Book Dust Magic

Taboo book that was done well: Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas #AgeGap #Romance #Taboo

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas book cover

Today I want to talk about a book I was always interested in, but for some reason it was never the right time to give it a shot.
I guess the right time came and guys, the book was sooooooooo good.

Birthday Girl was first published on April 15th 2018 and it has 349 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

He took me in when I had nowhere else to go. He doesn’t use me, hurt me, or forget about me. He listens to me, protects me, and sees me. I can feel his eyes on me over the breakfast table, and my heart pumps so hard when I hear him pull in the driveway after work.

I have to stop this. It can’t happen.

Review:

I had a feeling I would like this book, and I was right.
In a matter of fact, this was even better than I expected it to be.

With all the drama surrounding this taboo main theme of the book, with all the characters and their connection it could be compared to Turkish drama (those are pretty popular in my country).

The small town setting gave even more quality. Every character had a sole and purpose. Everyone contributed to the story.

They all were developed pretty well, especially our main character Jordan.
It makes so much sense why she fell for older guy, as she grew up in a household which was anything but healthy.
With her drunk father and mother who left her, she didn’t have a chance to learn what a healthy family looks like, and there came mummy and daddy issues.
It also make sense why she chose violent guys before or why she hang on to a thing that didn’t have a future, as she didn’t have anything else to hang on to.

We could discuss the morality of the story and how Pike wasn’t a good father, even though he and the author herself claimed otherwise.
There is no way in the world his choice wouldn’t leave a mark on his son.

Anyway, the story, with all it’s complexity was well done and wrapped up the best way possible.

Third book in the series? Check! Powerless by Elsie Silver (Chestnut Springs #3) #bookreview #romance #SmallTown

Today I bring you my review for the third book in the series that I am slowly, but surely getting through.
I love this small time romance and although every book can be read as standalone, I think the best reading experience is to read it in order.

Powerless was released on February 10th 2023 and it has 396 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Two childhood friends. Two broken hearts. One impromptu road trip to get away from everything. That’s all this was supposed to be. Afterall, I’ve been living in the friend zone for years now.

But hockey heartthrob Jasper Gervais isn’t looking at me like a friend anymore. And he isn’t touching me like one either.

To his fans, he’s the handsome, talented athlete on TV. But to me he’s still the lost boy with sad eyes and a heart of gold.

The man I’ve loved in secret for years.

So when my life falls apart on my wedding day, it only makes sense that he’s the one to swoop in and save me. And when his world comes crashing down around him, I’m there to return the favor.

But the more time we spend alone, the more Jasper doesn’t feel like a friend at all. He feels like everything I’ve ever wanted and thought I could never have.

Our feelings aren’t straight forward though. They twist and turn around the pain of his past and the reality of my present.

Jasper Gervais acts like he wants me.

But after years of turning me away, he’s going to need to prove it.

Review:

This was a good book, a third one from a very good book series, but I had a difficult time to be fully invested into the story, as I couldn’t understand the logic characters from this book were lead by.
Therefore, this was my least favorite book in the series.

I didn’t have problem with main characters Sloane and Jasper, but the side characters.
Who was the least understandable to me were Sloane’s parents: father who would take her awful ex’ side or her mother who was there but it was like she wasn’t there really.
I just couldn’t believe them.

As for the other aspects of the story, I loved the small town all the books take place in. Road trip parts I didn’t enjoy.

Jasper and Sloane’s story is specific and little bit controversial because he got his eyes on her when she was practically illegal, and even though he didn’t act on it, it still felt little uncomfortable to read about it.

Later, when they were older and had beautiful connection, it was hard for me to understand why they didn’t act on their feelings sooner.
I mean, I get that this was a forbidden love (even though I still don’t understand why because Jasper is a catch, he is a sportsman and has money), but they were adults.

Anyway, this was a good fill in book and I am looking forward to read the fourth book in the series.

I was wowed: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh #booklovers #literaryfiction #NewYork

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh book cover

My Year of Rest Relaxation is the book every once in a while someone mentions as their favorite. It got little hype when it first came out, but with time it’s popularity grew and it is pretty popular now, and I feel it is mostly because of word of mouth.
First time I noticed it was when my friend who works in a book store talked about it with one of his customers. I took my time to finally pick it up, and now when I read this amazing piece of literature, I can say that I get it.
This book deserves all the hype and phrasing as it was simple but amazing.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation was first time published on July 10th 2018 and it has 289 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

From one of our boldest, most celebrated new literary voices, a novel about a young woman’s efforts to duck the ills of the world by embarking on an extended hibernation with the help of one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature and the battery of medicines she prescribes.

Our narrator should be happy, shouldn’t she? She’s young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn’t just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It’s the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong?

My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a powerful answer to that question. Through the story of a year spent under the influence of a truly mad combination of drugs designed to heal our heroine from her alienation from this world, Moshfegh shows us how reasonable, even necessary, alienation can be. Both tender and blackly funny, merciless and compassionate, it is a showcase for the gifts of one of our major writers working at the height of her powers.

Review:

I don’t know what it is, but this book hypnotized me. I couldn’t stop reading it and at times it was like I was the character. That’s how invested I was.

It was so easy to relate to MC, at times it was even scary (like that time when I caught myself daydreaming how it would be nice to have my own year of rest and relaxation).

Reading what this book was about I would never assume that this book would be the one I’d have a hard time putting down.
However, thanks to word of mouth I picked it up and now I know I need more of this in my life.
I always loved literary fiction, but this whole experience taught me I need to read more of this genre.
It’s like every time I read a literary fiction novel I feel richer.
This book is no exception.

The book is set in early 00s and I love that time period, when technology wasn’t so developed but it was developed enough.
The last chapter was the most impactful but if I am being honest, it was my least favorite.

Another not-so-good book club pick: Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister #bookclub #thriller

After starting on a not so good foot, in the other half of January me and my girls picked another book to read together, and this time we were even less thrilled.
I was excited to read another book by Gillian McAllister as I liked some of her novels in the past, but unfortunately Just Another Missing Person didn’t do it for me.
You can read my review bellow.

This novel was first time published on August 1st 2023 and it has 384 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

22-year-old Olivia has been missing for one day…and counting. She was last seen on CCTV, entering a dead-end alley. And not coming back out again.

Julia, the detective heading up the search for Olivia, thinks she knows what to expect. A desperate family, a ticking clock, and long hours away from her husband and daughter. But she has no idea just how close to home this case is going to get.

Because the criminal at the heart of the disappearance has something she never expected. His weapon isn’t a gun, or a knife: it’s a secret. Her worst one. And her family’s safety depends on one thing: Julia must NOT find out what happened to Olivia – and must frame somebody else for her murder.

If you find her, you will lose everything. What would you do?

This clever and endlessly surprising thriller is laced with a smart look at family and motherhood, and cements Gillian McAllister as a major talent in the world of suspense and a master of creating ethical dilemmas that show just how murky the distinction between right and wrong can be.

Review:

This was a book club pick for January.
I was excited to read this author again, as I previously loved her other two books, and because in the meantime her career skyrocketed (or so it seems to me).

Unfortunately, reading Just Another Missing Person was not a good choice by me and my friends. Out of five of us, only three of us managed to finish it, and not one of us gave it a rating higher than 2.
So I think in this case it’s a book, not us.

The biggest turn down was the way it was written. Some chapters were written in third person, some in second, with so many characters that it was hard to get into the book.
I couldn’t connect to anyone really, but I didn’t have trouble to judge that mum who threw her son to the wolves and I am still not sure if she was even aware of that.
Since that was the only case when I felt at least something, I will hang on it if anyone ask me how I feel about this book.

Also, I have to mention that the father of a missing girl sounded like a creep and gave me chills. It was like reading from perspective of an adult who is romantically in love with his daughter.

I couldn’t care about the missing girl as the author didn’t do anything to make us connect with her.
The only character I can say I was intrigued about was that young guy who dated the missing girl.

Unfortunately, this was a big let down for me and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

I made a mistake for not picking up Wrong Place, Wrong Time instead, but now, after finishing Just Another Missing Person, I lost the will to give it a try.

So… this was a mess: The Last Word by Taylor Adams #bookreview #thriller

The Last Word by Taylor Adams book cover, William Morrow

As you probably already know, I am a member of a book club where four of us girls (plus from February one guy as a new member) pick a book or two and read it together, while discuss it all along as we read.
2024 didn’t start on a good note, as both books we read in January weren’t that good.

Today I bring you my review for a book that got lot of hype at one point in 2023. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of it, but at least my FOMO was cured.

The Last Word was published on April 25th 2023 and it has 340 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

After posting a negative book review, a woman living in a remote location begins to wonder if the author is a little touchy—or very, very dangerous—in this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense and terror from the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and Hairpin Bridge.

Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules.

One day, she reads a poorly written—but gruesome—horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can’t just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too?

As Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?

Review:

This was a January pick for our book club and unfortunately 2024 didn’t start well.
The Last Word was a mess, and the book we read after this one was even worse.

I would like to say that this novel started promising. The writing style was good, slow but interesting, and it was easy for me to connect with Emma.
She was a loner, clearly suffering with depression after a tragic event in her life.
I could understand why she chose solitude and comfort in this new, boring way of living (if you can call it that).

However, with part 2 being written in a different way, all the connection I had for the story and our MC slowly but surely fell down the drain.

It’s not even about the choices Emma made, it was mainly the writing style.
All of the sudden beautiful prose was replaced with harsh storytelling, with more action that in Terminator movies.
At one point so much was going on that it made puree in my brain, it was too much to handle.
Especially as I didn’t enjoy the story anyway, nor did I like the characters enough.

The closer to the end we were, my connection to the story was less and less there, until it faded completely.

The last few chapters were pure torture and I couldn’t wait to be done with it and move on.
The only reason I decided to finish The Last Word is because my FOMO activated, just like it does every time I take part in buddy reads.

If anyone asks me, this book got more hype then it deserved.

Another Christmas novel I read in January: Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh #Ireland #Christmas #Romance

Yesterday I talked about a wonderful book called Snowed In, and today I decided to tell you about it’s prequel. As I happened to read this first installment in the series after it’s sequel, and my review reflects on that, I decided it would be the best to post my reviews in that order as well.
So here it is…

Holiday Romance is the first book in the Fitzpatrick Christmas series and it was published on September 29th 2022. The book was published by Bookouture and it has 354 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

She’s meant to be catching flights, not catching feelings…

Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight.

Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other’s lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it’s the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up.

Molly isn’t that bothered by Christmas, but—in yet another way they’re total opposites—Andrew is a full-on fanatic for the festive season and she knows how much getting back to Ireland means to him. So, instead of doing the sane thing and just celebrating the holidays together in America, she does the stupid thing. The irrational thing. She vows to get him home. And in time for his mam’s famous Christmas dinner.

The clock is ticking. But Molly always has a plan. And—as long as the highly-specific combination of taxis, planes, boats, and trains all run on time—it can’t possibly go wrong.

What she doesn’t know is that, as the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they’re not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own…

Review:

I recently read Snowed In, which is the sequel to this novel that I haven’t read prior, and right after I finished it, I knew I didn’t want to say goodbye to the characters I happen’ to like so much. Snowed In was my “book to close the season with”, but it felt like torture waiting until November to read Holiday Romance, so season was longer than planned, because Holiday Romance had to be read ASAP.

The writing style was amazing. Fun and pure escapism in a tiny little book. It’s not a remedy, but I would call it a cure for bad days.
I mean, if you had a bad day, I am sure this book would make it a little better.

What is different with this book when I compare it to Snowed In, this one was written only following one POV, Molly’s, and it was written in first person (my personal preference).

We follow Molly and Andrew, their story being told in two different time frames, one following present and the other following a decade of Molly and Andrew’s travelling to Ireland for Christmases.

It was such a good experience to witness how these two people that knew each other developed their relationship into friendship, and than into romance.

The only thing I had hard time to understand was how Molly, even though she traveled all the way to Ireland to her family, had no problem to ditch them to be with Andrew. Like, wasn’t she out of her mind to be with them??
But than again, when it comes to true love, I guess the need to be with your guy is even bigger than to see your mum or sister who you didn’t see for sooooooo long.

I also want to mention that my favorite person in this book was Andrew’s causin who’s name I already forgot, but his personality will stay with me for (I hope) long.
Chapters with him were the funniest.

In the end, I want to say that Holiday Romance was the perfect book to ’tis the season with, and is example how a good holiday romance should be written.

In January I read this Christmas novel: Snowed In by Catherine Walsh #Christmas #Ireland #romance

My book review for a holiday romance Snowed In by Catherine Walsh.

After the longest pause from blogging, with new year I decided to apply new rules on my little corner of the internet, so I am posting reviews of books I read one moth after I finished the.
In other words, books I read in January will be live in Fabruary. Also, posts will be scheduled for days that are part of the weekend. That way, I won’t stress myself and now when I finally found the way to love the reading the way I did before I started reviewing books, I think I found the way to bring you my reviews in a way that won’t put the pressure on me.
Also, I decided to read only book I want to read in a moment (in other words, I don’t receive review copies anymore).

It is my pleasure to open the season with a book I loved the most this festive season (I didn’t have much luck or will this year when it comes to holidays…

Snowed In was published on November 1st 2023 and it has 384 pages.
It is the second book in the series called Fitzpatrick Christmas.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Megan is dreading going home for the holidays. She’s the village pariah, the she-devil who left local golden boy Isaac at the altar four years ago and ran away to the big city. She could really do without the drama. Particularly as he’s engaged again, and she’s just been dumped for the fourth time this year.

Christian’s fed up of being on his own every Christmas. He doesn’t mind being alone , but he hates his family’s sad eyes and soft tones as they sit around coupled up. Because he’s actually, totally, fine.

So when Megan literally bumps into Christian in a Dublin pub, they come up with a pact to see them through the holiday season. They’re going to be the very best fake dates for each other, ever .

Rules are drawn up, a contract is signed on a wine-stained napkin. They will sit through each other’s family gatherings and be outrageously in love until freed from their annual obligations. After all, it’s only for a few weeks.

But with everyone home for the holidays, two big families to deal with alongside old friends, old flames and old feelings, things are bound to get messy. And when a snowed-in cabin and a little Christmas magic are added to the mix, anything could happen…

A swoonworthy and utterly gorgeous romantic comedy that will make you laugh out loud and fall completely in love. Fans of Emily Henry, Sophie Kinsella and Abby Jimenez won’t be able to put this down!

Review:

This holiday season some kind of weird reading slump caught me and I only read 3 festive romances of whom I didn’t particularly like any. So basically, maybe the fact that the books I grabbed were more boring than romantic or funny, my mind decided to go for horrors and thrillers (and I have to stress out I read only a few of them too, as I was in some weird reading slump).

However, the last book I decided to read, the book I decided to close this weak festive season with made up for all those dull stories I read before, and I had a blast reading Megan and Christian’s story.

First of all, I immediately clicked with Catherine Walsh’s writing. It was simple, attention grabbing ,easy to fly through and what I appreciate the most, it was fun.

Reading Walsh’s words felt like having a coffee time with my friend, catching up with all the news in her life. It was a loooooong time since I enjoyed the book in such a comfortable way, so it is not a surprise that I finished the novel in only 2 days (in case you didn’t know, I am a slow reader and if I finish a book in 5 days I tap myself on the back congratulating for such a fast job done).

This is the second book in the series and while it can be read as standalone, it also is continuation on the first book, Holiday romance, as we do get updates on Molly and Andrew, who are main characters of that story. Because updates are not just tell and glimpse, but actual part of the plot, I suggest you all to read the books in Fitzpatrick Christmas in order. I didn’t do it, but I will definitely read Holiday Romance soon.

I got attached to these characters, so having another book with them in it makes me happy.

I enjoyed Snowed in, and loved, loved the characters, but the only thing that took me time to accept was how Megan was portrait as some kind of victim when in reality she was the one who ran away from her wedding, embarrassing her then fiance in front of everyone. With time I accepted her reasons, but still I wasn’t a fan how her ex was portrait as a bad guy.

There are some steamy scenes, but only few, which was just the right dose if anyone asks me.

Overall, this was the best holiday romance I read this year. It was like a hot chocolate on a snowy day and I will definitely read the other book in this series.

The best romance I read in years: Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez #SmallTown #Romance @readforeverpub

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez book cover US edition

Today I am happy to review a book that stole my attention from the very first page, made me head over hills with the small town called Wakan and will now forever have special place in my tiny heart.
I read it together with my girls (in our book club we read 1-2 books together and discuss everything together few chapters per day) and this is the book everyone liked. It is actually rare where all the members like the book we pick, there are usually DNFs and different opinions, so it is safe to say that this was one of the winners of the year so far.

Part of Your World was published on April 19th 2022 by Forever. It has 400 pages and it is the first book in the series.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

Review:

I found my new favourite book in this novel. ❤
It was everything I wanted, more than I expected and the one I will come back to again and again.

Small town romances are my favourite type of books right now.
And let me tell you, Part of Your World has one of the most amazing small towns I have read about.
I warmed to Wakan and it’s people, and I would love to visit that place once again in Abby Jimenez future work.

I have noticed this book was so many people’s favourite, but I was still swept away with how good it was.
It is definitely the best book I have read this year and I am so glad we read it together in our book club, because it was a great choice before the break we took.

I loved both of the characters, Ali and Daniel, although it was hard for me to understand why Ali acted the way she was. At times it felt like she was ashamed of Daniel, and I felt so sorry for him in those moments.

Daniel is the best book boyfriend ever. He sounds almost perfect and therefore unbelievable. I was definitely head over hills for him. Even more than Ali.

This is oposite attracts story, but what is the most stressed out here is how people from other classes have hard time to be together, how other people from their lives play big part in them finding their way to each other (or taking other paths) but also how different lifestyles are hard to intertwine.
That was the biggest part of the story, and it made me think of things I wouldn’t otherwise.

Other trope is age gap (Ali being 9 years older than Daniel).

The book doesn’t have smut scenes.

My absolutely favorite thing about this novel is the writing style.
It was so well written with disney references here and there, and dash of magic that in my case would go unnoticed if there wasn’t an author’s note at the end of the book.
That note made me appreciate Part of Your World even more and respect Abby Jimenez as an author.

I will definitely read more of her work in the future.
Her newest novel Yours Truly unfortunately doesn’t take place in Wakan. Still, I will give it a try.
However, my fingers are crossed in hope we’d get a chance to visit small town of Wakan some day again in the future.

The one I wish I liked better: Thicker Than Water by Megan Collins

GIFTED / Today I bring you my review for a novel I read some time ago. I got it via Edelweiss from the publisher and although I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to, I still appreciate the opportunity publisher Atria books gave me.

The book was released on July 11th 2023 and it has 320 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Julia and Sienna Larkin are sisters-in-law, connected by Julia’s husband and Sienna’s brother, Jason. More than that, the two have been devoted best friends since Jason introduced them. To Sienna, Jason can do no wrong, and although Julia knows he’s not perfect, they’ve built a comfortable life and family together. Recently, Jason has been putting in long hours to secure a promotion at work, so when his boss is found brutally murdered–his lips sewn shut–the Larkins are shocked and unsettled, especially as local gossip swirls.

A few days later, Julia and Sienna’s lives are upended when Jason gets into a car accident and is placed in a medically induced coma. Worse, the police arrive with news that he’s the prime suspect in the murder investigation. With Jason unable to respond–and with Julia and Sienna working to clear his name–the two women find their friendship threatened for the first time: Sienna staunchly maintains her brother’s innocence, but as their investigation uncovers a complicated web of secrets, Julia is less sure she’s willing to defend her husband.

Review:

I got Thicker Than Water unsolicited from the publisher in an exchange for an honest review.
The premise sounded interesting and I was excited to dive into it.

However, the more I read the less excited I was, as I found myself being bored most of the time.
The story is character driven and I would categorize it as drama more then a thriller.
It had mystery elements, but not once I felt like the characters in the book were in dangeour or like we didn’t know what was going on (or maybe I just didn’t care enough).

I have to phrase the character development, as both main characters, Jules and Sienna were well described and I as a reader had a feeling I got to know them pretty well. They were realistic and I appreciate the way all the things that happened to them affected their personalities, and in the end, both of them changed.

I did enjoy the book but I have to admit I expected more.
In sharp, this is a story about a guy in a coma, two women playing detectives but not once were they in dangeour, and a son, who maybe should be suspicious but not once I found him that way. I just still can’t believe that a son wouldn’t pay a visit to his father in a hospital.

I think the story would work better as a cozy mystery then a thriller.

The newest one from my favourite author: Happy Place by Emily Henry #SummerReads #HappyPlace #EmilyHenry

GIFTED / After taking a looooong pause from blogging (don’t even ask me why I wasn’t around, I guess life sucked the will to live in me. Actiually, the truth is, I never have time for anything after I became the mother and I miss my old life but I guess that is the different topic that won’t be discussed here.) I decided to come back with a review for the perfect book to read during summer. It is the newest novel from Emily Henry: Happy Place.

The book was released on April 25th 2023 and it has 400 pages.
I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

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 (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Review:

As I previously loved every single book Emily Henry wrote, it is no surprise I enjoyed myself reading Happy Place as well.

It was somewhat unusual romance book, as the main characters broke up but faked relationship between their friends.
At first I didn’t understand why would they sign up for that kind of trouble, but the more I was reading it was more obvious Harriet and Wyn still had feelings for each other, but didn’t know how to or should they act upon those feelings.

These two were put in an unfortunate position and finding a way to each other wasn’t easy. It took lots of work and sacrifice to meet at the half way.

I like how this book explores friedship relationships and shows how people sometimes grew apart.
As you get older and become a different person with years, it is normal to lose connections with people that meant you the most once.

This is a story about group of friends who get together for their one last vacation, in their happy place they spent summers and summers together.
I have to admit I lacked as a reader on that part. I didn’t pay much attention to side characters and often forgot who was who.
Still, I think I caught with all of them by the other half of the book.

Overall, this was such a good book and I can’t recommend it enough, but still I have to emphasize that I loved Henry’s Book Lovers 10 times better.