Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Beach Trap

I’m not known for recommending romance novels but this audiobook just may change my tune. Both narrators played each character extremely well. The romances that played out in this male my heart soar. Great epilogue. Ali Brady makes sure she leaves her readers smiling throughout the book. I am looking forward to reading/listening to more novels by Brady. Mild profanity. Moderate sexual content.

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aqtbenz's review

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emotional funny inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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sarah_elaine's review

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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jennastopreading's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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nadiaherondale's review

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emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This moved me in ways I wasn't expecting, the grief, the betrayal both of the sisters feel, the anger and sadness every single emotion was portrayed so beautifully. And both Blake and Kat who were so different learned to love each other again, it was amazing. A great read although there were a bit of cringey moments with both love interests and sometimes Kat who at first was intensely annoying. About the plot, I loved the dual POV which allows to know how each protagonist feels although sometimes I felt that in the romance department we got way more of Blake than of Kat, which I didn't mind at first (because as I said I found her a bit annoying as she was always in the same discourse about hating Blake) but I liked that in the end other aspects of her where more explored. Overall I'm excited to read more from Ali Brady

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caribbeangirlreading's review

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emotional lighthearted

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I have a love / hate relationship with this book. The beginning was slow. There was a LOT of telling. Then the pace picked up. I started enjoying the story and became invested in the characters. And then around page 300 something happened that pissed me off so much I wanted to DNF the book right there and then. But I only had 60 more pages to read so I hate read until the end.

What I LOVED:
· The theme of sisterly bond.

· How Blake and Kat had to learn to focus their anger not on each other, but on the person that wronged them both, their late father.

· The location and the cover! They immediately take me to the Emerald Coast of Florida.

What I Disliked:
· The token BIPOC characters – the Latina nurse who is Blake’s lifelong friend, and the girls that Kat mentors at the “Peachtree Boys’ and Girls’ Center” . . . just NO

· Speaking of stereotypes, Kat is a “selfish, entitled, and spoiled brat” . . . and Jewish. OUCH

· Maybe it’s my age but I really need TW for books about 20-something MCs who make a living pursuing likes and obsessing about their social media “brand.” 😂

· There was zero chemistry between Kat and her love interest. It just felt like their two characters were forced to fulfill the “rich girl who falls for the construction guy” stereotype because Blake fell for the rich guy.

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dianaschmidty's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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savvyrosereads's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Out June 14, 2022 [Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Fifteen years after a budding friendship ended in an implosive revelation, Kat Steiner and Blake O’Neill are unexpectedly thrust back into one another’s lives—enter lots of drama, a crumbling beach house, some swoon-worthy love interests, and one adorable dog, all of which combine for a thoroughly fun rom-com.

The Beach Trap has been one of my most-anticipated reads of the summer for a while now, so I’m still screaming that I got an eARC. As expected, it did not disappoint in the slightest. This book is funny, heartwarming, beachy, swoony, and basically everything you could want from a summertime rom-com. I loved the dual POV and appreciated the small plot twists (I saw them coming but was a-okay with that) along the way. Most of all, I adored both love interests (Noah is my newest book boyfriend, I love him and he’s perfect and that’s just it) and especially loved the emphasis on healthy relationships and communication that permeated this entire novel.

Even though the POV is technically evenly split, there were times where I felt we got a bit more of Blake (and Blake/Noah) than we did of Kat (and Kat/Henry). That might have been my own bias (is it clear yet that I love Noah?) but it also worked for the story and for the characters, so I wasn’t too upset about it. Some of the ending also felt a smidge “easy”—but, again, it was refreshing to have character growth and communication instead of angst and toxicity (which all-too-often accompanies the third act of a romance novel), so really I’m being so nitpicky here.

Bottom line: this is a good one and you should read it. I already cannot WAIT for Ali Brady book two, which I hear is coming in 2023! 👀

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: dual romances; beachy rom-coms; sisterly love and female friendships.

CW: Infidelity; abandonment; dementia; grief/death of parent.

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