Beach Read is a 2020 modern romance novel written by Emily Henry. An audiobook version was published by Penguin Random House Audio.

Synopsis

January Andrews is a well-known writer of romance novels who is having a hard time after her father’s death and learning that he had an affair. While staying in her father’s old beach house to get ready to sell it, she meets Augustus Everett, a former college competitor who is now a famous author of literary fiction. They begin talking again and become friends because they both have trouble with writer’s block. They encourage each other to spend the summer writing a novel in the other person’s genre.

Plot

January Andrews and Augustus "Gus" Everett are writers with very different styles. January writes popular romance novels that always end happily, while Gus writes well-reviewed literary fiction with more serious and challenging themes. Both are struggling with writer's block and personal problems: January recently lost her father, who left her a lake house she did not know he owned, and Gus is dealing with difficult memories from his past.

They become neighbors during the summer in the lake house community. To help overcome their creative challenges, they make a deal: January will try to write a literary novel, and Gus will attempt to write a romance. As they go on research trips and work on their writing together, they begin to understand and respect each other’s strengths and challenges.

Through their time together, they face their personal problems, secrets, and fears. The line between their competition as writers and their growing friendship becomes unclear, leading to unexpected feelings for each other. Their summer challenge helps them grow as writers and as people, and they find comfort and love through spending time together.

As the summer continues, their connection becomes stronger, and they begin to imagine a future beyond their temporary arrangement. Their journey is not only about overcoming writer’s block but also about learning more about themselves and each other. The story ends with both characters starting new chapters in their lives, full of hope, creativity, and the possibility of lasting love.

Reception

Beach Read was a New York Times Bestseller. It was listed on the Indie Next List for June 2020 and selected as one of Oprah Magazine's 38 Romance Novels to Watch in 2020. PopSugar named it the Best Romance Book of 2020. The novel was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance and finished in second place.

Kirkus Reviews described Beach Read as "an emotional story about taking second chances in life and relationships." A Publishers Weekly review stated: "Readers will likely fall in love with this self-aware, emotional take on the romance genre."

Film adaptation

In April 2023, it was announced that the book Beach Read will be made into a movie by 20th Century Studios. Yulin Kuang will direct the film, and Original Film will produce it. In February 2026, Phoebe Dynevor was chosen to play the main character in the movie.