January writes happily-ever-after romances, and Augustus writes high-brow literary fiction. But these former collegiate rivals (at least as far as January is concerned) are suffering from writer's block. To fix that, they agree to swap genres: he writes the romance, she writes the high-brow.

And thus is born Emily Henry's breezy, heartfelt, and surprisingly spicy romance.

This book is good because January and Gus aren't boring or predictable. They're each grieving and trying to heal from losses that make them reluctant to open themselves up to love. They're also supported by a cast of characters that are fun and interesting and who keep the plot moving forward. There is a little mystery concerning January's father that serves a mildly entertaining point. Far more compelling, though, is the relationship between January and Gus. I liked them so much (particularly Gus), and I dearly wanted them to find happiness.

I enjoyed this book a lot and it is, as its title implies, a fantastic beach read. As I write this review during the COVID-19 quarantine, I am grateful for books such as this one. We need escapist fun, and Emily Henry provides it.

Why on earth does January talk about the romance genre (and its conventions like the HEA) constantly but call her books upbeat women’s fiction?! I am so confused. When she talks about her writing, it sounds like romance. It sounds like she’s writing about protagonists falling in love in a central romantic storyline that ends in a HEA. But when she’s at the bookstore, she sees teens in the romance aisle and is like “can’t be my book” when it’s revealed to be a clinch cover.

Look at passages 2 and 3. She’s using the terms interchangeably! NO! I have nothing against upbeat women’s fiction, okay? But genre definitions exist. She constantly talks about how the HEA is paramount to the genre she writes in. That’s not true. Women’s fiction can have a happy ending and a strong romantic element. But it doesn’t have to have a happy romantic ending. It doesn’t even need a happy ending!

I don’t understand what she’s writing, either. Is she like Sophie Kinsella, a chick-lit author who’s written romantic stand-alones that straddle the romance line? Except for when she says “upbeat women’s fiction,” her books sound exactly like Genre Romance. Why does the blurb call her a romance writer when she is writing upbeat women’s fiction? WHY?! And honestly, why isn’t she a fucking romance author like the blurb says!? It would take me five minutes to go through the manuscript and replace the references to “women’s fiction” with “romance genre.” Not only would the book stay exactly the same, it would make more freaking sense.

I was really excited to get my hands on a copy of Beach Read. While it wasn’t what I was expecting, I still enjoyed following the story. I did feel that there were parts where the story dragged a bit, but it was worth it to stick it out and I found myself rooting for the main characters in the end. I loved the quirks of some of the secondary characters and the descriptions of the settings which made me feel immersed into the storyline. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved this book so much! It's clever and funny and feminist and also a very thoughtful book about finding yourself again after great loss and grief.

My full review of this book can be found here: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/beach-read-by-emily-henry/

I loved this book so much. The romance was heartwarming, hilarious, and believable but also it was just so rewarding to follow January and to see her reach a point of self acceptance. It was just so relatable and I loved feeling all the things. Have already reread and recommended online and to so many friends. I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

I’m not a huge fan of books that could be considered “chick lit.” I don’t usually choose romance, unless there are also zombies involved. But Beach Read is gooood. It’s not quite chick lit; there’s some past heartbreak to deal with and some serious family issues to sort out. But there’s also witty, snarky banter, a good plot and sizzling chemistry between our main characters.

Good stuff, and light hearted enough to be a perfect pandemic read

Beach Read features January Andrews, a romance writer going through a rough time in her life, which is in turn having an affect on her writing, or lack thereof. She is taking some time at her late father's beach house which happens to be next door to Augustus Everett, a college classmate and renowned literary fiction author. The relationship between our characters develops through a bet in which they swap writing genres and requires field trips including a Meg Ryan movie marathon and an intense interview with a gentleman who grew up within a cult.

“The only promise you ever had in life was the one moment you were living. And I was. Happy for now."

I knew I would enjoy this book, but it hit me in a few different areas I did not anticipate; I laughed out loud and burst into tears while reading and would recommend it to anyone looking for someone looking for the best Beach Read to release this year.

I received this as an early review copy from NetGalley and Berkley. All opinions are my own.

Such a cute romcom! I absolutely devoured this one, it pulled me out of a little reading slump and is a perfect summer read! Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the advanced copy ❤️

This book is all about two enemies with an interesting past who inevitably become tangled into each other’s present. Each of them is a writer and damaged in their own way. After making a bet that deals with each other’s new novel, they discover they’re now neighbors and become closer and closer. One thing leads to another and love sparks—but each is afraid that they don’t deserve it.

Such a cute story! Highly recommend 🤓

Beach Read by Emily Henry is a delightful book that is going to appeal to every reader who not only enjoys the results of an author’s work but who also loves the idea of being that author whose words have the power to entertain, to influence, to inspire. So what happens when an author loses that spark that makes the difference between words on paper and a book that captures a reader's imagination? Meet not one, but two such authors who just happen to be living next door to each through no fault of their own as they challenge each other to step outside their comfort zones, he to pen a romance novel AKA beach read and she to pen a work of serious fiction.
Don’t let this book’s title mislead you. Even though it would be a great beach read, there is more to this story than just a bit of sand on your lounge chair. The lengths to which Augustus Everett and January Andrews go in their efforts to provide each other with inspiration are sometimes funny, sometimes touching, and sometimes graphically sexual. In addition to their research, which is at times hilarious and at other times a little scary, there are lessons to be learned by both writers about love, acceptance, and never giving up on those who are important to you.
Author Emily Henry makes her characters so likable, I think you will want to meet and get to know Gus and January along with their quirky supporting cast. 5 stars aren't nearly enough for Beach Read. It’s the first book I’ve read in a long time that I really didn’t want to end. I highly recommend it.

January arrives at her father’s second house. The house that housed his second life. A life she found out about at his funeral. Turns out that her dad had an affair while her mom was going through chemo. It makes January question everything about her dad, her parent’s relationship, her memorized of her dad and romance/love in general. This last one is particularly bad when you are an author known for happily ending novels. Add on that her boyfriend of six years broke up with her in a hot tub while they were on vacation with his family and you have a character that’s about to hit rock bottom. Before she does, she meets her neighbor, a grumpy author that she happens to have gone to school with and remembers a night when they had some obvious chemistry. They have a little fun by making a bet to see who can write a new book with the other’s type of ending (sad for January and happy for Gus). In the process, they teach the other some lessons about their respective genres and grow increasingly close. The only issue is that Gus has a pretty big secret of his own and has some relationship phobia. I enjoyed this book but what I loved about it was that it explained the writing process for two types of writers and how they can use the same process to write different genres of books.
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How did January not guess that her father’s password for the safe was her birthday? That’s the most obvious parent password possible, especially for a book. Also, what were the other things in the safe?
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January was overly dramatic at the July fourth barbecue and on the outing the next day. It didn’t ring true to her character. Also, obviously Gus didn’t want to leave the party to have sex in his aunt’s home. That would be weird.

Beach Read is the first book I’ve read in a long time that I’ve found myself highlighting multiple passages while reading on my Kindle. Emily Henry takes so many emotions & effectively plays them out on paper. If y’all know one thing about me, it’s how grief is a HUGE emotion in my life. After losing both of my parents, it’s one of the emotions I have the hardest time expressing or explaining. If you haven’t experienced it, let me tell you Henry does an amazing job expressing it throughout this book. Some days you wake up and all you want to do is cry, but then other days you don’t shed a tear. ⁣
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Grief isn’t the only theme Henry tackles in this book. She also adequately portrays the roller coaster that is love. As someone who is going through a divorce, this book spoke to me. After having my heart broken, I’m terrified to fall in love again. I ask myself why I’d ever want to go through that again. But as Henry describes, you have to live and love in the moment. You have to be happy in the moment. As I was reading this one, I found myself saying “OMG it’s like she’s in my head right now!” Beach Read is a must read! I will be grabbing a copy for my book collection & I think you should too!! This one gets 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟⁣

‘She was in pain. I knew that. But I was in pain too, so much of it that for once I couldn’t laugh or dance any measure of it away. I couldn’t even write myself a happy ending.’

Beach Read by Emily Henry without question one of our favourite books of 2020. The storyline is so much more than what the cover and synopsis implies. So much more. We’ll come back to the cover later. Beach Read had us sobbing, it had us questioning human relations. It had us compelled! The writing was outstanding. This is so much more than a romance. It is a plethora of stories entwined perfectly crafted and shaped into an all-encompassing story of life. Beach Read is also a truly wonderful love story which slowly builds across the chapters.

“Promise not to fall in love with me.”

You know those romance books where the romantic tension is so agonisingly slow that it builds and builds your anticipation into something so excruciatingly intense that you crave it so badly your anticipation is almost unbearable. The lingering touches the eye contact, the subtle body language and racing thoughts and hearts. The anticipation of that first kiss, the heated desire for what comes after. Emily Henry magnificently wrote this to perfection.

‘He was always leaning on something, like he couldn’t bear to hold all his own weight upright for more than a second or two. He lounged, he sprawled, he hunched and he reclined. Now I wondered if he was simply tired, if life had beaten him into a permanent slouch, folded him over himself so no one could get at that soft center…’

Gus and January are two very complex and completely lovable characters who happen to become neighbours on the beachfront of a small town. Both are authors; of literary fiction and happily ever after romance, respectively. On paper, they could not be any more different even if they tried, but then again, action is a reaction to what lies underneath and what spurs the pen isn’t it?! Carrying heavy loads and a clogged up minds, both are suffering from writers’ block and need something epic to happen to release the flow of words. A dare becomes an out of control animal which forces these two wonderful characters to face not only themselves but the truth they so desperately hide from.

‘…nothing felt more important than the book, than giving these fictional lovers the ending they deserved, giving my readers the ending they deserved. People clinging to whatever steadfast thing they could find? Yes. Yes, that made sense. It made perfect sense.’

We all have a very personal perception of life, the people in it and how they see us. It is shaped by experience, actions and their consequences. Ours and theirs. It is not always a perception based on a full picture or truth, because no one truly knows what motivates another person’s actions or reactions. The way in which Emily Henry writes a story is truly mesmerising and engages every single one of our emotions. It’s truly stunning, and we have to mention how brilliant it is to feel so immersed and fully engaged in character conversations, be they hilarious banter, raw emotions or grief stricken anger. This Author gave us the opportunity to experience everything which is so refreshing, as opposed to being told what happened and how to feel. She afforded us the intense experience of peeling the layers off one by one, to take a chisel to two hearts, thus discovering and forming a true and honest comprehension and connection to January and Gus.

‘…if I ever got to kiss Gus again, I wanted it to be this version of him. The one who didn’t feel so weighed down by the world around him that he had to lean just to stay upright.’

We literally couldn’t have loved this book any more than what we did. We loved the humorous banter, the romantic and sexual tension, the personal discoveries, the tragic heartbreak, the second chances at life and love, and the underlying message that if you find yourself stuck in life, look for an outside perspective. Whilst we only hear January’s POV, the superb way in which Beach Read was written ensured that we fully connected with Gus. We felt his pain, we cringed at his awkwardness and we felt his passion.

“When you love someone, you want to make this world look different for them. To give all the ugly stuff meaning, and amplify the good. That’s what you do. For readers, for me. You make beautiful things, because you love the world, and maybe the world doesn’t always look how it does in your books, but…I think putting them out there, that changes the world a little bit. And the world can’t afford to lose that. I always admired that. The way your writing always makes the world seem brighter, and the people in it a little braver.”

We do have to mention the book cover in direct relation to the actual story within. We can’t quite decide if this cover is a clever satirical decision or an ironic nod to what the title Beach Read actually represents or whether it is fully intended to imply that this is a book you would grab to get lost in, whilst living your best life in the sun. Any which way, this cover does not, in our humble opinion, reflect the life and love story within, which is what is in fact sporadically argued in this story, and we have to say -great point well made-` by Emily Henry. Yet it is also a truth that it would indeed turn many readers off, which is a sad fact. So to play devil’s advocate, what the gist of truth in the words within are conveying, they will in fact be lost at the first hurdle. The irony and sarcasm is certainly transparent in the storyline and quite frankly incredibly apt. Beach Read is a brilliant read, the snarky and cheeky banter, the intense emotions, the heartbreak, the self-realisations and the overcoming of life’s severe kicks in the gut. It’s just such a wonderful read. So, we urge readers to pick this book up, especially the readers who may fall at the first ‘book cover hurdle’. This is not a story to be missed!

“I’ve never met someone who is so perfectly my favorite person. When I think about being with you every day, no part of me feels claustrophobic.”

4 1/2 stars

"Here's the thing about writing Happily Ever Afters: it helps if you believe in them. ⁣
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Here's the thing about me: I did until the day of my father's funeral."⁣
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I started Beach Read around the same time that I was starting a different book and I had to put the other book away for a bit so I could binge read this wonderful book! I found it extremely hard to put down and even had one night where I dreamed about Gus and January all night long. I have never dreamed about the book I was reading so this must say something about this book! ⁣
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If you are like me, you are expecting a cheesy love story with a beach setting. Although this one would be fun to read on the beach, it is definitely not your normal cheesy love story. It has fun banter, it is heart wrenching, deep, sweet, and it will leave you completely in love with Gus and January's characters.

I ENJOYED…
☂️
- You might think that Beach Read, from its title and cover and promising synopsis, is a swoony, lovely romance. Well, it is, but not only. Beach Read is a well-rounded contemporary filled with great romance and banter, but also with complex family issues and deeper, heavier themes and I urge you to take a look at the trigger warnings before fooling yourself.
- My favorite thing about Beach Read was the romance. I loved how it slowly developed from being polar opposites to slowly getting to know each other, peeling off the layers (metaphorically and, well, really) and slowly falling for each other, too. The banter was on point, the chemistry was sparkling off the pages and in every single one of the characters’ interactions and I loved it SO much.
- Both of the main characters in the story are incredibly flawed, as well and wonderfully human.
- Told from January’s POV, a romance writer with her inspiration lost after the loss of her father, Beach Read got me from the very first page and captured me, in its writing and in January’s story. I loved how wonderful she was and how, from page one, I rooted for her and wanted her to be okay. I loved her personal growth so much!
- I also really enjoyed Gus. He wasn’t an easy character to figure out, but I found out all of his complexities as January did and I grew so fond of him, too.
- The thing I loved the most about it all was that both of the main characters were writers! I loved the insight into their writing process and research and it just made my heart happy to read about writers.
- Something I really liked about Beach Read was how the author managed to balance romance and heavier themes perfectly, putting them all together in one complex, human, heartwarming and heartbreaking story all at once. From dealing with grief and realizing you didn’t know someone you were close to as much as you thought you did, to escaping with writing and discovering new sides of yourself you didn’t know about.

I HAD A HARD TIME WITH…
☂️
- I didn’t like that I was fooled by this pretty cover into thinking this would be a fun and fluffy romance. It felt like being hit by a thunderstorm when I started reading and the deeper I got into the book, especially in those intense moments dealing with heavy topics, too. Honestly, it is not a book’s flaw, at all, it’s a bit of a marketing flaw for me. Just something to be ready for before picking up this book!

OVERALL
☂️
If you’re looking for a realistic adult contemporary book about grief, healing, forgiveness and second chances, with an A+ romance filled with chemistry and wonderful banter that’ll have you smiling for days, I will definitely recommend you to give Beach Read a try!

trigger warnings: mentions of past abuse, mentions of breast cancer and chemo, adultery, death of a parent, emetophobia, mentions of a cult, grief.

This was a fun read, but just that. At least for me. I read the synopsis and I was so excited, it sounded like a romance I NEEDED to read. I mean, the main characters are both authors that write totally opposite genres and they develop sort of a enemies to lovers relationship? I WAS SO IN. But sadly, I found it a little boring.

I may be the exception here. I've only read GREAT reviews for this one. Maybe it is because I'm not that into romance stories? SURE, I love romance IN my stories, just not so much if it's the main theme. But sometimes it can happens that a romance books sweeps me away and makes me swoon. Examples:
- To all the boys I've loved before
- The Hating Game
- Red, White & Royal Blue

So yes, there are a few romance books that I love, and I'm always trying to find the next one to add to that list, and I was hoping this was it. But it was not.

Nevertheless, it wasn't bad, I really enjoyed some parts and I was rooting for the main characters! And I really liked the dare. So: January is a romance author and Gus is writes dark literary fiction, and they dare each other to write the thing the other one usually writes! That's the sinopsys and it sounded awesome. It was kinda awesome.

But yeah, I didn't like the book as much as everyone else. The middle part dragged a bit to much and the way Gus handled the situation when things were getting hard was frustrating. And it wasn't a good kind of frustration, it was one that made me go: ugh STOP. Anyway, everyone is loving this book, so my opinion is an unpopular one.

Beach Read was so much deeper than I anticipated. Based on the title and synopsis, I was expecting, well, a beach read, but this story touches on a series of heavier topics and realistic character hardships. In addition to that, the main characters, January and Augustus, have the cutest dang romance, complete with writing notes to each other from their windows à la Taylor Swift.

The two are authors, both suffering with writer’s block, who challenge themselves to swap genres for their next books to help get the creative juices flowing. To help do so, they organize weekend research outings to teach each other about their writing processes. I love that this book explores each author’s relationship to their respective genre, and how they ended up writing what they do. January’s transformation from believing wholeheartedly in her parents’ love story to discovering secret infidelities shakes her hugely and rattles her ability to move forward with her romance novel. In the wake of her father’s sudden death, she grapples to wrap her head around the man she thought she knew and the unburied secrets he kept from her. Augustus is stubbornly disillusioned with love and, rather than being a stereotypical playboy, or curmudgeon, we slowly find out the depth of hurt that has made him that way. Both character’s backstories are raw, deep, and believable, and made this story so much more than a fluffy romance.

The small-town setting of this story is perfect. It’s wonderfully constructed with quirky, believable shops and townspeople, and frames January and Augustus’s story very well. Isolated from distraction in such a quiet town, they have little to focus on but one another.

This book definitely made me feel things: anticipation over an impending romance, sorrow and grief, and happy butterflies for the two main characters. Although not strictly a ‘beach read,’ Beach Read is a poignant contemporary romance with depth and narratives that stretch far beyond what I expected.

Reviews posted on May 22:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAf0s47ARU1/
https://treatyourshelf.home.blog/2020/05/22/beach-read-by-emily-henry-book-review/

Beach Read was such a fantastic book. I did not expect to love it as much as I did, but I stayed up all night to finish it and haven't stopped thinking about it since. I loved the balance between lighter fun moments and heavier emotional ones. All the research trips January and Gus went on were so much fun to read about, I never wanted it to end. I really loved their romance and felt the chemistry so much between them.
This is a book I will reread again and again.

I absolutely loved this book. The main characters were just so likable and it kept me rooting for them throughout the whole story.

I keep hearing about this book being the 'it' book this summer, and it lives up to the hype. Such a beautiful, emotional, funny, and realistic love story about the wonderful January and Gus. January was just a fantastic character and felt so real and authentic. Favorite book I've read this year.

"Falling’s the part that takes your breath away. It’s the part when you can’t believe the person standing in front of you both exists and happened to wander into your path. It’s supposed to make you feel lucky to be alive, exactly when and where you are."

AAHH! My new favorite romance! Don't let the sunny, summery, fun cover fool you - this is an adult contemporary romance dealing with real-life issues such as family dysfunction, illness, death and relationship issues. But it IS funny and it is SO much more than just a light romance! Very rarely do hyped-up books live up to the buzz for me, but 'Beach Read' did all that and more. I have a serious book hangover after reading this.

'Beach Read' is one of my top favorite books so far this year. I have started and stopped tons of books since coronavirus lock-down started but very few hold my attention. I am happy to say that 'Beach Read' was perfect for me right now: intelligent banter, steamy scenes and a story about writers that was just fascinating!

Yes this book provides a great escape but the main protagonists January and Gus were also fully-developed characters with depth, wit, serious issues and most of all, intelligence. I often find romance novels to be filled with cliches and tired old story lines but Emily Henry has really created something fresh and new here. This also fits nicely into the women's fiction category for all you fans of that genre.

I mean how catchy is the premise? A romance writer and a literary fiction author swapping genres for the summer on a bet? To read a behind-the-scenes peek into how writers flesh out their stories and their characters was fantastic. And I always give props to authors who name their chapters, Love it!

For any read who has ever defended their love of romance novels, this book is for you. Emily Henry is a huge talent and I cannot wait to read her next adult novel. 'Beach Read' is a sweet, sexy, intelligent story that I could not put down. Make this your next Summer 2020 read! You'll love it.