ŷ

� ˚ ale � ✧˖�'s Reviews > Happy Place

Happy Place by Emily Henry
Rate this book
Clear rating

by
101179363
Buckle up, bitches, because I have some things to say.

P.S: if you liked this book, I'm really really really happy for you. I wish that could be me! <3

My review may contain some spoilers, you've been warned.

I decided to give Emily Henry another chance after Beach Read, which I did not finish because it was bad in my opinion. So, I said "Why not? Maybe this one turns out to be pretty good!" and now that I finished it, I've realized (after a long night of overthinking and self-loathing. Yeah, I know, it wasn't my best night, lol) that maybe romance as a main plot isn't my genre.

First of all, I've never ever been in love in my almost 25 years of miserable existence, nor someone has been in love with me, so I don't actually know how it really feels, (that's a deep and traumatic conversation for another day), but to me it's kind of unreal that people can last years and not get bored. Please, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's not a real thing , but I can't even start to imagine someone loving me for so long without getting bored of me. (Plot twist: deep down, I'm a hopeless romantic who yearns to love and be loved for a really long time and to be in a healthy relationship, but that's not gonna happen, so).

Basically, Happy Place is about a second chance romance, between Harriet and Wyn (I swear I've never heard the name Wyndham until the day I started this book), who broke up five months ago and reunite for a trip with their best friends. They have to act like they're still together and pretend happiness and such just to not causing chaos.

The jump from past to present was not for me. While I enjoy those kind of flashbacks, things were "interesting" in the present than in the past.

I felt like a fucking third wheel. Or perhaps like I was in the middle of a friend group which I wasn't part of and it made me feel uncomfortable, (I've felt like that in the past, in many friend groups, and it feels awful) and if EH's point was to make me feel like I belonged with them, well, it didn't work out. They didn't even feel like best friends because there was a lot of tension and they were keeping secrets from each other (yes, I know this last thing happens a lot irl).

The side characters had no personality whatsoever. They felt very flat and boring. Sabrina was controlling and kind of bitchy. Parth had zero personality. Cleo and Kimmy were okay, until I felt like they were not a lesbian couple, but a heterosexual couple where one of them is a guy with a girl's name. Don't come at me for this, I just felt it like that. I did enjoy when Sabrina was called out. I get that they were in that trip mourning their youth and trying to have a good time, but goddamn it was painful. I just could not stand them. Trust me, I'm good at mourning my wasted and non existent youth, but this was pure hell.

Wyn was flat and boring. Gods, he had no personality and it was pretty clear. Even a shoe or a rock has more personality than Wyn Connor. What I hated the most is that basically Harriet was the one making the moves. Always. Man, if you really "love her" then go and fucking fight for her. MAKE SOME GODDAMN MOVES TO GET HER BACK AND LOVE HER PROPERLY.

And Harriet, girly pop, please, have a little bit more of self-steem and respect for yourself. Stop being a people pleaser and try to save everyone. !

I hate miscommunication. I believe it's one of the worst tropes ever and it's used throughout the book. Harriet complains and whines a lot, has a lot of inner monologues but she never says shit. Ma'am, please don't expect that everyone knows what the hell do you want if you never say anything. I'm not defending Wyn either, because he did the same thing. And they were constantly lying about how they were happy and okay. Both, Harriet and Wyn made a lot of assumptions instead of actually talk to each other, which could have spared us from a 400 pages book. Things could have solved up faster if they both had spoken first.

Like, are you going to tell me that after a long-ass relationship of 8 YEARS, neither of you can communicate things? They could have broken up sooner if they just talked things through. It's like both communication and understanding were missing in the entire book. Also, breaking up with her over the phone? Are you fucking kidding me?

This book could have been better if we had Wyn's POV. He obviously was struggling with depression, the loss of his father and his mother being diagnosed with Parkinson. We could have understood him more like this. But otherwise, he seemed indifferent about his relationship.

My last straw was... Pottery? Really?

Did you just throw so many years of med school, hard work and your residency for pottery? I don't know how things work for med school in the u.s, but, girly pop, I'm pretty sure that isn't cheap, not even when you study in a good school. And holy shit, she’s a neurosurgery resident. (My dream was to become a neurosurgeon, so I was speechless and almost screaming like Regina George in Mean Girls). I'm still speachless and amazed because how are you gonna pay your +$200,000 debts from pottery? Wyn must be a fucking billionare.

I also felt nothing, nor empathy, sadness, pity or whatever towards any of these characters or their problems and relationships.

The sex scene felt... Off. There was "a lot" of tension going on between Harriet and Wyn from the beginning, but when the sex scene finally came, it disappeared and felt dull.

Anyways, not everything seems bad, lmao.

I have this love/hate relationship with EH's writing style. For one side, there are some phrases where you can relate and say "Same, sis, same.", but for the other side, Emily uses metaphors and stuff like that where is no needed.

The only good thing, perhaps?

I get the hype over Emily Henry's books, I swear I do, but they never captivate me or make me giggle, kick my feet in the air or feel happy. Maybe there's something wrong with me. Maybe, like I said at the beginning of this review, maybe romance as a main is not for me.

I'm not going to include this book in my big hype big lie shelf yet because I honestly didn't have many expectations for Happy Place. Nevermind, I just added to my big hipe, big lie shelf, lmao.

This is where Emily Henry and I part ways.

I guess I have more things to say, but I'll add them when I remember, lmao.
3873 likes · flag

Sign into ŷ to see if any of your friends have read Happy Place.
Sign In »

Reading Progress

April 27, 2023 – Started Reading
April 27, 2023 – Shelved
April 27, 2023 – Shelved as: to-read
April 27, 2023 –
page 20
5.0% "i'm as nervous and anxious as harriet, lmao"
April 28, 2023 –
page 50
12.5% "maybe it's because i've never been in love or no one has ever been in love with me, but the fact that people can actually be together for years sounds so unreal for me. gods, it feels weird, lmao"
April 29, 2023 –
page 100
25.0% "i'm trying to fight a reading slump and my constant responsibilities just to read this, lmao"
April 29, 2023 –
page 120
30.0% "so, i've made just because!"
May 1, 2023 –
page 200
50.0% "I wanna kick Harriet and Wyn. Gods."
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: adult
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: adult-fiction
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: chick-lit
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: contemporary
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: fiction
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: i-m-too-old-for-this-shit
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: new-adult
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: standalone
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: stupid-female-mc
May 1, 2023 – Shelved as: this-shit-has-no-romance
May 1, 2023 – Finished Reading
July 8, 2023 – Shelved as: big-hype-big-lie
August 22, 2023 – Shelved as: 2023-reads

Comments Showing 1-50 of 555 (555 new)


anouk♡ semi-hiatus enjoy girl! �


debs &#x1d717;&#x1d71a;⋆₊˚ i hope you enjoy it! i’m reading it rn and i think its so so good :)


Lilyya ♡ happy sobbing reading, babes!!💕


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° Anouk � wrote: "enjoy girl! �"

thanks! <3 <3 <3


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° debs ౨ৎ wrote: "i hope you enjoy it! i’m reading it rn and i think its so so good :)"

awww, i just started it and this far is funny! hope you enjoy it! <3


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° Lilyya wrote: "happy sobbing reading, babes!!💕"

oh, gods, i'm gonna cry, huh? well, sign me up! enjoy! <3


Mila (Semi-Hiatus) Good luck babe !🙏💕


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° Mila � wrote: "Good luck babe !🙏💕"

Thanks!! 💕💕 I'm so nervous, haha.


alayla ! good luck darling!! i hope you like adore it <3


message 10: by madi (new)

madi good luck babes💖


message 11: by lulu (new) - rated it 3 stars

lulu omg good luck girlie i hope this book is worth it!! 💗 im also giving eh another chance w this book 🤞


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° alayla grace � wrote: "good luck darling!! i hope you like adore it <3"

thanks! omg, i'm so excited! hope you like it as well <3


anabel ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ im so wanting to read this.


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° madi wrote: "good luck babes💖"

thanks, bestie! hope you enjoy it as well <3


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° lulu wrote: "omg good luck girlie i hope this book is worth it!! 💗 im also giving eh another chance w this book 🤞"

thanks and omg, good luck for you too! hope this time it's worth it! <3


Mila (Semi-Hiatus) I take it , it didn't go well?😔 tbh I removed it from my tbr after reading all the 2 and 3 star reviews


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° anabel ੈ✩‧₊˚ wrote: "im so wanting to read this."

Hope you enjoy it when you read it! <3


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° Mila � wrote: "I take it , it didn't go well?😔 tbh I removed it from my tbr after reading all the 2 and 3 star reviews"

Oh, it definitely did not go well. :( Yeah, my rating it's gonna be between those two, haha.


shei (editing reviews, sorry for the spam) ale going HARD HSJSJDJDJ, nunca he leído a Emily Henry pero estas reviews me quitan las pocas ganas que pudiera tener


youssra Oh no, I hope your next read is gonna be way better than this one!


alayla ! oh my god. 🧍‍♀� at least you brought my expectations down...? i am so sorry this wasn't a good book for you babes 😭 the review is fantastic, though!! hope your next read is better babes 🫂


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° shei � wrote: "ale going HARD HSJSJDJDJ, nunca he leído a Emily Henry pero estas reviews me quitan las pocas ganas que pudiera tener"

AY SIS, JAJAKJSHFKJDF. Yo no terminé Beach Read, pero no me gustó. Y este... Bueno, fue una decepción. Entiendo el hype, y entiendo por qué a otros les gusta, pero es un no para mí. :(


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° Youssra� wrote: "Oh no, I hope your next read is gonna be way better than this one!"

Thanks, Youssra. Hope you enjoy it when you read it!! <3


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° alayla grace � wrote: "oh my god. 🧍‍♀� at least you brought my expectations down...? i am so sorry this wasn't a good book for you babes 😭 the review is fantastic, though!! hope your next read is better babes 🫂"

thanks, alayla! and omg, i hope you do enjoy it! <3 <3


message 25: by (new) - added it

⁷ I haven't touched any Emily Henry books yet but the reviews are such a mix bag that it's made me curious enough to want to bump them up my tbr and see for myself lol


message 26: by carla (new)

carla im sorry his name is wyndham? im pretty sure that's the name of a hotel chain here in the us. i just stayed with them over christmas. she should've been called marriott lmao.


message 27: by [deleted user] (new)

carla wrote: "im sorry his name is wyndham? im pretty sure that's the name of a hotel chain here in the us. i just stayed with them over christmas. she should've been called marriott lmao."

lol


Mila (Semi-Hiatus) ale � ₊˚୨� ₊� wrote: "Mila � wrote: "I take it , it didn't go well?😔 tbh I removed it from my tbr after reading all the 2 and 3 star reviews"

Oh, it definitely did not go well. :( Yeah, my rating it's gonna be between ..."


ah I read the review. *hugs* friend🫂. I can feel your frustration through my laptop screen lmao. Sorry EH let you down. She is really a hit or a miss. I parted ways with Colleen Hoover lol, so I understand, hope your next read is better hun💙


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° C. wrote: "I haven't touched any Emily Henry books yet but the reviews are such a mix bag that it's made me curious enough to want to bump them up my tbr and see for myself lol"

Yes! You either love her books or hate them, lmao. I get why people like her books. You should give them a try!


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° carla wrote: "im sorry his name is wyndham? im pretty sure that's the name of a hotel chain here in the us. i just stayed with them over christmas. she should've been called marriott lmao."

Oh, gods, this comment made my day 😭 I didn't know that it was a hotel chain. Marriott, byeeee 😭😭😭


Lilyya ♡ oh no, im so sorry this one was a miss for you, love!!😭 i finished yesterday and loved it so so much🥺 hope your next read is a winner! and WHAT A TERRIFIC REVIEW !💗


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° Lilyya wrote: "oh no, im so sorry this one was a miss for you, love!!😭 i finished yesterday and loved it so so much🥺 hope your next read is a winner! and WHAT A TERRIFIC REVIEW !💗"

OMG, LILYYAAAA, I'm glad that you really loved the book! 🥺🥺 Thank you so much! Hope your next book be also a 5 star! <3


message 33: by Han (new) - added it

Han My expectations have been MANAGED!! I say while staring at the book I just purchased lol. I buckled up and was invested! This review is amazing and with very valid points! I really hope to still be on the love it side, but now I will go in a lot more cautious and thank you for that! 💗💗💗


message 34: by gaby (new) - rated it 3 stars

gaby THANK YOU THANK YOU though i'm sad you didn't love it the validation someone also didn't like it makes me feel better haha


scthoughts My first thought from reading the name 'Wyndham' was that it sounds like a vanity or bedroom set from Wayfair with three wood tone options.


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° Hanna wrote: "My expectations have been MANAGED!! I say while staring at the book I just purchased lol. I buckled up and was invested! This review is amazing and with very valid points! I really hope to still be..."

Aww, either way, I hope you enjoy it more than me, Hanna! There are plenty of people who liked it! I feel like this genre is not for me. Enjoy it! <3 <3


manju ♡ aw i’m sorry you didn’t like it. i, too, despise miscommunication but hopefully this book is an exception for me.


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° brie wrote: "THANK YOU THANK YOU though i'm sad you didn't love it the validation someone also didn't like it makes me feel better haha"

Thanks! Sorry that you didn't like it either. Yeah, it wasn't for us, lmao.


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° scthoughts wrote: "My first thought from reading the name 'Wyndham' was that it sounds like a vanity or bedroom set from Wayfair with three wood tone options."

Oh, gods, you're so right for this. Byeeee


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° manju � (sel’s version) wrote: "aw i’m sorry you didn’t like it. i, too, despise miscommunication but hopefully this book is an exception for me."

Thank you, Manju! I hope you really like it and enjoy it! <3


ariadne Although I loved the book, your review makes a lot of sense and your points are valid (and is hilarious in the best way). I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it! Although she is popular, Emily Henry isn’t for everyone and that’s okay! <3


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° ariadne wrote: "Although I loved the book, your review makes a lot of sense and your points are valid (and is hilarious in the best way). I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it! Although she is popular, Emily Henry isn’t f..."

I'm glad that you loved it, Ariadne, omg! I wish that could be me. And thanks! I tried to be funny as well, lmao. But yes, I get why people loved this book and totally get it, but just wasn't for me. :( <3


Here for the reviews I loved Book Lovers, but this didn't work for me either. Leaving neurosurgery for pottery seems to be the Emily Henry version of leaving a magazine job in NYC to bake cupcakes in a small town. It's cliched and silly.

And agree, Wyn is so boring. Literally nothing but a pretty face. Atleast he was self aware about his own boringness. I thought this might go into an interesting direction about exploring male insecurity but it didn't.


message 44: by Jess (new) - rated it 3 stars

Jess Honestly I'm so glad I feel justified in giving my low rating now.


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° Here for the reviews wrote: "I loved Book Lovers, but this didn't work for me either. Leaving neurosurgery for pottery seems to be the Emily Henry version of leaving a magazine job in NYC to bake cupcakes in a small town. It's..."

I totally agree with you! it just didn't make any sense. Harriet would have been happier alone tbh.

And yes! It could have been interesting and helpful to have Wyn's pov as well.


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° Jess wrote: "Honestly I'm so glad I feel justified in giving my low rating now."

Haha, I get you. It's not for everyone.


kess | wordwanderlust ahh thanks for sharing! i really liked the happy place but i see your POV as well


message 48: by Jen (new) - added it

Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday) When I realized it was a miscommunication trope I was like ughhhhhhh. Characters who refuse to talk about things are the worst. I mean these characters DO talk and talk and talk and talk and rub their eyes and chins but never talk about anything important. I have a 50/50 success rate with EH with this being on the thumbs-down side.


₊  ˚  ale   ࿓ ✧˖° kess | wordwanderlust wrote: "ahh thanks for sharing! i really liked the happy place but i see your POV as well"

Omg, I'm glad that you liked it, Kess! And thanks. <3


message 50: by Aliki (new) - added it

Aliki (semi hiatus) Omggg sorryyy thay was such a dissapointment for youuuu!!! Great review thoughh, i loved how you expresses your thoughts in heree!! Also, as a very romantic person (sometimes cinic, but mostly romantices everything) dont loose your inner romantiiic, (even if romance is not your genre etc) keep romantising stuff and feel things deep, i find life is more fun this way 🥰🥰 (just my two cents but each their own ofc❤️)


« previous 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
back to top