Happy Place

By: Emily Henry

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

“The beach-read master hooks us again."—People

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by BuzzFeed ∙ Paste Magazine ∙ Elle ∙ Southern Living ∙ SheReads ∙ Culturess ∙ Medium ∙ Her Campus ∙ Readers Digest ∙ Zibby Mag and more!

A couple who broke up months ago 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.

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 five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing a 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, blissful 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?

©2023 Emily Henry (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Henry's new novel is a slow-burn romance and an ode to the chosen family we need when everything gets too complicated...The beach-read master hooks us again." —People

“Blur[s] the lines between women’s and literary-leaning commercial fiction, departing from the fantasy spaces of bodice rippers and misty moors to depict a world that looks a lot more like, well, our own…Henry operates at the top of her—and her readers’—intelligence, telling sophisticated, heartfelt stories that are conscious of the romantic comedy conventions without being overly meta about them…Henry’s dedicated readers know what to expect: wit, charm and heart, satisfying to the last page.” —The Washington Post

“With tender insight and quick wit, Henry delivers prosecco and sea breezes alongside startling mediations on friendship, loss, and adulthood.” —Oprah Quarterly

Emily Henry’s words and Julia Whelan’s Voice

I loved this book as much as I anticipated I would, which is to say a lot. Something about Emily Henry’s writing style just clicks with me on such a deep level. I freaking COMMUNE with her writing. And there is no better voice to Emily Henry’s writing than Julia Whelan’s. The way she brings the characters to life is masterful and compelling. I laughed at the banter, cried at all the bittersweet parts, and am tempted to just hit “play” again right away so I can spend a bit longer reveling in this book.

A character study, not a bodice ripper

When I looked at the reviews for this book there were a lot of readers complaining that the author wasn't as good as she used to be. I've only read one other book by her - People We Meet on Vacation - but I thought both books were excellent and would look for her other titles.
I think some people may have misunderstood what the book was going to be about. It is not a light hearted romance, and it definitely isn't frothy. It's a deep dive into big questions about what defines success, what grind culture does to us, what makes friendships last, how loneliness looks and feels and what it means to live a life happily. This book is very 2023. I imagine anyone under the age of 30 sees a lot of themselves in this story.
Like Penny Reid, the focus is on the characters and what makes them tick. There is very little resemblance to a Hallmark movie or bodice ripper format. We are on a journey with the central character to figure out what happened and what happens next. I appreciate that the characters have flaws and biases that derail them and that we are part of the journey to figure it all out. The love shared between Harriet and Wyn is so wonderful you can't help but root for their success. I thought it was a very enjoyable book.

So good!

I could listen to Julia Whelan anytime but she was perfect for this book. The story was fun, sad, and beautiful.

Could smell the Maine mist

Loved the characters and the storyline was artfully narrated, bringing authenticity to moments and people I really enjoyed spending time with.

Too much whining

I really didn't love the storyline. I thought it was also unbelievable she would follow a guy and take up a weird profession as her life's work after going to medical school. I like the French story well enough this was not my favorite book.

Hard to get into

I don’t like leaving a bad review but I think the book concept is good …but the characters were blah. I found myself not wanting to finish the book, but I pushed through to finish hoping it would get better but it didn’t.

I painfully finished

I almost quit so many times I was going to return the book to audible. But I felt so invested that I kept going. I wouldn’t recommend this book.

At some points it was just annoying ...

I struggled to finish this brought me in at first but then after 5 hours of basically the same rhetoric and story line.
I wasn't sure how much longer I had to listen for something to actually happen or change still working on the last 2 hours.
Entertaining,mildly

nice

solid beach read.
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Couldn’t stop listening

I enjoyed this book so much, can’t wait for the next release by Emily Henry. This book didn’t disappoint.