Happy Place – Published 2023
“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?” – Goodreads
THOUGHTS
Another Emily Henry homerun for me. I binged this book in one day, despite how I usually like to savor her books a bit more. I’ve seen some reviewers who didn’t love it, but I really enjoyed it. It’s less of a romcom and more of a story of a very close knit group of friends who have been friends for years.
There is romance, but a bit in reverse. The main couple has been broken up for months but no one knows, so when they’re together for the weekend they have to keep the charade up to protect their friends’ wedding weekend as perfect as can be. A bit of fake dating and close proximity, but they’ve already fallen in love and experienced significant heartbreak.
The friend group, more of a found family, reminded me a bit of the group from Friends from College, which if you haven’t seen, you definitely should. Their banter and understanding of one another is so pure and often hilarious.
I really loved this book and I am sad that we’ll have to wait again for another EH book.
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