I went into this expecting a light, fun, sexy ... well ... beach read. What I got was maybe one of the most beautiful narratives I’ve ever read. The journeys of these characters and they way they intersect is masterful, the setting is vivid, and the background characters give me all the Stars-Hollow-Pawnee-Bluebell feels! And the. There’s the chemistry, which is off the charts next level. I have never in my life finished a book and immediately flipped back to page 1 to start again, but Beach Read had me doing just that. This will be one I revisit over and over again.

Crack open your cold drink of choice and settle in-once you start Beach Read, you'll be powerless to stop. Equal parts poignant and romantic, Henry pulls together two flawed writers and has them challenge each other into being their best selves by taking a chance on a new style of writing (and each other). Although not as breezy as the name suggests, this book deals with grief, love, and second chances in a really cathartic way. Add in the whip-smart banter of two English majors and you have essentially a book made to provoke laughter, tears, and heartfelt sighs.

Loved this book! At first I thought it was going to be a romance trope, but the characters got real. It was fun, but also messy, and real. I also enjoyed the secondary characters.

This was such a great romance. Very cute, but with well thought out characters and backstories. January and Gus have a hilarious relationship and such great humor. Take this fluff to the beach and binge read away!

Reader PSA: Do not be mislead by the title, the cover or synopsis.

January, a romance novelist and Gus, a literary fiction author first met in college and reconnect as neighbors at the beach. Coincidentally they are both going through a writing slump and decide to switch genres. Through a series of instructional dates, the two work through some deeply seeded personal issues while slowly falling for each other.

This was not the light, rom-com I was expecting and that was fine with me. The characters are dealing with some heavy issues: the loss of a parent, grief, abuse and betrayal. There is plenty of trepidation and angst, but it's counterbalanced with very tender, heartfelt moments as well. While I enjoyed the romance component, I was more compelled by the character development.

Super fun beach read - yeah, just like the title says! The romance and pairing of the two authors was fun. It was a good way of exploring romance through writer's block and I especially loved their research trips.

Well that was ADORABLE! Despite the title, I didn’t actually think this book was much of a beach read in that it does dig deeper than that. Life isn’t tied up neatly with a bow. Feelings are messy and complicated and there can be a constant war between what we know logically and our emotions. Gus and January have their own demons and a relationship that felt grounded in a reality I could relate to. A must for romance readers, I will absolutely be reading more by this author!

Although the romance between January and Gus was a big part of the book, it was only maybe half of what the book was about. The other half was about January grieving her father’s death and dealing with her feelings of betrayal.

Honestly, it was easy to like January and Gus. Both were relatable but flawed characters. And the overall plot of them being writers, but writing different genres, but due to a bet decided to switch genres to get over their writer’s block was wonderfully original. Moreover I really enjoyed how comfortable Gus and January were with each other. And their banter was right up my alley.

Unexpectedly Beach Read wasn’t as easy or light-hearted as I thought it would be. The book was touching and heartfelt but also very emotional and sometimes even sad and heart wrenching. That was particularly the case when it came to January’s feelings about her father and his actions. It was a real journey for her, from finding out about his betrayal to forgiveness, and it didn’t come easy.

I was surprised by how much I struggled with this part. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mindset for such an emotional novel. Whatever it was, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would, or even expected. Because when it comes down to, the story had everything I liked. It was well written, and the characters were likable and well developed. In the end, it was a good read, just not a great one for me.

An apt title- this would make a great beach read. All the feels! I hope Henry will write more for an adult audience.

What a great story!!! These two characters have hit a slump in writing and the answer is so simple and yet can they carry through on the bet that's been made? What a creative and fun romance story. I enjoyed the characters and the difficulty they both had with the task that was ahead. The setting was beautiful and the side characters helped build the entire story. This is my first book by Emily Henry, but it won't be my last. A very good escape read!!

Beach Read is swoony, funny, thoughtful and fun. I really enjoyed it and want to thank NetGalley for the ARC. I'm not a huge fan of the more graphic intimate scenes but otherwise it was just a delightful rom-com with characters who were likable, yet both saddled with some heavy issues. The premise of the 2 main characters both being authors, who write in specific genres, challenging each other to write their next book in each other's genre, was unique. I would recommend this to anyone who likes women's fiction, chick lit and romantic comedies.

Loved the characters in this book!

The story is of January and Gus, acquaintances in colleges who both became successful writers. January writes romance, while Gus writes literary fiction. The two become neighbors after January’s father passes away, and she inherits a beach house on Lake Michigan.

Looking for inspiration, January and Gus strike a deal- he will spend the summer writing something fun and romantic, and she will write something more serious. I loved the field trips they took together while learning how to write in each other’s style, also the notes they held up when they first started talking.

Based on the cover you’d think this book is a light, romantic comedy. Though, while it does have those moments, its more women’s fiction than chic lit. There are some tough topics throughout like cancer, regrets, betrayal. Grief plays a large role with several of the characters.

Overall it was a captivating read- two people, polar opposites, finding happiness. Fans of Colleen Hoover and Christina Lauren would probably enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC.

In Beach Read, January is a romance writer whose life has collapsed around her. She has a summer to finish a book she hasn't started and can't seem to write, and she also has to use that time to come to terms with her parents' secrets. She has also just moved next door to Gus, a literary boy wonder who also happens to be her college rival. They have always had completely opposing views on life, but since Gus is also struggling with writing they make a deal to swap genres and see who can sell their book first. I tore through this book, it was just delightful, funny, and just charming. Gus and January are both complex people, and they had a ton of chemistry. I really loved both of them. The town around them was great, too - Pete, the local barista/bookseller was probably my favorite, but her geologist wife was also extremely endearing. Despite how funny this book is, January has to come to terms with some real issues - including realizing she might not fully know or understand the people she loves, and that she needs to be able to process (and fully feel) her feelings. This book was absolutely great - highly recommended.

From the title & the cover art I was expecting a light romance but this book is so much more! There's definitely romance but the bulk of the story is more about family & really examining how much you can ever really know a person. January is a romance writer who was raised by a loving family, Gus is a brooding author raised in a dysfunctional environment. They meet briefly in college but years later happen to live next door to each other at a time when they're both experiencing writers block. They devise a plan to help each other overcome their blocks & end up getting much more from each other. Well rounded characters, solid story line, definitely a must read!

Augustus writes literary fiction and January writes romance until they make a pact to switch styles for one book. In doing so, they show each other aspects of their own genre. Not only are their styles opposite, so are their backgrounds. During the various scenarios, like interviewing victims and attending county fairs, they begin to get to know each other and appreciate one another. Fun and engaging.

4.5 stars

What a refreshing story. This was so well written that I felt every emotion laid out on the pages... and yes, I cried. This is my first time reading Emily Henry and it won't be my last.

January Andrews has always viewed life with rose-colored glasses in a sense. She thoroughly believed in Happily-Ever-Afters and wrote books that way. But family secrets have knocked her glasses askew. Needing to complete another romance novel she heads to a beach house she didn't know existed.

Wouldn't you know that her new neighbor happens to be her college nemesis and fellow famous author, Augustus (Gus) Everett. Their writing genres, as well as personalities, couldn't be more opposite. But a friendly bet has them helping each other write their respective novels.

I don't want to ruin the whole book so I will leave my synopsis there. But you should definitely pick this book up. This whole book is fabulous, the writing is thoroughly perfect and will draw you in immediately. It's been a while since I've highlighted books and I highlighted the crap out of it. The descriptors alone put you right there, seeing everything. Grab it now!

Okay so here is my attempt at making a formal review for one of my easily favourite reads of 2020.

This is a love story between two very broken individuals. One is a fiction writer who searches for the dark unsettling things and pours his gut-wrenching words into literary fiction and the other chooses happiness and sunshine, writing romance novels for those who seek an escape. They both have complicated pasts. He grew up with an abusive father and felt he was missing a piece of him because of the events that happened in his adulthood. She grew up in a loving family that turned out to have secrets buried deeper than her father's casket.

Do not be fooled by the title or genre! Do not think that this will be your 'light beach read' you crave by the pool because this book will tear you apart, only to put you back together again. It was funny. So funny. I laughed so many times at their sarcastic remarks. I really loved the soft slow burn romance between them as these two people worked alongside each other, falling slowly in love, but deathly afraid of it because they knew what they had was magnified ten times of what they experienced and they weren't sure if they would live on if they didn't work out.

It's not your perfect romance. It's filled with two broken people finding happiness with each other. It's ironically a combonation of what they both wrote. A realistic story but filled with a romance plot. I really recommend this but I'm scared some people might walk in and think one thing and being disappointed because of the marketing of the book

If this book is not already on your TBR for May, I hope my review puts it there! I’m giving this story all the stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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January Andrews writes bestselling romance novels. Augustus Everett pens literary fiction. They have what may seem a rivalry in writing, but deep down it’s a mix of unspoken feelings, missed opportunities, & a heavy weight of unexpected conflicts. These two characters are rich with wit & that delicious spark that ignites between opposites, which ultimately you know will only make things hotter.
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Though I loved the chemistry & the build up to steam, it was the soft moments in between that captured my heart. I found myself re-reading lines, in utter awe of this beautiful story-telling that seemed to be speaking right to me. There is definitely a much deeper story here & goes way beyond your typical “beach read”. Don’t be fooled by that title. This story is packed full of emotion, depth, & will leave you questioning your own “what if’s” & wanting to take charge of writing your own “happily ever after... right now”.
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This won’t be the last you’ll hear of me gushing & proclaiming my love for this novel! Get ready, because this is just the beginning. I think I just found a favorite read for 2020.

Between 5 and 10 stars.

Wow. WOW.
This book blew me away and it really resonated with me. The blurb intrigued me and I requested but I can say this was not what I expected. So NOT a beach read.

What it is instead is so well written, so deep, so emotion-filled and stirring.

January and Gus knew each other in college and couldn't stand each other. Years later, she comes to the beach house her father left her and Gus lives next door. She recognizes him first and thinks he doesn't her, but he does. It turns out that, at this moment in their lives, they're both going through a phase of not being able to write.

As they live next door and can see into each other's houses (literally), they eventually come up with a challenge to help each other write, but the opposite of what they usually write.

They start going on research day trips. January plans day trips to help Gus understand the romance genre, and Gus takes her on interviews with survivors of a cult.

But there's so, so much more. There's the drama of their individual lives, their insecurities and fears, both as individuals and as writers, there's the growing friendship between and the attraction that might break it, there's family and neighbors, and exes, and the coming to peace with the death of a loved one.

It's beautiful and I love it and I'm telling you to get it and read it.

Warning: some language and sex, if that's a deal breaker for you.

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

What a unique plot---a romance novelist writing the great American novel and a literary novelist writing about romance. This definitely makes for an fun "beach read."