Beach Read by Emily Henry is one of the first summer reads to hit shelves this year and I was lucky enough to review it here on The Nerd Daily. This novel pits author versus author as they try to out write each other at their own game. One specialises in the happy ever afters and the other loves to twist the metaphorical knife and wrench away any ounce of good by the time you reach the ending. It’s definitely an interesting battle and both characters match each other in intellectual wit, but for me, the romance fell somewhat flat.
When I read that this was a story with a main character who reconnects with someone they loathed, it reminded me of the fiery passion between Lucy and Joshua from Sally Thorne’s novel, The Hating Game, because of their shared history. I expected a similar animosity in here but unfortunately that chemistry wasn’t present. This was an extremely strong emotional drama, centred around two characters who have seen the downs in life and how they can hope to recover some sense of happiness and normality that has been ripped away from them.
This book does handle VERY strong situations like the loss of loved ones and all that comes with that so be careful before proceeding. Henry wrote this novel with an intense and very real understanding of just how much that can change someone’s life. It’s heart wrenchingly accurate. You will feel January’s sadness seep through the pages so be ready.
Like I said this book centres around two writers trying to write something they usually shy away from and what was good about that (besides the obvious!) was how Henry actually included what their stories were about. It wasn’t just them sitting down and writing, but rather how they got there; what inspired them, any truth to their stories etc… As you follow the story, you are exposed to two more and I really enjoyed that artistic inclusion. You get to learn about cults, carnivals, and complicated familial relationships. I really appreciated seeing the process and how you can be inspired by your surroundings or by a person’s life and it makes one fall in love with writing all over again and that’s powerful. I could get inside January and Gus’ characters better because I could relate with their writing struggles. It gives hope to those who haven’t gotten far with their own. The whole book is so inspiring and that was a very nice and unexpected surprise. I went in thinking this was a light and easy rom-com and I finished with a new perspective on tackling this world of writing.
I absolutely ADORE communicating through notes to spur romantic feelings. It seems old fashioned, but when January and Gus did it, it was exactly like that Taylor Swift music video…as mentioned! It shows a progression of their relationship that wasn’t manipulated or established by technology, which was a refreshing change. It suited the theme and setting of cottage country and escaping to beach house oasis where things like that are an afterthought. If you liked The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary, I’d definitely give this book a shot because this plays a huge role in January and Gus’s story just like it did for Tiffy and Leon in theirs.
Many times I found scenes from January and Gus’s past were summarised rather than actually flashing back and painting a picture of what happened and I think this might have happened because both characters know what happened having been there when it happened, but unfortunately for the reader, we were not. I think that’s a missed opportunity because a lot of things are communicated through a simple gesture like a glance or a brushed shoulder, which only gets lost in summarisation. It’s sometimes more powerful to paint the picture rather than snapping a quick photo and moving on.
This also happened when January would reminisce about her father and her childhood memories. I feel like I didn’t get the entire story this way. I know that this works when those missing details are left out on purpose so they can become that unsuspected twist or giant reveal that the character didn’t know at the time, but I think this method should be used in moderation because I felt like I was missing some of that emotion from the past because they the characters already got over it. However, as the reader, I had no clue how it felt in that moment and I missed that impact of seeing it unfold. It became more of a tell than a show of the plot and everything that played into the characters’ lives leading up to this point.
It was also sad not getting to read their “meet-cute” as it happened because for them, it was years earlier to when the novel started. I live for those looks and glances, those hidden things that become so important to reading people and their feelings. And it’s that exact scene where all the passion and chemistry stem from, which is why I think their love story fell flat.
“And that was the moment I realized: when the world felt dark and scary, love could whisk you off to go dancing; laughter could take some of the pain away; beauty could punch holes in your fear. I decided then that my life would be full of all three. Not just for my own benefit, but for mom’s, and for everyone else around me.”
However, I did end up falling in love with January’s philosophy on writing. Through all her tragedies, she was still able to find the beauty in another world, one of her own choosing and I loved that outlook. It’s a rare optimism and a great way to look at ones writing.
“Southern Comfort sounds pretty sexy,’ he said. ‘You have a thing for Southern boys? No teeth and overalls really rev your engine?”
This had me laughing so hard I was starting to get strange looks from my family and I’m 100 percent serious here. Gus has this rugged charisma built on intellect and sarcastic wit and yet he can joke with January. He can tease her without her clamming up and backing down from a fight. She tries to out argue him and that made for some great comebacks like this one above. Their romance is flirty when she doesn’t think he remembers her and then it gets emotional when she finds more under the surface than just a broody jerk…as it usually does! I just wish that there was more banter like this before it got heavier. I missed the teasing and it felt like things got real too quick for this hopeless romantic to appreciate.
I loved Henry’s writing and how she related the narrative to writing and how that nicely tied into both the characters and the story she was crafting. Unfortunately for me the romance got heavy too quick and in the process the cute witty sparring matches that opposites like January and Gus have that attribute to the fiery chemistry that people seek out in romantic comedies fell flat. There were a lot of great tidbits in here that I loved as they circled back to why someone writes and how they go about it. Life lessons were aplenty as well and this is a story that has rough edges and tragedies dusted throughout giving a real depiction of how it goes for the people left behind. This was a raw, emotional drama that is not your typical light hearted rom-com. It will make you see the world differently and it might even expose you to another side of the one you know already.
Beach Read is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore!
Will you be picking up Beach Read? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.
Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his 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.
Until, one hazy evening, one thing 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.
