A review by emilynied
Beach Read by Emily Henry

dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

My first Emily Henry book! I was indecisive about which book to start with so I went with the OG (I think?) And I was not disappointed. I understand why she has so many fans and why her books are so widely enjoyed as both romances and (what I think of as) literary fiction. January's story really captivated me and I think her feelings and emotions were real and raw to me as a reader; while the romance with Gus was great and very well done, the highlight for me was her tumultuous relationship with her dead father. It wasn't necessarily a mystery but as things unraveled, I found myself waiting for the next ball to drop. The final couple scenes that rounded up that part of the book actually made me really emotional and I think the father/daughter relationship was done so so well. 

Like I said, the romance with Gus was great and I really enjoyed how they actually had character development and worked through their issues throughout the book. It was messy at times but it was refreshing to read about characters that were ultimately pretty mature - I think it made the romance that much better.