A review by francestal
Happy Place by Emily Henry

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-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

4.0

No one else’s happiness is yours to grant. You need to find yours. 

Came for the summer romance,  stayed for the friends. I bought this book with extremely high expectations after hearing everyone rave about Emily Henry and her romance novels. For my first Emily Henry book, it did just that: meet my expectations. I can see why everyone falls in love with her writing. Harriet and Wyn had well-written and biting banter. I also related a lot with Harriet with how she made decisions in life. But what I loved most was how every single one of their friend group had their own unique personalities and weren’t just a copy-paste of each other in different bodies. I loved how Emily Henry tackled being in that hazy transition period of friendship (coming from a post-grad girl who is currently navigating how to make plans post-college). I really wished we got more of the group’s friendship, especially that of Harriet, Cleo, and Sabrina (or maybe I’m just being greedy for female friendship content). Other than that, my only other criticism was how the Harriet/Wyn situation felt so dragged out and I wanted to just reach into the book and shake them to yell that they should practice what they preach and choose their own happiness too. 

Perfect summer read and an even more perfect book for those who find themselves in a friendship transition.