I’ve read many books in my time, but never one that pits two characters – January and Gus who both authors – against one another in an attempt to best each other and, quite literally, out-write each other. That, at its centre, is the story of Emily Henry’s latest novel, Beach Read – a tale of two very different people, finding themselves in the same place, and finding something motivating in the challenge they set one another as they work through the trials and tribulations that life has thrown at them. Sure there’s a romance aspect too, but it’s the development of the characters as the story goes on; their interactions with each other as writers and people, and the difficulties they’ve both faced and continue to face, or are trying to face, in their lives, that really bring the book to life.
I found Beach Read to be a book that resonated with me quite strongly – not in the relationship sense but in the way January, and in a sense, Gus, deal with a loss in their life, and the journey the two go on, both separately and as a pair/burgeoning couple, as they try and recover from said loss is one I could see my own similarities to, and with. In many ways, it’s a journey I for one am still on several years after the loss itself, but I also believe that taking or being taken on such a journey, is helpful and necessary, whether or not you think it is at the time – it certainly seems to be the case for January as her story unfolds.
The emotional intensity of the book suggests Henry really took her time plotting out the more difficult parts of it; parts that reflect events that impact all our lives in different, sometimes unforgettable and painful ways, and for that she should and needs to be commended. All too often writers can and do deliver a book with a dramatic centre, but with no compassion or understanding for the genuine pain that such drama can, has and could cause those who turn said books’ pages. The way in which Henry presents January’s story in particular is impressive and at times I’m sure some readers will agree, she does so with heartbreakingly accuracy and honesty, in terms of expressing the many emotions she goes through as the story progresses.
While many might be drawn to this book for the romance aspect – which is well written in itself and played out through hand-written notes, witty remarks about moments in and from their pasts and of course, the influence of alcohol, ultimately I feel that it’s the honesty and emotion expressed so well throughout the book that will ultimately leave readers feeling touched, inspired or perhaps even both.
Beach Read is a book which offers those who pick it up a story that has plenty for them to lose themselves in. It’s not a typical rom-com story, which I for one was grateful for, and instead it left me thinking about the way I have responded to my own losses in life, the decisions I’ve made through my 34 years on this earth, the relationships – or lack of them – with the people I know and what does and doesn’t make me happy. To make a person think like that, through a story just a few hundred pages long, is a talent, and Henry has it in spades.
Keep reading to find out more about Emily’s creative process for the book and what fans of her work can expect to see from her next.
Where did the first idea for this book come from and how easy or hard did you find it to pitch to your editors/team?
EH: The idea for Beach Read started with the very simple fact that I had writer’s block. I had an overpowering urge to be working on something warm and romantic and beachy, but absolutely no ideas in terms of plot or characters. I spent a few days lying on the floor, trying to muscle my way into a new concept, but could find nothing.
And then, because I was at my wit’s end, I decided to just write about an author with writer’s block, and because I knew I wanted the book to be a love story, it made perfect sense to start with a character who was a romance writer. From there, every decision I made came from asking myself “What would give a romance writer block?” or “What would make that block worse?” It ended up being a very easy book to write.
That said, I let the draft sit on my computer for over a year. I was focused on publishing books for teens at the time, and I also wasn’t sure where Beach Read fit in the publishing landscape – rom-coms have since seen a huge resurgence, but they weren’t all that popular when I first wrote the book. When I finally showed it to my agent, she was incredibly enthusiastic and fairly confident we could find a home for it.
To what extent, if at all, did you find yourself personally identifying with the likes of January or Gus? Is perhaps any part of their personality and their story impacted by moments in and from your own life?
Characters, for me, often start as one piece of my own personality and then are teased out from there. I relate to January’s rose-colored view of the world, but also the way that she’s had to rebuild that into something a bit more realistic. My writing process itself is also a lot like January’s—an urgently fast first draft followed by slow, careful rewriting.
But there’s plenty of Gus in me too. There’s a reason there’s a subplot about a cult in this book, and an undercurrent of grief. It wasn’t a conscious decision on my part: that’s simply the sort of thing I’m interested in writing about and trying to understand. Like Gus, I sometimes find myself fixated on the darker aspects of life and eager to find a way for it all to make sense.
What one thing or lesson/thought do you most want or would you most like readers to take from Beach Read?
Well, one unexpected and delightful surprise has been that many readers have reached out to me to say that they were inspired to either start writing, or to pick back up work on a book they’d given up on. For me, there’s no better feeling in the world than losing myself in my writing, so the idea of being able to help others access that same feeling is really incredible.
But beyond that, I just hope that readers will start embracing whatever kind of books they like and stop feeling the need to justify them as “guilty pleasures.”
Have you started thinking about the next book you want to work on? If so, can you tease anything about what might be in store for your readers?
Yes! I’ll have another book out from Viking next year, and I’m extremely excited to start talking about that in the coming months. I’m not sure if I’m able to share the official title or not yet, but it’s sort of my homage to When Harry Met Sally. It’s the story of two best-friends-since-college, Alex and Poppy, who have taken a summer trip together every year since they met – until two years ago when they had a falling out. The book is basically told across twelve summer trips, and like Beach Read is very much a love story.
Beach Read is available now from all good bookshops and online retailers. Header photo credit: Devyn Glista.
