Happy Place by Emily Henry: My Unhappy Place

Posted On May 22, 2023

Hi Readers! May has been a tricky month so far. I am reading just as much, but not really been able to review anything I have read. Most times, I knew exactly what to write but did not find the will to write. At other times, I was clueless as to what to write. And, all the time, I simply wanted to keep reading one book after the other. But, now enough of all of that. I decided to write four book reviews as a special Sunday task and succeeded in writing three!

So, here is the first book review which is an unpopular opinion. Starting with Happy Place by Emily Henry. I have read four books written by this author and haven’t liked a single one. And then there’s the entire world who just loves everything she writes! So, here is a post on why I did not like her latest book at all, except for perhaps 10 pages.

~~7 REASONS WHY HAPPY PLACE DID NOT WORK FOR ME~~

Before you read this, I want you to know that I don’t generally like romance genre. I never gain any satisfaction from it, no matter what trope. Even when I want to read something light, I end up not enjoying it because it’s just the correct light I like. There are some tropes which just hate. But, despite my pernickety approach to the genre, I have loved many romance novels. So, even if I might have hate-read this book, I still kept an open mind and allowed for the content to change my mind. Yet, it was a disappointment, so here we are.

~~Miscommunication Trope~~

One of the biggest fails for me is miscommunication in adult relationships. If you cannot talk to your partner, why are you even together? And even more cringey is not talking about it for the other person’s sake when in fact the other person would have felt better if the first person had talked about it. I mean, seriously? How old are you? Harriet and Wyn’s breakup six months ago happened only because of sheer miscommunication. I saw that coming so it was like watching an inevitable car crash.

~~Fake Dating Trope~~

Fake dating is another trope I do not enjoy, in the slightest. This kind of trope is mostly seen as adorable in teen or YA novels, which makes slightly more sense. Can’t say I like it even in them, so I definitely did not like it in this book. Fake dating in front of your best friends is just another level of miscommunication with poor execution.

~~Second Chance Romance~~

I have seen everyone calling Happy Place a ‘Second Chance Romance’. But, is it really? I am no expert on the genre, but for it to be a second chance romance, there should be a significant time gap. Given the larger story line, I suppose it makes sense, but I am not convinced.

~~One Bed Trope~~

Only Emily Henry can take the One Bed Trope and make it so entirely dull. I read and loved The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. So, when it comes to this trope, I have high standards that are rarely met. This trope forces the couple into forced proximity, but all the potential was wasted, because there is no romance in the novel. No heat and no steam. A good trope not fully utilised, or at all.

~~Brain Surgeon to Potter~~

Ever since they introduced Harriet starting pottery, I knew she would ditch brain surgery for it. I am all for doing what you love and what makes you happy. But, do you know what’s the percentage of women who are brain surgeons as compared to men? We need more women in STEM. For Emily Henry to write the story and the character in a way that would mean the opposite was maybe a bit thoughtless, especially knowing the power & volume of the audience she has. Also, the story of ‘quitting your job to do what you love and what makes you happy’ has become quite the cliché. I would prefer to see a woman brain surgeon than not. So, that was a big let-down.

~~Lifeless Characters~~

I usually love a romance story immersed in a friendship. (I also love a friends to lovers trope, for future reference. :D) But, this group was insufferable. I only loved Cleo who was the realist person in the group and also written quite well. Everyone else felt like they were molded in a clay and came out lifeless. I can define their entire personality in one word. Wyn is boring. Harriet is a pushover. Sabrina is the friendzilla. Parth is an extrovert. Kimmy is chill. Cleo is real. If you really think about it, you know I am right. They had no personalities and did not come alive on the page.

Also, yes, Wyn is boring. Some people are just boring. But, so what? The constant need of Harriet to convince him he wasn’t was a bit cringy. At least he knows himself well enough.

~~Predictable Story~~

I did not put too much weight on the predictability of the story, because it’s not a mystery novel. All romance novels are predictable, but this one was a bit too obvious. When Sabrina announces that the house is being sold, it becomes pretty obvious how the story was going to unfold. I had thought of a wedding, a fallout between long-time friends and fake dating, among others. In addition to that, this book was way too long than it needed to be.

~~WHAT I LIKED~~

As I mentioned above, I did like perhaps 10 pages of the book. That’s true. Perhaps 10 pages but the message in them was profound. This group had been friends for a long time. People grow up during all that time. What you loved doing at 19 might not be what you love at 29. As a group, they knew each other from their college days. They knew every minute detail. But as it happens, people grow up and grow apart. It was a bit sad to read that, but it is also so true. I loved contemplating on this particular aspect of friendships coming of age.

Another small thing is the location and the setting. In fact, I have loved the setting in all of Henry’s books. Reading the books might be an exercise in restraint, but at least the imaginary view is soothing.

From the four books Emily Henry has written, I have noticed that there is always a rigidity to follow a structure, to mold characters a certain way, to implement popular tropes, and to have the trite happily ever after. If only she let go of this and became more flexible in her writing, maybe used all the poetic writing talent freely, I might just like what comes out. For now though it’s me 4 – 0 Emily Henry. I have rated Happy Place by Emily Henry at 2/5 stars. This book was certainly not my happy place.

If you want to read my unpopular opinion for three of her other book, you can check them out below:

Beach Read

People We Meet on Vacation

Book Lovers

Until next time,