Yes, we’re officially in “fall” as October is coming to a close, but who doesn’t have a want/need for a little happy read this time of year? Nothing says unplugging to me like getting lost in a girly rom-com (or as Good Reads calls it “Chick Lit”) book with a backdrop of a quaint little beach town (or in this case lake). Add a meet-cute love story to the mix and you’ve got yourself a picture perfect happy read.
Also, I feel like packing for a getaway MUST include a cutesy read to escape off to as you relax and unwind to the sound of waves crashing at your feet.
Grab a sweet drink and toss a fresh squeezed lime on the edge and settle in, friend! We’ve got a book to review!
Today’s book review is brought to you by: Beach Read by Emily Henry
If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time or know me in real life, you’ll know that I’m such a sucker for chick flick movies. I have seen You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and Nights in Rodanthe more times than I can count.
They. Never. Get Old. Okay?
I even have a Romantic Comedies playlist that I put together on Spotify when I’m in for a happy dance or two. Check it out and tell me it’s not a feel-good listen that really boosts your mood! You’re welcome, friend!
Needless to say that within the first few chapters of diving into ‘Beach Read‘, the author casually tosses in a Meg Ryan reference and I knew I’d found a good one.
Oh, and not to mention the fact that we literally picked up and moved our lives to the beach this past month so, there’s that factor to consider too. But, anyways…let’s move onto the actual goodness of this book review, shall we? 😉
Cliff Notes Summary:
‘Beach Read’ is a warm and fuzzy feel-good read that I’d also toss in the word “real” to its description, in all honesty. This book, to me, wasn’t just your average rom-com run of the mill predictable love story. The author, Emily Henry, really helps you get to know the main characters aside from their “love story”. She lets you get into their heads with vivid descriptions of their past and what brings to them to their summer destinations. You get to know the main characters real-life stories that are relatable to almost everyone, I would assume. We find ourselves easily putting ourselves in their shoes because she shares their childhoods, their coming of age relationships, and what their adulthoods look like as struggling authors trying to pay a bill or two with their careers. We’ve all been there, right? Right.
Insert main characters story lines: Gus & January. To be more specific or formal, their names are Augustus Everett and January Andrews. Cute right? I love when names of characters just roll off your tongue like Kathleen Kelly or Joe Fox does. (You’ve Got Mail reference.) But, for short, we’ll keep this review simple: Gus & January.
These two non-love birds and published authors happen to find themselves in the same quaint little beach/lake town up north for the summer. They’re stuck in a writing rut (aka writer’s block) and end up finding out that they’re actually next door neighbors on the shore line. They run in to each other in the small town coffee shop, not known for its coffee, and make the connection that they knew each other from years ago in college. She was under the impression that he hated her because of her love for rom-com cheesy writing style as he was more of her polar opposite writing in dark, death-filled novels that aren’t necessarily known for happy endings.
After putting 2+2 together, they figured out that A) they knew each other from college and B) Gus & January are both authors struggling with a bad case of writer’s block, they strike a deal. Together, they plan to get to the bottom of it by shaking things up a bit to write a book in each other’s niches. This writing adventure takes them on weekly field trips to cute drive in movies and not so cute backwoods interviews with people with dark pasts.
This page turner takes you through a summer of realization, healing, and you guessed it, falling in love. (Unexpectedly of course. ;))
I’d give this book a 4.5/5 stars.
It’s an easy read as the chapters fly by. It certainly doesn’t drag on but does go into good details of what brings Gus & January to their destinations in life, and it leaves you with a smile on your face as you reach the end.
Overall, I’d 100% recommend this one to readers who love a happy go-lucky rom-com read with a hint of real life mixed in. You’ll find yourself relating to both Gus and January for different reasons and hoping they find what they’re looking for in the end.
For fun, here’s a little sneak peak with an audio clip to help you decide if this sounds like a read you’d be interested:
Next weekend getaway you have planned, or when you’re looking to get lost in a girly cute rom-com read, promise me you’ll read Beach Read, okay? Deal.
That’s a wrap on my review! I loved Emily Henry’s writing SO MUCH that I decided to go ahead and move onto her first book, “People We Meet on Vacation”. So, look for that review in the coming weeks. I’m just a few chapters in and already loving it! Stay tuned!
Happy reading, Beach readers!
Questions for you:
Have you read any books by Emily Henry?
What’s on your nightstand right town in the reading department?
Are you a fold the page kind of reader or book mark type of fan?