Beach Read is a contemporary romantic novel which tells the story of 2 authors who are competing with each other to out-write them. Be cautious before proceeding, because this book handles very difficult subjects such as the loss of loved ones. Written by Emily Henry, her another romantic novel recently came out in 2022 titled Book Lovers.
The title is a not-so-subtle hint that this is a beach read (sort of) romance, in which opposites attract. But the cryptic message on the back cover that “no one will fall in love” is a hint too.
Summary Read Time: Less than 5 minutes
Actual Book Length: 361
First Published in: 2020
Below is the detailed yet quick summary of the book:
January Andrews is a chick-lit novelist whose life is a bit of a wreck after the death of her father Walt. At the funeral, she meets his lover, Sonya, who reveals that he has been cheating on his mother all along, destroying her idea of their happy marriage. Jan is also currently semi-homeless and single due to her ex) boyfriend Jack’s inability to deal with the emotional impact of her. As a result, January becomes disillusioned with love and finds it difficult to write about romance.
Sonya also sends January a letter from her father and the key to her secret love nest, a lake house in North Bear Shores, Michigan. January moved there to write, and her neighbor turned out to be the handsome but tough Augustus Everett (“Gus” or “SEG”), a former college rival. In college, they both competed for the same writing awards, and he poked fun at her upbeat writing. He’s also a promiscuous and committed addict. Today, he writes literary fiction.
When January confides in her about her block of writers, they offer a challenge. Gus will write Happily Ever After and January will try his hand at the literary fiction genre. Whoever sells their e-book first wins. The loser has to help sell the other’s e-books. They also fit into different shapes in terms of their respective genders. January and Gus drew each of their books at some point during the week, went out at night, and on weekends they each had the opportunity to design an “educational” hobby for others. Gus put in January in a series of interviews and tours related to a cult called New Eden that has become a place that once had a place in the area. January brings Gus to such things as a day by the sea, a carnival, a romantic movie marathon, and other romantic fodder.
As they get to know each other, January tells Gus about her mother’s cancer, her father’s betrayal, her ex, and more. Gus is more cautious but with the help of Pete, Gus’ aunt, January finally learns of Gus’ abusive father, his mother’s death, and how his ex-wife Naomi left him for her best friend. , Parker.
Things get romantic between January and Gus, but January also admits that he has deep trust issues that need to be worked out. Finally, when January confronts Gus about her behavior, he admits that he’s been crazy about her since college and is afraid of how she feels because he’s always been a mess right now. mess. Their romantic relationship continued to grow, and January finally finished its book. However, Naomi later shows up to look for Gus, and is nowhere to be found.
Sonya also shows up, asking to speak to January. She explains how Walt was her first boyfriend in high school and how they initially reconnected when January’s parents separated. Walt planned to move to the North Bear Shores until January’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, which ended it all. However, Sonya and Walt later rekindled their illicit relationship, but again went up in smoke when January’s mother finally got better. Sonya also urges January to finally read the letter he left her. This led to January arriving with a stack of letters from his father, one written every day of his birthday, as well as the keys to the boat that bore his name.
When Gus reappears, he tells January that Naomi has broken up with Parker and wants to get back together. However, he knows he wants to stay with January. Nine months later, January received enhanced copies of her book, and Gus’s book was also completed. When Gus’ enhanced clone arrives, January sees that it is dedicated to him and she tells him that she loves him.
