Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Beach Read by Emily Henry

128 reviews

cecetomas's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have mixed feelings on this book. This was my first Emily Henry read and I have to say first thing that really threw me off was the writing style. It was mor immature than I expected, and I really disliked the little comments and thoughts added in italics or parenthesis. It just took me out of the story for one awkward minute.

As I read however, the story grew on me. The heavy themes didn't feel as awkward as the beginning and I started to see more chemistry between the characters. I have to admit, Henry's writing isn't my favorite but she knows how to write chemistry really well. The spicy scenes were enjoyable and intimate and the tension was present.

Overall it was a fun and easy dance read that I finished in less than two days. I don't really understand the hype around her and her books buts I didn't regret reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

chasingpages1's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Infidelity, Death of parent, Sexual content, Alcohol, Terminal illness, and Vomit

Minor: Cursing, Abandonment, Drug use, Medical content, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship

khloereads86's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved this one so much more this time than the first time I read it a couple years ago. January & Gus <3 both healing and trying to be their best for themselves and each other. It was so sweet and funny and real. Emily Henry books always feel like home 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Cursing

Moderate: Death of parent and Death

Minor: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Cancer

rad_reads_123's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, Cancer, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Vomit

angelfireeast24's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Grief, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

braveprincess11's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

You can definitely see the beginnings of the classic Emily Henry style in this one. It was a cute premise, and handles the tropes just differently enough that I could tell whose book it was. 

But, as is the case with all “first books” it needed a bit more polishing. The bones are there, it’s clearly Emily Henry, but it‘a not quite as tight and purposeful as I’ve come to expect from her writing. It leaned into the tropes a bit more than I’d like. 

That being said, I love Gus, I absolutely adore him. January took a little longer for me to warm up to, but I did end up invested in her existence outside of Gus. I understand everyone’s got their fatal flaw, but January’s instinct to start fights with Gus, rather than actually talk about her insecurities made it tough to like her. She needed to cut Gus some slack, especially after she’d heard bits of his past from Pete; if he doesn’t feel ready to talk about his life, give him time, don’t drunkenly confront him because you’re unhappy with his timeline. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

Cults

tigerkind's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Title is exactly what you’re getting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Cancer, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death, Suicide, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, and Car accident

dananana's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Suicide and Fire/Fire injury

mlottermoser's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Dark subject material for something targeted as a beach read. Grump/Sunshine romance 
(Infidelity, cult research, grief)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Child death, Physical abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

booksawyer's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Since Beach Read came out in 2020, I’ve heard nothing but good things about Emily Henry’s first adult romance novel. Years later, Henry has released three more novels in this genre and I still have yet read any of them - until now!

Beach Read follows the story of January Andrews, a published romance writer who recently lost her father. His death opened up numerous wounds when January discovered secrets he has been keeping from her, the aftermath of which sent her into an extreme writers block. Since she hasn’t sold a book and recently spilt with her long-time boyfriend, January moves into a lake house left to her by her dad, hoping write her next novel by the end of the summer. 

Upon moving into the house, January “meets” her neighbor, who turns out to be her college rival Augustus Everett, a successful literary fiction writer. The two decide to make a bet, deciding they will each try to write a book in the other’s genre. The terms of their agreement cause them to spend a lot of time together, and sparks may fly… 

Saying I enjoyed this book is an understatement. From the moment I started reading, January and Augustus’s story captivated me. I was swept up in the romance, rooting for them the whole way.

What pushes Beach Read into the category of an all-time favorite is the inclusion of difficult themes. I always enjoy books that cover difficult topics, so the discussion of grief and the impact that January’s fathers actions had on her was an element of the book I really enjoyed. 

This book also finds our characters researching a cult, something I never expected to see in a romance novel. However, I think it was handled well. The scenes in which this topic was discussed were moving and I found myself getting goosebumps once or twice. 

Despite the heavy themes, this book makes for an excellent cute romance. January and Augustus have undeniable chemistry, and the development of their romance was enough to make me giddy.

Emily Henry is an excellent writer who masterfully crafted this novel. I truly can not wait to immediately pick up one of her other books!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide

This book also deals with cults, particularly the fallout of being in the cult on survivors, as well as the family of cult members who died.