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emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's not really a beach read in my opinion, and also not as lighthearted as I'd expected. I enjoyed the first third of book but then just kind of lost interest in the storyline??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
mostly spoiler free, some vague things mentioned
I have a complicated relationship with this book. At times, I really loved it, especially in the beginning, getting to know those characters, their dynamics, starting to root for them.
I also had a lot of issues with the book, some just inherent to straight romance, some not.
First and foremost, my goodness the alcohol consumption. I know it's super normalised in society, but they were truly drunk So Much in this book, I got tired of it real fast.
“If we drank green smoothies like we drink alcohol, we would live forever.”
They were self-aware about it at least, but I was still so done with it by the end. We live in a society of alcoholics and we need to stop endorsing and normalising it.
Then, Gus and January. I mostly liked them together! They had chemistry and really fun and sweet moments. But it was incredibly odd how January so often went from being sad, grieving, and not in a good place, to horny and ready to jump him just because he gave her a hug.
Granted, I'm incredibly asexual, so maybe I just don't get it, but that ruined my immersion multiple times. Maybe it's just me, but if I was JUST thinking about my deceased father, I don't want to jump a guy's bones when he hugs me for comfort.
And then, we have the inherent issue I have with straight romance: the lack of stakes and forced drama.
Because let's face if, you're two contemporary straight people in America, there is literally no obstacles to your relationship. You just need one conversation about everything and then you can have your happiness! I get that with January grieving and Gus going through his stuff tm there were some issues, but again, one solid conversation to clear it up?
And again, January points out that the miscommunication is a trope fabricated by her because she'd rather not know than talk openly, but at some point, girl, you can't just go on like that? Self-awareness doesn't remove the trope being used! If anything, it pulls more focus to it!
Still, I enjoyed the characters and the writing, their relationships for the most part, and the plot overall. It just also had me suspend my disbelief a bunch and roll my eyes at some things. But so is the experience of reading straight romance as someone who massively prefers queer romance. It is a great feat that I finished this at all, I've DNFed so much straight romance, so for that, it does deserve those 4 stars because while not perfect, it was a really good, fun book!
I have a complicated relationship with this book. At times, I really loved it, especially in the beginning, getting to know those characters, their dynamics, starting to root for them.
I also had a lot of issues with the book, some just inherent to straight romance, some not.
First and foremost, my goodness the alcohol consumption. I know it's super normalised in society, but they were truly drunk So Much in this book, I got tired of it real fast.
“If we drank green smoothies like we drink alcohol, we would live forever.”
They were self-aware about it at least, but I was still so done with it by the end. We live in a society of alcoholics and we need to stop endorsing and normalising it.
Then, Gus and January. I mostly liked them together! They had chemistry and really fun and sweet moments. But it was incredibly odd how January so often went from being sad, grieving, and not in a good place, to horny and ready to jump him just because he gave her a hug.
Granted, I'm incredibly asexual, so maybe I just don't get it, but that ruined my immersion multiple times. Maybe it's just me, but if I was JUST thinking about my deceased father, I don't want to jump a guy's bones when he hugs me for comfort.
And then, we have the inherent issue I have with straight romance: the lack of stakes and forced drama.
Because let's face if, you're two contemporary straight people in America, there is literally no obstacles to your relationship. You just need one conversation about everything and then you can have your happiness! I get that with January grieving and Gus going through his stuff tm there were some issues, but again, one solid conversation to clear it up?
And again, January points out that the miscommunication is a trope fabricated by her because she'd rather not know than talk openly, but at some point, girl, you can't just go on like that? Self-awareness doesn't remove the trope being used! If anything, it pulls more focus to it!
Still, I enjoyed the characters and the writing, their relationships for the most part, and the plot overall. It just also had me suspend my disbelief a bunch and roll my eyes at some things. But so is the experience of reading straight romance as someone who massively prefers queer romance. It is a great feat that I finished this at all, I've DNFed so much straight romance, so for that, it does deserve those 4 stars because while not perfect, it was a really good, fun book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
This was a solid read, but I still preferred Book Lovers. The characters were really well developed and I was rooting for them up until like 80% through. I loved the way Emily Henry dug into grief, family secrets, and how our past shapes who we trust and how we love. The FMC’s writer’s block being tied to her heartbreak and betrayal felt so raw and real, and the MMC’s own layers of pain explained his cynicism. Their banter made me laugh, and the slow-burn tension felt authentic and vulnerable.
That said, the pacing dragged in spots, and the miscommunication at the end felt a little foolish to me. I also wanted more clarity around the MMC’s emotional availability. Still, I’m glad I read this one—it wasn’t the cheesy rom com I was expecting at all, but something much deeper and more interesting.
That said, the pacing dragged in spots, and the miscommunication at the end felt a little foolish to me. I also wanted more clarity around the MMC’s emotional availability. Still, I’m glad I read this one—it wasn’t the cheesy rom com I was expecting at all, but something much deeper and more interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Beach Read by Emily Henry was such an unexpected mix of heartbreak, banter, and healing that I couldn’t put it down.
January is a romance writer who once believed in happily-ever-afters because of her parents’ love story, but after her father’s sudden death and the painful truth of his affair, she’s left disillusioned and lost. With no home or direction, she ends up at her father’s secret beach house to try and write again. Enter Augustus Everett — her grumpy, brilliant, and frustratingly attractive college rival who just happens to live next door. He writes darker, literary fiction, and the two strike a deal to swap genres for the summer: she’ll write something tragic, he’ll try his hand at romance. What starts as a competition quickly becomes something deeper, as they challenge each other, peel back old wounds, and slowly fall into a love story neither of them thought they believed in anymore.
I loved how Emily Henry explored grief, family secrets, and how our past shapes our ability to trust and love. January’s journey felt raw and real— her writer’s block wasn’t just creative, it was tied to her heartbreak and betrayal. Gus, meanwhile, had his own layers of pain that explained his cynicism, and their slow-burn connection had just the right mix of tension and vulnerability. Their banter genuinely made me laugh, and the way they challenged each other’s worldviews felt so authentic.
That said at times the pacing dragged with some of the cult interview plotlines, and I occasionally wanted more clarity around Gus’s emotional availability (he was broody a little too long). Still, the payoff was worth it — their romance felt hard-won, messy, and true.
If you love books that blend witty romance with deeper emotional themes of loss, healing, and learning to believe in love again, Beach Read is absolutely worth picking up.
January is a romance writer who once believed in happily-ever-afters because of her parents’ love story, but after her father’s sudden death and the painful truth of his affair, she’s left disillusioned and lost. With no home or direction, she ends up at her father’s secret beach house to try and write again. Enter Augustus Everett — her grumpy, brilliant, and frustratingly attractive college rival who just happens to live next door. He writes darker, literary fiction, and the two strike a deal to swap genres for the summer: she’ll write something tragic, he’ll try his hand at romance. What starts as a competition quickly becomes something deeper, as they challenge each other, peel back old wounds, and slowly fall into a love story neither of them thought they believed in anymore.
I loved how Emily Henry explored grief, family secrets, and how our past shapes our ability to trust and love. January’s journey felt raw and real— her writer’s block wasn’t just creative, it was tied to her heartbreak and betrayal. Gus, meanwhile, had his own layers of pain that explained his cynicism, and their slow-burn connection had just the right mix of tension and vulnerability. Their banter genuinely made me laugh, and the way they challenged each other’s worldviews felt so authentic.
That said at times the pacing dragged with some of the cult interview plotlines, and I occasionally wanted more clarity around Gus’s emotional availability (he was broody a little too long). Still, the payoff was worth it — their romance felt hard-won, messy, and true.
If you love books that blend witty romance with deeper emotional themes of loss, healing, and learning to believe in love again, Beach Read is absolutely worth picking up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Infidelity
Minor: Domestic abuse, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The novel starts slow, gets good in the middle, and then drops off towards the end.
It felt like a self-insert novel but I'm really not familiar with Emily Henry's background and don't think it's good to speculate on her personal life. I am honestly interested in reading Gus's and January's books that the author described in the book more than anything, but whether or not it will actually be published is yet to be seen.
The inner monologues and reflections moved me, but the romance between the characters themselves really didn't do much for me.
It felt like a self-insert novel but I'm really not familiar with Emily Henry's background and don't think it's good to speculate on her personal life. I am honestly interested in reading Gus's and January's books that the author described in the book more than anything, but whether or not it will actually be published is yet to be seen.
The inner monologues and reflections moved me, but the romance between the characters themselves really didn't do much for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
Emily Henry has easily become one of my favorites and she’s an absolute must-read for me at this point. I’ve had this one on my shelf for way too long and I’m so glad I finally got around to it this summer. I am classic for not really reading a synopsis before I dive into a book because I typically enjoy not fully knowing what to expect and this was one of those times. All of my assumptions came from the title and cover and this story was so much more than a “beach read.” There was so much depth and meaning behind January and Gus’ story that really made it more powerful and emotional. We get more than just a romance, we get a story about family, grief and life. I found it beautifully written and a top 3 Em Hen read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
4❤️ 2🌶️
Spicy Chapters - 21, 23
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Having read several of Emily Henry’s novels, I decided to pick up this one simply due to the fact that it had “beach” in the title and it was August. Well, that and the need for a lighter read.
As I began reading,I realised that there was something about this story that reminded me of “Book Lovers” in that it explored a lot of tropes of the romance genre while telling the story of two characters that work in publishing. Similarly, this book delves into what it takes to write a book with a HEA or a piece of literary fiction, especially when overcoming writer’s block. Ironically, the author wrote this at a time when she was feeling uninspired so used that lack of inspiration as a basis for this story.
Of course, this being an Emily Henry book, it is a also a romance with a kind of meet-cute / second time around / rivals-to colleagues-to-lovers vibe going on but with two very well fleshed out characters that are just trying to get over their individual traumas as well as trying to get their novels finished. So naturally, they make a deal to switch genres.
This novel was a slow burn that was as much emotional and physical (🌶️). Despite a bit of a slow start, I loved the concept, the writing, the banter, the characters and the chemistry. Henry never disappoints in her books that go beyond simply romance or chick-lit into something more.
I found “Beach Read” to be an enjoyable and romantic novel with depth. You start expecting a formulaic story that ticks the trope boxes but, by the end you realise you have read a balanced story about two people that is equal parts drama and comedy that is just… love and life.
4.75 stars 🤓📚
@emilyhenry
#beachread
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content