Beach Read

Beach Read has been getting heaps of bookish buzz and I was itching to read it so I too could be part of the cool kid's club. I grabbed a copy and immediately loved its premise of two authors who have a complicated past with each other who now find themselves living in neighbouring beach houses for the summer. A light-hearted rivalry ensues leading them to challenge each other to swap genres for their next books because "How hard could it be?" 

I went into this expecting a Rom-Com (excitedly picturing a humorous Unhoneymooners-like vibe) but this is more than swooning, mad passionate embraces, and giggle-out-loud snarky banter (although there is some of that)! Henry includes compelling topics such as grief, self-discovery and abandonment (this blend of deeper aspects within a Rom-Com reminded me of Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare) and I particularly liked how Henry explores January's complicated feelings for her father and his hidden past (I just wish there were more scenes with January and Sonja).  

But around the halfway point the book's tone changed from a lighter Rom-Com story with humour and romance (albeit l'amour that was rushed and a bit contrived) to a plot that veered a little too far into darker waters, giving the book a sudden disjointed feel. You see, January and Gus do a series of 'field trips' to teach the other about aspects of their respective genres - most were cute reasons to bring them together, but things got quite dark when they found themselves interviewing former cult members. Yup, you heard that right and for me, cult members do not a Rom-Com make. This addition didn't jive with the earlier tone, gave the book a heavier feel and bogged down the story for me.  

So, my feelings are clearly all over the place with this book. On the one hand, I loved the first half - it was lighter with its humorous quips between the two protagonists, an interesting premise and purse wine (naturally). I also enjoyed the deeper elements that Henry brings into the mix, but I wasn't a fan when things got a little too heavy in the last half when the blending of rom-com and darker issues felt disjointed. In the end, this was an enjoyable story with a small-town feel, romance and a bit of humour that also explores complicated family and relationship dynamics and the personal journeys of the two main characters.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Emily Henry

Genre: Romance

Type and Source: eBook from public library

Publisher: Berkley

First Published: May 19, 2020

Opening Lines: I have a fatal flaw. I like to think we all do. 

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.

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.