Beach Read Book Review

I love me a slushy romance and this is exactly what this was; like a hug in a book, I could forgive it any mishaps simply for its ability to be pure escapism and allow me to get lost in the story of January and Gus. What makes it stand out for me is how layered the story was and how three dimensional the characters felt. Never did I think it was too unrealistic to happen in real life and that’s kind of nice to see in a book – as if our own happily ever afters are just as attainable.
9Loveable, Compelling, Heart-warming

Title: Beach Read
Author: Emily Henry
Type: Fiction
Published: 2020
Pages: 358
TW: Infidelity, Death of a Loved One

“And that was the moment I realized: when the world felt dark and scary, love could whisk you off to go dancing; laughter could take some of the pain away; beauty could punch holes in your fear. I decided then that my life would be full of all three.” 

Beach Read is a contemporary, almost stuck-together, romance which follows two writers who reside in cabins next door to each other and who both need to write a book – and quickly! January is at a turning point in her life, having just got out of a long term relationship and also having just lost her dad; Gus on the other hand, seems to have it all together, but as the two of them form an unlikely (or perhaps inevitably likely) friendship, it quickly becomes clear both have things they’d like to hide, and their relationship may be just what they need to end their collective writer’s block.

Review overview

CHARACTERS9

QUOTABILITY8.5

Summary

The humour as well was spot on – far from immature jibes at each other, January and Gus’ passive aggressive back-and-forths felt as genuine as they were funny and that’s what made this book so speedy to read. That coupled with my desperation to find out more about both of their backstories meant I read this in about 2 sittings!