Happy Place
by Emily Henry
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Release Date: April 25, 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Number of Pages: 416
Contemporary Romance
Ages 16 and up
CW: grief, death of a parent,
anxiety/depression
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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?
This book packs a punch. There is so much angst and yearning. My heart was being torn out while listening to this story. It’s all told from Harriet’s POV, but once things get going it’s plain to see that she’s not getting the full picture of what is going on around her. Not necessarily through the fault of any of her loved ones, but because Harriet is a people pleaser and never stops to truly listen to what is being said around her. If there is strife, she is looking for a way to smooth things over. Not just in her own life, but in those around her. If her two best friends, Sabrina and Cleo, seem at odds, Harriet is right in the mix to keep things upbeat. She tries so hard and is constantly working to keep things even-keeled, it’s a wonder she hasn’t collapsed under the pressure she puts on herself.
I found this story to be a slow starter. I feel this is the case with most of this author’s books. Yet, as usual, after a few chapters and once everything important is established the story takes off. I love the glimpses of Harriet and Wynn from earlier times when they first fell in love, and how deep their feelings grew. Wynn has so many quotable moments. He’s such a romantic and he is obviously head over heels in love with Harriet. But Wynn grew up with a loving family and knows how to trust his feelings and the feelings of those around him. Harriet questions everything and doesn’t trust that if she doesn’t live up to some image she has made up in her head she will be left in the dust. She may get frustrated that Wynn underestimates his intelligence, but she underestimates her worth. Their week pretending to still be engaged while on vacation with their friends is a roller coaster of emotions. It’s so clear they are still deeply in love, but can they find a way to be together?
This is a friends story as well as a second chance love story. All friendships go through different phases. Now that Harriet and her friends are out of college and into their careers, it is natural that they don’t have a lot of time for each other. Especially since they no longer live close to one another. This means that they are keeping things from each other that they never would have in the past. They each want the little bit of time they have with each other, be it on the phone or in person, to be carefree and fun. Yet these things they’re withholding mean they are speaking to each other less and less and the cracks are forming. The author does a wonderful job of showing those cracks while also showing the depth of the love they have for each other.
I have seen some reviews where people think Harriet isn’t happy, but in my the eyes this is a true HEA. From the first time we see Harriet reflecting on her job it is clear to me she is not happy with the direction she took her life while in school. I don’t want to give spoilers so I can’t say too much about how things end. I will admit there were times I was afraid it wouldn’t be a true HEA for both Harriet and Wynn, that one of them would have to sacrifice their happiness to be together. I ended up loving how things turned out for them and like I said, think it’s a true HEA.
4.5 stars
All In Good Time 