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challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Didn't shatter my world or anything but it was entertaining.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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, Chronic illness, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
A cynical romance author who no longer believes in love & a brooding literary writer stuck in a creative rut find themselves neighbors for the summer—both broke, blocked, and battling their own disillusionments. Augustus Everett, known for crafting dark, tragic fiction, and January Andrews, a bestselling romance writer with a flair for happy endings, couldn't be more different—until a spontaneous challenge flips their worlds. For 3 months, he’ll write something hopeful, and she’ll attempt a weighty literary novel. She drags him on whimsical, rom-com-worthy adventures, while he pulls her into interviews with death cult survivors. The goal? Finish their books and prove that opposites don’t attract. Falling in love? Definitely not part of the deal.
Did a combo of physical, audio & digital - I finished last night and wanted to sleep on my thoughts before reviewing... Woke up still feeling it was a 5-star read (surprise, surprise). Funny Story & Book Lovers are still tied for 1st place in my ranking of Emily Henry books, with this one next, and then Happy Place. Up next - People We Meet on Vacation, then Great Big Beautiful Life! I got a fair share of chuckles in with Beach Read, and I definitely got in my feels when it came to January's complicated relationship with her father (IYKYK). I'm super close with my dad, so I couldn't help but put myself in our FMC's shoes - as awful as that may sound - but I think that's why this book hit harder than Happy Place. Again, Emily Henry is SO GOOD at writing relatable characters, ones you just fall in love with - even if you promise not to.
Did a combo of physical, audio & digital - I finished last night and wanted to sleep on my thoughts before reviewing... Woke up still feeling it was a 5-star read (surprise, surprise). Funny Story & Book Lovers are still tied for 1st place in my ranking of Emily Henry books, with this one next, and then Happy Place. Up next - People We Meet on Vacation, then Great Big Beautiful Life! I got a fair share of chuckles in with Beach Read, and I definitely got in my feels when it came to January's complicated relationship with her father (IYKYK). I'm super close with my dad, so I couldn't help but put myself in our FMC's shoes - as awful as that may sound - but I think that's why this book hit harder than Happy Place. Again, Emily Henry is SO GOOD at writing relatable characters, ones you just fall in love with - even if you promise not to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Vomit, Car accident
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Characters – 8/10
January and Gus had chemistry so thick you could spread it on toast, but that doesn’t mean they were flawless. January felt real—messy, snarky, and self-destructing in a very “I wrote this in my Notes app at 3 a.m.” kind of way. Gus brought the required amount of brooding and emotional constipation, but he sometimes crossed over into "walking Tumblr post" territory. Their banter carried the book, no question, and side characters like Shadi and Pete brought welcome doses of chaos and warmth. Still, a few supporting roles felt like cardboard cutouts labeled “Plot Function.” Sonya was basically a plot twist in yoga pants. Memorable? Kind of. Fully realized? Not quite.
January and Gus had chemistry so thick you could spread it on toast, but that doesn’t mean they were flawless. January felt real—messy, snarky, and self-destructing in a very “I wrote this in my Notes app at 3 a.m.” kind of way. Gus brought the required amount of brooding and emotional constipation, but he sometimes crossed over into "walking Tumblr post" territory. Their banter carried the book, no question, and side characters like Shadi and Pete brought welcome doses of chaos and warmth. Still, a few supporting roles felt like cardboard cutouts labeled “Plot Function.” Sonya was basically a plot twist in yoga pants. Memorable? Kind of. Fully realized? Not quite.
Atmosphere/Setting – 7/10
Small beach town in Michigan? Cozy. Haunted house full of dad-secrets? Intriguing. Carnival vomiting? …Unforgettable, unfortunately. The atmosphere worked in the sense that I knew where I was supposed to be, but it rarely transported me. The setting felt more like a backdrop than a living, breathing part of the story. That said, the windowsill Post-it flirting and parallel desk writing sessions? That’s the kind of emotional geography I’ll remember. Just don’t ask me what the name of the town was or how many times they actually went to the beach.
Small beach town in Michigan? Cozy. Haunted house full of dad-secrets? Intriguing. Carnival vomiting? …Unforgettable, unfortunately. The atmosphere worked in the sense that I knew where I was supposed to be, but it rarely transported me. The setting felt more like a backdrop than a living, breathing part of the story. That said, the windowsill Post-it flirting and parallel desk writing sessions? That’s the kind of emotional geography I’ll remember. Just don’t ask me what the name of the town was or how many times they actually went to the beach.
Writing Style – 9/10
Emily Henry writes like she’s trying to seduce you and give you an emotional breakdown at the same time—and honestly, it works. Her prose is sharp, funny, devastating, and full of lines that make you want to throw your Kindle across the room out of sheer admiration. Occasionally she veers into metaphor overload or overwrought introspection, but the voice is so strong it steamrolls any complaints. It’s vulnerable, it’s whip-smart, and it hits. Even when it’s a bit too proud of itself, I can’t stay mad at it.
Emily Henry writes like she’s trying to seduce you and give you an emotional breakdown at the same time—and honestly, it works. Her prose is sharp, funny, devastating, and full of lines that make you want to throw your Kindle across the room out of sheer admiration. Occasionally she veers into metaphor overload or overwrought introspection, but the voice is so strong it steamrolls any complaints. It’s vulnerable, it’s whip-smart, and it hits. Even when it’s a bit too proud of itself, I can’t stay mad at it.
Plot – 7/10
The plot was ambitious. Like “I’m going to write about grief, betrayal, cults, and a book-writing bet” ambitious. And honestly? It kind of worked. Kind of. The dual plotlines—romance and daddy issues—fought each other for space, and the pacing suffered because of it. The bet between Gus and January was full of potential, but it felt more like a cute setup than an actual structural backbone. Still, the story delivered some great emotional punches, even if they were occasionally surrounded by filler and romantic procrastination.
The plot was ambitious. Like “I’m going to write about grief, betrayal, cults, and a book-writing bet” ambitious. And honestly? It kind of worked. Kind of. The dual plotlines—romance and daddy issues—fought each other for space, and the pacing suffered because of it. The bet between Gus and January was full of potential, but it felt more like a cute setup than an actual structural backbone. Still, the story delivered some great emotional punches, even if they were occasionally surrounded by filler and romantic procrastination.
Intrigue – 8/10
There’s something addictive about two emotionally damaged writers flirting over shared trauma and unresolved manuscript deadlines. The book had me turning pages—not always because of what was happening, but because I needed to see how long it would take for Gus to break emotionally or January to throw her gin at the wall. The cult research subplot felt a little random but weirdly compelling, like watching a true crime documentary in the middle of a rom-com. Was it always cohesive? Not at all. Was I intrigued anyway? You bet.
There’s something addictive about two emotionally damaged writers flirting over shared trauma and unresolved manuscript deadlines. The book had me turning pages—not always because of what was happening, but because I needed to see how long it would take for Gus to break emotionally or January to throw her gin at the wall. The cult research subplot felt a little random but weirdly compelling, like watching a true crime documentary in the middle of a rom-com. Was it always cohesive? Not at all. Was I intrigued anyway? You bet.
Logic/Relationships – 7.5/10
Let’s talk relationship realism. Did I believe these two authors would fall for each other while competing to write in the other’s genre? Sure. Did I believe they’d keep having the same emotional argument fifty-seven times instead of using their big writer words to talk like grownups? Not so much. The emotional beats sometimes felt a little choreographed, like: insert trauma reveal here, cue slow dancing there. And the resolution with January’s dad and Sonya fizzled after all the buildup. Still, the push and pull between Gus and January made sense in a “two people with intimacy issues cosplaying as enemies” kind of way.
Let’s talk relationship realism. Did I believe these two authors would fall for each other while competing to write in the other’s genre? Sure. Did I believe they’d keep having the same emotional argument fifty-seven times instead of using their big writer words to talk like grownups? Not so much. The emotional beats sometimes felt a little choreographed, like: insert trauma reveal here, cue slow dancing there. And the resolution with January’s dad and Sonya fizzled after all the buildup. Still, the push and pull between Gus and January made sense in a “two people with intimacy issues cosplaying as enemies” kind of way.
Enjoyment – 8/10
Did I laugh? Yes. Cry? Yes. Briefly contemplate throwing my phone into the lake during a monologue about the meaninglessness of life? Also yes. Beach Read was not the frothy, flirty beach vacation I was promised—it was more like falling in love at a funeral. But it delivered a slow-burn romance with teeth, humor with bite, and enough existential dread to keep things grounded. I didn’t escape reading it, but I felt something. And I’ll recommend it—with the caveat that you might leave the book a little more emotionally wrecked than when you started.
Did I laugh? Yes. Cry? Yes. Briefly contemplate throwing my phone into the lake during a monologue about the meaninglessness of life? Also yes. Beach Read was not the frothy, flirty beach vacation I was promised—it was more like falling in love at a funeral. But it delivered a slow-burn romance with teeth, humor with bite, and enough existential dread to keep things grounded. I didn’t escape reading it, but I felt something. And I’ll recommend it—with the caveat that you might leave the book a little more emotionally wrecked than when you started.
Final Score: 54.5/70
A romance with a literary fiction complex. Funny, raw, a little overstuffed, but hard not to love—even when it hurts your feelings and eats your heart like a sad, sexy piranha.
A romance with a literary fiction complex. Funny, raw, a little overstuffed, but hard not to love—even when it hurts your feelings and eats your heart like a sad, sexy piranha.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual content
While Beach Read deals with heavier themes like grief, betrayal, and emotional struggles, it balances them with humor and romance. The emotional weight of the book might be difficult for readers going through similar personal experiences, especially in relation to losing a parent or discovering family secrets. However, the story ultimately leans hopeful and cathartic rather than overwhelmingly dark.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
an easy-to-follow story! i used this as a background book while working/cleaning/etc.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Death of parent
Minor: Physical abuse, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. It was my first Emily Henry novel and I’ll definitely read more of her work. January and Gus’s story was so beautiful. Both of them working through their grief together and separately was a beautiful thing to witness through the pages.
“Happy For Now”
“Happy For Now”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity