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.

Beach Read is a poignant, emotional, wonderful journey that I purposefully read slowly to savor every intentional word. January and Augustus reconnect by chance in a sleepy Michigan lake town, and challenge each other to write a book in their respective genre. The premise of the book is predictable - January sets out to write the next great American novel, and Augustus is to write a happily ever after. What unfolds is such a special story that bends and twists and brings in other generations masterfully. The prose is perfect - simple, emotional, and slowly weaves together a story that goes beyond January and Gus. Beach Read blew me away, and it was a joy to read.

Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for my digital copy of this book which comes out May 19, 2020. Well this book matches its name perfectly! Everyone needs this in your beach bag this summer. I was worried it was going to be too light of a read for me but as you get into it, there is enough depth to the story plus some steamy scenes to keep you hooked. I loved that the main characters were writers and the witty banter was well done. 😂This is such a fun book and the quintessential summer read. You can get it now via @bookofthemonth or preorder it from your local bookstore to support them during these crazy times. You can find this review on my Instagram @carolinehoppereads and my Goodreads account.

Beach Read was a clever, fun romance but it ultimately fell a little short for me.
The setup for the story – two writers that challenge each other to write outside their comfort zones – was fun. The evolution of their relationship from enemies, to neighbors, to friends, to more felt organic. I liked that a lot of the plot felt almost meta (how will he use his research about a cult in a rom-com, while the characters in this rom-com are researching a cult)
What didn’t work for me was January, the main character. She just annoyed me, and I know she wasn’t supposed to. On the surface, her emotional/personal journey is one I usually like. Her work and relationships are falling apart, and she’s questioning who she is and what she really believes. That’s a good foundation for any book.
I think my main problem was that every emotional high point and all the conflicts seemed very contrived and like overreactions on her part. The first time it happened, I was fine. Ah, they resolved it and now there will be a basis to look back and not jump to conclusions. But then every time any problem came about it was for the same exact reason – jumping to conclusions and not even trying to talk about it.
I think I’m just tired of miscommunication/lack of communication being the main driving force behind romance stories.

Thank you @NetGalley and @Berkley for a digital ARC of Emily Henry's Beach Read.

I was interested in this book from seeing it on Instagram. I am SO glad I was able to read it. January Andrews and Gus Everett are writers of different genres and wind up in the same small town one summer. Rivals, they bet the other can't write a book in the opposite genre before the end of summer. The book is a meta-fictive approach which incorporates romance and healing from family secrets.

Beach Read was perfect. That's it. That's the review. It was perfect and I'll be recommending it to everyone I know for the forseeable future.

Enemies to lovers? X
Past love interest returns? X
Grumpy hero and glowing heroine? X
Sad backstories to unite them? X
Hot? X

I will read this book over and over again.

Woo, boy. I had HIGH expectations for this book. A few bloggers/booktubers I follow closely loved this one (and Madalyn told me I'd love it) so I was really preparing to be wowed. And I totally was. This book exceeded my lofty expectations.

January, a romance writer, and her college nemesis and literary fiction writer, Gus, end up neighbors in a sleepy Michigan beach town for the summer. January is getting through the death of her father and all of the secrets she's learned in the wake of his passing, all while trying to clear his house (and second life) and write a new book. She's not feeling very romance-y at the moment and when her and Gus meet up, they decide to swap genres for the summer and see if that breaks their writer's block. Naturally, they get closer throughout the summer, and take each other on genre-relevant field trips so the other person really learns what they should be writing about.

I LOVED that this book was very much a typical romance book (and sort of a love letter to the genre) while also managing to invent new tropes. Who knew that TWO grumpy main characters could be so perfect?! Usually you have one grumpy and one happy, with the happy one trying to make the grumpy one finally soften up. January and Gus both had different reasons to be salty with each other and with the world, which led to some amazing banter between the two. Their chemistry was so refreshing and their relationship felt natural to me.

I adored the side characters, like Pete and Shadi. Every aspect of both characters' lives felt well-done and fully fleshed out, which can be hard when you're not writing a dual-POV (in my opinion). I felt like I knew both characters intimately by the time it was over. I don't want to spoil the ending, but it was so nice to have a lower-stress "black moment" in this book. I just needed something light but still with a lot of depth; Henry managed to deliver both so well.

I definitely managed to laugh out loud AND tear up multiple times throughout the book, so you could call that a success. No doubt this will be in my top few books of the year, which makes me incredibly happy. This was exactly the book I needed when a pandemic was causing stress and my reading was down in the dumps.

January Andrews is heartbroken. A recent tragedy has left her penniless and alone with a severe case of writer's block. Her new next-door neighbor and old college rival Augustus Everett isn't faring much better. So one night, after copious amounts of wine and donuts, they strike up a deal to swap genres. He will write a sappy, swoon-worthy romance, while she pens a deeply depressing work of literary fiction. To help each other out, they devote two nights a week to lessons on their literary processes. For him, that's interviews with cult survivors, and for her, that's trips to the carnival or beach. Oh, and throughout this challenge, they definitely won't be falling in love.

January and Gus were characters who stayed with me long after I'd finished the book. There was just so much depth of feeling to their struggle to find something to believe in again, and for them to discover that love and trust in each other was a beautiful thing. I already can't wait to read this one again.

I think Emily has a smart, witty story. However, I think it may need to be shelved as general fiction as it doesn't quite satisfy rom com romance genre conventions. Full thoughts and review posted on bookbub at https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nisha-sharma

When two authors, both with writer's block, live next door to each other for the summer, will they be able to help each other through? Short answer, yes. Longer answer, there is a history between the two authors than the blurb demands. And did we need to have that backstory? I don't know. It built on their history but it took up pages that could have gone to developing their current relationship. Usually I like a second chance romance but this book almost would have been better without it so the readers could have discovered the romance along with the main characters. The beginning dragged a bit (our romance writing heroine has had her happy-ever-after-believing soul shaken twice recently; both stories are ruminated on a lot but wrapped up oddly quickly) and the end could have developed a bit more (though I did like the image of linked Happy-For-Right-Nows rather than an HEA) but the middle was a lovely story of two people falling slowly in love.
I always wonder if stories like this come from someone who had writer's block but overall, a nice story with some interesting glimpses into the life of a writer.

Three stars
This book comes out May 19th
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own