Great book...perfect Beach Read ;) I laughed, cried, & didn’t want this book to end! Loved the characters!!

This book had a good story behind the fluff. I don't normally read what I call fluff, but I'm so glad I read this one. It was just the right amount of family drama, life and romance. I really enjoyed watching two damaged people fall in love and just be happy for right now. That was the overall theme. Life is messy, if you can, just be happy in the right now. It doesn't matter how it ends, you can't worry on that, just live for now and enjoy the story.

Ugh, this book. THIS BOOK. I know I’m not alone on this, but this is potentially one of my favorites of the whole entire year. I’ve read a LOT of romance novels, and so many of them are great but uncomplicated by character depth and real emotional difficulty. This book has a little bit of the typical “we don’t communicate and can’t figure things out like adults,” but for the most part the characters work together to figure out what’s wrong with their relationship. They’re funny together, have great chemistry, have realistic banter and squabbling, but are ultimately kind to each other. Plus, the plot doesn’t hinge on the characters saving each other. They both have their issues and they have to figure those issues out on their own while their partner is there to help or comfort as needed. I wanted to be friends with January and Gus, but I’m 100% sure they’d be way too cool for me.

I had expected this story to play out like a Hallmark movie, rom-com mashup....it didn't. A strong beginning quickly pivoted into a monotonous, semi-boring game of ego fueled see-saw between an obnoxious, snarky, unlikable MC and her brooding, infatuated ex-classmate. The banter had been cute until it was drawn out by overuse of unnecessary and long winded snide comments. The writing style was usually better than mediocre with a few stand-out lines. An easy read overall, but it lacked the substance to be memorable. 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ebook to review.

And that was the moment I realized: when the world felt dark and scary, love could whisk you off to go dancing; laughter could take some of the pain away; beauty could punch holes in your fear. I decided then that my life would be full of all three.


I LOVED reading Beach Read. I've been seeing this book everywhere so I had set my expectations to the medium-low range. I don't know if it was the fact that I was in an emotional rollercoaster today influenced how I related to the book..how much I loved it but LOVED it I did.

Le Plot: Two writers who're college rivals and coincidence? but they both end up in neighboring beach houses for the summer. They both challenge each other to write in genres they're uncomfortable writing in. The rest is, as they say, history.

Thoughts: There is a lot of emotion packed in here. First, our heroine, January is not here to chill at this Beach House. She shouldn't even be here but she has to and has to finish writing another book because she's basically broke. There's the pressure of delivering a draft soon and on top of that, she has to stay in the godforsaken beach house which is definitely her father's secret love nest. Augustus offers her a challenge..how about they switch genres? How can she refuse when Gus, sexy college rival turned adult nemesis, insulter(is that even a verb) of romance novels proposes a dare like that? Every other day, Gus and January take turns to educate each other on how to write romance and literary genres. They sit at their kitchen tables and communicate through notes and then they give themselves a signal to take a breather...It's all so perfect. //gahhh// January, my girl, goes through a LOT and I wanted to hug her so badly. My boy, Everett, also went through some heavy stuff and when he reveals himself to January...I swear I melted like a milk-chocolate bar ice-cream in May.
I also want a friendship like Shadi and January's, which is another reason why you should definitely add this to your Summer TBR!!

So, to recap..A+ plot, A+ banter, A+ emotional onslaught, A+ friendship, A+ attention to detail, and context..overall highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely a beach read, and a steamy one at that. I had to do a lot of skimming of sex scenes. I liked the characters and the setup but could have done with a little more story and a little less romance.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will be the first to say I am not a romance reader, but I really wanted to read Emily Henry's Beach Read. Boy am I glad I did! It was such a pleasant surprise and I loved it. The story is captivating, the setting wonderful and the characters delightful. It's filled with wit and charm, but also heartbreak and depth. Gus and January were so multi-dimensional and I really became emotionally invested in their story. Their banter is quick and addicting and the story much more than a romance.

Incredibly sweet and light romance. What sets it apart from other "beach" reads is the inside look at writing and writer's block.

I’d have to say, it is a perfect ‘Beach Read’. January and Gus feel so realistic, both dealing with tough issues, resulting in writer’s block. The idea of them switching genres, in a competition, worked well. The bantering between the two main characters was very well done. A great feel-good summer read.

Thank you NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

I was given a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author January Andrew's father dies and leaves her his beach house. When she goes to the house to finish the book she's writing, she discovers her college nemesis Augustus Everett lives next door. Both are struggling with writer's block so they decide to write the opposite of what they usually write - with an agreement that they will be taken on "research" dates to support their writing - arranged by each other. After spending time together, they begin to fall for one another.

Really sweet "beach read". #netgalley #beachread #emilyhenry #berkley

An absolute DELIGHT! I loved the Michigan setting, the romance, the humor. A near-perfect book from me. As a writer, I found it meta in the best way possible, and I loved January's emotional journey. As a Michigander, it felt totally authentic!

I have to start saying that Rom Coms are not my preferred genre. With that being said, I do pick them up when I’m in a slump or want to read something different. Now let’s get to the tea: I LOVED IT. January are Gus we’re totally the most relatable relationship I’ve read. They’re banter, they’re sarcasm and not to mention the fact that they’re both writers. I was a bit thrown off at the end by the title/ cover. Because I was expecting “beachy vibes” I guess? My first Emily Henry and I’m excited to read her other novels now.

What a fun book to start off the summer. Being stuck inside has me wishing I could jet off to a house like this to write. The deeper notes were a perfect balance for this summer read!

This novel was on my must read list for quite a while. I had heard really great things about it and knew it would be right up my alley. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and felt like the characters were well rounded and unique. I didn't particularly love any of the characters but they were entertaining and had me flipping the pages rapidly. I'm a huge fan of rom-coms and find myself to be pretty harsh on these reads because I read them so often. With that said, this novel was enjoyable but I don't feel like it really stood out to me like I was hoping it would. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkely for sending this novel my way in exchange for an honest review.

January Andrews has inherited her father's beach house along with the secret he kept hidden for years. Suffering from writer's block, with a Sept. 1 due date for her next romance novel, January is having a tough time getting in the mindset for her happily ever after writing. To make mattes worse, she discovers her next door neighbor is none other than her college writing nemesis and author of literary fiction best sellers, Augustus Everett. After starting off on the wrong foot, the two writers challenge one another to a genre trading bet. January will write a literary fiction novel without a happy ending, while Gus will write a romance. Along the way they form a friendship that may lead to something more. Filled with great characters and a fun beach setting, this novel of dueling writers lives up to its title as a perfect Beach Read!

Hands down the feel-good romance of the summer. January Jones is a romance writer who no longer believes in happily-ever-afters. Augustus Everett is That Guy from your MFA program. Together? They are magic.

Charming, delightful, funny, and romantic read to kick off the summer months! I especially love how author Emily Henry used so many classic romance tropes with a wink to the reader!

I was so excited to get to this book. After reading the summary, I felt that it would be the perfect summer read. I was expecting a fast paced, contemporary read with an atmosphere that just screamed “summer beach vacation”. Jumping right into the book, the beginning definitely delivered on the fast paced factor. No punches were pulled for the start of this book. Big, hard hitting revelations were introduced at the beginning, and the suspense carried on throughout the book. One of the things I absolutely loved about this book was the banter between Gus and January. Their interactions were so entertaining and had me laughing so hard. While I wish that there was more focus and scenes on the beach, I still thought the small town, boardwalk vibe that was present was great. The ending was tied off so well, and everything just came together. For anyone who enjoys hate-to-love romances and witty, humorous banter, I highly recommend Beach Reads.

This book was just okay, I definitely can't say I loved it as much as others. There was a disconnect for me that I can't quite put into words. I think it was the mixture of a rom-com with serious topics, such as infidelity and cults that felt wrong to me. If a book is sold as a rom-com I want it to feel entertaining and somewhat light-hearted. Also, and this will be a spoiler, I have a pet peeve in books when a character is upset about something, in this book, marital infidelity. Yet when January learned that Gus was married, she continued to pursue a relationship with him solely taking his word that the relationship was over. It felt hypocritical. Overall, it just wasn't the book for me, but it was smart and well-written.

* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

A fun rom-com with two writers, both on deadline, in neighboring beach houses. Strikes serious notes here and there, including commentary on the publishing business, lending depth to this perfect bookish summer read.