Beach Read

Emily Henry’s Beach Read is a contemporary romance novel published in May 2020. Set in the late 2010s, the narrative follows 29-year-old protagonist January Andrews, a millennial romance author coming to terms with her father’s death and her recent breakup as she attempts to write her next bestseller with a shattered view of romance. The story is told through January’s first-person narration as she describes her changing outlook on the world as well as her family history and college memories. This study guide follows the 2020 Jove first edition of Beach Read, in print.

Other works by this author include Funny Story, Book Lovers, and People We Meet on Vacation.

Plot Summary

January Andrews arrives in North Bear Shores, Michigan, a small tourist town on the shores of Lake Michigan. She is broke, owes a book to her publisher, and has severe writer’s block. While she used to be able to write romance stories with ease, her view of love has been warped by the discovery of her father’s affair, which she learned of after his death. Her entire life had been shaped by the love of her family and the romance she observed between her parents, and now she wonders how much of that was real. In the wake of her father’s death, January’s six-year relationship with her ex-boyfriend Jacques fell apart, leaving January homeless and broken. January now must move into her dad’s secret second home, a lake house he shared with his mistress, Sonya. She received the key along with a letter from her late father from Sonya immediately after the funeral. January’s goal is to finish a manuscript and prepare the house for sale by the end of the summer.

January’s next-door neighbor is her college rival, Augustus “Gus” Everett. In college, Gus always made a point to critique January’s work, leading January to believe Gus had something against her works’ happy endings. There was also one night at a fraternity party when they danced intimately. Their writing styles are starkly different: While January writes romance stories and happily-ever-afters, Gus writes cynical and dark fiction that rarely ends positively. January runs into Gus at a bookstore, and they are introduced by the store’s owner, a woman named Pete. They share some banter, but January is sure Gus doesn’t remember her.

January attends a book club meeting at Pete’s house. Sonya is there, so January hides away in the bathroom and drinks wine. January eventually comes out of the bathroom only to learn that Gus is there as well. When it’s time to leave, Gus insists on driving January home. They stop for donuts, and she and Gus discuss their writing and hint at having Googled one another. On the way home, Gus admits to remembering January in college and alludes to the night they spent dancing. January admits to her writer’s block, and Gus admits the same. For fun, they make a deal: January will try writing bleak literary fiction, and Gus will try writing a romance novel. As part of the agreement, they will help one another lean into the new genres: Gus will take January on research expeditions and help her tap into her inner darkness, and January will take Gus on dates and help him view the world more romantically.

January and Gus write with renewed motivation. They also write notes that they flash to one another through the windows of their homes. Gus takes January to interview a woman whose sister died in a cult in town back in the 1990s. Gus has been spending his last few years in town researching the cult for his book. On the way home, they stop for gas, and Gus flirtatiously reveals to January that he’s read her books. January then brings Gus to a carnival, where they bond over making up stories about the people they observe, taking turns creating theoretical happy and sad endings for each remarkable person they come across. January also talks to Gus about her last relationship. As they drive home, January tells Gus about her dad’s affair.

The following week, they are supposed to interview Dave, who was in the cult as a child, but he never shows. The two end up talking about their childhoods and holding hands under the table. The next day, January cries on the beach about her life. Gus comforts her when he catches her walking back to the house. That night, she takes him to a drive-in theater, where they make out.

The next day, Gus is gone, and January fears she’s scared him off. He remains gone for several days. Meanwhile, January goes to Pete’s bookstore to sign copies of her books. Pete reveals that she’s Gus’s aunt and that Gus is going through a divorce. Gus finally returns, and the next day they have their make-up interview with Dave. and the following day, while on a line-dancing date, January reveals she is upset at Gus for not telling her about his life. Gus apologizes and explains that it’s hard to talk about, and they embrace. They begin to spend more of their days together and grow much closer physically and emotionally, working on their books, drinking, and talking about their families and past relationships.

The next weekend, they interview Dave’s mom, who wanted to clarify some things about why they were in the cult. In seeing his empathy for his interviewees, January begins to understand why Gus likes to write about dark and bleak topics. They go for a walk along the beach. Gus opens up about his abusive dad, and January comforts him. They soon have sex, and shortly after, Gus receives a phone call that he takes privately. January notices his mood change, and she becomes concerned.

The next day, they go to the site of the old cult. Gus confesses that he spoke to an old friend on the phone, and she warned him not to get too close to January since he liked her so much in college. January is surprised to learn Gus wanted her all along. The next few days, they barely spend time apart. January finishes her novel and gets most of the house in order, save for the master bedroom, where she and Gus discover a safe but cannot crack the code.

At a book event at Pete’s, January and Gus are interviewed in front of a small audience. Gus’s estranged wife is in the audience. He seems stressed through the whole interview and approaches his wife after, leaving January to walk home alone. January finds Sonya waiting for her at home. Sonya reads January a letter she’s prepared, explaining her affair with January’s dad and how she didn’t know he was still married until after she had feelings for him. January relates to this sentiment with Gus. Sonya suggests January finally read the letter from her dad to understand him better. January does, and within it, she finds the code to the safe. Inside the safe is a stack of letters her dad wrote her every year on her birthday. In reading them, January comes to understand him better and finally gets the closure she needs.

Two days later, Gus and January interact again. Gus dances with January in the rain and explains how his wife wants him back. Gus tells January he would rather be with January, and they decide to be together.

Nine months later, both have successfully published their books. January has sold the house but still lives in town. Gus proposes to January on a piece of notebook paper, just like the notes they shared through their windows while writing. January accepts the proposal. Her relationship with Gus is strong, and she has learned to be happy-for-now with him.