Scan barcode
A review by jefferz
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If a book is billed as a romance novel but the romance isn't the most memorable part of the novel, either the romance sucks or the story is so well developed that it punches much higher than typical for its genre. For me Beach Read falls into the latter category with such strong characterization and plot development that the romance sits comfortably in the backseat for most of the ride. There's certainly a lot of romantic beats and some spicy scenes, but I found myself far more engrossed with both characters' narratives and how they play off and almost heal from their broken pasts together.
The plot is genius pairing off two authors with polar opposite styles and reversing them both in their professional work and in their personal lives. While there's plenty of hilarious hijinks, Emily Henry's sarcastic and snappy character banter elevates the material while still keeping the dialogue smart and witty (which I'm learning is the norm after also reading Book Lovers last month). I also thought the leads are both well-developed with elaborate backstories and upbringing and have great chemistry. I often find romance leads to either be too emotionally volatile and dramatic or stereotypically too smooth and charming but both January and Augustus are balanced well enough that neither comes off as being ridiculous (aka me as a reader wanting to chuck the book and characters out the window while reading). The prose and writing is also a treat. I personally find a lot of 1st person perspective narratives to have redundant phrasing and "I did this, I did that", but there's absolutely none of that here. I feel like I've been burned repeatedly lately by so many popular contemporary novels' prose of late, reading Emily Henry's works are restoring my faith that not all modern fiction works have mediocre writing.
There's also quite a bit of heavy themes covering the loss of loved ones (both mortality-related and abandonment-related), child abuse, and familial betrayal, but Henry smoothly transitions between the dramatic and comedic elements seamlessly. The finesse to how these topics are touched on that keeps the read hopeful and comfortable without feeling childish or unambitious. I wasn't hugely familiar with the story's plot other than two opposite authors switching styles, but the surprise discovery of a plot element involving cult survivors and research pinged my interest. There are so many great quotes covered in these interview sequences with two past survivors that you almost wonder if Henry herself also did her own research similar to Gus while writing the story.
If I have to find a fault anywhere in this novel, it would be the last chapter which serves as a closing epilogue. The entire novel is paced so well, slowly unraveling without dragging as January and Gus's relationship and writing grow. SpoilerAnd then suddenly for two characters that have a hard time trusting and opening up to other people, Gus suddenly proposes out the blue only a year later? Also for the amount of time spent on both characters meticulously working on their novels, the reveal of both finished stories and their endings feels a bit lacking and rushed. The rest of Beach Read has such excellent commentary and analysis of the experiences that makeup who people are and I wanted that same level of reflection covered on each writer's story (we don't even get to hear how the rest of Eleanor's found family ends nor what happens to her actual family following the discovery of her father's previous family). Likewise Beach Reads' consistent messages shows how not everything has a perfect happy ending and one should live in the happiness one feels in the present instead, yet Gus's proposal and January's sale of the beach house directly conflicts that. Compared to the rest of the plot, this whole section feels rather contrived.
Minor gripe mentioned above aside, Beach Reads is in the solid 5-star range for me. While at times I wasn't completely sold or interested in Book Lovers drama-focused aspects, I was thoroughly invested in Beach Read's. I need my romance novels (or really any novel in general) to hit hard instead of giving me comfy shallow fluff and this one did that and more!
The plot is genius pairing off two authors with polar opposite styles and reversing them both in their professional work and in their personal lives. While there's plenty of hilarious hijinks, Emily Henry's sarcastic and snappy character banter elevates the material while still keeping the dialogue smart and witty (which I'm learning is the norm after also reading Book Lovers last month). I also thought the leads are both well-developed with elaborate backstories and upbringing and have great chemistry. I often find romance leads to either be too emotionally volatile and dramatic or stereotypically too smooth and charming but both January and Augustus are balanced well enough that neither comes off as being ridiculous (aka me as a reader wanting to chuck the book and characters out the window while reading). The prose and writing is also a treat. I personally find a lot of 1st person perspective narratives to have redundant phrasing and "I did this, I did that", but there's absolutely none of that here. I feel like I've been burned repeatedly lately by so many popular contemporary novels' prose of late, reading Emily Henry's works are restoring my faith that not all modern fiction works have mediocre writing.
There's also quite a bit of heavy themes covering the loss of loved ones (both mortality-related and abandonment-related), child abuse, and familial betrayal, but Henry smoothly transitions between the dramatic and comedic elements seamlessly. The finesse to how these topics are touched on that keeps the read hopeful and comfortable without feeling childish or unambitious. I wasn't hugely familiar with the story's plot other than two opposite authors switching styles, but the surprise discovery of a plot element involving cult survivors and research pinged my interest. There are so many great quotes covered in these interview sequences with two past survivors that you almost wonder if Henry herself also did her own research similar to Gus while writing the story.
If I have to find a fault anywhere in this novel, it would be the last chapter which serves as a closing epilogue. The entire novel is paced so well, slowly unraveling without dragging as January and Gus's relationship and writing grow. SpoilerAnd then suddenly for two characters that have a hard time trusting and opening up to other people, Gus suddenly proposes out the blue only a year later? Also for the amount of time spent on both characters meticulously working on their novels, the reveal of both finished stories and their endings feels a bit lacking and rushed. The rest of Beach Read has such excellent commentary and analysis of the experiences that makeup who people are and I wanted that same level of reflection covered on each writer's story (we don't even get to hear how the rest of Eleanor's found family ends nor what happens to her actual family following the discovery of her father's previous family). Likewise Beach Reads' consistent messages shows how not everything has a perfect happy ending and one should live in the happiness one feels in the present instead, yet Gus's proposal and January's sale of the beach house directly conflicts that. Compared to the rest of the plot, this whole section feels rather contrived.
Minor gripe mentioned above aside, Beach Reads is in the solid 5-star range for me. While at times I wasn't completely sold or interested in Book Lovers drama-focused aspects, I was thoroughly invested in Beach Read's. I need my romance novels (or really any novel in general) to hit hard instead of giving me comfy shallow fluff and this one did that and more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Grief