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strawb3rrysugar's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
After liking Book Lovers more than I expected to, I asked some of my other bookish friends their opinion on Emily Henry's books. Almost all of them said their favorite story by hers was Happy Place, so I gave it a shot and borrowed it from the library.
In all truthfulness, I don't think I am this specific book's target audience. This book is the miscommunication trope times a thousand, except it's not miscommunication so much as it is "none of these characters know how to sit down and talk, even thought they're in their thirties." It still had that warm and fuzzy Emily Henry charm, and I felt that her storytelling was still earnest, but I wasn't as moved emotionally by this book. I got excited when there was finally a fight between the main characters, and I'm deeply conflict-avoidant. They're a decent batch of characters, too, though I felt that the development between all of them was disproportionate. I knew way more about some characters than others, and it kept me from feeling truly attached to them.
I think my true issue is that I just found this book boring and repetitive at times. While the reason for Harriet and Wyn's split isn't clear until the third act, some points of their backstory and emotional angst are brought up over and over again in place of any true emotional development or maturity between them. Their passionate, can't-resist-each-other love feels robotic, like there's no real motive behind their actions. Harriet and Wyn are relatable in many meaningful ways, for sure, but they're otherwise incredibly boring. It was immersive enough that I felt like I was at the lake house with everyone, but I couldn't wait to leave.
All of that said, this book is not deeply atrocious or offensive. If you like fake dating and miscommunication tropes, found family, lgbt+/poc representation in the main cast, and being jumpscared by the mention of Hannaford in a book that mostly uses made-up towns in Maine, you could still give this book a try. It simply wasn't for me.
One more thing though--setting the story in Maine and naming the male lead Wyndham (Windham is a real town in Maine) is extremely funny.
In all truthfulness, I don't think I am this specific book's target audience. This book is the miscommunication trope times a thousand, except it's not miscommunication so much as it is "none of these characters know how to sit down and talk, even thought they're in their thirties." It still had that warm and fuzzy Emily Henry charm, and I felt that her storytelling was still earnest, but I wasn't as moved emotionally by this book. I got excited when there was finally a fight between the main characters, and I'm deeply conflict-avoidant. They're a decent batch of characters, too, though I felt that the development between all of them was disproportionate. I knew way more about some characters than others, and it kept me from feeling truly attached to them.
I think my true issue is that I just found this book boring and repetitive at times. While the reason for Harriet and Wyn's split isn't clear until the third act, some points of their backstory and emotional angst are brought up over and over again in place of any true emotional development or maturity between them. Their passionate, can't-resist-each-other love feels robotic, like there's no real motive behind their actions. Harriet and Wyn are relatable in many meaningful ways, for sure, but they're otherwise incredibly boring. It was immersive enough that I felt like I was at the lake house with everyone, but I couldn't wait to leave.
All of that said, this book is not deeply atrocious or offensive. If you like fake dating and miscommunication tropes, found family, lgbt+/poc representation in the main cast, and being jumpscared by the mention of Hannaford in a book that mostly uses made-up towns in Maine, you could still give this book a try. It simply wasn't for me.
One more thing though--setting the story in Maine and naming the male lead Wyndham (Windham is a real town in Maine) is extremely funny.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Harriet throws up at least twice during their partying and drinking antics. Drinking and partying make up most of the first and part of the second act. There's one or two scenes of foreplay and one sex scene, but the actual sex scene is brief and isn't very descriptive.withlivjones's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I don’t know if it’s just recency bias, but every time I read an Emily Henry book, I think it’s better than all the ones I’ve read before. I absolutely adored this book - it’s beautifully written, with a real focus not just on romance but also friendship, family, and home. All the characters felt so real with their own issues, and finishing the book felt like saying goodbye to friends. Harriet in particular is such a relatable protagonist, and I loved that her and Wyn had multiple conflicts as individual characters outside of their relationship problems, it felt extremely real. I loved all the little in-jokes and motifs that kept returning throughout the book. I’ve never been much of a fan of second chance romances, but this might’ve single-handedly changed my mind about that, and while I still have one EmHen book left to read, but it’ll be pretty difficult to top this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
sandymaple's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Not my usual genre... but dang. Just so relatable. I laughed, I cried, I loved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
chelsea_shelves's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was beautiful. My eyes are getting misty just thinking about it. I finished it late last night and was happy with the ending. I loved the characters so much that I was nervous the conclusion would either be a letdown or too cheesy, but I thought it was just right.
Harriet and Wyn and their best friends made me feel so nostalgic - homesick in the way that Harriet often describes. They are a found family that truly love and understand each other. For me that made the story so much more moving. But even without that, the second chance romance is complex, deep, “vast” even. (IYKYK)
It’s only my second Emily Henry read but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be my favorite. It had humor and so much heart. Emily is such an intellectual, and I appreciate the depth and psychology she brings to a romance. This is not just a fluff read. It’s an emotional journey that I would ride over and over again.
To top it off I adored the Maine cottage setting. It set the wistful tone and made me feel like I was there with them all.
“What can you feel? Sunlight, everywhere. Not just on my bare shoulders or the crown of my head but inside me too, the irresistible warmth that comes only from being in the exact right place with the exact right people.”
Harriet and Wyn and their best friends made me feel so nostalgic - homesick in the way that Harriet often describes. They are a found family that truly love and understand each other. For me that made the story so much more moving. But even without that, the second chance romance is complex, deep, “vast” even. (IYKYK)
It’s only my second Emily Henry read but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be my favorite. It had humor and so much heart. Emily is such an intellectual, and I appreciate the depth and psychology she brings to a romance. This is not just a fluff read. It’s an emotional journey that I would ride over and over again.
To top it off I adored the Maine cottage setting. It set the wistful tone and made me feel like I was there with them all.
“What can you feel? Sunlight, everywhere. Not just on my bare shoulders or the crown of my head but inside me too, the irresistible warmth that comes only from being in the exact right place with the exact right people.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Alcohol
kdailyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing
daniofthewood's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Terminal illness, Vomit, and Medical content
liekewae's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Damn you, Emily Henry, for making me ugly cry so many times while reading this book. Maybe it’s because I was already in my feels for various reasons or because I’m just a hopeless romantic, but I loved it nonetheless!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
meganclaire7's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This was cute, corny at times, but overall I really liked it. I don’t ~love~ the miscommunication trope but I found this one to be a more well-done version of the trope. I found Harriet to be a relatable character, and the friend group overall is pretty likable. My fav Emily Henry book so far!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Terminal illness
Minor: Mental illness and Death of parent
scifi_rat's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
_meganrose's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is my first Emily Henry read, and I can see why she is such a popular author. I love her effortlessly poetic writing style and spin on storytelling. Really enjoyed this! Perfect feel-good read for heading into Spring/Summertime.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Alcohol