The book “Beach Read” by Emily Henry follows January Andrews, whose father passes away and left her his beach house. January is a romance author and loves a happy ending. The other main character, August Everett, is also an author but is the exact opposite of January. While January writes feel-good stories, August has no issues with killing off his characters at the end of his stories. The two characters meet when August is having a get-together and the music is a bit too loud for January’s taste, so she goes over to ask him to turn it down. There she finds out her neighbor is her former college rival. I really liked reading the opposites-attract genre. Emily Henry did an amazing job of starting the story off and ending it in a way most people wouldn’t have expected.

I really enjoyed the tension between the two main characters. I also liked the detail she put into explaining the family issues that January was experiencing; the house she inherited from her father was the house her father used to cheat on January’s mom while they were still married. To add a cherry on top, January’s mom was battling cancer at the time. What I’m used to hearing about romance books is how there are more sex scenes than plot. While there are steamy scenes in this book, what differs is that in “Beach Read” the tension built and had me wanting to find out what would happen next. 

That’s what I always look for when reading books, something that draws me in and makes me want more. One thing I was so curious about, was August’s point of view throughout the story. I wish more books switched perspectives. I feel like romance novels would take a turn for the better. Sadly, the author didn’t switch perspectives, and as far as I know, hasn’t in any of her other books. I also really like the storyline of two authors with two completely different writing styles. My main takeaway from this book is that it can be a good choice for someone who is just now getting into reading. This book was one of the first books that really got me into reading and drew me into the art of romance.