Cinderella's Bookshelf: May 2023

It’s been a while since I last read a book by Emily Henry - and gosh did this pack a punch! I had forgotten how well she writes such raw emotions with underlying themes that go alongside the main story and its characters. Happy Place may be considered a second-chance romance on the surface, but it felt so much more than that. This was all about friendship, love, and what (or who) makes you happy.

Happy Place follows Harriet and Wyn and their tight-knit group of friends, Cleo, Sabrina, Parth, and Kimmy. Harriet and Wyn have been together since college and have loved each other since then, until they decided recently to break up, ending their engagement. As a tradition for the past several years, Harriet and Wyn and their friends gathered together at Sabrina's family cottage in Knotts Harbor, Maine. This year however, turns out to be the last time they will spend at the cottage. Not wanting to reunion this time together, Harriet and Wyn agree to hide their break up from the group and pretend that they are still together until the week is over. The more they spend time together and reflect back on their relationship, those feelings they thought had been gone or tried to suppress may still be there - or maybe had never even left.

Before I gush about this book, I want to mention first that out of all the Emily Henry’s books I’ve read, Beach Read is my favorite (People We Meet on Vacation is second and I have yet to read Book Lovers). It was the first book of hers I read that blew me away because of its emotional depth on grief and loneliness that coincided with the romance. I say all of this because while I was reading Happy Place, it reminded me of why I loved Beach Read and why Emily Henry has become an author I will often go back to.

What she does with Happy Place is a perfect balance between looking into what makes you happy and changes that come as we get older, whether it’s our relationship with our friends, our partner, or even ourselves. Apart from Harriet and Wyn, the rest of their friends felt so distinctive and very much a part of the central story. The dynamic between the group also makes you understand why Harriet considers them as family and why there is a lot to lose if everything isn’t perfect during this pivotal week in Maine. Friendships change as we get older. Everyone has their own lives, and everyone grows a little distant with time, making you long for how it was before. A happy time, a happy place.

Wyn is every part of Harriet’s happy place. There is an overwhelming love she will always feel for him that although it ended, simple brushes of intimacy whether physical or emotional is like Darcy’s hand flex in Pride and Prejudice. As a second-chance romance, it felt realistic. The pining and tension are there, but I didn’t connect with Harriet and Wyn compared to Emily Henry’s characters from her previous books. It’s likely because I was more focused on the bigger story than the romance.

I love Happy Place for all it gives that will surely resonate, and I’m so glad I got to buddy read it with @kaysnovels.

Additional Thoughts:

There are too many great quotes to mention, but two of my favorites are

"'End of an era,' I say. 'Nah.' His eyes slices sideways. 'Another beginning.'"
"Everything is changing. It has to. You can't stop time. All you can do is point yourself in a direction and hope the wind will let you get there."

Near the end, I would have liked if Emily Henry went into more detail about Harriet's relationship with her parents and sister, Eloise. However, I understand that this story is more about Harriet, Wyn, and their friends. I think in Book Lovers she goes into sibling relationships, so I am more than eager to read it now.
There is a reference to Beach Read in Happy Place that I love and makes me want to go back and revisit the connection.

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Happy Place Movie Recommendations

There are so many movies that come to mind when I think about Happy Place. Most of these films are about friendship, especially as you get older, and others reflected Harriet and Wyn in some way or other another.

Movies About Friendships, Reunions, and Life's Changes

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Directed by Sanaa Hamri

Starring Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel

One of the themes that resonated with me in Happy Place was how as we get older friendships change and that it won't always be like how it used to be. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 touches on this as we watch Carmen (America Ferrera), Tibby (Amber Tamblyn), Lena (Alexis Bledel), and Bridget (Blake Lively) grow and tackle adulthood, while slowly drifting apart, similar to what Harriet, Cleo, and Sabrina have to grapple with.

Miss You Already (2015)

Photo courtesy of Entertainment One

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke

Starring Toni Collette, Drew Barrymore, Dominic Cooper, Paddy Considine

If Happy Place hit you emotionally just by the friendship alone, then Miss You Already will hit you just as hard. The movie follows best friends, Milly (Toni Collette) and Jess (Drew Barrymore), who have always been there for each other since they were kids. Now, after Milly has been diagnosed with breast cancer, they will have to come to terms with what they have each been dealing with and a possible future without one another.

One Day (2011)

Photo courtesy of Focus Features and Universal Pictures

Directed by Lone Scherfig

Starring Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clarkson

In Happy Place, when Harriet looks back on her memories to when she was truly happy, she savored those early days between her friends and Wyn before life got so complicated. One Day also evokes those similar feelings through friends, Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess). Despite all the highs and lows of adulthood and the mistakes they make throughout the passing years, they often find themselves drawn back to each other as their lifeline.

Indian Summer (1993)

Photo courtesy of Touchstone Pictures and Buena Vista Pictures

Directed by Mike Binder

Starring Diane Lane, Bill Paxton, Elizabeth Perkins, Alan Arkin

This is the first movie that came to mind when I started reading Happy Place. The film focuses on a group of former campers who are invited to return to the summer camp they attended decades ago before it officially closes. While there, they reminisce on the summers they spent, that include reliving some of the camp activities. Throughout the reunion, they all end up thinking about the past, their lives now, and where they go from here.

The Big Chill (1983)

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Directed by Lawrence Kasdan

Starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline

Although Happy Place is about a group of millennial friends, The Big Chill is not too far off in following a group of "baby boomers" who reflect on their current lives after being a part of the political activism of the 1960s. The tone is a little different from Happy Place, but it highlights moments when the friends are together like no time has passed, such as a famous scene featuring them dancing in the kitchen.

The Romantics (2010)

Photo courtesy of Paramount Famous Productions

Directed by Galt Niederhoffer

Starring Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel, Anna Paquin, Malin Akerman, Adam Brody, Diana Agron, Jeremy Strong

Based on the novel of the same name, The Romantics is about seven college friends who reunite when two of them are about to get married, despite some complicated feelings surrounding the nuptials. Although, there is a romantic entanglement featured here as opposed to in Happy Place, the friendship dynamic and camaraderie within the group reminded me of Harriet’s interactions with her friends.

Movies That Reminded Me of Harriet and Wyn

The Parent Trap (1998)

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Directed by Nancy Meyers

Starring Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson

I'm pretty sure this is everyone's comfort movie (it's Nancy Meyers after all). Apart from Hallie and Annie (Lindsay Lohan) twin-swapping in order to get their parents back together, it is also at its heart a second chance romance like Happy Place. There are moments between Nick Parker (Dennis Quaid) and Elizabeth James (Natasha Richardson) that exude the longing and love they always had for each other that never went away.

Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

Photo courtesy of Touchstone Pictures and Buena Vista Pictures

Directed by Andy Tennant

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Candice Bergen, Jean Smart

Sweet Home Alabama is a quintessential 2000s romcom that is also a second chance romance film of its era. Melanie (Reese Witherspoon), who has tried to move away from her southern roots, returns to her hometown seeking a divorce from her estranged husband, Jake (Josh Lucas), before she marries the wealthy son (Patrick Dempsey) of the Mayor of New York City. Instead, she comes to not only accept where she came from, but rediscover the love she left behind.

The Longest Ride (2015)

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Directed by George Tillman Jr.

Starring Britt Robertson, Scott Eastwood, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Alan Alda

This movie is not just here because I imagined Scott Eastwood as Wyn. Two relationships are told in this Nicholas Sparks adaptation, between art student, Sophia (Britt Robertson), and bull rider, Luke (Scott Eastwood), with flashbacks to the past recounting the marriage of Ruth (Oona Chaplin) and Ira Levinson (Jack Huston/Alan Alda). Both relationships have their hurdles, but despite the odds they often find a way back to each other.

The Story of Us (1999)

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures

Directed by Rob Reiner

Starring Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer

Throughout Happy Place we go back and forth between the past and present seeing Harriet and Wyn's relationship span from their first meeting in college, followed by their years together as a couple, and what lead to their breakup. The Story of Us does something similar (in a format harkening back to When Harry Met Sally...) as it looks back on Ben (Bruce Willis) and Katie's (Michelle Pfeiffer) fifteen years of marriage during a trial separation, while their kids are away at camp.

The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Directed by Robin Swicord

Starring Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Hugh Dancy

This adaptation of the Karen Joy Fowler novel is about a book club who get together to read Jane Austen. Amongst each of the characters' individual stories tied back to Austen's books, Prudie (Emily Blunt) and Dean's (Marc Blucas) relationship is a reflection of Persuasion, a classic second chance romance. There is one line Prudie delivers to Dean about Persuasion in particular that carry undertones of wanting to save their marriage, much like how Harriet still loved Wyn and never wanted to let him go.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Directed by Nicholas Stoller

Starring Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Rhys Ifans, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie

The tagline for this movie, "The journey between popping the question and tying the knot," made me think of Harriet and Wyn. This comedy is about a happy couple who get engaged, but postpone their wedding multiple times due to various unforeseen circumstances. It's a fun movie that looks at a relationship as a whole, from the good, the bad, to the sacrifices and compromises in between, becoming a true test to how it will last through it all.

I always love how bookstagram has a way of introducing you to books and authors you never thought to pick up. All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata is one of those books.

I had stumbled upon it a few times, but never thought to read it until I saw how much @bruhasbookshelf and @_reedfish really loved it and more so when I saw @allysbookshoparoundthecorner included it in a post casting Pedro Pascal in books (if that was not enticing enough 😏). Now having read it, I know it will be a book I’ll look back on and recommend. It's partly a romance, but at the heart of it all is a well developed story about finding yourself and home again.

Aurora De La Torre has decided to return to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. It was a place she once called home many years ago before her mom disappeared while hiking, and where she hopes to start anew following her divorce from a famous musician. Never did she expect however, that in this small community she would have a new found family, let alone find love by way of a game warden named Tobias Rhodes.

At first, I worried that this was going to be too lengthy at 500+ pages, but as the story got going I didn’t mind it. I noticed how much Mariana Zapata takes the time to really develop and flesh out her characters realistically without it feeling like it dragged on. I got to know who Aurora was and saw her growth throughout. Her hiking trips were not only a way for her to feel close to her mom, but were also a reflection of her own self-journey to who she once was and towards who she is now. I also loved how she reconnected with her old friend, Clara, while forming new friendships with Amos, Jackie, and Rhodes.

I think what I loved most though, was how Mariana Zapata gradually builds Rhodes and Aurora’s relationship. There is a trust that forms naturally before they fall for each other, that takes its time to breathe without forcing it or speeding it up too quickly. It's a slow burn to say the least, but the development is worth it because in that time you feel a genuine connection between them.

After enjoying this so much, I’m already looking forward to reading the rest of Mariana Zapata’s books, but All Rhodes Lead Here will probably still be my favorite.