This perfect summer read is less sappy than most and more hopeful without needing a perfect happy ending. I love the idea of happy-for-now.

Beach Read had been on my radar for a few weeks after hearing book bloggers rave about it. I was very happy to see it available via NetGalley.

Beach Read is my first read from author Emily Henry and I was very impressed. I went in expecting a cute romantic comedy and found it to be so much more. This story is definitely a love story and it did make me laugh, but it also tore my heart out a few times.

January, the girl who had always believed she believed in love and Gus, the guy who, well, didn't and never really had. Together they realize that although love isn't perfect and can break you in half, it is still worth the risk. I desperately wanted these two to get their happy ending and I was not disappointed. The supporting characters were also great, as was the world Ms. Henry created for them to all live in.

Gus and January's story dealt with a lot of issues: loss, betrayal, grief, and childhood trauma to name a few, but in the end if was about two lost people who find home in each other. I will definitely read more from this author.

The premise of this book - a romance writer and a fiction writer getting together - did not really appeal to me, but I kept seeing great reviews which made me more and more curious.⁣
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I did find January’s story - her dad had a secret life, the love of her life left her right after her dad died, her dad’s secret lake house happens to be right next door to her college writing rival’s house - to be cheesy, unpredictable and over the top. ⁣
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I found the beginning of this novel to be cliched and overwritten.⁣
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But the chemistry between January and Everett is SMOKIN’ and that kept me reading.
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Everett goes down among the best bookcrush boyfriends of all time.⁣

I ended up loving the last two-thirds of the book, once it really got into the story of January and Everett and the layers of these characters peeled off and we learned about what hurt them and watched them heal together, was well-written and beautiful and everything I love about romance.
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A nice summer read. Always a fan of books set in Michigan! I appreciated that the path to love for the main characters was bumpy due to personal issues and not a made up drama. Refreshing commentary on self care, personal growth, therapy, etc

This was one of the most delightful and poignant in equal parts book I’ve read in a long time. I LOVED this book. A women’s fiction author and her undergrad rival who writes literary fiction become neighbors. When agitated sparks fly they challenge one another to write the other’s choice of genre. Come on, if that isn’t a recipe for an amazing book I don’t know what is! And Emily Henry manages this premise and idea amazingly well. Not only did she she give me scene after scene of romantic tension between these two—so much I thought I was going to burst into flames myself—but she also gives a lot of personal growth and demons to these two complicated characters.✒️
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The simmering rivalry these two had in college that rolled over into their newfound meeting in adulthood was incredible. The tension and witty banter had me turning the pages as fast as I could. January is struggling with a revelation about her recently deceased father that had her questioning if happily ever afters can exist. Gus is dealing with a lot of turmoil following a string of recent and not so recent events in his life. What I loved most about these characters is that you see where they fit together BECAUSE of their imperfections. Their mistakes. Their flaws. Their own subpar personality traits. Their puzzle pieces fit together because of not only the struggles they have separately been through but their strength in going through them. A major theme was, ‘are we the mistakes we make and can we move past them’ and I loved how this was explored with our characters as well as the peripheral characters in each of their lives. 📖
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While this book looks like a superficial beach read, it’s a little misleading. This book will have you grinning from ear to ear and laughing out loud with their witty banter but it’s not superficial in its depth. I would guess it’s about as deep as Lake Michigan.

This was the perfect romcom! I absolutely loved this story, it had all the right elements for me: good plot, likeable characters, and a lovely town :)

Thank you, Emily Henry, for giving me back my reading mojo! I though I would be getting a lot of reading done during the course of this quarantine spring, but actually I've gotten less reading done than I usually do. :( It has been hard to concentrate, and I had a tough few books there that were hard to get through. This book was EXACTLY what I needed right now. It was light, the characters were interesting and eminently likable, their chemistry was believable, and the dialogue was fun. Its interesting to me that it took a book where the main character has writer's block to essentially break through my reader's block. The only thing I don't quite get about this book is the title--unless it is meant, in a meta way, to refer to this book being the perfect "beach read," because that works. Otherwise, it doesn't have much to do with the actual plot of the book. If you need a bit of a palate cleanser after a tough book, or just something engaging to distract yourself from the way our world is falling apart right now, grab this book.

4 Stars!

"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."

January and Gus have known each other since college but never became great friends, in fact they almost seemed like enemies. What are the odds that they eventually end up living next to each other in Beach houses? This unlikely duo end up making a bet that they will write each other's genres - Gus will write romance and January will write literary fiction. Whoever's gets published first wins the bet. They take "field trips" with each other for research and start to form an unlikely bond. As the story goes on, the relationship continues to grow and secrets from their lives bring them closer than ever.

I wasn't totally hooked on this book when I first started, maybe it was just high expectations from it being on all the summer reads lists, but once I got about 25% in I was hooked! This book is definitely not your typical "Beach Read". It has so much more depth and story to it than that. I felt like the relationship between Gus and January was so real and vulnerable that it almost felt like I was their good friend watching it all play out. They went through things normal relationships do and that is one of the reasons I enjoyed this book.

I can see why this book is rated so high. It has all the good stuff in it - two strong smart leads, steamy romance and family drama.

Thank you to Berkley for my ARC of this book. It's out now!

Following a highly successful career as a young adult novelist, Emily Henry turns her eye to adult romance with BEACH READ, a laugh-out-loud, emotionally resonant exploration of love, writing and, yes, death cults.

January Andrews is a bestselling women’s fiction writer. Or at least she was, until her father died suddenly, her family imploded and she found herself unable to pen anything remotely happy or romantic. For years, January thought she had the perfect family: together she and her parents had beaten her mother’s cancer, launched her own successful writing career and stayed close throughout all of it. But when her father dies suddenly, and a mysterious woman arrives at his funeral, January realizes that her family was not as close-knit and happy as she thought.

Drowning in her own despair, January is soon dumped by her perfect boyfriend and is essentially homeless. Even worse, her father has left her a beach house that he once shared with her. With her mother refusing to talk about what happened, January finds herself alone in a bohemian beach house with only an impending book deadline to keep her company. Oh, and an incredibly grumpy neighbor who just happens to be her insanely talented and shockingly handsome college rival.

Jonathan Franzen-like in his talent, Augustus Everett arrived in January’s college writing class with a dark background and a sharp dislike of her particular brand of literature. Though they took turns beating each other in class discussions and seminars, they also shared one intense night on the dance floor of a frat party --- and though she has fallen in love since then, nothing has quite matched the heat of that evening for her. Until now.

As January packs up and prepares to sell her father’s illicit love shack, she learns, to her dismay, that Augustus is the local golden boy, and that his small town family and friends want nothing more than to see them become friends --- after all, they’re both writers, so they must have something in common. It turns out they do: they are both in a rut, writing-wise, and desperate to make their next books happen.

After numerous meet-cutes and witty banter sessions, the two strike up a bargain: January will pen the next Great American Novel, and Augustus will write a book with a happy ending. Whoever sells their book first not only will win, but will have it blurbed, praised and talked about by the other. Of course, both are experts at their craft, so they do not leave the other hanging. In addition to the bet, they will help each other with their research --- Augustus will take January to interview former death cult members on Fridays, and January will take Augustus to romantic settings on Saturdays. What could possibly go wrong?

BEACH READ is a quintessential rom-com with lots of heart, just enough heartbreak and all the witty banter you could ever want. But that’s not all. Henry has produced a thoroughly wonderful romance novel that not only ensures a happy ending (sorry, Augustus) but weaves in plenty of important topics, like infidelity, acceptance, abuse and the importance of self-discovery.

When we meet January and Augustus, they are at an impasse in their lives: January feels like she no longer believes in love, and Augustus is, well, a bit of a headcase. Raised in a dysfunctional family, he is obsessed with the darkness in humans and what makes them feel like they cannot escape it. So January is a bit like the flame to his moth --- the once-happy-go-lucky romance writer he once knew is now drinking wine out of her purse and yelling at her neighbors in dirty sweatpants. Similarly, January’s interest in Augustus comes not only from her college rivalry, but also from the loss of her belief in perfection, which allows her to explore and accept Augustus’ flaws. And did I mention the witty banter?

Emily Henry is absolutely masterful in her dialogue. She never wastes a word, and though the banter is every bit as sarcastic and punchy as you’d expect in a rom-com, it never feels forced or unnatural. She employs pop culture, literary references and her characters’ own personalities to make every line even stronger than the last. However, I would have liked to have seen more of Augustus’ side of the story. So many romances are written with two perspectives these days, so I was disappointed that there were no Augustus chapters.

Even so, January is a perfectly riveting protagonist, and I loved her for her sweetness, her loyalty and her limitless (if momentarily suspended) belief in love and happily-ever-afters. True to its title, BEACH READ is the perfect beach read, and I suspect that Henry will have many readers itching for her next foray into romance.

This book was well reviewed by NY Times recently, as well as being featured in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide - two very different sources I’ll admit, but ones I tend to pay attention to. I was happy to see an advance copy available in Netgalley and moved it up my TBR list! Unfortunately I will have to disagree with the reviews and say this was absolutely a beach read and a pretty lightweight romance. I thought at times that the author was mocking the romance genre then realized that is how she writes. The premise of the book - that 2 authors reconnect one summer and decide to write each other’s genre - sounded interesting but absolutely was lost in the overwrought dialog and descriptions of their sexual encounters which seemed like something from a bodice ripper. I was thoroughly annoyed by the main character’s whiny neediness and wallowing in a perceived betray by Daddy. Do yourself a favor and find a real beach read by Elin Hildebrand instead!!!

This book captures the feeling of falling in love so perfectly it felt really magical to me. I loved the enemies to lovers trope in this plot-it was done very believably, as was the storyline following January’s dad. It was nuanced and believable.

I loved the meta aspects of this book - a book about authors trying to write books of a different genre, all while dissecting what makes those genres appealing. Oh, and a sweet love story with a fun supporting cast. This one definitely lives up to it's name.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I think I saw someone tweeting about it a couple of weeks ago, so I grabbed it and plugged it into my review schedule. Thank goodness for Twitter, because Gus and January were amazing.

I don’t think this is strictly a contemporary romance, more like a WF/Romance mix. January goes through a deep and satisfying emotional journey and it was just as enjoyable for me as the lovely romance between her and Gus.

If I’m quickly summarizing, I would say this book is about a romance writer at loose ends and falling into a depression after discovering some hard truths about her father after his death. She finds herself living next door to her college nemesis (who also happens to be a Very Serious literary fiction author) and after some back and forth ribbing and sly banter, accepts a dare to switch genres with him.

But this summary doesn’t do this book justice. Beach Read is told entirely from January’s POV and she is wickedly smart and funny. I positively adored her comebacks and the delicious wordplay between her and Gus. As a couple, they worked for me in every way. They have a slow burn romance that is incredibly lush and sexy. I never knew what was going on in Gus’s head and it lent a bit of tension to this love story.

There were some weighty themes and topics discussed and while I believe they are balanced very well with the more lighthearted and comedic aspects of this book, I do think the cover might mislead some readers. I wouldn’t say this is a romantic comedy, but I do think it‘s romantic and emotionally satisfying.

Highly recommend.

BEACH READ is an absolute delight. January and Gus have an amazing chemistry that is evident in their whip-smart, flirtatious dialogue; their back-and-forth alone will make you root for their relationship. Emily Henry has written a novel that should be treasured in the romantic comedy genre.

I would love to be able to escape to this Michigan beach house right now. After her Dad dies and she breaks up with her boyfriend, January ends up at her Dad's secret lake house on the lake in Michigan. She finds herself living to her writing nemesis from college, while also trying to complete her manuscript that's due at the end of the summer. She finds that maybe her nemesis isn't so bad, while also discovering the holes in the story about her Dad's life. Overall, this was a nice escapist beach read (like the title) with a bit of family drama thrown in.

Review at: http://www.everydayiwritethebookblog.com/2020/06/beach-read-by-emily-henry/

I am pretty new to the romance genre. I read a few of them last year – both Sally Thorne books (The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine), which I enjoyed. I just read a third – Beach Read by Emily Henry – and the ones I’ve read have followed a pattern: 1) take a pair who have historically hated each other or had some other impediment to a civil relationship; 2) throw them into a situation requiring sustained contact; 3) reveal her to be stubbornly protective yet emotionally vulnerable and him to be quiet but deeply passionate; 4) build up the physical tension until it snaps; 5) give them a week or two of bliss; 6) throw a major wrench into the budding relationship; then 7) quickly remove the wrench and allow them to move on happily ever after. It’s a fun pattern, but definitely a pattern (at least gleaned from my admittedly small sample size).

Why I picked it up: Beach Read was an April 2020 Book Of The Month pick and got good buzz when it came out, so when I was invited by Berkley to join a blog tour for it, I thought I’d take a chance on another romance.

January Andrews is a romance novelist who finds herself broken and jaded about love after her father dies, leaving behind a secret mistress and a heretofore unknown beach house in Lake Michigan. January retreats to the beach house to try to finish her latest book, due to her publisher in a few months, and try to get over the loss of both her father and her trust in him. At the house, she discovers that her next door neighbor is her college rival Gus Everett, a literary fiction writer who is also plagued with writer’s block after his own emotional trauma. Gus and January were not exactly friends in college, so finding him living in the house next door is not a welcome discovery.

The two writers eventually learn that they are in the same predicament, and challenge each other to swap genres and see who produces the better work. Meanwhile, January will force Gus to take romantic outings with her on Saturday nights – all for the sake of research, of course – while Gus will bring January along on interviews he is conducting about mass deaths at a remote cult camp in order to expose her to grittier fodder for her literary fiction novel. (See steps 3-7 for the rest.)

Beach Read is a fun, light read that will likely please most romance fans. Henry does a nice job with the physical buildup between the Gus and January and simultaneous breakdown of the protective walls they’ve each erected. Despite (or perhaps because of) the incongruity between its subject and tone and the reality happening on TV and literally one mile from my house, I flew through this book. I don’t think I will ever become a romance fan – I like my books to surprise me more – but Beach Read provided a nice respite this month. The genre swap subplot felt a little forced at times and I’m not sure that either writer was truly pushed into unfamiliar ground, but it provided a nice pretext for put these two into some interesting situations. The banter between Gus and January was also sexy, smart and funny.

well hot dang - this was a fabulous read! Gus and January’s story was absolutely perfect and it was one of the best romances I’ve read all year 😍 the banter, the back story, the steam 👀 if you need a story to absolutely devour, I’d highly recommend Beach Read! I couldn’t put this one down!⁣⁣

I feel like all my recent reviews have been saying some variation of "this is such a great pandemic read! It really takes your mind off everything!"
But really, this is a great pandemic read that takes your mind off everything going on in the world.
The dialog was whip smart, Gus was satisfyingly hot, and I was really rooting for January. I had a good time reading it and would definitely recommend it to patrons!

Beach Read by Emily Henry is a great book. We would all be happier if we remembered to cherish our "happy-for-nows" instead of searching for happiness every minute. Good advice Emily Henry.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in one night it was so good. The characters are well rounded and not perfect human beings which I appreciate in a book. The sexual tension between the two characters was so well written that it was palpable. I also loved the premise of the book about two writers who are suffering from writers block that they decide to switch genres.
A five star read for sure and Emily Henry needs to write for adult romcoms please. It would be an automatic buy from me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing for this arc.