Also, I really enjoy how up to this point of all Henry's romance novels have a strong summer vibes to them, it's just a cute little thing that makes me happy (even though I would LOVE to see a book set in Winter).

In the end, I really loved this book, I really hope you pick it up when it will be released (in just a few days), because it really is worth it!

This book was a breath of fresh air for me – very different to the sorts of novels I normally read. The style is very much about the characters rather than the storyline – at times, I must admit that my short attention span started to get a bit itchy for more ‘things to happen’, but – by the time I got about three-quarters of the way through – I realised that wasn’t the point. And that I was completely invested in the lives of Harriet and Wyn and their happiness! The extremely in-depth character development was so stunning, I felt like I knew these characters, particularly Harriet and Wyn, personally and that they were genuinely real people. I cannot stress enough how impressed I was with Emily Henry’s skill for creating characters with backstories and memories and banter so real and lifelike that I can’t believe these people don’t exist in real life!

Anyway, the premise! Harriet is a junior doctor working in San Francisco and is going on her yearly trip to stay with her college friends at Sabrina’s dad’s cottage in Maine. It is the very last time they will get to stay here, in their Happy Place, as it is about to be sold. The friends are now 30 and a lot has changed since they first met in college – and some of those changes are about to hit the group hard. How they deal with the changes is what makes the group such strong friends and the story so profound and touching.

One of the changes is that Harriet and Wyn have split up. And no one else knows. Wyn wasn’t supposed to be on the trip – but here he is. And the two have no real choice other than to pretend for the duration of the holiday to avoid causing upset on this special trip. But they are clearly not over each other and have a lot of miscommunication to sort out.

The book is so evocative, and I felt such intense feelings of nostalgia, mournfulness and sadness for the characters. I did have a couple of cries! I don’t want to give anything away but I really enjoyed the way the story worked out and my heart genuinely went on a journey with Harriet!

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏. 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒑 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓."

This was my first Emily Henry book, and it certainly won't be my last! The banter had me laughing the whole way through, except for the parts when I was crying, and even then, it was sometimes a mix.

We encounter Harriet on her way to her friend's holiday home in Maine, where her group meets every year for the lobster festival. We soon find out that she was not expecting her ex-fiance, Wyn, to be there, and yet, there he is. Only they haven't broken the break-up news to their friends yet, and now, with the news of this week being their last ever in Maine, they can't bear to hurt everyone or make it awkward, so they agree to a truce.

This story made me wish I had a friendship group like this! It wasn't perfect, but they were the perfect found family for each other. Each of them was different and flawed, and I loved that. Not everything was as perfect as it seemed, but it made the ending that much sweeter. I also enjoyed the flashbacks to show what went on with Harriet and Wyn, how they fell in love, and how everything went down. This story just gave me all the feels.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. I loved it.

If anyone asks for a romance book recommendation, one of the first authors I mention is Emily Henry and it is for a good reason. I’ve loved every single one of her books that I have read and her latest, Happy Place, is my new favourite book by her. It is spectacular, heart-warming and one of my favourite books I’ve read this year. I cannot recommend it enough.

Harriet and Wyn have been a perfect couple since they met in college, except now they don’t. They broke up six months ago and still haven’t told their best friends. That is why they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Main cottage that has been the home of their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual trip is the place where they can leave behind their daily lives and enjoy time with the people who understand them most. This issue is, this year Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth whilst trying not to notice how much they still want each other. Can they keep up the act for the week?

Happy Place has everything I wanted and so much more. It made me laugh, and cry and I immediately wanted to re-read it. It has a few of my favourite tropes, fake dating, friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance. I know some people may feel these have been overdone recently but that is definitely not the case with this book. It brings a new perspective to each trope and I loved how it all played out

This book is told from Harriet’s perspective and I loved getting to know her. Throughout the book, we get to know her thoughts, fears and all her vulnerabilities. This is done in such an honest and raw way and I found myself wanting nothing but the best for Harriet throughout the book. We see her struggles and how she learns from the situations she is in which made me like her even more.

I adored Wyn and he has easily become one of my favourite male characters ever. He is not without his flaws but they are part of what made him so loveable. He is vulnerable, and caring and is just one of the sweetest male characters I’ve ever read.

Harriet and Wyn are my favourite couple that Emily Henry has written for so many reasons. If someone asked me about soulmates, I would mention Harriet and Wyn. Their story tugged at all my heartstrings and I felt every emotion with them. They aren’t perfect but that is what made them feel so real.

The group of friends Happy Place centres around is amazing. I wanted to be a part of the friendship group myself. I’m always a fan of found family and this one may be my favourite. We get to see how their friendship grows and changes over the years, from their successes, to the worst moments and all the things in between.

I loved that this book is told from two different time periods, Happy Place being the past and Real Life being the present. We get to see the big moments in Harriet’s life thanks to this; when she met her best friends, when she meets Wyn and so many other amazing moments. This helped to give me more perspective on the characters and what they had all been through over the years.

Emily Henry continues to be one of my favourite authors and an author I know I can rely on her for a book that will make me sob and then have me happy crying by the end of the book. The way she explores life, growing up and relationships is extraordinary and helps to make her character so real and honest.

Overall, I cannot recommend Happy Place enough! It is extraordinary and heart-warming and its characters have my heart. It made me laugh, cry and sent me on a real rollercoaster of emotions. It is beautiful and I will be recommending it non-stop this year I’m sure.

Its Emily Henry - she knows how to write a killer rom com with just the right level of 'will they, wont they' to keep you hooked! In 'Happy Place' Harriet and Wyn, who were together for 6 years, broke up but havent told their friends. Can they keep the pretence going for a final friends' holiday?
We know where the story's going to go, but the journey there was fabulously executed and beautifully told.
I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written fun to read romcom
5 stars from me

“No one else’s happiness is yours to grant. You need to find yours.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

THIS BOOK.

THIS BOOK.

It’s taken me a couple of days to write my thoughts down because I just loved it SO much. This has definitely taken top spot on my favourite Emily Henry books list. Am I shocked? Not at all.

The premise sounded like everything I would love. A couple who have to pretend to be engaged whilst on holiday with their best friends so that they don’t ruin the holiday and upcoming wedding by talking everyone that they’re no longer together? Yes please.

Emily Henry just has this way of writing books in the way that Taylor Swift writes lyrics… I don’t know if that makes sense but there’s always this poetic, beautiful style to her writing that sucks you in and makes you want to keep reading, just like Taylor’s lyrics make you want to keep listening.

I adored Wyn, usually I don’t relate to the MMC, but I really related to his self deprecating way of speaking, sometimes it hit a little too close to home and it felt like I was reading conversations I’d had myself with people in the past… I definitely shed a few too many tears.

As much as I love fake dating, it can be very hit or miss, but this was done so well. Paired with the second chance romance trope, this was the perfect book. The tension between Harriet and Wyn was palpable, and the found family aspect was an absolutely beautiful addition.

This is the perfect summer read. I recommend it to all of the romance lovers out there.

Read if you love:
💙 Fake dating
💙 Found family
💙 Close friendships
💙 Small/seaside town
💙 Dual timeline
💙 Second chance romance

(Thank you so much to Viking Books UK for kindly sending me a copy of this beauty!)

💙

Thank you Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Viking and Netgalley for this wonderful surprise arc. I just could not belive my luck.
How can I not love this book. A book that made me feel on the edge all the way. I had also a friend to buddy read Jennifer. We felt so lost and so hopeful together. It is hard to explain. I guess it was just so well done. Growing of the characters was really something I was anxious and wondered about. All the thoughts I had about it was just so deep and tender and angry, all together. There was a wonderful love growing in all directions. I have to mention the friendship that was something we would all want to have and give. I would say is a good reflection of love and what we need in love for real. What is important and what is not.

Very very thankful to have been given early reader access to Happy Place. Like all of Emily Henry’s work, it was amazing and I loved every second of this book!

4.5 stars
I cried so much while reading the last 30% of this book that I gave myself a headache. It's definitely a very emotional read that focuses heavily on heartbreak and on the meaning of happiness. Harriet was a very likeable main character and I couldn't help but empathize with everything she went through. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 full stars was because I didn't get enough happy moments. I would have loved to see more of happy Wyn and Har to balance out all that sadness in the rest of the book. Still, I loved the writing, the characters and the setting; and I thought this was a beautiful book.

With still a couple of weeks to go before it’s offical publication day this book has already gone viral over social media and with good reason as Emily Henry has done it again. She has written yet another novel readers is going to go nuts over.

Worth all the STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for kindly gifting me an advanced ecopy of this book.

Way back when I very first saw this book, I immediately requested. Having loved Book lovers I didn't hesitate at another Emily Henry book, (they are good for the soul) until I read the blurb and I instantly panicked at the second chance/ex lover romance trope. I then procrastinated for quite a while super concerned that I wouldn't get into it but when I did pick it up I had to give myself a good hard kick for ever mistrusting this author because MAN did she make it work!

This book was tugging on my emotions the whole way through. I absolutely love the almost mystery element in the history of the romance between the characters, the story is intricately woven to reveal vulnerabilities and events of the couples past with things happening in the present day and I am here for it. I don't think I have ever come across a book that makes me feel cosy one moment and wanting to sad sob the next.

If you love a book driven by characters you will adore this book. We have a small group of friends and dynamic to explore and each bring something brilliant to the atmosphere of the story, from Sabrina's organised and domineering temperament to Kimmy's party girls persona each character is unique and worthy of their part to play in the book.

I love the writing style, the atmosphere and feel of the book, the character arcs and the emotions that were explored and I'm so pleased that I didn't let what is usually a trope that falls flat for me, get in the way of this book.
Emily Henry proved to me that the ex/second chance love trope can actually be just as fulfilling as my beloved enemies to loves, what a time to be alive!!

Massive thank you for the eArc

Happy Place - Emily Henry

I was so excited to get started on this book, Emily Henry is a must read author for me now, I have loved all her previous books and this one is no exception. A fantastic ride of a story, which I found very difficult to put down. I adored Wyn so so much, and found Parth a very entertaining character. I enjoyed the background characters of the families and their history and stories, I thought this added so much more to the reading experience. I cannot wait for her next book....bring it on! Many thanks Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the advanced copy in return for my opinions.