I enjoyed this book so much! It was so fun to read. I loved the witty back and forth, tug-and-pull relationship between Gus and January. This is very much a love story but it's also a book about grief and this sense of betrayal. January's dealing with the passing of her father and the secrets that come from that while also dealing with a writer's block aspect. Their respective issues show their own complexities, within themselves and what they bring to their growing friendship. It;s a perfect beach read about a book set by the beach!

Okay, I am such a stickler when it comes to romances and I need one of two things to really like a romance read: it needs to be laugh out loud funny, or I need to FEEL the love between the two main characters. This one was the former: there were so many moments, particularly in the first half, that made me laugh out loud. The second half was a little more focused on the romantics and building Gus and January's relationship, but I found it a really good balance and it worked for the story.

It was a really quick and fun read and one of those that I stayed up late reading!

This book is exactly the escapism I wanted The writing is absorbing and the plot is classic (but with a twist, of course). If you're looking for beach read...

Oh, how I loved this bruised and beautiful story of two rival writers of different genres reconnecting after becoming neighbors. This was my first book by Henry and I can’t wait to work through her back catalog. I enjoyed her sense of humor and perspective on the world - how we can never truly know the ones we love, how the story we tell ourselves can be so different from the reality we are living in. Anyone else get great big Greg from My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend vibes from Gus? Just me? Okay.

January Andrews and Augustus Everett are writers who polar opposites. January writes romances with happily-ever-afters and Gus kills everyone off by the end. They also each have writers block and are searching for a way to combat it. Then one thing leads to another and they have a deal to write in each other's style to squash the writer's block once and for all. Can Gus write a juice romance novel and will January bring herself to write a bloodbath?

Surprisingly insightful and thoughtful. This was not the “beach read” I was expecting. I love that the author turned her own writers block into a book. Very clever! At times I did feel like the story wasn’t moving along quickly enough and I wanted more momentum to the story. Both characters were such train wrecks but they worked well together. The banter was cute but the buildup took a bit long for me. I think this could have been a tad shorter. I love that the author dissected romance for us and gave us a true sense of what true love is. Overall an enjoyable read.

Beach Read was both a fun, easy read, but also had more substance. I enjoyed seeing how the characters worked their way through the difficulties of writing. We got to spend time with the main characters and get their back stories, and we got to see them introduce their own writing specialties to each other.

Beach Read: Emily Henry

Release Date: May 19, 2020

Heartfelt, honest and captivating; The Beach Read is an intense, slow-burn romance.

‘Ive never met someone who is so perfectly my favorite person.’- exactly how I felt about the book…

If you have anything going on in your life with a deadline, don’t start this book. You WILL be glued to the pages until the end!

One year after the death of her father, January Andrews still has not come to terms with the life imploding news she found out at the funeral: her father had been having an affair while she had believed, her whole life, that her parents were happily married and in love. Here’s the real kicker, the affair had not just occurred at any time. It was when her mother had cancer. So, one year later, January arrives in the small town of North Bear Shores with more baggage, anger, and confusion than she knows how to manage. Her father left her the house he and his mistress had bought during the affair. It was finally time for her to clean it out, spend the remainder of the summer writing, and then, once finished with her novel, sell the home. As a published, romance novelist, January struggles to find the rose-colored glasses she used to wear, making writing all the more tedious. Fortuitously, January discovers that her new neighbor is Augustus Everett: her formal college, and literary, rival and love obsession. After a series of awkward meetings and angsty banter, she learns that Gus is also struggling with his next book. They make a deal: Gus will write a romance novel and January will write her attempt at ‘bleak literary fiction’. The first one to get a book deal wins. They spend the summer showing each other the ins and outs of the research they do; Gus showing August the burn down remains of a nearby cult and January taking Gus dancing. As they both process their own grief and come to terms with, they find themselves leaning on each for support.

The Beach Read is a witty, sexy, slow-burn romance that brings light and possibility to second chances. It was the perfect combination of romance and angst, allowing the reader to connect that much more with both the plot and the characters. It is more serious than a swoony-rom-com, so people, don’t be discouraged by the girly, typical romance cover.

Along with posting on Net Galley, I will be posting my review to Goodreads, Amazon (when it becomes available), my Instagram (which has over a two thousand book review followers) and my blog. Please find the link to my blog post below. I am very grateful for the opportunity to review such an inspiring novel. Thank you very much.

Link to Blog Post: https://ifyoucanreadthisdotblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/the-beach-read-emily-henry/
Link to Instagram Post: https://www.instagram.com/ifyoucan_read_this/
Link to Goodreads Post: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3274931683?book_show_action=false


Respectfully,

Chanel Johnson

This read was a tad heavy on the drama. I was expecting something lighter and more "beachy". That said, the main characters are well drawn. The romance is real and emphasizes the scariness and fear of falling in love.

I just finished Beach Read and I am so sad that it is over!! I will miss January and Gus. This book will definitely be a hit this summer. With all that is going on in the world today, this book is a bright spot in a crazy time. I will definitely be sharing this book as a Summer 2020 must read to my library customers and friends!

Wow! In many of my past reviews, I always mentioned lacked of continuity in plots and a need for character development. This is how it is done! When I first picked up this book, I was honestly expecting to read a fluffy “beach read”. That’s surely what the title implies. However, as I got into the story, I realized the depth of the characters, the emotional journey January goes through and the witty banter between the two writers actually makes this the perfect weekend novel to snuggle up to! You’ll definitely want to make a cup of tea and set aside all weekend plans to finish this book!

Gus shook his head, smiling, and took another bite. “Wow, this is terrible.”
“The donuts or this conversation?” I asked.

Beach Read was just what I needed for this quarantine period—a summer romance that was surprisingly very funny. And it wasn’t all light and fluffy, but it was a very fun book. I’ve never read anything by Emily Henry, but I gotta say, I like her style.

The main characters: January and Gus were great. They both had excellent character development throughout the book. They both had their flaws, and the book spends a lot of time working through their respective issues and shows genuine growth for both. I also loved their banter and funny remarks to each other. The note writing scenes were perfection, and their chemistry was very believable.

I’ve been in a bit of book slump, and I’m so glad I read this book. It was such an entertaining and genuinely funny book. Definitely recommend.

JANUARY, JANUARY, WHEREFORE ART THOU, JANUARY?

The message was ironic. The butterflies in my chest were not. I pushed the box onto the table and grabbed my notebook, scribbling in it. I held the note up.

New phone who dis

This book was absolutely fantastic. The narration style drew me in immediately, and I thought the chemistry between January and Gus was incredible. Their witty banter and mutual exasperation was so entertaining and I loved watching their relationship develop. It also tackles heavier issues like infidelity, family sickness, abuse, and losing a parent, and I thought the darker moments were woven in very well with the lighter ones. The emotional tone was really spot-on in this book. Highly recommend!

If you want a well-written story that is surprisingly heavy despite the cheerful cover, check out Beach Read by Emily Henry! This book contains the themes of cancer, regret, friendship, betrayal. Of course, I loved the main characters as they are both writers so I could relate. Emily’s writing is so good, its easy to keep reading because it flows and keeps the reader totally engaged.

Take a look:

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They’re polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

I enjoyed the writing, the dialogue, and the characters in this book and hope that Emily Henry writes more soon.

This comes out on May 19! Pre-order now.

An author (and former believer) of happy endings spends the summer next door to her college rival (and crush) who writes literary fiction.

The first word that comes to mind after reading this book is "lovely." Just lovely. What a lovely story. January is one of the most honest and personable modern day characters I've read about lately. I hurt when she hurts, she falls in love too easily just like I do, and she struggles to forgive--same here. And then there's Gus...oh sweet, pessimistic, and broody Gus! These two together are adorable--from writing each other notes and sharing them via their windows, to educating one another on their personal writing styles, I couldn't get enough. You really feel the lightness of their banter in your heart and then the sudden weight when it shifts to more serious conversation in the pit of your stomach. Overall, a lovely enemies-to-lovers romance about two writes who discover one another and themselves by exploring how the other writes stories.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy to review!

Ouchhhh my heart. This was the perfect apocalypse book to read- warm, clever and undeniably adorable. I have the biggest smile on my face. Thank you Gus and January.

This book....AWWWWE. I haven't had a lot of reading time, so it took me a while. But it was so good.

I was so excited to read this book! I’ve heard so many good things about it from other reviewers and was super excited because I adore Emily Henry’s writing. I hate to say that I don’t think this book was for me. From the synopsis and the cover, I thought I was getting something cute and light hearted, but I didn't really get that. This talked about a lot of deep issues and was quite emotional.

Maybe because that wasn’t what I was the mood for. Maybe because I don’t usually read emotional reads. All I know is, I struggled through this one. Both of our characters are dealing with their own issues and a lot of the novel is based on that and their relationship. I’m really torn if this is romance or chick lit.

I have to say that I really liked our main character January! She was funny and so damn relatable. The way she way that world was contagious and I couldn’t get enough of her personality.

Gus on the other hand? He was such a dry character to me. To be completely honest, I think January deserved better than him. He would hide so much himself and would only tell January how he felt about her when he realized she was pulling away. He has a wall up and quite a few issues. I felt like he should have sorted out his feelings on some things before trying to start a new relationship. Just sayin’.

All in all, I wasn’t crazy about this one. There are so many readers who have loved it so I would still recommend you pick it up it seems like something you would like!

“I’ve never met someone who is so perfectly my favorite person.”

I picked up Beach Read on a whim, looking for a fun distraction to while away the day and found a couple my heart won’t soon forget. Deeply moving and perfectly paced, Beach Read is a love story riddled with infectiously snarky banter hiding behind a somewhat ironic title. This emotionally adept read was everything I didn’t know I needed at this very moment.

Utilizing her engaging and clever wordplay, Emily Henry brings readers into the lives of two very different writers. There’s January Andrews, a once optimist romance writer, battling her own heart while slogging through a bout of writer’s block. And then there’s Augustus (Gus) Everett, a twice published literary author, all broody and mysterious, fighting creative demons of his own. A mix of crappy circumstances and serendipity find January in a lake house for the summer and next-door neighbors to her college rival, Gus.

While there are some lust-filled memories for her to conjure from college, January knows behind that sexy, evil grin of his grumpy Gus has never taken her writing seriously. In an attempt to banish the writer’s block, and prove they can write in each other’s respective genres, a challenge ensues. And it’s not your typical love/hate battle. It’s a tit-for-tat, sarcastic tease fest that made me laugh, brought me to tears, and ramped up the pitter-patter of this optimist heart of mine.

Henry is masterful in her unraveling of both characters, really getting down to the crux of who January and Gus are, and more importantly why. Proving assumptions can be the inhibitor of joy. And while this story is told entirely from January’s perspective, a heady mix of her goading, slipped secrets, and admissions from the man himself provide a glimpse into the soul of lovable Gus. His heartfelt musings to January are everything.

“Before that.”

Relatable, raw, and at times even a little awkward, January and Gus together managed to chip off a chunk of my heart to call their own. Witty exchanges paint the pages and provide the perfect counterbalance to the hurt in their apprehensive hearts. Yet, it’s their undeniable connection, and the palpable tension clouding every nook and cranny around Gus and January that makes for such an unforgettable read.

The title seems a bit ironic, given Beach Read has more substance or depth than it suggests. Considering the author’s level of biting humor throughout the novel and her exploration of the stereotypes swirling around the romance and women’s fiction genre, I assume this was purposeful. And very well played.

If you pick up one love story this year, make it Gus and January’s.

4.5 stars, but I'm rounding up because I read an ARC, and some of the minor issues might be resolved by the time it goes to print (like the inconsistent number of books the heroine has supposedly published, which goes from 5 to 4 to 3 by the end of the book).

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary. LGTBQIA-adjacent, as Gus's aunt, Pete, and her wife, Maggie, have been married/together for decades. Very steamy but not exactly explicit. A fair amount of swearing. Discussion of domestic violence and cults.

Full review to come.