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funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
This book was fine, but I don't get the hype it got.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Vomit
Minor: Drug use, Excrement, Car accident
Cults
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For my full review of this book and more, visit my blog at: https://leahs-books.com/2021/01/07/beach-read/
Let me start out by saying that this is my first time writing an official review on my blog for an audiobook, and this is a whole different animal. So please don’t get mad that I didn’t include any quotes — it’s super hard to get verbatim quotes while listening to an audiobook.
I have no idea why I was so resistant to reading this book initially, because it’s absolutely amazing! What isn’t to like — two authors with writer’s block living next door to each other, in a writing competition against each other, where they’re guaranteed not to fall in love. What could possibly go wrong?
The narrator was cast perfectly. Her voice was exactly as I’d have pictured January’s to be in my head, and it made her character feel so much more real to me. Also, for some reason, I’ve noticed that the funny parts sound so much funnier when they’re read out loud for some reason. And there were a lot of funny parts!
Even with all of the funny parts, there was also a lot of angst involved in the story as well. Both January and Augustus have their own challenges, but we don’t learn about his until much later in the book. January has lost her faith in romance after her father’s death and what she learned about him. How can she continue writing the romances that she’s known for? No wonder she’s got writer’s block! So when she and Gus strike a deal to swap genres, I knew this was going to be great.
They start going on weekly research outings. Gus takes January on dark and twisty field trips, and she brings him out on sweet and romantic ones. But part of the deal involves them not falling in love with each other. I think it’s pretty obvious what is going to happen. There’s plenty of pining, and this was not anything close to the fluffy read that I was expecting. It was so much more than I could have hoped for.
Along the way, we meet some awesome supporting characters. I especially loved Pete and Shadi, who added depth and personality to the story. They’re hilarious, and Shadi is the perfect example of a true ride-or-die friend. You know, the kind who can make you laugh even when you don’t want to, the one who knows exactly what to say or do no matter what is going on, and the one who will drop everything and come running when you need them. She’s the friend that every woman needs. Pete is the no-nonsense aunt who tells it like it is, even if she has no idea how terrible her drinks are. And the one quote that sticks out to me is the book club that January jokingly refers to as:
“…spies and liquefied pies.”
That one made me laugh out loud. But that certainly wasn’t the only funny line in the story. I loved everything about this book. I went from laughing at some points, to feeling the pain and frustration that these characters were experiencing, and crying (both happy and sad tears) multiple times throughout the story. This is absolutely a book not to miss, and it’s definitely worth all the hype. Just in case I’m not the last person in the bookish world to read it, and you haven’t read it yet, go pick it up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Alcoholism, Physical abuse
emotional
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this one boring to be honest!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LISTEN who amongst us hasn't taken multiple writing classes in college with the same person with whom you had a weird antagonistic sexual tension??? And who hasn't fantasized about running into that person again and striking up a whirlwind romance, during which they tell you that 1. they've always wanted to fuck you and, more importantly, 2. they've always respected you as a writer??? WHO?!???? Just me and January? Ok whatever anyway emily henry wrote this for me specifically I guess
Except for the part where the two leads are definitely alcoholics. Worried about them tbh
Except for the part where the two leads are definitely alcoholics. Worried about them tbh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was such a fun read. I'd especially recommend it to others like myself who have to essentially be tricked into reading romance. It's not "just" a romance novel, there's other stuff going on in the plot, and the female characters are fully fleshed out and respected and treated as humans by the male characters. Buuuut there's also just enough romance and steamy scenes to satisfy that craving we all know we have for some butterfly-inducing reading. :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief
Minor: Alcoholism
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed reading this and just whipped through it! I thought the mirroring was really clever, and the characters were different enough without being totally clashing. However, I don't enjoy one character really feeling entitled to know everything (including really personal info) about someone they don't know very well, so it felt a bit unbalanced on that point. It was somehow both exactly and completely different than what I was expecting! The banter was great.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity
Parent death
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism