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A review by kfmcf
Happy Place by Emily Henry
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.25
I love Emily Henry - she is the queen of loveable and immersive dialogue. She is also squarely set in a blended world of the romance and poorly-name women's lit genres. I love this about her writing...but in this book I think it muddied things a but.
I don't know what the focus of this book was. Was it Wyn & Harriet's relationship? Was it the evolution of Harriet's friend group? Was it Harriet's struggles with her family and career? I don't know. And I think each of then suffered.
Tbh - I think Harriet's problems wirh her parents and her job were superficial and bogged down the last few chapters of the book. It didn't add to who she was as a character at that point except to I guess balance things between her and Wyn. Her leaving her job as a neurosurgeon felt completely out of left field, especially when we're never shown the part of her brain where this discontent lives. At the beginning of the book we're shown that she likes the menial tasks at work but...is that bad? I thought it was just to show her escapism through cleaning. I don't know - I was frustrated.
In regards to her friends - I wanted more from them. Why did they all fall in platonic love with each other and what made the relationship so magical? I was hoping for something like Nora and Libby's connection in Book Lovers. Yes they're sisters, but these girls always say that they're family and I feel that it is equally important to them as characters.
Finally, Harriet and Wyn. Their break up felt very based in realism as to why they called things off (cheating assumption aside that was a bit trite). But...I didnt...really feel that pull between them that I felt in PWMOV or Beach Read. Those are both characters who have known each other for many many years but with this one...I didn't really understand why Harriet loved him. It DID feel like she had outgrown who she was with him and with the amount that he said he was "happy now" - I...kind of didn't want to see them back together. This HEA felt forced in many ways and that broke my heart as much as the story did.
There was also SO much of the miscommunication trope throughout all parts of the story that I did want to grab the characters by their shoulders and shake them. I am a believer that the miscommunication trope is thrown around more than it should be - but this was true miscommunication. And it did all come to a boiling point ABOUT not talking to each other (friends AND lovers) but it was mind boggling.
All this to say - but the book was still very good. I don't need everything she writes to be PYMOV (a masterpiece imo) or be humorous or lighthearted or what have you. I think this book didn't need the dual timelines and the sprinkling of flashbacks were more effective. BUT again, I still barreled through this book in a day and it is still taking up space in my brain.
I don't know what the focus of this book was. Was it Wyn & Harriet's relationship? Was it the evolution of Harriet's friend group? Was it Harriet's struggles with her family and career? I don't know. And I think each of then suffered.
Tbh - I think Harriet's problems wirh her parents and her job were superficial and bogged down the last few chapters of the book.
In regards to her friends - I wanted more from them. Why did they all fall in platonic love with each other and what made the relationship so magical? I was hoping for something like Nora and Libby's connection in Book Lovers. Yes they're sisters, but these girls always say that they're family and I feel that it is equally important to them as characters.
Finally, Harriet and Wyn. Their break up felt very based in realism as to why they called things off (cheating assumption aside that was a bit trite). But...I didnt...really feel that pull between them that I felt in PWMOV or Beach Read. Those are both characters who have known each other for many many years but with this one...I didn't really understand why Harriet loved him. It DID feel like she had outgrown who she was with him and with the amount that he said he was "happy now" - I...kind of didn't want to see them back together. This HEA felt forced in many ways and that broke my heart as much as the story did.
There was also SO much of the miscommunication trope throughout all parts of the story that I did want to grab the characters by their shoulders and shake them. I am a believer that the miscommunication trope is thrown around more than it should be - but this was true miscommunication. And it did all come to a boiling point ABOUT not talking to each other (friends AND lovers) but it was mind boggling.
All this to say - but the book was still very good. I don't need everything she writes to be PYMOV (a masterpiece imo) or be humorous or lighthearted or what have you. I think this book didn't need the dual timelines and the sprinkling of flashbacks were more effective. BUT again, I still barreled through this book in a day and it is still taking up space in my brain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Mental illness
Minor: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Infidelity, and Vomit