Title: Happy Place
Author: Emily Henry
Publication: April 25, 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Pages: 395
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
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 six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.
Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest 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, blue 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?
REVIEW:
I adore Emily Henry’s books. I have read several of them. This is the second one that I have read for my book club. Her books are a breath of fresh air. They recharge my soul and get me over a reading hump if I am in one. So when we decided to switch the Emily Henry book we picked for this newly released one I (we–my friend that runs the book club with me) were excited because we knew that it was going to be good.
Harriet is hiding a secret from her closest friends She and her fiance Wyn have broken up. Wyn was in a dark place from the sudden death of his Dad and she didn’t know how to talk and handle her feelings about the wedding and her Surgical Residency. Things come to a head when her best friend calls her to Maine for an annual vacation and without her knowledge invites Wyn. Will they be able to keep up a ruse or will they work through their differences? Oh my, this book gave me all the feels. I laughed, cried, got indignant, and some of the antics her friends did, and made me rethink my life and the goals I have set for myself.
I absolutely loved Har as her friends called her. She is basically me in a nutshell and my friends basically confirmed that at book club the other day. I will do just about anything to make people happy and not uncomfortable even if it isn’t good for me in the long run. I loved how Wyn and Har were drawn to each other from the get go. The way that they were able to actually talk to each other this go around was wonderful and Wyn admitting that he was on anti-depressants was heart-warming I guess. You normally don’t see the men having the mental health issues it’s usually the “weak minded woman” who need the help. I loved how Wyn was able to find what he loved to do and jumped in with both feet and put his talets on display. Har coming to the conclusion that she wasn’t happy in healthcare and was happy behind a potters wheel was a powerful moment for her. She recognized what she wanted and went after it even if it made her parents mad at her. I cannot wait to read the other book I have by her on my shelf. I am sure it will be as amazing as her other ones.
