Beach Read by Emily Henry

  I read this book for my book club's July theme - a book you read by the water.  It was the perfect poolside ( in my case)  book.  The book is full of secrets (none too terribly shocking) and trite montages, as January would say, leading ultimately to a mostly happily ever after.  No surprise there. 

 This is the story of January and Augustus.  January is a writer.  She writes happily ever afters.   Gus is also a writer - not of the happily ever after variety.  Through a course of events that happen in January's life, she unexpectedly finds herself the owner of a lake house in Michigan.   Turns out, her new neighbor is  a man that she had some experience with back in college - her writing nemesis of sorts.

As the events of the book unfolds, January and Gus become friends and enter into a challenge of sorts.  She will write a more serious, fiction book and he will undertake a happily ever after.  To that end, they agree to spend time together, each learning the other's processes.   The  challenge - the first one to sell their new book wins.  

It was a great diversion - easy pool side book that I enjoyed.   Not life shattering, but not everything you read needs to be.  Sometimes it's ok to just enjoy something to float away with.  I gave it four stars.