Review: I wanted to like this story. It had everything that should make it my new favorite book, but I found it really hard to get into the plot of this book and to relate to the characters - when I should feel so close to them.
There were some really good moments that improved my experience, and some funyn scenes that made me hysterical. Overall, I just never felt like I connected with the plot.

Synopsis: When Lottie Watt is unceremoniously booted out of her uptight book club for not following the rules, she decides to throw the rulebook out the window and start her own club – one where conversation, gin and cake take precedent over actually having read the book!
The Beach Reads Book Club soon finds a home for its meetings at Books by the Bay, a charming bookshop and café owned by gorgeous, brooding Matthew Steele, and as the book club picks heat up, so too does the attraction between Matt and Lottie.
If there’s anything Lottie has learned from the romances she’s been reading, it’s that the greatest loves are the ones hardest earned.

A Very Readable Romcom…
A sweet Summer read populated with delightful characters and a compelling, feel good storyline laced with plenty of gentle humour. Every reader will, undoubtedly, yearn to be a part of this particular book club. A very readable romcom.

I’d give this 3.5 ⭐️ so I’m rounding it up. It was a sweet story about the unlikely members of a book club. They spend more time living life together than the do discussing books. I really liked the individual characters but needed more backstory. I feel like they were all missing something. Even Matt and Lottie could have been developed more. Despite that though I still liked their opposites-attract personalities and their developing romance. They definitely seemed like that belonged together. This is an open door romance when is not my favorite.

Thank you Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

Thank you so much Net Galley for an ARCof The Beach Reads Book Club by Kathryn Freeman. This is the first book I've read from this author. The pages just flowed together so well. This is a contemporary romance where "opposites attract". It was a sweet book with a fantastic heroine.

What a book it has you laughing and crying in the same sentence. Lottie joined a book club but found it boring so decided to run her own with a little help and persuasion. However after asking the local stuffed shirt of the bookshop/ coffee shop owner if they could use his premises free of course because she doesn’t know if anyone will attend, he reluctantly agrees. The book club starts but this isn’t only about books, it’s about making friends, gossip especially about sex, gin and reading books you are going to enjoy. The thing with Lottie is that she has a heart of gold, helps others out all the time. But has no confidence in herself. But with the help of the Book shop, cafe and book club she begins to realise that she can do, what she thought she couldn’t as well as meet her true love. Please can there be a follow up. As I think we all need to know how Jim gets on and Audrey too

Now, just the name of this book drew me to request it, and I was not disappointed at all with the story. I have been struggling to read, recently, and this book pulled me out of the rut I had found myself in!
So we have Lottie, the blonde sparky, never an intellectual person, and definitely not known for her love of words.
She's been attending a book club, but really isn't feeling it, what with all the literary greats they are meant to be reading, when all she really wants is a bit of romance, happy endings, and a little steaminess thrown in.
An idea sparks (see what I did there?!) with the help of some other members of said book club to start their own, a more inclusive one, with less formal rules, and here's how she finds herself the head of the Beach Reads Book Club, with a slowly growing number of members, who do like a book with a bit of a romp in them, but more than anything, they cherish the time they spend together, and the friendships that evolve.
Oh, and I can't forget the romance within this book, either, can I? Matthew, the rather serious new book shop owner is eye candy for more than one of the members, but, slowly, as he sheds layers of clothing and his own mystique, he ends up being a perfect candidate for our Lottie.
Though, nothing is ever that simple. There is family drama, exes, and a gorgeous, protective dog, involved.
Oh, and who could forget the oldest member of the club, Audrey, who has a potty mouth disguising a heart of gold.
Such a lovely book, I highly recommend it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the plot summary I had to read this book as I was in a pretty serious book club for years and it fell apart because some of us didn’t want to read such heavy books all the time and didn’t want to discuss politics and others did so I could definitely relate to the story.
Lottie starts her own Book Club pertaining to fun beach read romance books. She twists the arm of a local bookstore in Café owner (Matt) to let her hold the meetings there.
I started to dismiss as a fluffy romance with a Bookclub theme but soon learned there was much more to it. There was humor, quirkiness, romance , supportive friends, ex’s , family relationships and a lot more including a dog who didn’t like whistling.
I also like that Lottie was a strong woman who worked in a profession typically held by men.
Romance ensues and there are a few twists and turns resulting in a very enjoyable read .

Lottie starts a new book club when the one she's in doesn't fit, but it soon becomes more than reading books.

Instead of meeting at the library, she asks the owner of the local bookshop for a place to host her meetings after hours.

Matt has recently moved to the area with his father and sister, and they're all still recovering from the death of their mother and wife.

The book club becomes a place of healing for several persons and, as Matt and Lottie get to know each other, they form a relationship.

I did finish reading it, so it gets 3 stars for that, but overall the story was at times too long winded.

A received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Sexual content.

Thank you NetGalley, Kathryn Freeman and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC of The Beach Reads Book Club. This is my personal review.
I must say reading a book about a book club that is reading books that are out for all to read now was a quite different twist !
This is a romance comedy type of book and those are a favorite of mine but this one seemed for me to be lacking a little bit of each part. I liked the characters in this book but just could not connect with any one of them totally.

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for the eARC for review!

When Lottie Watt decides to start her own book club for light, fun reads, she thinks her favourite book store is the perfect place to have it - if she can get the steely owner to agree.

This is a fun read. In fact, it's probably the very same kind of book that The Beach Reads Book Club would pick up, though some of the characters might complain about the tameness of the sex scenes. It's fluffy, easy, light on the drama and full of likeable characters I'd like to share a drink with.

Lottie was a great protagonist - easy-going, forgiving, kind, generous, but strong and stubborn in her own way. Matt, in turn, was a great foil - rigid and standoffish, at least at first, witty, smart, and adoring. The lovers really balanced each other out, and they're chemistry was palpable.

All that said, I found the story a little.. simple. There's not much going on plot wise except for our two lovebirds flitting around their feelings for the other, until an old flame comes into the mix. Even when the romance does start to come to fruition, the beginning felt a bit lacklustre. In romance novels, I'm used to those first moments being charged, unstoppable, passionate. Here, it was simple. I know Matt is clearly very methodical and serious, but there’s something so sexy about a guy like that finally giving up control for a moment. Even after, the steamy scenes were fairly short and straighforward. This happened. Then this. Then we both did this. Not the sort of drawn out-lyrical, long-awaited scene you find in most romances.

Maybe I’m just not used to reading about a mature adult relationship. Matt and Lottie communicated so well, but I’m craving a bit more messiness. (That said, I love Matt's gentleman-ness, and how consent was always emphasized, especially in the beginning).

I wasn't a fan of Matt's attitude toward food. While he never made Lottie feel bad about her diet, the inner dialogue about carbs and calories and clogging arteries and jogging to work off a meal felt superfluous. It would have been enough to have one mention of his diet, where it was the only thing he felt he could control growing up, but Freeman talks about it again and again. It just came across a bit judgey and pretentious, which I know is the farthest thing from Matt's true characterization.

This is really nitpicking, but there were a few times when "OMG" is written in the dialogue, not the full “oh my god”. People in their 30s and 40s don't say this in real speech.

Finally, during the chapter where the book club is discussing The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, one of the characters starts to describe the book by saying the main character has Aspergers. This is an outdated and very harmful name for someone on the spectrum, as the syndrome was named after Hans Asperger, a n*zi collaborator who experimented on kids with autism.

All that aside, as mentioned, this was a definitely a Beach Read. I wish we got a little more drama and a little more steam, but the book definitely succeeding in what it set out to do!

If you read one book this summer, let this be it!! A fun perfect beach read that had me finishing this book in a day. I found myself mixed with two things I love book clubs and a good romance! Lottie and Matt are great protagonists and I found myself rooting for them. Such a great story, I can’t wait to share this book with friends. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

This book delivers on exactly what the characters are looking for, a fun, uplifting romcom with a happy ending. I read this book so quickly. It's the first I've read in a long time that actually made me lose track of time. I really connected to all of the characters and I was totally invested in what was happening to all of them. It was predictable in the way that all romcoms are while still surprising me when I thought I had some details figured out only to find out I didn't. 4.5 stars, great read!

Lottie gets booted out of the towns uptight book club for not following the rules. So she decides it’s time to start her own book club where they can read more romance novels and the only rules are there must be liquor and cake!

She quickly locks down a meeting spot at the local book shop and The Beach Read Book Club are set. The handsome owner of book by the bay is the mysterious Matthew Steele. Sparks fly and the heat picks up quite quickly.

But if there’s anything Lottie’s learnt from reading all these romance novels it’s that the greatest loved are the ones hardest earned. I absolutely loved this book finished it in one sitting. The friendships created and love triangle drama made for such an entertaining book. The perfect beach read!

This was a fun read. I really liked the characters in the book club and the friendships that were formed between all the women and Matt and his family over the year. The romance between Matt and Lottie was a slow burn and kind of took a back seat at times, but I didn’t mind, because I loved the vibe of the people in the book club. I also kind of wish I had a book club in real life that serves alcohol and desert. Lol

I've started reading this book with high expectations after seeing the positive reviews and even though it was an entertaining book, I did not fall head over heels with the story.

The main character, Lottie, feels the need for connections with other people through books and decides to create a new book club. In comes the mysterious book store owner, handsome and well off financially (as typical in most romance books), but also with his share of sad secrets. Add to this, friends going through major lives' changes, one older boisterous lady and some good food and alcohol and you get a book club with lively discussions and great friendships.

I enjoyed reading about the diverses members of the book club but the author did not expand very much on their lives. As for the romance itself, it was well written with characters that were not perfect but respected each other with their flaws and differences.

I will recommend this book to my book club fellows and maybe bring to the next meeting some wonderful cakes and gin as a toast to book clubs everywhere.

First of all, I really loved the plot idea of this book. I thought it was so cool that the main character decided to start her own book club and the books they chose to read were several popular rom- com books that are out there now. I thought that was a unique idea.

I really liked the fact that each book that they read was in the chapter titles when the book club met. I realized I had a few that I need to read in the future. I like it when books mention other books in them because they are like recommendations from friends.

I also really loved the characters and how close the book club got with each other. I think my favorite characters were Lottie and Audrey. I did like the romance.

I didn’t like the love triangle that happened. I thought that was not needed for the story. The pacing also was a bit off for me, it took me awhile to get into the book.

Overall this story had a cute premises and it was a three star rating. A three star rating doesn’t mean it is bad, it still means that I liked it.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read and review this. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Also, I am so sorry but Wordpress won't correct the URL name. I know it is called The Beach Reads Book Club but it won't change that. I tried changing it.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The minute I saw the cover and title of this book, I knew I had to read it.
I was not disappointed.

Matt and his family have moved to a small seaside town from London, where Mark was a City trader. He, hos father and his sister Amy are all grieving the loss of their mother and wife nearly a year earlier. So Mark decides to buy a bookshop.

Lottie is a self employed young lady in a profession not exactly overrun by women, especially good looking, blonde, slightly zany young women. Lottos loves reading, but has found the book club she has joined is not exactly for her. It is too..highbrow, stuffy and not exactly friendly either. So Lottie decides to start her own book club and so the Beach Read Book Club is born.

This book made me smile, laugh, and was such an enjoyable read. The diverse characters, with all their foibles, the well written sex scenes and the great suggestions of books to read, make it one of THE beach reads for whenever we actually make it to a sunny sandy beach again.

I thoroughly recommend this book to all lovers of “beach reads”.

A really good rollercoaster of a romcom will they wont they the author kept the reader guessing. I loved the participants of the book club especially Audrey who said what she wanted when she wanted regardless of who was there 🤣 she was a hoot. This is the kind of book club I want to join, gin and cake who wouldnt. I will definitely be recommending this book

I was approached to read this book via NetGalley, and boy am I glad I was. The title instantly made me think of the kind of books that I take with me on holiday for lounging by the pool, and that's exactly what I got. I thought it was a lovely touch that the book club was set up to read the type of books you read at the beach and that's the type of book it ended up being - it felt very well-rounded.

It was quite a fast-paced book, with the general rule being that each chapter centred on a particular month's book club meeting, meaning that a year was covered without much effort. The pace was nicely balanced with a good level of detail and depth that meant it never felt like the story had been sacrificed for pace.

Lottie and Matt were both very likeable lead characters; I felt invested in them both from very early on. Lottie was independent and charming, while Matt was very clearly a family man with an internal struggle to overcome. The banter that existed between them from their first meeting was fun to read and helped build a natural chemistry. This chemistry, as in a lot of the books that were read by the book club, developed into some fairly steamy scenes later in the story, but they never felt cheesy, overplayed or misplaced.

Speaking of steamy scenes, Audrey's obsession with the raunchier side of the book club's chosen reads was hilarious; that combined with her "I'm old so I don't care" style of sass easily made her my favourite book club member. That said, they were all great additions to the story - each was given their own full and rounded life story to tackle in the course of the book - none of them seemed to be there simply to bulk out Lottie or Matt's story.

A nice little bonus for this book is that the chosen book club book for each month served as another recommendation for my ever-growing TBR pile. The short synopsis of each and seeing them through the eyes of the book club readers only served to intrigue me further.

All in all, I really enjoyed this quick, easy read and would recommend it to anyone looking for a light, fun book for beach (or the park, or wherever else they are choosing to relax in the sun) this summer.

After Lottie is asked to leave her book club she decides to start up the Beach Read Book Club dedicated to reading romance books. She convinces local book store owner Matt to allow her to use the cafe in his book shop to host the book club.

I really liked the characters in the book club and the friendships that were formed between the women. I really liked that the book club read romance books and the author mentioned some popular titles. I found the discussions that the book club had to be really entertaining and a lot of fun to read.
Whilst I really enjoyed this element of the story I didn't love the romance portion. I didn't feel any spark between Matt and Lottie although I knew from the start they were going to end up together.

Overall I thought that this was a fun read and will be a perfect summer read for any book lover.