Tag Archive | Second Chance Romance

Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

Happy Place Book Cover Happy Place
Emily Henry
Contemporary | Second Chance Romance
Berkley
April 25, 2023
Audiobook
400
Public Library
August 18 - 28, 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?

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Review

Okay, okay. This isn’t a bad book. It just wasn’t what I expected. Did I read the blurb before I started? No. Should I have? Probably. But I’ve loved every other Emily Henry book! I had no reason to think I wouldn’t love this one when I dove in sight unseen!

With that out of the way, let’s continue and talk about what I liked: Wyn and Harriet. Wyn was very sweet and Harriet very kind. They were both stellar characters, with Harriet having a little more character growth. I also really enjoyed the chapters that dove into their past and the start of their relationship. I preferred that to the present day chapters with the rift between them.

What I didn’t like so much was their friend group. For one, they kind of blended together in my head. They were each different, but they were all introduced so quickly that I couldn’t name them now, and while listening to the audiobook, I couldn’t keep them all straight. I also didn’t like the lack of communication between Wyn and Harriet. It’s one of my least favorite tropes, the characters who wouldn’t have a problem if they’d just freaking be honest and vulnerable with each other! 

All that said, I think if I had gone into this knowing it’s a second chance romance I would have liked it a lot more. I just wasn’t in the right headspace for this type of book though. 

Fans of Emily Henry: It’s good, but read the blurb first so you know what you’re getting into!