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A review by spaces_and_solaces
Happy Place by Emily Henry
3.0
It’s been a while since I read this book, so I fear my review of it may have changed a little. I once thought this book is on par with the author’s previous books, but my opinion has since changed. And I think that’s the mark of a truly good book, it stays with you long after, & sadly this one didn’t.
Harriet & Wyn meet during one of Harriet’s annual trips with her 2 best friends & she is instantly taken by Wyn. As their relationship develops, so do their insecurities. Carrying past trauma and emotional baggage, Harriet & Wyn’s relationship is riddled with communication gaps & insecurities.
Harriet is the younger sister of a rebellious elder sibling so all her life she has strived to maintain balance at home, not make any waves, bring home the perfect grades. Feeling unloved & being valued only for her obedience, Harriet fails to recognize her own passion and potential, leading her to pick a profession that makes her unhappy & unfulfilled. Even though she tries to be the perfect girlfriend to Wyn, she can feel him slipping away & rather than fight for this love they share, Harriet lets Wyn go.
Wyn, dealing with his own insecurities fails to recognize Harriet’s love. As they are forced to go one last trip together with friends, 6 months after their breakup, Harriet & Wyn deal with all unresolved issues & force open past traumas.
I think the author did her best to explore a lot of themes in this book through the protagonists & its various side characters. But for some reason, it felt flat. While reading the book in its entirety it seemed as though all the underlying stories, incidents, characters travelled across the book to make their way to just the one theme – that is lack of self-worth.
There was an attempt made to provide depth to characters, but for the life of me, after chapter 1, I had a tough time visualizing them – they all looked & sounded the same in my head, which was a huge disappointment. It definitely wasn’t a literary fiction, but I think it could’ve been a better romance novel.
It’s a really harsh review, but I did enjoy reading some of her previous books, so there’s hope yet.
Harriet & Wyn meet during one of Harriet’s annual trips with her 2 best friends & she is instantly taken by Wyn. As their relationship develops, so do their insecurities. Carrying past trauma and emotional baggage, Harriet & Wyn’s relationship is riddled with communication gaps & insecurities.
Harriet is the younger sister of a rebellious elder sibling so all her life she has strived to maintain balance at home, not make any waves, bring home the perfect grades. Feeling unloved & being valued only for her obedience, Harriet fails to recognize her own passion and potential, leading her to pick a profession that makes her unhappy & unfulfilled. Even though she tries to be the perfect girlfriend to Wyn, she can feel him slipping away & rather than fight for this love they share, Harriet lets Wyn go.
Wyn, dealing with his own insecurities fails to recognize Harriet’s love. As they are forced to go one last trip together with friends, 6 months after their breakup, Harriet & Wyn deal with all unresolved issues & force open past traumas.
I think the author did her best to explore a lot of themes in this book through the protagonists & its various side characters. But for some reason, it felt flat. While reading the book in its entirety it seemed as though all the underlying stories, incidents, characters travelled across the book to make their way to just the one theme – that is lack of self-worth.
There was an attempt made to provide depth to characters, but for the life of me, after chapter 1, I had a tough time visualizing them – they all looked & sounded the same in my head, which was a huge disappointment. It definitely wasn’t a literary fiction, but I think it could’ve been a better romance novel.
It’s a really harsh review, but I did enjoy reading some of her previous books, so there’s hope yet.