Emily Henry is a favorite contemporary rom-com romance author, and HAPPY PLACE confirms her auto-buy status for me. Henry's books are ones that make me cackle in glee and cry in the sad parts, and I always get that deeply happy satisfaction at the Happily Ever After provided. As much as I want to savor the snappy dialogue and great turns of phrase, I somehow always end up gobbling up Emily Henry books because they are just that good.
HAPPY PLACE is a marvelous second-chance romance. Harriet and Wyn are part of a close group of college friends that meet yearly at a cottage in Maine. Harriet and Wyn broke up months ago, but didn't tell any of their friends about it. Now they're both back for the very last annual trip at the cottage before it's sold, and two of their friends are getting married while everyone is together. Wyn and Harriet don't want to spoil the last get-together at everyone's favorite "happy place," nor do they want to spoil the specialness of their friends' wedding, so they make a pact to pretend to still be a loving couple while everyone is together.
It comes out very slowly over the course of the novel why exactly these two broke up, even though they clearly still love each other. It's heartbreaking to see how twisted things got for this couple over the eight years that they were together. Despite being soulmates, their own individual mental issues caused them such distress both as people and as a couple. HAPPY PLACE is not just about the romance between Harriet and Wyn, but also about the personal growth of each of them. It's also about the growth of each person in their friend group, which enriches the story. There is a delightfully strong cast of secondary characters in this tightly-knit group of friends and found family. I adore the interplay between all the individuals in this group.
Henry's HAPPY PLACE is a rom-com that manages to explore some deep concepts of childhood trauma, personal growth, and found family. The unfolding mystery of why Wyn and Harriet broke up despite their deep love for each other is compelling and made it impossible for me to put it down. HAPPY PLACE brings us a moving second-chance romance with plenty of laughs and yummy angst.
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