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This was my first Emily Henry book, and I am down bad! Happy Place perfectly encapsulates the challenges around growing up and discovering who you are. This book was wholesome, genuine, and emotional in all the right ways, and I absolutely loved it!
Overview
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5 stars
Themes: Second chance romance, found family, and mental health awareness.
Characters
What stuck out to me immediately was the complexity of the characters. The book is told from Harriet’s perspective and while her story is the focus, the entire friend group plays a role. Happy Place is about the relationship between Harriet and her ex-fiance Wyn, yet the friendship between Sabrina, Cleo, and Harriet is just as much of a focal point toward the end. Reading about both romantic and platonic relationships added an emotional depth that I was not expecting from this book. The only character I wish had been more fleshed out was Parth.
Format
Happy Place is written in a dual timeline where the reader gets to read what is happening in “real life” and in Harriet’s “happy place”. Seeing the story unfold from the past and present at the same time was well executed. I was able to understand what was happening in “real life” while learning everything I needed to know for context from Harriet’s “happy place” in a way that was not just an information dump or prologue at the beginning of the book.
Theme
Happiness was a central theme of the book. Harriet struggled with finding joy in her work and herself after her failed relationship. Wyn works through grieving his father and navigating his depression. Seeing these characters turn from trying to make others happy to learning what makes them happy was super wholesome. Emily Henry taught a meaningful lesson to her readers about mental health and self-care when she could’ve easily overlooked these topics. The vulnerability that her characters show throughout the book is moving and refreshing.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Emily Henry’s Happy Place. She built a funloving and energetic friend group while each character was experiencing their very real struggles. Harriet and Wyn show the readers that focusing on what makes you happy can ultimately bring happiness to those around you too.
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