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Book Reviews

Book Review: Beach Read

Beach Read book by Emily Henry in beachy setting

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Being that beach reads are my favorites, I was obviously going to read a book titled Beach Read no matter the reviews (which I found to be mixed). But here’s the thing…there has been a lot of debate over whether it’s actually a beach read.

What is a beach read anyway? The New Yorker dissected its history in a piece last year. Until recently, I always thought beach reads were overall feel-good reads. That didn’t mean they were “fluff,” as I’ve heard some skeptics claim, but that it was something you could enjoy on a day on the beach when you probably don’t want to be diving into learning something new or weighing something heavy.

After watching my #bookstagram friends all summer, I decided beach reads fall into a few buckets: romance, women’s fiction, thrillers and summer new releases (which can encompass memoir, literary fiction and all sorts of other genres). I recognize, however, that it’s up for debate. At the end of the day, a beach read is whatever book you want to pack up and take to the beach. Or to the backyard when you’re pretending you’re at the beach.

Which brings us back to Beach Read. The cover very clearly looks like a book set at the beach. Classic beach read atmosphere for obvious reasons.

Except it’s not a beach with an ocean. It’s a beach on a lake in Michigan, a fact many readers and reviewers I saw took exception to. I was so intrigued by this debate (especially as someone who always grew up going to beaches in Florida), I decided to do a poll in my Instagram stories. I asked: Do you consider a sandy shore on a lake a beach? The results…

Okay, so for some of you this book already has a strike against it because it’s set at a lake house in Michigan. And, if I’m remembering correctly, there are only two brief visits down to the beach in the entire book. At no point are the characters down on the beach reading or writing as the cover would suggest.

Some will argue that although the cover might lead you to think the main setting is a beach, the book is actually titled Beach Read because the author who is the heroine in the novel writes beach reads. Except the character never says she writes beach reads. She says she writes romance novels. And yes, romance is one of the genres I think commonly gets categorized as a beach read, but it still makes it seem like an odd choice for the title.

Which brings me to my review. I think the title is misleading, and that’s why I think I saw some negative reviews and some “DNF” (aka, Did Not Finish) from my #bookstagram friends. If you want a light, feel-good beach read…this is not it.

All that being said, I thought it was a great book. It dives into some heavy stuff around grief and confidence and complicated personal relationships, but it’s gritty and real. It’s not my usual type of read at all, but I still really enjoyed it. I think at least part of the reason is that I’m an author and enjoy reading books about authors (and this one had two–the heroine and the hero). But I also love a good slow burn kind of romance, and this was definitely one of those.

If you’re willing to put aside the title, you’ll find a great opposites attract tale that’s somewhere between women’s fiction and a romantic comedy. January Andrews and Augustus Everett are both bestselling authors in their own genres–her romance and him literary fiction. Oh yeah, and they both totally crushed on each other in college although neither of them had any idea. Now they’ve run into one another again as they become neighbors, both struggling to write their next book.

In true rom-com fashion, they decide on a bet. They’ll swap genres and each try to write in the other’s genre–whoever sells their book first wins. Of course, they’ll not only be living next door to one another, they’ll also be taking each other on field trips to teach the other important aspects of their process for their respective genres.

Fighting their attraction for one another goes far beyond simply thinking the other isn’t interested, however. They both have some major demons to face. I found it grappled with much bigger issues than the types of romance and women’s fiction I generally review here. Augustus is also not the typical hunk you find in most of the books I read, and I know a lot of readers who said the reason they didn’t like the book was that they couldn’t imagine being attracted to him. I get that. I didn’t find him attractive either, but their chemistry was off the charts and that kept me hooked.

But it was a great read. I finished it in just a few days and was really rooting for them the whole way. Even with the mixed reviews and the tendency to feel like you’re not getting what you bargained for based on the title and cover alone, I still highly recommend this one.

XOXO
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Emily Henryopposites attract
Book Review: Beach Read

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I write small town romance novels set in beachy locations. Stick an umbrella in your drink and go on a mental vacation with me!

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When you write a book set at the beach, you revers When you write a book set at the beach, you reverse outline by the beach/pool for inspiration. 🌴
#FridayKiss: candy

This is from my MS with:
👩‍❤️‍👨Enemies to lovers
🏖️Small beach town
💌You've Got Mail vibes
📚The cutest Little Free Library
The hubby @seegreatart and I took a road trip to F The hubby @seegreatart and I took a road trip to Fort Pierce, FL this weekend to see the latest Florida Highwaymen exhibition at @aebackusmuseum. 🎨 

My hubby has written extensively on the Florida Highwaymen, and we are lucky to get to see so much of their work here in Florida. This group of more than two dozen African American painters captured the Florida landscape in bright, vivid colors from the 1950s on. They could often be found selling the paintings out of the trunks of their cars. 

You used to be able to nab these paintings in garage sales around the state from people who didn't know what they had. However, those days are long gone. Now, these paintings can go for tens of thousands.

One of the original Highwaymen, Roy “R.A.” McLendon, was in attendance last evening. How work hangs in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.

Have you ever seen these paintings around FL?
#FridayKiss from the MS I #amquerying, SUMMER BY T #FridayKiss from the MS I #amquerying, SUMMER BY THE BOOK:

The woman blushed and seemed embarrassed that Lucy had caught her looking through the shelf. "Do you have Hydrangeas on Hill Street?"

"I do." Lucy nodded, moving to the left of the woman and plucking the title off the shelf. "I read it when it first came in. It's a lovely book."

"I feel a little silly." The woman opened the book and turned it so Lucy could see the author photograph on the back flap. "It's my first book. I still get a little thrill every time I find it in a bookstore." Her cheeks still flushed pink, her eyes not meeting Lucy's.
Cheers to 2022 🥂 In fiction writing accomplish Cheers to 2022 🥂

In fiction writing accomplishments this year:

💋 I landed the incredible @authorjessicalepe as my #KissPitch mentor

💻 I edited my Little Free Library romance 

📨 I started querying my Little Free Library romance 

🎉 I got 10 full requests so far 

⌨️ I started editing my country music romance

✍️ I started outlining a new story 

Considering how busy I've been as @sportsbizmiss this year, that seems like a lot! Excited to see what 2023 brings. I really feel in my gut like it's the year I'll get a book deal for my romance! 🤞 Just putting that out into the universe!
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