Happy Place
Ratings496
Average rating3.8
I wanted to love this book so much. I love the author. I love the tropes. Sadly, this one was a miss for me. Not wanting to spoil their friend group's final trip to their beloved vacation spot in Maine, Harriet and Wyn decide not to tell everyone that their engagement has been off for months. A series of events forces their proximity, putting them in the happy couple spotlight more than either of them finds comfortable. I enjoyed the first few chapters and setup, but then it felt like it was endlessly dragging on. Harriet and Wyn's lack of communication skills infuriated me. Yes, romance needs conflict and miscommunication somewhere, it just got to the point where they started resolving things and then backtracked. I didn't feel the characters were fleshed out as much as other characters in past books. The side characters brought more to the book on that front. I'm still looking forward to Emily Henry's next book, however, I will be going into it trepidatiously. Book Lovers was only okay for me, but I still had high hopes for Happy Place. In part, my reading tastes seem to have changed in general.
4.25 stars
The chemistry between Wyn and Harriet was actually insane. I've never had a book make me feel like two people were so meant for each other like this one has.
This book was really good and the only reason for 4.25 was I found myself getting a bit bored in the middle a bit but I think I feel that way towards most romance.
This is my first Emily Henry book and if all her books have as much chemistry and love as Wyn and Harriet then i'll definetely be reading her other books.
“In every universe, it's you for me. Even if it's not me for you”
“You,you,you”
3.5/5
Emily Henry is definitely a talented writer but I think sometimes it takes a little too long for her to get to the point. This book was filled with some very beautiful lines but honestly it could've been 100 pages shorter if it weren't for the back and forth lack of communication between, not only the main couple of the book, but also the entire friend group. Overall, I did enjoy the book and understand why people like it so much (it has some great overall messages) but it just wasn't as life-changing for me as it seems it was for most of the others who've read it.
There seem to be two [a:Emily Henrys 13905555 Emily Henry https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573928938p2/13905555.jpg]: The first one writes straightforward, somewhat simple rom-com novels like “[b:Beach Read 52867387 Beach Read Emily Henry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589881197l/52867387.SX50.jpg 67832247]” or “[b:Book Lovers 58690308 Book Lovers Emily Henry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638867089l/58690308.SY75.jpg 92341790]” which aren't outright bad but decidedly average in many ways. I read both, wrote a review and awarded three stars each and promptly forgot about them.The second Emily Henry writes much more nuanced and complex. With “[b:People We Meet on Vacation 54985743 People We Meet on Vacation Emily Henry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618913179l/54985743.SX50.jpg 67832306]” she created a novel about a decade of vacations that's, ultimately, about the concept of home. Now this Emily Henry, the one that I vastly prefer, wrote a novel about long-time friends and keeping up traditions that's in fact about change and personal growth.»Everything is changing. It has to. You can't stop time.«Harriet and Wyn were engaged, broke up months ago but never told anyone and now have to spend a week on holidays with their friends. Since this trip is the end of an era, everyone pretends nothing has ever changed and relies on their friends to play along. Which works astoundingly well, even though there are some tensions - until it all breaks apart.»A dangerous quiet, like one tiny peep might make the cracks spread, the house collapse.«I really enjoyed all the characters in this one: Especially Harriet and Wyn who are so obviously still in love with each other and yet so hurt they can hardly be in the same room without hurting each other as if by little pinpricks.For a long time, it seems like they can't be with each other, but also can't be without each other. This is also reflected in the short interlude chapters, which mostly revolve around Harriet's “Happy Places”. While I usually find such interludes distracting, here they felt perfectly fitting into the narrative of the “real life” that contrasts them.»My best friends taught me a new kind of quiet, the peaceful stillness of knowing one another so well you don't need to fill the space. And a new kind of loud: noise as a celebration, as the overflow of joy at being alive, here, now.«The way Henry shows how both Harriet and Wyn personally developed, changed, and grew while apart from each other was also very well done and allowed for both of them to carefully and cautiously come closer to each other and reacquaint with each other individually.»“Is there one that looks like us?” [Wyn] asks.They all do, I think. You are in all of my happiest places.You are where my mind goes when it needs to be soothed.«Thankfully, the other characters were similarly interesting and well-developed: Cleo who always seems to tread lightly and carefully - until she decidedly rejects strong suggestions and, thus, sets in motion a series of events both fracturing relationships while simultaneously revitalising them with greater resilience. Sabrina, who seems to be orchestrating, steering and, at times, manipulating people into doing what she deems best, is much less of a schemer at a closer look and much more of a good friend who is extremely afraid of losing her friends.»“I'm with Sabrina on this one,” Parth says.She holds the bottle up as she tries to cup a hand around her ear. “What's that? Is that just global warming I'm feeling, or has hell frozen over and Parth is actually agreeing with me on something?”“I'm agreeing with you,” Parth says, “because this time, you're right. It was bound to happen eventually.”«Every single person here is - in their own way - a mess. Complex, difficult, at times annoying, kind and brilliant, insecure and yet confident. In “Happy Place” Henry does more than just create a funny romance; she explores the complexities of love, friendship, and identity. She writes with humour, heart, and insight, creating characters that are relatable, flawed, and lovable.»“There doesn't need to be a winner and a loser. You just have to care how the other person feels. You have to care more about them than you do about being right.”«The setting of the Maine cottage is another highlight of the book. Henry does a great job of describing the beauty and tranquillity of the coastal scenery, as well as the cosy and nostalgic atmosphere of the cottage. You can almost smell the salty air, taste the cheese and wine, and feel the warmth of the sun. The cottage is more than just a place, it's a symbol of their friendship and their happy place.Finally, add the excellent pacing and good writing and you get a book that is hard to put down and easy to enjoy.And, of course, I loved how in the end “Happy Place” and “Real Life” converged.Five out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam
This was my first Emily Henry book and I can't wait to read more. This book was so cute and made me go on a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved every second.
This was good and I did enjoy it, but I am starting to feel like some of Henry's characters are getting recycled from past characters.
You know those friend groups where you fall into step immediately, no matter how long it's been? You know those places and traditions that feel like your one soft place to land? What if everyone is just pretending that's the case and there's actually tension and disconnects coming to a boil just under the surface? A terrifying thought. But I'm a sicko who needs a side of Actual Real Bad with my romance to make it through the piles of fluff. I much prefer that to the rickety scaffolding of refusing to communicate.
If you liked [b:Book Lovers|58690308|Book Lovers|Emily Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638867089l/58690308.SY75.jpg|92341790], I bet you'll like Happy Place. You've got the woman thinking she and the love interest are enemies when they were never enemies. You've got the man needing to take care of his parent suffering poor health whose sister bailed. You've got the complex relationships between siblings. You've got the slow realization of how much one's parents shape adult relationships, career trajectories, and overall self-concept.
But you've also got an insistent defense of cozy mysteries, a picturesque description of an escape from reality, and a beautiful ode to unlikely yet everlasting friendships. You've got a real and important message about how you can be struggling with your mental health and not even realize it, and the additional barriers and stigma faced by men who struggle with anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. And you have one of my favorite things: a defense of quitting something that's killing you that you've deeply convinced yourself you must see out to make others proud and be a moral, successful, deserving person. We should quit things more.
A few qualms—I say this as a prude, but I did not understand why the friend group was unbothered by the amount of PDA. It was way too much PDA. And also, depending on your tolerance for Gilmore-Girls-esque banter, the dialogue can flip between entertaining and grating. Though I think my threshold for that is much lower when listening to a book rather than reading a print copy.
Still, overall, Emily Henry did it again! More like, she Wyns again. Alright bye.
Love this book! Loved the setting. Loved the relationship with friends from past as well as relationship with the exboyfriend.
I am giving this 2 stars because I feel like the beginning was very confusing and hard to understand with the random flashbacks in the middle of chapters. I found the main character annoying the first 2/3 of the book, and I found majority of the dialogue very cringy and I didnt really care about the characters for majority of it.It was just so unrealistic to like not telling your friends about a breakup just a huge stretch. I did like the ending but I hated 90% of this book. I will try another from this author but I am very disappointed with this one.
Was the friend group supposed to be likeable? I couldn't stand a single person, including the main characters. A lot of their interactions felt toxic. The beginning was fine but I got bored by the 40% mark and I just pushed through the last bit, without caring much about the outcome. In hindsight, I should've DNFed it.
3:
Is it terrible that I kind of wish Harriet and Wyn had just stayed broken up for good? EIGHT years and they NEVER EVER talked about the stuff going on in their lives? Why even be in a relationship with each other? What did they even do then, in all that time? Brood, sleep and fuck?
As is the case with her other books, the writing was lovely and the banter was fun to read, but I didn't connect with the characters as much as I'd hoped, and in fact at times they got on my nerves — especially Sabrina: I kept half expecting Cleo to smack her across the head whenever she uttered one of her little passive-aggressive remarks.
Be that as it may, I did enjoy reading this because duh, Emily Henry. My EH book ranking looks like this at the moment:
1. Book Lovers
2. People We Meet on Vacation
3. Happy Place
4. Beach Read
I'm not discouraged and am currently, patiently waiting for whatever Ms. Henry has planned to share next.
I don't know why I keep trying Emily Henry books. From the first chapter I knew it wouldn't be for me. Her stories are so one dimensional for me and I never believe the characters are actually in love. The friend dynamics in this story was fun but I kept getting mad about the lack of communication. These people are all best friends yet every single one of them keep things from each other for months? Totally unbelievable and the resolution was lack luster
It was very well written, but for most of the book it was easy to put down and I could've just left it. I think maybe this genre just isn't for me.
I cannot even begin to explain HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK. This book made me feel so many things, but the most important thing is that Happy Place felt like coming home. Such a sweet and heartwarming feeling. I loved every part of it, it made me so emotional and I just - wow!!!! I don't even know what to say about this other than the fact that it's incredible and I will keep it close to my heart.
I would love this if I was more of a romance girly, but as is I need more action in my books since my own life is so boring. I still flew through it and enjoyed it quite a bit. It was bittersweet as it hit home in a lot of aspects.
June Swiftie Book Club
I would love this if I was more of a romance girly, but as is I need more action in my books since my own life is so boring. I still flew through it and enjoyed it quite a bit. It was bittersweet as it hit home in a lot of aspects.
June Swiftie Book Club
This one fell a bit short for me when comapared to Henry's other books. This book has some good things going for it sure but I just could never buy in to what this whole book is about in the first place, the break-up, which is just miscommunication. More than half of this book is putting us all through this absolute all-consuming agony and heartache for these two people who so obviously deeply love each other and are both completely shattered and heartbroken. The back and forth between the timelines serves to build on this epic love that spans nine years! And the whole time you are thinking, “What could have possibly happened to tear these two apart?” And then we finally get to the reveal.... and it just didn't add up. Misunderstandings and miscommunication? A four-minute phone call? REALLY? And then just total and complete acceptance? Naaahhhh. I don't buy it. Sorry not sorry, it's just not believable for me. This made the payoff of the ending also not hit like it was supposed to because ofcourse i knew they'd end up together. In the past, They were making all these beautiful promises to each other and when you know how their relationship ends it just makes the promises feel empty. Anyway, I digress Probably someone who is looking for this exact thing in a book will love it but for me it wasn't all that.
Це було окей. Але я б хотіла від цієї історії чогось іншого, якихось інших подій. І більш складного закінчення.
Emily Henry creates characters that are beyond relatable. Harriet's upbringing hit close to home for me. Some moments were like looking in a mirror. Emily did a great job with showing how our upbringing impacts our lives and how we handle certain situations. I had several physical reactions to the emotional moments.
Because we go through the whole story from Harriet's POV, after finishing I realized how much more I wanted to know about Wyn. To get some of his thoughts especially from a mental health point of view. This is no way took away from the story and how good it was, just something that I wished was there.
It's not just a romance, it's a book about friendship too and how those relationships change through the years. The comfort of having people in your life that know you well.
It overall is a lesson about what “happy place”means. It can be a place or a person or several of these. It's about listening to our hearts and following what makes YOU happy, not what you think will make others happy.
I loved this book and was sad when it was over. It definitely will be one to reread through the years (just like everything else that Emily Henry writes). And I absolutely loved some of the Easter eggs hidden in it!
It just wouldn't be summer without an Emily Henry book to kick it off! I can always pick up her latest safe in the knowledge that I will enjoy the story. This one has a great cast of characters that you come to know and love, who all gather in Maine for their annual week together. At the start of the week, there are things that these friends are hiding from each other, even though they are the closest people on the planet to them. By the end of the week, all is revealed and everyone is closer yet because they understand each other a bit better. I'm so glad that this author is getting the recognition for great reads, particularly summer reads with a touch of romance thrown in, with her first hardcover release. Great beach read for anyone looking for interesting complex characters and a solid storyline.