You must read this book! The cover and description had me expecting a fun, cute rom-com, but this was not what I got. Rather than being disappointed, I was completely swept away by this beautiful story.

January is a romance author with writers' block due to upheaval in her personal life. She moves into a beach house for the summer to try to process her life and write the book she owes her publisher. She finds herself neighbors with Gus, a literary fiction writer in a similar situation, and they decide to swap genres.

So many things to love: This book is built on perfect details. Every bit feels so well- considered and lived in that it sucks you in completely. It is self-aware without being detached. The tone is beautiful- the book itself isn't comedic, but the characters are funny people so there were several times I laughed out loud.

Anyone who loved that Evvie Drake Starts Over should get Beach Read immediately.

The title and the book's cover don't do justice to the deep and beautiful thoughtfulness of this story.

It happens close to a beach, and there is a lot of reading (and writing) that goes on, but this book is really an exploration of how we balance sorrow, pain, and joy within the lives we're given. Highly recommend.

I really, really adored this book. It is straight up hysterical and the characters are wonderful. So many things here left me either laughing or grinning - or, in some cases, actually tearing up because Henry is as good with sad moments as she is with funny.

All this said, I do think the book is a smidge uneven, with the beginning being way stronger than the ending. There was definitely a point or two in the last few chapters where things felt a little Return of the King-y and I'd enter each new scene thinking it'd be the last one. Each of those scenes was sweet and emotionally valid but...I'm not sure they all had to be there. Or at least January's ~I knew I shouldn't have fallen for Gus inner monologues should have been cut; I don't know that I needed more than two of those. But I am still incredibly glad the I read this book and would absolutely 100% recommend it.

I can't even with this book, it was just so good. Delightfully romantic for sure, but what got me hooked was January's life. A romance writer, who was initially inspired by her parent's fairtytale marriage, has become disenchanted by the genre after her father's death and the unveiling of his secret life. Adding on to that, she is now broke and living next to the one writer she has always loved to hate. January was smart, relateable, and such a fun heroine to root for. Literally, a perfect beach read!

Romance, drama, family secrets, and quick-witted dialogue makes Beach Read by Emily Henry a must read for any location.

The concept of two novelists having writer’s block and deciding to switch genres on a bet is unique and clever. When they share their genre specific writing processes with each other, that leads to time spent together, which leads to romance.

I adored January and Gus. They were flawed, complex characters with compelling backstories. As writers they are blocked creatively, but they are also blocked emotionally. The process of moving past these challenges will endear January and Gus to readers.

The dialogue is vibrant, just like you’d expect from two writers who have a shared history. It was a delight to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC

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I read the book twice. I love a male lead with a lost soul. Their romance hit all the right spots and I loved it.

4.5 stars, highly recommended for all libraries, book clubs, and women’s/general fiction readers. For fans of Arranged by Catherine McKenzie or Star-crosses by Minnie Darke.

This love story felt honest and real and a little bit broken. Rather than focusing on “new adult” characters, this story has a 29yo falling in love with a 32yo, who are both still staggering a bit, as life hasn’t worked out quite the way they had originally planned. This 37yo can relate— I think that was the year I got laid off.

The only thing that kept this from being a 5-star book for me was that January, the heroine, has some really romance-novel-esque emotional gymnastics. When the love interest begins to open up to her and she starts to fall in love, the mundane day-to-day spending time together that relationships are built on happens off-screen. Within a few pages, her feelings about their relationship have changed pretty drastically. She flip flops back and forth, hoping for the best then being convinced it will all come down in flames, a few times. It’s a little YA-angsts just there. It is probably supposed to make sense with her dramatic-and-painful-year backstory, but the speed with which she went through these revolutions was a bit too much for me.

I will definitely be looking forward to more from this author. Note: this book could easily draw you in to an all-day binge-read, so probably don’t read at the actual beach, because sunburn.

OH MYYYYY GOODNESSSSSS! Finally literature gods heard my prayers that I’ve been requesting to read a fantastic romance that I’ve been craving for so long! I need something heart wrenching, shaking me to the core, help me feel everything at the same time: happiness, angst, joy, forgiveness, enjoyment, resentment, hurting! Yes, I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I want to scream it! Oh, thankfully I already did!

I have to add that: This is not beach read. This is GLUED READ. You don’t want to end it and you don’t want to stop reading it so you carry your book at everywhere as if it’s one of your internal organs.

I expected to read something more chic lit, soft, sweet story but instead of that, I got an amazing fiction, a remarkable romance juggles between so many things at the same time from friendship, regrets, cancer, betrayal, dysfunctional families and their secrets, enemies to friends and friends to lovers, rivalry between the authors!

The things I loved mostly:

-Sarcastic but so smart, entertaining, unique dialogues between January and Gus

-The soul crushing, tear jerker, heart shattering, intense father and daughter relationship

-Captivating the story telling from the beginning: I couldn’t put down this book. I actually devour the pages (maybe I accidentally licked my kindle but its screen looks dustless and I’m the grossest person right now!), I couldn’t stop reading January and Gus’ growing attraction, their struggles to open up and their scares not to get hurt, their stupid and childish actions towards each other. Yes I had some many “awww” and sighing moments. My husband thought I was secretly ordering cases of French wines because I smiled so much and I got appointment from the surgeon because it glued to my face and I’m looking like worse version of Joker right now! I cannot stop!

-A witty plot: Two writers were nemesis from college now neighboring beach houses. They both have their deadlines for their books but they’re suffering from writer’s big bold scary blog! (Did it ever happen to me? Nope, after drinking, words pour out from my mind like torrent but next day editing them when you are sober is the most painful experience!) Gus thinks that HEA doesn’t exist but he can push himself to write about it and January could also write some high rated, complex fiction instead of swoony romances! So they bet and replace their places but for inspiration to do that they have to spend time together by experiencing the shiny and dark sides of the life. That means January will take him to carnival, romantic beach and field trips to watch the sunset as Gus takes him to hike at the graveyard or arrange an interview with a grieving woman who lost her death cult member sister. See, it was impossible not to get interested and hooked from the beginning!

-Characterization: January and Gus seems like polar opposites. One pessimist who had problematic childhood with his abusive father and one optimist Pollyanna who loves to see from the brighter side even though her childhood was affected by her mother’s big C hanging over her head like the Sword of Damocles. They are suffering from loneliness and their wrong choices about their love lives. Actually they have so much in common and don’t forget THE SIZZLING CHEMISTRY and UNDENIABLY GROWING ATTRACTION!

LAST PARTS OF THE BOOK: Oh boy! Please prepare your napkins, paper towels, anything to dry your non-stop dripping tears! I’m not giving spoiler but Ms. Henry is an emotional torturer knows exactly how to sing to our hearts, how to break into pieces and magically gathers each pieces and heals you with soul brushing, poignant words. She is a heart whisperer. She knows how to melt your heart!

OVERALL: This is not only one of my favorite books of this year but it is also gonna be my all-time favorite romance books! I’m so happy my great written romantic fiction craving is over!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this year’s one of the best books’ ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review. And Emily Henry, thank you for reaching my heart with your effective, soul touching, talented work.

I've barely started my 2020 reading year and I'm sure that this will be one of my top five by the end. This book was witty, hilarious, and I felt understood countless times throughout it. Emily Henry was meant to write, and I can say that I'm SO looking forward to whatever she puts out next. You can't teach that kind of voice.

Cute! There was something I didn't love about it, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I think it (oh god, don't hate me) might have been the endings to each author's respective books? That makes no sense, good lord, it really doesn't. But nonetheless.

Still, it's a very entertaining read, and I adored Pete and Maggie and labradors and labradorite.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I knew when I read the description of Beach Read I would love this book and I wasn't wrong. I can see this book begin the perfect novel to grab and take with you vacation. Great adorable characters you'll fall in love with and a story you can't put down.

I have to gush about this book! Beach Reads is an absorbing book that I just had to stay up too late to finish reading. It is a coincidence when January Andrews moves into the house next to Augustus Everett, her college writing rival. Broke, struggling with writers block, heartbreak, and grief, January has until the end of the summer to finish a romcom and she is struggling to find funny or love in the world around her. As she learns more about herself, puts her past in perspective, and opens up to Gus, I was so invested in her and rooting for her Happy-For-Now (plus her defense of romance books is everything this romance fan ever wanted to hear). Fans of Love Lettering are going to enjoy this book that is in the sweet spot combining woman’s lit and romance for a throughly wonderful story.