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juliaaaaaa's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Adults that act like adults instead of acting like teenagers?? and all of the characters have personalities?? love
the pottery seemed kinda weird tho, why couldn't she just find a similar job next to wyn? ok she doesn't like it.. but why do writers have to make women working in stem quit?
the pottery seemed kinda weird tho, why couldn't she just find a similar job next to wyn? ok she doesn't like it.. but why do writers have to make women working in stem quit?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual harassment
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.lee_s's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Sexual harassment
positivenoodles's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-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
4.5
I loved it being set in Maine but a fictional town. It felt like Maine without having to be like "I don't think that is a place in that town". It felt true to Maine without pulling me out of the story. They did mention a place at Acadia national park that has amazing popovers and that is a real place that I go to when visiting the area.
The characters felt real to me and how I would banter with my friends. The fact that they were all so different but they loved each other like family. The found family is Soo well done in here.
The romance was done well but there were times that I was YELLING out loud hey just kiss!
I recommend this book and it is a perfect summer smut read.
The characters felt real to me and how I would banter with my friends. The fact that they were all so different but they loved each other like family. The found family is Soo well done in here.
The romance was done well but there were times that I was YELLING out loud hey just kiss!
I recommend this book and it is a perfect summer smut read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Medical content
Minor: Sexual harassment
bringmybooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
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
4.75
you’re either gonna love it or hate it and idk what to tell you
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I honestly & truly don’t think this book is going to be for everyone, and I honestly & truly don’t think all of Emily Henry is for everyone (4 starred her first two, lukewarm on them in retrospect, DNFed Book Lovers, don’t @ me). All of that being said, I honestly & truly loved this book.
(Also, did I finally break down and decide to read this because the MC loves Murder She Wrote? no comment)
There are some books that I think have universal appeal, and others that hit harder because of the life you’ve lived and the experiences you’ve had, and I think that was a huge part of why this hit so well for me. I can totally understand why people would look at this and go “miscommunication trope at it’s finest, yawn” but (as someone who’s not typically a fan of this trope) I felt this was a super realistic portrayal of trying to figure out who you are and what you want as you grow older, especially as you try to do it in a relationship with someone you love who is growing up alongside you.
One of my gripes with some of EH’s work is that it’s too … quippy. Nobody can be “on” 24/7, zinging barbs back and forth with whomever they come across from the moment they open their eyes until the moment they go to bed. Sometimes even the quippiest person just calls their partner and says, “Hey, do we need milk?” without there being a joke attached to it, you know?
That being said, I felt that that the characters in this book were way more realistic, and I actually believed in them, which made it a lot easier to stay invested in the story & in their relationships. It’s got so much heart in the way that growing up in a friend group is described, especially as we start to want different things that don’t align with how our friends or partners are growing up.
tl;dr this one brought me back to EH and I’ll be giving her next one a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Chronic illness, Drug use, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Dementia, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
jo_22's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a bit slow-going for me at first (relative to other Emily Henry books) in how it took me farther into the story to really connect with the characters. They were enjoyable characters but frustrating at times when they didn’t communicate; and I think the I wasn’t as engaged in the plot til probs 50% of the way through. Listened to it on a 9 hour solo drive and despite my early frustrations, it was the perfect book to immerse in!
And the last 20%…oof <3 had great (albeit very rushed) character development, and relatable POVs/elements. (Career, life, love, boundaries, happiness, generational trauma, friendship, how to argue, secure attachment, growing up & adulting).
It was slightly triggering for me at some points which is reason for 4.25 stars instead of 5 stars.
Overall feelings are:
• omg this was enjoyable
• I want to talk to others about this book
• thanks han for pushing me to read it and putting me on EH
• the timeliness of me reading this is wild
• Harriet was frustrating in how she didn’t communicate or made assumptions / didn’t do relationships well. However I could relate at times so it didn’t bother me as much as other novels with this trope.
• I didn’t like Wyn in ways I liked other EH male romantic interests
• I like how much this focused on healthy relationships & friendships in particular way more than her other novels - it added a new dynamic & I enjoyed that variety. The characters didn’t often portray healthy relationships but I liked how EH explored that
• I NEED to own the paperback so I can reread and highlight impactful parts / quotes (There were so many moments where I paused the book to process or hype or reflect on)
And the last 20%…oof <3 had great (albeit very rushed) character development, and relatable POVs/elements. (Career, life, love, boundaries, happiness, generational trauma, friendship, how to argue, secure attachment, growing up & adulting).
It was slightly triggering for me at some points which is reason for 4.25 stars instead of 5 stars.
Overall feelings are:
• omg this was enjoyable
• I want to talk to others about this book
• thanks han for pushing me to read it and putting me on EH
• the timeliness of me reading this is wild
• Harriet was frustrating in how she didn’t communicate or made assumptions / didn’t do relationships well. However I could relate at times so it didn’t bother me as much as other novels with this trope.
• I didn’t like Wyn in ways I liked other EH male romantic interests
• I like how much this focused on healthy relationships & friendships in particular way more than her other novels - it added a new dynamic & I enjoyed that variety. The characters didn’t often portray healthy relationships but I liked how EH explored that
• I NEED to own the paperback so I can reread and highlight impactful parts / quotes (There were so many moments where I paused the book to process or hype or reflect on)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
saliwali's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Emotional abuse and Sexual harassment
pookiee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
half interesting conflicts and emotions, half platitudes and middling writing
firstly, I have to scream about this: seriously, the amount of medical jargon in the narration was so cringey 😭 it’s established she’s a doctor, now let it go.
firstly, I have to scream about this: seriously, the amount of medical jargon in the narration was so cringey 😭 it’s established she’s a doctor, now let it go.
My nerve endings light up in concentric circles that reverberate outward. Cellular fireworks. Neurological Ferris wheel spokes.
NONSENSE
the good part is how henry gives each character a distinct personality and you can feel their friendship bond, and also how she describes the happy places.
but this couple is better apart. 💀
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Body shaming, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
ekchilton's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
Emily Henry has done it again, and I mean that in the most enthusiastic and loving way possible. I am obsessed with the way she can fill out not just two leads but an entire cast of characters in so little space and make me care so freaking much about all of them. Wyn & Harriet are complex and fascinating and I want to stay wrapped up in a group hug with Harriet, Sabrina, and Cleo forever and ever.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Pregnancy