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”You are in all of my happiest places. You are where my mind goes when it needs to be soothed.��

Angsty Perfection. Emotional Damage. Hopeful Second Chances.

How is it possible to sum up your feelings on a book that you were sure wouldn’t be for you, but ended up being a guaranteed top read of the year instead? Let me explain.

I’ve been reviewing books for many years now, and over time I’ve become more jaded with each new release that has an overwhelming hype train behind it. Typically, the pushy nature of READTHISBOOKPLZZZZZ that comes with a huge fan base tends to turn on my rebellious nature and make me want to not read it or like it even more. I cannot explain this phenomenon, nor do I defend it, but I have a feeling I’m not the only reviewer who tends to duck and run when hyped books are saturating every bit of your online footprint. Couple that with the fact that I like to try and champion books from either debut authors or without a large marketing budget behind them as often as possible (this is not a pat on the back, just a personal passion of mine), and I do not tend to fit in as many of the big books of the season that I used to. I managed to make it through Emily Henry’s first three releases without caving, but something about Happy Place caused me to rethink my decision, and I’m so grateful that I stopped being a stubborn turd and embraced this emotional journey. (Yes, I am now the proud owner of all four of EmHen’s adult releases.)



So how did I come about requesting this book? Well, aside from the FOMO that had built continuously, the marketing of friends-to-lovers-to-enemies really got me, and the fact that this was being paraded as her angstiest book yet (I love a good tummy turmoil romance) sealed the deal. Also, the cover had nothing to do with it. Nope. Not at all. I thought I was getting a fun, summer romance that I’d enjoy, but would ultimately be forgettable in a sea of illustrated covers, but color me surprised when I discovered there was so much more here.

”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 don’t think there are words to describe just how much this book means to me, or how relatable I found aspects of it, but I’ll try to convey here. It’s easy to perceive from the synopsis that this is a story or what was, what is, and what might be. We receive glimpses into the past that build Harry and Wyn’s friendship-turned-romance, and we also receive present tense pov where something has gone horribly wrong, but we’re not quite sure what that is. The tension of building up to that conversation (which actually is brilliantly more than one conversation) is DIVINE, and the havoc that Henry wreaked on my emotions along the way was sinister in the best way possible.

Obviously the romance is swoons. The chemistry between Wyn and Harry is palpable, and the payoff after the pining throughout a good bit of the book is worth every bit of anxiety ridden, nail biting suspense. The journey that both characters go on together and individually is satisfying. But also? The dynamic and vibes between this group of six friends is something you can sink into. It’s what you desire if you don’t have it, and appreciate if you do. And it’s not perfect, not by a long shot. Everyone is flawed and has to work at keeping this group together.

I also really found myself in Harry’s dynamic with her parents. As someone who, for years, carried a weight of feeling like I would not be enough if I didn’t make the most of my parent’s sacrifices, this aspect of the book, while small, absolutely wrecked me. I was a sobbing mess as I went full circle on this journey with Harriet, and I’m sitting here tearing up again as I write it now.

Every single portion of this book is a hard earned happily ever after, which is just the way I like it. Maybe I’m a sellout now, but I’m definitely part of the EmHen fan club now, and I cannot wait to go and read her backlist while painfully waiting for the next book she writes. This book deserves every bit of hype that it has and will receive, and it gives me a glimmer of hope that I can still find that magical feeling of finding a new book that becomes a part of your soul, one that you carry with you on the rest of your journey here on earth and becomes part of your personality on a permanent basis.



*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.