Happy Place
Ratings495
Average rating3.8
book was really nice, even thought the first 50% of the book were a bit boring. defnetly not a 5 star nut I still liked it because it feel reel, its not like most fiction or from-coms, the relationships are totally real. i'd like to point out that when wyn and harry are arguing of Friday, and wyn does that hole speech about how they love each other, OMG, I cried!!!!
I know this book received alot of positive feedback. I just couldn't connect with these characters unfortunately. This might be because of personal biases. I'm not a fan of "second chance" romances and constant flashbacks. I also felt like the conflict was a result of just poor communication, which is a pet peeve of mine.
Like I said, though, this might be personal preference. I love alot of Emily Henry's books and the writing was on par with her others. It was just the story line for me.
Honestly, this was a slow start for me and I wasn't fond of the characters at first. BUT, I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would!
A second chance romance that I started at approximately 6:30PM last night and stayed up until almost 3AM to finish because I was utterly consumed.
A second chance romance where the leads, Harriet and Wyndham, are compelling as individuals and believable as a couple.
A second chance romance where the cast surrounding the couple has depth and nuance to their characters.
A second chance romance where these characters feel like flesh and blood human beings to the point that—particularly with the depictions of the numbness of depression and the anxiety of fear of abandonment and of expectations—there was emotional catharsis for me reading it.
A second chance romance about listening to and loving yourself so that you can truly listen to and love others.
This book is my happy place.
EDIT: I finally got around to finishing this, and I didn't love it. I was so tired of everyone except the female lead Harriet. Wak or whatever the male lead's name is, Sabrina, Sabrina's fiance were all annoying. I just wanted Harriet to leave and go live her own wonderful life because no one else felt worth missing...except maybe Kimmy and her girlfriend (Cloe? I can't remember), they were actually interesting and had healthy boundaries with everyone else. I was also waiting for the big reveal that Harrier and Wen(Wak? Wal?) had already broken up because that was such a juicy and dramatic premise... and then it turns out Sabrina knew the whole time. Nasty move on Sabrina's part. Blegh. idk, I'm a big fan of Emily Henry but this has been my least fave out of her books so far.
WYN - I just looked it up. Harriet's man's name is Wyn
First review: it was a great story but dnf ~50% bc it was too spicy for me lol and i didn't feel like skipping
I love it so much I'm nervous for the next romance books I'd be reading. This book made me so happy.
I'd heard mixed reviews about this but I enjoyed it. It did jump back and forward in time which I'm not a fan of but it made sense to do it that way to learn the background of the characters.
- sabrina and parth are whack
- i think first person pov made this suffer a bit. peering in to wyn's thoughts would have made this a lot better
- harriet girl you are wildly horny for this man calm down
- the whole pottery thing felt really out of nowhere or maybe i just wasn't paying enough attention
- she couldn't look for similar work in montana? that would have made more sense
I see the hype for this is totally well deserved.
This story is so much more than a romance, it's about friendships, and growing up, and branching out and being afraid of change.
It's raw, it's vulnerable it's so REAL.
Goosebumps.
4/5
I really appreciate this book for what it is, though it dragged a bit, and it took me until about more than halfway through to get hooked, the payoff was definitely worth it and everything made sense by then.
This book surprised me by being more than just a love & breakup story. Sure, the romance between Harriet and Wyn is a big part of it, but Happy Place is also about the power of friendship and the importance of the people who make us feel like ourselves. The bond between the whole friend group is a highlight, and it shows how strong connections can be just as important as romantic love or family ties.
The story also made me think about what our happy place truly is. Maybe it's a physical location, like a beach house or a childhood home? Or maybe it's the people we love, the memories we cherish? or simply a feeling of peace and belonging. Happy Place doesn't give a single answer, but it lets you explore the idea for yourself.
This is a heartwarming read that explores love, friendship, and finding your own happy place, wherever that may be. It might start slow, but stick with it – the second half is where the good stuff happens.
Just another sweet read. That's basically it.
Following Wyn and Harriet in their past relationship and now. A nice representation of how difficult love is, understanding one another, in intimate and in less intimate relationships; friendships. A good book to read around my age, early 20s. Everyone does something completely different in their lives, making it hard to keep up. Friendships change, lives change, and that can be difficult to navigate sometimes.
Loved to read it in between my other reads, as it is also a book I wouldn't necessarily have picked up myself. Sooo thanks Jack Edwards for convincing me to read it hahah.
Also, I think this is a good book if you want to get out of a reading slump.
There was no chemistry between the main couple. I didn't connect with anyone in this book. I rolled my eyes very frequently, so at least my eyes got a workout. the plot and also its twists were either basic or super random.
emily henry has done it again. after reading PWMOV i was worried that book lovers may have been a one off. however, i might have loved this more than book lovers i fear.
i found this book to be sorta cathartic. it's pretty rare for me to feel personally connected to a main character, let alone feel like they almost mirror me. but harriet truly felt like she was written for me. so much of her inner turmoil was just so heartbreakingly relatable. there were points that i almost forgot that this was meant to be a romance because i got so engrossed in how harriet was feeling (not just regarding her situation with wyn but also regarding her career, her family, and her friends). i think this is definitely a character that will stick with me for a while.
i also really loved the romance. i have always been a sucker for a second chance romance but nothing could have prepared me for the yearning and tension between harriet and wyn. the love that these two have for each-other just felt so palpable. i'm also usually not a fan of the miscommunication trope (the main reason why i didn't really like PWMOV) but i didn't hate it here. i think emily henry did a really good job fleshing out harriet and wyn that i understood why it had to resort to that.
lastly, i also loved the found family trope! as someone who also has a tight knit group of college friends that live all over the country, i felt like i could really connect to their dynamic and that collective fear of the unknown as you get older. the fact none of the friends felt too much like side characters helped too.
overall, i loved this and i'm glad this was my first book of 2024!
This is one of those books that's fine. An example of why I don't really go out of my way to read romance, but when I need something that's entertaining and distracting this is pretty perfect. I wasn't super invested in Harriet and Wyn, but I did feel myself rooting for them and trying to figure out how they could end up together.
This was my first Emily Henry book and I think she did an excellent job setting the scene. I love how descriptive her writing style is. She nailed the humorous moments and moments of personal reflection. The chemistry between Harriet and Wyn was undeniable and I kept hoping they would repair their relationship at its core. It was clear they cared for each other but it seemed like Wyn didn't want to fight for a future with Harriet.
Okay, this was my first Emily Henry book and I am now being told that this wasn't her best so I am going to give Book Lovers a shot. That being said, I don't know why I thought this was going to be a second chance romance rom-com? Maybe the extremely bright and happy cover? Once I got over the fact that this is in fact NOT a fast-paced rom-com, I was able to appreciate it a little more. I enjoyed Emily Henry's writing, maybe a little flowery at times, but she is talented.
The book was just really sloooowwww and if you hate miscommunication tropes - this book will most likely irk the living hell out of you. I really did not become attached to any of the characters, Cleo was my favorite, Wyn was a little bitch for the way he broke up with Harriet in the first place, and Sabrina is the friend I hope I never have again - BOUNDARIES GIRL.
The last 5 chapters or so saved the book for me. I liked the way that it ended, with Harriet taking a stand and doing what she needed to do to find joy in her life, even if it meant walking away from a career she thought was meant for her. I could relate to that. I saw some other reviews saying Harriet left her career for a man, and I think those folks really missed the mark.
In conclusion, this book was just okay. Nothing to write home about. I'm still unsure about all the hype behind it. I am going to give Book Lovers or Beach Read a try but Emily Henry just might not be it for me!
For me this was less of a romcom and too much angst. I don't mind a nice slow-burn romance, but I was way too stressed throughout the book for the main character and her love interest to talk and make up, because to me as the reader the problem was really obvious (and fixable) and I just wanted them to have an actual conversation. While I definitely get why they didn't at first, they both seemed to realise at some point that they clearly had different views on their breakup, but still ignored it for no reason or because they were more interested in using their brief alone time having sex.
There were too much (realistic) problems and stressors in the book for this to be the relaxing read for me, but if you don't mind that, I'd still definitely recommend it.
It's so beautiful how happy humans can make other humans. How broken, how fulfilled, how angry, how complete we can make each other feel. How much impact a person can have over another's life. How one person or multiple people can change the entire trajectory of your life. Your whole being. For better or for worse. It's all so glorious don't you think? Even when it hurts. It's so fucking magnificent. What a privilege it is to feel.
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” - Angela Davis
Lol why am I literally fucking distraught??? This book destroyed me. It shredded me from the inside out. No seriously, I mean it ripped out all of my organs, chewed them up, and spit them out. Utterly obsessed with how hollow yet satiated I feel after reading this, wow.
Halfway through I didn't care whether they ended up together or not and towards the end I was rooting for them NOT to end up together. I found the love interest unlikeable and the ending came a bit out of nowhere.
I'm still not giving up on Emily Henry cause I loved people we meet on vacation (I can't believe Happy Place is the one with the higher rating), and I enjoyed her dialog and banter even though the story wasn't for me.
* SPOILERS but not really*
I found myself agreeing with Harriet's mother at the end (iykyk)
This book was interesting enough to hold my attention through a crappy plane ride.
It wasn't perfect, but it was intriguing enough to find out why this couple broke up. I was a little let down at the reason when I found out. I thought it would be bigger.
The main characters were decent enough; I didn't really care too much about the side characters. The ending was weird. I wasn't satisfied this girl would just give up her career like that, nor do I think she should have. I wish they could have found a way to make it work long distance. While the rest of the book was rooted in reality, that plot point took it away from me.
I'm in the wrong universe and now I'm having a crisis about it...anyways 10/10