Written by Lília
When I heard Emily Henry was releasing a new book, I was excited. I loved her previous romance novel, Book Lovers, and wanted to know if she would maintain her high quality of writing.
I was both surprised and not surprised.
Surprised because it’s a very emotional book, with so many layers I hadn’t even considered. And not surprised because it is something she does very well.
I loved it. I hated it. In the end, I actually loved it.
You start reading knowing the story should end well–it’s a rom-com after all!—but because Henry presents a situation that is already broken from the start, you wonder: “How is she going to solve this?” “Is there a love triangle?” “Second chance romance!”
The story starts with Harriet still nursing a broken heart because of a weird breakup. She doesn’t understand why Wyn left her, especially not in the way he did. And then, on the one-week holiday that they and their friends take every year, they meet again. Their friends don’t know they’re not together anymore, and the longer they take to open up to them all, the more difficult it becomes to confess that they’re living separate lives.
How do you tell your friends after months of secrecy?
How do you accept your romance is finished?
How do you confront yourself and your fears and desires?
In the confrontations that follow Harriet, Wyn and their friends will have to learn to accept they’ve all been changing, that life is different for everybody, and that maybe, just maybe, it still can be alright.
Happy Place is a beautiful book about self-sacrifice, love, hate, self-discovery and going for your dreams.
All while with a hangover.
In a total daze.
And it’s still charming and heartwarming.
Definitely worth the read.
