Happy Place
by Emily Henry
5 out of 5 stars
Emily Henry has dazzled us again with her newest release, "Happy Place." This author is an auto-buy for me after devouring "Beach Read," "People We Meet on Vacation," and "Book Lovers" last Summer. I had to consciously make the decision to stop reading the first night that I started "Happy Place" because I didn't want to rush through it in one sitting, I wanted to take my time and enjoy the story -- so I read it in two evenings instead of one. What can I say? I have no self-control.
I am so delighted that Emily Henry's books are consistently both amazing and unique. I felt that this story had more active characters than her others, and although I was super invested in the romance aspect, I didn't hate seeing the other characters take up the pages and grow. "Happy Place" is a single POV, but a dual timeline. I always love a dual timeline because I think it adds to the tension and improves the pace of the story. You feel like you really get to know the characters when you get to dive into their backstory first hand.
Harriet, the female main character, is a complex protagonist who feels incredibly real to me. She's also surrounded by a cast of equally nuanced and well-developed characters, from her best friends Cleo and Sabrina, to her ex fiance, Wyn.
The fake relationship trope is another favorite of mine. I was so pleased to find that Harriet and Wyn did not tell their friends that they broke off their engagement months ago, so when they both show up for the traditional group trip, they are forced together and must pretend that they are still madly in love -- but are they really pretending?
Overall, what I liked most about "Happy Place" was how it tackled big themes like grief, mental health, people pleasing, and the pursuit of finding one's true happiness in a way that felt relatable and authentic. It's the kind of book that will stick with you long after you've finished reading it.
P.S... I LOVED Wyn, but I still think Augustus Everett is my favorite Emily Henry Male Main Character... so here are my Emily Henry MMC's ranked - I loved them all, though!
Augustus Everett
Charlie Lastra
Wyndham Connor
Alex Nilsen
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61718053-happy-place?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ZgQqbBOtsI&rank=2
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