Review: Beach Read
Beach Read
Emily Henry
Synopsis: Gus and January are both authors, but beyond that, they don’t have much in common. She writes romantic comedy, he writes literary fiction. She loves a happily ever after, he doesn’t think they exist. Once college rivals, they are reunited years later, when they end up as neighbors one summer. In an attempt to bring themselves out of a writing slump, they make a bet: He will write a romance novel, and she will write a book that doesn’t have a happy ending. Along the way they plan outings for each other to help with the books. The first one to sell their book is the winner.
Rating: R- For sexual content and some disturbing descriptions involving cult behavior.
When was the last time you read a book that was so good, you were actually sad when it was over? For me, it was Beach Reads!
I’m not sure romantic comedies get much better than this! Turns out I am quite the sucker for a rivals to lovers rom-com. But “watching” these two fall in love was a certain kind of special. The way Henry slowly peeled back their layers and healed their emotional scars was so beautifully done, I almost teared up a couple of times.
The story between Gus and January wasn’t just them falling in love. It was healing. It was tender. It was hopeful. It was a deep friendship. But they are also so painfully human. They have both been through trauma in the past that they are still recovering from. They sometimes struggle to trust one another in ways that I think anyone with their past would. But seeing them grow and learn to trust is just perfection.
Some of the book does get a little dark. Gus is researching for a book based on a suicide cult. He interviews people who were in this cult, or had family in it. He also visits the site where it happened. It’s not terribly descriptive, but some parts may be a little disturbing for younger teen readers. I would not recommend this book for young teens. It’s adult fiction.
Now, obviously, if you are not a fan of romantic comedy, this probably isn’t the right choice for you. But if this is a genre you enjoy, I have absolutely no doubt that you will love this book as much as I did. Stop whatever you are doing and order your copy, or go out and buy it RIGHT. NOW. Beach Reads is definitely one of my favorite romance novels of the year (so far), and a strong contender for the #1 rom-com spot of 2021! Read it. IMMEDIATELY.