As someone who reads her fair share of romance books, you would think I would have read an Emily Henry romance before. After all, her books are literally all over the bestseller lists. I decided that was going to change though when I read the description for Happy Place. I can't deny it; I'm a sucker for the second chance trope. (Kindle | Kobo | Hardcover)
Anyways, now that I have, I can happily answer the questions I expect future readers, like yourself, will have about the book. I can also offer suggestions for books like Happy Place by Emily Henry to check out next. If that sounds like what you came here looking for, then keep scrolling! (Warning: This article contains spoilers)
What Is the Book Happy Place About?
Emily Henry's book, Happy Place, is a second-chance summer romance about two exes who are forced to spend a week together with their friends who don't know they aren't together anymore. After 10 years of friendship, Harriet, Wyn, Sabrina, Parth, Cleo, and Kimmy's annual summer trip to Maine is a beloved tradition. This year though, neither Harriet nor Wyn has any interest in being there. Why? Because they broke up months ago and none of their friends have any idea about the split. If they did, everything would change. So, when they find out Sabrina and Parth are getting married at the end of the week and that this is the last summer before their summer house gets sold, they decide they'll keep up the charade a little longer. The only problem is, Wyn and Harriet are still madly in love. Can they keep it up until the end of the week? Will the game of pretend bring them back together? Only time will tell...
Is Happy Place Spicy? What Are the Spicy Chapters?
Yes - Technically, Happy Place is a spicy romance. However, there are only two spicy chapters (chapter 29 and 32) in the entire book, which compared to an Ana Huang romance that's nearly the same length, isn't much. Also, the spice it does have isn't overly explicit or descriptive, like a Tessa Bailey/Ana Huang/Lauren Asher book. So, while I still think it's not appropriate for younger audiences, it's definitely on the tamer side in terms of spice compared to many bestselling contemporary romances.
How Long Does It Take to Read Happy Place?
According to How Long to Read, it will take the average reader approximately 5 hours and 40 minutes to read Happy Place by Emily Henry.
Who Are the Main Characters in Happy Place?
In Happy Place, there are six main characters you'll want to familiarize yourself with. They include:
Harriet (Harry) Kilpatrick - Wyn's ex-fiancé, Cleo and Sabrina's best friend
Wyndham (Wyn) Connor - Harriet's ex-fiancé
Cleo James - Harriet's best friend, Kimmy's partner
Kimberly (Kimmy) Carmichael - Cleo's partner
Sabrina Armas - Harriet's best friend, Parth's fiancé
Parth Nayak - Sabrina's fiancé
How Old Are Harriet and Wyn? What Is the Age Difference?
In Happy Place, Harriet and Wyn seem to both be 30 years old. This means there is no age difference between the two. I'm inclined to believe they're 30 because in Chapter 19 Harriet says: "When are you supposed to mix your metaphors if not at thirty years old, high as a satellite?" Then, in Chapter 27, Wyn says: "I've spent the first thirty years tripping through life."
Do Wyn and Harriet Get Together?
Yes - At the end of Happy Place, Wyn and Harriet get back together, move to Montana, and start planning their wedding.
Does Happy Place Have a Happy Ending?
Yes - Happy Place has a happy ending! In the end, the group makes up after the argument they had on the night of the joint bachelor-bachelorette party. Sabrina and Parth get married as planned and Cleo reveals she and Cleo are expecting their first baby. Harriet leaves after spending the night with Wyn and plans to fly home without saying goodbye. In the airport though, she changes her mind. She leaves to return to Wyn but outside the airport, runs into him and tells him what would make her happy is to come home with him to Montana - for good. Harriet then quits her surgical residency in San Franciso, moves to Montana, gets a job at a pottery studio, and begins planning her wedding with Wyn (again).
5 Books Like Happy Place by Emily Henry
When a love story is as good as Harriet and Wyn's, it always goes by too fast. It always leaves me wanting more. If you can relate and are looking for other books like Happy Place by Emily Henry, then here are my top five recommendations for similar second-chance, summer romance, and forced proximity romances.
1. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Obviously, the book that's going to be the most similar to Happy Place is another book by Emily Henry. In fact, her best-selling book, People We Meet on Vacation, is another second-chance romance that takes place on a summer vacation. Here's the description so you can decide if it's too similar to Happy Place or just right: "Poppy and Alex have nothing in common. She’s a wild child with insatiable wanderlust, while he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since college, they've been best friends who take one glorious week of vacation together every summer. Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since. Now Poppy's convinced Alex to take one more vacation together. She has one week to fix everything. What could possibly go wrong?"
2. The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
Beth O'Leary's second chance romance, The Road Trip, was easily the first book that came to mind when I was brainstorming books like Happy Place. While it might not take place at an idyllic summer beach location, the exes factor makes the two books very similar. Here's what it's about: "Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in Scotland. But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, Dylan, who she's avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier. Since they're headed to the same wedding and their car is totaled, Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. With three hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can't avoid confronting their messy history. Will they make it to the wedding on time? More importantly, is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?"
3. Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
In Christina Lauren's second-chance romance, Something Wilder, we swap the shores of Maine for the canyons of Utah. Besides this obvious difference, it actually has quite a bit in common with Happy Place - just read the description: "Lily Wilder might be broke, but luckily she's resourceful. It's how the daughter of a notorious treasure hunter ended up hosting fake treasure hunts for tourists through the red rock canyons of Utah. Unfortunately, the man she once loved just walked back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take Leo out into the wilderness - and leave him there. Instead, the trip turns out to be a chance to right the wrongs, but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime."
4. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
While all the books on this list are second-chance romances, Every Summer After by Carley Fortune is arguably the most similar to Happy Place. Just read the description for it and you'll see what I mean: "They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lake, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city. Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry’s Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek—the man she never thought she’d have to live without. When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past."
5. Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy
One of the things I loved about Happy Place was that it was just plain fun to read. It wasn't too serious or intense. Just a solid light-hearted romance. Well, if that's a feeling you're looking for in your next book, then Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy is the book for you. Here's what it's about: "When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her mother’s funeral, she’s set on keeping her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan Hartley. But that's going to be nearly impossible given how small their hometown is. So, instead, she plans to walk a new path. No more partying. No more foolish mistakes. She'll remain in town to help her father run his business, but the second he finds somebody else, she’s out of there. Evan, on the other hand, has other ideas. He knows they can be good together, but he just has to convince Genevieve of that. But can a bad reputation ever truly be shed? Do second chances really work? Genevieve and Evan are about to find out."