Headlines:
Family saga
Contemporary and historical
Smoke and mirrors

Emily Henry did something different with Great Big Beautiful Life and it worked. This story of two journalists vying for the chance to write the biography of a famous affluent but now reclusive woman was all the more interesting for the two storylines that emerged. In the present, we had Alice and Hayden, the two journalists slowly connecting. In the past, was Margaret's story that was steeped in family drama that became compelling.

Alice was bright, bubbly and enthusiastic, to the point of annoying her new rival Hayden. Hayden was quietly arrogant, uncommunicative (at first) and seemed a bit of a stick in the mud. Alice wanted to befriend Hayden and she slowly wormed her way in. These two had a very interesting dynamic. Hayden revealed a soft centre, concern for Alice and a willingness to emerge from routines and habits along the way. Their pact of not talking about the project, made it frustrating for them and sometimes the reader.

The past storyline held all the secrets, some of which were unimaginable and some which when the penny dropped, changed my whole understanding of both stories; that element was so clever. I found the first half a bit pacey, wanting to be in the contemporary rather than the past. As the second half built up speed and got closer to Margaret's life, I got more and more absorbed by the past timeline. I still don't really understand the need to know Margarets more distant family stories if I'm being honest.

Overall, this was a great read. It reminded me a little of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in tone and approach, so if you're a fan of that book, you'll probably love this.

Thank you to Viking Books for the review copy.

This was a solid 4 star read for me! I really enjoyed Happy Place by the same author and found this book actually quite different to her previous books.

If you're looking for a romance only plot then maybe this book is not for you. its not the most romantic book of hers but there is defiantly a subplot of romance that is to die for! I loved Hayden!! I just wish there was more of the romance which is what Emily Henry is known for, it did feel very rushed but I was there for the vibes and didn't think to much into it.

the two different plot lines was quite well thought out and I loved how they merge at the end. It did feel a little bit rushed nearer the end (last 10%) but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the uniqueness of all the characters. I also loved Alices' and her mums relationship nearer the end.

Thank you very much for an arc for this, this was a fab read!

That was kind of emotional and I think I loved it. The way the story of the Margaret and the Ives was woven throughout everything was great. I found myself lost in the love , loss, pain and tragedy of this family and the mystery of Margaret.

Hayden and Alice were everything I love in a romantic pairing. It started off slow, they wormed their way under each other’s skin and then it just built kept building into this beautiful, solid intimate thing.

What I also really liked about this book was it wasn’t just about Hayden and Alice’s love story being told there were all these mini love stories we were introduced to as we got to know them and as Margaret told her tale and each of them was emotional, captivating and heartbreaking, and made me feel everything. 5 🌟

I have really enjoyed reading Great Big Beautiful Life. The dual time line felt like a new direction for Emily Henry and I was invested in both story lines.
I didn’t feel the connection between Alice and Hayden immediately but I loved how it developed and their interactions became more believable as the book went on.
I very much enjoyed the setting too, I like the small town vibes and you almost feel like Hayden and Alice are on holiday as they are in unfamiliar territory.
Thanks for letting me review.

I definitely seem to be in the minority when it comes to this book. I had the idea that it would be a rivals to lovers story, with the story of Margaret being a side story. However, it was the Margaret show, with a love story thrown in that didn't belong and had zero growth or chemistry. This unfortunately felt like a carbon copy of a Taylor Jenkins Reid book, but without the addictive grab hers has. Really disappointed :(

Emily Henry comes up trumps again. Another addictive, romantic story that's impossible to put down as rival journalists Alice and Hayden compete to win the chance to write the biography of the reclusive Margaret Ives. Loved it

As a HUGE longtime Emily Henry fan, Great Big Beautiful Life was my most anticipated read of the year. I read the ARC back in March, but I’ve been sitting with it since then, trying to figure out exactly how I feel. This was such a big difference to her usual style that it took a bit longer to draw me in.

The dual POV was interesting, though I found myself less engaged with Margaret’s chapters initially. It wasn’t until she began opening up about her own past that I started to really enjoy her chapters. The romance, while sweet, felt a little underdeveloped compared to Henry’s previous works.. I definitely missed some of that signature EmHen slow-burn.

That said, I loved the setting, and the side characters were great. One of the things I always appreciate about Emily Henry is how she writes about relationships—not just the romantic ones, but the full spectrum: family, friendship, sibling bonds, the complicated love between parents and children. That was definitely present in this one with Alice and her mom, but again I just wanted a little bit more depth.

Though it hasn’t become my new favourite EmHen, I still very much enjoyed it, I think she clearly tried something new with this book and I appreciate that. Emily Henry will forever remain an auto-buy author for me, I will gladly read anything she writes and I’m already looking forward to the next one.

3.75⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️

This might be my favourite Emily Henry book to date! I absolutely loved the small beach town setting with the cute cafes and I felt like we got to know the side characters quite well too.

The romance was well paced and not too rushed and they had a lot of chemistry. My favourite part of the book by far was Margaret Ives and her back story. It felt like I was reading a Taylor Jenkins Reid story (who is my other favourite author) and there was so much involved in her part of the story. I was constantly guessing throughout at what would happen next and the ending was amazing!! It made me laugh and cry, 5 stars!

Two writers compete for the chance to write an heiress's tell-all memoir and end up finding more than just their next job. This might be Henry's best book yet - full of her trademark romance style, but with a powerful and engaging secondary story that supports Hayden and Alice's romance. A must read.

After an anonymous tip-off, journalist Alice has tracked down heiress Margaret Ives who disappeared from the public eye two decades earlier. Alice wants to write the memoir about her life and the secrets behind her scandalous family.
But Margaret reveals she will be pitting Alice against another award-winning writer, Hayden, and they both have a month to interview her but they cannot exchange information with one another. Only one will win the contract.
Emily Henry often relies on a set formula. Writers (or some near-related occupation). Rivalry. Romance. This book shakes it up somewhat with the interviewing of Margaret about her complicated family tale. This was the part which kept me turning the pages, while I had little interest in the chapters focused on the relationship between Alice and Hayden beyond their tepid professional rivalry. Because of that, in terms of hit or miss, this one unfortunately goes in the miss pile.

I absolutely adored this book and I can confidently say this is my favourite by Emily Henry.
It wasn't at all what I was expecting, and it feels very different from her previous books (in the best possible way).

The novel switches between two stories, that of Alice and Hayden (who are so loveable and relatable) and the story that gradually unfolds surrounding the House of Ives. I loved this structure and the mystery that ran through the entire novel quite literally had me wondering up until the final few pages.

At its core, this is a book about love in every form and Emily Henry has captured it perfectly. I'm SO excited for everyone to read this and I can't wait to make it my entire personality from now on.

Yes yes yes!
I was hesitant when starting the book because I have unrealistically high expections for Emily Henry's books so it's like I'm waiting for an inevitable disappointment. Then on p.6 I read 'She flashes a smile. It's both dazzling and sad. Sazzling.' and I thought lol they could have edited this out. Lo and behold the next sentence 'That, for example, would /not/ make it to a typed-and-edited sentence.' Okay Ms. Henry you got me there!

The flashbacks/Margaret's story made this feel different than Henry's other books and those bits made me think of Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & The Six and Malibu Rising.
Some descriptions of Hayden made me think of Ali Hazelwood's books (tall! big hands!).

[slight spoiler alert]
This is the kind of book to read again, now that we know who is who, and see if there's any foreshadowing throughout the book.
The ending felt maybe a bit rushed? At first I didn't really understand why Alice left Hayden after she found out [spoiler]. But I guess she couldn't be with him and not tell him that secret.
Anyways, all's well that ends well.
[end spoiler]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, you should have seen the happy dance I did when I received this email.

I liked this book, but I do feel like it was copying a lot of tropes from THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I've read Henry's previous books and I just thought this could have landed a lot better. I also think the ending wrapped up a little too quickly, especially since the big reveal is life changing for everyone involved. Overall, an enjoyable read, but I felt it wasn't super impressive or original. I also think my thoughts will be unpopular, so I am curious to hear how other people will react to the book.

Thank you to Penguin for providing me with an ARC of the eBook.

This was definitely a bit different for Emily Henry but I still adored it. I just love that we jump straight into the story and fully invested in the characters from the start. Alice and Hayden were no different, I was obsessed with Alice from page one.

As Alice and Hayden are competing for the job to write the autobiography of Margaret Ives, we hit the jackpot and had two stories in one book. This was done really well, my only complaint was that I wish we’d had more time on Alice and Hayden but I wouldn’t want to lose any of Maragret’s story so, I guess I just wish the book was never ending.

I love Emily’s writing and as usual, I already can’t wait for the next one!

Great Big Beautiful Life
Emily Henry

‘Keep working, keep moving, keep hoping.’

Yours, mine, and the truth… I LOVE this book. I yearned for it when I had to put it down. I will always plead allegiance to Team EmHen.

“Unicursal. One beginning, one end. Or, depending how you look at it, no beginning and no end - just a journey.”

This was a masterpiece. I devoured the chapters with him in it and was always chasing his next entrance. All the while knowing the other chapters narrating the history had invaluable context but I was simply chasing that short term high. Boy oh boy, when the story cracks right open! You just know how masterful it was. A story in a story with undeniable depth and heart.

“Neither of us can afford to be pulling punches here. If either of us doesn’t give this our all, we’ll regret it. And then we’ll resent each other for it. And I don’t know if I can handle being the one person on the planet Alice Scott doesn’t like.”

This was a magisterial story that will stay with me forever. The value in knowing someone and seeing them, even if you don’t understand them. The unmaking of our world and heart for love. ❤️ honestly I bow down to Emily Henry.

“For the one you love? Anything. You unmake the world and build a new one. You do anything to give them what they need.”

“She lies to me too,” he says. “For whatever it’s worth, Margaret Ives isn’t telling me the truth.”

(Posted 17th April 2025).

Oh, I just love it!

I love Alice’s dedication and how much she cares about her family, even though they’re not perfect. And it’s impossible not to fall in love with Hayden, especially when he shares his passion for his writing and his commitment to being part of something bigger, regardless of how it may be perceived by others. At first, I wasn't so sure if I would enjoy this book, but that conversation was a turning point for me. It made me realise that it was indeed a very special story.

The ending was surprising to me, I really love how everything turned out. I believe Emily Henry's fans won't be disappointed. She’s done it again, keeping me awake all night, lost in thoughts about these wonderful characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Emily Henry did it again, this was so lovely.
The plot was interesting, it obviously worked towards a twist, but I couldn't guess what it was, despite the red herrings. The characters were lovely and well fleshed out. Henry is so good at writing relatable characters that you don't normally see in other books. She knows how to describe the ordinary, which is a rare talent. The romance was nice and warm and I like the TJR vibes.

Thank you for the e-arc, all opinions are my own.

Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of an heiress with more than a few plot twists. When Margaret Ives invites Alice Scott to Little Crescent Island she sees it as her big chance to impress her family with her writing. But there is a spanner in the works as she is competing to write Margaret's book with Hayden Anderson and he is a Pulitzer Prize winner. What ensues is a fun read as Alice delves further into Margaret's story and discovers that even though she is leading her astray with some things about her past Alice works things out.

This was another Emily henry win, who but she could write about falling in love with your ex-fiancée's new fiancée's ex and make it actually something you could not put down and LOL with.

This is THE book of the summer (and we aren't even in summer yet)

📚Book Review 📚

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A massive thank you to NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book. I am a huge Emily Henry fan and did a happy dance when this approval came in.

This story was a romance with an added air of mystery. Whilst Alice and Hayden are competing for a job you get the feeling that everything is not quite what it seems. Margaret's inclusion in the story gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes from the start and I loved getting to know her. Her family history was very complicated and I thought it unravelled really well.

Don't worry though, Emily Henry doesn't completely detour from her usual style. Alice and Hayden do not disappoint and certainly deliver on the slow burn, sexual tension and romance.