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A review by yustawrites
Beach Read by Emily Henry
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a good, pleasant romance.
I enjoyed the realism of it, and the pace as the two characters were falling for each other was quite perfect. It didn't seem forced or out of the blue, and it didn't seem to be dragged on forever either. The chemistry between them was clear, and the car scene was spicy. At the start I almost felt as if I was falling in love with this man. (It went downhill for me after Chapter 20). Even though the author wanted to mention like every rom-com pun in existence this was done nicely, and it was scattered rather than bombed. It wasn't cheesy, it was pleasant and sarcastic.
I really enjoyed the side story about her father, and has definitely hooked me to finish the book and find out why this happened. Without that I would struggle to keep my interest in the book. Even though at the end I was a little disappointed (see: spoiler).
I also enjoyed the plot line about cults, and going to interview people.
This might be petty, but I didn't like her name - January. In fact, I didn't like his name, either. After a while it was very tiresome to be saying "January" over and over in my head as I was reading. I also hated the repetition of what was happening inside her chest. This woman's chest carries all her feelings that burst, spread out, IMPLODED her chest. I had to skip some paragraphs when she was describing her feelings and how her body reacted because it was just... boring.
Other comments/ things I didn't like:
Gus telling January that he had a crush on her back in college seemed very out of nowhere. Why didn't he say anything then? Makes no sense, and it seems a little out of character. I understand why January "hated" (disliked is a better descriptor) Augustus back then, but to have that totally dismissed toward the end felt pointless.
After Chapter 20 and after - story goes downhill. Where I previously thought January is quite a good, realistic character, she throws a massive tantrum and I can't really understand why she started acting like she's 16 years old. JUST TALK TO HIM. Why is she so upset that Naomi came to talk to him and he did? They are adults. They are married. This is something that is normal/ predicable to happen. January thinks her life is falling apart - again - without a good reason.
I just hate that January was so stubborn to read the letter or even talk to her father's mistress. Yes, it was a little traumatic. I understand it was hard. But I would definitely AT LEAST read the letter from him. Of course if she read the letter before she did, this storyline would be killed off at the beginning and we wouldn't have to wait XXX pages for it to finish.
I enjoyed the realism of it, and the pace as the two characters were falling for each other was quite perfect. It didn't seem forced or out of the blue, and it didn't seem to be dragged on forever either. The chemistry between them was clear, and the car scene was spicy. At the start I almost felt as if I was falling in love with this man. (It went downhill for me after Chapter 20). Even though the author wanted to mention like every rom-com pun in existence this was done nicely, and it was scattered rather than bombed. It wasn't cheesy, it was pleasant and sarcastic.
I really enjoyed the side story about her father, and has definitely hooked me to finish the book and find out why this happened. Without that I would struggle to keep my interest in the book. Even though at the end I was a little disappointed (see: spoiler).
I also enjoyed the plot line about cults, and going to interview people.
This might be petty, but I didn't like her name - January. In fact, I didn't like his name, either. After a while it was very tiresome to be saying "January" over and over in my head as I was reading. I also hated the repetition of what was happening inside her chest. This woman's chest carries all her feelings that burst, spread out, IMPLODED her chest. I had to skip some paragraphs when she was describing her feelings and how her body reacted because it was just... boring.
Gus telling January that he had a crush on her back in college seemed very out of nowhere. Why didn't he say anything then? Makes no sense, and it seems a little out of character. I understand why January "hated" (disliked is a better descriptor) Augustus back then, but to have that totally dismissed toward the end felt pointless.
After Chapter 20 and after - story goes downhill. Where I previously thought January is quite a good, realistic character, she throws a massive tantrum and I can't really understand why she started acting like she's 16 years old. JUST TALK TO HIM. Why is she so upset that Naomi came to talk to him and he did? They are adults. They are married. This is something that is normal/ predicable to happen. January thinks her life is falling apart - again - without a good reason.
I just hate that January was so stubborn to read the letter or even talk to her father's mistress. Yes, it was a little traumatic. I understand it was hard. But I would definitely AT LEAST read the letter from him. Of course if she read the letter before she did, this storyline would be killed off at the beginning and we wouldn't have to wait XXX pages for it to finish.
Overall I would definitely recommend this if you like romance, or want an introduction to the genre. It was a quick and relaxing read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Cancer, Grief, Infidelity, and Terminal illness
Minor: Vomit and Child abuse