tamalito's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emcollen's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.0
libraryofrhi's review against another edition
5.0
Crying screaming and throwing up that this had to end. I tried to prolong it as long as I could. I loved every inch of this. The banter was so genius. I lived and breathed this world. Gus quotes will stay imprinted on this brain. Yes, it’s a good day to be literate.
lostintheforest's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
madeline_is_so_cool's review against another edition
3.0
This was decent, but honestly the last 25% of the book was so over the top cheesy that it did ruin it for me just a little. I also felt the writing could have been tighter. The terms of their bet was never super clear, and the pacing sometimes dragged. I enjoyed most of it well enough but it wasn’t fireworks for me
drowningfaithh's review against another edition
4.0
tropes/tags:.
→ (one-sided) rivals to friends to lovers
→ well-developed friendship before relationship
→ sunshine x grumpy !!
→ flirty banter
→ all the freaking sexual tension ohmygod
→ with some family-centric issues
4.5 stars
One-sidedly competing during their collegiate days, writers January and Gus happen upon each other after 6 years as neighbors in Michigan. Both may have been writers, but that was where the similarities ended. Gus was cynical who believed that love was not meant for people like him and wrote literary fiction. Meanwhile, January was a hopeless romantic who saw life through rose-colored lenses and wrote romance. Different as they were, it seemed that they make up for what the other lacks proving that opposites do attract.
Beach Read is romantic, humorous, and all the while being heavy as it tackled grief and acceptance. Both the main and side characters were fleshed out well, and I felt for all of them. January’s reluctance, Gus’s distance, Shadi’s reliableness, January’s mom’s strength—I loved all of it. January and Shadi may seldom communicate, but either would drop everything to be for the other. I love their friendship.
As for the romance, I’m a sucker for sunshine x grumpy trope, or in their words, fairy princess x coldly horny trope. I enjoyed their witty and flirty banter, the slowly-forming friendship, and long-time-ongoing sexual tension. All their interactions were top tier. Also, their individual issues were tackled really well and weren’t just grazed past in the power of love. I cried a lot in the end, and I really did feel so much for January because father-daughter relationships are my weakness. Anyway, Gus finally letting January in and even going so far as to be a cheesy romantic bf and January letting go of her expectations for Gus—compromise at its finest. Super loved this <3
→ (one-sided) rivals to friends to lovers
→ well-developed friendship before relationship
→ sunshine x grumpy !!
→ flirty banter
→ all the freaking sexual tension ohmygod
→ with some family-centric issues
4.5 stars
One-sidedly competing during their collegiate days, writers January and Gus happen upon each other after 6 years as neighbors in Michigan. Both may have been writers, but that was where the similarities ended. Gus was cynical who believed that love was not meant for people like him and wrote literary fiction. Meanwhile, January was a hopeless romantic who saw life through rose-colored lenses and wrote romance. Different as they were, it seemed that they make up for what the other lacks proving that opposites do attract.
Beach Read is romantic, humorous, and all the while being heavy as it tackled grief and acceptance. Both the main and side characters were fleshed out well, and I felt for all of them. January’s reluctance, Gus’s distance, Shadi’s reliableness, January’s mom’s strength—I loved all of it. January and Shadi may seldom communicate, but either would drop everything to be for the other. I love their friendship.
As for the romance, I’m a sucker for sunshine x grumpy trope, or in their words, fairy princess x coldly horny trope. I enjoyed their witty and flirty banter, the slowly-forming friendship, and long-time-ongoing sexual tension. All their interactions were top tier. Also, their individual issues were tackled really well and weren’t just grazed past in the power of love. I cried a lot in the end, and I really did feel so much for January because father-daughter relationships are my weakness. Anyway, Gus finally letting January in and even going so far as to be a cheesy romantic bf and January letting go of her expectations for Gus—compromise at its finest. Super loved this <3