Beach Read

Beach Read follows January Andrews, a bestselling romance writer whose belief in happy endings collapses after her father’s death reveals a hidden affair and a secret lake house. Broke, heartbroken, and unable to write, January retreats to North Bear Shores, Michigan, determined to finish a book, sell the house, and rebuild her life.

Next door lives Augustus Everett, a brooding literary novelist and January’s former college rival. When the two discover they are both blocked, they make a bet: January will try writing bleak literary fiction, while Gus will attempt a romance. Their research trips become emotional tests, forcing them through grief, family secrets, fear, desire, and the terrifying possibility of real love.

• Listeners who love sharp, emotionally layered contemporary romance with humor and heartbreak.
• Fans of writer protagonists, rivals-to-lovers chemistry, and stories about grief, forgiveness, and second chances.
• Anyone drawn to romances where the happy ending feels earned, complicated, and deeply human.

Emily Henry studied creative writing at Hope College and the New York Center for Art & Media Studies. She spends much of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and northern Kentucky. Beach Read is her debut adult novel.