Happy Place

I read this in one day because Emily Henry is that kind of author. I'm going to think about this book for a long time, but I'll try to put down my thoughts here. It's one of those angsty romance books where I worried almost the entire book that the story would not have a HEA (I mean, gut-wrenching, want to throw up worry). And while the romance part was great because Harriet and Wyn are one of the best couples ever, this is also very much a story of friendship, family, and expectations. Despite new romances and life changes, Harriet and her two college roommates stay best friends. Harriet means to become a brain surgeon because that's what her family expects. Wyn feels he doesn't live up to what his two sisters and friends are doing with their lives. The story is first-person from Harriet's POV and flashes back and forth from the present - their annual vacation at a Maine cottage - to their college and post-degree lives. It's sometimes frustrating not to get the others' POV, especially Wyn, but this also keeps you reading frantically to see what happens next. The reader knows from almost the beginning that Harriet and Wyn have ended their engagement but is hiding it from their friends. Emily Henry never disappoints, but I think Happy Place might be my favorite of her books so far. The writing is beautiful, and every word has meaning to the story. She perfectly evokes the Maine seacoast's setting (yes, I live there) through sight, smell, touch, and sound. I can't recommend this book enough.

📚BOOK REVIEW📚 Happy Place by Emily Henry Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Spice level: 🌶️🌶️/3 Genres: Contemporary Romance Tropes: “only one bed”, fake dating, second chance romance, vacation with friends, dual timeline, found family, witty banter Harriet and Wyn met in college and have been the “perfect” couple ever since. At least according to everyone they know. They actually broke up five months ago, and still haven’t told their friends or family. When it comes time for their friend group to go on their yearly getaway, Harriet agrees because she doesn’t think Wyn is able to go. To her surprise, he shows up there as well. And because all their friends think they’re still together, they get put in the same room. This trip is supposed to be the group’s annual respite from the world, where they can leave their troubles behind and just have fun. When it becomes clear that everyone in the group is struggling with something just as big as Harriet and Wyn‘s breakup, they decide to keep it a secret and pretend to still be together. They were in love for years, how hard can it be to fake it for one week? Throughout the story, the reader gets to see bits of their past relationship and piece together what happened to cause their breakup (dual timeline). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I really enjoyed this one. It’s definitely different, and more emotional, than the author’s other books. The close friendships of the three main girls is really heartwarming, and their friend group dynamic reminds me a bit of my own friends. The emotions of close friends starting to become more distanced as their lives take them in different directions is definitely something most people can probably relate to, which is what makes this book so hard to put down. I really enjoyed the “mystery” kind of aspect of it, because the reader doesn’t know what caused their breakup until right towards the end. The witty banter between all of the characters is also super fun and entertaining. Overall, this was a great read. If you like contemporary romance that has a solid plot and emotional depth, then definitely check this one out.

Overall Score: 5/5⭐️ Character Development: 5/5 Plot: 5/5 Ease of Reading: 5/5 Overall Enjoyment: 5/5 I don’t know what kind of emotional destruction dr*gs Emily Henry puts into her books that give me butterflies but also turn my tear ducts into Niagara Falls, but thank you EH for doing so and also check your dms for my therapy bill. Happy Place is a 5/5 dynamic romance that is chock full of heartbreak, of friendships, the struggles of maintaining relationships as you grow older, the hardship in finding your own happiness and so much more. Emily’s whimsical writing and three-dimensional characters make you feel submerged in the story, and the situations at their core are incredibly relatable. Highly recommend for a cozy day at home- PSA do not read in public unless you’re ok with crying in front of strangers. Warning you now. Yes, Wyn and Harriet have this kind of cheesy banter where nothing is ever serious, but at the root of everything, there is deep damage there, damage that’s relatable and heartbreaking and reveals so much as to why these characters are the way they are. I loved every second of this book, I couldn’t put it down, and completely derailed the buddy read I was meant to do for this, but it was so worth it. I’ll recommend this book up and down all day to anyone.

Good book

✨ In every universe, it’s you for me. Even if it’s not me for you. ✨ Somehow, Emily Henry has the ability to absolutely and completely destroy me in the best possible way. Happy Place is everything. I cried. I sobbed. I love Harriet and Wyn so much. My heart broke and my heart healed. I put this off for the longest time because I knew it was second chance as they’d broken up (and apparently I have an aversion to that). But Happy Place was everything and more, and my heart couldn’t take it. To say I adore Emily Henry’s writing would not even begin to capture just how much her stories and characters mean to me. There is so much depth to Harriet and Wyn. They are characters who are so flawed but it’s so them, and they are fuelled by who they are and their insecurities, which is something I love most about Emily’s characters—they’re real, they’re relatable, they’re authentic. I love real characters, who have their flaws, their hangups, and these elements are the foundation of who these characters are, what motivates them, drives them, fuels them. And while I get that some people might not like their characters having flaws, but no one is perfect, we are all unique and have our own histories and personalities that come out as we live, and this is the beautiful case for Harriet and Wyn. But one thing is clear, and that is how impossible it is for Harriet and Wyn not to be together. Again, Emily’s writing captivates you, transporting you into her world where you live amongst her characters and in their lives. I think that’s the power of Emily’s writing, it’s so beautiful, so stunning, you can’t help but be a part of the narrative, and it’s safe to say that this is a story I’ll never forget. A gorgeous second chance romance that will stay on my mind forever. But Happy Place is a story of love and loss and friendships and massive life events. I connected so deeply to Happy Place and Harriet and that’s so special to me.

It was delivered very fast and in perfect condition

“It doesn’t matter how busy life’s been, how long the five of us have gone without seeing one another: meeting at the cottage is like pulling on a favorite sweater, worn to perfection. […] Our love is a place we can always come back to, and it will be waiting, the same as it ever was.” “The feeling of being so grateful to have something worth missing” . . . I can’t even express how much I loved this book! Emily Henry’s writing has the power to make me feel seen every single time! This is a book about friendship, about love and what it really means to love someone, about finding yourself and having the courage to let go of the things that don’t fit you… it’s about growing, about making space for who you are and for the people around you as they grow too! I cried, laughed, giggled and kicked my feet 🥹 I rooted for Wyn and Harry every step of the way! Felt their love for one another, and the hurt of being apart, in every page! Rooted for the friendship turned found family they all had, like it was my own group of friends 🤞🏻 This book is more than a beautiful heartfelt story, it teaches you lessons, it makes you feel, it makes you think, it reflects our humanity in so many different ways -or at least it did for me… it’s perfect ❤️ and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time!

Super Geschichte, spannend bis zum Schluss!