Think about this for a minute: Life gets out of control, and you are stuck trying to figure it all out. Slowly, you start to question whether you will ever be able to get back up on your feet, but you do because that is life and what Beach Read is mostly about.
Beach Read is a sweet and short rom-com by Emily Henry. She is a full-time writer, proofreader, and donut connoisseur. Henry studied creative writing at Hope College and the New York Center for Art & Media Studies. Although Beach Read was her first book, it quickly became a New York Times bestseller after its release in 2020. The book explores loss, betrayal, hope, and finding love again, making it feel real and relatable to readers.
The story revolves around the life of January Andrews, a rising author, as she navigates life without her dad. Raised by two loving parents, January believed in happily-ever-afters and that nothing could go wrong. After her father’s death, a life-changing secret about him unravels, turning her world upside down.
January moves to North Bear Shores, a beautiful house facing Lake Michigan that her dad left to her in his will. It’s here she encounters her college rival, Augustus (Gus) Everette, another rising author who writes literary fiction. Gus is the exact opposite of January—he believes happily-ever-afters don’t exist in real life like they do in her books. After a series of events, Gus and January make a bet to try writing in each other’s genres. January will now have to write and publish literary fiction with a not-so-happy ending, while Gus will attempt to write a rom-com. This bet marks the beginning of their love story, as the guarded Gus falls for the open and optimistic January.
Often, people pick up a book to escape their world and enter another, meeting new and unique characters. Beach Read is a great example of this. I read hoping to leave behind my stressful life and enter a new one where the characters soon feel like my best friends. I can confidently say that January will always remain close to my heart, mainly because she’s one of the few characters I found to be truly relatable. As we follow January’s journey, her imperfections make her feel incredibly real, helping readers understand that nobody is perfect, and that’s what makes us human. Once you get deep into the story and its characters, you fall in love with each one of them, along with all their perfections and flaws.
Even if romcoms aren’t your favorite genre, this book suits anyone. It focuses on romance and how to rise and move forward.
