"Happy Place" Book Review

July 6, 2023

This novel follows Harriet and Wyn on their friend group's yearly trip to a cottage in Maine. While this may seem normal on the outside, there's a secret: the couple who dated for numerous years and was the group's model for friends to lovers broke up, but they haven't told their friends yet. And, since it has to be the group's last trip to the cottage, Harriet and Wyn decide they shouldn't spoil the trip for everyone else - they pretend to be together.

Truthfully, Emily Henry can't seem to write a bad book! I've read "People We Meet on Vacation", "Beach Read" and "Book Lovers", and truly enjoyed all of them. One thing that Henry seems to have gotten really good at is flashbacks. They were done in a clever way in this book, with each chapter at the cottage titled "Happy Place" and each flashback to life at home titled "Real Life". 

Another thing that I believe Henry is very good at is suspense. She leaves the reader in suspense in all of her books, but in this one it is particularly prominent. There were so many times that Harriet and Wyn were this close (if you could see my fingers, I'd be holding them very close to each other) to getting together. This novel truly had a perfect ending that left me with a smile on my face, but Henry did really make readers wait until the end for it, but that's okay because it was worth it.

Finally, I thought it was interesting how Harriet found new meaning and happiness in her life at the end of the book, which is something I don't feel Emily Henry has done much of before. Super different and I loved it! One thing I would've hoped for more of, though, was a bit of a continuation of the friend group staying in contact.

So, on that note, if you're looking for a light read of a splendid romance novel, go with "Happy Place", or for that matter, any other Emily Henry book.