Books like Beach Read (for when you finish Emily Henry and need more)

Beach Read is the book I hand to people who swear they "don't read romance." Two blocked writers, side-by-side lake houses, a summer genre swap, and banter that's funny right up until it breaks your heart a little.

If you just finished it and you're staring at the wall wondering what to read next, I've been there. Here's what's on my shelf, sorted by the part of Beach Read you loved most.

If you loved the writers falling in love

• 
  Not in My Book by Katie Holt

  Rosie writes romance; Aiden writes literary fiction and doesn't believe in happy endings. After one too many fights in their writing workshop, their professor makes them co-write a novel that blends both genres. The publisher literally pitched it as The Hating Game meets Beach Read, and it delivers.

• 
  Battle of the Bookstores by Ali BradyLucy rated it 4 stars

  Josie runs a serious literary bookstore. Ryan runs the romance-only shop a few doors down. When the new owner decides to merge them, only one manager gets to stay. Rivals in real life, secretly falling for each other on an anonymous book forum. A love letter to indie bookstores.

• 
  How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

  Two screenwriters assigned to the same TV adaptation, with a shared tragedy from high school that neither has gotten over. The most Emily Henry-adjacent book on this list in terms of how hard it hits.

If you loved the banter

• 
  The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

  Two public-radio coworkers who can't stand each other pretend to be exes for a show about relationships, then have to keep the lie going on air. Workplace rivals with a lot of heart.

• 
  The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

  Tiffy and Leon share a one-bedroom flat (and one bed) in shifts and fall for each other through sticky notes before they ever meet. Charming, funny, and warmer than you expect.

If you loved the big feelings

• 
  Happy Place by Emily Henry

  Okay, obviously. A couple who broke up months ago pretend they're still together for one last week at the cottage with their best friends. Funny and devastating, in equal parts.

• 
  Out of Love by Hazel Hayes

  A relationship told backward, from the breakup to the first meeting. Not a rom-com, but if Beach Read's quieter, sadder moments are what stuck with you, this one will too.

Quick answers

What should I read after Beach Read?

Start with Not in My Book by Katie Holt if you want more writers falling in love, or Happy Place by Emily Henry if you want the same author and the same big feelings.

Are there other rom-coms about writers?

Yes: Not in My Book (two rival writers co-writing a novel), How to End a Love Story (two screenwriters), and Battle of the Bookstores (a literary bookseller vs. a romance bookseller).

Is there a book like Beach Read with a wedding?

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens and The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas both bring the wedding drama. And my own debut, a rom-com about a wedding planner and the bride's very practical big brother, is in progress now.

These are books I've actually read, with the star ratings from my own reading log. No sponsorships, no affiliate links, just my shelf. Ratings are on a five-star scale.

I'm writing my own rom-com with the same mix of banter and big feelings: a wedding planner, the bride's big brother, and one ruined cake tasting. Sneak peeks go to my newsletter first.

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