Happy Place by Emily Henry Book Review
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Blurb
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.
They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.
Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.
Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?
Sensitive Content
Here is the potentially sensitive content I observed while reading:
- Alcohol
- Death of a parent
- Depression
- Profanity
- Pregnancy
- Sexual content
Ratings
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There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!
Overall Rating
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I cried all through the last few chapters of Happy Place. I definitely resonated with Harry’s story more than previous FMCs from Emily Henry. I won’t go into detail about that but this story drew me in and I just loved it from beginning to end! Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and I think Emily did it well!
Precious Wyn. He was just doing his best 😭 And Harriett 😭😭 I loved both of their journeys to self-discovery. This book is introspective and there’s a larger storyline of Harry finding out what truly makes her happy than a love story. But the balance of the two is about on par with other books from this author.
The friends were also what made this book so magical for me. I loved the moments of their friendship just as much as the story of Wyn and Harry’s romance.
This book is different but also still has the charm of Emily’s dialogue and ability to create dreamy settings from otherwise mundane scenery. I’ve never been to Maine and I abhor seafood but I still LOVED being in Knott’s Harbor, reminiscing with them.
I’m a big fan of this one! Highly recommend to second chance romance lovers!
Spice Rating
1/5 🌶️
There is sexual content though it is not explicit or frequent.
Genre & Tropes
Genre
Contemporary Romance
Tropes
- Second chance romance
- Close proximity
- Found family
- Opposites attract
Favorite Quotes
“You are in all of my happiest places. You are where my mind goes when it needs to be soothed.”
“In every universe, it’s you for me. Even if it’s not me for you.”
“Love means constantly saying you’re sorry, and then doing better.”
“Like even when something beautiful breaks, the making of it still matters.”
“I understood then, the immense honor it is to hurt like she does. To have loved someone so much that the taste of maple syrup can make you cry and laugh at the same time.”
Our love is a place we can always come back to, and it will be waiting, the same as it ever was.
“He’s a golden boy. I’m a girl whose life has been drawn in shades of gray.”
“I want my life to be like-like making pottery. I want to enjoy it while it’s happening, not just for where it might get me eventually.”
“You’re like gravity. Everything keeps spinning, but my mind’s always got one hand on you.”
“How many universes do you think we’re together in?”
“Higher than either of us can count.”
“Are you saying I can come home?”
“I’m saying,” he murmurs softly, “it’s not home unless you’re there.”
“He laughs against my cheek. I wish I could swallow the sound, that it would put down roots in my stomach and grow through me like a seed.”
“I’m good!” my mouth says. You are VERY bad, actually, my brain argues.”
Intrigued?
Check out Happy Place on Amazon here.
