Beach Read

I loved this book so much. It was heartfelt and funny, but also so incredibly emotional at times. It made me pause and think about my own experiences and examine how truly complicated and complex family and relationships can be. The writing was amazing and Emily Henry perfectly combined the salty and the sweet, throwing in just the right amount of humor to balance it all out. The banter and playful back and forth between January and Gus were some of my very favorite moments and the addition of pop culture references were hilarious. ("Thanks be to Jack Reacher.") January and Gus were so relatable with all their cracks and rough edges. They struggled at times and didn’t say or do all the “right” things, but it made me love them more. I wouldn't necessarily classify Beach Read as a romance, even though there are elements of many tropes in the story like second chance, wager/bet, enemies & friends to lovers, forced proximity, etc. There are definitely strong romantic themes in the book though, and the chemistry and build up between these two is some of the best I've read. It's a slow burn for sure, but boy was my patience rewarded. Gus and January were hot and sexy, but also so tender and raw. I also really appreciated the message that it’s ok to not have all the answers and sometimes just being and is enough. I both read and listened to Beach Read and definitely recommend the audiobook. Julia Whelan is one of my very favorite narrators and she gave another brilliant performance. She captured all of the joy and heartbreak so well, but also showed off her wonderful comedic timing. I had no problem differentiating between characters and it was such a wonderful listening experience. This review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention Shadi and I think all of us would be so lucky to have such an incredible ride or die BFF. I would love to read her story one day. I don't think that I can fully articulate how much my heart and mind needed this book. I just know that it will stay with me for a long time. Audiobook Review Overall 5 stars Performance 5+ stars Story 5 stars CW: infidelity, death of a parent, discussion of cults, cancer, abuse

This book swept me off my feet and the chemistry between January and Gus was so palpable and tangible. You feel like you're falling in love too! I really loved it, however, I started to feel a bit frustrated by some of the drama and character elements towards the end. And it's because I loved this book so much that I feel the need to vent about the areas of the novel of which I take umbrage. *SPOILERS* First of all, January's intense anger about her father's infidelity was at times a bit much. You'd think SHE was her father's wife and she was the one who got cheated on. I guess that was the point, but the way she was insulting Sonya (his father's mistress) while she was standing on her front porch crying and trying to explain herself felt a little cruel. I saw that January could see herself in Sonya but she still couldn't treat her like a "full person," which made me feel annoyed with her. Also, January is a pretty privileged character, and that at times made it hard to empathize, especially toward the end. Based on the way Gus describes her as this tiny, beautiful, fairy princess reveals that January is massively attractive. She also inherited a beautiful beach house from her dad upon his death. She's financially broke because she hasn't been writing, but you can really feel her privilege at times. Sometimes I wanted to shake her and be like "Girl, it's NOT that bad. You have a beach house. You write novels for a living. You're an attractive white girl. Relax." NOW, onto Gus. As fun and as real as this character felt, I found him kind of infuriating in the end, especially during that rainy dance where he confesses that he wants to be with January forever. He and January had a book event together a few nights before and his wife Naomi who left him for his best friend on his BIRTHDAY shows up. They're still in the middle of a divorce, even though she left him a few years ago. This woman clearly never cared about him, and yet, when she shows up, he totally ignored January and grabs a drink with her. He doesn't even try to contact January until the next morning! And it takes him like two days before he starts pounding on her door, begging to talk to her. I'm sorry, but if I was January, I would have been SO PISSED. Gus literally just walked away from January during their shared book event and has a drink with his ex wife. After he had time "to think" he realized that he wants to be with January forever, not Naomi. Why didn't he know this before? Why didn't he care show concern about how January felt during all this? January was literally heartbroken! And of course, when he FINALLY shows up again, she takes him back instantly. This just really left me feeling like Gus is kind of selfish and weak and it just ruined all of my positive feelings toward him. Obviously, this was done purposefully to create romantic tension, but it left me feeling triggered more than anything.

Loved this book. It was hard to put down!! Would recommend. We all have struggles but can make it through!

A pretty good story. There was one part toward the end that did not set right with me. It made the ending feel cheap. Which is why I had to bump it to three stars instead of four.

I really liked it but left out one star because there were times January was utterly annoying, and not in a good way. I love flawed characters, but she spent a lot of time either crying or puking – which was really gross. There were always references to her weak stomach and every little thing made her cry. It just got distracting after a while. That said, I love EmHen and the way she threads psychology into her stories. She always gives us layered backstories and moments that feel highlight-worthy. This was my second of hers and definitely won’t be my last—she’s gifted and definitely in my “go-to” author category. For those who are concerned about spice ratings – this is a 4 on a scale of 5. If you are used to closed-door romances you will need to fast forward frequently during the last third of the book. But don’t let that deter you. This author is brilliant and extraordinarily talented. Her books make you think about your own life and the world around you in a deep, emotional way.

READ BEFORE THE MOVIE COMES OUT. Its such a great laugh, cry, and sexy book to read. The characters are so relatable to the average everyday person. & that's always something I love about books. It brings out the good & the uglies. Definitely recommend this as a SPICY ROM-COM read.

It’s a romance novel about a romance writer and a literary writer stuck who are both stuck with writer’s block. Gus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction, while January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast. They’re polar opposites. In fact, the only thing they have in common is that they’re both living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block. For the next three months, they’re forced to live together. One hazy evening, one thing leads to another, and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts. Gus will spend the summer writing something happy, while January will pen the next Great American literary Novel. She will take him on field trips so he learns about love stories, and he’ll take her to interviews like a surviving member of a backwoods death cult (of course lol). This is an enemies to lover romance, and in my opinion, it was executed perfectly! It definitely lived up to the hype for me. The story addresses some heavier topics in a beautiful way, and I couldn’t get enough of it. It was a five star read for me!!!!

I didn’t expect to enjoy this one — I’m not usually a rom-lit reader. But I needed something different, something lighter... and this book was exactly what I didn’t know I needed. It’s a story about love, heartbreak, grief, creative burnout, and realizing your parents aren’t the superheroes you thought they were. It’s also about how sometimes, we meet our person before we’re ready for them. And isn’t that just real life? Was it a little too neatly wrapped up at the end? Maybe. But I also get it — January’s a romance writer who believes in happily ever afters. That tone fits. 📚💞 That said… I WOULD NOT have sold the beach house 😂 Like, no ma’am. Not ever. One of my favorite takeaways? Stop overthinking. Sometimes you just have to live, even when it’s messy, painful, or uncertain. This book reminded me of that in the gentlest way. If your heart is heavy and your brain’s tired — pick this one up. It won’t weigh you down. It left me feeling light, cozy, and happy for now.

Even tough it's a love story, I didn't feel like it was too predictable and enjoyed the struggles that both of the characters had, things that they dealt with on their own but with the other's support. Great and light read.

January Andrews arrives in North Bear Shores to get away from life’s stresses, tie up loose ends, and begin writing her fifth romance novel. Augustus Everett has lived in North Bear Shores for about five years, and is stuck in a creative rut when it comes to creating his next literary bestseller. To say the two characters are opposite is an understatement. They playing in two completely different fields! January is a romantic at heart, forever chasing the idea of a happily ever after. Gus is much more of a realistic, he takes the world as it is, rather than how he’d like to be. Still, January and Gus have their insecurities and burdens. Despite their differences, both characters are extremely likeable. It’s quite easy to relate to both. I’m a hopeless romantic and enjoy getting lost in a love story, so every one of January’s beliefs makes sense to me. At the same time, I’m well aware life events don’t always play out like a rom-com, so Gus’ reservations make sense too. It’s wonderful that both the characters are authors with the same struggle yet completely different ways of thinking. The reader gets insight into the book-writing process too. I also like that the entire narrative is told from January’s point of view, but we get a balanced understanding of both personalities. The witty back-and-forth between January and Augustus is the most enjoyable part of the fiction for me. From the moment they spoke to one another, I was happy. Then to see their connection evolve, I was even happier. The author so perfectly creates a charming chemistry in just a few sentences. And the repartee between them felt very similar to the dynamic between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal. There’s sarcasm and quick-witted humour but with a real levity to it. It’s compelling, exciting, and thoroughly entertaining. Henry‘s method of description is so vivid it’s difficult not to place yourself in the world she has established. Some moments are so rich in detail I may as well be a background character in the book. Not only does her writing paint a clear picture, it pushes you to keep reading. The atmosphere and emotions are so authentic it’s difficult to stop at the end of one chapter. The development of January and Gus’ characters is brilliantly laid out in Beach Read. Rather than experience one giant (and improbable) epiphany at the end of the book, the author slowly reveals their layers with each chapter. This way, the reader genuinely gets to know the characters, and it’s so much easier to connect with them. Seeing the story unwind in a timely way adds to the legitimacy of the romance. Oh, and the romance. It’s so lovely. If you love books that make you fall in love with love, Beach Read should be your next read. The dynamic between January and Gus isn’t an all-out enemies-to-lovers trope, but has a very similar feel. The bet set at the beginning of the book creates an air of competition which is both playful and flirtatious. Their budding relationship is swoon-worthy without the cringe, which is the best kind of romance. I could easily see this tale on the screen! Beach Read is way more emotional than I anticipated. The book is filled with passionate and deeply touching statements that are genuinely moving. One chapter made me cry from the first word to the last. On top of that, it has the humour and charisma like most contemporary romances, but the plot is laced with deep and heartfelt complexities. Fortunately, the heavy themes don’t weigh down the narrative or take away from its most heart-warming aspects. In fact, the overall story is very uplifting and exhilarating – the way a romance should be. It’s the kind of book I would return to when I need to get out of a slump. It has the kind of fuzzy feels that make it both the perfect summer read and the best curl-up book. If you pick up Beach Read, you’ll be glued to its pages. Emily Henry’s writing is addictive, and her powerful romance is definitely a new favourite. My expectations were high and still beaten. Anika | chaptersofmay.com

So much of this book was simply wonderful. I loved how much dialogue there was between January and Gus. Good dialogue. Importanr dialogue. I love how they truly got to know and see each other. Emily Henry's writing style is just beautiful: smart, witty and funny and never at the expense of depth and warmth. The way the author dealt with both January's and Gus's trauma felt right to me. All the past and recent experiences that made them who they are were hinted at (in Gus's case) and full on explained (in January's) in a way that was meaningful. But there was something missing for me that made the reading experiences less than perfect - true reciprocity. While Gus laid down his heart completely before January, telling her not just how much he felt for how but also how long, why he acted the way he did back when they were in college all those years ago, and generally rendering himself completely vulnerable before her, January never reciprocates in words. While he tells her he was sure she hated him back in college because she never looked at him, and she's presented with the perfect chance to correct his misconception, she never takes it. We as readers are told that January had had a crush on him back in college and actually had a hard time not staring at him whenever she had the chance, only looking away before he caught her, Gus is never told those truths. Gus makes the great romantic confessions and January responds with single words or a single sentence at most. While he dedicates his book to her with the warmest, most beautiful words, we never learn who she dedicated her book to or what words she chose. And that feels like such a missed opportunity. Why not have the female protagonist be as brave and generous with her words - and not just her thoughts - as the male protagonist? Why have him make promises of forever and generously handing out love and reassurances while hers remain in her mind and are never articulated to the man she supposedly loves just as much as he loves her? I'll never be able to wrap my mind around this imbalance that sadly exists in so many of the stories within this genre.

This book is really hood I liked the characters and everything.

Well, it doesn't look like there's going to be many beaches in our near future, so I was happy to let Emily Henry bring the beach to me. I have read all of Henry's books, The Love That Split The World is still one of my favourites and I think about it often. I feel almost like she's a childhood friend and I am so happy and excited every time she writes a new book. I love it when writers write about writing, even if it's through their characters. Beach Read gave us two very different writers, but both with their own love and appreciation of the art. And paralyzing writers block. Henry weaves some really great comments and descriptions of writing and reading into these character's personalities, whether they are her own thoughts or not, and I loved being able to bond with them over my own love of writing. This book felt like a hipster beach read, which I suppose is what it was supposed to be, at least on the surface. There are trendy pop cultural references and Juno-like conversations. But somewhere in the middle, the feel starts to shift and the puffy pink romance gets a bit deeper and a bit darker, asking a lot of the characters as they self examine and try to sort out their messy lives and a boatload of complicated feelings that stem beyond the romance in front of them. Or more specifically, next door. I'm not one to read books that can be described as steamy, but I'm lacking for any other word that could sum up the romantic part of this. I was expecting the romance, thought it would be more of the rom-com type, but boy does Henry know how to write a brooding, sultry love story and it seeped past my cold exterior, filling me with some kind of warmth. This was the kind of book that I didn’t want to end, the kind of book where I’m rooting for a happy ending. I have read all of Henry's books and there is a noticeable progression in her work; she seems to always write about love and family, usually in an uplifting and light air, but with every new book, she is stretching those themes in different directions, exploring different approaches. Sure, that means that maybe not every book will hit me quite like her first did, but it also makes me feel like I am discovering a new talented storyteller every time I see her name and I love that.