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therealsouls 's review for:
Beach Read
by Emily Henry
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
4 stars
I haven't read a romcom in a while, but this was a great reel-in! I mostly read Colleen Hoover and other TikTok books as romcoms (does this count?), but gosh, Emily Henry needs some love too! I'm so happy I discovered her!
"Beach Read" by Emily Henry recounts the story of two writers, January and Gus. January has moved in to North Bear Shores for the summer and found out that her new neighbour is the successful writer Augustus "Sexy, Evil Gus" Everett. Because this is a romcom and anything can happen, they were also rivals in university. In an attempt to cure writer's block, they challenge each other to swap their genres and see who can publish a book first with that genre. The winner gets a book and some promo from the losing author.
I enjoyed the novel. The plot was fairly original for a romcom and I loved the way Emily pictured the environment and the surrounding areas. It really gave the entire novel a pleasant summer aesthetic. And the characters- oh, the characters! I'd give my whole heart to Shadi and Pete. They were all so lovable and every interaction was a different story to unravel.
Even though the entire novel, well, is a romcom, it wasn't the main focus of the book. You had other elements to unpack, such as competitiveness, camaraderie between January and Shadi, writer's stress, and Gus's backstory, just to name a few. You don't have many romcoms nowadays that do that. And that's what I liked so much about "Beach Read".
On the other hand, I didn't enjoy the pacing. I felt that it was too fast and too rushed, like Emily just wanted to finish the story and get it over with. I expected much more detail in certain parts of the novel, like the writing aspect. Like, January was finished with one third of the book 100 pages before the end, and now you're finished? That's it done in like a span of, what, two weeks? But seriously, how is that realistic?
Enough ranting. I think "Beach Read" is a great read for everyone, not specifically the romcom-addicted. It's spicy with an enemies to lovers aspect to it, but you also witness other parts of the story, such as the characters struggling with their mental health. Props to you, Emily Henry! Will definitely be reading more novels by her in the future :)
I haven't read a romcom in a while, but this was a great reel-in! I mostly read Colleen Hoover and other TikTok books as romcoms (does this count?), but gosh, Emily Henry needs some love too! I'm so happy I discovered her!
"Beach Read" by Emily Henry recounts the story of two writers, January and Gus. January has moved in to North Bear Shores for the summer and found out that her new neighbour is the successful writer Augustus "Sexy, Evil Gus" Everett. Because this is a romcom and anything can happen, they were also rivals in university. In an attempt to cure writer's block, they challenge each other to swap their genres and see who can publish a book first with that genre. The winner gets a book and some promo from the losing author.
I enjoyed the novel. The plot was fairly original for a romcom and I loved the way Emily pictured the environment and the surrounding areas. It really gave the entire novel a pleasant summer aesthetic. And the characters- oh, the characters! I'd give my whole heart to Shadi and Pete. They were all so lovable and every interaction was a different story to unravel.
Even though the entire novel, well, is a romcom, it wasn't the main focus of the book. You had other elements to unpack, such as competitiveness, camaraderie between January and Shadi, writer's stress, and Gus's backstory, just to name a few. You don't have many romcoms nowadays that do that. And that's what I liked so much about "Beach Read".
On the other hand, I didn't enjoy the pacing. I felt that it was too fast and too rushed, like Emily just wanted to finish the story and get it over with. I expected much more detail in certain parts of the novel, like the writing aspect. Like, January was finished with one third of the book 100 pages before the end, and now you're finished? That's it done in like a span of, what, two weeks? But seriously, how is that realistic?
Enough ranting. I think "Beach Read" is a great read for everyone, not specifically the romcom-addicted. It's spicy with an enemies to lovers aspect to it, but you also witness other parts of the story, such as the characters struggling with their mental health. Props to you, Emily Henry! Will definitely be reading more novels by her in the future :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content