A review by thecriticalreader
Beach Read by Emily Henry

hopeful reflective 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

3.5

Why I Read It:
I’m not someone who typically likes the romance genre, but I had heard such great things about Emily Henry’s books that I wanted to see if Beach Read would be an exception. I borrowed my copy from the local library.
 
Blurb: 
January Andrews is a romance author who is struggling to write her next book because her faith in love and happy endings has been shaken by a series of traumatic events in her life. After she moves into her recently deceased father’s beach house on Lake Michigan, she discovers that her next-door neighbor is a former college classmate, Gus, who is a famous author of dark and gritty fiction. They strike up a plan to swap genres for the summer, complete with mandatory “research field trips” to teach the other the tricks of their trade. 
 
Review:
Since Beach Read is a romance novel with a romance author protagonist, the book is strongly self-aware as it explores the genre’s strengths and weaknesses in a meta fashion. Beach Read self-consciously challenges the stereotype that so-called “beach reads” cannot tackle heavy themes or portray realistic, healthy relationships, while still maintaining the breezy reading pace, steaminess, and optimism readers expect from the genre. The book, for the most part, is readable and well-written. Every two pages or so, however, I would stumble across a line that I found difficult to understand. Henry’s concise, casual style sometimes generates sentences so pared down or conversational that they read awkwardly on the page. 
 
The book introduces two main characters who, at first glance, appear to be little more than typical romance-genre archetypes. Thankfully, January and Gus are well-written, fleshed-out characters who complement each other’s flaws. They deal with personal problems that for many readers will appear familiar. January’s character growth was particularly interesting to read about. 
 
Despite Beach Read’s readability and generally high quality, at times it slips back into the trappings of a typical romance plot. The miscommunication trope, although it does not play a huge role in the story, still pops up for no good reason. Even more infuriatingly, the protagonist even ADMITS that she’s acting like a character in a poorly written romance novel, yet she continues to act that way instead of communicating in a straightforward manner. Additionally, I found the sex scenes to be unoriginal and boring. 
 
One of my pet peeves when it comes to the romance genre is that the side characters tend to act as supports for the main romance and rarely feel like real people. Beach Read’s side characters are better written than some, but they still feel underdeveloped. Shadi (January’s best friend) remains rather flat and ultimately only exists to support January. Emily Henry’s use of characters who are cult survivors feels problematic for the same reason, as their trauma and stories serve as a plot device to help further Gus and January’s character development. 
 
Even though it was a not personal favorite of mine, I can absolutely understand why many people love Beach Read. Henry blends tropes that people know and love with deeper discussions about the harsher realities of life, all the while making her main characters believable and lovable. 
 
 
The Run-Down: 
You will probably like Beach Read if:
·      You want to read a romance book that does not ignore the harsher realities of life.
·      You want to read a non-toxic romance with lovable, yet flawed, main characters.
·      You enjoy “meta” fiction books about books and writing.
 
You might not like Beach Read if:
·      You are expecting a hardcore enemies-to-lovers romance.
·      You are hoping to read a book with a beachy atmosphere—hardly any of the book takes place on the beach. The characters are usually indoors, and when they venture outside it is usually nighttime or stormy.
·      You are looking for a fluffy, escapist romance book.
·      You dislike the romance genre.
 
 
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