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Beach Read
FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FUNNY STORY!
A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.
As featured in The New York Times Book Review ∙ Entertainment Weekly ∙ Oprah Magazine ∙ Betches ∙ Shondaland ∙ Good Morning America ∙ The New York Post ∙ Good Housekeeping ∙ CNN ∙ and more!
Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.
They’re polar opposites.
In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.
Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.
A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.
As featured in The New York Times Book Review ∙ Entertainment Weekly ∙ Oprah Magazine ∙ Betches ∙ Shondaland ∙ Good Morning America ∙ The New York Post ∙ Good Housekeeping ∙ CNN ∙ and more!
Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.
They’re polar opposites.
In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.
Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.
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✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *Beach Read* by Emily Henry is a heartfelt, witty romance blending humor with emotional depth. Many praise the electric banter, realistic ...
This was one of the best romance books I have read. Mostly because Gus and January remind me of the relationship my boyfriend and I had and still have. The fact the January looses her dad helps me related to her even more. Although there were just as many difference I was always led back to my and and my love. Great read!
Emily Henry has easily become one of my favorites and she’s an absolute must-read for me at this point. I’ve had this one on my shelf for way too long and I’m so glad I finally got around to it this summer. I am classic for not really reading a synopsis before I dive into a book because I typically enjoy not fully knowing what to expect and this was one of those times. All of my assumptions came from the title and cover and this story was so much more than a “beach read.” There was so much depth and meaning behind January and Gus’ story that really made it more powerful and emotional. We get more than just a romance, we get a story about family, grief and life. I found it beautifully written and a top 3 Em Hen read.
As my first book in this genre, I’d say it was enjoyable. Not a favorite read by any means but it was a good audiobook to have in the background while I worked. The ending made me cringe and I wish it would have wrapped up more poetically but I don’t think I should have expected that from this type of book. All in all, a generally good time.
No, this book is not full of unique and fresh literary concepts, thoughtful ideology, or iconic stories, but it is still an excellent work of fiction. And that is actually a part of the theme of the book. The idea that even the often retold romcom story can be done incredibly well and can be a simple work of art in itself. This is an example of that.
The story surrounds you and feels real. You are sucked in, interested and caring about the characters. It takes you away like a wave on the ocean on a journey through another life that is interesting and fun - just what you want from a light summer read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
On the downside, the repetitive rehashing of her childhood gets to be a bit annoying/boring. Also her insistence that Gus is a bad guy and out to get her through all of the courting was painful- but actually not all that unfamiliar and unrealistic. Haven’t we all behaved this way at some point? Trying to play tough at the onset of a relationship? At any rate, despite the sometimes annoying and repetitive courtship, I really enjoyed the overall (purposefully predictable) ride the book took me on.
Super easy, fun read! Not your typical rom-com/chick-lit. I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did.
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