Beach Read by Emily Henry

Star rating: 5/5

Beach House is the ultimate rom-com in book-form - funny, sexy, tear-jerking, un-put-down-able. 

Summary:

January Andrews is a romance writer who has always had a sunny outlook on life, until her dad died and she found out that he had a secret life with another woman, despite still appearing to be happily married to her mother. Depressed and grieving, she moves into his secret beach house to try to work on her next novel and is dismayed to find that she is living next-door to her college nemesis, Gus. Gus is also a writer, and his books are the opposite of January's - dark, nihilistic, no 'happily ever after' in sight. He is also in a writing rut, and despite their differences, they decide to try to help each other find new perspectives in their writing and inspire their next books. As they spend more and more time together, they start to realize they aren't so different after all... spoiler alert: love ensues. 

Review:

I haven't read many romance novels since my high school Nicholas Sparks phase. I have tried to read many of the popular "rom-com" books from the last few years and haven't been able to get more than 30 pages or so in before I roll my eyes, declare "too cheesy," and DNF it. 

Until Beach House. Within the first few pages there is a joke about footjobs, and weird as it sounds, that was the moment I was hooked. Because this is not your average rom-com. It is funny in my favorite way - witty, sarcastic, wry. The characters are real and relatable. The romance is the perfect amount of sexy and descriptive without being over-the-top or straight-up erotica. Beach House is a summertime must-read that will make you laugh and cry. I highly recommend!