Hello Page Turners! If you’re anything like me, you’re feeling the long, hot days of summer coming to a close. With school starting again, fall clothes hitting the racks at my local Target, and fall festivals already on the calendar, I find myself wanting to hold on to the summer months a little while longer! So, without further ado, I give you the PERFECT beach read (which just so happens to be titled Beach Read) written by the queen of cute-meet stories, Emily Henry.
In Beach Read, the audience meets January, a rom-com author specializing in swoon-worthy romances that always have a happy ending. After learning her late father had a secret mistress and a whole HOUSE January didn’t know about (yeah - this book hits the ground RUNNING with the revelations), she decides to spend time cleaning out the home, recovering from a recent break-up, and most importantly, finish her newest novel. But how can she write a love story when she isn’t even sure love or happy endings still exist?
Enter Augustus “Gus” Everett, her next-door neighbor, dramatic fiction author, and creative-writing-class-in-college nemesis. After the two argue the superiority of their writing styles, they stumble on an agreement - they each will write a book in the other’s writing style, and whichever book is sold first to a publisher wins. Even better, they will help the other “research” their book style by planning outings to highlight what makes their writing style so successful.
Beach Read is an adorable story of love, friendship, and discovery. What makes the novel even better is that the secondary cast of characters are all integral to the story and provide perspectives to the two protagonists that are believable, comedic, and heartwarming. The banter between January and Gus is so smart and dynamic, so much so it keeps the reader hungry to know what happens next. Add a bit of steamy parts, and you’ve got the perfect blend of substance and breezy reading. While the book can come across at first glance as something that is light and “fluffy”, there are deeper themes of grief, forgiveness, patience, and embracing of the uncomfortable parts of life. I was pleasantly surprised with how invested I was while reading this novel, not only in the story, but in the growth of the two main characters throughout the story.
This book is perfect to read by the pool with a nice cocktail in hand, or, dare I say it, on the beach with the waves crashing in the background. Make sure to throw this one in your suitcase as you embrace the last days of summer and let me know what you think, in the comments below, when you’ve read it! Betcha five dollars you walk away loving Emily Henry as much as I do.
Til next chapter,
Chelsea