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emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
rtc
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's not really a beach read in my opinion, and also not as lighthearted as I'd expected. I enjoyed the first third of book but then just kind of lost interest in the storyline??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
This was a solid read, but I still preferred Book Lovers. The characters were really well developed and I was rooting for them up until like 80% through. I loved the way Emily Henry dug into grief, family secrets, and how our past shapes who we trust and how we love. The FMC’s writer’s block being tied to her heartbreak and betrayal felt so raw and real, and the MMC’s own layers of pain explained his cynicism. Their banter made me laugh, and the slow-burn tension felt authentic and vulnerable.
That said, the pacing dragged in spots, and the miscommunication at the end felt a little foolish to me. I also wanted more clarity around the MMC’s emotional availability. Still, I’m glad I read this one—it wasn’t the cheesy rom com I was expecting at all, but something much deeper and more interesting.
That said, the pacing dragged in spots, and the miscommunication at the end felt a little foolish to me. I also wanted more clarity around the MMC’s emotional availability. Still, I’m glad I read this one—it wasn’t the cheesy rom com I was expecting at all, but something much deeper and more interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beach Read by Emily Henry was such an unexpected mix of heartbreak, banter, and healing that I couldn’t put it down.
January is a romance writer who once believed in happily-ever-afters because of her parents’ love story, but after her father’s sudden death and the painful truth of his affair, she’s left disillusioned and lost. With no home or direction, she ends up at her father’s secret beach house to try and write again. Enter Augustus Everett — her grumpy, brilliant, and frustratingly attractive college rival who just happens to live next door. He writes darker, literary fiction, and the two strike a deal to swap genres for the summer: she’ll write something tragic, he’ll try his hand at romance. What starts as a competition quickly becomes something deeper, as they challenge each other, peel back old wounds, and slowly fall into a love story neither of them thought they believed in anymore.
I loved how Emily Henry explored grief, family secrets, and how our past shapes our ability to trust and love. January’s journey felt raw and real— her writer’s block wasn’t just creative, it was tied to her heartbreak and betrayal. Gus, meanwhile, had his own layers of pain that explained his cynicism, and their slow-burn connection had just the right mix of tension and vulnerability. Their banter genuinely made me laugh, and the way they challenged each other’s worldviews felt so authentic.
That said at times the pacing dragged with some of the cult interview plotlines, and I occasionally wanted more clarity around Gus’s emotional availability (he was broody a little too long). Still, the payoff was worth it — their romance felt hard-won, messy, and true.
If you love books that blend witty romance with deeper emotional themes of loss, healing, and learning to believe in love again, Beach Read is absolutely worth picking up.
January is a romance writer who once believed in happily-ever-afters because of her parents’ love story, but after her father’s sudden death and the painful truth of his affair, she’s left disillusioned and lost. With no home or direction, she ends up at her father’s secret beach house to try and write again. Enter Augustus Everett — her grumpy, brilliant, and frustratingly attractive college rival who just happens to live next door. He writes darker, literary fiction, and the two strike a deal to swap genres for the summer: she’ll write something tragic, he’ll try his hand at romance. What starts as a competition quickly becomes something deeper, as they challenge each other, peel back old wounds, and slowly fall into a love story neither of them thought they believed in anymore.
I loved how Emily Henry explored grief, family secrets, and how our past shapes our ability to trust and love. January’s journey felt raw and real— her writer’s block wasn’t just creative, it was tied to her heartbreak and betrayal. Gus, meanwhile, had his own layers of pain that explained his cynicism, and their slow-burn connection had just the right mix of tension and vulnerability. Their banter genuinely made me laugh, and the way they challenged each other’s worldviews felt so authentic.
That said at times the pacing dragged with some of the cult interview plotlines, and I occasionally wanted more clarity around Gus’s emotional availability (he was broody a little too long). Still, the payoff was worth it — their romance felt hard-won, messy, and true.
If you love books that blend witty romance with deeper emotional themes of loss, healing, and learning to believe in love again, Beach Read is absolutely worth picking up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Infidelity
Minor: Domestic abuse, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing
Minor: Terminal illness, Vomit
emotional
hopeful
reflective
Well I loved this book! I didn’t expect it to make me cry, but it also made me laugh with their banter and I loved watching their friendship develop as they shared their lives with each other. Only reason it’s not 5 star is sometimes I found it difficult to follow their thought process or reasoning, felt a little of a stretch. But I loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Misogyny, Death of parent
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Death of parent
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse