Book Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

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BOOK review

Started on: 2 May 2024
Finished on: 29 May 2024

 

Happy Place by Emily Henry

 

Title: Happy Place

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 400 pages / 395 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2023
Price: Rp 260,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4.5/5

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"I couldn't have imagined being any happier, loving anywhere else as much.

Not until Sabrina brought us here, to her family's summer home on the coast of Maine. Not until I met Wyn."

Harriet and Wyn have been together for almost ten years since they met in college. However, they broke up a few months ago and still haven't told their best friends. After not seeing each other for months, they suddenly had to share a bedroom at the Maine cottage where their friend group had held a yearly getaway for the last decade. It has been their annual escape from the real world, a blissful week when they could leave behind their daily lives and enjoy their time with the people closest to them. This year, Harriet and Wyn had to lie to their best friends while trying to hide the fact that they still desperately wanted each other. And because the cottage is for sale, this will be the last week they'll have together in this place. The two of them couldn't bring themselves to break their friends' hearts, so they decided to fake their relationship for one week in front of the people who knew them best.

"Think of your happy place, Harriet."

"In mere minutes after the longest year of my life, I'll be reunited with my favorite people in the world, in our favorite place in the world."

I first encountered Emily Henry's writing two years ago when I read Beach Read and loved it—I gave the book a 4.5/5 rating. She has published a few more books since then, but I haven't had the chance to pick them up. Until recently, I was suddenly in the mood for a romantic comedy and was immediately reminded of Emily Henry. I chose Happy Place because the premise sounded like it would be entertaining to read. As I started this book, it was everything that I wanted: hilarious banter, adorable characters, and blazing chemistry between the two main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and appreciate the relationship lessons sprinkled throughout the story.

"Because feelings were changeable, and people were unpredictable. You couldn't hold on to them through the force of will."

"I can't bring myself to say it, to admit that the rest of my life, everything I've worked for, has started to feel like dressing. Like loving him is the only essential, and everything else is garnish."

The book is written from the first-person POV of our main character, Harriet, who's excited to be reunited with her friend group on the last annual getaway at the Maine cottage that will be up for sale. Unfortunately, that excitement suddenly turned into shock when she saw Wyn Connor, her fiancé who dumped her a few months ago. Harriet immediately panicked because none of her friends knew about their separation yet. Due to the reason for their gathering, both Harriet and Wyn agreed to hide the truth for the time being and act as if they were still together. While trying to convince their friends that they're still happily engaged, they realize how much they still love one another. During their stay at the Maine cottage, Harriet and Wyn slowly unravel the reason behind their sudden breakup—realizing their personal struggles that were left unspoken throughout their relationship.

Another fascinating aspect of this book is its dual timeline: the present day when they've broken up (titled Real Life at the start of the chapter) and the past that recounts how Wyn and Harriet fell in love in the first place (this one has Happy Place written at the top). The alternating timeline plays a part in the story because it allows readers to see how much they loved each other in the past, so it almost makes no sense how they have fallen apart in the present day. I love how their chemistry was built from their hilarious first encounter, slowly getting to know each other as friends and falling deeply in love. As the story progresses, we see how their relationship failed not because of one particular moment—but due to a lack of communication that leads to misunderstanding and negative assumptions. Wyn and Harriet's chemistry is constantly entertaining, especially when they keep physically teasing during the 'fake-dating' phase. I laughed out loud a lot while reading this book. Although there are some pretty heavy topics towards the end, it's generally fun to read.

"I am happier than I've ever been. Don't yet know that there is a level of happiness even deeper, one so intense it hurts, almost like loss or grief. A happiness so bright and hot you feel like it could incinerate you."

"Everything is changing. It has to. You can't stop time.
All you can do is point yourself in a direction and hope the wind will let you get there."

Although the story heavily leans towards romance, it also covers friendship and family relationships. The issue that Harriet faces as a person affects all the relationships that she has with the people around her. I appreciate her character's transformation and how she confronts her past mistakes for the sake of the people she loves dearly. Since the whole book is written from her perspective, we can clearly see her internal struggle and all the feelings she's experiencing. I think all the characters in this book are well-written because they feel like real people with flaws and different mental baggage. Those imperfections make us human, and it makes a relationship beautiful.

Finishing this book made me want to read more books by Emily Henry. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and love the characters that she's written. The conflicts they faced are relatable, making it easy for readers to learn something from them. There are minor things in this book that stopped me from giving it a 5-star rating, but I would still recommend it to readers looking for a good rom-com. I hope Emily Henry will keep publishing a new book every year like she's been doing these past 5 years, so I will always have a rom-com book on hand whenever I'm in the mood to read one 😊.

"Want is a kind of thief. It's a door in your heart, and once you know it's there, you'll spend your life longing for whatever's behind it."

"I'd do anything to go back to that happy place, outside of time, where nothing from real life can touch us."

by.stefaniesugia♥ .