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adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Grief
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Sexism, Terminal illness, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
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
👩🏻😢💀😡🧔🏻♂️👩🏻🤝📅📕👩❤️💋👨☔️💃🕺🫵😭🔚
Did I laugh? Yes
Did I cry? Yes
Will I read it again? Yes
Did I laugh? Yes
Did I cry? Yes
Will I read it again? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Vomit, Grief
Minor: Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While the writing is classic Emily Henry and I resonated with the writer's block, I felt like there was actually too much backstory/plot and not enough romance, which surprised me because Emily is usually SPOT on in her romances.
I felt like they were already super attracted to each other from the beginning and I didn't really get to see the romance build, and him being married prior just felt like an unnecessary plot point.
However, it was still enjoyable.
However, it was still enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Terminal illness
emotional
funny
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
a lot could've been solved by communicating
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Terminal illness, Death of parent
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A nice, sweet romance novel. I liked the book, but it’s not a standout or life changing read. However, that’s not the authors intention (I don’t think). I liked the complexity of the characters but didn’t find that the end was uplifting or promising. Like, I wouldn’t expect this couple to last after the semi-slow burn and crash at the end. Pete and Maggie made this book a gem to read, IMO! I love Pete and the humor in this book. I think we could have done without the dead dad and letters plot line. Honestly, I didn’t really care about the dad or his affair (this isn’t really a spoiler given it’s brought to our attention in the first chapter). January is a nice name! I liked the names in the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While I was reading this book, I kept thinking, “I know I say I read and enjoy any genre, but I also know contemporary romance is my least-read, and maybe I am actually not that into it if this is anything to go by.” But then I spoke to two dedicated romance readers, one of whom has given every other Emily Henry book five stars, and neither of them were fussed with Beach Read either. So maybe it wasn’t just me.
Beach Read is the story of two very different writers from very different walks of life who make a wager to see who can be the first to sell a book written in the other’s genre. It was an interesting premise, but it ended up feeling very tonally uneven.
Gus is a literary fiction author writing a book about cult survivors and other heavy subjects, partly as way to process his own broken childhood. Add to that that the MFC has recently learned her father was conducting an affair for years before he died, and her mother knew all about it… it didn’t feel like a romcom. Except when it did, like when the residents of the small town meddle in the main characters’ love lives.
I just couldn’t get a handle on the book, I guess, or its characters. Sex in a tent just across from the remains of a cult compound where people burned to death (yes, really!) just doesn’t really do it for me, and neither did the rest of the book. I’m not sure I will completely write off Emily Henry just because of an unenjoyable first experience, but I probably won’t be rushing out to read her other books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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: Infidelity, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Emotional abuse
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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:
No
It's books like this that make me wonder why I wait so long to read certain books. I loved everything about this, the romance, the banter, the notes, the challenge, the deepness of what the characters are going through, how real it made them seem, all of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual content, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I actually hated this for the first third.
It was my first Emily Henry book and I was cringing soo hard when reading (and not in a good way).
I must admit it kinda grew on me and I quite liked the characters though some of the names were really ridiculous (January and August?? Seriously?) and then there were throwaway lines to Sharyn and Karyn (like sharing is caring??) I was just done with it.
I don’t like dnf‘ing though so I stuck it out and as it turns out it wasn’t so bad after all. Still cringe and there was way to much crying but it was fine.
The romance was fine, I really liked the premise and I’m a bit sad the second half of the book barely mentioned it / didn’t focus on it more but that seems to be a thing with straight romance.
Also it felt like they were drinking all the time and also drinking and driving and I was not a fan at all.
I still have two more Emily Henry books and I’ll probably give em a try but I’m certainly in no hurry.
It was my first Emily Henry book and I was cringing soo hard when reading (and not in a good way).
I must admit it kinda grew on me and I quite liked the characters though some of the names were really ridiculous (January and August?? Seriously?) and then there were throwaway lines to Sharyn and Karyn (like sharing is caring??) I was just done with it.
I don’t like dnf‘ing though so I stuck it out and as it turns out it wasn’t so bad after all. Still cringe and there was way to much crying but it was fine.
The romance was fine, I really liked the premise and I’m a bit sad the second half of the book barely mentioned it / didn’t focus on it more but that seems to be a thing with straight romance.
Also it felt like they were drinking all the time and also drinking and driving and I was not a fan at all.
I still have two more Emily Henry books and I’ll probably give em a try but I’m certainly in no hurry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Vomit, Death of parent, Alcohol
funny
lighthearted
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
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Death of parent
Minor: Vomit