Another February post, another romance review. Emily Henry’s Beach Read is a popular one and I finally got around to reading it. I have to say, I was a little disappointed by the misleading title, but not in the way that you would think.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. While 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.

January and Augutus are well developed characters in their own right, but together they bring out both sides of each other’s characterisations: the positive and the negative, rain or shine. Each has an outward persona they exude, but beneath the surface the inner turmoil, conflicts, and histories show their true selves. The fact they have shared history together dated back to school and how they have developed since then makes their budding friendship all the more believable. Seeing them create this compeition and explore each other’s true selves – not to mention their feelings for each other – make for such an intriguing, engrossing read.

Here’s the disappointing part. The book is called Beach Read, however, our setting is a lakeside neighbourhood, giving us picturesque views of the lake in not just the sunshine but in the stormy rain too. I get that Lake Read doesn’t carry the same preconcieved vibes, but I feel like it is actually more fitting for the narrative. The moodiness of a lake and the surrounding forests conveys more accurately the complexities of the story and January and Augustus’ relationship. Even though this is set in summer, you could be fooled to believe its a spring or autumnal setting at times.

The themes and ideas explored in this novel are interesting and relatable, making it a read many can connect to and enjoy on a personal level. There are light-hearted moments between the main characters and the locals, and then there are darker, heavier scenes that linger for a while, not just for January and Augustus but for the reader too. A great balance of emotional engagement is met in Beach Read, and while it reminds me of Book Lovers, there are clear differences that set the two apart. I’m not sure which one I like better – I think I’m leaning towards Beach Read.

I would highly recommend this book to all romance, adult contemporary, and general adult fiction readers. It is full of interesting scenes and ideas, contains beauitufl settings and landscapes, and the main characters are entertaining to folllow. So, I will leave you all with this – can it be a beach read if it is set on a lake?