Think Of Your Happy Place

I recently finished reading Happy Place by Emily Henry. This was a buddy read with my friends Leah and Jenna.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT

  Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest 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, blue 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?"

After reading this fantastic angsty romance/self-growth/beautiful friendship story, I decided, I think it is my favorite book by EH. Book Lovers is still up there though.

I have to admit that this book is the sexiest, steamiest novel the author has written. The main reason is that the couple in the story has already known each other for ten years, and even though they broke up, the flame is still there. They are obviously soulmates! But what happened between Harriet and Wyn? They dated for nearly a decade, staying as fiancées for years. Why did Wyn end things with a four-minute-long phone call? Was it only long distance, did one of them cheat, or was there any crucial, life-changing reason that tore them apart?

Harriet is invited to her Happy Place, where she has spent her most meaningful, unforgettable, sentimental moments with her best friends Sabrina, a hotshot lawyer, and Cleo, an aspiring farmer. Sabrina started dating their long-time friend and party boy Parth, and Cleo is happily farming and dating her hyperactive, extrovert lover Kimmie.

Even though Harriet broke up with Wyn five months ago, they didn't come clean with their friends. Harriet is adamant about telling them at their special union in Happy Place, but she realizes that Sabrina already invited Wyn to their cottage, and Wyn acts like they're still together.

Harriet finds out that Sabrina's father will sell Happy Place, and that this will be their last time together. An era of their lives is about to end. She also gives other shocking news. Harriet is a person who doesn't know how to fight, hates conflicts, and tries to please everyone around her. She doesn't want to create a disturbance by announcing their break-up, and Wyn seems to be on the same page.

They should act like a couple for a week, and they will eventually come clean when their holiday is over. How hard could it be to stay in the same room, touching and kissing your ex in front of others when you are still harboring your unresolved feelings?

Overall, this is an inspirational novel about self-growth, friendship, growing up, change, grief, and mental illness. I returned to read some chapters over and over again. Harriet and Wyn might be my favorite couple that EH has created.

Check out Happy Place, and discover what your happy place is.

Happy Reading :)