4/5 stars

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an advanced e-arc in exchange for a review!

Beach Read is the perfect book for an escape! From the first chapter until the end I was so invested in this book. I finished this book in one sitting and never once got bored it was so addictive! I’ll be honest going into this I was very nervous, I adore Emily Henry’s YA books but I’m very picky when it comes to romance so this was a bit of a gamble. However Beach Read was the perfect amount of romance, intriguing plot, and characters that you become so invested in.

Beach Reads follows two very different authors who are both stuck in a rut. When they unexpectedly become neighbours they decide to switch manuscripts and write the others stories. The romance author will write “The Next Great American Novel” and Gus who doesn’t believe in love will write a new romance novel.

I love books following writers, as a lover of literature it just instantly makes you feel connected to the characters. Every scene we got to see of them writing their books, or celebrating their word count for the day made me just fall even more in love with them. January and Gus were both so perfectly imperfect. I was worried that Gus was going to be this closed off character that was hard to connect with, but wow I adored him. I wanted to just wrap Gus up in my arms, he pulled at my heart strings and was such an amazing love interest. Gus was such a breath of fresh air, he didn’t fall under the typical closed off love interest. Yes when we meet him he is closed off but reading about him you can tell how desperate he is for someone to love him. I also really adored the build up to January’s and Gus romance. Their friendship was so precious and just made their romance even more worth it.

Honestly at this point I think I’ll read anything Emily Henry puts out. Any genre and any age range I always end up adoring her work.

Thank you again to Penguin and NetGalley for proviso nag me with an advanced e arc of this book!

This wasn't what I was expecting, but that's a good thing!

From the title, I was anticipating a light frothy sort of romance; I wasn't disappointed that the story was deeper and a bit darker, but the title did throw me a bit.

I loved the story and seeing the relationship develop, and each character confront and overcome their demons through their competitive writing exercise and their relationship with each other.

This book also made me laugh out loud numerous times; it's so well-written - I'm definitely going to read more by Emily Henry going forward!

I'm having a hard time rating this one...

First off, the title and cover art are *very* misleading. This is not a fluffy, light enemies-to-lovers romcom. It's a contemporary romance (there's an HEA), but the characters are broken, flawed people who randomly reconnect and struggle to understand the other while dealing with their own issues of self-worth and needing to forgive those who’ve hurt them. Oh, and they go to the beach maybe twice the entire story!?

Despite the heavier subject matter, the writing is very strong. Maybe if I'd come into this read with different expectations, I would've been more receptive to the angsty, darker tone of this story. In many ways, it reads like women's fiction—this is definitely the heroine's story—and normally, that wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me. I did enjoy the first half more than the back half, but overall, it just didn't deliver on the promise of the premise for me.

RATING: B- (3½ stars)

For me, Beach Read was one of those books that was immediately added to my TBR as soon as I heard about it. A romcom about rival writers? Yes please. I also love the idea of opposites, at least in some ways, interacting and being drawn to one another. Plus, the cover is adorable.

When I was about 34% into the book, I was actually really surprised by it. A lot of people say it’s light and fluffy, and while it does have those moments, it’s almost more emotional than fluffy. But I appreciate that it deals with some real stuff too. January and Augustus are both going through their own difficult things, and it’s this journey – mainly January’s – that really moves the plot forward and brings them together while also creating conflict. I liked that, but it was completely unexpected. I think that the book handles its heavy topics pretty well for the most part.

January is a fantastic character. Flawed and real, she’s in pain and learning how to cope with it. I really felt for her, and it made me so invested in the story. Her and I share a loss in common, and it made me feel connected to her. It had me thinking, ‘Yes, that’s exactly what that feels like.’ Aside from that, she’s also great with comebacks and banter that had me laughing. She may be struggling, but she has such a big heart.

Augustus – Gus – is her opposite in some ways, and their interactions are always riveting. It’s so easy to ship them and root for them. Gus can be such a sweetie with January, and I love to see him support her when she has low moments. Their banter, their sweetness, their steam – and even the moments when they’re in conflict – are honestly wonderful to read. I’m a little unsure how I feel about the ending, though. It was simultaneously cheesy and yet not completely hopeful. And oddly enough, the only thing that sometimes took me out of the story were their trips to research each other’s genres. But mostly they added depth and insight.

The minor characters are compelling in their own ways, including Gus’ Aunts, January’s friend, and even her mom. They were each important to the story and made the relationships at the core of the book feel more realistic.

If you’re going in expecting a completely light and fluffy book, you’ll be surprised by the turn Beach Read takes. But I think the heavier moments add value and strength to the story, and make the characters and romance all the more real. The journey is worth it. Like a flower soaking up the sun, as I turned each page I absorbed the words, basking in the glow but appreciating the nearby shadows. Knowing that both the light and dark are true, appreciating that the story doesn’t shy away from either.

To some, Beach Read may have the appearance of a light rom-com, perfect for easy summer reading. I was pleased to discover that underneath the humor that it delivered, each main character had a wonderfully complex emotional conflict to work through. The emotionally deeper plots are the kinds of romances that I'm attracted to the most. You really get a chance to dig into the characters' minds and hearts so that even if you don't necessarily agree with everything they do, you understand what influences them. There were some common, recognizable tropes found in your typical contemporary romance, but Emily Henry managed to infuse new life into them and make the story feel fresh and real.

This is an enemies-to-lovers romance of sorts. January and Gus have known each other since college when they attended writing classes together. He was the grumpy unapproachable hero, and she was the optimistic romantic who was ready to conquer the world. Their life experiences and world views were so completely different that a barrier was erected between them. And so began a competitive streak that carried into the present time. January still grits her teeth at the mention of his name and success story. He was that guy that always rubbed her the wrong way and got her hackles up without even trying. When her life is falling apart at the seams, she discovers that her new neighbor is none other than her nemesis, Augustus Everett.

January's entire outlook on life and love has been shattered by a secret unearthed about her father after his death. One year later, she's still trying to come to grips with her disillusionment and heartbreak over his betrayal. Unfortunately this upheaval has translated into a hardcore case of writer's block. How could she possibly write a love story that her readers have come to expect with hearts and flowers and a happily-ever-after when she's not sure she believes in them anymore? She's twenty-nine, flat broke, and living in the house that brings all of her hurt and pain right back up to the surface.

When she realizes Gus is next door, she goes on the defensive and they immediately start throwing snark back and forth. What she doesn't know is that they currently have more in common than she thinks. Writer's block has struck him as well, and he's just as desperate to get the words flowing. An idea is proposed: what if they both stepped in the other's shoes and tried to write from the other person's perspective? She would write a dreary, tragic literary novel, and he would write a romance with a happy ending. It starts out as a game to prove their versatility and talent to each other, and becomes so much more.

January never bothered to truly get to know what was underneath Gus' gruff exterior, and made snap judgements on surface appearances. Now she was discovering his soft underbelly, his vulnerable side that not many are allowed to see, and she realized that they actually make a surprisingly strong team. They were having fun again, and learning that when people weren't what they seem, it isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it's a gift. In finding each other, they found their way back to themselves again, but stronger than ever.

I really enjoyed the bantering between these two characters, and the gradual path to them discovering love when they least expected it. I can't put my finger on what held me back from giving a full five stars. While I enjoyed the concept of the plot, and the excellent characterization of both main characters, for some reason I didn't feel butterflies in my stomach, heart-pounding excitement for the romance. Regardless of that, I thought the writing was fantastic and this is most definitely worthy of a read for those who are looking for a romance with some really relatable, weighty themes. Without a doubt I'll be reading more from this author in the future.

I've just finished this book and I need to talk about it because it's AMAZING.
I was intrigued by the plot: two authors with writers block that set this funny challenge to write a novel of the usual other's genre of novels.
But this, as always happens with the synopsis, didn't prepare me to how much heartfelt this books goes.
You're into January story. You can feel everything. The loss of her father, the anger against him and her mother, the feeling of being lost when even Jacques had left her and writing doesn't come as natural and free as it was before. Then her fears, her hopes and feelings, so strong they hit me deep and crawled under my skin.
And then there's Gus. I'm in love with this character so much. The way he looks at people, his silences, his way of seeing life (due to his personal story) and how he interacts with January.
It's not been simple, sometimes it was a little bit irritating because you wan to tell January or Gus to not give up, to not close their walls all around them but they can't listen. How could they? But you still root for them SO much.
They're two wounded people that hadn't have the shot they deserved the first time and here can have a proper second chance.
I was so afraid I'll stumble in some obvious clichés, but the fact is this book gave me more.
It talks about the imperfections of life, of families and people and the fact we have to accept them at the same time but do not think we're destroyed or ruined at the point we can't have our own happyness.
No one is perfect or, as January says, "I thought you understood that there's no such thing as a normal person." Everyone, every story has its ups and downs. Nothing is entirely bright as we might think, but there isn't just a dark hole either.
This book remembers us that even when our life have been shaked by something unespected, being happy again can really happen, and that most of the time things are not as we see them at first sight or impression. Sometimes second glances, second chances are worth.

As I've said, we see the story only through January point of view, but we follow (from a little distance) Gus' path too, and one of the things that I've loved the most is the fact that yes, they're adorable together and they helped each other not to drop faith in open themself again with other people, BUT they manage to handle their problems by themselves. Both have a personal evolution during the entire book and that makes them two beautiful characters BEFORE being a beautiful couple.
I've laughed with them, I was so THRILLED in more than one moment (Emily, I had in suspance so many times, but it was worth the waiting) and they moved me so much I'm writing with still tears in my eyes.
Maybe not being an English mother tongue made me loose some jokes or references, but I've loved this story so much. It's not a fairytale, either an all-laugh story; Beach Read is a bittersweet novel, maybe more realistic than most of others.

I have also to mention that this story is about writing too. From a person who loves writing as much as reading (for me they're like air to breath) this book is an hymn to writing. For me it's obvious how Emily loves her job but also understands well what it comes with it: there's not always a flow full of words and scenes and ideas, but there are also blank moments in which you ask yourself what you could do to find inspiration.
It was so interesting to discover January and Gus' different points of view and having glimps about how January creates her new novel (I have to admit I would have loved seeing Gus' too), and you can't find this in lots of books, so I think it's an added value to be considered.

So, this looooooooooong review to say: READ THIS BOOK, it's a song of love, mistakes, hopes and new beginnings - and, answering one of the questions I've found at the end of Beach Reads: Yes, I would love a second book, and to see how Gus and January will manage to create their own path of happiness together and their own family <3
Thank you so much for this book Emily and thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read it in advance!

This book was a near perfect romance with well-developed characters and fairly believable plot as far as most romances go. It even managed to make me cry happy tears which I haven't experienced in a while from a book. If you're a fan of a "Pride and Prejudice"-esque romance with an enemies to lovers plot then this is a must read. The only reason I didn't give this title five stars is the intense need for diversity in romance that isn't tokeny or offensive. While they were two background lesbian characters, the main characters of this story were still straight, white, and able bodied. While the inclusion of January's best friend Shadi (the only poc in this novel) was nice, it sometimes felt like ticking a box . I don't say this to discredit Emily Henry herself, but as a reminder to publishing companies that readers WANT diverse stories even when we are reading genre fiction that is somewhat formulaic.

January Andrews once believed in romance so much that she wrote books about it. That was before her boyfriend dumped her, her father died suddenly and everything she thought she knew about happiness turned out to be an illusion.

Now she left with nothing but an old house on the lake and a rapidly approaching deadline to deliver her next book, she packs up her entire life and heads to wilds of Michigan. She mistakenly thought she was buying herself time to come to terms with who her father truly was. The very last thing she needs is to discover that she’s now living right next door to her infuriatingly handsome college nemesis.

“There, on the abstract black-and-white cover, in square red letters, beneath The Revelatories, was his name. It was all coming together in my mind, a domino trail of realizations. I didn’t mean to say it aloud, but I might have.
Because the bells over the bookshop door tinkled, and when I looked up, there he was. Olive skin. Cheekbones that could cut you. Crooked mouth and a husky voice I’d never forget. Messy, dark hair I could immediately picture haloed in fluorescent light.
Augustus Everett. Gus, as I’d known him back in college.
“Everett!” as Pete was calling affectionately from behind the desk.
My neighbor, the Grump.
I did what any reasonable adult woman would do when confronted with her college rival turned next-door neighbor. I dove behind the nearest bookshelf.”

January remembered Augustus Everett as Gus or Sexy, Evil Gus depending on her mood. Even back then, his writing was lauded by staff and students alike. Their artistic clash fueled both her imagination and her passion. Until the night when she almost (but not quite) surrendered to his charms. Saved from diving headlong into a sea of humiliation by her best friend, she could never forget the chemistry that sizzled between them.

When their old rivalry sparks a bet that will have both stepping out of their comfort zones, the result will either culminate in the salvation of her writing career or the breaking of her heart. And the odds aren’t in her favor.

“It was an unabashed moment, a comfortable silence. The kind of thing that, if I had been writing it, I might’ve thought I could skip right over.
But I would be wrong. Because here, in this moment when nothing was happening and we’d finally run out of things to say, I knew how much I liked Gus Everett, how much he was starting to mean to me. We’d let so much out into the open over the last three days, and I knew more would bubble up over time, but for the first time in a year, I didn’t feel overstuffed with trapped emotions and bitten-back words.
I felt a little empty, a little light.
Happy. Not giddy or overjoyed, but that low, steady level of happiness that, in the best periods of life, rides underneath everything else, a buffer between you and the world you are walking over.
I was happy to be here, doing nothing with Gus, and even if it was temporary, it was enough for me to believe that someday I’d be okay again. Maybe not the exact same brand of it I’d been before Dad died—probably not—but a new kind, nearly as solid and safe.
I could feel the pain too, the low-grade ache I’d be left with if and when this thing between Gus and me imploded. I could perfectly imagine every sensation, in the pit of my stomach and the palms of my hands, the sharp pulses of loss that would remind me of how good it felt to stand here with him like this, but for once, I didn’t think letting go was the answer.
I wanted to hold on to him, and this moment, for a while.”

Beach Read isn’t the light summer romance that it appears to be at first glance. It’s a story that’s far deeper and more profound. With characters that light up the page, Emily Henry fashions each one with a rare combination of sharp wit and vulnerability. They made me laugh out loud, fight back tears and revealed a strength that was inspiring beyond words.

With everything from purse-wine to farting Labradors and one of the best arguments against the term “Women’s Fiction” that I’ve ever encountered - Beach Read is that special kind of perfection that the world could use a lot more of.

I really enjoyed watching the creative juices begin flowing in January and getting a glimpse of an author in the throws of planning, plotting, and writing a book. Seeing the spark of creation in action.

There’s a lot of shit that both January and Gus get to deal with. Each has skeletons and dark corners in their pasts even though the world might not have seen those. When emotions surge and burst out of tightly controlled facades, there will be surprises and there will be pain. Once those are let lose, they will be impossible to stuff back inside.

They each have reasons for writing their respective genres: she needed HEAs while acting happy during her mom’s chemo treatments. Because of his childhood, he needed to discover why people stay in bleak, dark situations when they might have left.

Since we’re only seeing January’s POV, Gus’s actions and statements (past and present) are of course open for misinterpretation. But mistakes are made based on a lot of things and not just “because the plot needed it.” We all see events and listen to statements through the prism of ourselves. When another person, for whatever reason, doesn’t share every speck of personal data about themselves, things get even more muddled.

As January learns more about herself and comes to terms with her family’s reality, she finds herself learning more about who Gus really is and reinterpreting all she ever knew about him. There is some drama, a mystery, pain, facing the fact that not everyone in your life is perfect, and unleashing years worth of feelings but there’s humor here as well. I wish is that more of Gus’s writing could have been shown but since this is first-person, that wasn’t going to happen. There were also a few subplots that I didn’t feel added much to the story. The bantering is great, the way Gus and January end their new-to-me genres is fun and true to their selves, and, though there was a little bit of repetition at times, I enjoyed this much more than I felt I would. B

When I read the description for Beach Read I was immediately sold on the idea of two authors that hate each other (and tell very different stories) being stuck in a close proximity. You see, I love those two tropes. Sure the close proximity wasn’t a “forced to share a bed” kind, but neighbors that feud is just as good in my book. Anyway I was really excited to read this one and let me tell you, it didn’t let me down. Beach Read was positively delightful.

Beach Read is a charming romance by Emily Henry about Augustus Everett, an acclaimed literary author, and January Andrews, a bestselling romance writer. Both find themselves neighbors on the beach for the summer while working through their writers block. January is having trouble coming up with a happily ever after after the death of her father and the secrets it revealed and Gus just can’t find the words for his next project. After a rocky start the two converge and make a deal, Augustus is going to write a rom-com and January will right the next bestselling novel. Over a variety of field trips the two of them get closer and closer and start to realize that maybe this summer is about more than getting over some writers block.

First and foremost, Gus and January have some of the most amazing chemistry. Their banter was on point and their attraction to one another leapt off the pages. It was so natural and I loved it. I don’t know if it was because they knew each other in college or just had that natural attraction but either way it was a highlight for me. I also really loved the field trips they took and planned for one another. Some were definitely better than others but they all added to the story. And Gus really was something else. I would go as far as to call him the bees knees.

All in all Beach Read was a fun contemporary romance that you will need in your life. It had depth and emotion and a whole lot of fun and chemistry. It hit all the right notes for me and it is a book I won’t soon forget. Make sure you add this book to your TBR.

If you were to pick up this book based upon the title, cover, and synopsis you’d expect to get a rom-com about two authors who live next to each other at the beach, who while in a moment of writer’s block decide to challenge each other by writing a novel in the other person’s style. A meet cute that would end in happiness, and they didn’t lie, it is kind of all that. But it’s also so much more.

January, who writes happily ever after romances and Gus Everett who writes dark literary fiction take each other on research “field trips” to help the other person see into their world. As they do this, each opens up to the other about their own difficulties, insecurities, hopes, and dreams. Most importantly and not surprisingly they fall for each other. What is surprising are the emotional moments, the heart tearing fears, and heart mending, loving prose. This book was so much more than a “Beach Read” that it does a disservice to the excellence inside the story by misrepresenting (in my opinion) what the reader should expect.

I don’t think I’m going to give away any secrets by hinting at a couple of things in their back stories. One, January and Gus have a past, and two they both just had their hearts broken, albeit in different ways. These things provide so much more depth to the story than two authors who happen to live next to each other at the beach. It provides context for how they interact with each other. January’s distrust and dislike, and Gus’s frustration and fear, all feelings that don’t usually provide rom-com fodder. Yes, there are funny moments, but there were a lot more moments where I clung to my tissue. The banter between these two was bright, but it was also colored with emotion and pain. This book was so much more….

So, if you do pick up this book because the cover is cute (and it is!), or because it’s painted as a rom-com (kind of?), or the synopsis sounds like two people will fall in love (they do!), just know that this book is so much more than all of that. It’s two people who help each other through pain, build a friendship that started in misunderstanding, and fall in love in a way that will break your heart and provide you joy in an unexpected way. These characters? I am so in LOVE with them. This book? Definitely in my Top 10 so far this year. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

This was a fantastic book. I loved how the author points out the unfair stereotypes and criticisms that plague the romance genre all while creating an utterly romantic book. They have a rival-to-lovers type relationship, but the two weren’t truly rivals in the sense that they disliked each other. January held onto a bit of a grudge against Gus because she thought he judged her for writing romance.

“And then there were the people who acted like we were in on some secret joke together, when after a conversation about Art or Politics, they found out I wrote upbeat women’s fiction: Whatever pays the bills, right? they’d say, practically begging me to confirm I didn’t want to write books about women or love.”

However, we learn they both respected each other’s writing and person in college and still do. It’s more that they couldn’t understand each other and the way they individually viewed the world. And we quickly find out while they were rivals, they both clearly had crushes on each other.

“Let me guess: Everyone lives happily ever after. Again.”

In the present situation, their houses are next to each other. Both have major writer’s block due to personal events that have happened in their life. They make a deal to write each other’s genres. And as they begin helping each other write and research for their books, their relationship evolves from friendship to romance. I loved how we got to pull back the curtain on some of the things writers go through when working. As a reader who has no desire to write, it was fun to see research, writing habits, etc. It made me appreciate the work authors do even more.

“I recognized that choreography well. He could love-struck pirates and werewolves me all he wanted, but when it came down to it, Augustus Everett was still pacing in the dark, making shit up like the rest of us.”

The romance between Gus and January was so good! I loved the banter they had. It’s a very friendly, light banter. Gus is a gruff, cynical guy. January is sunny and optimistic, so I loved the contrast between the two. And I loved the moments when January roasts Gus. The romance between them developed so naturally. It felt intimate in the way it really felt like as a reader I was watching two people slowly fall in love with each other. The flirting, banter, joking, and moments of vulnerability between the two was made me laugh and swoon. There is one steamy scene that’s detailed. I liked that even during the sex scene the characters felt like themselves. It’s a pet peeve of mine when romcom books have smut scenes where the author just wanted to put in the dirtiest dirty talk and so the characters don’t mesh with how they act in the rest of the book. Thankfully, this didn’t have any of that.

I loved that the conflicts in the romance weren’t caused by unnecessary misunderstandings. There were a couple of minor things that were a little frustrating in the way they were resolved (or not resolved enough), but these didn’t damper my enjoyment of the book. Both characters helped each other become better people. I loved the strong sense of respect they had towards each other and how they really complemented each other in their relationship. I absolutely loved them together!

“Even though what we wrote and said we believed was so different, I’d started to feel like I was capable of knowing Gus, reading him, better than anyone else I’d ever met. Because every day we spent together, this peculiar feeling was growing in me: You are like me.”

I also feel like the author added more substance to the book with themes like grief and forgiveness. The romance is the main plotline, but a lot of time is spent on the characters’ personal development. Specifically, January is dealing with a lot of hurt from her parents. Her parent’s relationship was a source of stability her whole life and learning the truth about their relationship has really shaken her belief in love. And this has affected her ability to write her usual lighthearted happily-ever-after romance stories. It’s through the genre-swap challenge that we see each character learn more about themselves. I feel like the author did a great job showing the individual growth of the characters as they find closure from their past as well as how they are becoming better people together.

Overall, I highly recommend Beach Read. It had the perfect balance of light and serious. And I absolutely loved the swoony romance and fun banter between Gus and January.

** Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with an arc to review. Any quotations used are taken from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change.

Beach Read by Emily Henry is a tender and vulnerable journey of two former rivals as they struggle through their personal grief to write their next novel…and maybe find love along the way.

January Andrews has just uncovered her father's huge secret, days after his sudden death. Now she is struggling to pen her newest romance novel, since her faith in love has been shaken to the core. She discovers her new summer neighbor, Gus, is battling some of his own writer's block and turmoil as well. Despite driving each other crazy, they make a bet to switch genres and pen the best novel. Things can't possibly be that easy, though...

Beach Read is such a surprisingly wonderful combination of elements - nothing I expected! To be clear, this isn't a light and fluffy romcom - I think the cover and title are a bit deceiving. However, I enjoy the more serious topics of grief, disappointment, family secrets, and forgiveness. The characters are deeply flawed and broken, and struggle to connect with each other while finding their own sense of worth and purpose. They stumble and falter, but just keep holding onto the promise of something better.

It's a bit of a slow burn for the romance, and for the redemption of both of their beliefs and confidence. There was some great humor to offset the heavy topics, and I found myself alternating between tears and laughs! This is such a moving, delightful and fun read, with equal parts vulnerability and tenderness. I'll definitely be recommending this!

January Andrews has always been a romantic. She loves the idea of love so much - after having witnessed her parents' beautiful story - that when she decided to become a writer, it was pretty easy for her to figure out what she wanted to write: romance, happily ever after required. After the loss of her father, her beliefs are shaken to the core, and January finds herself battling writer's block. With a deadline looming, she decides to hole up at a beach house for the summer. Still, the words and the story just won't form. It also doesn't help that her neighbor is none other than author, and former college rival, Augustus Everett, pretty much January's opposite in every way. He too is working on writing this summer, but much like January his story is just not coming together.

Then one night, one thing leads to another and they've made a bet to see who can successfully switch to the other's genre and sell their book first. With lessons on meet cutes, and field trips to interview former cult members, they're both determined to meet their goal, but falling in love was never in the cards.

I feel like I was equally unsurprised by this book, but still was totally not expecting the nuances of the story. The premise alone sold me on this book and in that regard I feel like it delivered, I was just unprepared for how much depth and emotion Emily Henry would fit into the story, and how much it would shape into this lovely book about love.

Not just romantic love, although January and Gus's slow-burn towards one another was perfect, but we're also dealing with the love and loss of January's father. The idolization we have for our parents and the times when we find them lacking can truly be shocking. On the other side of that you have Gus who grew up in an abusive household.

Gus is like January's mirror opposite in most everything from their families to what and how they write to their outlooks on life. And you see this and you understand this. But have you ever stared at yourself in the mirror, observing yourself seemingly moving in the opposite way, but in reality it's the same side? I feel like that's Gus and January. They both have the same wants and needs, but they don't bring all of that to the surface level. They're romance is about getting them to that level with each other. Not Happily Ever After, but at least Happy For Now.

I loved Emily Henry's play on the various romance tropes along with her commentary about the never-ending debate between literature vs. romance. Those who disregard the romance genre as fluff when really they're often anything but. I also love the way that January's image of herself is so linked to romance, particularly her parent's love story, that when truths are shattered it actually threatens to break her. Until she realizes that how she feels about love does not and should not hinge on one circumstance. As I said earlier in my review, January's journey is very nuanced, and I absolutely loved it. I say January, but really both January and Gus discover so much about themselves over the course of the story, but being told from January's point of view, I feel like her story takes a bit more precedence.

Beach Read is one of those books that you finish and wish you could turn around and read it for the first time again. I loved the journey, I loved the discoveries. Pretty much loved everything about it. Highly recommended. You won't be sorry.

Beach Read by Emily Henry was a good book but I just didn't love it as much as I hoped I would. It didn't grab me as much as I expected and overall, I simply wasn't very invested into the story.

Once I got into Beach Read, it was a very quick read but there also were many moments in which I was a bit bored and had to push myself to continue reading the novel. Based on the cover, I thought this would be a very cute and fluffy romance read but it was actually a lot more serious and heavy. It deals with grief and loss of a parent and even though I did not expect that, I actually really liked that this wasn't a book in which everyone was just happy and everything was completely fine.

I really loved the idea of letting the two main characters write a book from the other character's usual genre. Ultimately though, this was a pretty big part of the story in the first half of the novel, but I feel like it kind of started fading into the background at some point which I was quite sad about. We did get to read some of the passages from the book January was writing but I would've also been very interested in finding out how Gus was doing with his romance novel. Sadly, we didn't really find out what kind of book he ended up writing until the epilogue, though we at least learned a bit about the things he usually writes about on the research trips January and Gus took which by the way, were one of my favorite parts of this book.

As for the characters themselves, I had my problems with both January and Gus. January was a bit too annoying and insecure for my liking and she always assumed the worst about everyone. Gus was quite weird and closed off for most of the book but pretty much from one second to the other he was all over January and in love with her. I didn't hate either of them but I also couldn't really connect with the two of them. Before I started reading this book I also read somewhere that this is an enemies-to-lovers romance but I wouldn't really call it that. They know each other from college and January thinks Gus hates her for some reason and he thinks January hates him for some reason. However, while they definitely weren't friends at the start of this novel, they also weren't exactly enemies and there wasn't really any of the tension between them that you usually find in a good enemies-to-lovers romance.

So all in all, Beach Read wasn't perfect but it was still a good book. I know it sounds like I kind of hated it but even though I had my problems with it, I overall still enjoyed reading it. I loved the setting of the book (Lake Michigan), the cute details about life in the town and I also really loved Emily Henry's writing style and definitely want to go read some of her other books in the future!

Synopsis
January Andrews is a romance novelist with a deadline. The only problem? She doesn’t believe in happy ever afters anymore. After her father and role model died, she found out that he had a mistress and a secret love shack on the beach. Broke and desperate for inspiration, she decides to move to this house that she inherited for the summer so she can clear it out to sell while writing her next bestseller. Little does she know, her college rival, literary author Augustus Everett, lives next door. He’s infuriating and judgmental and just as handsome as she remembers. They both think the other can’t write in their genre, and they find themselves making a bet: he’ll write a happy ever after and she’ll write a literary masterpiece. Whoever sells their book first gets the other to formally recommend it. Of course, things are never quite so simple…

My Thoughts
Beach Read has an intriguing premise, and the delivery does not disappoint. In the opening of the novel, January is quite distressed after finding out that her father had not only been cheating on her mother when she had cancer, but that he had a secret house with his mistress. January’s boyfriend of seven years had broken up with her, because she’s no longer the carefree woman that he fell in love with. How is January supposed to write a light romance with a happy ending when she doesn’t believe in them anymore?

Gus is a charming ladies’ man, but he uses his charm to keep women at an arm’s length. He’s had a rough past, and it’s reflected through his preferred genre. After the two make their bet, they both have to assist the other with their “research” or “training” in what it means to write in each other’s genre. For January, that means a night out at the carnival, (which, of course, Gus finds mortifying), but for Gus, this means researching a suicide-cult.

January and Gus are polar opposites at the surface, but it turns out that they have a lot in common once you dig past those top layers.

As a genre writer myself, I felt that I related to January on a deeper level. That level of finding literary authors who are condescending and full of themselves insufferable. I completely understood January and how she felt about Gus during their college days. I could almost feel the judgment and arrogance ooze off him during the early scenes in the book.

I absolutely adored the story line regarding January and her father. Every day she’s confronted with evidence of the fact that he had a secret life. The subplot of her coming to terms with what her father did is part of what makes this book so remarkable. Beach Read isn’t just about her budding romance with Gus, it’s about her relationship with her father and figuring out who she is and who she wants to be.

The only thing I didn’t quite like about this book is the fact that January is incredibly broke, yet she’s an author. Authors shouldn’t quit their day jobs until they have a consistent income from their books. Both January and Gus talk about how much they need their advances, but it’s never mentioned how much January is making from royalties off her previous books. Perhaps she should be supplementing her income with freelance writing gigs? This feels nitpicky, I know, but it’s a trope I’ve seen quite often in novels, which is ironic, because you’d think that the authors of these novels would know more about the intricacies of the publishing world.

Beach Read is equally hilarious and heartfelt, and there are parts that made me laugh out loud followed by heart-wrenching moments of honesty. Ironically, the title of this novel is Beach Read, but unless you want to be alternating between laughing out loud and crying while reading at the beach, this book is best read in the confines of your home.

I was expecting a whimsical enemies-to-lovers rom-com but Beach Read turned out to be a multi-layered story with interesting subplots, too.

January's loss after her father's death is compounded by a family secret that comes to light. Unable to accept it or face her mother, she escapes to her father's beach house only to find that her nemesis from college, Gus Everett lives next door. Gus is also a successful novelist and they're both coincidentally suffering from writer's block. In an unusual move, they agree to call a truce and help each other overcome their writing slump by learning about the other's preferred genre. As they become closer, they start to open up and face the many truths they've been fighting so hard to avoid.

I enjoyed this novel immensely. There was humour, heartbreak, forgiveness and redemption. I thought it was slightly slow burn and I liked the pace at which January and Gus' friendship evolved into something deeper. I admired how their love scenes were written as well. They were sensual and it did feel like their vulnerabilities were on full display, that those emotionally intimate moments truly meant something more than just physical. Reading about how they worked to come out of their writer's block was also fascinating. I think where Beach Read triumphs is with their respective story arcs. They'd been contending with extremely personal and sensitive matters, some of which had affected their psyches so deeply. They just needed to be with the right person in whom they could trust, who would stand by them through their emotional journeys. Henry succeeded in not only how she approached them but in making me care equally about January and Gus.

Beach Read was smart and delightful even during the harder moments but everything about it felt so authentic. It will be added to my re-read pile, for sure!

~ Bel

A Wager Between Blocked Writers

January Andrews, a best selling romance writer, is broke and disillusioned with romance. Although she never guessed, her father had a long term affair. When he died, he left her his beach house love nest. January hates being there, but she has a novel to finish and she’s blocked.

Things get worse when she recognizes her next door neighbor, Gus Everett. He is an acclaimed literary novelist, but their acquaintance goes back to college where they were rivals. January felt he didn’t take her writing seriously. Gus is also trying to finish a novel and he’s blocked.

One night they hit on a solution to getting unblocked. January will write Gus’ novel. He’ll tackle her romance. To spur each other on they take a series of field trips: romantic sunsets for Gus, hard hitting dark interviews for January. In the process their attraction blooms, but can they finish the books?

This is a summery romance novel. January and Gus have an almost love/hate relationship fueled by competition. There is plenty of amusing dialog as they get to know each other better and try to work in each other’s genre.

The plot moves at a good pace. As we get to know the characters and learn about the childhoods they become real people. I found the ending very satisfying, not unexpected but satisfying.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

I wish I could have read this on the beach! It was such a cozy novel to get lost in. January and Augustus had sweet, and sexy, chemistry and I enjoyed their banter. It struck a good balance with the heavier aspects of the story and while both were experiencing writing struggles, they both seemed equally talented. This was a fun read, beach or not... the writing was engaging and it did a good job with the "feels."

January Andrews believes in love. It is always what kept her going. When tragedy struck her time and time again it was the magic of love that sustained her. This time, she is learning that love isn’t pretty, it isn’t perfect, and it may not even be real. She packs up and heads to a small beach house her father leaves her to figure out her next romance novel and what love really is.

She never expected to see her archnemesis, Augustus Everett. But sure enough, he is her neighbor and he is still the grumpy male she has always known him to be. Joining the local book club, January expects to get her mojo back. Instead, she finds herself thrown back into the path of Augustus and he challenges her as he did in college. He will write a happily ever after story and she will write step into the literary arena.

I went into this book thinking it was going to give me one thing but it gave me EVERYTHING! I was literally twenty percent into the book and immediately went to read the blurb again. Did I make a mistake? This book is heavy. It is real. I can relate but where is the romance? The saying is ‘patience is a virtue’ for a reason. I kept right on reading and next thing I knew it was 2 a.m. and that tug in my gut that I get when I read a really good love story hit me.

This is the unexpected. The book that doesn’t just give you what you think it should, it gives you what you need. This is not just a romance. This is a story about love, life, loss, betrayal, and friendship. Summer isn’t here yet but is it safe to say that this is my favorite summer read? Is that even fair?

The story is told from January’s perspective but I got a full understanding of Gus without having his voice. Gus is such a broken character and though he is hard to read when the penetrable walls start to break he gives so much. His character’s transformation as he opens up is breathtaking.

For January to be a romance author and believing in her perfect story, I found it interesting she didn’t know how to just fall in love. She rushed into her past relationship and built the perfect image but with Gus she finds the perfect romance.

The chemistry is on point. The humor hits just when it is suppose to hit. The side characters are endearing. The feels are all there. Despite some of the cheesiness, I. Loved. Every. Single. Word.

~ Samantha