jenneroni's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m not sure why I didn’t review this on the first read - might have been because I was crying…
I adore this book. The world building is phenomenal, the character backstories are well thought out, and the sexual tension is top tier. I love a brooding, messy dark haired guy and rivals to lovers at that? Can’t be beat.
The way the story comes full circle in several ways was really satisfying. I do think January is a character that gives me secondhand embarrassment, but mostly because I would probably do the exact same things she does and it’s a real car-crash-you-can’t-look-away-from. The banter between Gus and January is probably some of my favorite of any books I’ve read, and they are some of the most real and relatable characters the author has written.
I also really liked the darker elements at play, beyond normal family dysfunction and into heart wrenching trauma. It’s not something you get a lot of in this genre and it really balanced the adorable town and numerous precious cliches & motifs throughout.
I adore this book. The world building is phenomenal, the character backstories are well thought out, and the sexual tension is top tier. I love a brooding, messy dark haired guy and rivals to lovers at that? Can’t be beat.
The way the story comes full circle in several ways was really satisfying. I do think January is a character that gives me secondhand embarrassment, but mostly because I would probably do the exact same things she does and it’s a real car-crash-you-can’t-look-away-from. The banter between Gus and January is probably some of my favorite of any books I’ve read, and they are some of the most real and relatable characters the author has written.
I also really liked the darker elements at play, beyond normal family dysfunction and into heart wrenching trauma. It’s not something you get a lot of in this genre and it really balanced the adorable town and numerous precious cliches & motifs throughout.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, and Cancer
Minor: Addiction, Vomit, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
kotashomelibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Review!! Free of spoilers!
This book was so close to being five stars. I started using the CAWPILE rating system, to better rate books I read. This book scored a 8.9, so close to a 9 that would have met the 5 star requirement. I absolutely loved this book and the relationships the main character had. January Andrews (the main character) has a best friend named Shadi and personally it reminded me so much of me and my best friend. The slow burn in this book was done incredible well and kept me wanting more. I also enjoyed the lessons that were displayed throughout this book.
Tropes - enemies to lovers, slow burn
Triggers - cheating, divorce, satanic cults
This book was so close to being five stars. I started using the CAWPILE rating system, to better rate books I read. This book scored a 8.9, so close to a 9 that would have met the 5 star requirement. I absolutely loved this book and the relationships the main character had. January Andrews (the main character) has a best friend named Shadi and personally it reminded me so much of me and my best friend. The slow burn in this book was done incredible well and kept me wanting more. I also enjoyed the lessons that were displayed throughout this book.
Tropes - enemies to lovers, slow burn
Triggers - cheating, divorce, satanic cults
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
kendra_taylors_version's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, and Cancer
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit
whosfernn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
For a book called beach read, a surprisingly little amount of time is spent on the beach. This book was ok. I enjoyed book lovers a lot more, but this one was alright too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content and Vomit
novella42's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Death, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Cancer
Moderate: Excrement, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Minor: Drug use
Spoiler
the characters research a suicide cult, see the ruins of the cult compound after arson, and interview survivors about indoctrinationleonelle's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Terminal illness
kelly_e's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
3.25
Title: Beach Read
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: May 19, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Fun • Deep • Over-hyped
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Augustus, an acclaimed author of literary fiction and January, a bestselling romance novelist are polar opposites. Each struggling with writer's block and dealing with personal demons, they find themselves living next door to one another for the summer. One evening they strike up a deal: Gus will write something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Emily Henry's Beach Read has been absolutely everywhere, and so I fell victim to the hype and finally dove in. An original and deep plot with a side of romance is typically how I like my romance books, yet for me January and Gus lacked chemistry and I was expecting so, so, so much more from this novel.
There's no denying Emily Henry does banter unlike anyone else. It adds a lightness to often heavy content. With this book, there is excellent individual character growth, but I wasn't invested in the romance at all. In fact, I was way more invested in the plot and them writing their books. I felt as thought it started out strong, but faded by the midway point and never really regained traction. A few of the things I really appreciated were the exploration of grief, the east coast setting, and the letters.
For me, Beach Read was simply an average read, one I'll soon forget, which has me thinking Emily Henry's adult romances may just not be my cup of tea. I appreciate the depth of the plots, but the romance and lack of communication just don't cut it. With that said, I'll probably continue to read her books with hopes of finding one I really love.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the grump/sunshine and/or enemies to lovers trope(s)
• readers who like depth in their rom-coms
• Emily Henry fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Bad things don't dig down through your life until the pit's so deep that nothing good will ever be big enough to make you happy again. No matter how much shit, there will always be wildflowers."
"Because I know no matter how long I get to love you, it will be worth whatever comes after."
"It was okay to let a little ugliness into your story. That it would never rob you of all the beauty."
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: May 19, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Fun • Deep • Over-hyped
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Augustus, an acclaimed author of literary fiction and January, a bestselling romance novelist are polar opposites. Each struggling with writer's block and dealing with personal demons, they find themselves living next door to one another for the summer. One evening they strike up a deal: Gus will write something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Emily Henry's Beach Read has been absolutely everywhere, and so I fell victim to the hype and finally dove in. An original and deep plot with a side of romance is typically how I like my romance books, yet for me January and Gus lacked chemistry and I was expecting so, so, so much more from this novel.
There's no denying Emily Henry does banter unlike anyone else. It adds a lightness to often heavy content. With this book, there is excellent individual character growth, but I wasn't invested in the romance at all. In fact, I was way more invested in the plot and them writing their books. I felt as thought it started out strong, but faded by the midway point and never really regained traction. A few of the things I really appreciated were the exploration of grief, the east coast setting, and the letters.
For me, Beach Read was simply an average read, one I'll soon forget, which has me thinking Emily Henry's adult romances may just not be my cup of tea. I appreciate the depth of the plots, but the romance and lack of communication just don't cut it. With that said, I'll probably continue to read her books with hopes of finding one I really love.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the grump/sunshine and/or enemies to lovers trope(s)
• readers who like depth in their rom-coms
• Emily Henry fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Bad things don't dig down through your life until the pit's so deep that nothing good will ever be big enough to make you happy again. No matter how much shit, there will always be wildflowers."
"Because I know no matter how long I get to love you, it will be worth whatever comes after."
"It was okay to let a little ugliness into your story. That it would never rob you of all the beauty."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Cancer, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Addiction
Minor: Cursing, Suicide, Car accident, and Vomit
kaitlynnnng's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the first Emily Henry book I’ve ever read, and I’m kind of mad at myself for not reading it sooner. I borrowed a copy from the library, because I wasn’t sure if I’d like it that much, but I’m happy to say that I just ordered my own copy…and a copy of her other books, too.
I’ve only recently started reading non-fantasy romances, and I started feeling like maybe the genre wasn’t for me, but Beach Read changed my mind. While it maybe isn’t the most groundbreaking story out there, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it.
I’ve only recently started reading non-fantasy romances, and I started feeling like maybe the genre wasn’t for me, but Beach Read changed my mind. While it maybe isn’t the most groundbreaking story out there, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Alcohol
miggyfool's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content and Alcohol
fanny_brtl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A sweet romance to end summer :)
I really enjoyed reading about January and Gus (even if I can't stand their names), though I preferred the MC of Book Lovers (I found January lacked depth and personality sometimes).
I like how Emily Henry writes about love and how she describes what her characters are feeling. I love her humor and how January & Gus kept teasing each other, building a relationship around inside jokes and rivalry.
My only regret was that the book was slow and flat sometimes, it could have been shorter in my opinion. I still don't understand why the Sonya plot wasn't explored more in the book and not just in the end, I don't want to spoil anything but some subplots were left behind, explaining why my rating did not reach 4 stars.
Some of my fav lines w/o context :
I really enjoyed reading about January and Gus (even if I can't stand their names), though I preferred the MC of Book Lovers (I found January lacked depth and personality sometimes).
I like how Emily Henry writes about love and how she describes what her characters are feeling. I love her humor and how January & Gus kept teasing each other, building a relationship around inside jokes and rivalry.
My only regret was that the book was slow and flat sometimes, it could have been shorter in my opinion. I still don't understand why the Sonya plot wasn't explored more in the book and not just in the end, I don't want to spoil anything but some subplots were left behind, explaining why my rating did not reach 4 stars.
Some of my fav lines w/o context :
"Doesn't it bother you? Having to live in someone else's tragedy?"
"I was on a beautiful beach, in a beautiful place, and I was alone. Worse, I wasn't sure I'd ever stop being alone again. I wanted my mom, and I missed my lying dad"
"'January", he whispered through the dark, like an incantation, like a prayer.
"The thought of never being with him again sent a new ache pinballing through my body, hitting every part of me he'd studied with his eyes and mouth and hands."
"I was on a beautiful beach, in a beautiful place, and I was alone. Worse, I wasn't sure I'd ever stop being alone again. I wanted my mom, and I missed my lying dad"
"'January", he whispered through the dark, like an incantation, like a prayer.
"The thought of never being with him again sent a new ache pinballing through my body, hitting every part of me he'd studied with his eyes and mouth and hands."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Terminal illness
Minor: Child abuse