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jo_22's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a bit slow-going for me at first (relative to other Emily Henry books) in how it took me farther into the story to really connect with the characters. They were enjoyable characters but frustrating at times when they didn’t communicate; and I think the I wasn’t as engaged in the plot til probs 50% of the way through. Listened to it on a 9 hour solo drive and despite my early frustrations, it was the perfect book to immerse in!
And the last 20%…oof <3 had great (albeit very rushed) character development, and relatable POVs/elements. (Career, life, love, boundaries, happiness, generational trauma, friendship, how to argue, secure attachment, growing up & adulting).
It was slightly triggering for me at some points which is reason for 4.25 stars instead of 5 stars.
Overall feelings are:
• omg this was enjoyable
• I want to talk to others about this book
• thanks han for pushing me to read it and putting me on EH
• the timeliness of me reading this is wild
• Harriet was frustrating in how she didn’t communicate or made assumptions / didn’t do relationships well. However I could relate at times so it didn’t bother me as much as other novels with this trope.
• I didn’t like Wyn in ways I liked other EH male romantic interests
• I like how much this focused on healthy relationships & friendships in particular way more than her other novels - it added a new dynamic & I enjoyed that variety. The characters didn’t often portray healthy relationships but I liked how EH explored that
• I NEED to own the paperback so I can reread and highlight impactful parts / quotes (There were so many moments where I paused the book to process or hype or reflect on)
And the last 20%…oof <3 had great (albeit very rushed) character development, and relatable POVs/elements. (Career, life, love, boundaries, happiness, generational trauma, friendship, how to argue, secure attachment, growing up & adulting).
It was slightly triggering for me at some points which is reason for 4.25 stars instead of 5 stars.
Overall feelings are:
• omg this was enjoyable
• I want to talk to others about this book
• thanks han for pushing me to read it and putting me on EH
• the timeliness of me reading this is wild
• Harriet was frustrating in how she didn’t communicate or made assumptions / didn’t do relationships well. However I could relate at times so it didn’t bother me as much as other novels with this trope.
• I didn’t like Wyn in ways I liked other EH male romantic interests
• I like how much this focused on healthy relationships & friendships in particular way more than her other novels - it added a new dynamic & I enjoyed that variety. The characters didn’t often portray healthy relationships but I liked how EH explored that
• I NEED to own the paperback so I can reread and highlight impactful parts / quotes (There were so many moments where I paused the book to process or hype or reflect on)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
leandrathetbrzero's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
My first 1 star of the year…
Harriet and Wyn were the perfect couple until Wyn ended their engagement over an excruciating 4-minute phone call. Fast forward six months, and the two find themselves on their annual friends vacation…pretending to still be engaged. During the longest week of her life, Harriet must address her own people-pleasing tendencies, how she feels about Wyn’s proximity, and why their love didn’t last.
Wow, did I hate this book. It had every unhealthy relationship, from romantic to platonic. My biggest problems with Happy Place centered around the actions of Wyn and Sabrina, especially how they abused Harriet’s need to people-please and her tendency to blame herself. Both characters knew she grew up in a home with a loveless marriage, and that she struggles to set boundaries and speak up for what she wants, so I was shocked by how often her ex-fiance and (supposedly) best friend manipulated her and violated her trust.
SPOILERS
The only way this narrative could have been redeemed is if Harriet left everyone behind (besides Cleo and Kimmy, they were cool) and prioritized herself and her happiness. But alas, that did not happen, and this ended up being such a depressing book. #JusticeForHarriet
For those interested, I have a full review posted on my booktube: Leandra the TBR Zero. If you adored this book, then I recommend you take inventory and decide whether or not it is a good idea to watch!
Booktube Review: https://youtu.be/RrXYUYSNfAI
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Mental illness
griet's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, Grief, and Mental illness
Minor: Infertility, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
fast-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
4.5
I have been an avid reader of Emily Henry's romance novels for years now, and I knew I had to pick this one up as soon as it came out.
"Happy Place" follows two young people, Harriet and Wyn. They were always seen as the perfect couple and have been engaged for years. The only problem is they actually broke up six months ago, and they have yet to tell their friends. They decide that they will keep up the charade for one final summer trip with their friends before they break the news. But pretending to still be together proves to be more challenging when their friends are constantly pushing them together.
I LOVED this book! It does the second chance romance exceptionally well and even executes a fake dating scenario that I enjoyed. The novel flips back and forth from the past and present, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Harriet and Wyn came together as they are trying to repair their relationship in the present. I will say that their relationship demise is rooted in both of their failures in communication, which I am not typically a fan of. Neither one shared what they were really thinking, they kept it bottled inside, and then assumed what the other thought. I do not enjoy the miscommunication trope, but I was very satisfied with the resolution to this.
Harriet is a very relatable character without being a "pick me" girl. She has worked her whole life to try and please her parents, and this has cost her her own happiness. She also cares so much for her friends that she has kept this massive secret from them because she does not want them to be disappointed that her and Wyn have called it quits. She is stressed, over worked, and has the biggest heart.
Wyn is such an amazing guy. He is flawed and does not have the confidence in himself that Harriet has in him, and this makes the reader fall in love with him. He wants so badly to be good enough.
Harriet and Wyn and so perfectly matched. They really complement one another, and they are exactly what the other needs. They bring out the best in each other without pushing each other too much. I was rooting for them from page one.
This is definitely a new favorite for me, it does not replace my enthrallment of "Beach Read", but this is a very close second! I cannot wait to see what Emily Henry writes next.
"Happy Place" follows two young people, Harriet and Wyn. They were always seen as the perfect couple and have been engaged for years. The only problem is they actually broke up six months ago, and they have yet to tell their friends. They decide that they will keep up the charade for one final summer trip with their friends before they break the news. But pretending to still be together proves to be more challenging when their friends are constantly pushing them together.
I LOVED this book! It does the second chance romance exceptionally well and even executes a fake dating scenario that I enjoyed. The novel flips back and forth from the past and present, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Harriet and Wyn came together as they are trying to repair their relationship in the present. I will say that their relationship demise is rooted in both of their failures in communication, which I am not typically a fan of. Neither one shared what they were really thinking, they kept it bottled inside, and then assumed what the other thought. I do not enjoy the miscommunication trope, but I was very satisfied with the resolution to this.
Harriet is a very relatable character without being a "pick me" girl. She has worked her whole life to try and please her parents, and this has cost her her own happiness. She also cares so much for her friends that she has kept this massive secret from them because she does not want them to be disappointed that her and Wyn have called it quits. She is stressed, over worked, and has the biggest heart.
Wyn is such an amazing guy. He is flawed and does not have the confidence in himself that Harriet has in him, and this makes the reader fall in love with him. He wants so badly to be good enough.
Harriet and Wyn and so perfectly matched. They really complement one another, and they are exactly what the other needs. They bring out the best in each other without pushing each other too much. I was rooting for them from page one.
This is definitely a new favorite for me, it does not replace my enthrallment of "Beach Read", but this is a very close second! I cannot wait to see what Emily Henry writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent
yvo_about_books's review
3.5
Finished reading: June 18th 2023
"Love means constantly saying you're sorry, and then doing better."
There has been such a hype around Happy Place, and I honestly can't believe it has already got over 200.000! ratings on Goodreads. I mean, Happy Place has only been published for two months or so... Anyhow, I can't deny that I've been looking forward to read this one, because I really enjoyed my time with her previous books. I loved the sound of the blurb with the group of friends getting together and the Main cottage setting, and I had high hopes for it. Now that I've read it, I'm not sure if those expectations were actually met though... I'm not saying that it's a bad read and I initially did love my time with this story. There was something about this close group of friends that made me want to spend time with them. The main focus is on Wyn and Harriet of course, and they have the biggest character growth as a result, but I feel that the rest of them are still quite complex as well. I wish more time would have been spent in the present though, because the many flashbacks could get a bit tedious. The miscommunication trope ended up being a bit too much for me as well, because it was just too present not only in Wyn and Harriet, but in the group in general. It distracted from the other issues and only started to make me feel frustrated by the whole situation. Especially when it was not clear why they broke up in the first place and is was way too obvious they still love each other. That said, it was the last 20% or so of Happy Place that really let me down. Not only did I find this particular outcome to be highly unbelievable, but not satisfying at all either. I just couldn't believe that Harriet would make such a big decision on the fly, after only a week in Maine and without considering all her options. A slower build up would have made her decision a bit more credible, but still... This was NOT how I hoped this story would end. I can't deny that there were parts of the story that I loved, but Happy Place also ended up having more issues for me than expected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Abandonment, Drug use, Mental illness, Death, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Medical content, Vomit, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Confinement, and Panic attacks/disorders
noceur's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this was an okay read for me. i don't like second chance romances and i hate miscommunication but i decided to try reading it cuz it's Emily Henry. tbh i didn't feel the romance between the "main couple" because in the present our fmc has all these negative feelings about him and even though there are flashbacks it did not feel like love just maybe two people attracted to each other ? idk . and the miscommunication my god they were stupid sometimes but i also kinda get them. character wise i didn't like wyn he felt flat because the pov is from our fmc who has all these negative feelings about him but also she wants to jump his bones however i liked harriet even though she had her moments i realted to her in some parts but i didn't liked her ending, it felt rushed to me u really want me to believe even though she had all these anxiety about how things were going to being cured and dropping her job for pottery ? and the otehr friends also felt kinda flat but overall there were some good scenes and i wasn't bored or anything so it was an okay read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, Alcohol, Mental illness, and Drug use
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Emotional abuse
Minor: Pregnancy and Dementia
jourdanicus's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I wanted to like this more than I did... At this point, I'm a dedicated Emily Henry reader! But something about this one just fell a little flat to me. Harriet and Wyn didn't really convince me of their compatibility, and I was not as endeared to Harriet's friends as I should have been. That said, the plot was solid... I'm just more of a character reader. So, an average rating from me, though I still read and finished this one gladly and eagerly await more from Emily Henry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Drug use
Minor: Toxic relationship
cc_shelflove's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-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
4.5
“You are in all of my happiest places. You are where my mind goes when it needs to be soothed.”
Shout out to Bookstagram for proving me wrong with this one! I said I would never read another Emily Henry book after how truly boring Beach Read was. I’m so glad I picked up Happy Place. Harriet and Wyn’s relationship began with the two sneaking around behind their friends’ backs, and it unfortunately ended the same way. Told before and after their breakup, Henry writes the past in a way that will have you wondering what possibly could have gone wrong between Harriet and Wyn. These two are truly meant to be together. She also conveys an important message: you can’t simply coast through life, making decisions in order to please others; you have to live for you.
While it took me forever to finish because some of the chapters were 10+ pages long, I am glad I persevered. If you also enjoyed this book, check out Christina Lauren’s Something Wilder.
“‘I’d rather have you five days a year than anyone else all the time. I’d rather argue with you than not talk, and whether we’re together or we’re not, I’m yours, so let’s be together, Harriet. As much as we can. As long as we can. As soon as we can. Everything else, we’ll figure out later.’”
Shout out to Bookstagram for proving me wrong with this one! I said I would never read another Emily Henry book after how truly boring Beach Read was. I’m so glad I picked up Happy Place. Harriet and Wyn’s relationship began with the two sneaking around behind their friends’ backs, and it unfortunately ended the same way. Told before and after their breakup, Henry writes the past in a way that will have you wondering what possibly could have gone wrong between Harriet and Wyn. These two are truly meant to be together. She also conveys an important message: you can’t simply coast through life, making decisions in order to please others; you have to live for you.
While it took me forever to finish because some of the chapters were 10+ pages long, I am glad I persevered. If you also enjoyed this book, check out Christina Lauren’s Something Wilder.
“‘I’d rather have you five days a year than anyone else all the time. I’d rather argue with you than not talk, and whether we’re together or we’re not, I’m yours, so let’s be together, Harriet. As much as we can. As long as we can. As soon as we can. Everything else, we’ll figure out later.’”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Abandonment
Minor: Pregnancy
kcarney86's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, and Abandonment
Minor: Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Classism, and Gaslighting
madsmcw_reads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy