Enemies to lovers, steamy romance, family drama
Review:
This book. I don’t think I’ve ever related more to a book nor have I ever fallen in love so quickly with one. I initially started this as an audiobook, but after the first chapter there was so much I wanted to highlight that I stopped and ordered the physical book.
There is so much of this book to love - family dynamics, enemies to lovers, a quirky town, etc. January and Augustus were two of the best characters I’ve ever read. January’s complicated relationship with romance as a romance writer was beautifully written and felt incredibly real. The juxtaposition between her internal conflict with love and her willingness to open up to the world around her made her refreshingly complex.
Augustus ‘Gus’ Everett. Oh my god. He is absolutely one of the best characters I have ever read. He was the ultimate grump, but watching him slowly thaw as we learned more about him and his past was beautiful. I blushed more times than I can count and I think I have a genuine crush on him.
January and Gus challenged and brought out the best in each other even when they were frustrated with each other. They complimented each other's strengths and weaknesses beautifully. Their banter and slow-burn tension was through the roof from start to finish (I mean the drive-in movie scene, come on 🥵).
I do wish the storyline involving her dad built up into something bigger, but ultimately it did feel very realistic, so I can’t knock it.
Everything about Beach Read was a home run from the chemistry, to their author research days, to the zany side characters. Henry’s writing is captivating and brilliant. She teetered between heaviness and lightness so perfectly that you were left feeling so whole and fulfilled. I could not recommend this book more.
Favorite Quote:
“And that was the moment I realized: 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 thought - think it's brave to believe in love. I mean, the lasting kind. To try for that, even knowing it can hurt you."
"Every single person on the planet had to take turns hurting. Sometimes all you could do was hold on to each other tight until the dark spat you back out."
"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."
"Bad things don't dig down through your life until the pit's so deep that nothing good will ever be big enough to make you happy again. No matter how much shit, there will always be wildflowers."
Rating:
5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️