Back at you with a book review! I have been busily reading over here, blowing through a few books I will hopefully get to review in the near future. For now, here is my hot take on one of my most recent reads, “Beach Read,” by Emily Henry.
I ordered this book as an add-on to my BOTM box (you know how sneaky those can be). I figured, why not spend an extra $10 to get another good read for the month since I saw shining reviews floating around for this book all over the site. People lauded the book for its steamy romance and adorable plotline, so I gave it a try. I am not one to read a ton of romance (unless it’s written by Sally Rooney) but after another check on my dry Hinge profile, I thought reading a little bit of a romance could be fun.
'Beach Read' takes place in the small beach town of North Bear Shores, Michigan, and centers around romance novelist January Andrews and her arch--nemesis-turned-lover Augustus Everett, who writes dark literary fiction. The two are both bestselling authors who had a few run-ins in their college literary classes but never crossed paths since, except on the NYT Bestsellers’ List. But of course, when January moves into her new summer beach home in North Bear, her next-door neighbor is none other than grumpy Gus himself. Though the animosity between the two runs high at the start of the book, it dampens into something of a friendship. As the two separately try to pen their next great story, with equally awful distractions from their personal lives, they decide to strike a bet to see which one of them can successfully write the story the other is looking for. Gus is going to write a love story with a happy ending for once (though it may still involve a cult) and January is going to write the twists and turns of a fictional circus family in her drama.
Those are the basics. The reason why January moved in the first place stirs the pot quite a bit throughout the story, and it isn't until she copes with her unresolved issues that she can finish her novel and get the guy, being Gus. Their romance is sweet and definitely satisfying to see come to fruition, although the slight plot twists that interfere between them came a bit out of nowhere. I would begin a new chapter with January moping and not texting Gus and wonder wait, since when were they upset with each other?
It is difficult to criticize the predictability of the story, since I don’t read a ton of romance and would imagine it is easily predictable who will fall in love. Within the descriptions of both of our main characters, I wasn’t totally sold or in love with either one, making it difficult to root for them to fall in love. But, I loved the scene-setting, how easily and lightly the story moved along, and how was all tied together in the end with a big bow. It’s sweet to read a story that you know has a happy ending sometimes. The reviews on this book are AMAZING — see Goodreads. I would say it was a solid 3.5/5 for me. Really cute, but not a standout in my collection.
Comments