Beach Read will be my recommended romance read of the summer! This one features some typical romance tropes, like enemies to lovers, but it brings something fresh, interesting, and more heartfelt than almost any other romance I've read so far this year.

This is the first book I’ve read by Emily Henry, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I read it on a rainy day but the beach would be perfect too!

Charming and witty. Two authors meet again after their lives have brought them heartache. Together they learn to find themselves and their words to write again.

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This is not a light and airy rom-com read, there are many serious aspects to this story. Relationships and lives can be very messy and I like how the author integrated that into her romance novel. No one is perfect! The strong bond between January and her father definitely made me shed a few tears throughout the book. Father and daughter relationships in books get me every time. 😢⠀
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At the same time, there are a lot of laugh out loud moments and January and Gus's sarcastic banter is top-notch. 😉 The notes are my absolute favourite part of this book. 😍🥰⠀
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I highly recommend this book! ⠀
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CW: adultery, cults, death of a parent, cancer

January Andrews, a romance writer, believes in love. Augustus Everett, a moody writer, is her next door neighbor. January is getting over the death of her father as many family secrets are revealed throughout the book. A bet, steamy love scenes , and realizations all make this book a great read with some laugh out loud moments.

A romance writer who no longer believes in happily ever afters moves into her deceased father's love shack, and runs into her college nemesis—the super genius of literary fiction. Both suffering from writer's block and on deadline, they agree to swap places: January is going to write the Great American Novel, and Gus is going to write a romance novel. Can they do it? And will these two enemies succumb to their feelings?

What's it like writing Hemingway circle-jerk fan fiction?

Holy batgiggles, this was hysterical and deeply moving at the same time. The banter between January and Gus was fan-fucking-tastic, and their chemistry was off the charts.

Grin and birth it. I suspected it'd be easier to deliver a fully formed human baby out of my uterus at the end of this summer than to write and sell a new book.

However, despite it being billed as a ~romance~, this was primarily a book about writer's block, and as someone who needs to write a sequel um, fairly quickly and uh, has very few words on screen, lemme just say that I was here for this book.

The characters, the feelings, the emotions. The thrill of researching history, building new worlds and imagining new people who only exist in your mind is fascinating, enthralling, and far more enjoyable than actually sitting down to write the damn thing. You mean you can't just reach into my mind to get the story? I have to write it for you? What?

At this point, it honestly might be easier for me to pack it on the upbeat women's fiction and hop aboard the Bleak Literary Fiction train. At least it would give me an excuse to describe boobs in some horrifying new way. Like bulbous succulents of flesh and sinew.

This was an homage to writing, to writer's block and the process, to marketing your story and getting out of your comfort zone, and to Michigan. I loved the tiny town this was set in, and how the locals and the out of towners interacted (or not).

I also liked how January and Gus processed their trauma. January had buried down some really traumatic experiences with optimism and partying, while Gus was a pessimist and filled with a cynical view of the world—both of which tied into their writing styles. And because January wrote upbeat, happily ever afters to go into the world and only ever received criticism from Gus, she felt that he was continuously bashing her genre of choice and saying it was Not Worthy. Since most men who read Literary Fiction (and many others) poo-poo women's fiction, this isn't an unreasonable assumption.

January also has to process her grief for her father—after her worldview of him was shattered. Her father had cheated on her mother with a long-term mistress, to the point where he bought a beach house near his home town and lied to them about it for years. It wasn't until his sudden death (unexpected and tragic, particularly as her mother had survived two bouts of cancer) that this was revealed, and the rose-colored glasses January had worn throughout her life were stripped away. Plus heartbreak from a perfect romance that ended, being broke and everything else, and January was entering the book at her lowest low, with all of her coping tools invalidated by her father's philandering. It was a heavy way to start the book.

Anywho, this is definitely worth the read, even if there was a line about how Gus tasted and it was just as horrific as anything (was it a joke? Was it serious? Was the editor asleep that day? Who knows) I could have imagined from a young adult novel (which are always weirdly obsessed with how the male love interest tastes and smells and it's always something weird or musky or sandalwoody.

Come for the banter, stay for the insightful comments on writing and women's fiction vs literary fiction.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

I knew I wanted to read this from the title alone. And then I saw the cover and that furthered my thoughts. And then I started seeing all the reviews come in and I knew this was a me book. And sure enough, there were some things I thought could have been different, but for the most part, I loved this.
Putting together a romance writer who doesn't believe in happy endings anymore and a literary fiction writer who has writer's block seems like it will be a pair that results in fights and more. But although they have differing ideas, they have become friends and started a fun bet that ends with them swapping genres. Nothing can go wrong with that right?
Just like with Emily Henry's YA novels, I LOVED the writing style. I laughed out loud and I wrote so many passages down. It was good to see her personality shining through her writing. I think that was what it so easily read-able for me. It felt comfortable, like a warm blanket and I slipped easily under it each time I sat down to read.
But, even though I loved it, I did feel like the plot was a bit slow. Just a tiny bit. Like some of the big events that kept me drawn to the story were few and far between and that made me feel like it drug a bit. Don't get me wrong, the whole book wasn't like that, but I did feel it in some places.
The romance and the bookish aspect of this were my favorite parts of this book. And the time when the two collided at the bookshelf scene?! I easily fell more in love with this book. Anytime there's a bookish aspect in a book, I know immediately I will be reading it and the romance was so well written. I loved seeing the two of them fall in love. Adding the bookish aspect and them finding each other over writing..... EASILY brings them together.
Unfortunately I didn't feel as attached to everyone else to January. I'm not sure what it was about her character, but for some reason I didn't really connect with her. I knew it when I didn't even get teary eyed after the events toward the end. Normally I cry like a baby with books like these, but for some reason I just didn't with this one. I didn't even get teary. I'm thinking it was my connection with her. I felt more of a connection with Gus. I would have liked to see inside his head a bit.
And of course, there was the setting. MY FAVORITE PART! For those who don't know, I was born and raised on a city with a beach, and always feel at home when I'm reading a book featuring one. I liked how Henry bought the beach to life by mentioning the small community, the tourists, the thunderstorms, reading on the beach, and so much more. I do wish they had utilized it more, but that was just me wanting to see more of the beach. I know that might not have been an issue for most other readers who aren't as into world building and beaches as I am.
This novel will make you think its light and fluffy from the bright cover and the title alone, but this novel does hit some pretty heavy topics. And yet, it's still one of my favorite rom coms this year. Definitely a book I will recommend to others. I mean it was so good I read the acknowledgements, the author's note on writer's block, and the discussion questions. I couldn't stop reading Henry's words. I hope others are as caught up in this book as I was!

Meet January Andrews, a bestselling romance writer that is currently spending her unromantic summer trying to write her next novel. How do you write a story of love and happiness when you are currently stuck in a rut, feeling hopeless? Aiming to find some inspiration, and to start over, January moves to her father’s summer home to write.

Meet Augustus Everett, an acclaimed novelist known for dark, page turning thrillers. Having had a thrilling past himself, August too struggles to find inspiration regardless of previous experiences.

Though these two individuals could not be more opposite, a friendship blossoms out of their shared experience of writer's block. One night, in the hope of creating a book by the end of the summer, they strike a deal to write in each other's genres. Can January write the next great, literary novel? Is Augustus even able to pen a happy ending for his characters? Embark on the sweet journey of two characters as they explore each other’s modes of writing, from visiting circuses to interviewing ex-cult members, and maybe even the possibility of romance.

A feel good book about new love and starting over, “The Beach Read” is bound to leave you smiling. Perfect for this summer, I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to relax, take it easy, and remember how amazing the little things can be.

This story was all kinds of wonderful!
Perfect balance between heartwrenching and feel-good writing. The characters were very well developed and their lives wonderfully described. Felt for them both and rooted for them such as much.
All in all, such a heartwarming and lovely summer read!

A perfect book that encapsulates the stages of grief and the joy of newfound love in a smart and well written package. The characters are rich with deep backstories that allow for a thorough understanding of their motivations and flaws. A perfect read that the term “beach read” can’t come close to capturing.

This is a contemporary read that could also fit in with women’s fiction. It’s an honest portrayal of grief and having to restart your life when the rug has been pulled out from under you. This is not a rom- com but does perform the very hard act of balancing sadness with funny moments and what’s life without laughter?! I loved January’s tenacity and truthfulness. She knew her boundaries and sometimes took the risk, aka Augustus. With an interesting meet-cute, Gus and January lead us through many ups and downs and reveal the many layers of a happy for now or is it happy ever after?

I Love, Love, LOVED BEACH READ by Emily Henry.
The premise was fun, the chemistry between the characters was sizzling, and it was exactly the escape I needed. Emily Henry is a spectacularly funny and talented writer and I was crushed to learn that BEACH READ is (currently) her only contemporary romance. Count me as a fan. Write faster, Emily.

Lisa Daily, DAYTIME Show

This was my first Emily Henry book and I couldn't have loved it more. The cover is misleading though! This isn't your average light clntemporary romance! The characters are well flushed out and the story has a depth nor normall achieved within contemporary romances. The main characters are neighbors on beach front property in Michigan. Not only are they both authors but they even went to college together are were rivals there! They write opposite genres however and this causes and interesting challenge of who will write a book in the other persons genre better. Hilarity and feelings ensue with some twisty turns that leave you unsure of how the story will end.

This books hits all the tropes and more for me and is well deserving of it's five star review! I look forward to reading more from Emily Henry after this one was such a hit!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC for an honest review. :)

THIS BOOK. Wow. There’s a ton of hype surrounding Beach Read, which always makes me nervous, but honestly, this book not only lived up to the hype, it exceeded it for me. I fell completely in love with January and Gus, their story, and Emily Henry’s writing.

From things other readers said, I knew not to go into Beach Read expecting a light, fluffy read. It dealt with themes like grief, cancer, infidelity, and abuse, but those heavy topics were perfectly balanced with humour, wit, and an incredible romance. I ran the gamut of emotions with this book - I laughed a lot, got angry, teared up, and even full-on cried. January and Gus were such wonderful characters; they were complex, flawed, sometimes messy, and they became real people for me. I was fully invested in them, and I alternately wanted to zoom through the pages to see what happened, while prolonging it and savouring it because I didn’t want to say goodbye to them.

As a romance writer myself, I related to January and her desire to tell stories about love. I also related to feeling stuck and, at times, a bit disillusioned. This book felt like a love letter to writing in a lot of ways - romance in particular - and I loved watching January fight for fictional happily ever afters while unknowingly getting her own. She proved you can still believe in love and happy endings even when life knocks you down and circumstances dim your inner light.

Beach Read is not only a new personal favourite, it’s hands-down one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The writing was beautiful, and it completely captivated me from beginning to end. I loved that serious, difficult, painful subjects were dealt with head-on and were mixed in with hilarious banter, a swoony slow-burn romance, and great side characters. I fell head over heels in love with Beach Read, and I know it’s a book I’m going to recommend endlessly to fellow romance lovers.

this was the first book that I read in 2020 that I gave 5 stars, and that's out of 70 or so books. I loved the banter between gus and January, I cant wait to see what Emily Henry comes out with next.

This book was such a great modern day romance. From the banter between the main characters, to the scenario of two authors challenging each other, I can't think of anything I disliked about this book. I finished it in two days, a great read to start the summer season.

This was a captivating story with interesting, complex characters. This didn't meet my expectations - I thought the "bet" or the writing challenge would be a bigger factor than it was (it was more of a launching point to get January on a different writing path). I thought because of the challenge that both characters would tell the story so we would also see Gus' writing process as part of the bet. But this is only from January's POV. I also didn't expect the story to be as angsty as it is with January's complicated grief as well as Gus' childhood experiences. But while this didn't play out like I expected, it was still a great story.

My favorite parts of this were the writing parts - the research trips the couple takes, their discussions and January's thinking about what she writes and how she writes and why she writes what she does. All of that was fascinating. The romance was enemies-to-lovers, but it didn't really feel like that. I didn't even notice that this fit that trope until the book was done and I was thinking back through it. The pacing of the romance felt perfect - not too rushed and not too dragged out.

Fans of contemporary romance with some depth (and by that I mean a more serious story compared to lighter, funnier contemporary stories) should be sure to check this out. (Language, sex)

I think this might have been the perfect book for me. It had romance, characters that are real, and leaves you feeling satisfied. It wasn't an emotional rollercoaster, it didn't give me anxiety, nor did it feel sickingly sweet; but it made me happy. I connected with this book because it was honest and because the characters were people. I loved this book, it is an authentic story that touched my heart.

Beach Read is so much more than the title implies. It’s an entertaining story about two authors, each battling personal demons that caused them to abandon their beliefs about love and living happily ever after. What they remember about each other from college was blatant dislike; one writes romance novels with happy endings, and the other pens deep literary novels. When they find themselves as neighbors in a Michigan beach town – that’s where the drama starts.

The idea of genre switching was so insightful to read about. Because they believe they are polar opposites, their “research” date nights opened their eyes to the other’s passion and character. It also allowed the reader to see how book ideas are ignited. January turned her personal story into a literary book and Gus took on a romance novel with heart. The writing in this book was a delight. Both January and Gus were witty and exchanged a lot of romantic and humorous banter. They were so emotionally depleted when the book began, so watching them grow into their true selves was the best part of the book.

Most readers will agree, that books about books are always a joy to read and this one is no exception. This pandemic has me starting and stopping a lot of books. I need to be sucked in from page one or I’ll get distracted by the news or my mind is flooded with scary thoughts about the Covid crisis. This one did the trick!

In this book we have January, the female protagonist of the story, she is a writer, but because of certain circumstances, she's having a creative block and decides to spend all her summer on the beach house that once belonged to her father. In that same place, she'll meet Augustus, his nemesis, who is also a writer and a highly acclaimed one. This is how the story begins.

It was undoubtedly a light and entertaining read. When I started it, I couldn't put it down but I had to stop and get some sleep so I could continue reading it. I learned a little more about how the publishing industry works and how much pressure there's to have a manuscript ready so your editor won't dump you. The book also touches sensitive topics like cheating and cancer, it made me cry in some parts especially when January talked about life and moving on.

And speaking of her, I liked her character development, we see her as a woman who sees everything positive and nothing gets under her skin. However, that changes as the plot progresses; she becomes a sensitive person and changes her point of view about life. I would've hoped that she managed better what happened to her father and I blame this on mother because she never knew how to talk to January about what happened and just let it pass. January is a character that I identify with in many ways and she deserves a happy ending.

We also have Gus, I wonder why all the male protagonists have the same background, always with problematic parents and with a very low self-esteem that leads them to be a nasty person. What differentiates Gus from that type of trope is that he isn't rude to January, it shows that he's interested in her from the moment he saw her only that he didn't know how to handle it. Gus is perfect for January, as she is the sun, and he the gray sky. I loved the dynamics of both as writers.

Something negative about the book would be the rhythm in the middle of the book, which I have noticed is very common in romance books, it was too long and it wasn't solved in the best way. But that doesn't mean it is a bad good, it is a great one.

Beach Read has been an entertaining and beautiful read, I liked the chemistry between the characters and the author's writing style, I will definitely read another book by her.