In April of 2023, American novelist Emily Henry published her fourth New York Times best-selling novel, “Happy Place”. Following up her acclaimed romance novels, the latest story from Henry finds two ex-fiance’s trapped together on a week-long trip with their longtime friends who have no clue that the pair has split. Tension, drama, and reconciliations unfold in the 400 page book, taking readers on a journey through Henry’s unique lens. With a 4.1/5 star rating on Goodreads, Henry’s fans were pleased by her fourth novel.
Henry is known for her well articulated use of literary romance tropes to embellish her novels. “Book Lovers”, her first New York Times bestseller, was ripe with an enemies to lovers trope, and “People We Meet On Vacation” followed a slow burn friends to strangers to lovers trope. These tropes have made Henry incredibly popular amongst BookTok readers, whose love for specific tropes that strike their fancy before delving into a new book. “Happy Place” meets those reader’s expectations once again, with a forced proximity and ex-lovers trope, “Happy Place” expands on Henry’s lavish romance novels, and brings her writing back down to Earth.
Typically, Henry’s novels strictly follow the two main characters, with a first person narration from the female lead, Harriet. There are focus on side characters, in the past, it’s been a sister or a best friend, but in “Happy Place”, Henry reaches outside of her comfort zone. She opens up the novel to four supporting characters that form two more couples. As the book continues, it’s apparent that the two supporting couples are just as complex as the two main characters, with just as much story. Henry displays their plot not just through languid detail, but through bits and pieces mentioned in dialogue for the reader to pick up on. Henry’s use of ‘show-don’t-tell’ in her writing takes “Happy Place” to a different level.
Beyond making the side characters far more complex and interesting than in past novels, Henry also applies this to her leading couple, Harriet and Wyn. Their entanglement in “Happy Place” makes it a page turning ‘will they, won’t they’ for readers to enjoy. With an introduction in the first thirty pages to the female lead and her disdain for her ex-fiance and their breakup, to the slow unraveling behind why they broke up, Henry keeps readers waiting for more information. This slow burn effect keeps the reader waiting patiently for the grand reveal – ‘Why did they break up?’ ‘Is their relationship salvageable?’ These questions inevitably have the reader rooting for the couple, waiting for their imminent reunion. Flashbacks to their relationship leave the readers begging for more, and for answers. Henry keeps a firm grasp on the reader’s attention, and their hopes, throughout the 400 pages of “Happy Place”.
Henry is nothing short of a new visionary when it comes to romance novels. Her illustrious settings behind confusing yet enticing pairings create a book that leaves readers wanting more from Henry. More, they will receive from Henry, as her next novel “Funny Story” will be released in April of 2024.
