Tuesday, October 22, 2024

#21 [2024/CBR16] Happy Place by Emily Henry

I've read a number of books by Emily Henry, so it was not a surprise when I picked up her latest, Happy Place (2023). I can always count on Henry for some fun entertainment, interesting characters, and sweet yearning. Full disclosure: I finished reading this book quite a while ago now, so I don't remember it as clearly now. I know I had no problem finishing it, though.

Harriet has been best friends with Sabrina and Cleo since they all roomed together in college. They've gotten together, with their significant others, at a house in Maine for years. But Harriet is dreading this year because she has broken up with her fiancé, Wyn--and her friends don't know about it yet. Harriet doesn't want the news of their breakup to ruin the fun for the weekend--especially when Sabrina announces that she and her partner, Parth, will be getting married at the end of the week. Harriet and Wyn agree to fake it for the week.

The story jumps back and forth between when Sabrina and Wyn first met, and the current week in Maine. Eventually we see what broke them apart. It's interesting to read, because I could see how perfect Sabrina and Wyn were for each other, and I really wanted to see them together. 

When I first began reading this book, I was a little turned off by the descriptions of Harriet and her friends. They seemed a little caricature-ish. Fortunately, as the book progresses, Henry adds plenty of details and feelings that make them all feel more real. 

I remember enjoying the sexual tension between Harriet and Wyn--two characters who still love each other and want each other, but are trying not to let it show. I may have been a little frustrated that they couldn't just talk and work out their issues, but Henry does a good job in creating circumstances and personalities that would allow them to believably break up.

Another enjoyable book by Emily Henry. Recommended for those who enjoy fun romances.

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