I know….. this is my second Emily Henry book review in as many months, simply because I am taken by her successive novels having complex characters navigating their complicated love lives while navigating the intricacies of modern life. It’s so relatable, it’s so us.

There are books within this book written by its two protagonists- January Andrews and Augustus ‘Gus’ Everett.

They both are writers, although January is more established than Gus since she has authored and published three novels to date vis-à-vis one novel from Gus. Still, she is not happy or content with her achievement. Unlike him, her novels are all about happy-go-lucky couples falling in love and romancing their way through their fictional lives. Gus, on the other hand, is a more serious author attuned to write thoughtful adult fiction, and therefore, he has garnered much praise from the literary world.

Now, they both have to finish writing their respective books and submit drafts of their manuscripts in the coming months. There is more urgency at January’s end as her modest success derived from her lackluster novels cannot be stretched further enough to test a well-known publisher’s patience. So, she needs to deliver a worthwhile draft of her next book by the end of summer. Although there is no such pressure on Gus, he is still pushing himself to pen another amazing book. They were competitors from their college days, and now, they have challenged each other to take a different approach to their next writing project.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of a lakeside beach, these college rivals station themselves in their respective beach houses to succeed at their mutually agreed-upon writing challenge. Although January inherited her lake house from her father under strenuous family circumstances, Gus bought his lake house to retreat into like a sanctuary.

Thus, January and Gus set up their writing schedule only to take weekend study/ research/ field trips. January introduces him to romantic tropes, places, and things useful for writing a love story, whereas Gus shows her the dark, harsh reality of the world to inspire her to write serious, hard fiction. It’s no wonder they both fell for each other so deeply and managed to build an intense bond, not because they are lonely or dealing with heartaches, but because of it. Their vocational stress, severe loneliness, and gut-wrenching realities of life bring them closer.

It’s interesting to read whether and how this romance survives their shared summer. The author’s writing shines through the intimate scenes, not only for building heat and fire but also for adding emotional depth. That’s the reason, I believe, she is one of the foremost romance novelists of today, as her books transcend beyond meet-cutes and cheesy romantic dates. That’s why I would highly recommend this as a worthy addition to your TBR list. Simply dive in!!