Can a book survive on nothing but banter? Well, Funny Story sure tries.

Okay, all you rabid Emily Henry fans. Before you chuck your rotten eggs at me, please let me explain.

If ever there was an Emily Henry book that I should connect with, it's this one. Daphne is a librarian (my dream job) and she's in a pretend relationship with her roommate, Miles, in order to get back at her ex-fiancé (an intriguing premise). And yet, something was missing. I kept waiting for the story to grab me, and it never really did.

I hate to say it, but the crux of the problem is that the whole thing was rather forgettable. I only just finished the book, and already I hardly remember anything about it. The characters, the interactions, even the conflicts, while all feelgood on the surface, were in fact fairly bland underneath.

I enjoy a low stakes beach read as much as the next gal, but there is a difference between low stakes and no stakes, and this was too much in the latter. At no point was there anything really on the line. The story just shambled along, with lots of banter and some minor conflicts here and there, until the requisite 300-some pages were met, and then it was called a book.

Speaking of the conflicts, I totally didn't understand Daphne and Miles' issues, or even Daphne and Ashleigh's. Do people really get so upset and potentially break up relationships and friendships over such small issues? And each one, blown up to be so important, can only be resolved after much back and forth, with pages upon pages of dialogue of each person's feelings and the associated parental trauma that was at the root of all their misgivings. It was a bit much.

Don't get me wrong, I did have fun. There were entertaining moments, and the banter was truly top notch. And it wasn't just for the main couple during romantic moments. No, the banter was interspersed everywhere and among everyone, so we got plenty of chuckle-worthy moments.

But you can't just sustain a story on banter alone, no matter how delightful it is. When the characters feel as lackluster as Daphne and Miles and their conflicts equally bland and forced, it was hard to care either way if they ended up together, which is always a bad sign in a romance.

I feel like I'm the only person out there who doesn't get heart-eyes at the merest mention of an Emily Henry book. My experiences so far have been largely underwhelming, or maybe I just haven't read the right books by her. Either way, I'll add this to the pile of Emily Henry books I've pretty much forgotten the moment I finished.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

His eyes were doing the thing, the Gus thing . . . and it made my chest flutter almost painfully.

I don't get it. What am I missing here?

Beach Read originally caught my eye because its premise reminded me of Summer Villa, one of my favorite Hallmark movies. I know, I'm publicly admitting to being a sappy romantic at heart. And I'm proud of it. So why couldn't I get into this story at all?

For one, I didn't feel any chemistry between January and Gus. Nothing. Their interactions are so awkward and stilted, it was almost painful. They'll say mundane and platonic things to each other, and then sporadically, January will remind us that heat is filling her abdomen or pooling between her legs, and I'm like, Eh? I can't imagine how two people could possibly fall in love or lust while saying such bland things to each other.

This is the second book I've read by Emily Henry, and I've noticed that her female characters tend to be very twee and precious. They have extremely high expectations of what love is, need to be constantly reassured, and freak out at the smallest blip. At one point, January sees Gus's ex at a public event and she wants to scream and cry, before the woman has even said or done anything. And what's up with calling herself "dumb bunny"? Not to mention, she spends the entire time being upset with her dad over something that was none of her business. Suffice to say, it's all very exhausting.

As for Gus, we are told over and over that he has a crooked mouth and messy hair, wears rumpled and faded clothes, and has a sexy/evil look (what does that even mean?). Otherwise, his only characteristics are that he writes novels, and he adores January for no reasons that I could discern.

The writing style is fluffed out to the excess. There is so much mundane details about every event/non-event, from the multiple-page conversations on should they go or not go, to the logistical details (transportation/gift bringing/preferred topics of conversation) to the minutiae of everything that happens while at the event. And in between, every step of the way, it is interspersed with information on how January is feeling, how she thinks Gus must be feeling, and what this means for their relationship.

They are also constantly affirming what great people the other one is. Gus is dark and broken, but great! January is a fairy princess and a bright light, but great too! And they keep checking in to see if the other is happy. Like, are you happy? I am, are you happy? The conversations were so cheesy and trite, I was crying on the inside.

A good portion of this book is spent on the details of the stories they are each writing and their related research. One is a love story that takes place in a cult and the other is a love story that takes place... in a circus with clowns? I don't even know what I'm reading anymore.

Where is the flirty banter, the sexual tension, the obstacles to overcome? I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, or some interesting dialog, or some insight from this story. But nada. I'll be honest, this is one of the most boring books I've ever read.

My criteria for a romcom isn't that high. I want romance and comedy, but this book didn't satisfy either. I neither swooned nor laughed. I was mostly exhausted from boredom while waiting for this dull story to be over.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

People We Meet on Vacation is a sweet, fluffy, beachy read that gets a little long in the tooth towards the end.

Poppy and Alex have been best friends since college. Even though they are as different as two people can be, they just get each other. As life keeps them apart geographically, their only chance to catch up in person is to take an epic summer trip together every year. But two years ago, they had a falling out and haven't spoken since. Now Poppy wants one more trip to fix everything.

The trope of friends to lovers has been done so many times, yet this book finds a way to give it a fresh take. Poppy and Alex are fun and hilarious together, and I found myself smiling through all their banter and interactions. Poppy is the zany one while Alex is the straight lace, but both are equally loveable in their own way.

Where this story fell a bit short is towards the end. I started to find Poppy's antics too over-the-top. Often, instead of just saying what she's feeling, she'll go and do crazy things to avoid talking. She starts coming across as needy and high-maintenance, sending mixed signals and jerking Alex around. And poor Alex just had to take it.

I also found their inability to admit how they feel about each other getting old. It was cute and endearing earlier in the book because they didn't know. But once they figured it out and acted on it, I don't understand why they continued to deny their feelings. It reminds me of Chinese gift-giving culture, where the receiver of the gift (of love, in this case) has to refuse many times before finally accepting in order to avoid appearing greedy or eager. They'll say things like "I can't possibly accept! This is too much! I don't deserve it!" Meanwhile I'm like, please just accept this love for goodness' sake, so I can move on with my life.

Romance books are so personal. What works for one person doesn't always work for another. Usually we are drawn to the stories that remind us of ourselves and our love language. And this is a case where the longer the book went on, the less I could see myself in Poppy.

Still, other than the drawn out ending, I very much enjoyed this story. It was such a fun and funny romance, with its jet-setting and vacation-y scenes. It makes me want to pack a bag, fly somewhere tropical, and sit on a beach with one those little drinks with an umbrella in it. And in that respect, this book hits the perfect spot.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This was my Book of the Month pick for April. If you're curious about BOTM or want to find out how to get your first book for $5, click here.