Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Beach Read

This book. Wow. I am not usually someone who is moved to legit tears while reading, but this book broke me and put me back together again about five different times. While the romance is a large part of the novel, there is also a lot of personal reflection and healing that the heroine experiences. I was honestly expecting a fluffy "beach read" of a book, and while this was gushy and romantic and sugary sweet at times, it also delved into some heavy topics, but they matched the characters well, and I'm glad we got to see so much growth throughout the book.

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kennyscoffee's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful fast-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

5.0

I read this book in a day and loved it! Compelling characters who seem very human with their grief, struggles, and pain. The book as some plot about the two main characters writing books and deadlines that need to be met but it focuses mainly on their enemies-to-lovers relationship building and January dealing with grief. Wonderful book that I will re-read again!

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sarahsreadinglist's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Beautiful and emotional novel on an author dealing with the death of her father, family secrets and dysfunction, writer’s block and career stagnation, and an old academic rival from college she previously/maybe still carries a torch for. A story of dealing with grief and complicated views of one’s parents, I found myself crying with the main characters and cheering her on towards success and happiness.

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maddy_moose's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

5.0

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bookiewithacookie's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

Funny and emosh and loveable x 10 million

I'd heard a lot about Beach Read from friends and fellow bookstagrammers, so went into it with medium-high expectations. It delivered in several different ways, including:

- Laugh out loud moments
- A weird yet surprisingly emotional storyline, armed with local cults and emotional familial betrayal
- A good level of spice
- Loveable characters that you'll still think about years later

For me, January was definitely a more relatable and enjoyable character to get to know. Gus had his moments, and I really enjoyed the ending - but this book very much felt like an exploration into January's mind and grief more than your typical romance book.

I'd definitely recommend, and will no doubt read again one summer in the future!

Content Warnings