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elspethmigliore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
the only thing that was off-putting about the book was how slow it felt at times. it wasn’t the whole story, there were literally pages of miscommunication and frustration that i felt were not very important. also, gus’s speech at the end about naomi really frustrated me because he basically made it sound like he was ready to give up january for naomi. like even after everything they went through he dtill sounded ready to drop january completely. apart from that, he’s definitely one of my favorite book boyfriends.
would definitely reread again ✅
Graphic: Cursing and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, and Medical trauma
Minor: Vomit, Car accident, and Alcohol
jenneroni's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I adore this book. The world building is phenomenal, the character backstories are well thought out, and the sexual tension is top tier. I love a brooding, messy dark haired guy and rivals to lovers at that? Can’t be beat.
The way the story comes full circle in several ways was really satisfying. I do think January is a character that gives me secondhand embarrassment, but mostly because I would probably do the exact same things she does and it’s a real car-crash-you-can’t-look-away-from. The banter between Gus and January is probably some of my favorite of any books I’ve read, and they are some of the most real and relatable characters the author has written.
I also really liked the darker elements at play, beyond normal family dysfunction and into heart wrenching trauma. It’s not something you get a lot of in this genre and it really balanced the adorable town and numerous precious cliches & motifs throughout.
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Addiction, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Death of parent
kotashomelibrary's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
This book was so close to being five stars. I started using the CAWPILE rating system, to better rate books I read. This book scored a 8.9, so close to a 9 that would have met the 5 star requirement. I absolutely loved this book and the relationships the main character had. January Andrews (the main character) has a best friend named Shadi and personally it reminded me so much of me and my best friend. The slow burn in this book was done incredible well and kept me wanting more. I also enjoyed the lessons that were displayed throughout this book.
Tropes - enemies to lovers, slow burn
Triggers - cheating, divorce, satanic cults
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
kendra_taylors_version's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
whosfernn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Terminal illness and Death of parent
Moderate: Vomit and Medical content
novella42's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Excrement, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use
leonelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Terminal illness and Death of parent
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: May 19, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Fun • Deep • Over-hyped
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Augustus, an acclaimed author of literary fiction and January, a bestselling romance novelist are polar opposites. Each struggling with writer's block and dealing with personal demons, they find themselves living next door to one another for the summer. One evening they strike up a deal: Gus will write something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Emily Henry's Beach Read has been absolutely everywhere, and so I fell victim to the hype and finally dove in. An original and deep plot with a side of romance is typically how I like my romance books, yet for me January and Gus lacked chemistry and I was expecting so, so, so much more from this novel.
There's no denying Emily Henry does banter unlike anyone else. It adds a lightness to often heavy content. With this book, there is excellent individual character growth, but I wasn't invested in the romance at all. In fact, I was way more invested in the plot and them writing their books. I felt as thought it started out strong, but faded by the midway point and never really regained traction. A few of the things I really appreciated were the exploration of grief, the east coast setting, and the letters.
For me, Beach Read was simply an average read, one I'll soon forget, which has me thinking Emily Henry's adult romances may just not be my cup of tea. I appreciate the depth of the plots, but the romance and lack of communication just don't cut it. With that said, I'll probably continue to read her books with hopes of finding one I really love.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the grump/sunshine and/or enemies to lovers trope(s)
• readers who like depth in their rom-coms
• Emily Henry fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Bad things don't dig down through your life until the pit's so deep that nothing good will ever be big enough to make you happy again. No matter how much shit, there will always be wildflowers."
"Because I know no matter how long I get to love you, it will be worth whatever comes after."
"It was okay to let a little ugliness into your story. That it would never rob you of all the beauty."
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Suicide, Vomit, and Car accident
kaitlynnnng's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’ve only recently started reading non-fantasy romances, and I started feeling like maybe the genre wasn’t for me, but Beach Read changed my mind. While it maybe isn’t the most groundbreaking story out there, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it.
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Vomit, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
miggyfool's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content and Alcohol