book review beach read by emily henry

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by Emily Henry ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2020

A heartfelt look at taking second chances, in life and in love.

Two struggling authors spend the summer writing and falling in love in a quaint beach town.

January Andrews has just arrived in the small town of North Bear Shores with some serious baggage. Her father has been dead for a year, but she still hasn’t come to terms with what she found out at his funeral—he had been cheating on her mother for years. January plans to spend the summer cleaning out and selling the house her father and “That Woman” lived in together. But she’s also a down-on-her-luck author facing writer’s block, and she no longer believes in the happily-ever-after she’s made the benchmark of her work. Her steadily dwindling bank account, though, is a daily reminder that she must sell her next book, and fast. Serendipitously, she discovers that her new next-door neighbor is Augustus Everett, the darling of the literary fiction set and her former college rival/crush. Gus also happens to be struggling with his next book (and some serious trauma that unfolds throughout the novel). Though the two get off to a rocky start, they soon make a bet: Gus will try to write a romance novel, and January will attempt “bleak literary fiction.” They spend the summer teaching each other the art of their own genres—January takes Gus on a romantic outing to the local carnival; Gus takes January to the burned-down remains of a former cult—and they both process their own grief, loss, and trauma through this experiment. There are more than enough steamy scenes to sustain the slow-burn romance, and smart commentary on the placement and purpose of “women’s fiction” joins with crucial conversations about mental health to add multiple intriguing layers to the plot.

Pub Date: May 19, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9848-0673-4

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Jove/Penguin

Review Posted Online: March 1, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020

ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE

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by Ali Hazelwood ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.

A vampire and an Alpha werewolf enter into a marriage of convenience in order to ease tensions between their species.

As the only daughter of a prominent Vampyre councilman, Misery Lark has grown accustomed to playing the role that’s demanded of her—and now, her father is ordering her to be part of yet another truce agreement. In an effort to maintain goodwill between the Vampyres and their longtime nemeses the Weres, Misery must wed their Alpha, Lowe Moreland. But it turns out that Misery has her own motivations for agreeing to this political marriage, including finding answers about what happened to her best friend, who went missing after setting up a meeting in Were territory. Isolated from her kind and surrounded on all sides by the enemy after the wedding, Misery refuses to let herself forget about her real mission. It doesn’t matter that Lowe is one of the most confounding and intense people she’s ever met, or that the connection building between them doesn’t feel like one born entirely of convenience. There’s also the possibility that Lowe may already have a Were mate of his own, but in spite of their biological differences, they may turn out to be the missing piece in each other’s lives. While this is Hazelwood’s first paranormal romance, and the book does lean on some hallmark tropes of the genre, the contemporary setting lends itself to the author’s trademark humor and makes the political plot more easily digestible. Misery and Lowe’s slow-burn romance is appealing enough that readers will readily devour every moment between them and hunger to return to them whenever the story diverts from their scenes together.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9780593550403

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Berkley

Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023

ROMANCE | PARANORMAL ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE

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by Ali Hazelwood

IT ENDS WITH US

by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 2, 2016

Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...

Hoover’s ( November 9 , 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.

At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.

Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016

GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

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by Colleen Hoover

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Beach Read by Emily Henry | Book Review

Posted May 13, 2020 by Jana in Adult Fiction , Book Review / 15 Comments

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.

Who doesn’t love a good beach read? This cute summery cover, the fun title, and the unique synopsis had me reaching for some fun, swoony romantic comedy in the sun. While this was a fun book, unfortunately it wasn’t as fun and swoony as I had hoped. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. The first thing I think of when I think about Beach Read is that it’s a lot heavier than I expected. I was expecting a light, fluffy storyline with two authors throwing their witty banter back and forth, all while the summer sun blazes down on them as the waves crash against the shore outside their beach houses. This was not that. We learn immediately that January is reeling from the death of her secret-keeping father. The beach house is the house he owned with his mistress. January finds out about this mistress (whom he was spending time with while his wife, and January’s mom, was at home going through chemotherapy) at her father’s funeral, when said mistress hands her a key, a note, and a teary smile. Holy heavy. That’s a lot to grapple with. While struggling with the worst case of writer’s block ever (because what even is love anymore?), she’s living in his home cleaning out his and his mistress’s things and preparing to sell it. Gus is also carrying a lot of his own baggage. Both characters go through a lot of emotional ups and downs. This book also didn’t feel summery to me. Yes, it’s hot and sticky during the day but no beach stuff really happens. The rom-com field trips that January takes Gus on are highly overshadowed by Gus’s death cult excursions and their own personal demons. The evenings and mornings are cold and damp. I just didn’t get the warm fuzzy feelings I had hoped for with this title.

2. On the flip side, when Beach Read chooses to be a rom-com, it does such a good job! January and Gus have this awesome chemistry. They pick at each other and push each other’s buttons, and the sexual tension is totally there. They spend their days sitting in their own kitchens, which are mirror images of each other, working on their books. If they look up from their laptops they can see each other, through the windows, sitting at their kitchen tables. Even though they both have phones, they choose to communicate by writing notes to each other with sharpies on their notebooks and then holding them up and waiting for the other person to look up and read them. Some of these notes are funny, some are flirty, and some are motivational. This was my favorite part of their relationship, and the book. I thought it was really cute.

3. I didn’t love the execution of January (the romance writer) writing literary fiction and Gus (the literary fiction writer) writing romance. Maybe I didn’t like this because I hate it when my favorite authors make a disappointing genre jump, thereby writing a book that holds absolutely no interest for me. The tidbits of both January’s and Gus’s novels sounded kind of crummy to me. lol. Her literary fiction novel ends up being about a circus, and his romance novels ends up being about a death cult (don’t worry, this is not a spoiler). I would have ZERO interest in both of these books, and I have a hard time believing that this was a good career move for either of them. All for a silly bet. Honestly, I wish this part had been left out. It would have been fine if they’d both just had writer’s block and tagged along on each other’s research trips just for fun.

4. I liked the supporting characters better than the main characters. January’s best friend, Shadi, was my favorite character in the book. She seems like such a sweet, supportive, loving best friend. Throughout the story, a romance is budding in her life, and I loved reading about it. There’s also Gus’s aunt Pete who owns the book store and the coffee shop. Pete is hilarious. January’s publicist, Anya, is a treat and I’d love to read a book about her. Her emails checking in on January’s writing progress were so much fun. She’s got quite a personality.

5. Unfortunately, I never really connected with January or Gus. I liked them, and I felt bad for their heartaches and personal struggles, but I never felt connected to or invested in them. I think that’s why I struggled to get through this book. I’m a very character-driven reader, so not being able to connect with either main character was very hard for me.

6. I did like all the writer stuff. The advance reader copies, the writing process, the writer’s block, professional and reader reviews. That was fun.

7. The death cult stuff honestly made me uncomfortable. It was just too creepy and kind of upsetting in places. If this were in a mystery or thriller I would have been fine because I would have been expecting to feel uncomfortable and creeped out. That’s not what I wanted to feel when I picked up Beach Read , though. I would have preferred more of January’s rom-com 101 field trips. 

8. This didn’t feel at all romantic to me. Gus says some GREAT things that are very swoony on their own, but they didn’t feel swoony when mixed in with everything else. There wasn’t any wooing. I didn’t feel like there were any grand gestures. The cover and synopsis actually seem a little deceiving. The romance is there, and there’s sexytimes… it just didn’t feel romantic.

9. I came away feeling kind of dark about the entire reading experience. The ending wasn’t even satisfying. 

All in all, I’m kind of all over the place with Beach Read . I liked some parts, I was meh about many parts, and I really didn’t like some parts. There was SO much going on. The book was kind of all over the place, now that I think about it. I think my biggest issue, though, is that I couldn’t connect with the characters I was really supposed to love and feel for. I really think that’s where it all went wrong for me. Not being able to connect with them made their story feel very flat and not the least bit romantic. I’m disappointed.

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15 responses to “ Beach Read by Emily Henry | Book Review ”

I definitely want my beach reads to be lighter than what I normally would read. This one sounds like it got a bit too heavy for that. Ethan recently posted… If It Bleeds by Stephen King

Yeah, exactly. I really think if the title and cover were changed to reflect more of what the reader should expect I’m not sure I would have chosen to read it. I feel a bit tricked. It’s not a beach read to me, and I still can’t figure out why the title was chosen. Oh well!

Awww, I’m so sad to see this. This is my current read–I’m about halfway in–and I’m LOVING it. I actually like the contrast of the heavy and light parts of the book. And I’m finding it super romantic. I’m always surprised by how readers can experience books in such vastly different ways, but that’s what keeps things interesting, right?? I hope you enjoy your next read more! Dedra @ A Book Wanderer recently posted… ARC Book Review | The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler

Ouch! Good thing it isn’t a genre I regularly read anyway!

Too bad this one didn’t measure up. Nice, honest review

Thank you. :)

Hood, honest review.

I superrr appreciate this review, because most of the reviews I read LOVED it. I think it’s important to realize that while the title is “beach read,” it’s much heavier than expected. So thank you for the heads up! Do you think this reads more like Women’s Fiction than “romance?” (Not 100% sure what the difference is but the lack of romantic elements in your review got me thinking.) Aila @ One Way Or An Author recently posted… From Blood And Ash Review by Jennifer L Armentrout | Taking Paranormal Aspects To Another Level

Thank you! You’re right, most of the reviews I’m seeing are also super positive and I’ve felt like the kid eating lunch alone in the school cafeteria. lol. I honestly think I would have rated this book higher if the cover and synopsis weren’t so misleading. I was completely caught off guard, and that’s not a good thing to do to a reader. I do think this reads more like women’s fiction, but not so much that I’d call it women’s fiction. Does that make sense? lol. It’s not really a romance for me because the tiny romance that was there felt forced and took a back seat to everything else, but it also didn’t have the sweeping stories and character development that I’ve read in women’s fiction. With WF, the story depends on elements other than romance and this one tried to be a romance and failed at it. I’m not sure where that puts it! Somewhere in the middle, under the huge umbrella that is contemporary fiction? I’m not sure. I’d love to find someone else who has read it and feels similar to me so that we could dissect it a little more. I read this weeks ago, and I still just feel unsettled when I think about it. lol. Thanks for your comment! You helped me think through my thoughts a little more with your question. :)

Sorry this one didn’t work for you! I read this one last week and really liked it. I was surprised that I felt so connected to January, but I think it was because I saw a bit of myself in her. I definitely agree that the book is a lot heavier than the cover depicts it to be.

I think this is the first negative review I have seen!! I have been dying to read this one and yet it sits on my “not active” shelf on NetGalley. Sorry you found it disappointing! Wish I could share my opinion on it, lol.

I’m currently reading this book. So far I love Gus. He seems like a chill guy. But I hopped on to see if anyone dislikes January as much as I do. The banter is getting annoying to me. Does she have to say something smart after every sentence that comes out of Gus’ mouth? hehe sorry I just needed to get that off my chest.

Yeah, Gus ended up being my favorite of the two characters. January really bothered me, too! I rarely run across a person who did not LOVe this book, so it’s nice to know someone else who has complaints!

I completely agree. Shes so annoying it hurts.

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By Emily Henry

Book review and synopsis for Beach Read by Emily Henry, a cute and sexy but somewhat somber romance where opposites attract .

In Beach Read , January Adams is a plucky chick lit writer who moves into a lake house to try to eke out a novel she owes to her publisher. But with her happily-ever-after worldview in question -- she recently found out her parent's happy marriage was a lie and was dumped by a boyfriend who didn't want to deal with the resulting emotional turmoil -- she's having a hard time writing about romance.

At the lake house, she finds out her neighbor is the handsome but grumpy Augustus "Gus" Everett, a novelist and former college acquaintance slash rival slash crush, who is working on his next book as well.

As they reacquaint themselves, they come up with a bet. January will try to write a serious work of literary fiction, while Gus will attempt to write something happy for once. It's a plan formulated to get January's creativity flowing again, with perhaps a bit of romance on the side...

(The Full Plot Summary is also available, below)

Full Plot Summary

January Andrews is a chick lit novelist whose life is a bit of a wreck following the death of her father, Walt . At the funeral, she meets Sonya , his mistress, revealing that he had been cheating on his mother the whole time and shattering her idea of their happy marriage. January is also now semi-homeless and single, because her (now ex) boyfriend Jacques couldn't deal with her emotional fallout. As a result of it all, January is disillusioned about love, which has made it hard for her to write about romance.

Sonya also gives January a letter from her father and the key to his secret love nest, a lake house in North Bear Shores, Michigan . January moves there to write, and her neighbor turn out to be the handsome but grumpy Augustus Everett ("Gus" or "SEG"), a former college rival. In college, they both competed for the same writing prizes, and he made fun of her upbeat writing. He was also a womanizer and commitment-phobe. Now, he writes literary fiction.

When January confides in him about her writer's block, they come up with a challenge. Gus will write a happily-ever-after, and January will try her hand at literary fiction. Whoever sells their book first, wins. The loser has to help promote the other's book. They also agree to educate each other on their respective genres. January and Gus each work on their books during the week, hang out at night, and on weekends they each get one day to plan an "educational" activity for the other. Gus takes January on a series of interviews and visits regarding a cult called New Eden that was once located in the area. January takes Gus to things like a beach day, a carnival, a rom-com movie marathon, and other romantic fodder.

As they get to know each other, January tells Gus about her mother's cancer, her father's betrayal, her her ex and so forth. Gus is more guarded but, with some help from Gus's aunt Pete , January eventually learns about Gus's abusive father, the death of his mother and how his ex-wife Naomi left him for his best friend, Parker .

Things heat up romantically between January and Gus, but January also recognizes that he has deep trust issues that need to be addressed. When January finally confronts Gus about his behavior, he admits that he's been crazy about her since college and has been scared of his feelings because he's still such a mess right now. Their romantic relationship continues to grow and January finally finishes her book. However, Naomi then shows up looking for Gus, and afterwards he is nowhere to be found.

Sonya also shows up, demanding to talk to January. She explains how Walt was her first boyfriend back in high school, and they had initially reconnected when January's parents were separated. Walt had been planning on moving to North Bear Shores until January's mother was diagnosed with cancer, which ended things. However, Sonya and Walt later rekindled their now-illicit romance, but again it petered off when January's mother finally got better. Sonya also urges January to finally read the letter he left her. It leads January to a stack of letters from her father, one written on each of her birthdays, as well as the keys to a boat that is named after her.

When Gus reappears, he tells January that Naomi has split up with Parker and wants to get back together. However, he knows he wants to be with January. Nine months later, January receives the advanced copies of her book, and Gus's book has been completed as well. When Gus's advanced copy comes in, January sees that it is dedicated to her, and she tells him she loves him.

For more detail, see the full Section-by-Section Summary .

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Book Review

Summer is upon us, and Beach Read by Emily Henry was recommended to me by a friend as something to take my mind off of the world going up in flames around us. Why not? I thought. As the title not-so-subtle-ly hints, it’s a beach read (well, sort of) romance, with the tried and true formula of opposites attracting — but, it also hints cryptically on the back cover that “no one will fall in love” in the course of this novel. Hmm.

Now, I realize these are the machinations of a marketing machine at work (Beach read just in time for the summer! A romance novel where no one falls in love!), but I’m also sort of okay with just … letting it happen. I was intrigued! It had good reviews! My friend liked it! And I was in the mood for something that doesn’t make me feel miserable about the world! So, yeah, I caved to the marketing gods.

I liked the premise of book a lot. The way they get thrown together is kind of cutesy (two writers with opposite personalities living next to each other who make a bet!), but it’s believable enough to come off as charming. Like, it’s not unfathomable that two writers could end up being neighbors.

As for the story, it’s got a blend of thorough character development and plenty of (slightly torrid) romance, plus a sprinkling of comedic asides and sex (gasp!). I would say it’s got a little more substance that your typical chick lit, though it does add some moroseness to the tone of the book. Of course, no one will mistake this for a work of literary fiction, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Not everyone is in the mood for literary fiction all the time!

Honestly, I struggled a little writing this review because I could definitely see the right reader really enjoying this book, but I personally didn’t love it. I was hoping for a much breezier read than this turned out to be. While there are many light and funny parts of Beach Read , it’s mixed in with quite a bit of more morose sections.

I still think it more or less qualifies as a “beach read”, as the title implies, though the book is notably less beachy than the title and cover art would lead you to believe. And the serious parts are necessary for the plot and character development. However, it just wasn’t what I’d been looking for when I picked up this book.

I think if you’re someone who likes chick lit and wants something that tosses in something a bit more serious to give the story more heft, then you’ll be delighted by this book. On the other hand, if you’re like me and you’re just looking for a bit of fun, maybe hold off on this one. (I have mixed feelings about the phrase “chick lit” but I still find it be the most effective way to convey what genre of book I’m talking about, since “romance” novel seems to have a slightly different connotation. Feel free to drop a comment if you have an alternative moniker to suggest.)

I also have a few more criticisms in the Spoiler-ish Thoughts section, but I won’t state them here. Final note: It’s told in first person. Doesn’t bother me, but I know some people don’t like that.

What in the Devil is Up With That Book Club Scene

Okay, this is silly and not important, but can we talk about the book club scene, please? No spoilers, don’t worry.

Basically, there’s a scene where our two protagonists (who are both novelists) get invited to a party, which turns out to be a book club meeting. It’s meant to be a funny hijinks-type scenario as our drunken heroine tries to figure out what’s going on or what book they’re talking about, but come on! This is just nonsensical and as a writer who presumably has some affinity for books and book clubs, Emily Henry should know better.

What kind of weirdo invites not one but two published novelists to a book club meeting and a) doesn’t bother to tell them what book they’re reading and b) doesn’t tell them it’s a book club? Gus notes that maybe it’s because he wouldn’t have gone if he knew, but what about January? Oh, and also why did no one who attended bother to bring the book? January very obviously should have been able to just glance around to see what book it was. It’s usually not some state secret what book is being discussed. Her being all lost and confused is just silly. COME ON, EMILY, THAT IS NOT HOW A BOOK CLUB WORKS.

Look, I’m joking, I’m joking, it doesn’t matter, but also I’m kind of serious, and you know what, it does matter. I can understand when writers butcher scenes about stuff that’s complicated to understand, but a book club? Tsk.

Audiobook Review

I listened to a lot of this on audiobook, and I thought it was very well done. It’s voiced by Julia Whelan, and her narration is crisp, quick-paced and does a good job of conveying emotion or emphases with crossing into cheesy or over dramatic territory. If you’re interested in this book, the audiobook is a more than serviceable option for “reading” it.

Anyway, I liked it, and you can listen to a clip to see if you’d like it, too.

Read it or Skip it?

If you like chick lit and are up for a more somber story, then I’d recommend checking this book out. Personally, it wasn’t as breezy of a read as I was hoping it would be. I like my chick lit to be more of the “Confessions of a Shopaholic”-type story where it’s all sort of lighthearted fun.

Beach Read is fun in parts and sexy and sometimes funny, but it’s just as often more serious and even a bit dour in tone. But if you’re up for it, it does offer solid character development and a premise that’s likely to appeal to book lovers.

See Beach Read on Amazon.

Spoiler-ish Thoughts

Spoilers begin here. You’ve been warned. I was pretty disappointed when I realized the book was turning into a “oh, he’s just distant because he’s scared of his feelings”-type story. I really don’t like this type of character in chick lit (or any type of romance), and it’s annoying it comes up all the time.

Quite frankly, I don’t find the concept of emotionally distant men to be romantic, like, at all. I also think it’s not realistic that there are so many characters that are attractive, intelligent guys that are simply too scared of their feelings. I mean, maybe if it’s some kid in high school, but grown men, in my experience, who are interested in you will act like it. Guys who are being difficult or running hot and cold have either lukewarm or un-serious feelings about you.

I also hated how he had some sob story about his parents as the excuse for why he sucks at relationships. Seriously, guys who tell these types of stories about how they’re so sad and broken and can’t love properly two weeks into dating you are always the biggest assholes. Guys who want to be with you want to convince you that they’re date-able — they might have baggage, but they’re not going to be foisting it around like an excuse. Guys who warn you early on that they suck are playing on your emotions; if some dude tells you he’s not date-able, you should believe him!

(For any Janeites/Austenites out there, this is why I am very much #TeamKnightly and fairly anti-Mr. Darcy.)

Finally, can we please talk about how the book cover totally lied? It said no one would fall in love, so I was expecting some clever twist. I felt a little cheated by the end, honestly. And plus, the cover makes it look like it’s set in a bright and sunny place, but instead it’s in Michigan by a lake. Bait and switch, anyone?

Book Excerpt

Read the first pages of Beach Read

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That’s the thing about book cover design. Sometimes it echoes the theme of the book, other times, it just misleads the reader, and looks like this one falls in the latter :( Sorry this didn’t live up to your expectations. Well, on to the next! :) How are you?

So true! I’m good, though I took a break from book blogging for a while. I’m going to go check out your blog to find some book recs since I need to tee up my upcoming reading list! Hope all is well with you too!

Life has been ok so far. Yes, it’s so important to take a break from book blogging once in awhile. I took mine too earlier this year, then came back when I felt ready :)

Hey, Jennifer! Glad to stumble upon your review! It feels really bad when things get unrealistic in books :/

Thanks for your review! Lake Michigan is quite nice in the summer though ;)

I didn’t finish it, half way through I decided to not waste anymore time on this book. Just didn’t spark my interest.

Review: Beach Read by Emily Henry

This post contains links to products that I may receive compensation from at no additional cost to you. View my Affiliate Disclosure page here .

Editorial note: I received a copy of Beach Read in exchange for a review. 

Beach Read by Emily Henry is an ideal story to start off your summer reading list!

Beach Read  was selected for April’s  Book of the Month. I’m so impressed with the quality of choices each month—I’m for sure a member for life. Click here to sign up and you can use the code MAY5  to get your first book for $9.99! Signing up for their service is well worth it and a big bonus, they’re still delivering books during this era. Another neat component is that BOTM will many times offer books prior to their publication dates so you can get the books early! 

I recently asked my Instagram followers which type of genres are their go-to in the summer. The responses definitely varied! Some said thrillers and others highlighted literary fiction. But the overwhelming response was women’s fiction. While I like to switch between genres each month, I definitely read much more women’s fiction in the summer. 

To me, women’s fiction is a well-crafted story that focuses on relationships, careers and figuring out what one really wants in life. Some in the genre are more serious while others fall in the romcom category. 

Beach Read features a bright cover and a fun title. But this one is actually more serious than not and has plenty of depth, which I think served the story quite well.

First the synopsis: 

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.

A story about writers

January inherited the beach house from her recently deceased father and guess who’s her neighbor: Gus (Augustus) who is also her college rival. Yes, it’s a stretch that suddenly they’re neighbors but suspend the believability component on that and just roll with it. 

Being such an avid reader, I loved the concept of bringing together a literary fiction male writer with a woman who never ends her stories on a sad note. Gus, in the beginning, reminded me so much of many male writers that I know: believing literary fiction is much more important than other stories. January tries to emphasize that women’s stories are just as important as male stories and I felt myself nodding along with it! The banter between the two is very entertaining. 

So the concept is the two will switch genres and January will write a serious book with an unhappy ending while Gus will try his hand at a romance. I have to say that reading the stories they were working on wasn’t as interesting as I thought it would be. And there are long sections dedicated to research that I felt dragged. Truthfully, I don’t think I would read either of their stories. Maybe they should stay in their writing lane, ha! 

Complicated relationships 

Okay, so it’s not a spoiler to say that January and Gus fall for each other. But I think what makes this one stand apart is their journey is not easy and they both have plenty of baggage that they have to work on. It’s not simply an enemies-to-lovers romance but much more is going on there. Despite their feelings for each other, it’s not going to be smooth sailing. 

January also must come to terms with learning about her father’s secret that completely changes everything she ever knew about him. This is also a big reason of why she’s suffering from writer’s block as she’s suddenly confronted with the idea of happily-ever-after might be a myth. Or is it?

Overall, I think this is great for books clubs, which is why I selected it as a  May 2020 book club pick . I was part of a Zoom book club meeting in April with other bookstagrammers who had advanced reader’s copies. It was interesting to hear everyone’s opinions—some people seemed disappointed it wasn’t a light romance while others loved it. So I’m definitely curious to hear what you all think about this! I had a couple minor issues with it, but overall, I thought this was a very well-done and entertaining read about two different writers overcoming writer’s block together. 

Check out my book club questions here . 

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Review: ‘Beach Read’ by Emily Henry

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.

I’ve seen Emily Henry’s books around Instagram and Goodreads for the past few years, and I’ve meant to read them, so I finally took the plunge and read  Beach Read . Here’s the thing, I wanted to enjoy this book, especially since I borrowed the audiobook from my local library, but unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me. I would have DNF’d the book if it weren’t for the narrator. She made the book bearable, but not enough for me to enjoy it completely. 

The book is told solely in the FMC’s POV, January Andrews, so we don’t get to read the MMC’s thoughts and feelings. January is a best-selling romance author who used to believe in happily ever afters until she found out her father had been cheating on her mother while her mother was battling cancer. I could understand why she didn’t believe in HEAs anymore after finding out her father she respected and loved, was going behind her mother’s back the whole time, living a double life with another woman while he was with his wife and daughters playing a good father in front of them. January finds herself inheriting the house after her father passes away, which happens to be the same house he used to bring the other woman to while January’s mother was dealing with cancer. She doesn’t want anything to do with her father and reading the letter(s) that he left for her, but she does use the house to live for a while, so she can hopefully get over the writer’s block she’s going through and write the novels that her agent/publisher require her to write.

She finds out quickly that the house she’s living in temporarily has a neighbor experiencing writer’s block, too, and they used to know each other in college. Augustus Everett is the MMC in the book, but we never get his POV, but we know he’s a literary fiction author. We get to know him through the FMC, why they are enemies, why the MMC is grumpy, and what he’s going through, but we don’t know how he’s feeling toward January without his POV.

Here’s what drives me crazy lately regarding traditional publishing and how they promote books. They like to market the book to a subgenre, like with  Beach Read , saying it’s a Romantic Comedy/Contemporary Romance book, but it comes off as more of a Women’s Fiction novel. Yes, the book has a HEA/HFN at the end, which puts it in the Romance genre, but the story was more depressing and dramatic than happy and humorous. It also had barely any romance, such as the steam/spice factor. I wouldn’t even categorize the ending as a HEA, but a happy for now regarding the characters. (Yes, romance books have HFN, but this one felt off for me, and it’s all due to the FMC’s thinking about believing in HEA.)

I didn’t connect with the characters when it came to believe they were forming an actual romance together. They had the Enemies to Lovers thing going briefly at the beginning, and then they agreed to help each other write their books, but instead of the genres they were used to writing, they would switch it up. Augustus would write a romance story, and January would write the genre he normally writes, and they would go on this journey of researching together. They eventually got out of their writer’s block, but there was drama bound to happen between the two.

This book reminds me why I strayed from reading traditional publishing books a few years ago, and I started reading mainly independently published or small publishing houses. It also didn’t help when they started making the covers cartoonish, and I was used to the clinch (model) covers. The clinch book covers drew me into reading romance books as a teenager, and I knew the books were romance and would give me that HEA that I was craving.

I’m proud of myself for trying an Emily Henry book, but unfortunately, I won’t read another book by this author. I’m not the target audience for her books, so I’ll leave her books to readers who have enjoyed her books and prefer these types of romance stories.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. It will help sponsor future giveaways but costs you nothing extra. You can read the full disclosure underneath the  Privacy Policy .

About Emily Henry

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read, as well as the forthcoming Happy Place. She lives and writes in Cincinnati and the part of Kentucky just beneath it.

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Book Review

Beach read by emily henry.

by Catherine Heloise · May 18, 2020 at 4:00 am · View all 13 comments

by Emily Henry

May 19, 2020 · Berkley

More Info →

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Genre: Contemporary Romance , Romance

Theme: Opposites Attract

Archetype: Writer/Author/Librarian

Content warnings: Both the hero and heroine have troubled pasts, including loss of parents, abuse, and infidelity. Also, the hero is REALLY into researching suicide cults. While this book is surprisingly sweet and light, and none of these things are described in detail, there is plenty of darkness in the backstory, so proceed accordingly.

I took one look at the blurb for Beach Read on NetGalley and one-clicked so hard that they could probably hear me do it all the way over in New Zealand.

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.

Opposites attract and a writer hero AND heroine? Oh, yes please. If I had any hesitation, it was that when you are pitting romance against literary fiction, even in jest, the genre that usually gets treated poorly is romance. But that didn’t happen here, and in fact, this book was both playful and thoughtful in its treatment of both genres and their purpose, and I found myself laughing out loud in delight at the banter. Having said that, this book isn’t all sweetness and light (Gus would never tolerate that) – finding yourself again after a great loss is a central theme of the story, and things get a bit angsty in the latter third or so of the book.

(I don’t want you to think it’s a downbeat story, however – in fact, it’s hands down the funniest book about grief that I have ever read, and the ending is pretty much perfect – definitely happy sigh and good book noise stuff.)

I want to acknowledge up front that this is a very, very smart book, and honestly, I wish it was coming out at a different time, because like many people, I’m having a lot of trouble focusing right now, and I’m not sure I’m capable of a proper critical review. So instead, let me tell you how I loved it. Because I really, really did.

January starts the book in a dark place. It’s nearly a year since her father died, which means that it is also nearly a year since she discovered that her parents’ perfect, fairy-tale romance was… if not a lie, certainly an elision of the truth, given that her father had a mistress and her mother knew about it. January has always believed in romance and happy endings because of her parents’ relationship; she has built her career as a romance novelist on her certainty of happy-ever-afters, and she is shattered by this discovery. When her own relationship breaks down under the strain of her grief and disillusionment, she finds herself single and homeless, unable to speak to her mother, and with no better option than to go and live in the beach house that father once shared with his mistress — while she tries to write a book that will contain the happy ever after she no longer believes in. As she says:

“At this point, it honestly might be easier for me to pack it in on the upbeat women’s fiction and hop aboard the Bleak Literary Fiction train. At least it would give me an excuse to describe boobs in some horrifying new way. Like bulbous succulents of flesh and sinew. I never get to say bulbous succulents of flesh in my books.”

When the writer who has rented the place next door (and who has just overheard her discussing foot-jobs while on the phone to her best friend) turns out to be her ‘stupidly, infuriatingly attractive’ lit-fic writing nemesis from her college days… well, that’s really the outside of enough. While we don’t ever get to see inside Gus’s head, he’s not precisely shy in expressing his opinions, and he makes it clear early on that he does not believe in happy endings:

“Life is pretty much a series of good and bad moments right up until the moment you die,” he said stiffly. “Which is arguably a bad one. Love doesn’t change that. I have a hard time suspending my disbelief.”

January assumes that Gus must obviously hold her writing and her worldview in contempt – after all, he once described her as a ‘fairy princess’ and commented of her writing “Let me guess. Everyone lives happily ever after. Again.” And yet… it’s not quite as simple as that. It becomes clear fairly early on that whatever he might think of January’s worldview, he has nothing but respect for her writing, and while she is antagonistic towards him, it’s pretty clear to everyone but January that he rather likes her. Here they are, challenging each other to write in each other’s genres.

“I’m in,” I said. His eyes bored into me, that evil smile climbing the corner of his top lip. “You sure? This could be truly humiliating.” An involuntary laugh sprang out of me. “Oh, I’m counting on it,” I said. “But I’ll make it a little easier on you. I’ll throw in a rom-com crash course.” “Fine,” Gus said. “Then I’ll take you through my research process. I’ll help you lean into your latent nihilism, and you’ll teach me how to sing like no one’s listening, dance like no one’s watching, and love like I’ve never been hurt before.”

While their early conversations are pretty adversarial, their banter as they begin to enjoy each other’s company is absolutely fantastic – these are two very clever people who have made an art of coming up with magnificent turns of phrase, and it shows. There is a fair bit of darkness in the background to the story — Gus comes by his nihilism honestly — but any time January and Gus are in the same room they just spark off each other and it is a total delight. You can tell that they are having so much fun when they argue – did I mention that I laughed a LOT reading this book? There are running jokes about murder spots (Gus does keep on taking January on long drives to seedy locations for their research trips) and comparisons of the worst reviews they’ve received, and a lot of this book feels like one of those late night conversations you have with old friends, where you talk about everything and anything and it never stops being interesting.

And once they get started on their writing challenge, they set up their desks at their windows facing each other, and communicate by placard:

Both windows were open. We could’ve talked but we would have had to scream. Instead, Gus smiled and picked up the highlighter and notebook beside him. He scribbled on it for a second, then held the notebook up so I could read it: LIFE IS MEANINGLESS, JANUARY. GAZE INTO THE ABYSS. I suppressed a laugh, then fished a Sharpie out of my backpack, dragged my own notebook toward me, and flipped to a blank page. In large, square letters, I wrote: THIS REMINDS ME OF THAT TAYLOR SWIFT VIDEO.

I love this so much. There is just something about a hero and heroine communicating by letter or post-it note or placard that always makes me happy. They do this on and off throughout the book and it is ADORABLE.

The research trips are also great fun. Gus takes January to one depressing interview with a cult survivor after another, and we see the importance in his work of listening, of bearing witness, of trying to understand why people do the things they do – or, as he puts it, ‘why people stay’. This turns out to have more than one set of meanings in Gus’s context. Meanwhile, January gleefully takes Gus to a line dancing class, to Meg Ryan night at the drive through cinema, and to a carnival, where she tries to convince him that they need a montage, the ‘promise-of-the-premise portion of the novel, when your readers are grinning ear to ear’, and they start making up stories about the people around them.

“The woman working the machine,” he said in my ear. “Maybe she’d make a mistake and watch someone get hurt because of it. This job was probably her last chance, the only place that would hire her after she made an even bigger mistake. In a factory, maybe. Or she broke the law to protect someone she cared about. Some kind of almost innocent mistake that could lead to less innocent ones.” I spun to face him. “Or maybe she’d get a chance to be a hero. This job was her last chance, but she loves it and is good at it. She gets to travel, and even if she mostly only sees parking lots, she gets to meet people. And she’s a people person. The mistake isn’t hers – the machinery malfunctions – but she makes a snap decision and saves a girl’s life…”

This is perhaps the most delicious part of the book – they continue back and forth like this for the whole evening, with January spinning unlikely friendships and hopeful endings, and Gus relentlessly turning everyone into cult members and ruining their lives. (I should note a trigger warning in this scene: one of the many tragedies Gus invents for a passer-by here is a miscarriage, and this may be upsetting for some readers. He also invents a lot of brainwashing and murder, but I’m guessing those are rather rarer as triggers.)

Beach Read straddles the line between women’s fiction and romantic comedy, in that while the romance is central, the heroine’s journey to find out the truth of her parents’ relationship (and her father’s relationship with the Other Woman) and her quest to restart her writing career are also central to the story. The story is also told entirely from January’s point of view, so it’s a story about her more than a story about them – while Gus has a fairly complicated emotional arc, he is secretive and self-protective by nature, so we only see it in glimpses and glimmers and it’s easy to understand why January spends so much time not being sure how he really feels about her. One thing that amused me later on in the book was January musing about how when she is writing or reading romance she gets so annoyed when the hero and heroine won’t communicate but she’s still not going to have That Conversation with Gus because it would be so mortifying….

Beach Read also has some opinions about sexism in how women’s writing is discussed, marketed and read.

“Southern Comfort sounds pretty sexy,” he said. “You have a thing for Southern boys? No teeth and overalls really rev your engine?” I rolled my eyes. “I’m led to believe you’ve never been to the South and possibly couldn’t locate ‘south’ on a compass. Besides, why does everyone try to make women’s writing semi-autobiographical? Do people generally assume your lonely, white, male—“ “Coldly horny,” Gus inserted. “­­—coldly horny protagonists are you?” He nodded thoughtfully, his dark eyes intent on me. “Good question. Do you assume I’m coldly horny?” “Definitely.”

But the book also takes the time to explore why Gus writes the things he does, too, and while January’s writerly heart will always be with romances and happy endings, you can see her fascination with exploring darker and more twisted storylines, and the ways in which she uses her writing to explore her own feelings about her family.

As romances go, this one is a very slow burn. There are so many moments of almost-but-not-quite, and these are almost hotter than the deed itself

It was crazy that I remembered that night in college so vividly that I knew he’d touched me just like this. That first touch when we met on the dance floor, featherlight and melting-point hot, careful, intentional. I realised I was holding my breath, and when I forced myself to breathe, the rise and fall of my chest was ridiculous, the stuff of Regency erotica. How was he doing this to me? Again? After the night we’d had tonight, this feeling, this hunger, in me shouldn’t have been possible. After the year I’d had, I hadn’t thought it was anymore. “I lied,” he whispered against my ear. “I have read your books.” His hands tightened on my waist and he spun me away from the car, opened the door, and got in, leaving me gasping at the sudden cold of the parking lot.

OMG HE HAS READ HER BOOKS!

AND HE LIKES THEM!!!!

I may have gotten a little bit invested here.

Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it doesn’t require either Gus or January to change. Gus isn’t wrong to be a cynic and January isn’t wrong to be a romantic – they are both fine as they are, even if they do both benefit from writing in each other’s genre. (Mind you, Gus’s happy ending made me laugh so hard my husband came to see what was wrong, but I’ll leave that for you to find out). January has already learned that being a full-time romantic optimist is unsustainable; but Gus’s nihilistic approach to life isn’t precisely filling him with joy either. They give each other balance, and, once they figure out how not to strangle themselves in their own insecurities (if I have a reservation about this book it is that I suspect there are too many neurotic people in this relationship), they are good for each other – they love and appreciate their differences. This is the opposite of an instalove plot – you can see that the foundation of this relationship is the kind of firm friendship where two people are absolutely comfortable with each other and care about each other and just enjoy being in each other’s company, and did I mention I love it?

Also, it contains one of the best vindications of the romance genre that I’ve read in quite some time.

“When you love someone…. you want to make this world look different for them. To give all the ugly stuff meaning, and amplify the good. That’s what you do. For your readers. For me. You make beautiful things, because you love the world, and maybe the world doesn’t always look how it does in your books, but… I think putting them out there, that changes the world a little bit. And the world can’t afford to lose that.”

In conclusion, I love this book. It does take you down into the darkness at times, but it leads you out again, and shows you the path so that you will be able to find it next time. It is sweet and sharp and clever and extremely funny and it left me with a happy sigh and a smile on my face.

This is a definite A, verging on Squee, from me.

PS – Hey, if Gus is writing literary fiction about cults, does that make them cult novels?

OK, I’ll see myself out now…

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I had already preordered so this review gives me hope – and a strong suspicion it will move to the top of my TBR sooner than later! Thanks for this review!

(I also am fascinated by cults in a “can’t look away” way, so there’s that too)

I can’t wait to get this book from the library. I’m #42 so hoping to get it before summer ends.

I’m also on the library hold list for this book. Having read your review, Catherine, I’m even more eager to read it!

I can’t wait to read this book this week! I’ll circle back to read the review once I have but needless to say, the grade is such welcome news. So many have been raving about this one!

Absolutely loved this one! It’s a favorite of the year. I’d categorize it as women’s fiction (it’s definitely not a romcom despite the marketing) as I think it’s much more focused on January’s emotional journey and reconciling her understanding of her father than it is about the love story. Even though her romance with Gus is super satisfying!

Thank you so much for the great review! Yesterday I put the book on hold with my library, and it came up saying it wasn’t available yet, but accepted the hold. Somehow I managed to be the first in line-I got the book today!! That has never happened to me before, I feel like I won the lottery!

I hope you all love this as much as I did!

I loved everything about the couple, but the B plot with her dad drove me crazy. Not only does he cheat on his sick wife, but he manipulates and strings the other woman along – AND HE DOES IT FOR DECADES. But in the end it’s all okay because if he was a selfish monster at least he figures out a way to be an honest selfish monster AFTER HE WAS DEAD AND COULD NO LONGER FACE CONSEQUENCES!? This may be a blind spot from me, Friendly Neighborhood Asexual, but how hard is it to just NOT cheat? Gah.

Contemporary normally isn’t my cup of tea but I picked up “Beach Read” on audiobook after reading this review. I’m only an hour in but I’m already hooked. The narrator, Julia Whelan, also did the audiobook for “An Enchantment Of Ravens” and she has a way of pausing and emphasizing that works really well with the humour of these books. I sometimes have to stop myself from continuing bc I want to savour it on my way home from work. Highly recommend!

I read it, and LOVED it! I honored my membership of the Bad Decisions Book Club, and read the whole thing in one sitting. I think I finished it at 4:30 am, and loved every minute. It is definitely a slow burn kind of romance, and I wouldn’t even classify this book as a romance. It is all about family, and the feelings you have about them. Very enjoyable!

Thanks for this great review and for the content warnings! I might have been turned off of a 5 star read if I hadn’t had your reassurance that it would be okay. If this isn’t a romance, then maybe I need to read more women’s fiction, because the love story made me ache in wonderful schmoopy ways.

I love this book! I listened to it and finished it in two days. Would love any suggestions to other books similar to Beach Read.

This book (and your review) was a delight! Also, I just want to mention that the Taylor Swift video is definitely “You Belong With Me” because of the notes-through-windows thing!

https://giphy.com/gifs/xT0CyvhJ7MblaN4khy

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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.

BOOK REVIEW: Beach Read

Emily henry.

“I’ll help you lean into your latent nihilism, and you’ll teach me how to sing like no one’s listening, dance like no one’s watching, and love like I’ve never been hurt before.”

There aren’t many books that hit so many of my buttons all at once, but by the end of this one, I must have looked like a light show. With a deceivingly simple premise at its core—a romance author and a literary fiction writer swapping genres for the summer to break out of their writing ruts—this is the kind of story that packs an emotional punch even in its softest moments, flourishing as it unfolds, and just like its two leads, manages to be both romantic and reflective, and even sharp and biting in parts. In this marvellous tale of love, family, and overcoming grief, Emily Henry captures so much of the human experience in a brutally honest and beautiful way, and proves to be not only a gifted storyteller, but also a thoughtful one. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read.

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. I decided then that my life would be full of all three.

An incurable optimist and true believer in happily-ever-afters, January Andrews had always found great comfort in reading about love, and wanting to offer others the same, she turned the very belief system that had freed her from some of her darkest moments in life into a successful career as a romance novelist. But for the past year—ever since her father’s sudden death exposed a long-standing extramarital affair she never knew about—January has not only grown disillusioned with happy endings, but also with the mere act of writing about them. Suffering from both writer’s block and money woes, and desperate to overcome both, she decides to spend the summer at her late father’s lakeside cottage before putting it up for sale, but getting rid of emotional baggage while living under the same roof that her father once shared with his mistress proves to be tricky. And then she discovers her college nemesis, one-time hookup, and literary fiction author Augustus “Gus” Everett living next door, stuck in the same writing rut as her.

“I know how to tell a story, Gus, and I know how to string a sentence together. If you swapped out all my Jessicas for Johns, do you know what you’d get? Fiction. Just fiction. Ready and willing to be read by anyone, but somehow by being a woman who writes about women, I’ve eliminated half the Earth’s population from my potential readers, and you know what? I don’t feel ashamed of that. I feel pissed. That people like you will assume my books couldn’t possibly be worth your time, while meanwhile you could shart on live TV and the New York Times would praise your bold display of humanity.”

Their mutual scorn of each other’s chosen genres immediately renews their old college rivalry, prompting them to challenge one another to step out of their own comfort zones.

“I’d wager you’re about as likely to churn out something dark and dreary as I am to go all When Harry Met Sally.”

But somewhere in their quest to explore each other’s writing processes, they begin to gain a much deeper understanding of one another, too, and January and Gus’s relationship starts to change from writing partners, to friends, to lovers. And as they continue to push the boundaries of a relationship that was meant to remain strictly in the friend zone, they start realising that learning to trust love again, fully and without reservation, might be the only thing that could help them move forward both as writers and as people.

I’d just barely started to heal, and I’d run right out and gotten a crush on the one person who was guaranteed to prove right every single fear I had about relationships.

Henry manages to mine emotional depth throughout the story by infusing her characters with both resilience and vulnerability, with both light and darkness, and by showing us that no matter how one chooses to see the world—through rose-coloured glasses or by needing to delve into the deepest, darkest corners of the human mind in order to understand the world a little better—life doesn’t have to be one big happily-ever-after. It can be an endless string of happy moments that continue to shape us and push us to keep moving forward.

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.

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Beach Read Book Review – Everything you Need To Know

• Author : Emily Henry
• Originally Published : 18 May 2020
• Page Count : 400
• Genre : Romance , Fiction , Contemporary

Buckle up, fellow bookworms, because we’re about to embark on a literary journey that’s as refreshing as a cool sea breeze. As the sun-soaked days of summer linger, there’s no better time to dive into the sandy shores of “Beach Read” by Emily Henry. This novel has been making waves in the literary world, and we’re here to explore whether it’s the perfect companion for your beach bag or just another seashell in the sand.

So, grab your sunglasses and join me as we unpack the sun-kissed pages of this highly anticipated summer read. 

Whether you’re a die-hard book enthusiast or just looking for the next addition to your beachside library, this review has got you covered!

Table of Contents

Character Development

In the sun-soaked world Emily Henry crafts within “Beach Read,” characters are not just names on pages; they are companions on our literary journey. From the quirky neighbor who seems to know everyone’s business to the protagonist navigating the tumultuous waves of life, the characters in “Beach Read” are as diverse as seashells on the shore.

Emily Henry skillfully breathes life into each character, allowing readers to form genuine connections. Whether you find solace in the protagonist’s journey or share a chuckle with the eccentric side characters, the tapestry of personalities adds depth to the narrative. 

Without giving away spoilers, rest assured that each character’s evolution is as unpredictable as the tides, keeping readers eagerly flipping pages to discover the layers beneath the surface.

Writing Style and Narrative

Emily Henry weaves a literary tapestry in “Beach Read” that mirrors the ebb and flow of the ocean waves. The writing style is a delightful blend of wit, charm, and an effortless narrative that transports readers to the fictional coastal town where the story unfolds.

The author’s ability to capture the essence of sun-drenched landscapes and the complexities of human emotions is nothing short of magical. Each chapter is a brushstroke on the canvas, creating a vivid picture that lingers in the reader’s mind. 

The narrative dances between moments of laughter and introspection, mirroring the unpredictability of life’s tides. It’s not just a book; it’s an immersive experience that invites readers to get lost in the pages, savoring every word like a seaside breeze.

Themes and Messages

Beneath the sun-kissed surface of “Beach Read” lies a treasure trove of themes that resonate with the ephemerality of summer days and the depth of human connection.

Emily Henry masterfully intertwines themes of love, self-discovery, and the inherent unpredictability of life’s journey. As readers stroll through the pages, they’ll discover more than just a love story – the narrative serves as a mirror reflecting the complexities of relationships and the importance of embracing life’s twists and turns. 

The underlying messages are like hidden seashells waiting to be discovered, each one imparting a lesson or provoking thoughtful contemplation. “Beach Read” is more than a literary escape; it’s a heartfelt exploration of the human experience, leaving readers with a sense of warmth and contemplation long after the final chapter.

Pacing and Flow

Reading “Beach Read” is like riding the gentle waves of a captivating narrative. Emily Henry has orchestrated a symphony of pacing and flow that keeps readers effortlessly gliding from one chapter to the next. The story unfolds with a rhythmic cadence, allowing for moments of reflection amidst the lively narrative. 

The pacing is akin to the rise and fall of the tide – there are moments of exhilarating excitement and serene contemplation. Each scene seamlessly transitions, creating a reading experience that is as refreshing as a dip in the ocean on a hot summer day.

The flow of the story mirrors the natural progression of life, presenting a harmonious balance between plot progression and introspective pauses. Whether you’re racing through the pages or savoring the prose, the pacing in “Beach Read” is a testament to Emily Henry’s storytelling prowess.

While “Beach Read” basks in the glow of acclaim, even the sunniest shores have a few grains of criticism. Some readers might find that the pacing, which we celebrated earlier, occasionally dips into languid stretches, slowing the narrative momentum. There are moments when the story’s introspective pauses may feel more extended than anticipated, potentially testing the patience of readers seeking a brisker pace.

It’s important to note that these observations are more about personal preferences rather than inherent flaws. What one reader perceives as a leisurely stroll along the shoreline, another may interpret as a slow drift. Despite these nuances, “Beach Read” remains a captivating read, and these points merely highlight areas where personal tastes may differ.

In the literary landscape of summer reads, “Beach Read” by Emily Henry stands tall as a sun-drenched gem. The author’s enchanting writing style and skillful narrative transport readers to a coastal haven filled with love, self-discovery, and the unpredictable currents of life. While every book has its nuances, the captivating character dynamics and thematic depth make “Beach Read” a must-read for those seeking both escapism and introspection. 

As the final pages gently fold, one can’t help but appreciate the unique blend of wit, charm, and poignant moments that make this novel a standout in the genre. So, whether you’re a fan of romance, a seeker of life’s deeper meaning, or simply in need of a literary beach day, “Beach Read” beckons. Dive into its pages, feel the sand between your literary toes, and let the waves of emotion carry you away. Your next summer escape awaits between the covers of this unforgettable tale.

About the Author

Emily Henry, the creative force behind “Beach Read,” is a literary maestro known for crafting tales that resonate with the human experience. With a pen dipped in sunshine and emotion, Emily weaves narratives that transport readers to worlds where love, laughter, and self-discovery dance in harmony.

A wordsmith with a knack for capturing the nuances of life, she has earned a well-deserved place in the hearts of readers. Beyond the pages of “Beach Read,” their literary portfolio is a testament to a commitment to storytelling that transcends genres, leaving an indelible mark on the literary landscape.

“Your thoughts are the heartbeat of our literary community! Whether you found “Beach Read” a delightful escape or have your own insights to share, we invite you to dive into the comments section below. What resonated with you? Are there other summer reads that stole your heart? Your unique perspective adds depth to our bookish haven.

Don’t forget to share your thoughts on social media and let the world know about the literary treasures awaiting them here. Together, let’s turn the page on this discussion and create a ripple effect of literary enthusiasm. Your voice matters, so let it be heard, and let’s build a beachside book club where the tide of ideas never stops flowing! ” – Your Book Corner

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Beach Read by Emily Henry – A book review

Book Name: Beach Read

Author: Emily Henry

Genre: Fiction –  Romance

Characters: Augustus Everett, January Andrews, Peet,

Setting: Michigan ,  The USA

Plot Summary of Beach Read

January Andrews, a romance writer, gives up her belief in love when she hears some life shattering news at her father’s funeral. And that pushes her into a writer’s slump and a financial crunch.

What happens when a romance writer stops believing in love and romance? Ask January Andrews. Her father is dead and she comes to know that her parents’ marriage was not a fairy tale romance as she grew up believing.

Now she is in a writing slump, her mother is not speaking to her and she has to go to her father’s cabin for the summer, because that is all she can afford to, anymore.

To make matters worst, her neighbor is her college nemesis, someone who ridiculed her women centric romance novels.

Does the summer get any better for January? Can she win over her toughest critic? You have to read Beach Read by Emily Henry to know more.

Book review of Beach Read

As a bibliophile, I love reading about writers, and a romance with two writers was just a perfect way to spend my afternoon.

Despite that Beach Read was a bit hard to get into. Of course, it could have been a totally “me” situation. But it is not exactly a fun read that the book cover or the blurb made it out to be.

I loved the witty banter between the main characters and Beach Read was more than a rom-com or just a romance. It deals with many intense topics like grief, loss and infidelity.

The best part about reading Beach Read is getting to know the working process of two different writers and understanding what goes inside their brains. I enjoyed that entirely.

What worked for me

• I loved the witty banter and lively romance of the lead pair.
• Beach Read deals with intense topics like grief and infidelity and is more than just a romance book.
• If you want to see what goes behind your favorite author’s brain, Beach Read might show a glimpse of their writing process.

What may have been better

• If you are looking for a breezy read, Beach Read may prove a bit beyond that. But that may not be a bad thing.

Content warning

Mention of a cult, past mentions of child abuse and domestic abuse, mentions of breast cancer and chemo, adultery, death of a parent.

Bottom line

Beach Read by Emily Henry is a well written romance book that deals with grief and loss. If you wanna read a book about writers writing your favorite book, this might be a great choice.

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• The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Have you read Beach Read by Emily Henry? What is your most recent romance read that you loved? What other books about writing that you love? Let us talk.

Share this:

What a lovely review! I love romance novels and I think this would be a good book to try. Since it talks about domestic abuse, chemotherapy and all. I doubt it would be a factual story filled with situation that would never occur in reality.

Let me know if you like it as much as I did.

I had no idea Beach Read is so intense! I thought it would be a breezy read. Thanks for sharing this review.

I was excited when I saw the book was located where I live, but I think I’ll pass on this one for the time being.

Thanks for the review, the title had made me think it was a ‘beach read’ and I might have picked it up–but thanks to your review I’m going to pass for now. I’m not in the right head space for the heaviness.

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Gayathri has been reviewing books since 2010. When she is not reading books or creating online content, she works as a writer and a digital marketer. Head over to meet me!

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Beach Read | Emily Henry | Book Review

“He fit so perfectly in the love story I’d imagined for myself that I mistook him for the love of my life.” –       Emily Henry, Beach Read

This book has been in my TBR (to be read) pile for almost two years, especially after having seen so many good reviews all over  bookstagram ,

I knew I had to read it but it was never the right time. So, for my birthday month in June, I decided to read romance, my favourite genre, and my most anticipated books. Needless to say, Beach Read was at the top of my list.

The plot as it goes

January Andrews is a romance writer who is broke and on a deadline. In the middle of writer’s block, she decides to come to a beach home that has been left to her without past knowledge about the same. So, to save some rent money she comes to this house hoping to write something to give to her agent.

Augustus Everett is a successful literary fiction author who went to the same college as January and who also now happens to be January’s next-door neighbour at the beach house.

They both are dealing with writer’s block and are fighting their own internal demons when they find themselves with a writing bet! A swap of genres with each other to see who gets published first. As fate would have it, this might just be what they both need.

But what happens when they both share their troubled pasts?

As they keep spending time together under the pretext of research for their new genre, there is a newfound love and respect for their art.

But will they be able to pull off the bet?

Who will get to the book first?

Can their past attractions be rekindled?

My thoughts

January & Gus both write opposite genres and they both have opposing views, so they kind of give an ‘enemies to lovers’ vibe with some cute note/message exchanges between them, while they each write their own story.

The whole going out of their comfort zone and writing/doing something different is so well done, and each in return helping the other with various research activities is adorably cute.

I love Emily’s writing style. The focus is on the characters and their relationships and communications with each other which makes it entertaining to read.

January’s character was so well etched but I didn’t enjoy Gus’s character as much. He is supposed to be the grumpy kind, who communicates only on a need-to-know basis which is frustrating in many instances. The romance too, I found a bit lacking.

Do not be fooled by the title as there is not much chilling out, and easy-breezy acts in this one. The comic vibe is also a tad underdone. There are some serious underlying issues like grief, childhood trauma , and discussions about cults in the context to research for a book.

In all, this is one book that you shouldn’t miss out on, especially if you love reading contemporary romantic fiction .

My favourite part undoubtedly has to be the acknowledgments that they both give in their respective books.

One of which was “For January, I don’t care how the story ends as long as I spend it with you.”

Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of Beach Read using the link below.

This review is contributed by Dr. Nitisha Shah. Nitisha is a 37yr consulting homeopathic physician based in Mumbai. She started reading when she was 7, after getting hooked on the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. Romance is and will always be her favourite genre. She also likes to read thrillers, mysteries, and children’s fiction. You can connect with her on her Instagram page @our_readingjourney, which she started in January 2021 to talk about her and her 7yr old daughter’s reading journey.

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About the Author

Dr. nitisha shah.

Dr. Nitisha Shah is a 37-year-old consulting homeopathic physician based in Mumbai. You can connect with her on her Instagram page @our_readingjourney, which she started in January 2021 to talk about her and her 7yr old daughter’s reading journey.

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Beach Read: What We Know About The Emily Henry Movie Adaptation

Another BookTok adaptation is coming!

• Release Date
• About The Book
• Other Things We Know

Do you hear that? It's the sound of thousands of rom-com lovers flocking to see Beach Rea d the day it comes out—but right now, this is what we know so far about the adaptation. 

Regarding upcoming book-to-screen adaptations , there are plenty I could point to that we, as readers, are incredibly excited about. We could discuss the new A Court of Thorns and Roses TV series and how we're still waiting. Or, we could talk about the latest hit, Fourth Wing, and its new series since the third book will be released in 2025. But today, we'll talk about Beach Read by Emily Henry and how it is being made into a movie. 

But what is Beach Read even about? Who might star in the adaptation? What can we expect? While details are scarce, this is what we know about the upcoming adaptation. 

What Is The Beach Read Release Date?

At the time of writing this, April 2024, there is no set release date for Beach Read. It's not that surprising, as the news was only confirmed by Deadline in April 2023, and these things move slowly in the first pre-production stages. 

That being said, it's good that 2024 is not the set release for Beach Read. So many new movies are released during this time, from the upcoming and anticipated release of Deadpool & Wolverine to the next Pixar film, Inside Out 2 . A new movie based on the book, The Idea of You , will also be released on Amazon Prime in May as part of the 2024 movie schedule , so we're set for 2024. 

However, if Beach Read ended up on the 2025 movie schedule, I would be down to see it—whether in theaters or on my TV screen at home. 

A post shared by Emily Henry (@emilyhenrywrites) A photo posted by on

Who Will Play January and Augustus?

For those who don't know—and even for those who do—Augustus and January are the names of the main characters of Beach Read. 

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If you like watching book adaptations, here are some of the best you should check out. 

As of this writing, no one has been cast in the upcoming adaptation. But that has not stopped the rumor mill from sprouting up new theories, specifically for two actors – Ayo Edebiri , most known for her role in The Bear cast, and Paul Mescal, the star of movies such as All Of Us Are Strangers, Aftersun, the upcoming Gladiator 2 and more. 

There are a few things connected to this theory. First, Edebiri posted a cute picture of them on a now viral St. Patrick's Day post , and while it's adorable and all, there are signs that point to them possibly being the stars of the new film. 

According to Variety , Emily Henry, the author, reposted the picture to her Instagram. While at first, that doesn't seem suspicious, it's an even more significant point to say that Yulin Kuang, the upcoming director of Beach Read, also reposted the picture. Not long after, Emily Henry shared a shot of the first page of Kuang's new script for Beach Read . 

The connections are connecting. Again, nothing is confirmed, but we can't help but wonder that this could be the casting we are waiting for. The actors havet yet to confirm or deny their involvement in the film, so this could end up becoming the best rom-com we've ever seen if Mescal and Edebiri were the ones to star, but we'll have to wait and see when any confirmed casting news is announced. 

Beach Read Is About Two Authors Who Decide To Swap Genres For The Summer

As said above, Beach Read is based on the novel by famous writer Emily Henry. The Deadline article confirmed this. 

The novel follows two writers who are away during the summer and wind up becoming neighbors; both of them are stuck in this writer's block, and have gone through experiences that have caused them to dry up in terms of creating their next new novel. 

Despite being rivals, the two decide to swap their genres for the summer in order to get the creative juices flowing, but that's not the only thing that begins to happen during their time, as feelings slowly begin to form. Cue the romance.

Beach Read Is An Adaptation Of The Novel Of The Same Name

At about 400 pages, Emily Henry's Beach Read was published in 2020 and currently sits at just over 4 stars on GoodReads . That's an impressive score, especially when noting the fact that it's based on more than a million ratings. 

Emily Henry has written several other popular romantic comedy books, including Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and more. She's become a hugely popular author on TikTok and has continued to grow her fanbase over the last few years. 

Beach Read became a New York Times bestseller, earning plenty of other reading awards within the romantic comedy vertical. It was only a matter of time before it was adapted – and most likely becoming the next best rom-com movie .

Yulin Kuang Will Direct And Write The Adaptation

Also mentioned above, Yulin Kuang is the director attached to bring Beach Read to the screen. She has also written the adaptation. 

Kuang is an Emmy-nominated writer and director who has worked on TV shows such as Hulu's Dollface, I Ship It, and more. Kuang is also an established writer where; according to Deadline above, she established a "three-book, seven-figure deal" at Avon for her debut novel, so you know this movie is about to be good. 

Emily Henry Has Two Other Adaptations In The Works

Since details are pretty scarce for Beach Read, something else we know will get you excited – two other Henry books are also in the works to become movies. These include People We Meet on Vacation and Book Lovers. 

Deadline confirmed People We Meet on Vacation in 2022, with Brett Haley attached to direct and Kuang writing the adaptation. Variety later confirmed the adaptation for Book Lovers in March 2023. 

All three of these novels are currently in the pre-production process, according to Henry's website . Even if we don't know that much about them yet, you can be rest assured that we'll update this article as we find out new news. 

What are you excited about when it comes to Beach Read? All I know is that I'm about to re-read this novel during my summer vacation this year to prepare for it. I can't wait.   

A self-proclaimed nerd and lover of Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, Alexandra Ramos is a Content Producer at CinemaBlend. She first started off working in December 2020 as a Freelance Writer after graduating from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in English. She primarily works in features for movies, TV, and sometimes video games. (Please don't debate her on The Last of Us 2, it was amazing!) She is also the main person who runs both our daily newsletter, The CinemaBlend Daily, and our ReelBlend newsletter. 

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Analysis of the first line of "Beach Read" by Emily Henry

"I have a fatal flaw."

Analysis of the first line

The first line of "Beach Read" serves as an intriguing and attention-grabbing opening to the story.

Self-Introduction with a Twist: The line begins with a first-person statement, "I have," which suggests that the narrator is introducing themselves. However, the phrase "a fatal flaw" immediately adds a twist. Instead of a typical self-introduction, the narrator is admitting to having a significant and potentially serious flaw.

Intrigue and Curiosity: The term "fatal flaw" piques the reader's curiosity and raises questions about the nature of this flaw. The word "fatal" implies something severe, perhaps even life-altering, which immediately engages the reader's interest. What could this flaw be, and how will it affect the narrator's life and the story's plot?

Immediate Character Complexity: The line introduces complexity to the narrator's character. By acknowledging a "fatal flaw" upfront, it sets the stage for the exploration of the character's vulnerabilities, challenges, and internal conflicts. It suggests that the character is self-aware and willing to confront their own imperfections.

Potential for Character Growth: The phrase "fatal flaw" also implies the potential for character growth and development throughout the narrative. The reader may anticipate that the character will grapple with and attempt to overcome this flaw, adding depth to the storytelling.

Engaging the Reader: This opening line is designed to engage the reader immediately. It raises questions, invites speculation, and encourages the reader to continue reading in order to discover more about the narrator's character and their "fatal flaw."

In summary, the first line of "Beach Read" is a clever and effective literary device. It draws readers into the story by presenting a character with a mysterious and significant flaw, setting the stage for character development and engaging the reader's curiosity about the narrative's direction. It serves as an enticing opening that encourages readers to delve further into the book to uncover the secrets behind this "fatal flaw" and the character's journey.

Analysis of the title The title "Beach Read" by Emily Henry is both simple and evocative, and it holds several layers of meaning and emotional resonance within the context of the story.

Surface Expectation: On the surface, the title "Beach Read" suggests a light, entertaining, and perhaps even escapist novel that is ideal for reading while relaxing on the beach. It conveys a sense of leisure, ease, and enjoyment, setting up an expectation of a story that is perfect for a carefree summer read.

Genre Subversion: While the title initially aligns with the romance or light fiction genres, "Beach Read" subverts genre expectations. It's not just a breezy love story but rather a more complex narrative that delves into deeper themes, emotions, and character development. This subversion adds an element of surprise and depth to the reader's experience.

Symbolism of the Beach: The beach itself can symbolize different things to different people, such as relaxation, escape, or a place for contemplation. In the context of the story, the beach represents a backdrop against which the characters confront their personal challenges and engage in self-discovery. It's a place where significant moments occur and where the characters grapple with their emotions and relationships.

Literary Allusion: The title also alludes to the act of reading itself. It suggests that reading, even when done on a beach or in a casual setting, can be a meaningful and transformative experience. It highlights the idea that books have the power to take readers on journeys, evoke emotions, and offer insights, even in seemingly light or recreational contexts.

Irony and Complexity: There is an element of irony and complexity in the title. While "Beach Read" hints at a lighthearted story, the novel explores themes of love, loss, grief, and personal growth, adding layers of depth and emotion that go beyond the surface expectation of a simple beach read. This contrast underscores the book's ability to surprise and engage the reader on multiple levels.

Why should you read this book

"Beach Read" by Emily Henry is a compelling novel that offers readers a unique and engaging reading experience.

Complex Characters: The novel features well-developed and relatable characters who undergo personal growth and transformation throughout the story. The main characters, January and Gus, are flawed yet endearing, making their journeys of self-discovery and healing compelling to follow.

Exploration of Writerly Themes: "Beach Read" delves into the world of writing and creativity. Both January and Gus are writers with distinct approaches to their craft, and the book explores the challenges and joys of being a writer. If you're interested in the creative process, authorship, and the nuances of storytelling, this book provides a unique perspective.

Blend of Romance and Literary Fiction: The novel skillfully combines elements of romance and literary fiction. It offers a love story that is not only heartfelt and passionate but also emotionally rich and complex. The dual narrative adds depth to the story, making it more than just a traditional romance.

Themes of Healing and Self-Discovery: "Beach Read" tackles themes of grief, loss, healing, and self-discovery. The characters confront their pasts and learn to navigate their emotions and relationships, making the story emotionally resonant and relatable. It offers valuable insights into personal growth and the importance of facing one's past.

Humor and Wit: The book is infused with humor and wit, which adds levity and charm to the narrative. Emily Henry's writing is clever and engaging, making the story both entertaining and thought-provoking. The banter and chemistry between the characters add an enjoyable layer to the reading experience.

In summary, "Beach Read" is a delightful and thought-provoking novel that offers a blend of romance, literary exploration, and personal growth. It features complex characters, explores writerly themes, and provides an emotionally resonant journey for readers. Whether you're looking for a touching love story, a reflection on the creative process, or a book that explores themes of healing and self-discovery, "Beach Read" is a compelling choice.

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Beach Read: Deluxe Edition Hardcover – October 1, 2024

• Print length 400 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Berkley
• Publication date October 1, 2024
• ISBN-10 0593817419
• ISBN-13 978-0593817414
• See all details

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About the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved., product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley; Deluxe edition (October 1, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593817419
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593817414
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
• #457 in Contemporary Women Fiction
• #925 in Romantic Comedy (Books)
• #3,747 in Contemporary Romance (Books)

About the author

Emily henry.

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Happy Place, Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read. She studied creative writing at Hope College, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. Find her on Instagram @EmilyHenryWrites.

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17 New Books Coming in April

New novels from Emily Henry, Jo Piazza and Rachel Khong; a history of five ballerinas at the Dance Theater of Harlem; Salman Rushdie’s memoir and more.

Credit... The New York Times

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The Cemetery of Untold Stories , by Julia Alvarez

After decades in America, a Dominican writer named Alma Cruz “retires” to a scrappy piece of real estate she’s inherited in her homeland. But a riot of stories — historical, magical, irrepressible — are still fighting to be told, so she builds a graveyard where their spirits can rise once more.

Algonquin, April 2

The Mango Tree , by Annabelle Tometich

The felony that opens Tometich’s sweet, sharp memoir sets the tone for the whole story: Her mother has been arrested for brandishing a gun at a would-be mango thief. No one is shocked — Tometich’s mother is a force of nature, and her beloved mango tree is the metaphorical center of their sometimes chaotic, often complicated family.

Little, Brown, April 2

The Sicilian Inheritance , by Jo Piazza

Twinned narratives guide the fizzy, food-y latest from Piazza: the modern-day saga of a flailing Philadelphia chef who honors the dying wish of a beloved great-aunt by journeying back to her ancestral Italian homeland, and flashbacks to the plucky great-grandmother whose battle against the constraints of early-20th-century Sicilian womanhood may have ended in her murder.

Dutton, April 2

Sociopath , by Patric Gagne

“Rules do not factor into my decision-making,” the author, a Ph.D. in psychology, writes. “I’m capable of almost anything.” Her new memoir argues that this personality type is more common, and more complicated, than we think.

Simon & Schuster, April 2

Fi , by Alexandra Fuller

In her fifth memoir, Fuller writes about the sudden, unexplained death of her 21-year-old son. She also writes about his too-short life, and explores the adage about life going on. Does it, really? And if so, how?

Grove, April 9

The Limits , by Nell Freudenberger

There’s little limit to the ambitions of Freudenberger’s hefty new novel, which skips from a small volcanic island in the South Pacific to the concrete canyons of Manhattan in a complex tale of co-parenting, second marriages, class and climate change. (Also, coral reefs.)

Knopf, April 9

Somehow , by Anne Lamott

“Thoughts on Love” is the subtitle of Lamott’s 20th book, which considers the subject in its romantic, platonic and spiritual varieties.

Riverhead, April 9

The Wide Wide Sea , by Hampton Sides

When the British naval officer James Cook set off for his voyage across the globe in 1776, his ostensible goal was to ferry Mai, a handsome and witty Tahitian man, back to Polynesia. But, as Sides shows in this vivid recounting, the leitmotif of what became Cook’s final journey was his confrontation with the dire results of his meddling in the region.

Doubleday, April 9

The Wives , by Simone Gorrindo

When Gorrindo’s husband joined an army unit and was promptly deployed overseas, the New York-based journalist was not just relocated to a base in Georgia, but to a completely new life. “The Wives” — both memoir and love letter — is a tribute to the community of women she found there, a unique source of support unlike any she had ever known.

Scout Press, April 9

Knife , by Salman Rushdie

Rushdie’s new memoir is a detailed account of the harrowing events of Aug. 12, 2022, when he was attacked onstage at a public talk. More than 30 years after the supreme leader of Iran issued a fatwa on his life, the writer turns to his craft to “make sense of the unthinkable.”

Random House, April 16

A Body Made of Glass , by Caroline Crampton

Crampton, a British journalist, weaves her own cancer diagnosis, and its cure, into this cultural history of hypochondria, which also considers such literary figures as Charles Darwin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Philip Larkin.

Ecco, April 23

Funny Story , by Emily Henry

Henry’s latest contribution to the library of lightheartedness is a novel of opposites. What happens when spurned lovers team up against the people who hurt them? Bonus points because one character in this love square happens to be a small town librarian.

Berkley, April 23

Reboot , by Justin Taylor

This satire of modern media and pop culture follows a former child actor who is trying to revive the TV show that made him famous. Taylor delves into the worlds of online fandom while exploring the inner life of a man seeking redemption — and something meaningful to do.

Pantheon, April 23

The Demon of Unrest , by Erik Larson

Abraham Lincoln hadn’t even settled into his new job as president of the United States when the country he was narrowly elected to lead began to crack apart. Larson, a best-selling historian, traces the figures who tried to stop the American Civil War from happening in the lead-up to the attack on Fort Sumter.

Crown, April 30

A Life Impossible, by Steve Gleason and Jeff Duncan

In 2011, Steve Gleason, a former safety for the New Orleans Saints, learned that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (A.L.S.) and was told he had three years to live. “A Life Impossible” is his memoir of marriage, fatherhood, his football career and surviving the last decade.

Knopf, April 30

Real Americans , by Rachel Khong

Khong’s sophomore novel is a tale about the evolution of one family over the course of generations. As the story opens, Lily, who is the daughter of Chinese immigrants, begins a love affair with Matthew, the wealthy son of an aristocratic family. But as Lily and her child eventually learn, their family history is more complicated than it seems.

The Swans of Harlem , by Karen Valby

In the wake of M.L.K.’s assassination, the George Balanchine protégé Arthur Mitchell felt compelled to establish a space where Black bodies could break the lily-white codes of ballet and hold center stage. And so the Dance Theater of Harlem was born — and with it, the careers of five “swans” whose journey through the cultural, political and physical tumult of the times Valby chronicles here.

Pantheon, April 30

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