May 2021 Standalone BOTM - Beach Read, by Emily Henry

[Alaina]

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.

**This BOTM thread will be open until June 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

[Kimberly~☆♡Love of Books♡☆]

Got my book already!:) will start reading soon!

[Shay]

Chapter 4
(view spoiler)[
I have just started the book.
Not a big fan of the writing style.
(hide spoiler)]

[Shay]

Chapter 8
(view spoiler)[
At this point I can't say that I care a lot about the characters.
There are some weird things like why did he act as if he didn't know who she was.
Them challenging each other was a bit strange since he doesn't even like the genre.
(hide spoiler)]

[Shay]

Chapter 12
(view spoiler)[
This is a slow burn. It feels like January sort of had a crush on Gus back in college.
The characters are pretty flat. It is as if the author is using drama to add depth to the characters.
(hide spoiler)]

[Shay]

Chapter 16
(view spoiler)[
This book is so dull. I guess a huge reason why I am not liking this book is that I thought it was going to be a light read. just a lovely romcom, but this is not what I expected.
why is January so distressed that Gus was married?
I just can't relate to any of the characters.
(hide spoiler)]

[Melanie]

Chapter 11 (view spoiler)[ Oh this is cute so far! I like the competition that Gus and January are going to have. Sounds really fun. Cute! (hide spoiler)]

[Kimberly~☆♡Love of Books♡☆]

this was a great beach read! ;)

[Mikkeline]

This was okay... i liked The Right Swipe more

[Melanie]

Finished (view spoiler)[ Okay, overall I enjoyed this book. It was a decent and quick read. I liked the characters.
I cannot get over how terribly I feel the cover and title matches the book. LIke...it does not fit AT ALL for me!? Does anyone else have that feeling? (hide spoiler)]

[Melanie]

Shrouk wrote: "Chapter 16
spoilers hidden
(view spoiler)[Okay I agree! This seems like it is going to be a cute romcom and then it isn't. I think the reason January is so upset that Gus is still married is a)because he didn't tell her and she had this false impression of his reasons for hating romance. b)because she likes him and this makes her feel like the other woman, just as Sonia was to her mother. (hide spoiler)]

[Melanie]

Kimber~☆♡Love of Books♡☆ wrote: "this was a great beach read! ;)"

lol. Okay, actually I was really surprised this was way less light-hearted than I thought it would be!

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

23% (view spoiler)[I can’t imagine finding out your father had another life after his death, I mean he cheated and had a home with a mistress while his wife had cancer. O.M.G. Now she has to clean out said house, oh no 😢 (hide spoiler)]
55% (view spoiler)[I’m glad they talked about his marriage. I hate when couples never actually talk to one another, granted she was drunk and snarky but they worked it out 😝 (hide spoiler)]
83% (view spoiler)[Didn’t take them long to admit their feelings which is nice. Really hoping nothing comes along to break them up 😶 (hide spoiler)]
Finished (view spoiler)[Ok so I enjoyed this. I respect him stepping back to make sure the heroine was who he wanted and not his wife. But at the same time I’m like damn, he actually had to take two days to think about it. That bothers me, I mean his wife cheated and shacked up with his best man and he had to think about taking her back!?! 🤬 I dunno that kinda kills the happy endorphins a bit. Enjoyed the book overall. (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Shrouk wrote: "Chapter 12

This is a slow burn. It feels like January sort of had a crush on Gus back in college.
The characters are pretty flat. It is as if the author is using drama to add depth to the charact..."

(view spoiler)[Yeah kinda dull. I found them even knowing each other years ago to be an unnecessary plot point. Like so what? Lol (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Melanie wrote: "Shrouk wrote: "Chapter 16
spoilers hidden
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah that was the vibe I got. Especially when the ex came back around, she started feeling like the other woman or the rebound and then like a dumbass he waits a couple days to tell the heroine that was not the case. (hide spoiler)]

[Shay]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Melanie wrote: "Shrouk wrote: "Chapter 16
spoilers hidden
[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[
I feel like this is the reason why I'm not enjoying this. I was expecting something and got something different.
(hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Shrouk wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Melanie wrote: "Shrouk wrote: "Chapter 16
spoilers hidden
[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"


I feel like this is the reason why I'm not enjoying this. I was expecting ..."

(view spoiler)[It was certainly not a beach read in my opinion lol (hide spoiler)]