Beach Read

The relationships in Beach Read tend to swing through both positive and negative moments that ultimately contribute to the relationship’s fate. Discuss how Beach Read explores the idea of happy-for-now versus happily-ever-after.

January spends much of the novel regaining her love for love after feeling as though she doesn’t believe in romance anymore. How does January’s character growth influence her position on romanticizing the world?

Explain the significance of the cult: How does it represent the negative emotions that January and Gus deal with?

Explain how January’s career as a romance writer creates a metafictional element within the framework of the romance novel.

How do the characters of Pete and Sonya propel the narrative forward?

Three of the four marriages that are explored in this novel are presented imperfectly. January’s mom and dad deal with infidelity. Gus’s dad abuses his mom. Gus’s wife leaves him for his best friend. How does the novel’s presentation of marriage set the stage for Gus and January’s future?

January and Gus both have family history within North Bear Shores. How does this influence their interactions with the town?

January makes many popular culture references throughout the novel, indicating that she is a millennial and the story takes place in the late 2010s. Does the time period otherwise affect the novel’s story or could it be transplanted to a different time period?