A review by stellahadz
Beach Read by Emily Henry

funny lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

As someone who's not typically a big romance reader, I honestly liked this book more than I expected to! It struck a good balance between fluffy, funny, and serious. At first I was worried that the story would lean too heavily into the "grumpy/sunshine" trope, but I actually really liked how the relationship between Gus and January developed. The way they interacted and spoke to each other was realistic and fun, and made me actually smile and laugh a couple of times. I also thought the steamy scenes were well done. No overly cringey synonyms for genitals - we love to see it!

There were some aspects of the book that didn't feel quite right to me (like the subplot of
Gus's divorce
), and I think if those had been shortened or removed altogether, there would have been more space to flesh out January's relationship with her mom, or for Shadi to get more airtime. I also wasn't a fan of the last chapter, but I understand that it's difficult to wrap up a romance story in a way that doesn't feel predictable or tropey. Still, the things I didn't like about the book didn't ruin it by any stretch - I thought it was a sweet story. This is the second Emily Henry book I've read (the first being Happy Place, which I think I liked a little more than Beach Read), and I love that her stories are never *just* about romance. There's always an underlying theme of family dynamics, or friendships, or some other form of love that the MCs embrace in addition to their romantic relationship, and I think that's a lovely message. 
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