by Emily Henry
I preordered this book and it arrived last weekend. I finished my previous read (Legendborn by Tracy Deonn) and jumped right into this one, finishing it in just over 24 hours. I had read all of Emily Henry's romcoms twice in March then saw that this was about to come out, so i jumped on the opportunity to support the author. (Preorders are KING!) The artwork alone on her books are wonderful, props to the illustrator for all of them; I love closing the cover to look at it every time I imagine a character.
Happy Place follows Harriet (Harry) as she navigates a weekend away with her ex, Wyn, and her best friends (who don't yet know he's an ex). They decide to play the charade to not ruin the weekend but they had never even talked since their sudden breakup and there is still so much more to say. As always, Emily Henry is excellent in creating characters that pop right off the page; people you can immediately recognize in your own life. Her dialogue is also hilarious, the banter reveals character as well as backstory all while being enjoyable and completely relatable.
I cried as I read this book. The need to part ways and the sometimes fraught way that can happen is something I have had to go through myself. You don't part because you don't love each other any more (which is what Harry feared) but because your lives are going in two separate directions. This is not necessarily what happens in the book but it choked me up all the same.
This book is also about friendship and chosen family. Harry's decade long relationships with Sabrina and Cleo, then Parth and Wyn, are very dear to her but her busy life has seemed to push them aside. She learned to communicate through the book, opening herself up to those around her. I felt very mirrored in many ways with Harriet. My partner is frequently pushing me to explain to friends when I am upset or not 100% as I tend to keep quiet to keep my friends happy and at ease. This is what Harry always seems to do but she is able to work through it, talk to her friends, and even figure out her own way to her own, chosen happy ending.