I have read all of Emily Henry's books, but this one holds a special place in my heart as my absolute favourite! I love anything that has a bookish hook, so it was already primed to be hit, but it's also so funny and full of heart. I absolutely love it and recommend it to anyone who is looking for something in the space or who isn't familiar with the genre.

‘If you think the story has a sad ending, it's because it's not over yet..’ Beach Read was my final book to read of Emily Henry’s back catalogue, and I have definitely been putting it off because I didn’t want to run out of books from her! It’s clever, emotional and as moving as I’d come to expect Emily Henry novels to be, with romantic tension that meant I couldn’t put it down. January and Gus were characters I found easy to fall in love with, funny, a little bit damaged and their dynamic felt completely believable, with dialogue that genuinely had me laughing. I think what really struck me was the way that this wasn’t just a rom com (I’m of the belief that all Emily Henry novels are so much more than that), I love the way that this book explores grief, creativity and healing, whilst also delivering an amazing love story.

i wanted something to read after finishing ‘the love hypothesis’ because it really left a huge space in my chest. when i came across beach read on my for you page, i knew it was going to be good. january and gus are probably my favorite dynamic and i’ll be definitely searching for something the same in the future. would recommend this 100 times over!!

REVIEW cw: mentions of cancer, adultery, death, grief, religious cults and violence, child abuse and DV Former college rivals, now authors Augustus Everett and January Andrews' novels couldn't be any different. One writes literary fiction, the other romance. The only thing they have in common? Both have severe writer's block. When they inadvertently reunite at neighbouring lakeside houses, they strike a deal to force themselves out of their creative ruts: Augustus (Gus) will write a draft of January's romance novel and January will write an Augustus-style bleak literary fiction novel. This was not the book I thought it was going to be. At all. I mean that in the best possible way. I genuinely thought I was about to read a light-hearted, frothy romance, especially given the blurb (I hasten to add, I also LOVE reading these types of stories), but instead, I was treated to a nuanced examination of overcoming grief, betrayal, childhood trauma, and mistrust. I loved January. My heart broke for her as she had to slowly make sense of her past, alongside the reality of the lies that had been woven by her father. I found these parts so well-written, especially considering this was a debut novel. Cheating is a bit of a trigger for me, so I never expected to feel so much compassion for Sonya, and definitely not for January's father. While neither she nor Walt's actions were acceptable, the author allowed us to see their regrets, and I loved how January was able to realise her own fortitude after the revelations. As for the letters? I was sobbing, utterly wrecked reading them alongside January. I also appreciated how she reassessed her previous relationships, particularly this line: He fit so perfectly into the love story I’d imagined for myself that I mistook him for the love of my life. I don't think I've ever identified with a character more! I completely empathised with her mistrust and self-doubt about relationships from the depths of my heart, but I LOVED how she was slowly able to open up to Gus, and the development of their relationship was so moving. I loved Gus immediately. He was such a complicated cinnamon roll with so many layers. My heart broke for him when he revealed some of his past and the way he'd processed his trauma. It's no secret I ADORE pining, and it was done SO well here. They were so cute together, and their chemistry felt authentic. C.23 was utter perfection, and, even though I'd seen it coming, I was fist-pumping the air when he was finally able to open up to January. And the banter! It was SUBLIME. I loved the shorthand of their conversations as the story progressed as well as all of their notes to each other. I also loved their people-watching stories, as well as their conversations with hypothetical storylines. I would definitely read the Ferris wheel operator story, Gus's cult romance, as well as 'Family Secrets', not to mention their entire back catalogue of published books. While this was a gorgeous slow-burn, (kinda) second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance, aside from the romance and family drama, there was some excellent commentary on creative writing. January was so relatable, and I identified with her writer's block. Those scenes made me itch with understanding, and even though I've never published anything, the anxiety over deadlines was so relatable and engaging. I also loved the research 'dates' they went on, and though it was heartbreaking, the interviews with the cult member's relatives were fascinating. January's friend, Shadi was hilarious but also wise, and I adored Pete, Gus's aunt, and her wife Maggie. They were hilarious but also so tender towards both Gus and January. The ending tied everything up perfectly, and I LOVED that they expressly spoke of HFN. And while I ADORED Gus reciting January's dedication from her first novel, his dedication at the end was truly swoon-worthy. Utter perfection. Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Heat Rating:

Oh what a fantastic book! Beach Read absolutely shook me out of a lockdown reading funk where there was nothing that could entice me enough to pick up. I’d heard a lot about this book in American romance circles, and being quite a literal beach read, I thought I would give it a go. What a go! It was a perfect romance story, especially for a budding writer myself, that was just cosy from start to finish. Despite its softness, it had some deeper emotional sections that were absolutely fantastic. It was easy to fall in love with both January and Augustus, two opposites (as their names suggest) who have to learn to see the world from the other’s point of view. Their adventures, to romance and Augustus cult work, are fantastically sweet, and every chapter just makes you want to keep reading. January and Augustus have an extraordinary chemistry, the kind ever Romance author dreams of creating. They’re perfectly matched, and I found myself smiling the whole way through. They played against each other so well, and felt truly alive on every page. I went through this in a single sitting, it was impossible to put down. Even now, months after I read it, I find myself thinking about the fantastic little insular world Emily Henry created by the beach. She has become an insta-buy for me from now on, and I look forward to what she will write in the future!