A review by oceanwriter
Happy Place by Emily Henry

hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

2.0

I wanted to love this book so much. I love the author. I love the tropes. Sadly, this one was a miss for me. 
 
Not wanting to spoil their friend group’s final trip to their beloved vacation spot in Maine, Harriet and Wyn decide not to tell everyone that their engagement has been off for months. A series of events forces their proximity, putting them in the happy couple spotlight more than either of them finds comfortable. 
 
I enjoyed the first few chapters and setup, but then it felt like it was endlessly dragging on. Harriet and Wyn’s lack of communication skills infuriated me. Yes, romance needs conflict and miscommunication somewhere, it just got to the point where they started resolving things and then backtracked. I didn’t feel the characters were fleshed out as much as other characters in past books. The side characters brought more to the book on that front. 
 
I’m still looking forward to Emily Henry’s next book, however, I will be going into it trepidatiously. Book Lovers was only okay for me, but I still had high hopes for Happy Place. In part, my reading tastes seem to have changed in general. 
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