Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Happy Place

By Emily Henry
Berkley, 2023. 388 pages. Romance

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college. Except, now, for reasons they're still not discussing, they don't. They broke up five months ago and still haven't told their best friends. Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group's yearly getaway for the last decade. Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale, and this is the last week they'll all have together in this place. They can't stand to break their friends' hearts, and so they'll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It's a flawless plan. How hard can it be to fake it for one week in front of those who know you best? 

Those accustomed to Emily Henry's writing style won't be surprised by the way she slides between the past and present, but if you don't like nonlinear stories this might bug you.  This is a character-driven romance that combines light-hearted banter and emotional depth, sprinkled through with a little steaminess and comedic relief.       

If you like Happy Place, you might also like:

By Elissa Sussman
Random House, 2022. 352 pages. Romance

Hired to write a profile on the movie star who is her number one celebrity crush, a writer has a whirlwind weekend with the actor and is still questioned about it ten years later despite her own successful career.

By Abby Jimenez
Forever, 2022. 388 pages. Romance

ER doctor Alexis Montgomery's world is turned upside down by a ridiculously hot carpenter who's ten years younger, and as their short-term flings turns into a relationship, she must choose between her ultra-wealthy parents and true love.

RBL


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