“…sometimes it’s okay to let a little ugliness into your story. That it would never rob you of all the beauty.” 

☀️🌊 I feel like I need to start out with WHY I like to read contemporary romance. It’s v much like the goal of January’s women’s fiction novels. She aims to make readers feel known and understood. Like their stories matter. Here’s where I felt known: January’s BFF snort laughs. Sometimes I snort laugh. January explains 🐽😂 it like “she’s drowning in life. In a good way. Like it’s rushing up her nose, you know?” Yes, January. I knooooow 🙋🏼‍♀️. Contemporary romance makes the world look different, gives the ugly stuff meaning, and amplifies the good, even even if the world doesn’t doesn’t always look like how it does in books. Gus said that about January’s writing. AND who doesn’t believe in love? Okay, so what’s Beach Read about? January Andrews (fairy princess or crotchety grandmother, who’s to say? 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️) writes best selling romance. Augustus (I’ve nicknamed him Gus-Gus 🐭) Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. Both are suffering from writers block. Insert the bet: Gus has to write an HEA 🥰 and January will pen the next great American novel. Life has thrown her some ups and down. Most recently some downs. Her father passed away and left her with a beach house (papa Andrew’s mysterious love shack) that happens to neighbor Gus Gus, who is FULL of secrets. Anyway, they go on adventures in romance (rom-com 101 via Meg Ryan Movie night) and research excursions (lit fic field trips to the scene of a death cult, obvi). Romance hero boot camp aside, this book was funny and authentic. I adored the notes the pair wrote through the window (think Taylor Swift music video). The banter and snark elicited cackling and laugh-cries🤣👌🏼. Also, I felt like I gleaned bits of wisdom from January’s journey: “People were complicated. They were collections of feelings and decisions. The world was complicated too. A disastrous, horrible mess speckled with brilliance and love and meaning.” Isn’t that the TRUTH! Everyone should read a good rom-com. LIKE THIS ONE!🥰

🎶  “It’s June in January, because I’m in love.” 🎶