Beach Read- Emily Henry
By Hannah Johnson
“She learned to let it out, bit by bit, and that sometimes, it was okay to let a little ugliness into your story. That it would never rob you of all the beauty.”
Beach Read is a seamless blend of “enemies to lovers” and “opposites attract” romance, with both Emily Henry’s comedic, natural writing, and emotional, romantic tenderness. The novel follows two writers who write in completely opposite genres, happy endings for January Andrews versus literary doom and gloom from Augustus Everett (Gus). The two are living in close proximity to one another, in beach houses, while they sort out their creative ruts. Eventually, a challenge is proposed. The two will try to flip genres, to get their creativity flowing again, learning more about writing but also inevitably each other in the process.
Henry isn’t afraid to dive into human complexity and complex emotions and characters within her stories, giving a well-rounded and authentic approach to contemporary romance. Within the romance, it’s also about the humanness of the two love interests. Henry doesn’t tell a flawless tale where everyone is always perfect and everything always goes perfect, but writes characters that are human, ones that readers can feel a connection to and care about. She can write a romance where the reader feels encouraged to root for them to the end, despite any challenges.
January has her own complicated relationship with love, the novel presenting a “push and pull” worldview including her skepticism of love versus deeper ideas that happy endings were out there. This complexity of her worldview is something readers can follow throughout as the novel and the romance develops, as these two characters go on all their adventures, how her ideas shift and what she’s learned by the end. Gus also has his own complexity regarding his place in the world, his own vulnerable insecurities in life and in love that readers can take to heart and feel connected to. Bringing these two characters together creates an irresistible recipe for how one can fall in love, even with flaws or with the odds seemingly against you, or when you don’t expect it at all.
“And even if that part of my worldview was taking a brief sabbatical, it had to be true that sometimes, heartbroken women found their happy endings, their rain-falling, music-swelling moments of pure happiness.”
Emily Henry’s Beach Read has its irresistible romantic charm, tenderness and mature intimacy that romance lovers can swoon to. Whether a first-time Emily Henry reader or a returner, readers can enjoy her artful writing, sweet and intimate romance, and all sorts of emotions.
“‘You’d better clear your Saturday schedules from here until eternity.’”
