This gave me all the feels. Great Big Beautiful life is split into two stories: the first is of Alice and Hayden who find themselves both auditioning to write the biography of a famous, now-reclusive, socialite: Margaret St Ives.

The story then splits into two timelines, one giving us Alice’s and Hayden’s romance, and the other tracking the family history of the socialite Margaret St Ives as Alice and Hayden try to understand what made her a recluse.

It took me a while to warm to the story of Margaret St Ives - desperate to get back to the blossoming romance of Alice and Hayden which had all the tension - but as the stakes rose in the St Ives story I found them to be more evenly balanced and by midway I was enjoying both stories equally and not dashing back to the romance!

I was reading an arc on my kindle and there were so many beautiful passages and phrases that I found myself wanting to highlight and remember - I might have to buy myself a finished copy - they look like they are going to be gorgeous.

Overall: A beautiful story of the lengths that people go to for love.

Every time I pick up an Emily Henry book it becomes my new favourite and this is just perfection! It’s really two stories in one as Alice and Hayden are competing against each other to write the story of Margaret the famous reclusive heiress. This is a magnificent romance with all the feelings and a mysterious heiress who might be telling the truth about her family's scandalous past - or might not! I loved every word, it was delicious right from the start.

emily henry said ‘family saga, mystery, career crisis, and romance in one book,’ and i said ‘say less.’ the pacing is somehow fast and slow, the love story simmers while margaret’s past unravels, and i was racing through the last chapters like my life depended on it. a slightly new direction for henry, but i ate it up.

the long version:

great big beautiful life takes emily henry in a slightly new direction—less rom-com, more family saga, with a sprinkle of mystery, and i was hooked. the ives family history unfolds with all the drama and intrigue of a long lost biography i desperately need on my shelf. the romance? a fast and slow burn (speed run romance strikes again), and somehow, it works. alice and hayden are stuck on an island for a month, so of course, the tension is immaculate, but it’s their quiet, meaningful conversations that sold me.

the month-long timeline struck the perfect balance (for me, unsure if everyone will feel the same, ofc)—fast but not overwhelming, and my usually fleeting romance attention span was thriving. but then i hit 97%, and it felt like i was being yanked back to reality way too soon. was it rushed? kind of, but also not really. the way margaret’s story was woven in made total sense for her character, but i was so deep in this family saga that i felt like i was flipping invisible pages, willing there to be more. honestly, if emily henry ever wants to write a full fictional biography of margaret ives, i’d pre-order it yesterday.

at the end of the day, great big beautiful life left me feeling like i just witnessed the start of something new for emily. it’s not just a romance; it straddles contemporary fiction, and it's exciting, and i am here for it. as always, i loved how she blended heartfelt moments with her signature steamy vibes, creating something that time after time still feels fresh and new.

as for my rating? honestly, i’m on the fence about giving it five stars. part of me thinks it felt a bit rushed toward the end—maybe because i was just so invested in the ives family that i wasn’t ready to say goodbye. but four stars doesn’t do justice (at all) to the incredible growth Emily has shown in this book. my lit-fic girly heart is thrilled to see her venturing into new territory, and i enjoyed it so much that i just wanted more, let's be real, i had a blast! emily is doing what she does best: delivering fresh, exciting stories while evolving as a writer. am i envious? maybe a little, but mostly, i’m just happy to be here.

huge thanks to penguin uk/viking for the advanced copy—i appreciate you more than you know!

Emily Henry doing more of what Emily Henry does best! The romance between Hayden and Alice was delightful, and the glamour of Margaret's story was so much fun, though peppered with EmHen's usual poignancy and depth. Definitely one for your summer reading lists!

A classic Emily Henry. Romance, literary leading characters, forced proximity, intriguing sub plot. I will say it took me like half the book to care about the subplot with Margaret Ives, I found myself wanting to skip ahead to the sections between Hayden and Alice. Second half though, with Cosmo and the family mystery, v much enjoyed equally. A lovely easy read.

This book was unlike any Henry book I've read before!

It was a flip between present day and past memories combined with one great plot to help tease it all out to the reader. The present day romance that came along with it too helped bring the story along beautifully.

I liked the character connection, I liked the sass, I liked how she made all the dots connect so well. It was a fun, twisty, read and I'd recommend it to readers.

Thank you Netgalley!

I wanted to love this book so much more, but I just didn't.

I love everything Emily Henry and romance, but I felt like this missed the mark for me... I felt like it was too similar to a similar popular book and although that wouldn't have bothered me, I would have liked more romance from our main characters. I felt like there was a lot of information about the small town and other characters which is fine, but we didn't get enough of the main love interests which I felt like was supposed to be the point of the book.

Having said all that, I do think I'm in the minority so take my review with a grain of salt! I just didn't love it as much as I wanted to...perhaps my expectations of the book let me down. I would still recommend others to give this a try!

Thanks to Net galley and Penguin for sending me a digital copy to read and review!

I am a massive fan of Emily Henry’s writing so I was thrilled to get an arc of this book, on Valentine’s Day no less.

It’s difficult to review the book as I am so fond of this author’s books, but if I am honest, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as her previous books. It’s an intriguing plot - two writers competing to write the biography of an intriguing and mysterious former IT girl. There were shades of the book which reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, so I would definitely recommend fans of that book also read this one too.

For me, the two halves of the book - the romance between the writers vs the chapters set in the past - felt disjointed and I felt like I was reading two separate books at once. I didn’t feel connected to any character in the book and so I didn’t feel invested in their story. It felt like it took me a long time to read the book but conversely, the ending felt rushed.

I am sure this is just my experience and there are lots of other people who’ll be blown away be it. It’s worth a read if you like domestic drama, workplace romance and enemies to lovers. I’ll always ready whatever this author writes. I feel like may just be the case of the right book but wrong time. In the words of Taylor Swift, it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much. The love story was lovely, but it was Margaret’s story that really pulled me in. The banter between Hayden and Alice was great and the mystery had me hooked. Would definitely recommend

Literary rivalry, juicy celebrity secrets, incredible chemistry and a mystery to uncover...

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry ⛱️📸🎸🗞️

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Out - 22nd April

*gifted by Penguin for an honest review*

This is something totally new from Emily Henry, and I'll admit was a little thrown! While it hasn’t dethroned Book Lovers as my all-time favorite (an impossible task, really), this book is yet another testament to Henry’s skill as a storyteller.

We go back and forth between our two rival journalists in the present day, both fighting for the chance to tell the story of the larger than life Margaret Ives, and the centuries spanning, sweeping epic of the Ives family.

Henry might be a romance author, but it would be more accurate to describe her novels as about love, rather than just romance. Romantic, siblings, friendship, art, familial, you name it and Emily Henry has captured it.

One of the novel’s most compelling themes is the power of storytelling, whether in the media or in the narratives we craft about our own lives. Henry also explores grief in such a deeply personal and unique way, making me tear up once or twice.

I hate to compare but I loved this book in the same way I love Taylor Jenkins Reid's books about celebrity - it has that same juicy, behind-the-scenes feel.

Unlike her previous novels, I didn’t connect with the main love story as deeply, perhaps because we simply don’t spend as much time with them. But what Henry sacrifices in screentime, she more than makes up for in atmosphere. The world she creates is so colourful and detailed, and the plot twists were so genuinely shocking that I had to put the book down just to stare at the wall for a sec.

Now, I’m just waiting for all the Taylor Swift / Ives edits that are sure to come!

I'm a big fan of Emily Henry so I was excited to see this title appear on Netgalley and started reading as soon as I could. Great Big Beautiful Life follows the path that you would expect from Henry's writing; bookish scenario, evocative American backdrop and two leads who quickly spark chemistry between them. I liked that the parallel storyline of Margaret Ives shook things up a bit and the resolution of the storylines gave a nice sense of satisfaction.
Overall, while this hit the spot I wouldn't rate it as my favourite book she's written as I was less interested in the characters (Alice was too sunshiney for me and Hayden was a bit too stoic) and the complications in front of love's true path were unnecessarily convoluted. Would still recommend it but for me Book Lovers remains the pinnacle!

Love Emily Henry’s books and this one did not disappoint! I loved the characters and storyline. I found Margaret’s storyline really interesting and emotional. I read this book in two days as it was that good! Highly recommend.

Finally one love story without much drama between the two. I couldn't put it down because the two main characters were so cute together but also because of the heiress life story. I wanted to find out more. I really liked the way the book was written and how it incorporated the story from the past with the present. To me it feels like this is one of Emily Henry's best books and I need it adapted into a movie.

Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life undoubtedly lives up to its grandiose name. This is her most ambitious novel yet in terms of structure and she executes it beautifully. With a slight departure from her usual romance-driven narratives, this plot takes a slightly different direction with the inclusion of a third-person narrative. Margaret Ives, a reclusive celebrity who vanished from the public eye after a series of tragic events, is the foundation for the novel.

A slow-burn, NDA-sealed romance unfolds between Alice and Hayden, two journalists competing for the chance to co-write Margaret’s highly anticipated memoir. Their chemistry is effortless; in true Henry fashion, their rivalry-fuelled friendship gradually veers into romance territory with the perfect balance of wit, tension, and tenderness. The dual focus of their budding romance contrasting Margaret’s fame-filled life is perfectly balanced. I never found myself preferring one storyline over the other, as each transition felt seamless (even if it often came right before a plot twist!).

This novel is Henry at her finest; compelling characters with rich backstories, unexpected plot twists, with a refreshing departure from her usual style.

Absolutely loved this! This is a must read author for me and she's really knocked it out of the park this time. Interesting, relatable characters, great location, fascinating story-line and my goodness there is some serious chemistry between the MCs. However, this isn't just a romance, there is so much more emotional complexity in this novel, we have mystery, and drama, and humour and the unravelling of a life. I genuinely couldn't put this down, and it will definitely be a novel I return to again and again. In my opinion Emily Henry is the reigning queen of well-written romance (although her books are so much more than that).

(P.S. After reading this the smell of almonds will almost definitely have an effect on you. When you know, you know!)

Emily Henry is an instant buy for me. All of her books make me laugh, kick my feet and shed some tears. I loved the story of Margaret and how it runs alongside Alice and Hayden's. It reminded me of Beach Read in the best way, which was the first book of hers I read and still my favourite. I loved Hayden and how he represented a universal issue where someone is judged without being known. It was also a great representation of how the media can manipulate a version of a story that in most cases, is not the true one. I deducted a star as there was a level of insta love that I don't always enjoy but I liked the characters so much I still rooted for them.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin for the arc!

I have been an Emily Henry fan since before Beach Read got published here in the UK (meaning I have the US edition and now have to buy all other books as ebooks because I can’t stand them not matching!) and I heard that this one was quite the change from Emily Henry’s usual work. To begin with, I didn’t mind that one bit. Later on, I did. I was all for the rich fictional famous people vibe akin to Taylor Jenkins Reed, however, in the end it fell short for me, and rather than left me amazed and in awe, I felt like it was a bit of a cliche.

When it comes to the romance, I didn’t find it believable in this one and wished for it to be more fleshed out. Alice and Hayden have known each other for ONE month when they 'break up' and I don' feel that their relationship was developed enough for me to root for them when this occured. I wanted more moments with just them. The lore of the 'famous Ives family' was interesting, but it also felt like something out of a gossip magazine. It was intriguing, for sure, and left me wanting more, but I also felt like they lacked a bit of depth. Margaret and Cosmo had a tragic love story, as did the whole of the Ives family, but I never really felt truly sorry for any of them.

In the end, my reading journey with this one was varied. I went from loving it, to feeling ’meh’ about it, to loving it, to ultimately feeling ’meh’ again. It had potential, but for me it ultimately felt short due to the way it ended. It felt rushed and anticlimactic. I wanted to feel giddy and excited, like you get after reading a really good book where you FEEL for the characters and want them to be happy, but with this one I didn’t. There will definitely be people who love this one, sadly I was not one of them. This is not your typical Emily Henry book. It’s something new. I am proud she tried tried something new with this one, and I hope it will be well received with the right readers.

I for one, will still read her books eagerly, even if this one wasn't for me.

Emily Henry is known for her romance - spicy, sultry, steamy, slow burn and everything in between - so readers might be surprised to see it take a little bit of a backseat in Great Big Beautiful Life.

Hayden and Alice have a classic grumpy-sunshine dynamic and, as always Em Hen brings her signature depth to what could be a pretty superficial trope. Their love story is more one of mutual respect, appreciation and connection as opposed to an irresistible, 'rip each others clothes off' kind of lustful romance (though their is a bit of that too, don't worry). It could be forgiven for being a bit quiet, compared to the standard set by her previous books.

What I would call the main plot, is actually very Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo-esque as Alice and Hayden are both vying to write the biography of former IT girl and media heiress Margaret Ives. The narrative traces interviews between Margaret and Alice and the love story stretches out across the centuries, encompassing all of Margaret's history. There's just about enough mystery to keep this interesting however it took me a while to warm up to it.

Em Hen knows how to write, there's no question about that, and this is a much more grown up direction than her other books. An enjoyable read but perhaps slower and quieter than her previous.

Two stories that go on one along the other with final plot twist. The story that happens in the past, is so sad that sometimes I wonder if it really reflects the reality of some situations and I dread the answer. I liked other books by this author better, although in this one the main characters were really well delineated but in some ways and in my opinion, the romance doesn't really take off.

Due storie che proseguono in parallelo con plot twist finale. La storia del passato é talmente triste che a volte mi chiedo se davvero rispecchi la realtá di alcune situazioni e mi fa paura la risposta. Altri libri di questa autrice mi sono piaciuti di piú, anche se in questo i protagonisti erano veramente ben delineati ma per certi versi e secondo me, la storia d'amore non decolla proprio.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Emily Henry does it again. I feel like this was a bit of a departure from her usual style but I really enjoyed it. A little bit Evelyn Hugo, a little bit Beach Read with the twist of a mystery. I really liked the relationship the unfurls between Hayden and Alice. It was by no means a slow burn as they pretty much immediately go from strangers to lovers but I just loved how pure they're relationship was. Very wholesome. The whole book was quite warmhearted even if I did want to cry from sorrow at times.