Best-Selling Author's Second Chance Romance One of the Most Read Books of 2025
Emily Henry is no stranger to writing a hit novel. All of her 2020 romance novels (six in total!) were all New York Times bestsellers and five have been optioned for film. Happy Place, first published back in 2023, is still making waves and was one of the most read books of the last year according to Goodreads.
Readers love the novel for Henry's portrayal of realistic characters and being a"soul whisperer by writing the most unforgettable love stories."
On top of being wildly popular with readers, Happy Place was extremely well received by critics. Kirkus Reviews called the romance novel a "wistfully nostalgic, look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back." Additionally, the book was a number one New York Times bestseller and won the Goodreads Choice for Best Romance in 2023.
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What is 'Happy Place' about?
Harriet Kilpatrick and Wyn Conner are the perfect couple and have been for the past eight years. Except...they broke up six months ago and have not told a single soul. Which is how the former pair end up sharing the largest room at their friends' annual Maine summer getaway while everyone still thinks they're together.
Faced with wanting to have a great week with their best friends, Harriet and Wyn opt to lie about the state of their relationship. Both to their friends and each other as they're in utter denial about how badly they still love each other. The two make a pact to play pretend for the week and not let their friends know about their breakup. How hard could playing the part be? Right?
Are they making 'Happy Place' into a movie?
At the top of this year, Jennifer Lopez's production company Nuyorican optioned Happy Place. Originally planned for a series, the novel will now be adapted into a feature film and be released at some point on Netflix who also released the adaptation of Henry's People We Meet on Vacation. Henry is slated to write the script of the film for Happy Place. No additional details have been released as of this time.
Related: Emily Henry's Popular 2025 Release Is Finally Arriving in Paperback
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 10:04 AM.