Skyler October 5, 2023

We find a piece of ourselves in most books we read. But, to date, I think Emily Henry’s novels are some that I find the most relatable. Even if I myself am not in the same situation as her characters, the roller coaster of feelings, the conflicts with family or friends, is extremely real to me.

This is no less the case in Beach Read.

The Blurb

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a Happily Ever After, he kills off the entire cast.

They’re polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke and bogged down with writer’s block.

Then one hazy evening, one things leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Working Backwards

This is my third Emily Henry novel, and I realize I’m not going in any particular order publication wise. So maybe that’s on me. But when I sat down to read Beach Read, I was expecting something closer to Book Lovers. As the main characters here, are in the writing/bookish field same as that one.

And yes, they’re very similar in that regard, but that’s about it. In the three novels I’ve read so far from her, Beach Read is coming in last.

Let me explain why.

What I Adored

Let’s start with the positives, of which there are many! Even though this isn’t my favorite Henry novel there was a lot about this book that I loved and made me smile.

Characters

I think character creation is one of Emily Henry’s biggest strengths. Her characters feel like individuals, and the depth that she creates with them is something to be admired. Some I love more than others, and I think that’s great. If I loved every one of them, I’d say they all were too similar.

The main characters in this novel, I didn’t resonate with as much as I have her other novels. But that doesn’t they aren’t great, or that another reader isn’t going to love them to bits.

January Andrews, our MFC, is dealing with not only writer’s block, but some heavy family drama. Aren’t we all? And even though I didn’t fully grasp her reactions to some things, I know for certain others will. Her battle with writer’s block now, that I did understand, as well as her love of stories.

And then, without any true plans, I started writing one, and that feeling, that feeling of falling head over heels in love with a story and its characters as they sprang out of me, was unlike anything else.

Beach Read by Emily Henry, pg. 88-89

Now, the MMC, Augustus Everett, I didn’t vibe with near as much. I know many did, but he just wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s one of those instances where I don’t have any true negative against him. He just didn’t do anything for me. Didn’t stir any emotions, besides some comedic laughter at times.

Unlike some of Henry’s other novels that have a decent sized cast, Beach Read truly felt like just a MMC & MFC with some side characters, that though well developed, didn’t take center stage at all. (But if she ever writes a novel about the wonderful Shadi…take my money now!)

Clichés

One of the things I really did have fun with while reading this novel, were the multiple and fun clichés. I can’t tell you why, as that would be a bit of a spoiler, but I will admit to this book having several good ones.

We have the writers who drink, that hide from their agents, and suffer writer’s block. We have some wonderful lines that will make you smile as you come across them. The “promise not to fall in love with me’s” and more.

Just trust me, if this were a rom-com movie, it would be a great montage.

The Banter

I’m a sucker for good banter. And when you have two main characters who share a passion, the banter tends to be really great in my opinion. I loved it when January and Augustus went back and forth, and honestly I could have stood for there to be a bit more.

When they interacted with side characters, it felt very natural, but I just wanted more with our main peeps.

What I Didn’t Adore

The Communication

The more I look at this heading, the more I wonder if this isn’t the point of this novel in a way. And perhaps it’s something we’re all suppose to not like.

Communication (not banter), or more often, miscommunication, is a very very common trope. Especially in romance novels. And I get that people can be reserved and wanting to withhold information. But this story as a whole seems to be built on this concept. Of either miscommunication or simply no communication, or lack of communication.

Same can be said for life I suppose.

But there were times I just got tired of people not opening their mouth. Granted, the story would have been a whole lot shorter if they had. But there were some things that weren’t divulged when they entered the scene, and it made for unnecessary drama in parts. Just little things.

Third Act B——

Now, as in any good Hallmark movie, and many romance and rom-com novels, there are third act breakups. It’s just part of the formula.

I will neither confirm nor deny if there is a third act breakup in truth. But the event that happens around what would be that time in the story, just felt unnecessary to me. It ties back to the Communication segment.

I just didn’t get much from reading it.

In Conclusion

Overall, this was a good contemporary romance. It had a lot of cute moments with some very relatable main characters. Minor things kept it from being a five star for me personally, but I know of many people who love this novel.

If you are a fan of Emily Henry at all, you will enjoy this novel. If you’ve never read one of her novels before, I would recommend Book Lovers or Happy Place.

I gave Beach Read by Emily Henry

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Until Next Time,

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