“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.”
Emily Henry, Beach Read
Title: Beach Read
Author: Emily Henry
Genres: Romance, Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 361 (Paperback)
Published: May 19th, 2020
My Rating: ★★★★
Read: 6/16/2022 – 7/13/2022
Review:
I’m not a huge romance reader, but there’s something about Emily Henry’s book that I really love. I read People We Meet on Vacation earlier this year and figured I’d try Beach Read as one of my first summer reads… naturally so I could read it at the beach.
January and Gus are both lovable characters, but I have to say Gus and his storyline were my favorite even though January showed the most growth throughout the story. She must come to terms with the fact that life can’t always be looked at through rose-colored glasses. Gus helps her come to terms with this, but in turn, he must learn not to always look at life pessimistically. The two balance each other out and their chemistry is endearing.
The writing was witty and charming with just the right amount of angst and fluff. A great read to kick off the summer!
Likes & Dislikes
What I liked:
- The characters. It’s not often I end up liking all of the characters in a book.
- Maybe this goes with the characters, but the character growth. It was genuine and imperfect.
- The writing angle. I love that both January and Gus are writers.
What I didn’t like:
- Totally a ‘me’ issue, but it got a little too spicy for my liking. (Yes, I know this is a romance.)
- Almost too sappy at times, however, it worked.
Afterthoughts:
I read this as a buddy read with my friend Nicole which was SO much fun! This makes such a great book club book. I will say though that the chapters are inconsistent in length, so that’s something to take into consideration when reading with other people.