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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
2025 is fr the year of me giving tiktok recommended authors a second chance and regretting it every time (coco mellors i’m looking at you too girl)
lighthearted
reflective
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
Ok, I get the hype. I thought it was just a fluffly romance. But this book made me feel things.
The ending threw me off tho. It has two endings and I was doing immersive reading and in the audiobook I had the US version and in the ebook I had the UK version and I didn’t know there were two endings… that was so confusing. But oh well. Now I know authors do that type of shit. Just do one ending, jeeeez 🤦🏽♀️
There I say: I liked the UK ending better. The US one was too cheesy. The UK one felt more like the characters.
And their books! Gus’s meteor ending to his book was both hilarious and beautiful and I loved it. And January’s ending to her book with the wildflowers was sweet and hopeful. I think one of my fav things of this book was to read their experiences as writers.
Also: I wasn’t fan of his dad’s mistress. But the story putting January in the same position as Sonya blew my mind. I didn’t see that coming. It added dimensionality. You understand that humans are complex and there’s no right or wrong. And you know that in a world where her mom didn’t get cancer, he would probably would have stayed with Sonya. So no matter what happened in January’s life, her childhood wasn’t bound to be perfect.
Also her dad was a jackass. How dare he use Sonya like that? He toyed with her. He never truly loved her. He just loved that she loved him.
And obviously I loved Gus. The nonchalant that was head-over-heels for the girl all along. He just didn’t know how to act. Typical!! Feeding our delulu minds 😆
Update: I didn’t give it 5 stars because: I didn’t cry and even tho I loved so many things about this book and Gus and Janie’s interaction was so deep and the plot twist with Sonya was also so deep, the book really didn’t keep me in a chokehold. Those are the two things I consider when I give 5 stars.
That I cry and that I eat them up. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t love it.
The ending threw me off tho. It has two endings and I was doing immersive reading and in the audiobook I had the US version and in the ebook I had the UK version and I didn’t know there were two endings… that was so confusing. But oh well. Now I know authors do that type of shit. Just do one ending, jeeeez 🤦🏽♀️
There I say: I liked the UK ending better. The US one was too cheesy. The UK one felt more like the characters.
Also her dad was a jackass. How dare he use Sonya like that? He toyed with her. He never truly loved her. He just loved that she loved him.
And obviously I loved Gus. The nonchalant that was head-over-heels for the girl all along. He just didn’t know how to act. Typical!! Feeding our delulu minds 😆
Update: I didn’t give it 5 stars because: I didn’t cry and even tho I loved so many things about this book and Gus and Janie’s interaction was so deep and the plot twist with Sonya was also so deep, the book really didn’t keep me in a chokehold. Those are the two things I consider when I give 5 stars.
That I cry and that I eat them up. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t love it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
My first EH read, quite literally had to clutch my heart. Fitting that I read it in August too. Wow <3 Might be the first book I own multiple editions of!
This is the kind of novel that tugs at your emotions while still keeping you smiling. The book definitely didn’t shy away from exploring real, sometimes messy parts of life, but it was balanced with moments of love and laughter. We got to see many different forms of love and relationships throughout the story.
One of the strongest elements of the book is the dynamic between January and Gus. Their banter is witty and fun, and I found myself laughing right along with them. The fact that they’re both authors adds an extra layer of intrigue, giving readers a peek into the writing process and the challenges behind creating stories. The romance is very much a slow burn, but the tension between them is magnetic, truly chefs kiss.
At the same time, I did find it a little frustrating that the story was only told from January’s POV. To really do the book justice, I think we needed Gus’s perspective too. There were moments where it started to feel like it was leaning into a miscommunication trope, which wasn’t really necessary in my opinion because the story was already heavy at points and a bit on the lengthy side.
But I did appreciate how the family traumas tied into the story. The struggles and choices of their parents cast a shadow on their present lives, making their connection feel even more layered and authentic. It wasn’t just about two people falling in love, it was about learning to reconcile with the past and still find joy in the future.
3,5!! too much lengths and i was in a reading slump so it didn’t help much:/
romance was cute tho and i loved gus
romance was cute tho and i loved gus
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
“When I watch you sleep,” he said shakily, “I am overwhelmed by your existence.” I am truly kicking myself for not reading this sooner. I smiled, I cried, and had a great time. This book maybe my favourite read of the year.
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
#booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookaddict #reading #bookstagram #booktok #bookreview #bookdragon #bookworm #lovebooks #booklovers #booknerd #bookrecs
#fiction #romance
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No