I loved this read. great book. an easy read, and a heartfelt book all about learning to love again.
Very relatable to life,

From the title I expected this book to be a typical holiday romance. It is much more than that., and touches on many moving themes. Two writers of different genres challenge each other. Chaos and romance ensues. Although a bit predictable I enjoyed their journey.

Beach Read is a refreshing palette cleanser of a book - a romcom with real heart and soul. Henry's novel is centered around 2 writers, who end up staying next to one another in 2 lake houses, who issue a challenge to each other to write their next novel in the other's genre. Chaos and romance ensues, but the novel also has a lot of poignant themes and I definitely teared up towards the end. All in all, this was a lovely read which, whilst it has been marketed as a summer read, would be perfect for the Autumn/Winter too.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had heard so much about this book, so my expectations were quite high, but I loved it.

I loved the characters and their chemistry. The letters from January’s dad really got me.

My only downside is that it was predictable, however this can be expected with this genre.

A fairly classic love story is lifted by excellent characterisation. Not only are the two main characters engaging, but the minor ones are too.

The story gallons along at a cracking pace, and is indeed an excellent beach read.

OMG I just love,love,love this book.
This is not a Beach read. It is much, much more. This is not a fluff read. You treasure this book.
It deals with much more that just a romance.
I just wish a little more of romance. 💕🙊
This is for me 4.5 stars read. And the best books I read in 2020.

This was a brilliantly uplifting read with some real heart and heavy moments.
Although I didn't love it as much as the whole other world it was still a lovely enemy to lovers read. It deals with grief and fidelity in an isolated setting with a wonderful found family feel.

This was a perfect vacation read which I was able to enjoy at the beach. It has all the elements the title implies; light, romance, no drama. The classic grumpy man who it anti-love slowly falling for the woman whose life is in a bit of disarray. I loved the unique story line of the father's secret!! I don't read a lot of romance but it seems like the story was propelled forward by "foreplay interruptus. Maybe that is a common trope for the genre but I tired of it. I would have liked a bit more character development instead. Still a great book for escapism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK for the opportunity to read this book.

Beach Read, much like it’s name, is not at all what I anticipated it to be. Neither did I anticipate loving this book as hardly as I came too when I read the first couple of chapters. It crept up on me slowly as I became more entwined with January and Gus, much like they become entwined with one another and slowly, fall in love.

Upon beginning this book, I quickly understood why reviews of this recent release have been so staggeringly different. I don’t know about anyone else, but this book was pitched to me as an enemies to lovers romance. If you go into this book with those expectations you’re going to be sorely disappointed by it.

So yes, January and Gus were college rivals. Although if I had to attach a trope to their romance, it felt more like a friends to lovers romance. And a love story about two people who don’t quite remember what it is to love and be loved honestly and vulnerably. All of which made me feel incredibly emotional and were my favourite parts of this story. Maybe I just wished for a little more of that.

This book surprised me in ways more than its melancholic romance. When we meet January she’s miserable, broke, semi-homeless and very single. After finding out about her late Father’s infidelities, Romance and happily ever after advocate January feels as if her rose tinted glasses have been removed.

I loved how this felt like somewhat of a second coming of age for too and a lesson on grandly romanticizing life. January’s individual arc mostly takes precedence over the romance here, something that for once I didn’t mind because I enjoyed January’s perspective and enjoyed her learning to navigate an imperfect life with imperfect people.

On the other hand, Gus has always lived his life without looking through rose tinted glasses. Gus is very much my favourite type of love interest too – the grumpy handsome guy that contrasts so well the sunshine girl. I was very much in my element here with this story and I loved their romance. When both of them are suffering from chronic writers block they pose a bet to switch genres and write a best selling book. It means Adventures in Romance and Lit Fic field trips. If that doesn’t sell you on this book, I don’t know what will!

Beach Read was both sombre and sweet, and satiated everything I look for in a good romance book. I want to recommend this book to people who enjoyed The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. Beach Read isn’t as romance driven as that book is, but the character dynamics were similar and so was the writing style.

A very unique read, not at all what I expected from a women's fiction novel. Very enjoyable and quite gripping, with a strong romance throughout.

This book!!!

This book was so much more than I expected! I was thinking it was gonna be one of those easy to read types that didn't have much else of interest going on but was fluffy and entertaining. Boy, I was I wrong.

From the beginning, it's clear the h has some serious issues going on, along with writers block. The grump next door is more than just a scowling face and reading them together is absolute perfection.

This book was Interesting with a capital I. There was more going on than just the romance, each of them unpacking their problems and sorting through them, both together and individually.

I also loved Pete and Maggie!

I think the only thing that would have made this book perfect would be if it wasn't written in first person but even that wasn't enough to stop me laughing and sobbing until I had snot everywhere!

4.5 stars!

A great exploration of grief ft. some seriously great banter and one of my new favourite adult romances!

Trigger Warnings: death of a parent/loss of a loved one (past) funeral, adultery, breast cancer, discussion of chemo, cults, drug references, characters getting drunk, grief, emetophobia

January Andrews is a successful author who writes romance novels. She lived in blissful happiness with her boyfriend in New York until the unexpected death of her beloved father, when her relationship with Jacques falls apart. Her father was involved with another woman, meeting at his lakeside beach house, and this gross betrayal of her mother sees her challenging everything she thought she knew about her family. This eventually leads to depression, with her partner unable to deal with these changes. January has inherited the beach house and goes to prepare for its sale whilst trying to write her next book. There, she meets next door neighbour, Augustus (Gus) Everett, an acclaimed author of literary fiction...

Emily Henry's novel is set in North Bear Shores, a small town located on Lake Michigan. The unusual tale has two wonderful protagonists in January and Gus and their developing friendship and rivalry were wonderful to read about. Beach Read is so well written, and I was overcome with a wide range of emotions, from pleasure to sadness - it made me cry, it made me smile and it made me impatient. There is plenty of substance to the characters and the plot toys with some heavy themes, though it is still a lighter read. There is something tantalisingly indefinable between them and along with the smart dialogue, I really did not want to put Beach Read down. A superb and thoroughly enjoyable novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Penguin Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Beach Read is a great summer read and I enjoyed it immensely. From the first pages I could already tell that I was going to like January, the main character, a lot and I was not wrong. She was fun, easy to relate to, smart and didn't take herself too seriously. And although I had my doubts about Augustus at the begining, he was a real surprise. They both captured my attention and a bit of my heart.

I especially enjoyed the interactions between the two, so much fun banter! And as the story progressed and you learned more about these characters and their lives, you discovered so many more layers. The story was touching and sometimes poignant but above all, it was a real feel-good book for me. It left me with a huge smile on my face and a very sweet after taste.

The setting was also great, and gave such summery vibes that I could picture myself there on a lake house spying the characters. It was the perfect escapism, especially with the weird summer we are living in real life.

A highly recommended read for feel-good and touching stories fans!

I found this a bit of a slow starter and I struggled to get on board with the two main characters, January and Gus.
They are both writers, who end up being neighbours, but it conspires that they know each other from years before, so it covers them bring enemies to friends to more.
January is dealing with the death of her father and finding out about the double life he lived. Combine that with a looming deadline for her next book, and struggling with major writers block.
Some chapters seemed unnecessary and the back story that was created for Gus seemed a little choppy.

Great read. Suitably romantic and an easy enjoyable read.
Loved the storytelling and the main characters

It’s sweet, it’s raw, it’s unique. Beach Read was both nothing and everything I expected it to be. It made me smile and made me emotional. Well written insight into the book writing process and writer’s block. Sweet and real enemies to lovers but also friends to lovers. So, so good.
Oh! And don’t be fooled by the title, I think it would make an excellent cosy autumnal read, too! I believe that certain books are made to be read at certain time and this was one of them. I cannot recommend it enough.

January Andrews is bestselling romance author, whose world is shattered when not only her father dies but she learns that he had an affair years before. Broke and trying to sell her fathers beach house, she ends up neighbouring her college rival, Augustus "Gus" Everett, an acclaimed author of literary fiction. They end up striking a deal: Gus will write something happy and January will write the next great American novel.

This book was ok. I really liked the writing style and I absolutely loved Gus. Unfortunately, I didn't like January very much. Though I understand where she was coming for, she acted so insure and clingy, dissecting Gus every move and always expecting the worse. It made me feel like they wouldn't end up being a good match at all.

Some parts of the story were so boring, I struggled to get through it.

I want to thank Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Rating: 4 stars
Trigger warnings: death of a loved one, grief, cheating, child abuse, suicide, cancer.


There's a lot to love about "Beach Read" and all the hype it's getting is well deserved. This was not at all what I expected when I first requested, I was expecting a fluffy, summery romance but this book is very heavy in places and deals with a lot of difficult topics.

I loved the romance between Gus and January, their chemistry and dynamics were amazing and their relationship just felt very real and emotional.

This book hit way too close to home at times and so it was a very uncomfortable read for me and really emotionally draining. I really connected with the main character, January, I felt for her and what she went through and I was rooting for her the whole way, same goes for Gus!

Overall, don't be fooled by the happy cover, if you like romance books which deal with some heavy topics and loveable but messy characters, I'd definitely recommend Beach Read!

Beach Read was such a refreshing summer read!

I'm quite late to join the band wagon but all I can say is I loved it! Loved January and Gus.

After a rocky start, a bet, learning through experiences and falling in love...it was such a perfect slow burn romance.

Can't wait to get my copy.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin books and Penguin for an e ARC in exchange for my honest review.