Beach Read by Emily Henry

I decided to change it up a bit this time and go for a contemporary romance. Normally, paranormal and fantasy are my go-to, but Beach Read by Emily Henry seemed like a light, fun read. 

I got this edition from Book of the Month, a book subscription that gives you one hardcover a month for $14.99. 

Beach Read is about January, a romance author suffering from writer’s block who ends up summering in the house her father shared with his mistress before he passed away. Her neighbor turns out to be none other than her college rival, Augustus Everett. This one is what I like to call enemie-to-lovers lite, because they’re rivals, but they don’t outright dislike each other. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. They make a bet–January has to write an angsty novel in the same vein as Gus’ previous works, and Gus has to write a romance, a genre he’s always looked down on.

What ensues is a summer full of self-discovery, a nice, slow-burn romance, and an understanding of what it means to be family. It delivered on the light read I was looking for, at least for the most part. January’s grieving process over the loss of her father and simultaneous discovery that he was leading a second life took over a lot of the plot, but in a good way. Through her own healing, she was able to help Gus with some of his own, which helped them come out stronger in the end.