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A review by gretchenplz
Happy Place by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
I will be honest. I had incredibly high expectations for this book after Book Lovers. Chock full of my favorite tropes and from an author like Emily Henry, the bar was practically on Mars.
In the first half of the book, I was worried. The plot didn't really seem like a plot, there were so many characters, so many places, and so many events, and I was just waiting for something to happen, something to fall apart or fall together. And then it did and I couldn't stop crying.
I was so touched by how Emily wrote about friendships and relationships, how they change, how they grow, and how they stay together truly touched me in a way I did not expect and forced me to really look at myself through a critical lens and think about how I can be a better partner to my husband and friend to my friends.
This book ended up being more about friendship than romance for me. At the end of the day, I ended up indifferent to Wyn becausethey were so obviously soulmates that it was going to work out in the end. I at first thought it would end like PWMOV, where they stay separate, go to therapy, figure their shit out, and then get back together, but was relieved that that was not how it ended!!!
I must say, this is a second-chance romance done right. I feel like so many second-chance romances miss the mark by failing to demonstrate enough chemistry both in the past and in the present. Emily definitely did not miss on that front.
But the friendships. That's it.
Parts of this also hit me right in the ~childhood trauma,~ especially when H talked about never learning how to fight with the people you love and you want to keep loving you after.
All in all, Emily Henry does it once again.
ALSO the JANUARY AND GUS REFERENCE. I LITERALLY YELLED OUT LOUD.
AND DEATH TO STEM CAREERS MUHAHAHAHA sorry, I know they are important, but it gives me such gratification to see characters in artistic roles be so fulfilled.
In the first half of the book, I was worried. The plot didn't really seem like a plot, there were so many characters, so many places, and so many events, and I was just waiting for something to happen, something to fall apart or fall together. And then it did and I couldn't stop crying.
I was so touched by how Emily wrote about friendships and relationships, how they change, how they grow, and how they stay together truly touched me in a way I did not expect and forced me to really look at myself through a critical lens and think about how I can be a better partner to my husband and friend to my friends.
This book ended up being more about friendship than romance for me. At the end of the day, I ended up indifferent to Wyn because
I must say, this is a second-chance romance done right. I feel like so many second-chance romances miss the mark by failing to demonstrate enough chemistry both in the past and in the present. Emily definitely did not miss on that front.
But the friendships. That's it.
Parts of this also hit me right in the ~childhood trauma,~ especially when H talked about never learning how to fight with the people you love and you want to keep loving you after.
All in all, Emily Henry does it once again.
ALSO the
AND DEATH TO STEM CAREERS MUHAHAHAHA sorry, I know they are important, but it gives me such gratification to see characters in artistic roles be so fulfilled.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Terminal illness