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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
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
rtc
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, Alcohol
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
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
hopeful
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
I appreciate the reality Henry brings to her books. The characters are believably flawed and the conflicts aren’t contrived.
Beach Read is lovely and reminded me that life is hard, life can hurt, but it’s also made up of parts, and many of those parts are beautiful and bright. The brightness makes the dark survivable.
Beach Read is lovely and reminded me that life is hard, life can hurt, but it’s also made up of parts, and many of those parts are beautiful and bright. The brightness makes the dark survivable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Alcohol
Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
The book is about two authors, one of whom is researching a cult for a book. There aren’t details of the cult, but they do visit the burned remains of the compound in a scene.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-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: Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i was honestly so disappointed by this book :( i really enjoyed book lovers when i read it last year, so i was super excited to read henry's other novels, but this one just didn't do it for me. it took me a while to get invested in the story and characters, finally hit a sweet spot towards the middle of the book where i was interested and thought i might end up liking it, but lost interest again and disliked where it went near the end.
i did not find the characters very likable and i found it especially hard to root for january (also who names someone january? june was right there! ugh). her decisions and attitude seem so immature for someone her age, but i will cut her some slack because of her daddy issues. speaking of which, is anyone else sick of the dead parent trope? i know i am :,) january and gus' family troubles and the cult b-plot definitely made this a much more emotional read when i was totally expecting something light, cute, and summery. i mean, they only read on the beach once!! and it's in the epilogue!! you're killing me, henry.
i think my gripes with the plot/characters would've been easier to ignore if i liked the actual romance, but again, it just didn't work for me. didn't care for their style of flirting (the dialogue was so unrealistic and try-hard), wayyyyy too much miscommunication for two grown adults, and the sex scenes totally caught me off guard in a bad way.
overall, i can totally understand why so many people love this, and if you are one of those people, no shame to you. there were some good parts, i loved the side characters, the main characters were redeemable at times, and i appreciate what the cult b-plot was trying to do as well as what henry was trying to do by tackling some heavier topics in this book. i simply could not suspend my disbelief to go along with the overall plot and the romantic tropes aren't for me. this definitely turned me off a bit to henry's wiritng, but i do not think it will not stop me from checking out her other books. i am definitely still curious about some of them and i think she includes very unique and compelling topics in her stories.
i did not find the characters very likable and i found it especially hard to root for january (also who names someone january? june was right there! ugh). her decisions and attitude seem so immature for someone her age, but i will cut her some slack because of her daddy issues. speaking of which, is anyone else sick of the dead parent trope? i know i am :,) january and gus' family troubles and the cult b-plot definitely made this a much more emotional read when i was totally expecting something light, cute, and summery. i mean, they only read on the beach once!! and it's in the epilogue!! you're killing me, henry.
i think my gripes with the plot/characters would've been easier to ignore if i liked the actual romance, but again, it just didn't work for me. didn't care for their style of flirting (the dialogue was so unrealistic and try-hard), wayyyyy too much miscommunication for two grown adults, and the sex scenes totally caught me off guard in a bad way.
overall, i can totally understand why so many people love this, and if you are one of those people, no shame to you. there were some good parts, i loved the side characters, the main characters were redeemable at times, and i appreciate what the cult b-plot was trying to do as well as what henry was trying to do by tackling some heavier topics in this book. i simply could not suspend my disbelief to go along with the overall plot and the romantic tropes aren't for me. this definitely turned me off a bit to henry's wiritng, but i do not think it will not stop me from checking out her other books. i am definitely still curious about some of them and i think she includes very unique and compelling topics in her stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol
so much alcohol, oh my god! there are several scenes where characters drink in order to "gain confidence" or "calm themselves down," or similar reasons that make the alcohol consumption feel like a coping mechanism or that they are dependent on it. i am young and have minimal experience with alcohol but i really felt like these people are borderline alcoholics.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was my first Emily Henry book... So fun! It truly is a rom-com as its' adorable, witty dialogue had me smiling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Death of parent, Alcohol