Beach Read: A Book Review

This book? Definitely worth the hype. Let me give you three reasons why:

1. This book has the BEST writer's/character's voice I've read in a while. I was completely sucked into January's life from the first sentence: "I have a fatal flaw." She's a totally relatable character, and even when she's not relatable, you can't help but watch the train wreck that's inevitably going to happen. She's clever, witty, salty, and she strikes a perfect balance of naivety and realism. Honestly, she's one of my favorite character I've had the pleasure of stalking. I didn't want to un-stalk her at any point.

2. If you're looking for a new OTP, you need only pick up this book. I don't want to say too much, but the passionate tension between January and Gus is strong enough to exist off the page and make you remember their witty and sometimes-deep conversations when you're doing all the mundane things in your life. Also, the whole deal with them both being writers is something so fascinating to me, and them swapping genres for the summer and teaching each other about their genre tropes made my writing-nerd heart sing. I can't say enough about January and Gus (besides the fact that I still feel like their names belong in some YA romance novel that involves cancer or another life-threatening disease).  

3. If my number two reason didn't cook your grits, this one better. This book isn't just about romance. Obviously there's other plot-lines, but get this: they are interesting plot lines not because unique and crazy things happen but because January seems like a real person, and you want to be involved in every detail of her life. Her character growth (and Gus's, actually) is incredible.

These three reasons should be enough to encourage you to pick up the book, especially if you already like romances and reading about angsty writers who live somewhat solitary lives. It's a perfectly lovely book that dives deeper than just romance, and really makes you wonder if you're the optimist or the pessimist in life. I promise, it's enjoyable to read this book. 

(Some may wonder why I'm not giving it five stars. It takes an incredible contemporary/romance/non-fantasy to make me give something five stars. While I really enjoyed this book, I can't imagine I'd read it again anytime soon, and it didn't make me feel as much as I wanted to. It's just an incredibly good book. Hence the longest review I've ever written.)

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 5
Overall: 4

*Content Warnings: f-words, a couple explicit sex scenes

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy!

For more ratings and reviews and to see what I'm currently reading, visit my Goodreads page here!