Review: Beach Read

I'm sure you've been seeing Beach Read by Emily Henry everywhere. I sure have. I first heard about it well before it's publication date (which was this past May) when a few bloggers I know in the US got advance copies. They were raving about it and, since I trust their opinions when it comes to contemporary titles, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Plus, just look at that cover! These days, an illustrated cover like that almost always contains a story I absolutely adore. And, luckily for me, the recommendations and cover did not let me down. I really, really enjoyed this book.

Here's the synopsis:

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.

One of the things I liked best about this book was how deep it went. I'm sure most people expected a typical "beach read" with it's title (more on that later) but Gus and January's lives were not all sunshine, rainbows, and beach days. There's bantering and flirting - two of my favourite things to read about - but there's also really serious family issues and professional problems too. Waiting for January and Gus to figure out that they're in love and totally belong together is only a small part of the story (a really fun part, don't get me wrong) and that's part of what made this book stick with me.

Let's get into the whole beach read thing here for a second. Because I like to take every opportunity I have to remind people that All. Books. Are. Beach. Books. Everyone has different tastes. That's why there are countless books published every year. So to call a story like Henry's a "beach book" because it isn't literary or written by a man is insulting to Henry and all other authors like her. I totally get that people want stories that are maybe slightly less taxing/emotionally difficult and contain more humour when they're on vacation but I think the nuances in books like Beach Read get lost in the label of vacay/pool/beach book. Long rant short: read whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. 

Back to the story! I really liked the writer's block/author aspect of Henry's novel. Well, reading about writers in novels in general is one of my favourites so it's really no surprise this one thrilled me. I also really liked the writing "journey" (if we want to be cliched and call it such) January goes on. She loves her romances - loves writing them, loves reading them, loves talking about them - and has no shame in it (see above rant for why I especially loved that). But she feels stuck. And I think that's totally fair. I imagine when you're a writer, or in any creative profession, you don't want to be doing the same thing that's expected all the time. (I mean, it's fine if you do. To each their own, etc.) And to feel like you're not allowed to write something a little different? Frustrating. So I liked that January pushed herself and realized how she could take her love of romance and add a little something extra to it. 

I wasn't completely sold on Gus. Or maybe it's more that I didn't feel like I got to know quite enough about him. The reader does get some of his backstory and I really did like him as a person (and as a partner for January) but he didn't pop off the page as much as January did. 

I had fun the entire time I was reading Beach Read. (Except, perhaps, when January was dealing with the issues with her dad and when they were researching the cult.) I loved reading as January and Gus wrote notes and held them up to each other (talk about swoon). I loved their writing "dates" (they wouldn't call them dates to start but we all know that's what they were). I loved that it was a little bit of a second chance romance (I'm a sucker for that trope even when they didn't technically date in the past). It was just all so great and exactly what I needed to be reading at the time. 

Emily Henry has written a novel that's so thoroughly enjoyable. Beach Read is clever, with wicked smart and funny main characters, and it doesn't shy away from the tough issues either. It'll make you laugh and think and probably desperately wish you were at a beach house of your own instead of dealing with a pandemic. Just me? But seriously, friends, read this one. I think you'll love it too!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, via Edelweiss in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Summer Without You

Guys, I am kicking myself for not reading Karen Swan's The Summer Without You last summer when it was sent to me. I could have been recommending this novel to people for a whole year! Especially those who have been looking for vacation or beach or honeymoon reads. The shame! I'm glad I finally did read it because I freaking loved it.

Here's the synopsis:

Rowena Tipton isn't looking for a new life, just a new adventure, something to while away the months as her long-term boyfriend presses pause on their relationship before they become engaged. But when a chance encounter at a New York wedding leads to an audition for a coveted houseshare in The Hamptons - Manhattan's elite beach scene - suddenly a new life is exactly what she's got. Stretching before her is a summer with three eclectic housemates, long days on white sand ocean beaches and parties on gilded tennis courts. But high rewards bring high stakes and Rowena soon finds herself caught in the crossfire of a vicious intimidation campaign. Alone for the first time in her adult life, she has no-one to turn to but a stranger who is everything she doesn't want - but possibly everything she needs...

I would say that The Summer Without You is the perfect summer read. At first glance it could seem like a total fluff book (which you all know I love) but there's so much more to it. I don't want to give much away because I think it's nice to be surprised but I will say there's an intense end to the novel that I didn't see coming. This book is perfect for your next vacation or beach day because it has a great setting (Hamptons, anyone?) and a completely engaging storyline. 

So here's a bit of a problem for me with this book. Swan, the author, is English, as is Ro, the main character. I've read a ton of English books so I know a few phrases and words that are unfamiliar to some Canadians and Americans. That's not the issue...the problem is when the American characters are using British phrases. It happened a few times throughout the book but the one instance that really stuck out for me was when one of the roommates used the term "torch" when they were out at night. An American would not use "torch", they'd say "flashlight". It's not a huge deal but it was still a wee bit of an annoyance. (Note: While the copy I read was an ARC, I did check a final copy of the novel and this error was not caught in the final editing process.)

I really liked reading about Ro and her roommates. The story wouldn't have been as fun or enriching had it not been for her roommates. They were all so smart, fun, and sweet (in their own ways) that I found myself wishing for Happily Ever Afters for all of them (as you do when you're reading a novel like this!). I liked that all of the characters who were introduced had an important part to play in the plot. There was a lot going on, and much that you don't even realize is important, so having unnecessary characters would have been annoying. Every character had a journey to go on and I loved that. I almost wish that Swan would take us back to the Hamptons to revisit some of the characters, especially Hump, because I don't feel like everyone's story is finished. 

Emotions run high in this novel and I appreciated how Swan wrote the story so I was feeling everything the characters were. Though I was feeling some annoyance at Ro because she hadn't clued in to what had really happened with someone and I hated how she was jumping to conclusions. Actually, Ro kind of annoyed me a lot throughout the book. Her behaviour was questionable at the beginning and I wasn't really sure how I was going to feel about her. Once she started to live her own life, things started to change for the better, thankfully!

I loved The Summer Without You for so many reasons. Karen Swan has written an emotionally engaging novel that is so much more than its cover suggests. It'll hook you like it did me - I couldn't stop thinking about it! You need to pick up a copy and add it to you beach bag! 

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Top Ten Tuesday: Good Beach Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created this feature because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature. This week's list contains ten books I think would be great beach reads. I chose some of them because they take place at the beach, some because the story occurs during the summer, and others because they feature traveling. It's an interesting compilation and I hope some others' favourites are on here as well - and that you might find a new favourite! Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating.

1. Anything by Sarah Dessen
Almost all of her books take place in Colby - a sweet little beach town that I'd love to visit. Or maybe all of them do...can't quite remember. I've been reading her books for so long it's hard to keep track! My favourites are This Lullaby and Along for the Ride.

2. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares
Friends, summer, traveling pants. Need I say more?

3. Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Along the same lines as the Sisterhood, this series follows three unlikely friends as they deal with boys, parents, summer jobs, and life in general while spending the summer on a peach farm in Georgia.

4. The Queen of Babble series by Meg Cabot
Lizzie is so hilarious and this is a light hearted and excellent series that's great for the beach.

5. What Stays in Vegas by Beth Labonte
I read this one while on a cruise and I thought it was a perfect time to be reading it. Therefore, I think it would work well for a beach read!

6. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
I loved this book (and the sequel) and Ginny's traveling story lends itself well to the beach!

7. Spin by Catherine McKenzie
The main character, a journalist, goes undercover at a rehab facility to get the scoop on a celebrity. A fabulous book!

8. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
I love this movie and I really enjoyed getting the chance to read this book. It's so much more insightful and the love Mayes and her husband have of Italy really comes through the pages.

9. Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell
This is probably the best way to bring TV to the beach.

10. The Bride Quartet series by Nora Roberts
Roberts' books are always light and this series features four friends who have a wedding planning company so it takes place predominantly in the summer. I loved them and think they'd be perfect for poolside!


What books do you think make great beach reads?

Happy reading :)