Book Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

by Scarlett Xavier

Let’s be honest: Emily Henry is one of those authors—romance royalty, basically. I’ve devoured her books in a weekend, stayed up too late with her characters, and even found myself rereading lines just to soak in the emotional gut-punch. So I came into Happy Place with high hopes... maybe too high.

The Good:

This book definitely had its moments. I was entertained, no doubt. The chemistry between the leads? Solid. That simmering tension, the glances, the physical pull that they tried to deny? 🔥 Yes, please. I live for romance novels that let the tension breathe, and Henry knows how to write a charged moment. Those scenes are what kept me turning the pages.

And I’ll say this—her prose is always sharp. There's an emotional intelligence to her dialogue and narration that I appreciate, even when the plot isn’t quite landing.

The Not-So-Good:

But… (you knew it was coming)… the ending dragged. And not in a slow-burn, satisfying build-up kind of way. I’m talking long, meandering emotional monologues, repeated beats, and scenes that could’ve wrapped up in a few paragraphs but were stretched into multiple pages.

At a certain point, I found myself thinking: We get it. Let’s go. That last third really lost its steam, and for a book about people who used to be in love, I wanted the payoff to hit harder. Instead, it felt like the story refused to end, and I was left more tired than satisfied.

Final Thoughts:

If you’re already an Emily Henry fan, you’ll likely still enjoy it. It has her signature wit and emotional depth, and for many readers, that alone makes it a worthwhile read. Just don’t go in expecting it to knock Beach Read or Book Lovers off the top of your list.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Enjoyable but uneven. Great sparks, but the flame fizzled a bit by the end.