Reviews with content warning for Death - Beach Read

I really enjoyed this book. The first book I read by Emily Henry was not as good as this one and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. I could completely relate to the main character because she is also an author struggling with writers block. I liked the fact that she was dealing with some tough situations and how she could grow through it, while also going outside of her comfort zone with Gus. I thought this was a great and well rounded story, but I did think that the main characters could have avoided fights if it weren’t for miscommunication. I also didn’t like that she was a stereotypical woman in a romance book (e.g. over dramatic and cried all the time).

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thekeyescollection's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

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klaraax's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

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yazzy_annalise's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I was really surprised with how much I ended up liking this book! I love reading romance books, but I always feel like they don't live up to what I wanted from each story I read. This book was not like that! I definitely needed the escape into January's world and life, and at times it felt a little too relevant, but I was hooked.

Like always, my one (initial) gripe was that the negative to positive feelings for the male lead happened way too fast, but it worked really well with the story the Emily Henry was trying to tell. Don't get me wrong, I always wish romance books were longer and had a slower development (not a slow burn) because I want deeper development, but I did not miss it as much in this book. I was even thrown for a surprise at the very end of the book--

I did not see the proposal coming!

Although, I felt the way Sonya was resolved was kind of very sudden. It makes sense in the grand scheme of things, she is just a random person and it is not about her, but she was really built up as this person in January's life that she has to face and facing her was not this dramatic thing that happened. It was just a conversation and January was still standing...as I write this I get the point of Sonya now. People just come and go, there is nothing really dramatic or fateful about it.

I do love a good romance that starts with a rivalry/bet, it's just the best way to build some tension and lay the foundation for antics later in the book. I wish we got more of those weekend getaways/aspects of the bet in general. I know that the story wasn't really built around this concept, but it's my favorite trope so I was a little disappointed. This is where the story felt rushed because I was using the Friday/Saturday agreement to measure how long their romance took of the summer and it was kind of hard to gauge.

Ultimately, I am satisfied and would recommend the book because of the escapism and the great way Emily Henry handled all of January's problems. I never felt like they detracted from the plot or the characters or made it tedious to get through the book.

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