Emily Henry

He doesn't believe in happy endings.
She's lost her faith that they exist.
But could they find one together?

January is a hopeless romantic who likes narrating her life as if she's the heroine in a blockbuster movie.
Augustus is a serious literary type who thinks true love is a fairy-tale.
January and Augustus are not going to get on.

But they actually have more in common than you'd think:

They're both broke.
They've got crippling writer's block.
They need to write bestsellers before the end of the summer.

The result? A bet to see who can get their book published first.
The catch? They have to swap genres.
The risk? In telling each other's stories, their worlds might be changed entirely...

Beach Read

Aistė

I'd had the conversation I'd been dreading all summer. I'd gone into the rooms I'd kept closed. I'd fallen in love and felt my heart break, and I'd heard more than I wanted to hear, and I was on my feet. The beautiful lies were all gone. Destroyed. And I was still upright.

Happy. Not giddy or overjoyed, but that low, steady level of happiness that, in the best periods of life, rides underneath everything else, a buffer between you and the world you are walking over.

"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. But as the summer stretches on, January discovers a gaping plot hole in the story she's been telling herself about her own life, and begins to wonder what other things she might have gotten wrong, including her ideas about the man next door"--

I know feeling small gets to some people, he had once told me, but I kind of like it. Takes the pressure off when you're just one life of six billion at any given moment. And when you're going through something hard-at the time, Mom was doing chemo-it's nice to know you're not even close to the only one.

ivy 

It wasn’t that I couldn’t get enough of him. Or that he was the best man I’d ever known. (I’d thought that was my dad, but now it was the dad from my favorite 2000s teen drama, Veronica Mars.) Or that he was my favorite person. (That was Shadi.) Or because he made me laugh so hard I wept. (He laughed easily, but rarely joked.) Or that when something bad happened, he was the first person I wanted to call. (He wasn’t.)

It was that we met at the same age my parents had

Now she worried those similarities betrayed the terrible wrongness that lived in her. Maybe she, like her father, was incapable of the love she’d spent her life chasing.

Or maybe that love simply didn’t exist.

She had no idea whether her father had actually loved That Woman. She didn’t know whether he’d loved her mother either. The three things she knew, without doubt, that he’d loved were books, boats, and January.

when religion is used as an analogy for love and passion MUAH

elizabeth ❀

“ “God,” he said, voice deep, raspy.

I fought a smile. “Are you praying to me, Gus?”

it makes so much sense ,,, who put this knife in my chest ?

“I tell people it's because I want to 'explore the reasons people stay, no matter the cost’ but the truth is I just want to understand her reasons. I know that doesn't make sense. This cult thing has nothing to do with her."

This was meant to be the moment that I became the adult, hugging her tight, promising everything would be okay, taking her pain. That's what grown daughters did for their mothers. But back in the church, l'd torn in half and everything had spilled out of me into plain view for the first time.

when a girl starts to think she’s like her father ,,, a canon event

Now she worried those similarities betrayed the terrible wrongness that lived in her. Maybe she, like her father, was incapable of the love she'd spent her life chasing.

“Just one more thing,” he said soberly.

“Promise not to fall in love with me.”

“Oh my God!” I shoved his shoulder and flopped back into my seat, laughing. “Are you slightly misquoting A Walk to Remember at me?”

Gus cracked another smile. “Excellent movie,” he said. “Sorry, film.”

I rolled my eyes, still shivering with laughter.”

WOMEN AND THEIR LITTLE DETAILS, ALLURE, AND THEIR LITTLE MAGIC TOUCH. 

“It was the way he talked and moved, how he looked at things. Not, like, how he saw the world. Literally how he looked at things, his eyes seeming to darken and grow whenever he focused, his eyebrows furrowing over his dented nose.

Not to mention his crooked mouth, which should’ve been outlawed." 

“ I missed feeling that deep curiosity about people, that spark of excitement when you realized you had something in common or admiration when you uncovered a hidden talent or quality.

Sometimes, I just missed liking people.”

“Sorry, I imagined myself saying, I didn’t mean to transform into a crotchety grandmother. It’s just my dad died and then I found out he had a mistress and a second house and that my mom knew but never told me and she still won’t talk to me about any of it, and when I finally came apart, my boyfriend decided he didn’t love me anymore, and my career has stalled, and my best friend lives too far away, and PS this is the aforementioned Sex House, and I used to like parties but lately I don’t like anything, so please forgive my behavior and have a lovely evening. Thank you and good night.

Instead, that knife-twisting pain hit my gut, and tears stung the back of my nose, and my voice squeaked pathetically as I said to no one in particular, “I’m so tired.”

“The point is, I started telling myself a beautiful story about my life, about fate and the way things work out, and by twenty-eight years old, my story was perfect.

Perfect (cancer-free) parents who called several times a week, tipsy on wine or each other’s company. Perfect (spontaneous, multilingual, six foot three) boyfriend who worked in the ER and knew how to make coq au vin. Perfect shabby chic apartment in Queens. Perfect job writing romantic novels—inspired by perfect parents and perfect boyfriend—for Sandy Lowe Books.

augustus … you better not disappoint me.

It was the way he talked and moved, how he looked at things. Not, like, how he saw the world. Literally how he looked at things, his eyes seeming to darken and grow whenever he focused, his eyebrows furrowing over his dented nose.

Emily McMeans

“He fit so perfectly into the love story I'd imagined for myself that I mistook him for the love of my life.”

Sophia

No one had chosen Gus. From the time he was a kid, no one had chosen him, and he was embarrassed by that, like it meant something about him. I wanted to tell him it didn’t. That it wasn’t because he was broken, but because everyone else was.

"I mean, your mom didn’t leave when your dad cheated on her, and my mom didn’t leave my dad when he broke my fucking arm, and yet I couldn’t do anything to make my wife stay.”

thoughts of a dad driving his daughter to college

blue

I want to keep you forever. Who am I without you? 

on parents using their children to ground them

Sometimes I think about you as that lighthouse. Keep your eyes on January, I tell myself. She won't lead you astray. If you focus on January, you won't go too far off course. But maybe I was so focused I ran smack dab into you. 

"being a parent feels like being a kid who someone has mistakenly handed another kid" it's something to think about (maybe my parents want me to get married and have kids because they can't imagine me not experiencing the joy they felt when they had me and my siblings. They want me to feel that joy too, they're not trying to be nasty)

Last week you cracked your head on the fireplace. It wasn't too bad - it didn't even need stitches, but your mother and I cried all night after you'd gone to sleep. We felt so bad. Sometimes, January, being a parents feels like being a kid who someone has mistakenly handed another kid. "Good luck!" this unwise stranger cries before turning his back on you forever. We will always make mistakes, I'm afraid. I hope they will get smaller and smaller as we get bigger and bigger. Older, really; we're rather done growing. 

People were complicated. They weren't math problems; they were collections of feelings and decisions and dumb luck. The world was complicated too, not a beautifully hazy French film, but a disastrous, horrible mess, speckled with brilliance and love and meaning. 

I wanted to know whether you could ever fully know someone. If knowing how they were—how they moved and spoke and the faces they made and the things they tried not to look at—amounted to knowing them. Or if knowing things about them—where they'd been born, all the people they'd been, who they'd loved, the worlds they'd come from—added up to anything.

title is misleading though… thought it was going to be a cutesy holiday book but heavier than expected still rlly good tho 

Ella Williams

cute book x

title is misleading though… thought it was going to be a cutesy holiday book but heavier than expected still rlly good tho 

Denisse Garcia Ramírez 

korfai 

The title Beach Read is higly irritatating. Because why are they having a day trip at an abondend cult village in the forest and do surten things later on in a tent in said forest??

Aside from that I wouldn't have finished it if I have had to read it.

And why is she writing about a circus and not a beach read? Like something summery. I don't know. Just disappointed and also Emily Henry's books (only referring to this and funny story) clearly have a plot pattern.

Nina May

The title Beach Read is higly irritatating. Because why are they having a day trip at an abondend cult village in the forest and do surten things later on in a tent in said forest??

Aside from that I wouldn't have finished it if I have had to read it.

And why is she writing about a circus and not a beach read? Like something summery. I don't know. Just disappointed and also Emily Henry's books (only referring to this and funny story) clearly have a plot pattern.

'The hottest book of the summer' JOSIE SILVER, author of bestselling One Day in December 'The perfect escapist romp' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS, author of Our Stop Binge-watched Normal People and Love is Blind and now looking to escape into another suitably steamy love story? Look no further... ______________________________ TWO WRITERS, ONE HOLIDAY. A ROMCOM WAITING TO HAPPEN... January is a hopeless romantic who narrates her life like she's the lead in a blockbuster movie. Gus is a serious literary type who thinks true love is a fairy-tale. But January and Gus have more in common than you'd think: They're both broke. They've got crippling writer's block. And they need to write bestsellers before summer ends. The result? A bet to swap genres and see who gets published first. The risk? In telling each other's stories, their worlds might be changed entirely... Set over one sizzling summer, Beach Read is a witty love story that will make you laugh a lot, cry a little and fall head over heels. For fans of The Flat Share and If I Never Met You. ______________________________ WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING 'Reader, I swooned! Beach Read is a breath of fresh air. My heart ached for January, and Gus is to die for - a steamy, smart and perceptive romance. I was engrossed!' Josie Silver 'Full of banter, heat, and sexual tension, I felt the thrill of falling in love right alongside January and Gus. A gorgeous page-turner of a novel' Laura Jane Williams 'Funny, and seriously sizzling' Best 'I absolutely loved this book! This has easily become one of my favourite romance reads. Their tension was phenomenal and the angst so well-done. This read is gorgeous and heart wrenching in the most wonderful way ever' Safa, Netgalley 'Original, sparkling bright and layered with feeling. If whipcrack banter and foggy sexual tension is your catnip, you'll adore this book' Sally Thorne 'What an absolute flipping triumph of a novel!!! I LOVED it . . . definitely one of my favourite reads of 2020' Emma Cooper 'I really needed this book. I didn't realize how much I needed it until I was giggling along with all the awkwardness and banter and feeling like I'd been taken away' Emily, Netgalley 'Touching and heartfelt . . . I closed this book with a satisfied sigh' Jasmine Guillory 'Clever and funny, this is a tender love story' Woman & Home

The New York Times bestselling laugh-out-loud love story you’ll want to escape with this summer

Enjoyable, witty romance, with plenty of chemistry and sizzling sexual tension.

Laura Dobie

when the world felt dark and scary, love could whisk you off to go dancing; laughter could take some of the pain away; beauty could punch holes in your fear.

beach read tells a story about January‘s journey of rediscovering herself and digs into the complex consequences of grief and loss. she falls out of touch with herself and her beliefs, which we see her patch back up for herself.

i loved how all of the characters were flawed and not perfect in any way. it just made it feel very real and unfiltered. January and Gus were incredibly different, yet they found ways to fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces. the banter between them was just immaculate and so fun to read.

emily henry’s writing style was an ideal mix of complicated thoughts and feelings, and humor, thus making january‘s monologues and personality unique. i think whether you like the jokes and comedy in this book (which was a lot), depends on your own taste and humor, so i can see why it would be too much for some people.

ultimately, i loved everything about this book and it made it even better that i actually read it at the beach on vacation. 10/10 experience and 5/5 stars.

neele

„when the world felt dark and scary, love could whisk you off to go dancing; laughter could take some of the pain away; beauty could punch holes in your fear.“

beach read tells a story about January‘s journey of rediscovering herself and digs into the complex consequences of grief and loss. she falls out of touch with herself and her beliefs, which we see her patch back up for herself.

i loved how all of the characters were flawed and not perfect in any way. it just made it feel very real and unfiltered. January and Gus were incredibly different, yet they found ways to fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces. the banter between them was just immaculate and so fun to read.

emily henry’s writing style was an ideal mix of complicated thoughts and feelings, and humor, thus making january‘s monologues and personality unique. i think whether you like the jokes and comedy in this book (which was a lot), depends on your own taste and humor, so i can see why it would be too much for some people.

ultimately, i loved everything about this book and it made it even better that i actually read it at the beach on vacation. 10/10 experience and 5/5 stars.

this… i have never resonated with any of emhen’s female leads more than i’ve resonated with january, especially with her grief.

⭐️ soooo goood and idk ,, light? i feel like the beach setting was really spot-on because they are such a summer couple. so adventurous and witty and two sides of the same coin that are willing to learn with each other and teach one another. i love it when emhen makes them friends and stick with it for a while before they explode with feelings!!!

⭐️ both leads jus RADIATE warmth icb it they are so SUN ☀️☀️☀️

⭐️ for the side characters, hmm. they’re really jus side characters except for january’s dad, i guess! very main character-driven!! focused on the growth and the navigations of the two leads which i didn’t mind. but shadi being there for janie was appreciated :)

⭐️ OH my gus.. my anxious avoidant lover. so nice to see him open up!!!!! interesting motives and backstory set for him :’)

❤️‍🩹 pace and some minor questionable aspects were a bit meh to me ! 

❤️‍🩹 i think gus loving january since before and throughout college is a bit of a stretch but hey! they made it work in their present and end. 

this… i have never resonated with any of emhen’s female leads more than i’ve resonated with january, especially with her grief.

⭐️ soooo goood and idk ,, light? i feel like the beach setting was really spot-on because they are such a summer couple. so adventurous and witty and two sides of the same coin that are willing to learn with each other and teach one another. i love it when emhen makes them friends and stick with it for a while before they explode with feelings!!!

⭐️ both leads jus RADIATE warmth icb it they are so SUN ☀️☀️☀️

⭐️ for the side characters, hmm. they’re really jus side characters except for january’s dad, i guess! very main character-driven!! focused on the growth and the navigations of the two leads which i didn’t mind. but shadi being there for janie was appreciated :)

⭐️ OH my gus.. my anxious avoidant lover. so nice to see him open up!!!!! interesting motives and backstory set for him :’)

❤️‍🩹 pace and some minor questionable aspects were a bit meh to me ! 

❤️‍🩹 i think gus loving january since before and throughout college is a bit of a stretch but hey! they made it work in their present and end. 

I have read three Emily Henry books—one was very good and made me feel very sentimental towards strangers and life, the other one was okay and I liked how it really leaned on tropes as a commentary on tropes. This one wasn’t as interesting, though. I think there may be too many things going on and none of them wrapped up nicely. I cannot for the life of me emphathize with January or find anything I like about her, aside from the fact that she’s named January (the best month). Still, there were some fun scenes, and her father’s letters were very heart-wrenching. The love interest (the fact that I do not remember his name one month afte reading is very telling) was also okay, and I would have liked to learn more about his tragic backstory because honestly January’s problems seem so petty when you think about Gus’ life (okay, I finally remembered it.) 

lianne

sighs, she sits down on the couch and grabs a mic.

I have this theory, which states that you find certain people, objects, places, or even animals for a reason. And this book found me and wrecked my entire life. I had to take a break—can you believe that? 

But holy, this story is so beautiful and so human. Of course, there's romance and the gushy and good stuff. But there's also so much depth between these characters. Henry does an amazing job at making these circular panoramas with them. How their internal conflict impacts their external ones. Not only Gus and January but also their parents. 

seeing how their perceptions of the world changed each other completely and helped them face what they were escaping from the very beginning. 

I loved that it was a tale of marriage, our perception of happiness, and our urgency to find comfort and an escape from the world's insane and dark circumstances of what we call life. 

It's okay to hide under the current, but not too long before it drags you away into the abyss... yeah. 

I think I had a lot to forgive the same way January did. It was truly an eye-opening experience I'll never forget. 

okay. sighs, she sits down on the couch and grabs a mic. 

I have this theory, which states that you find certain people, objects, places, or even animals for a reason. And this book found me and wrecked my entire life. I had to take a break—can you believe that? 

dramatics, I know. 

But holy, this story is so beautiful and so human. Of course, there's romance and the gushy and good stuff. But there's also so much depth between these characters. Henry does an amazing job at making these circular panoramas with them. How their internal conflict impacts their external ones. Not only Gus and January but also their parents. 

seeing how their perceptions of the world changed each other completely and helped them face what they were escaping from the very beginning. 

I loved this story. 

I loved that it was a tale of marriage, our perception of happiness, and our urgency to find comfort and an escape from the world's insane and dark circumstances of what we call life. 

It's okay to hide under the current, but not too long before it drags you away into the abyss... yeah. 

I think I had a lot to forgive the same way January did. It was truly an eye-opening experience I'll never forget. 

10/10. 

Great book and a quick easy read. I found myself falling in love with the characters quickly. The story line had me hooked because of how relatable to life it was. Not your typical romance book just a cute love stor 🌸🩷

Aalaa

Great book and a quick easy read. I found myself falling in love with the characters quickly. The story line had me hooked because of how relatable to life it was. Not your typical romance book just a cute love stor 🌸🩷


Alisha

about to be on my emily henry grind just u wait

Lauren R

 the hype now. emily henry you have outdone yourself.

after i dnf book lovers (tragic i know, it just wasn’t my cup of tea) i decided to give miss henry one more shot. and little did i know i would be in for a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

firstly i would like to say how grateful i am for henry to write about young adults and navigating through trauma. both january and gus shed light on how their experiences transcend into the way they approach their budding romance as well as personal relationships. i believe a true writer makes you reflect on yourself and that’s exactly what henry does through gus and january.

not only that, she emphasizes happy ever after as “a strand of strung together happy for nows”. we see gus and january constantly searching for reasons as to why they feel a certain way or went through a certain thing and it made them feel miserable. but with time and understanding they were able to find a happy medium within each other where they feel loved and safe. as a person growing up in a world of uncertainty this makes me feel hopeful. the idea of loving someone and still being hurt by what they have done to you is so healing to hear. i love how henry had that as an underlying theme in her story.

— BEACH TOWN VIBES? SOLD ! like anything coastal town related heals me

— BOTH CREATIVES WHO FOUND OUT ABOUT EACH OTHER THRU THEIR WRITINGS ?? MUAH ! miss henry let me kiss your brain

— GUS AND JANUARY WERE SO PATIENT AND GENTLE WITH EACH OTHERRR THEY HAD SO MANY MOMENTS THAT MADE MY HEART SWOON NEW COMFORT SHIP UNLOCKED !!

i get it. i get the hype now. emily henry you have outdone yourself.

after i dnf book lovers (tragic i know, it just wasn’t my cup of tea) i decided to give miss henry one more shot. and little did i know i would be in for a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

firstly i would like to say how grateful i am for henry to write about young adults and navigating through trauma. both january and gus shed light on how their experiences transcend into the way they approach their budding romance as well as personal relationships. i believe a true writer makes you reflect on yourself and that’s exactly what henry does through gus and january.

not only that, she emphasizes happy ever after as “a strand of strung together happy for nows”. we see gus and january constantly searching for reasons as to why they feel a certain way or went through a certain thing and it made them feel miserable. but with time and understanding they were able to find a happy medium within each other where they feel loved and safe. as a person growing up in a world of uncertainty this makes me feel hopeful. the idea of loving someone and still being hurt by what they have done to you is so healing to hear. i love how henry had that as an underlying theme in her story.

side notes:

— BEACH TOWN VIBES? SOLD ! like anything coastal town related heals me

— BOTH CREATIVES WHO FOUND OUT ABOUT EACH OTHER THRU THEIR WRITINGS ?? MUAH ! miss henry let me kiss your brain

— GUS AND JANUARY WERE SO PATIENT AND GENTLE WITH EACH OTHERRR THEY HAD SO MANY MOMENTS THAT MADE MY HEART SWOON NEW COMFORT SHIP UNLOCKED !!

haewon

read it at the beach! perfectly fine romance -- i was invested in neither character and cared little for it all, but it was sweet. i can see myself forgetting what happened in this book the same way i did after i read henry's people we meet on vacation, but that's okay. i had okay fun.

aisha

if i don't see daisy edgar-jones and logan lerman as januarygus in the beach read movie i will riot

tink 😵‍💫⭐

Some funny parts, I kind of like January, the main character. But as for the romance parts-> too cheesy or deja vu, I flipped / switched the pages. 

Barbara

millena

sometimes i read a book and when i finish it i find myself completely stuck in an existential crisis for longer than i'd like to admit

well, here i am

I went in thinking it was going to be a rivals-to-lovers kind of story with lots of bickering but there wasn't much of that (not the bickering, there was plenty of it, and I loved it) ///SPOILER: The little rivalry we had was one-sided, and the character wasn't really feeling it./// I'm not mad about it though, the story was enjoyable, I just went in having the wrong impression/expectation.

I found the writing enjoyable, and the setting nice. There were multiple plot points which is something I like in a book, the revelations prevented me from getting bored. The main characters were thought out well, I loved that they had depth. And to continue from the last point, I loved the grief rep. The complicated relationship January had with her father's death, hating what she learned of him while she also missed him and loved him, it felt real and it spoke to me. ///SPOILER: The letters were a nice touch; they seemed so sincere they made me emotional. Reading from a parent's perspective was eye-opening./// And lastly, the writer's insight was interesting.

There were also a few things I didn't really like. In the first half of the story, January gave me whiplash with the way she would go from sad in one moment to horny.

I know old habits die hard and insecurities bring doubts with them, but still, I found it annoying that by the 80% mark, January still relied on that method of assuming stuff about Gus even though we saw how wrong her assumptions were as the story progressed and his character unraveled. 

I went in thinking it was going to be a rivals-to-lovers kind of story with lots of bickering but there wasn't much of that (not the bickering, there was plenty of it, and I loved it) ///SPOILER: The little rivalry we had was one-sided, and the character wasn't really feeling it./// I'm not mad about it though, the story was enjoyable, I just went in having the wrong impression/expectation.

I found the writing enjoyable, and the setting nice. There were multiple plot points which is something I like in a book, the revelations prevented me from getting bored. The main characters were thought out well, I loved that they had depth. And to continue from the last point, I loved the grief rep. The complicated relationship January had with her father's death, hating what she learned of him while she also missed him and loved him, it felt real and it spoke to me. ///SPOILER: The letters were a nice touch; they seemed so sincere they made me emotional. Reading from a parent's perspective was eye-opening./// And lastly, the writer's insight was interesting.

There were also a few things I didn't really like. In the first half of the story, January gave me whiplash with the way she would go from sad in one moment to horny.

I know old habits die hard and insecurities bring doubts with them, but still, I found it annoying that by the 80% mark, January still relied on that method of assuming stuff about Gus even though we saw how wrong her assumptions were as the story progressed and his character unraveled. 

Maureen

update: rereading this as my last book for 2023. i still love it a lot. 

__

"Maybe I wanted someone to understand I'm a complete person, and not just someone else's mistake."

***

My first Emily Henry book! It was, overall, a pleasant reading experience. I love how it's a story about two book lovers—hence, reading this felt quite meta. I've seen so much people rave about the book online and how Gus is the perfect guy to exist. Truly, he is a gentleman—one that feels inherently decent and not just acting For the Sake of Character. 

Though, among all the books I've read, Levi from Rowell's Fangirl would still top my list.

Can't wait to read Book Lovers next! 💛

irina

Jennifer Gosnell

Best book I’ve read all year! 

I’m a sucker for an enemies-to-more situation, and this book was no exception. The chemistry between January and Gus (as well as their friendship and rivalry) felt real and got me INVESTED. 

I read it over the course of two days and never wanted to put it down. The way it dealt with grief, denial, distraction, and other complicated feelings was very spot-on while not being upsetting. 

This was a delightful read and I am now going to check out all of Emily Henry’s other books!

Rebecca Hurd

I absolutely LOVED this book!! Kind of a slow build in the first couple of chapters but once I really got into in I could hardly put it down!! I would’ve finished it earlier if it was for my adulting responsibilities lol!! I would definitely recommend!!

Beach Read

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