Wow. I’m honestly a bit out of words right now. This was so much better than I ever imagined, and it’s only my first Emily Henry book!

We follow January and Gus, both writers struggling with writer’s block, as they rent neighbouring houses by a beautiful lake beach (nice play with the title "Beach Read"). They couldn’t be more different, she writes romance, he writes literary fiction, but they strike up a challenge to swap genres and teach each other how to write again.

The plot sounds like your classic rom-com setup, but it ends up going so much deeper than that. Emily doesn’t just write about characters falling in love, she writes their grief, their trauma, their messy healing, and their quiet, silly moments too. And the way she balances all the heavy moments with the silly ones is truly magical.

This is easily one of the best romance books I’ve ever read, and I just know Emily Henry is about to become one of my favourite authors.

P.S. I’m so glad I impulse-bought all her books last month. No regrets ❤️