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emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
my first emily henry book and it was so good. i really loved the depth of gus and january and how they balanced each other without attempting to “fix” each other. it made me giggle and made me cry and overall just made my heart happy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit
funny
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
As someone who's not typically a big romance reader, I honestly liked this book more than I expected to! It struck a good balance between fluffy, funny, and serious. At first I was worried that the story would lean too heavily into the "grumpy/sunshine" trope, but I actually really liked how the relationship between Gus and January developed. The way they interacted and spoke to each other was realistic and fun, and made me actually smile and laugh a couple of times. I also thought the steamy scenes were well done. No overly cringey synonyms for genitals - we love to see it!
There were some aspects of the book that didn't feel quite right to me (like the subplot ofGus's divorce ), and I think if those had been shortened or removed altogether, there would have been more space to flesh out January's relationship with her mom, or for Shadi to get more airtime. I also wasn't a fan of the last chapter, but I understand that it's difficult to wrap up a romance story in a way that doesn't feel predictable or tropey. Still, the things I didn't like about the book didn't ruin it by any stretch - I thought it was a sweet story. This is the second Emily Henry book I've read (the first being Happy Place, which I think I liked a little more than Beach Read), and I love that her stories are never *just* about romance. There's always an underlying theme of family dynamics, or friendships, or some other form of love that the MCs embrace in addition to their romantic relationship, and I think that's a lovely message.
There were some aspects of the book that didn't feel quite right to me (like the subplot of
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Sexual content
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Dare I say my favorite contemporary romance read of 2024? Bonus points for it taking place in a beach town in West Michigan AND including a scene watching the sunset over Lake Michigan (aka my personal favorite pass-time). This felt like a breath of fresh air. Even with some of the cancer stuff hitting a little too close to home, this truly felt like an escape for me. I laughed. I cried (both happy and sad tears). I absolutely loved this. My personal perfect summer read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Car accident, Abandonment
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Car accident, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual content, Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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:
Yes
i enjoyed this but not as much as People We Meet On Vacation.
i didn’t connect with January and Gus all that much. also, the amount of times Gus’s “crooked mouth” and “inky, dark eyes” was brought up was actually insane. i imagine this is what he looked like half the time —-> ⚫️🫦⚫️
this book did have cute moments and i liked the cheesy ending. maybe the next Emily Henry book will be a another hit for me.
i didn’t connect with January and Gus all that much. also, the amount of times Gus’s “crooked mouth” and “inky, dark eyes” was brought up was actually insane. i imagine this is what he looked like half the time —-> ⚫️🫦⚫️
this book did have cute moments and i liked the cheesy ending. maybe the next Emily Henry book will be a another hit for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Infidelity