January Andrews is a romance writer with five published books but is struggling with writing the sixth, well past due to her publisher. Clearly suffering from writer’s block, she’s landed at her deceased father’s Michigan lake house, broke and despondent as the house is part of the duplicitous life he apparently led and she’s just recently discovered. The final insult is her new neighbor, Augustus (Gus) Everett, an acclaimed literary writer who happened to be her college nemesis.
If you’re expecting a traditional romance novel this isn’t that book. There are strong romantic themes but the heart of the story is the insightful explorations by both January and Gus into their own pasts, using each other in unique ways to push through their writing obstacles. The writing is crafty, their banter intelligent and the revelations unpredictable. I liked that I never knew what was coming next, nor could I even speculate what might be. January is the narrator so I knew most of her story but even she was delaying her own exploration into her father’s past. I’m not sure I could have resisted reading a letter he left for her for almost a year.
This was a more complicated story than I’d anticipated, which heightened my enjoyment. I like being off balance if the writing takes me there skillfully as this definitely does. January seems an open book on the surface but that’s only because she’s spent her whole life creating that illusion. Gus is much tougher to decipher because it’s all given to us through January’s lens. There were moments when I wished for his point of view but when I reached the end, I was thrilled that it wasn’t given. It made for a much richer reading experience.
The fabulous Julia Whelan narrated the story and she was again outstanding. She really knows how to inhabit a character while effectively managing the storytelling simultaneously. There are significant secondary characters important to the story (and January & Gus) who were portrayed vividly. I highly recommend the audio version as this story has complexities that Whelan never missed. January and Gus’s journeys, both singularly and as a couple, made this quite the enjoyable listening experience.
Book Info
- Release Date: May 19, 2021
- Narrator: Julia Whelan
- Audio Length: 10 hours, 13 minutes
- Publisher: Penguin Audio
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(Thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Wonderful review Jo definitely adding this to Goodreads!
Thank you, Nicki💜 This is definitely great on audio.
I really liked this one, too!
It was so much more than I was expecting.
I agree. It was way more substantial for a romance. I really loved it.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it! I enjoyed it much more than I expected!
Thank you, Carol💜 So did I!
I’ll come back and read this later in the month. We are reading this for COYER book club this month. Of course I’m listening because Julia Whelan.
Anne – Books of My Heart
Of course, Julia Whelan! Enjoy, Anne💜
Wonderful review Jo. I finished this one last night and enjoyed it very much. I liked that it was so much more than just a romance, but the romance was fun as well.
Fab review! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed Beach Read as well… It sounds great on audio!
Thank you, Yvo💜 Julia Whelan never disappoints!
Great review! I really enjoyed this one too. I wish I’d listened to the audiobook (and maybe I still will) — I just listened to something else narrated by Julia Whelan, and she’ fantastic!
Thank you, Lisa💜 When I saw she was the narrator, I didn’t think twice about adding it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, Jonetta. It was one of my favorite reads from last year. I agree that the story was a lot more complex than I was expecting based on the beachy cover, but complex in a good way. I can’t wait to read this author’s next book. 🙂
Thank you, Suzanne💜 I thought it was going to be a much “lighter” story and was so happy it turned out to be so much more.
Woohoo I bought the book too. Great review. Glad you enjoyed heard mixed reviews.
Thank you, Shalini💜 I really hope you enjoy it!