Book Review : Happy Place

Book Name: Happy Place
Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Penguin Books Sea

Genre: Romance 

Format: Paperback

Print Length: 338

Rating: 3.5/5

Tropes: Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Second Chance, Fake Dating

Happy Place by Emily Henry is a novel that follows second-chance romance, friends to lover, and fake dating tropes taking readers on a roller coaster ride exploring the journey of the witty characters.

Book Blurb On Amazon

Two exes. One pact.

Could this holiday change everything?

Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple - they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Every year, they take a holiday from their lives to drink far too much wine with their favourite people in the world.

Except this year, they are lying through their teeth, because Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone. But the cottage is for sale so this is the last time they'll all be here together. They can't bear to break their best friends' hearts so they'll fake it for one more week.

But how can you pretend to be in love - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best?

Review

The plot follows the story of three friends who take a holiday from their lives and meet every year at the cottage that was on sale. There is an exploration of their last visit to the cottage before it is finally sold, leading to chaotic events with a lot of planning by Sabrina, who crossed every length to make this trip top-notch, from creating a vivid itinerary for everyone to defining the loo breaks. Isn't that amusing? Readers would have their dose of laughter, sadness, and anxiousness, hoping for things to change between the couples and for their friendships not to end.

The characters appear flawed and relatable, making readers fall for them and imagine themselves as the fictional girlfriend and boyfriend from this book. Though the book follows the story of three friends, the major focus is on the relationship between Wyn and Harriet, who turned to exes, which leads to the storyline making the emotional journey of the friend groups more happening.

It is a tale of longing, love, laughter, truths, lies, and planning for a better world for each one of them. Each friend tries to take a step to better things between others without letting them know, ending up getting caught and the plan resulting in worsening the situation. The book is a treat for the lovers of a second chance and friends to lovers, but it appears dragging and slow in between which can distract readers like me who are picky about romance books.     

Talking about the writing style of the author is emotional and engaging. The book delves into the complexities of relationships, not just lovers but long-lasting friendships which are beautifully expressed throughout the book. It will create nostalgia for the readers who belong to friend groups like Cleo, Sabrina, and Harriet. Also, the atmospheric setting is portrayed well like a vacation home (the cottage to be sold) in itself acts as a character expressing deep emotions the three girls built in the house and the memories they created together.

The overall experience of reading this book is feel-good, but the pace and drag in between might distract readers a bit. If you love to explore the tropes in this book, I would suggest giving it a try and sharing your experience.

Buy it from Amazon - Happy Place