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emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Infidelity
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
“I don’t need snowflakes as long as there’s January” 😭😭😭😭
book lovers didn’t do it for me. people we meet on vacation didn’t do it for me. BUT BEACH READ DID IT FOR ME
hands down EH’s best book. the storyline was engaging beyond just the romance and felt genuine connections with gus and january. very happy this was a single POV novel and it worked well here. not as funny as other romcoms, but i loved their banter. i felt like the ending was wrapped up a little too fast and we never found out if they gave each other dedications on the other’s book but that’s my only critique. 5/5 stars
book lovers didn’t do it for me. people we meet on vacation didn’t do it for me. BUT BEACH READ DID IT FOR ME
hands down EH’s best book. the storyline was engaging beyond just the romance and felt genuine connections with gus and january. very happy this was a single POV novel and it worked well here. not as funny as other romcoms, but i loved their banter. i felt like the ending was wrapped up a little too fast and we never found out if they gave each other dedications on the other’s book but that’s my only critique. 5/5 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity
Minor: Child abuse
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Grief
emotional
funny
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
I LOVE GUS
that’s all i have to say
okay i lied i also have a questions about nothing compares 2 You
that’s all i have to say
okay i lied i also have a questions about nothing compares 2 You
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse
hopeful
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
Why I Read It:
I’m not someone who typically likes the romance genre, but I had heard such great things about Emily Henry’s books that I wanted to see if Beach Read would be an exception. I borrowed my copy from the local library.
Blurb:
January Andrews is a romance author who is struggling to write her next book because her faith in love and happy endings has been shaken by a series of traumatic events in her life. After she moves into her recently deceased father’s beach house on Lake Michigan, she discovers that her next-door neighbor is a former college classmate, Gus, who is a famous author of dark and gritty fiction. They strike up a plan to swap genres for the summer, complete with mandatory “research field trips” to teach the other the tricks of their trade.
Review:
Since Beach Read is a romance novel with a romance author protagonist, the book is strongly self-aware as it explores the genre’s strengths and weaknesses in a meta fashion. Beach Read self-consciously challenges the stereotype that so-called “beach reads” cannot tackle heavy themes or portray realistic, healthy relationships, while still maintaining the breezy reading pace, steaminess, and optimism readers expect from the genre. The book, for the most part, is readable and well-written. Every two pages or so, however, I would stumble across a line that I found difficult to understand. Henry’s concise, casual style sometimes generates sentences so pared down or conversational that they read awkwardly on the page.
The book introduces two main characters who, at first glance, appear to be little more than typical romance-genre archetypes. Thankfully, January and Gus are well-written, fleshed-out characters who complement each other’s flaws. They deal with personal problems that for many readers will appear familiar. January’s character growth was particularly interesting to read about.
Despite Beach Read’s readability and generally high quality, at times it slips back into the trappings of a typical romance plot. The miscommunication trope, although it does not play a huge role in the story, still pops up for no good reason. Even more infuriatingly, the protagonist even ADMITS that she’s acting like a character in a poorly written romance novel, yet she continues to act that way instead of communicating in a straightforward manner. Additionally, I found the sex scenes to be unoriginal and boring.
One of my pet peeves when it comes to the romance genre is that the side characters tend to act as supports for the main romance and rarely feel like real people. Beach Read’s side characters are better written than some, but they still feel underdeveloped. Shadi (January’s best friend) remains rather flat and ultimately only exists to support January. Emily Henry’s use of characters who are cult survivors feels problematic for the same reason, as their trauma and stories serve as a plot device to help further Gus and January’s character development.
Even though it was a not personal favorite of mine, I can absolutely understand why many people love Beach Read. Henry blends tropes that people know and love with deeper discussions about the harsher realities of life, all the while making her main characters believable and lovable.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like Beach Read if:
· You want to read a romance book that does not ignore the harsher realities of life.
· You want to read a non-toxic romance with lovable, yet flawed, main characters.
· You enjoy “meta” fiction books about books and writing.
You might not like Beach Read if:
· You are expecting a hardcore enemies-to-lovers romance.
· You are hoping to read a book with a beachy atmosphere—hardly any of the book takes place on the beach. The characters are usually indoors, and when they venture outside it is usually nighttime or stormy.
· You are looking for a fluffy, escapist romance book.
· You dislike the romance genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
I liked it, though I liked Book Lovers better.
I get that it takes some of the glamour out of the book industry, but my understanding is that even multiple NY Times bestselling authors can rarely support themselves through writing alone. You either need a day job, a partner who can support your writing career, or you need to be independently wealthy. So it's not a surprise January couldn't survive on her book sales alone, but there was no suggestion that's actually pretty common.
I liked the town, and Gus' aunt and her wife in particular.
I also really liked the introduction to the reader questions at the end which talked about writer's block.
I get that it takes some of the glamour out of the book industry, but my understanding is that even multiple NY Times bestselling authors can rarely support themselves through writing alone. You either need a day job, a partner who can support your writing career, or you need to be independently wealthy. So it's not a surprise January couldn't survive on her book sales alone, but there was no suggestion that's actually pretty common.
I liked the town, and Gus' aunt and her wife in particular.
I also really liked the introduction to the reader questions at the end which talked about writer's block.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Definitely my favorite of Emily Henry’s flawless collection, maybe my favorite romance book ever (reread!). The romance in this book is impeccable, but the intricacies of the plot are what make it a 5/5. I love how the author explores each of the protagonists’ pasts, including some pretty harsh grief, betrayal, and general trauma, and also delves deeply into the books they are each writing. Honestly, sign me up to read either of those! The characters get tons of development even before they form an attachment. The slow burn enemies to friends to lovers is *chef’s kiss.* Infinitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Vomit
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes
This is the only book that has ever made me laugh out loud...other than Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I was invested so quickly! The book club scene was hilarious, and the banter between January and Gus was great, too. I also loved the subplots, and wished we could dive into those even further. I really appreciated the exploration of learning from/about the people you love. It could be predictable/cheesy at times, but the author sort of embraced it. Overall, it was a great read, and now I know what labradorite is!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent
Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury