I do love reading Emily Henry’s books! This one did not disappoint! I loved the characters, a group of long time friends who have slightly drifted apart due to their long distance from eachother and busy lives. Harriott has split up from Her fiancé Wyn but they are yet to tell their friends. Every year they get together at a beautiful cottage in Maine, which they call their "happy place". However, now they have split up they decided that this year Wyn wouldn’t go. When Harriott arrives at the cottage and realises Wyn is there she is deeply upset to see him. To not upset their friends on what turns out to be their last ever trip there due to the property being sold, they try to pretend that they are still very much together, but it becomes increasingly difficult to keep up the act. The book explores love, loss, and the complexities of relationships. It’s isn’t a simple romance story but it is clearly obvious these two people love and care deeply about each other. However, can that be enough when they are both perusing didn’t lives and careers in different states.

Adorable characters. Clever plot. As ever, expert dialogue. Funny and smart and romantic. Loved, loved, loved #HappyPlace.

'Abnormally good looking people aren't supposed to also be so... vast'

'You. You. You.'

'I don't have a mile in me right now'

AMAZING!!!! I’m obsessed with this book. It gives good such summer vibes which is needed with all of this rain and poor weather.

Apologies for the delay in sending feedback for this gem of a novel. It was a fun and brilliant read and full of the warmth and happiness that Henry is known for, I loved it.

Whenever I know Emily Henry’s new novel is coming, I clear my schedule—and Happy Place is absolutely worth it. With sparkling dialogue, aching tension, and a deep dive into what it means to grow with (and apart from) the people you love, I was completely swept up in Harriet and Wyn’s story. It’s heartfelt, hilarious, and hands down one of my favorite reads of 2023.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy

This book is as if Emily Henry bottled up the feelings that Taylor Swift writes songs about. The feelings I felt reading and listening to this book is the same way I experience first listens of Taylor’s albums, feeling far too much until the emotions spill out of my eyes.

For fans of beach read, well written but with some more intense themes. Beautiful work a must for read!

Rated three stars due to the characters coming across as quite childish so it was difficult to feel any like towards them.

What else is there to say about Emily Henry? She continues to produce the most epic of romance stories and I will devour any thing she publishes.

For me, Happy Place has done for second-chance love stories what very few have done before, which is make me believe in it from the very first moment. As always, the characters are witty and so charming that you just can't help but stay hooked on every conversation. I couldn't put the book down and just devoured it.

I am very grateful to NetGalley and Team Henry for the ARC, but I bought a physical copy as soon as it was released as it's a book I will just go back to time and time again.

Emily Henry still can't fail. The found family aspect of this is so magical, what a cosy hug of a reading experience.

A slight change of pace from Emily Henry's usual books, Happy Place follows a couple that have broken up but are forced to pretend they haven't to ensure they don't ruin a trip with a group of their closest friend.

This really tugged at the heart-strings!

3.5 stars

Harriet hasn't told anyone about her break-up with her fiancé, Wyn.
Now she finds herself sharing a room with him at the yearly holiday that Harriet and her friends have, pretending that she and Wyn are still madly in love.
Harriet can get through one week without anyone figuring out something is wrong, right?
She thought she could, but now Harriet isn't so sure.

The premise for this book intrigued me, and I was keen to read it and find out how long Harriet and Wyn could keep up their deception for.
Harriet was a likeable and relatable protagonist. She was funny and I liked her banter with Wyn, who I also liked, as well as their friends. I thought it was really sad how both Harriet and Sabrina's upbringing and relationships with their parents affected their lives. I also found it sad that Harriet and her sister weren't close.
The story is told with chapters set in the past and the present, and I enjoyed finding out how Harriet and Wyn got together.
I could definitely feel the chemistry between Harriet and Wyn, and I was really hoping that they would get back together.
The plot was enjoyable and held my attention, but I wasn't gripped or itching to read the next chapter. I liked the themes in the book, and I did tear up a few times.
The writing style was easy to follow. This is the third book I've read by the author, and I would happily read another.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

It took me a ridiculously long time to get to this book, but I loved it SO much. Emily Henry really has a way of writing romance that isn't just about the couple you're following and it really shines in this one. I loved reading about this group of friends and all the little things that make them a family.

Will absolutely recommend!

Thoroughly enjoyable romance ideal for a summer read. Thanks for the reading copy, as always, Emily Henry does not disappoint. .

Brilliant - Emily Henry's books keep getting better! Would absolutely recommend to romance & rom-com readers, especially as a summer read.

Emily Henry's "Happy Place" is a delightful, heartwarming novel that effortlessly blends romance, humour, and introspection. Set in a charming small town, the story follows the unlikely relationship between Harriet and Wyn as they navigate grief, friendship, and the unexpected twists of fate. With its engaging characters and witty dialogue, "Happy Place" is a feel-good read that will leave you smiling long after you've turned the last page.

Happy place. Wooo Nelly. It really took me some time to gather my thoughts on this book. I have read all other Emily Henry’s books and this one really hit different and not in the way I expected. I love a lolly-sweat fun romance as a way to escape real life and Emily’s other work wasn’t exactly that however the nuance of Harriet and Wyn’s relationship is so relatable to me and came as sort of a gut punch.

Additionally I don’t typically love a second chance romance; for me f the relationship came to an end there must have been good and valid reasons. However the growth of these two characters really made this a journey that really drew me in and made me cry with the earnestness and rawness that Henry was able to conjure with her words.

Not a typical Rom -Com but you don’t want it to be either. Well worth the read. I love smart, layered women. Thanks Emily for writing that.

Emily Henry is one of my instant-read authors, I always enjoy her writing style, the humour and quirky, yet relatable and likable characters!

I have love/hate feelings about this book. I loved the prose and emotive and descriptive language used. Its well paced and seamlessly transitions from past to present. However the whole premise of this book is based on the flimsiest miscommunication trope and unrealistic HEA.

I loved the tension that came from the one bed/forced proximity. The chemistry between Harriet and Wynn is palpable, in a why did they break up way. I do love the hi-jinx that can come from fake dating, especially when fake-dating an ex in front of all your friends. Wynn did frustrate me as it felt like he never once fought for Harriet, even during their relationship. The entire first half of the book is them both pining after each other after Wynn pulled the plug for the smallest miscommunication and "I know bet" attitude he seems to have.

The pacing is great and you keep turning pages to find out what happens. The prose is lyrical and emotive. It makes it really easy to picture the scenes. Most of the characters oozed authenticity,

I love that there was a HEA but it felt very forced that Harriet just suddenly quits being a surgical resident to follow her pottery passion. I feel there was a less extreme compromise like becoming a GP (small towns really need those), with a pottery business on the side.