Reviews with content warning for Grief - Strandläsning

i understand the emily henry hype, especially if you’re not a frequent reader of romance. it’s quick and easy to read with tropes galore, and her characters have depth. there’s more to the plot than just character a falls for character b, and it’s lovely for an m/f romance.

i have a few gripes with the way gus thinks everyone was a waste of time except for january in school, but i guess it fits his angsty vibe? also january saying dumb bunny is weird. some typical romance tropes like the leaning and “dark eyes,” but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book overall. it’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s a good introduction to romance if you’re looking for one.

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lonelyheartsbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.75

Beach Read was definitely not the book I thought it would be based on the title. There’s not a lot of beach in the story. 😂

I did enjoy reading the book, it was a lighthearted story of discovering the meaning of love and the consequences it brings with it. All of this while running a classical bet, that eventually unfolds the answers Augustus and January we’re looking for during the book.

Although I enjoyed the book, I have to admit that I didn’t like the characters as much as I would’ve love to. Their development is present, but I would’ve loved to see both characters express more than what they did. I wanted to like Augustus’ character more but he was a complex character with a lot of work to be done. While January was living in this fairytale world until she finally opened her eyes and saw the reality of things.

This book is a good romance book, for those who are looking for a story where there’s borderline miscommunication and lots of pinning for each other.

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_b0ok_l0v3r's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

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catarina_pego's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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moriahleigh's review against another edition

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Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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m_liz's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

I loved the first half of this, but I felt like the second half took a tonal shift that just left me scratching my head. The cult side-plot seemed way too heavy to have in a book with such a light-hearted premise. And Gus and January had so much trauma that I felt wasn’t necessarily given enough space in the story. The light-hearted premise felt unbalanced with the heaviness, and I felt the heaviness wasn’t dealt with properly. I have complicated feelings…

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romanerrct's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted relaxing

4.0

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