Super cute! It felt a little long and like maybe there was too much trying to happen, but overall very good. Not your typical rom-com. I enjoyed & would recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You know that book on your to-read list that you just can’t wait to get to? Like, all the books that come before it could be 5-star-worthy, but you just want to get through them as quickly as possible so you can FINALLY read the one you’ve been waiting for? Beach Read by Emily Henry was that book for me. I’ve read Henry’s young adult books and loved them. And with all the stress and worry of coronavirus-quarantine life, I was really ready for a lighter story. Beach Read did not disappoint, except maybe that I finished it too quickly.

January is a romance writer who’s rosy view of the world is upended when a family secret is revealed. She tries to restart her writing mojo by relocating to a small beach town where she encounters her college nemesis and lit fic darling, Augustus. While their rivalry takes a playful and romantic turn, their pasts are not content to lie dormant for long.

I loved the banter between the protagonists, especially the note writing (a few of the notes had me cackling out loud). The behind-the-scenes look at a writer’s life was fun and interesting too. I liked January and appreciated that Henry made her self-aware and strong yet vulnerable.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finished it in about 36 hours, it didn’t quite hit five stars for me for a couple reasons. First, Gus just didn’t really attract me. It’s not that I disliked him. I just never crossed over into rooting for him. Maybe if we had a few chapters from his perspective, I would have felt differently. Second, there was quite a bit of repetition in the prose. I’m hoping the final copy is a bit tighter on the editing, but let’s just say that January’s face is always red/heated and Gus’s hair is always standing up messily.

I would absolutely recommend Beach Read to romance readers and those looking for lighter fare that’s not saccharine.

Beach Read is everything. Hot? Extremely. Funny? Laugh out loud. All-consuming? Hmmm....what quarantine, I have no idea what the news is going on about, Beach Read is my only reality. Fingers crossed that Emily Henry is planning to write more romcoms because this book landed her a top spot on my favorite authors list. A trusted friend enthusiastically recommended Beach Read to me, but I wasn't prepared to be so blown away by its humor, clever plot, and incredibly appealing (yet believable) love interest. Do not miss this one, it's a gem!

3.75/5 rounded to 4

Picking this book up was a result of my quarantine-stressed mind craving to go on a beach, drink pina coladas with tiny umbrellas while listening to the crashing of waves. While this book is more about what a beach read is than actually being a beach read, it served its purpose for me!

January is a romance writer who writes happily-ever-afters, while her neighbor and former college crush Augustus Everett writes dark books. Since both of them have a writer’s block, they both decide to guve each other’s writing styles a chance for the summer. Which means that Gus will write a cliche romance novel while January has to write a novel with heavy stuff. And they have to help each other out.

I really liked the beginning of the novel. January justifies and defends romance novels and their purpose cos it helped her get through tough times in the past. Her observations about romance novels being undermined and male authors being treated differently than female ones were spot-on. Gus’s character was dark and brooding and I really liked it until it was revealed that it was all related to his past. Just for once, I’d like to see a hero not having past issues, but maybe that’s just me 🤷🏻‍♀️. Also, his character arc was confusing since he goes from being Darcy-ish aloof at the beginning to a saccharine sweet, chivalrous gentleman at the end.
The chemistry in the first-half was off the charts, but I think it fizzled a little by the time I got to the ending.

This is a fun book but a lot more serious than the blurb might lead you to expect, but maybe that’s a good thing. As January believes and what is certainly a hundred percent true, literary fiction can

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eArc.

This book was great! I'd forgotten that I've read Emily Henry's YA titles, but from what I remember, this is a much more straightforward romance, missing the supernatural-ish elements that those books had. The protagonists here are both authors, January and Gus/Augustus/Everett who have been thrown together again a few years after knowing each other in college (emnistry!). They enter into a challenge to write books in the other's genre - January normally writes romance, and as she puts it, Gus normally writes "Hemingway Circle-Jerk fan fiction." This challenge means that they're basically almost in a fake dating situation.

Both of these characters have family and professional angst and the outcome of all of this and of the romance felt really satisfying. I also loved the author's sense of place. It made me want to see the lake (the beach here is on a Great Lake) in winter!

Fans of Linda Holmes' <i>Evvie Drake Starts Over</i> will love this one, and I think it is going to be a huge hit.

Beach Read is a different book than I expected. Maybe it’s because I totally judged the book by its cover and didn’t read anything else about it. I really love the cover itself, I’m just not sure it represents the book well. The story is much heavier on the “read” than on the “beach” – the two main characters are both authors trying to write their next book.

January is a fairly successful romance novelist, and she’s not having the best year. She recently got dumped by the man she thought she was going to marry, and her editor is pressuring her to send a draft of her next novel, which she hasn’t started yet. Then, her dad dies.

At his funeral, she discovers three things: he left her his secret beach house, he was cheating on her mom for years, and her mom knew about it the whole time. This leaves January confused, shocked, and feeling like her whole life was a lie, all while grieving.

When she goes to check out the beach house, she discovers that her new neighbor is her college rival, Gus, who writes deep, prestigious LiTeRaTuRe and turns up his nose at romance novels. They soon make a deal to each write a book in the other’s genre, to prove that it’s harder than it looks. The two may start as enemies, but this is romance, so we all know how that turns out.

I liked that this book ended up being different from what I expected. There is definitely romance, maybe a little predictable but it still felt fresh. There are only a couple “steamy” scenes, and it has interesting side plots and characters. I love when books have a story-within-a-story, and since we follow January and Gus writing their respective books, we get a few of those.

I recommend this to anyone who likes witty characters, writing, romance (but not much steam), enemies-to-lovers stories, and family drama. It was the perfect book to escape from reality for a while.

"Maybe we should enjoy our happy for now."

I absolutely loved this book. It's not your straightforward, light, quick-read romance (though it was a quick read!) -- it's so much more than that. The characters were wonderful, and even the characters who were only briefly in the novel had such depth and charm. And of course, as a book-lover, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about two authors who fell in love.

January Andrews is a good daughter. She stays by her mother through two bouts of cancer. She adores her father and believes they have the Happy Ever After family. That’s what helps her be a successful author of women’s fiction. Then her dad dies unexpectedly. She discovers he’s had a long-time affair…and a secret house in his hometown of North Bear Shores, MI. A year after his passing and against a writing deadline, January goes to visit the house, clean it out, sell it and complete her book.

Augustus Everett (Gus) went to the University of Michigan with January. Now a successful literary fiction author, January was convinced that he despised her and her writing. Did he really? When both are experiencing writer’s block, they decide to trade genres. The rest of the book is alternatingly sad, funny, and comforting.

This was such an enjoyable read for me! Henry kept me turning the page with her writing. It had me by the heartstrings as the relationship with Gus progressed and January dealt with the betrayal and understanding of her relationship with her dad. Such a great, wonderful story!

Beach Read was my first Emily Henry book and I was blown away. Don't let the cover fool you, this isn't some light and fun chick lit story. It's a beautiful romance that has a lot of depth and emotion and I couldn't have loved it more.

January and Gus are both published authors in neighboring beach homes. January just got to her late father's beach house and has a lot of questions. Her recent life events have put her in a bit of a funk when it comes to writing the romance she normally writes. Gus writes more serious literary fiction and they decide to switch genres as a bet to see who can write and sell a book first. To do this, they end up spending a lot of time together and go on adventures to help each other out.

I loved the friendship January and Gus developed. Watching it change and grow was one of my favorite parts of this book. I loved how these two could be open and honest with each other and they challenged each other in the best ways.

Beach Read is witty, swoony, and hella romantic. It has a grumpy hero which I love and I seriously couldn't get enough of January and Gus together. Their 'dates' left me with the biggest smile on my face and their chemistry and back and forth was the best. These characters and their story were complex. And it captivated me from the start and never let go. They were both realistic and smart and relatable.

I haven't had a ton of five star reads in 2020, but the ones I have had have been epic. This had the perfect banter, a slow burn romance, and gave me so many feels. I mean, really... what more could I ask for? it was the perfect kind of romance for a reader like me and I highly recommend it!

BEACH READ is the perfect rom-com, and it has all the elements I look for in a book. It's a book for book-lovers, since it's all about writing! As someone who works in publishing, I truly appreciated seeing the backside of it represented well, and it was such an interesting element!

I can't wait to read all the other rom-coms Emily Henry will write!

Beach Read - Emily Henry 5/5: ✰✰✰✰✰
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Don’t let this beachy book cover fool you. This book has tremendous character and storyline depth between our two main characters. I love that chick lit rom-coms are starting to mix in more issues within the characters. There are only so many damsel in distress books you can read. 'Beach Read' was seriously one of the best books I've read show casting this growth within the romance genre.
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Synopsis: January and Augustus - both old college mates - who both go on to become published authors. They're polar opposites stuck living next door to each other in beach houses, while they write their next books. Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another..and they end up making a deal to help each other out of their writing ruts by swapping genres.
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☀ I love all the subplots! Everyone has their own past and baggage. It unfolded amazingly!
☀ I loved the characters!! Although I don’t have that writer swag they were both relatable and I enjoyed the secondary characters as well. (hint, hint - let’s get a book about Shadi!)
☀ Slow-build steam! Once they succumb to their desires, the steam level is real.
-If I could’ve changed one thing, I would’ve loved to have read Gus’ POV!
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If you are hesitant to start a rom-com because they’re predictable and molded. Try this one! Still follows the genre mold, but with more depth and heaviness. Emily Henry is definitely on my radar now! Can we see a sequel Emily!?

We need to talk about marketing in the book world.

Between the bright, illustrated cover and the media packages for Beach Read hyping how much of a “fun”, “upbeat” summer romance this is, many readers are going to be led astray here.

They’re going to get 75% into the book and think to themselves, “This entire story is set in a beach house and the one time these two assholes actually go swimming is in a pool?!”

Seriously, I think they only went down to the beach together twice in this entire book, so that cover with two people casually reclining on towels and seemingly ignoring each other is a real stretch.

From the blurb, you might assume that this is about rivals pitted against each other, filled with one-upmanship and witty banter. And yes, I did laugh-out-loud several times while reading this, but for the most part, this isn’t what I think of when I think of fluffy rom-coms.

Because a lot of the book is spent on the main characters’ researching a notorious cult from their local area. The head messiah of which locked all his followers into trailers and then burned them to death.

So fun!

Aside from that I had some issues with the male lead here. He went from aloof and quasi-grouchy in the beginning to over-the-top cheesy by the end. I also didn’t appreciate the fact that once their relationship evolved from friendly into something more he started making all the female lead’s decisions for her.

You know, doing that man thing where they try to save you from the world.

“Don’t come with me, you’ll get cold and wet.”

“I didn’t invite you because I didn’t know if you’d have fun.”

“Let me carry that heavy bag for you.”

To me, there’s nothing chivalrous about a guy suddenly assuming that I can no longer make my own goddamn decisions just because I let his penis near me.

All this said, I could be in a shitty mood because the world is ending, so take this review with a grain of salt.

This is a solid romance that elevates itself with the meta set-up. The main character being a romance writer gives the author the chance to play with and comment on tropes of the genre in a fun and intelligent way. The two leads are easy to root for and its a satisfying HEA. I would recommend it, on the beach or not.

So, you say you aren’t a fan of contemporary romantic comedy? Think all that can be written has been? I dare you to pick up Emily Henry’s BEACH READ and not fall in love with a love story, once again! This is NOT your cookie cutter hearts and flowers read, but it IS entertaining, realistic, filled with the pains and joys of living, not to mention some snappy humor and attitude.

Get ready to feel the truth of dysfunctional families, misunderstood intent, a past that is barbed with unspoken desires, truths and a present that begins as a tentative dance of romance. Two authors, each published, each with their own styles and outlooks and a challenge that will test the strength of each, all while we are witness to a slow entwining of two hearts through pain, revelations and soul-baring.

Definitely not too heavy, not too dark, not too filled with angst, January and Augustus will leave you smiling with their dialogue, internal musings, bristling and avoidance of the truth. Some people are just meant to be together and I loved the journey, adult, but not stuffy, fun-loving, but not flaky!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley Books! This is my honest and voluntary review.

I have to say I didn't expect to enjoy this book quite as much as I did! I loved the characters and I loved that there was something deeper going on with each of them when they found each other. Sure, the premise is outlandish, but that's part of the fun of a romance novel. I will definitely read future books by Henry - she gets what romance readers want, which is evident not only in the novel as a whole but in the little tidbits her protagonist spills during her teaching parts of the book. Wish I could read each of the books these characters wrote!

After the sudden loss of her father and an unearthed secret shatters her beliefs of love, romance writer January Andrews meets literary fiction writer Augustus Everett. Both decide they need a change up and agree to a challenge, where over the course of the summer, January will write a literary fiction novel and Augustus will write a romance novel.
Beach Read is exactly that book you need when you spend all day at the beach with enough sunscreen, a towel, and a cooler of drinks. It was fun, light when it needed to be, but dark enough to make you think how you would feel in the situations the characters find themselves in. A must read for this summer.

LOVED this sassy, smart, sweet, well-written contemporary romance. The meta commentary on genre and the writing life was icing on the cake.

First, just know that I'm referring to the male love interest in this book as "hot Jonathan Franzen," which isn't something I knew I needed, but...I did. I really did. I LOVED this book. It hit all the same notes as two of my faves, The Flatshare and Evvie Drake Starts Over. Yes, it's a banter-filled romance, and also it's an exploration of grief and trauma. There are tons of conversations about rom-coms and the importance of romance and the idea of "women's fiction" as a genre name. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't love this book. I finished it in a couple of days, which is UNHEARD of lately!

This was a really enjoyable binge-read romance. Because the main character is an author of romance novels, it was fun to see this novel play out some of the well-worn romance tropes in a self-aware way. I especially liked the west Michigan lakeside setting, January's relationship with her best friend Shadi, and side characters Pete and Maggie. A balance of steamy scenes, heartbreak, and humor make this a great beach read.

I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beach Read felt like a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel and I couldn't give this book higher praise. This book felt like coming home and I couldn't put it down. January is the most relatable hot mess I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and I felt her struggle in my soul, even though I didn't have the same family situation as her. Watching these two broken people find each other and forge a better life for themselves hit me hard and I loved every second of it. I loved the exploration of the genres they write and the stereotypes. Neither genre is easy to write and I loved watching them prove that to each other as well as getting to know both genres better. You won't regret picking this one up. It will hurt you in the best way possible and then slowly put you back together again. Augustus and January will find a place in your heart and you'll never forget them.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*