Beach Read
Ratings731
Average rating3.9
When I decided to read this book, I was expecting a light, funny romance before going back to more “serious” books. I basically wanted what the title promised - an early “Beach Read”. Unfortunately, this was obviously not to be.First of all, January, our heroine, is annoyingly insecure. Her mother got cheated on by her late father and both the cheating and the dying entirely shattered a 28-year-old's world. Right.Gus, our brooding, “evil sexy” (repeated ad nauseam throughout the book!) hero is not only an embodiment of male clichés but pretty much behaves like an arse: he keeps pushing January away for no discernable reason, keeps alternating between giving obvious signals and pretty much kicking her out.At times I thought we'd get to the funny, light beach parts but then they interview former cultists, visit the scene of mass suicide/murder (where they quickly proceed to entirely different kinds of “investigations”) and do their best to lengthen a mediocre story and book.Over long periods, this book was simply boring. In fact, despite just having finished reading it, “Beach Read” is already fading from my otherwise perfectly fine memory. Which is, come to think of it, no loss at all. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram
Definitely more of a 4.5 but I'm rounding up.
CW: talk of the existence of a cult in the past and it's destructive end; cancer, death of a parent
I knew I was gonna love this book when I first saw the cover; I just did. It has the two main characters reading books on a beach and that's the best kind of afternoon I can imagine, so I knew in my heart that this was going to be lovely. And maybe it was not as “fun” as it's marketing seems to make it out to be, but it was so much more than I expected.
The writing in this story is just so beautiful and charming that I was completely lost in it and didn't put it down except for very short breaks. The conversations are insightful, the banter is excellent and even the sad parts are so full of feeling that I was quite emotional through most of it, while also having a lot of fun. I was actually dreading what would come up when the romance genre or women's fiction is talked about (the genres get enough snootiness to deal with irl), but I was so glad that it never happened and that any discussions about book genres were much more thoughtful and sweet. I also quite enjoyed the setting of the book at a beach/college town, where neighbors can communicate through windows and decks and most locals know each other. However, the one reason I didn't like the book being perceived as a romcom is because a huge part of it is about dealing with grief and I thought the author handled it with a lot of sensitivity, but it also means that the book tends to be more introspective and solemn than a comedy.
I really loved both the characters of January and Gus, and I think it's been a while since I've had a situation where I couldn't decide who I liked more. They are the perfect embodiments of the grumpy and sunshine trope, and I thought the author did a wonderful job giving us context for why they are the way they are, and also ensuring that we get to know the depths of their heart. I related to both of them on different levels but particularly with Janie's belief in true love, romance and the power of happy romantic books in sweeping us away and making us forget the many real life problems we are dealing with. Gus's belief that no one can love him because of the way he is, is very heartbreaking and I related to that feeling as well sometimes. But I also liked that the author made his character grumpy but an overall nice guy and not letting him fall into the the very common trope of the guy being an asshole because of a sad backstory. They both have issues but they work through them, get to know each other, form a sweet friendship and support each other in their writing and I just loved the development of their relationship from the beginning to the end.
To conclude, I read a lot of amazing romance novels all the time but this book felt very satisfying in a way that I can't articulate. And I won't deny that I'm a probably a bit biased because both the main characters are authors. If you are looking for a novel which has a nice slow burn love story, great characters and is more on the quiet and reflective side, I think you'll love this book. I'm feeling very happy after finishing it and I needed that.
Beach Read was a clever, fun romance but it ultimately fell a little short for me.
The setup for the story – two writers that challenge each other to write outside their comfort zones – was fun. The evolution of their relationship from enemies, to neighbors, to friends, to more felt organic. I liked that a lot of the plot felt almost meta (how will he use his research about a cult in a rom-com, while the characters in this rom-com are researching a cult)
What didn't work for me was January, the main character. She just annoyed me, and I know she wasn't supposed to. On the surface, her emotional/personal journey is one I usually like. Her work and relationships are falling apart, and she's questioning who she is and what she really believes. That's a good foundation for any book.
I think my main problem was that every emotional high point and all the conflicts seemed very contrived and like overreactions on her part. The first time it happened, I was fine. Ah, they resolved it and now there will be a basis to look back and not jump to conclusions. But then every time any problem came about it was for the same exact reason – jumping to conclusions and not even trying to talk about it.
I think I'm just tired of miscommunication/lack of communication being the main driving force behind romance stories.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of the book through Netgalley for review.
This book was fantastic! Wow. Such an amazing read. All the characters are so dynamic and beautiful. Very real, human and just honest. I loved they are both writers, being an aspiring writer myself. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again! If you want something romantic, authentic, and emotional, this is for you!
The first time I tried to read this book, I couldn't get into it so I put it down and let it sit for a couple of years. I'm so glad that I decided to try it again. I really ended up enjoying January and Gus's story. Loved the slow burn and the witty banter between the two.