Beach Read by Emily Henry

The perfect fun read, for when you need a break from the reality of the holiday season, it also helps that it is not set during the holiday season. Emily Henry is starting to become a favorite author for light reads that involve feel good stories and happily ever after but take some silly turns in getting there. Augustus and January both have very different approaches to the world and backgrounds that create their very different views. However, when they are both struggling to write their next book and both need the book to sell the two end up challenging each other to write a novel that is not their typical style to see whose can sell first. The unlikely friends end up falling in love, but the personal struggles along the way make the journey so worth the read. Looking forward to Funny Story in a few months and maybe some other books by this author while waiting for the newest book to come out.

Character List/Book Summary:

January Andrews – her dad died last year and at her father’s funeral she met the woman he had an affair with and was handed the keys to a secret home her father had. Shortly after she is dumped by her boyfriend of 6 years she finds herself in that house, extremely low on cash, and struggling to write the romance novels her readers have enjoyed. Her agent is constantly asking questions and wanting updates on how the new book is coming, as she starts to write a different type of story and find her upbeat view of the world again she also starts to believe in love.

Augusts Everett – January’s college rival (although he may not have know it), writes serious novels with not always happy endings. After Pete’s book club he challenges January to write a serious novel and he will write a romance, and agrees to let January accompany him with his research while she shows him how to have meet-cutes and love montages. Is in the process of getting a divorce and is not open with information on his life and his past, which of course creates some problems.

Shadi – January’s best friend. Mostly in the story through texts, until Sonya surprises January.

Pete – owns the coffee shop and book store in town, invites January to her weekly book club. Is Gus’s aunt and tells January about his past and a few of the things Gus is not so forth-coming about (like his wife leaving him on his birthday).

Maggie – Pete’s wife, geology professor at the local college. Loves to talk about rocks, January offers to mention rocks in her future books because of her.

Sonya – January’s father’s high school love and woman he had an affair with while January’s mother had cancer. Gives January the keys to the lake house. Surprises January one night outside of the lake house and explains what happened between her and her father, and that she has moved on and is happy with someone else. Sonya was surprised when after learning of January’s father’s death she was given and letter and keys to the house to give to January, she suspects it is because her mother might not have done it.

Grace and Dave – two members of the cult that Gus brings January along to interview, as he wants to learn about the cult and why some stayed and some left. Each tell Gus and January their views of what happened, Grace about how she did not know her sister was in a cult and Dave why his mother joined and why she left.