I love books that have banter — the sassier and snarkier, the better. While Beach Read doesn’t quite hit that banter to the extent that some of my favs like Get a Life, Chloe Brown or Red, White & Royal Blue do, it does have those moments, especially in the beginning. January Andrews is stressed about her writer’s block and grieving the death of her father a year ago, so when she comes across former college rival Gus Everett, she has no qualms about sniping at him in a way she might not have in a different time and place.
January is staying at a house in small-town Michigan for the summer while she works on her book and prepares to sell the house, which her father owned and stayed in when he was cheating on January’s mom. She is grieving his death but also so angry with him. Gus lives next door, and he is also experiencing writer’s block. He and January write very different books and make a bet to see who can be the first to write and sell a book in the other person’s style. They start spending time together because they go on field trips with each other as research for their books, and this is how their relationship begins to develop.
Don’t be fooled by the cover or title. While this book is certainly a romance and does have some funny moments, it’s not a rom-com. It explores themes of grief and betrayal, January is processing a lot of difficult emotions and experiences, Gus has his own haunted past, and Gus’s research is into a cult with a tragic ending. It can be very emotional at times.
I love that all of the Emily Henry books I’ve read so far involve books in some way: the characters are writers, librarians, agents. Beach Read gives a glimpse into the frustrations and joys that are part of the writing process. I love books about books/bookshops/libraries, so this was right up my alley. I will definitely be reading Henry’s other books at some point.
