A review by chaoticmermaid
Beach Read by Emily Henry

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I really wanted to like this, but I was fooled by a combo of book talk and the marketing of the book. It’s probably really good for what it was, it was very much literary in my opinion. From the descriptions I thought it would be a fun romcom depicting a fun summer of two authors trying something new. The cover of the book literally never happens. There’s not a single moment when they go and lie down on the beach and enjoy the sun. 

I just… I was really not in the mood for a literary book where so much is spent in the character’s head. And so much drinking. I was excited when she seemed to be making friends in the community, but it never seems to really go anywhere. It’s mostly her in her head at the cabin. 

Sigh, you live and learn and discover Emily Henry is not your genre. I’m torn on how to rate this, cause on one hand it’s not my genre so it feels unfair for me to rate it, but on the other hand… it was marketed as a lighthearted romance! And some of the portrayal of the love interest was really triggering. This is the second book I have read this year that was markets so much lighter then it was. -08/01/2025