Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Still don’t understand why Gus and January were so obsessed with each other other than being hot, and their lack of communication just made me mad during the middle 3rd of the book. Overall good though, just not a very likeable protag
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
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
I found Beach Read harder to get into than Emily Henry's other books, but I still really enjoyed myself. The characters took me longer to warm to, too. The main characters were both messy in their own ways, with tonnes of baggage, though that itself wasn't the issue. I think it was that I was expected January to be more... well, more of a hopeless romantic. You know, the way she is described in the blurb. But she really, really wasn't. She was more cynical and pessimistic than any other character, including so-called cynic, Gus. It's not surprising considering what she has been through, but still... It was also frustrating watching her self-sabotage time and time again. Like, c'mon, have a conversation BEFORE jumping to conclusions? No miscommunication tropes here, just straight up lack-of-communication and jumping-to-conclusions tropes, if those exist.
There was also quite a lack of beach time for a book named Beach Read.
There was also quite a lack of beach time for a book named Beach Read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Vomit, Medical trauma, Alcohol
Minor: Medical content, Religious bigotry, Car accident
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i will start by saying gus is fine. i would fall as well. but talk about struggling with standards.
i picked this up in waverly train station in edinburgh because i hadn't read anything my entire trip, ice was on the ground and i was hoping if i read something with beach in the title that summer would come quicker. it did not. and lily was right about the lack of beach scenes. disappointing for a literal BEACH READ.
the first 2/3 of this book was fun and i like both gus and january as characters. you can appreciate their conflicts as realistic and immense daddy issues and whilst the plot wasn't really there, i had fun just watching them connect and flit around michigan as unemployed creatives.
however, i fear we have found another case of third act syndrome. i don't think it was a bad ending by any means but it did feel at times half baked and honestly, a bit rando?? i can even pinpoint the exact point at which my eyebrows flew off my head. call me conservative but i don't think it was entirely necessary for these two to bump uglies 3 TIMES next to an arsoned out, baby-death, cult site. that was certainly one of emily henry's most creative choices i've seen to date.
as for the actual plot, it just didn't feel like things weren't as wrapped us as they could've been, which could be argued for given the nature of the book. but i do think we got robbed a little bit of any thorough conversation between january and her mum. i understand her mum's thing means that she refuses to acknowledge her grief or talk about it but i think the moment she calls her mum telling her that she needs her could have been that moment. i think it was obvious that the confrontation with sonya was inevitable but i was waiting for 300 pages for that conversation with her mum that just never came.
also gus's ex randomly showing up?? sometimes i forget he was even married and i think january did as well. and there was absolutely no need for him to just take off for a full day like that. i know he tried to call her but not even a text?? are you mad???
like i said, i did like both of them and in my head, joe jonas was a good gus but it felt very much scraping bare minimum. even that felt like a stretch at times.
i'm also deducting points for the full body cringe i got when i read "i don't mind snow as long as there's january". intolerable.
also, im glad i got the correct ending without the proposal and just have a nice little book dedication that felt more authentic to gus and january. after all, it has only been 9 months and getting engaged after that long is absolute insanity, but i think that speaks more to american values of romance than the book's so i'll let it slide.
at it's core, beach read is really just about two sexually depraved loners with extreme daddy issues who have never gotten over anything or each others ever in their lives and nobody else could love them like the other. probably better on re-read if you suspend expectations of it being an actual beach read.
i picked this up in waverly train station in edinburgh because i hadn't read anything my entire trip, ice was on the ground and i was hoping if i read something with beach in the title that summer would come quicker. it did not. and lily was right about the lack of beach scenes. disappointing for a literal BEACH READ.
the first 2/3 of this book was fun and i like both gus and january as characters. you can appreciate their conflicts as realistic and immense daddy issues and whilst the plot wasn't really there, i had fun just watching them connect and flit around michigan as unemployed creatives.
however, i fear we have found another case of third act syndrome. i don't think it was a bad ending by any means but it did feel at times half baked and honestly, a bit rando?? i can even pinpoint the exact point at which my eyebrows flew off my head. call me conservative but i don't think it was entirely necessary for these two to bump uglies 3 TIMES next to an arsoned out, baby-death, cult site. that was certainly one of emily henry's most creative choices i've seen to date.
as for the actual plot, it just didn't feel like things weren't as wrapped us as they could've been, which could be argued for given the nature of the book. but i do think we got robbed a little bit of any thorough conversation between january and her mum. i understand her mum's thing means that she refuses to acknowledge her grief or talk about it but i think the moment she calls her mum telling her that she needs her could have been that moment. i think it was obvious that the confrontation with sonya was inevitable but i was waiting for 300 pages for that conversation with her mum that just never came.
also gus's ex randomly showing up?? sometimes i forget he was even married and i think january did as well. and there was absolutely no need for him to just take off for a full day like that. i know he tried to call her but not even a text?? are you mad???
like i said, i did like both of them and in my head, joe jonas was a good gus but it felt very much scraping bare minimum. even that felt like a stretch at times.
i'm also deducting points for the full body cringe i got when i read "i don't mind snow as long as there's january". intolerable.
also, im glad i got the correct ending without the proposal and just have a nice little book dedication that felt more authentic to gus and january. after all, it has only been 9 months and getting engaged after that long is absolute insanity, but i think that speaks more to american values of romance than the book's so i'll let it slide.
at it's core, beach read is really just about two sexually depraved loners with extreme daddy issues who have never gotten over anything or each others ever in their lives and nobody else could love them like the other. probably better on re-read if you suspend expectations of it being an actual beach read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Body horror, Child death, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment
emotional
funny
hopeful
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 mean, it's a rom-com set in a lakeside town about an author with written block, getting it on with another author/guy she fancied in college. It has it's flaws but ultimately it's a great, feel good rom-com.
Some things of note:
-Bless her fornot reading the letter from her Dad immediately. I'm glad she found she had so many more of them to hold onto.
-The sarcastic banter. Top notch.
-You could cut the sexual tension with a knife.
-The part whereher father's affair partner forces her to listen to what she has to say when she's clearly already crying and not ready to/interested in listening was brutal. Just because you feel like you need to say something doesn't mean she has to listen!
-The cult stuff felt a bit odd to include in a rom-com of this vibe. I'm assuming that this is the cater to the true crime obsessed?
-Them finallybreaking the sexual tension with sex... In the tent by the burnt out graveyard of the cult? After they'd both been so affected by seeing it? But somehow immediately forgot about that? Like what?
-The 'this can't get any worse, then the Labrador farted' bit 😂
- Further to this,if they had just set the tent up for keeping their laptops dry if it rained, surely they wouldn't have brought sleeping mats and sleeping bags? So how did they spend the night? Surely it was the most uncomfortable place to have sex then sleep?
- Is it just me that found the ending reallystupid? How is 'oh yeah, I ignored you after my wife turned up because I wanted to go back with her when she asked but actually after 24 hours I guess I like you a lot more' good? That's so hurtful!
- Mix that withthe 'marriage is the worst and if I think about it, you're the only person where the idea of it doesn't fill me with utter dread' and it's comes off even stranger. Flash to the epilogue where they're getting engaged a year after the start of the book/meeting (again). I get that he was saying marrying her didn't feel like an awful idea but with it being in what was basically a speech about marriage filling him with dread it felt odd.
When I started the book, I hated it. It was the 'I'm a romance author and just luuuvv talking about my life in third person, oh what am I like!' but at the start that almost did me in but this was thankfully dropped almost immediately.
I almost stopped reading pretty quickly but I'm glad I kept on with it and ultimately, it was a really fun rom-com and exactly what I was in the mood for.
Some things of note:
-Bless her for
-The sarcastic banter. Top notch.
-You could cut the sexual tension with a knife.
-The part where
-
-Them finally
-The 'this can't get any worse, then the Labrador farted' bit 😂
- Further to this,
- Is it just me that found the ending really
- Mix that with
When I started the book, I hated it. It was the 'I'm a romance author and just luuuvv talking about my life in third person, oh what am I like!' but at the start that almost did me in but this was thankfully dropped almost immediately.
I almost stopped reading pretty quickly but I'm glad I kept on with it and ultimately, it was a really fun rom-com and exactly what I was in the mood for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment
Minor: Drug use
Cult, Suicide cult, Affair
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent
challenging
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:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Somehow I had a hunch in the beginning that this book was meant to be savored, not rushed through to get to the end. And boy I wasn't wrong.
January Andrews, a popular romance writer moves into a lake house for the summer to spend her days by the water clearing her writer's block so that she can write her next bestseller and meanwhile comes face to face with some family secrets that upended her life. Coincidentally, she comes across Augustus Everett, a famous literary fiction writer as her neighbour who also happened to be her college nemesis. Lo and behold, Gus is also going through a tough writing process. So, together they strike a deal to get out of this rut by switching out their preferred writing genre with each other and help one another to understand the process of writing their newly assigned genre fiction. The only condition is that : they must not fall in love with each other. Righttt.
This was my first time reading an Emily Henry book therefore I wasn't sure what to expect. What drew me in was the promise of good old trope enemies-to-lovers romance. But, it was more than that. There was ample of witty, flirty and humourous banter between Gus and January that sure had me laughing but in between there were also family dramas, insecurities, betrayal, heartbreak, lust, angst, unconditional parental love, battle with terminal illness, abusive relationship, perseverance, friendship that withstand every ups and downs of life, grief of losing a loved one, joy, new found hope, second chance at love, trust, happiness and life - an amalgamation of contrasting experiences of human life skillfully captured by the author between the pages. I could relate with January on a personal level regarding her never ending grief of paternal loss. That's why when she started reading those letters from her father my heart felt like it was breaking into tiny little pieces. It was somewhat a cathartic experience nevertheless.
While January might be sometimes a little awkward, blunt who wears her heart on her sleeves, oftentimes her spurts of contemplation and maturity took me by surprise. Whereas Gus was the broody, mysterious one who prefers to keep his emotions in check and his considerateness proved that he's more than meets the eye. Although their perception of life, values, beliefs might not be the same but somehow they click together perfectly. Both of their journeys of self-discovery intertwined with the process from their disliking for one another to companionship and ultimately towards intimacy was beautifully woven. Even though the entire book is written from January's POV the few inclusion of Gus's POV made it worthwhile. The crackling tension between these two was so palpable that I was about to lose my goddamn mind. Every word coming out of Gus' mouth had me sighing, giggling, blushing and swooning! He's the true gem.
The title mi ht seem to be a deceiving one because it's not your typical fun, light beach read rather it consists of more substance and emotional depth than it suggests. It's another evidence of the author's incisive humour which was present throughout the book and her attempt to make a clever jab at the common perception of women's literary fiction. Even though the ending was wholesome, I was hoping to get more of January and Gus as a couple living together but I guess the author was mindful to pay attention to their need for happy-for-now. Regardless, the rollercoaster ride of emotions, infused with a healthy dose of sarcasm and love written with perfect pace made the journey of Gus and January and unforgettable read and they will always have a piece of my heart.
January Andrews, a popular romance writer moves into a lake house for the summer to spend her days by the water clearing her writer's block so that she can write her next bestseller and meanwhile comes face to face with some family secrets that upended her life. Coincidentally, she comes across Augustus Everett, a famous literary fiction writer as her neighbour who also happened to be her college nemesis. Lo and behold, Gus is also going through a tough writing process. So, together they strike a deal to get out of this rut by switching out their preferred writing genre with each other and help one another to understand the process of writing their newly assigned genre fiction. The only condition is that : they must not fall in love with each other. Righttt.
This was my first time reading an Emily Henry book therefore I wasn't sure what to expect. What drew me in was the promise of good old trope enemies-to-lovers romance. But, it was more than that. There was ample of witty, flirty and humourous banter between Gus and January that sure had me laughing but in between there were also family dramas, insecurities, betrayal, heartbreak, lust, angst, unconditional parental love, battle with terminal illness, abusive relationship, perseverance, friendship that withstand every ups and downs of life, grief of losing a loved one, joy, new found hope, second chance at love, trust, happiness and life - an amalgamation of contrasting experiences of human life skillfully captured by the author between the pages. I could relate with January on a personal level regarding her never ending grief of paternal loss. That's why when she started reading those letters from her father my heart felt like it was breaking into tiny little pieces. It was somewhat a cathartic experience nevertheless.
While January might be sometimes a little awkward, blunt who wears her heart on her sleeves, oftentimes her spurts of contemplation and maturity took me by surprise. Whereas Gus was the broody, mysterious one who prefers to keep his emotions in check and his considerateness proved that he's more than meets the eye. Although their perception of life, values, beliefs might not be the same but somehow they click together perfectly. Both of their journeys of self-discovery intertwined with the process from their disliking for one another to companionship and ultimately towards intimacy was beautifully woven. Even though the entire book is written from January's POV the few inclusion of Gus's POV made it worthwhile. The crackling tension between these two was so palpable that I was about to lose my goddamn mind. Every word coming out of Gus' mouth had me sighing, giggling, blushing and swooning! He's the true gem.
The title mi ht seem to be a deceiving one because it's not your typical fun, light beach read rather it consists of more substance and emotional depth than it suggests. It's another evidence of the author's incisive humour which was present throughout the book and her attempt to make a clever jab at the common perception of women's literary fiction. Even though the ending was wholesome, I was hoping to get more of January and Gus as a couple living together but I guess the author was mindful to pay attention to their need for happy-for-now. Regardless, the rollercoaster ride of emotions, infused with a healthy dose of sarcasm and love written with perfect pace made the journey of Gus and January and unforgettable read and they will always have a piece of my heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Medical trauma, Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Medical trauma
Minor: Vomit