randi_reads's review
3.0
Thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I went into this blind, because 1) it's Emily Henry and 2) it's narrated by Julia Whelan.
Wyn and Harriet broke up months ago but haven't told their good friends. For their friends' annual trip, they decide to keep it a secret and pretend they are still together, so they don't ruin the week for everyone else.
The book is divided into sections: Real Life (present) and Happy Place (the past). On the audiobook, both were interesting to listen to, at first. But, as the book goes on, I lost interest in the past and wanted more of the present story. It's a somewhat sad story, too, but Julia Whelan rocks it, per usual. I was hoping for more humor but was happy there is a happy ending.
This isn't my favorite book by this author, but I will continue to read her books.
I went into this blind, because 1) it's Emily Henry and 2) it's narrated by Julia Whelan.
Wyn and Harriet broke up months ago but haven't told their good friends. For their friends' annual trip, they decide to keep it a secret and pretend they are still together, so they don't ruin the week for everyone else.
The book is divided into sections: Real Life (present) and Happy Place (the past). On the audiobook, both were interesting to listen to, at first. But, as the book goes on, I lost interest in the past and wanted more of the present story. It's a somewhat sad story, too, but Julia Whelan rocks it, per usual. I was hoping for more humor but was happy there is a happy ending.
This isn't my favorite book by this author, but I will continue to read her books.
jesikasbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you're looking for a book that sits about halfway between contemporary fiction and a romance novel, this one is probably for you - I'd say this sits somewhere bang in the middle of a Salley Rooney and a Christina Lauren book for some idea of what I mean.
Harriet and Wyn were together for a long time, they were engaged for 4 years, but their loves have changed. Harry is working to the bone in her medical residency in San Fransisco and Wyn, who has always felt a bit less than a his friends, is in Montana, slowly taking over his father's old woodshed and caring for his mum. The distance pulls everything that they aren't dealing with to the surface.
Neither of them have dealt with the resulting break up well, and they're now kind of...accidentally on a couples trip with their friends. Cue angst and confusion and existential crises.
What I loved about this book is the focus on friendships - the found family here is great. These people are flawed and struggling and at the start of the book very much pretending everything is the same as it's ever been. By the end, they are opening up, being more honest with each other and embracing the messier parts of themselves and each other.
I just....struggled with Harry and Wyn. This is very much a personal opinion, I know from other reviews I'm in the minority, but I wasn't rooting for them. I don't think they belonged together, they never seemed to choose each other or communicate with each other. I genuinely wanted the ending to be them realising they weren't right for each other any more. I struggle with second chance and poor communication tropes though, so maybe it's just me!
Harriet and Wyn were together for a long time, they were engaged for 4 years, but their loves have changed. Harry is working to the bone in her medical residency in San Fransisco and Wyn, who has always felt a bit less than a his friends, is in Montana, slowly taking over his father's old woodshed and caring for his mum. The distance pulls everything that they aren't dealing with to the surface.
Neither of them have dealt with the resulting break up well, and they're now kind of...accidentally on a couples trip with their friends. Cue angst and confusion and existential crises.
What I loved about this book is the focus on friendships - the found family here is great. These people are flawed and struggling and at the start of the book very much pretending everything is the same as it's ever been. By the end, they are opening up, being more honest with each other and embracing the messier parts of themselves and each other.
I just....struggled with Harry and Wyn. This is very much a personal opinion, I know from other reviews I'm in the minority, but I wasn't rooting for them. I don't think they belonged together, they never seemed to choose each other or communicate with each other. I genuinely wanted the ending to be them realising they weren't right for each other any more. I struggle with second chance and poor communication tropes though, so maybe it's just me!
watson_my_shelf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
I’ve had mixed feelings about Emily’s books in the past, so when I started this and was annoyed by the miscommunication/lying premise in the first 20 pages, I assumed I wouldn’t like this one. But I ended up LOVING it!
I fell in love with the friend group & main character despite their flaws. This book does such a good job of showing how friendships evolve and change as we get older and enter into different stages of life. And the complicated romance in this book gave me all the feels.
Happy Place contains discussions of grief, depression, and other mental health topics. These topics were handled well in my opinion, and felt so real and raw.
The story is told in the present with flashbacks mixed in. I think this really added to the story!! I definitely got emotional reading this.
So glad the author included queer and POC side characters. We definitely didn’t need another mostly/all white and cis-het book from Emily.
I fell in love with the friend group & main character despite their flaws. This book does such a good job of showing how friendships evolve and change as we get older and enter into different stages of life. And the complicated romance in this book gave me all the feels.
Happy Place contains discussions of grief, depression, and other mental health topics. These topics were handled well in my opinion, and felt so real and raw.
The story is told in the present with flashbacks mixed in. I think this really added to the story!! I definitely got emotional reading this.
So glad the author included queer and POC side characters. We definitely didn’t need another mostly/all white and cis-het book from Emily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use
miarodriguez's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ontheoffbeat's review
emotional
funny
reflective
5.0
The concept of finding one’s home or “happy place” in another person is not a new concept in literature. Yet, in the hands of Emily Henry, it’s a unique blend of new and familiar storytelling.
We begin the book with our protagonist, Harriet, grieving a relationship that ended five months prior. Neither Harriet nor her ex-fiancée, Wyn, told their closest friends they had broken up. In order to make things less awkward for what would be their last summer vacation in Maine with their friends, they decide to pretend they’re still together. Of course Harriet and Wyn realize that it’s much harder to hide your emotions in front of the people who know you the best, including the person you once loved more than anything.
I was moved to tears by the portrayals of love. There are two types present: romantic and platonic. And they are equally integral to Harriet’s journey. Before we see Harriet fall in love with Wyn, we see her fall in love with her two best friends, Sabrina and Cleo. This friend group, which includes Sabrina’s boyfriend Parth and Cleo’s girlfriend Kimmy, are such an odd bunch and yet they fit so well together. It makes sense why Harriet and Wyn both felt compelled to keep their secret in the first place. Of course, Harriet and Wyn begin opening themselves back up to each other during this vacation while also figuring out what went wrong in the first place. I ought to emphasize that while yes, this book is funny, romantic, and sensual, it’s quite sad too. (I’ve found this is how it usually goes with second-chance romances) But don’t worry! There’s enough of a balance between the humor and heartbreak to keep reading until the final chapter which makes it all worth it.
Having read all four of Emily Henry’s books now, I liken her to Nora Ephron in terms of wit and emotional depth. The humor is genuinely funny, which makes this a proper romantic-comedy, but the author is also perceptive of human emotions and different people respond to it. Emily Henry is also writing this book during an age in which young adults are coming up against more obstacles than their predecessors and so we have this generation of people searching for individual happiness in a world working against them. For this reason, Harriet is a romantic hero for this generation. We learn alongside her the meaning of individual happiness and how it can be found in cozy routines, a new activity, and in another person.
A gorgeous novel and a new favorite from Emily Henry. As it is for the author’s previous books, this is best read on vacation whether in an airplane or under the summer sun.
We begin the book with our protagonist, Harriet, grieving a relationship that ended five months prior. Neither Harriet nor her ex-fiancée, Wyn, told their closest friends they had broken up. In order to make things less awkward for what would be their last summer vacation in Maine with their friends, they decide to pretend they’re still together. Of course Harriet and Wyn realize that it’s much harder to hide your emotions in front of the people who know you the best, including the person you once loved more than anything.
I was moved to tears by the portrayals of love. There are two types present: romantic and platonic. And they are equally integral to Harriet’s journey. Before we see Harriet fall in love with Wyn, we see her fall in love with her two best friends, Sabrina and Cleo. This friend group, which includes Sabrina’s boyfriend Parth and Cleo’s girlfriend Kimmy, are such an odd bunch and yet they fit so well together. It makes sense why Harriet and Wyn both felt compelled to keep their secret in the first place. Of course, Harriet and Wyn begin opening themselves back up to each other during this vacation while also figuring out what went wrong in the first place. I ought to emphasize that while yes, this book is funny, romantic, and sensual, it’s quite sad too. (I’ve found this is how it usually goes with second-chance romances) But don’t worry! There’s enough of a balance between the humor and heartbreak to keep reading until the final chapter which makes it all worth it.
Having read all four of Emily Henry’s books now, I liken her to Nora Ephron in terms of wit and emotional depth. The humor is genuinely funny, which makes this a proper romantic-comedy, but the author is also perceptive of human emotions and different people respond to it. Emily Henry is also writing this book during an age in which young adults are coming up against more obstacles than their predecessors and so we have this generation of people searching for individual happiness in a world working against them. For this reason, Harriet is a romantic hero for this generation. We learn alongside her the meaning of individual happiness and how it can be found in cozy routines, a new activity, and in another person.
A gorgeous novel and a new favorite from Emily Henry. As it is for the author’s previous books, this is best read on vacation whether in an airplane or under the summer sun.
rereadsromance's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I am a big fan of Emily Henry’s writing, it always makes me feel all the feels; both good and bad. Happy Place made me cry and made me sad for about 90% of the story.
Wyn and Harriet’s story was about loss, grief and second chances. Their story was told in flashes between the past and the present; a present in which they have been broken up for months. Watching them pretend, for the sake of their friends, that they’re still together while broken-hearted over their breakup was painful to read.
I understand the reasons that led to the end of their relationship, but I still didn’t really understand them. Wyn suffered a loss that overwhelmed him emotionally and Harriet, in an effort not to burden him further with her own fears and insecurities, somehow only pushed him away.
Wyn and Harriet’s love for one another was very obvious to me as a reader which made their push and pull all the more frustrating. Their happy ending seemed insufficient in my opinion, I needed a bit more after all the angst. Emily Henry continues to write compelling stories that make me feel a lot and Happy Place definitely made me feel a lot, even if not happy.
Wyn and Harriet’s story was about loss, grief and second chances. Their story was told in flashes between the past and the present; a present in which they have been broken up for months. Watching them pretend, for the sake of their friends, that they’re still together while broken-hearted over their breakup was painful to read.
I understand the reasons that led to the end of their relationship, but I still didn’t really understand them. Wyn suffered a loss that overwhelmed him emotionally and Harriet, in an effort not to burden him further with her own fears and insecurities, somehow only pushed him away.
Wyn and Harriet’s love for one another was very obvious to me as a reader which made their push and pull all the more frustrating. Their happy ending seemed insufficient in my opinion, I needed a bit more after all the angst. Emily Henry continues to write compelling stories that make me feel a lot and Happy Place definitely made me feel a lot, even if not happy.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Mental illness
meredith_summers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mikkaxo's review
3.0
Harriet and Wyn are living separate lives after calling off their engagement months earlier. The annual friend holiday has come around and they haven’t told any of their friends about the breakup so they agree only one of them will go on the trip. Sabrina, trip organiser and owner of the holiday house, also has a secret. They are selling the house and it’s the last trip they’ll have there together. She has convinced Wyn to attend and now they have to pretend for a week that they are still together. But is it pushing the other friendships further apart. Secrets are revealed as the pressure cooker explodes.
I really wanted to love this as so many people rave about Emily Henry and this was my first book by her, but I just didn’t. Fair dues I am not a huge romance reader and have only just started getting in to it but something just fell short for me. I didn’t love any of the characters, they were all quiet annoying and made me lose interest easily. I normally love a super cheesy cliche but this one just missed the mark. I found myself not wanting to pick up the book and that’s a big sign for me. I know people will love this book, it’s still well written and I would still recommend it for romance lovers, unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me this time and that’s okay.
I really wanted to love this as so many people rave about Emily Henry and this was my first book by her, but I just didn’t. Fair dues I am not a huge romance reader and have only just started getting in to it but something just fell short for me. I didn’t love any of the characters, they were all quiet annoying and made me lose interest easily. I normally love a super cheesy cliche but this one just missed the mark. I found myself not wanting to pick up the book and that’s a big sign for me. I know people will love this book, it’s still well written and I would still recommend it for romance lovers, unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me this time and that’s okay.
alisa4books's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ablehm's review
3.0
Many thanks to my friends at @prhaudio for this #gifted audiobook.
Beach Read was my introduction to Henry. I was new to the genre, new to her writing. But I was immediately drawn in. I drooled. I swooned. I felt feverish. It was an all-around hit for me, and Henry became an auto-buy author after feeling the same over People We Meet on Vacation.
So I expected her latest book to embody everything that makes me happy, especially considering its name. It included many of my favorite things:
💕 Forever friends
💕 One last trip together
💕 Lots of reminiscing
💕 Seaside setting
But… I couldn’t get past the excessive miscommunication. The entire premise and whole storyline centers around one miscommunication after another, between both friends and lovers. For the complete storyline, I kept thinking, “Just ASK!!!” “Just TELL him/her.” The book as a whole could’ve been executed in two simple conversations. Instead it struggled on for 400 pages
But most frustrating for me was the unhealthy look at mental health. Representation matters. And when it comes to something like mental health, it is imperative for it to be a quality representation. This was not that. I imagine therapists reading this and screaming, “NO!!!”
What did work: Narrator Julia Whelan!!! Her narration is always top notch. And I’ll be hearing her depiction of Wyn in my dreams. 🔥