Escaping Reality with 'Happy Place': A Book Review

---- Alexa play the 1 by Taylor Swift

But we were something, don't you think so?

Roaring 20s, tossing pennies in the pool

And if my wishes came true

It would've been you

In my defense, I have none

For never leaving well enough alone

But it would've been fun

If you would've been the one

Emily Henry never disappoints like n e v e r. This book is absolute perfection in my opinion and I wish I read this sooner. I stepped into Emily Henry's world with 'Beach Read' and I knew I would read more of her books because that is a book I really loved and always recommend.

'Happy Place' aesthetic

The story is narrated through past and present timelines which are so endearing to read about - the parallels of how they fell in love, the growth of their relationship, the obstacles they face, and their own struggles individually. To be honest, I do like the second-chance romance trope but I'm not a big fan although in this book it was done SO WELL.

“In every universe, it’s you for me. Even if it’s not me for you.”

Considering that this book is called 'Happy Place', it certainly does not make you the happiest. It's not a fluffy second-chance romance like I expected it to be. This book is - the loneliness; bargaining with the universe; being loved and loving people; the fear of growing up; the fear of the possibility of never being happy; the perpetual struggle between living for yourself and the people you love; the terror of being an unhappy place to the people who love you; the fear of a job or something so permanent in your life being the wrong choice; everything around you changing; the nostalgia for moments you can never get back.

Harriet and I mirror each other in so many ways and reading it in words across a book made me feel so seen and comforted. She's my "she's just like me fr" character (We're both The Archer and My Tears Ricochet coded).

Wyn Connor, the man you are, I loved his character. Not only does he have dimples (yes, dimples) but his love language is physical touch, words of affirmation, and acts of service. I love how both characters have so much emotional depth and it's executed so well it feels real. Also, Harriet and Wyn = Midnight Rain by Taylor Swift.

"He’s a golden boy. I’m a girl whose life has been drawn in shades of gray"

The found family aspect in this book is something I absolutely adore. I love the idea of friends meeting up every summer at this beautiful cottage and exploring the small town, escaping their realities. Even the side characters have emotional depth and I just felt connected to them and understood where they are coming from.

This book shows how friendships are not happy-go-lucky all the time but instead talks about how friendships can change over time and how difficult it gets to maintain adult friendships when everyone is at different stages of their life. It was nice seeing the friend group find their way back to each other and figure things out.

"My best friends taught me a new kind of quiet, the peaceful stillness of knowing one another so well you don’t need to fill the space. And a new kind of loud: noise as a celebration, as the overflow of joy at being alive, here, now."

The plot in my opinion is incredible, the pacing is perfect with the past and present timelines. Now let me just tell you this book has long chapters which would be a big turn-off for me when I'm reading a book. However, like I said it has an incredible plot with sarcastic and witty banter between Harriet and Wyn along with the friendship traditions and activities at the cottage in summer so I overlooked the long chapters and did not mind them at all. (This is Emily Henry we're talking about, I will read anything she writes).

The ending, I felt was a bit rushed but the entire book makes up for it. I have zero complaints about this book it absolutely slayed and exceeded my expectations! I love Harriet and Wyn, they are one of my favorite fictional couples now. You can dislike any book you want but you cannot dislike 'Happy Place' I won't tolerate any negative things about this book. I love it with all my heart and would highly recommend it. Let me know your thoughts if you've read this book and if you haven't well you're missing out so please do.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Things change, but we stretch and grow and make room for one another. Our love is a place we can always come back to, and it will be waiting, the same as it ever was. You belong here. ”

"You're like gravity. Everything keeps spinning, but my mind's always got one hand on you"

“Because there's nowhere I wouldn't go for you. And if you get out to Montana and realize there's somewhere else you need to be, there's nothing I'm not willing to do to make it work. I'd rather have you five days a year than anyone else all the time.”

“There doesn’t need to be a winner and a loser. You just have to care how the other person feels. You have to care more about them than you do about being right."

“From the loneliness, from the fear that I would never escape it. Because feelings were changeable, and people were unpredictable. You couldn’t hold on to them through the force of will.”

“This is how I used to think of love. As something so delicate it couldn’t be caught without being snuffed out. Now I know better. I know the flame may gutter and flare with the wind, but it will always be there.”

“All my life, I’ve let other voices creep in, and they’ve drowned out my own.”

“How many universes do you think we’re together in?” “Higher than either of us can count.”