Happy Place by Emily Henry

Happy Place

By Emily Henry

Genre: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Spicy Reads

Pub Date: April 25, 2023

Pages: 395

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Spice Rating: 1/5 spice

Synopsis:

A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends.

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?

My Thoughts:

*Unpopular Opinion Time*

I usually LOVEEE an Emily Henry romance book. I even loved the idea of the plot (summery vibes, second chance romance, forced proximity, fake dating) - but this one just missed the mark for me 🥴. I didn't hate it- but I didn't love it. It was just okay...

Happy Place honestly felt like more of a chick lit book than a romance. There was a huge side of miscommunication trope which if you have been following along with my review you already know I HATE this in a book. But clearly I keep reading them...

Harriet and Wyn were okay as a couple, it was cute how they got together but honestly that's where the cuteness ended. Yeah we see the attraction was still there but honestly his character just didn't feel connected to me in anyway. He definitely felt more like a fictional character if that makes sense. The friend group was also a bit annoying to me. They all fought in the book and I was shocked that these very different people even stayed friends in the first place.

The only part I actually could connect to was Harriet's people-pleasing aspect and wanting to be the best she could be. I would have preferred a book about her finding herself WITHOUT a man in her life.

Overall, it had the same Emily Henry vibes but this one just wasn't what I expected after the last 3 books. I wanted more connection and cutesy summer romance - instead we ended up with a women's fiction novel about finding yourself but it all revolved around miscommunication... 3⭐️ for me. I'm glad other people love this one and I definitely will pick up the next Henry book. But this one just wasn't my favorite. Sorry 🤷🏼‍♀️