Beach Read
Ratings731
Average rating3.9
i liked the writing style but the main couple didn't really do it for me (esp the girl she was annoying lmfao) and i found it all a bit underwhelming tbh
5 stars, wow, I really loved it.
I didn't set up high expectation toward this book, because I didn't enjoy many adult contemporary genre books. This book caught me by surprise, I feel relate to the story from my own experience, the unfinished business and college crush parts.
Okay, I admit there some lines I don't understand, maybe because I'm not American nor speak english as a first language, but I'm still hooked to this book until the very end.
The dynamic relationship between January & Gus felt so sweet for me, because they had history in college, like I said, unfinished business. Gus is January's college crush-turn-nemesis, they meet again when January, broke & heart-broken, move to her father's beach house. Turned out her neighboor is mysterious Gus she knew from college. They both writer, Gus is literary fiction writer while January is romance writer. They get to know each other a little better while both of them deal with their own grief.
Now, there's sex scenes, for sure, but they're cute and sweet rather than spicy or steamy, and I still loved it. I loved the jokey banter between them. I had a good time reading it.
definitely enjoyable, but was missing something to take it to that next level, like people we meet on vacation's non-linear plot (STRAIGHT CRACK IN MY VEINS). worry it won't stick with me for that reason.
The book felt like a 3 star but then towards the last few chapters there were some letters and those letters made me bump my 3 stars to a 3.75. The letters also almost made me cry coz they were so raw.
I loved how this book shows that life/love is complicated and sometimes there are simply no right choices.
Also I was enjoying it until abt the half mark point and then I realized that some scenes were familiar and it was coz the rest of the parts in the book felt like the same scenes repeated over and over and over just in different ways...get what I mean? and it became soo boring which was why the book was feeling like a 3 star.
What I didn't expect was to relate to Gus, right down to the vomit phobia lol. I got so annoyed coz all January did was vomit.(Get drunk she vomits, happy, she vomits, smthg bad happens she vomits, eats a pretzel or smthg she vomits) and in these parts I just had to skip coz I hate the talk of it.(even while writing this review I am trying not to think abt what im writing coz like I said I hate the word and everything to do with it.)
Also I saw in many reviews that said the book was dark which was why I bought the physical copy in the first place but it wasn't as dark as I was expecting.
So idk if my review makes sense
3.5 stars.
Made me laugh in many places, and one line still makes me snicker. What I didn't like were the italics - there were too many of them as if the narrator / author wasn't confident readers could figure out the tone of the sentences from words and context. But this was fun to read and the subject matter of cults and family relationships (lightly) balanced the rom-com.
rating: 3.5/5
I didn't know what to expect going into this story, except for the fact that it'd be following writers who have this bet of sorts to write their next manuscript in each other's genre. In a lot of ways, this story is fun, cheeky, and relatable at its core. Emily Henry continues to construct characters and relationships that feel as real as they can be, despite following some trends of romance plots that can seem overdone or cheesy for the sake of it. Even with those cliches, there's enough nuance to care for the leading couple and a desire to see their endgame.
There were tinges of enemies-to-lovers in the beginning, though I'd say it felt more like acquaintances-to-lovers, which was interesting. January and Gus's pasts spill out throughout their interactions, from their early days in college to their early adulthood, and each glimpse into said past informs how they approach each other and the world around them. Their interactions in real-time feel angsty, but there's enough charm in their dialogue to make it plausible. There are even cute moments in here that have you rooting for them, and by the end, I can't say I wasn't satisfied.
I do wish the subplots got more time to develop, since they were genuinely interesting. Gus's failing marriage with his wife, Naomi, and January reeling from her late father's affair would've been interesting plot points to explore throughout the book. Instead, most of the story is centered around January and Gus's writing bet. For the first few sections of the book, it was fun seeing things unfold and the two of them growing closer, but towards the last third of the story, I did feel that a change-up was needed to keep the story going.
At the end of the day, though, I do think the story accomplished its initial goal, and even ended with the general idea of living in the moment and not fantasizing (or worrying) about what tomorrow could bring, which I think fully encompasses what the book is all about. No one is ever perfect, no story is ever tightly written, and time isn't promised to us, and I believe January and Gus effectively get that idea across.
Very cute, would love to see this adapted to film. Surprisingly satisfying ending too!
I always go into romance novels with low expectations, so this one turned out to be a pleasant read. It helped that the two main characters both had family issues they were dealing with so it wasn't just a romance novel. The way these issues were resolved didn't feel that satisfying, though. There's also a side plot where they start researching a cult for a book, which felt kind of random, and didn't really go anywhere but could have been cool if it was a bigger part of the plot.
For January, I don't care how the story ends as long as I spend it with you.
rating- 4/5
buddy read with pratha:)
Definitely not what i expected, in the best way possible. This book captures romance in such an authentic light while also talking about important topics like dealing with grief and infidelity.
The writing is witty, beautiful and thoughtful. I loved the mix of authentic raw moments with cute dialogue between the characters. The dynamic between January and Gus is really well written. Their banter was cheesy, fun and playful, and had me smiling the whole time:)))
My favourite part in the book is, how the process of writing books has been depicted. Since we never really get an insight into the writing process of authors, this felt super special.
There were a few things i didn't like: Gus's broodiness wasn't my favourite and felt like it was included only to fit the quiet, broody stereotype; their college rivalry had no basis and it didn't really feel like academic rivals to lovers as such. But overlooking these tiny details, it was a fun, light-hearted read that i absolutely loved.
Also just found out that there's two alternate endings based on the edition you have??? i read the UK one with the book dedication and i loved how it ended. wouldn't change anything:')
Which reminds me of this quote i really loved:
“It was a happy ending.”“For who?”“For them,” he said. “They were happy. They had no regrets. They'd won. And they didn't even have to see it coming. For all we know, they live in that moment forever, happy like that. Together and free.”
WOW! i loved this book. i don't think there are more perfect soulmates than gus and january
I really want to like romance novels, because I like love stories and happy endings, but I struggle to find well-written ones, even when I choose ones with great reviews.
Case in point. I read Beach Read based on all the great reviews only to be disappointed and ready to stop reading about 3/4 the way in. (Nevertheless I pushed through.) Beach Read has some good writing moments, but is overall inconsistent with its tone and characters. Not to mention there is a whole lot of over-explaining and (contrary to the first rule of writing) telling rather than showing.
The first half was pretty enjoyable with some entertaining banter, but the banter soon turned to hand-wringing and whining. Being in January's head made me ready to drop the whole thing. I rolled my eyes so many times in the second half I wondered if they would get stuck there.
All of the side plots and backstories were dark and felt out of place. I found myself thinking that they should really work through their problems with licensed therapists before engaging in this relationship. And (spoiler alert?) what was the deal with the sex scene in a tent near a mass-murder site? It distracted me and made me uncomfortable.
Overall, I'm proud of myself for finishing it so I can get closer to my reading goal for the year. But I wouldn't recommend it.
It took a little time to get into, not a big deal or anything there. My initial thought was this book is going to be love sick, cliché, and predictable. I have never been so happy to be so wrong in my life! The character, January, is a much better person than I am. Forgiving people who have wronged her, loving people who hurt her, and trying to understand people better rather than get upset with them are just a few things that make her unbelievably unique. There are many types of love in this book and I do not mean the mushy, stomach-churning kind. When reading this book there were times I laughed, cried, and thought I was apart of the story. I remember a time, after something had went down, I almost wanted to call my best friend and be like, “Did you hear what happened. . . “, this book was THAT good. I had to, of course, take a step back, breathe, and remember these characters were not actual people.
3.5 ⭐ Story was good and I liked January and Gus but it completely derailed in the last 50 pages. I lost interest and it was so cringe
Being an author, it's a given I'd love a book that featured authors as the hero and heroine.
Gus is delightfully complicated, January is a confirmed romantic.
Their stories intertwine in a lovely way.