This book is outside of my usual reading choices. The adorable cover would have put me off right away under normal circumstances. With that said, I’ve been trying to expand my exposure to the written word. I know Good Books (capitalized for emphasis) exist beyond the shelves of horror and thriller. So after a run of very dark books, I decided to dive into a literal Beach Read. I picked the right one!
This book is not what I think of when I imagine the “typical” romance book. This book had its share of steamy romance, but it also had so much more. It had heart. That sounds so cliché, doesn’t it? But it’s so true. Beach Read is about family, love, forgiveness, acceptance, and the art of communication and understanding.
The premise involves two writers, January (a romance novelist) and Gus (a literary fiction novelist), who find themselves living next door to one another and both suffering from writer’s block. There is a history to January and Gus. Will there be a future too? They challenge each other to write in the other’s style to try to break the writing slump. In the process they learn a lot about themselves and each other.
This may a bit strong, but I adore Emily Henry’s writing style. Her imagery is beautiful. I highlighted several passages that drew the perfect picture in my mind of what she was trying to portray. And the dialogue between January and Gus was brilliant. I’ve had many similar conversations myself – a touch of sassy sarcasm for the win!
When I decided to read this I wasn’t expecting to love it so much. And here we are – a horror junky giving a book titled “Beach Read” five stars. Go read it – now!
Mysteries and Mayhem 