Great Big Big Beautiful Life

Emily Henry's novels usually feature romance with a little weight - meaning, they have some depth. Great Big Beautiful Life takes this a step further.

The story follows two writers: Alice, whose career has somewhat stalled, and Hayden, a Pulitzer Prize winner. They are competing for the chance to write the biography of Margaret Ives, a former tabloid heiress who has avoided the public eye for years.

What happens as the story unfolds is part enemies-to-lovers and part family saga, with plenty of sharp banter and chemistry. Of course, Alice and Hayden's relationship takes many turns before it reaches its final destination- which makes for some fun, enjoyable reading.

But Margaret's character is the one that really surprised me - I loved learning about her glamorous, not-so-perfect past. She also added some tension and conflict to the story, with her " rules of engagement", for example, insisting that Alice and Hayden not share any information with each other. And, no spoilers, but some big secrets are coming.

There are some pacing issues, and the story is a little predictable, which are both minor. If you are looking for a fast-paced, heavy romance, you may be disappointed. But if you enjoy a good slow-burn, somewhat complicated romance kind of story, this is perfect for you.

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK - Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry.

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Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they're both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years-or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she'll choose the person who'll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice's head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice-and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She's ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can't swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they're in the same room.

And it's becoming abundantly clear that their story-just like the tale Margaret's spinning-could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad ... depending on who's telling it.

Penguin Random House | April 22, 2025 | ISBN 9780593441299 | 432 pages

"Readers can count on Em-Hen to transport them to a kinder, sunnier, and funnier galaxy where happy endings can be counted on ... Henry's magic elixir, it seems, is to return again and again to a simple boy-meets-girl formula while writing textured novels populated with vivid characters that never feel formulaic: she takes us back to a time when we believed, with all our being, that love conquers all."-The Boston Globe

"A sweeping love story about the choices we make and the threads that knit us together. Thoughtful, moving, and deliciously tender. Emily Henry is as captivating as ever. I love everything she does."-B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First Time Caller

"A true joy. Playful, fun, and virtuosically plotted, Great Big Beautiful Life is a novel about life's winding paths and dangerous dead-ends-and the way that love can lead us out of the labyrinth."-Kaliane Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of The Ministry of Time

"Emily Henry spoils us with this one, giving readers not one but two gorgeous stories. Great Big Beautiful Life plays with truth, story-telling, family, and the things we do for love. With a delicious slow-burn romance, a perfectly grumpy hero, and a setting that comes to life, this one checked all my boxes. Two compelling stories to move the plot forward meant I couldn't put it down! Emily Henry does it again!'"-Laurie Gilmore, USA Today bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe

"Great Big Beautiful Life has everything you love in a classic Emily Henry novel, plus so much more. Nobody writes chemistry like Emily Henry, and you're guaranteed to fall head over heels for Alice and Hayden."-Beth O'Leary, international bestselling author of Swept Away

"What begins as a charming if standard rom-com evolves into a hauntingly beautiful meditation on what makes a life well lived in the latest showstopper from Henry . . . This is a stunner."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Both longtime Henry fans and new romance readers will devour this rivals-to-lovers slow burn, one of Henry's best to date. Also good for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid."-Library Journal (starred review)

"Henry (Funny Story, 2024) continues to burnish her reputation for fashioning sublimely satisfying love stories with another perfectly calibrated, delectably witty tale featuring endearingly quirky, thoughtfully nuanced characters."-Booklist (starred review)

"Alice and Hayden's romance is a delightful slow burn and Henry, as always, shines when exploring family drama . . . Both a steamy romance and a moving look at the sacrifices people make for love."-Kirkus