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vvuskan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Mental illness
qi_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
okay i am back and ready to rant through my thoughts.
firstly, i didn't expect to be so hooked on this since i read at truly unexpected pace during one of my very important law papers so yes good ideas all around.
this was my first exploration into the proper romance genre and it was quite fun?! there was a good amount of cheese which was both cringe and kinda cute. i found i preferred the first half of the book where there was still some contention and slightly more competitive banter between them versus when they actually started to like each other. i don't know what that says about me.
i really enjoyed the darker and more serious themes that were included since i apparently just don't want couples to be happy? the discussions around grief and trauma were really interesting and i was happy that is wasn't just light fluffy hi-jinks the whole way through. also, i think emily henry's commentary about the stigma around the romance genre and female writers was a nice touch. it made january feel like a more three-dimensional character seeing her passion about particular topics.
something i didn't expect but fucking loved was shadi and january's strong friendship. yay for strong female friendships that aren't demonized !! they were super sweet and I NEED SHADI ENERGY IN MY LIFE SHE IS SUCH A GOOD FRIEND WHAT?!
okay, this already very long but, there were something thats felt a bit disjointed. the cult plot line? i feel like it was a just weak way to tie in gus's book into the plot. we hear literally nothing about what book he is writing until it mentioned very briefly at the very end. although, i love cult stories and understanding the psychology of that it just felt quite random? like we would be enjoying some romantic hi-jinks then run off to talk to some ex-cult members. felt a bit random and i don't think it added anything to the story. i think there could have been better ways to weave gus's literary fiction writing lessons to january without having this strange cult side plot.
my other gripe probably says a lot more about me than the book but, when they actually got to the stage in their relationship where they liked eachother.. i felt a little bored. like there was less witty, competitive banter and more happiness? love? romance? so that is more a problem i should work out on my own (HAH) than a legitimate criticism of a fucking romance book. like the point is romance.
the marketing of beach read makes it seem like a nice fun beach romance.. which it isn't. i personally didn't mind that because apparently there is something wrong with my cold dead witch heart but, some people may go into it expecting something different. i'm pretty sure this takes place at a lake house rather than a beach house?
i'm going to shut up now..
firstly, i didn't expect to be so hooked on this since i read at truly unexpected pace during one of my very important law papers so yes good ideas all around.
this was my first exploration into the proper romance genre and it was quite fun?! there was a good amount of cheese which was both cringe and kinda cute. i found i preferred the first half of the book where there was still some contention and slightly more competitive banter between them versus when they actually started to like each other. i don't know what that says about me.
i really enjoyed the darker and more serious themes that were included since i apparently just don't want couples to be happy? the discussions around grief and trauma were really interesting and i was happy that is wasn't just light fluffy hi-jinks the whole way through. also, i think emily henry's commentary about the stigma around the romance genre and female writers was a nice touch. it made january feel like a more three-dimensional character seeing her passion about particular topics.
something i didn't expect but fucking loved was shadi and january's strong friendship. yay for strong female friendships that aren't demonized !! they were super sweet and I NEED SHADI ENERGY IN MY LIFE SHE IS SUCH A GOOD FRIEND WHAT?!
okay, this already very long but, there were something thats felt a bit disjointed. the cult plot line? i feel like it was a just weak way to tie in gus's book into the plot. we hear literally nothing about what book he is writing until it mentioned very briefly at the very end. although, i love cult stories and understanding the psychology of that it just felt quite random? like we would be enjoying some romantic hi-jinks then run off to talk to some ex-cult members. felt a bit random and i don't think it added anything to the story. i think there could have been better ways to weave gus's literary fiction writing lessons to january without having this strange cult side plot.
my other gripe probably says a lot more about me than the book but, when they actually got to the stage in their relationship where they liked eachother.. i felt a little bored. like there was less witty, competitive banter and more happiness? love? romance? so that is more a problem i should work out on my own (HAH) than a legitimate criticism of a fucking romance book. like the point is romance.
the marketing of beach read makes it seem like a nice fun beach romance.. which it isn't. i personally didn't mind that because apparently there is something wrong with my cold dead witch heart but, some people may go into it expecting something different. i'm pretty sure this takes place at a lake house rather than a beach house?
i'm going to shut up now..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness
brynleesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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
this book blew me away, it was a stunning mixture of a fantasy love life and cruel reality. it handles subjects such as grief, divorce, cheating, cancer and even dives into the world of cults. this book had me hooked the entire time and being able to read it on the beach added bounds points of course. i HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone, even if they’re not the romance type.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Cursing, Grief, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
gabyhat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, and Abandonment
Minor: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, and Mental illness
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