This is a very different book from Emily Henry - far more literary fiction than romance, more so than any of her previous works. She also approaches with quite a different narrative structure, providing historical sections as we look back on aspects of the Ives family saga. I think my only gripe with this book is that the romance didn't quite hit for me - because so much of the focus was on Margaret and her story, I feel like we lost out on the chemistry build-up that normally comes with EmHen romances; the romance just felt like it was too fast for me. But I LOVED the parts where we learned about Margaret Ives' story, going all the way back to her great-grandfather - it was very reminiscent of Evelyn Hugo. It's beautifully written (would you expect anything less?), and I was flying through the last few chapters, desperate to learn the secrets that were being unearthed. I can't wait for everyone to read this when it releases and uncover the story of the Ives family!

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Writer Alice is summoned by a reclusive heiress, Margaret, to interview her for one month, uncover family secrets and scandals, then write a book. There's just one problem... she's also invited Pulizter winning writer Hayden to do the same. At the end of the month Margaret will choose whether Alice or Hayden gets to write the book. What could possibly go wrong?

Brilliant! All the usual fabulous Emily Henry elements are here - larger than life characters, witty dialogue, romance and attraction, plus some poignant bits too - but we also get a compelling family mystery. I absolutely loved it and found it unputdownable... and I hadn't guessed the ending either! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

THIS WAS SOOOOOO GOOD.

It was so different than any of Emily Henry's other books but in the BEST way possible. There was so much depth to this one that really made me like the book even more. The premise when I first read it, intrigued me but not as much as her previous books. However, this blew all my expectations out of the water because I absolutely loved it. My one downfall is that I wished it was longer but that is just me being greedy and wanting more from these characters and this world.

Alice, Margaret and Hayden were all brilliantly written characters but Margaret was my favourite. It felt as though I was there in the room, during every session Alice had with her. Her story was so heart wrenching and what a skill it is to write a story within a story that is so detailed but also so different from what you normally write.

I loved loved loved loved this and I expected nothing less because duh it's Emily Henry.

I rated this 5 stars

Alice is determined to prove to her family she is capable of being a serious journalist .Her chance comes when reclusive Margaret Ives ask her to write her biography. She also asks Hayden, a successful biographer and gives them a months trial before deciding who will write the book. Alice slowly uncovers secrets from Margaret's life, she also becomes very attracted to Hayden . Who will be successful and will a romance develop? Emily Henry never fails to please .

EmHen has done it again, and with a little something extra sprinkled on top. Whatever she does, she simply cannot miss in my eyes.

Great Big Beautiful Life follows Alice Scott who is an eternal optimist who goes to Little Crescent Island to write the biography of Margaret Ives. It turns out pessimist, Hayden Anderson who won a Pulitzer-Prize is also there to write the biography. They both have a one month trial period to prove themselves to Margaret and gain her trust. The issue is Margaret only tells Alice and Hayden what she wants to and there is an NDA so Alice and Hayden aren’t supposed to discuss Margaret. The trouble is Alice and Hayden start spending time together and yearning begins. Margaret’s tale is a tragedy but ultimately it will depend on who tells the story.

This book feels very different to Emily Henry’s other books but in a good way. The tone is different and the book is much much about the collective story than the romance. The romance between Alice and Hayden is a focus of the book but there is also a huge focus on Margaret’s story. I really enjoyed reading about Margaret’s life and this gave me vibes of the song The Last Great American Dynasty by Taylor Swift and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This was really good and the ending was so beautiful. I wasn’t sure about this at first but I should have trusted Emily Henry because this was amazing like all her other romance books. I feel bereft after reading this because I loved it and I’m so sad it’s over.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for a review copy of this novel. Emily Henry is on my list of top authors I will read without even bothering to know beforehand what it’s about. My faith in her abilities to craft a story that I will love is so strong that it’s never a problem. This novel only underpins that faith. Her novels are always the type that you forget you have to make dinner and just rush through the day so that you can get back to reading it.

Alice Scott, a writer whose experience to date has been publishing articles and essays on celebrities for a magazine, is desperate to have her writing taken seriously by others, especially her family who see her accomplishments not really worthy of the family’s literary reputation. When she tracks down an opportunity to write a full length memoir on one of the most reclusive celebrities in recent history, the octogenarian heiress, Margaret Ives, Alice thinks her opportunity has arrived. But upon meeting up with Margaret on a remote Island off the coast of Georgia she discovers that she must compete for the job with Pulitzer Prize winner Hayden Anderson over the period of one month before Margaret will decide who will write it. As Alice and Hayden spend assigned days with Margaret Alice gets only snippets of Margaret’s life and their exchange is at times puzzling and frustrating. Also frustrating and puzzling is Hayden, whose manner comes across as stiff and guarded, until one day Alice is able to peek underneath the hard exterior and comes to understand more and more the person Hayden is. Through the novel the three of them learn things about themselves and each other that will change their outlook completely.

Emily Henry has a finely honed ability to create characters with depth and compassion that draw the reader to them, despite their frailties. The storylines are fresh, often with unique twists that add to the depth and tension while also creating a compelling and thoughtful novel that is both highly enjoyable and relatable. Another wonderful Emily Henry novel to add to my shelf to reread more than once.

I am a HUGE Emily Henry fan. I really enjoyed the setting and the premise of this, and thought Hayden and Alice were fantastic characters. However, for me it wasn't up there for me with EH's best. I was a lot less interested in the dual narrative of Margaret's story, and so much time was given to that. I wanted more Alice/Hayden time if I'm being totally honest. Would still recommend and will be impatiently waiting for EH's next book, but not my fave.

Patiently waiting for the next Em Hen has literally become my life - absolutely loved this one and the narrative shifting between current and historical times was so beautiful. Did not expect the plot twist at all!

Every time I go to read an Emily Henry book I think, there’s no way that the next book can beat how much I loved the last one, but she truly does keep outdoing herself time and time again.
As expected, I loved and devoured this story. And it didn’t hurt that I was by the beach when I picked it up to read either.
I adored the split between the present, with Alice and Hayden getting to know one another and Margaret’s side of her and her family’s story.
Both sides were just so rich and layered and drew me in fully.
Even though I read a lot of romances, it’s rare for me to truly fall for the male lead. But that’s exactly what happened with Hayden.
Honestly, what a man!
I do have a feeling this will get compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. And while I can see why, as it does follow a similar format, Great Big Beautiful Life was an elevated take on this kind of book.
And as a journalist myself, especially one whose parents don’t really understand or appreciate what I do, I could not have related to Alice more.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for my earc of this book. I love EmHen and was very excited for her latest release. I don’t think it lived up to my expectations and it wasn’t my favourite of hers but I did enjoy it.
I loved the characters and felt like the intertwining stories were interesting.
I think the balance between Alice’s story and Margaret’s was a bit skewed for my interest but it was well done

Emily Henry did it again. She captivated me with a story that is quite different than her others, so this is not your ordinary EmHen romance book. Nonetheless, I am absolutely in love with the story, her writing and also her humor.
We follow 2 stories: Margaret Ives’s story and Alice and Hayden’s story, one that has been going on for a century, while the other one has been going on for a month. Each great, big and beautiful.
At the beginning I wasn’t that into Margaret’s story, but it wasn’t really about her. Once she got involved in it, her story took a turn, and I got immersed in it. At the end it also took a huge turn, and it left me shocked, I didn’t predict the ending it had. Also, my heart broke for Margaret. I also absolutely loved her and Cosmo’s love. It’s something I aim to have; it was beautiful.
Meanwhile Hayden and Alice’s love wasn’t something I was a big fan at the beginning either. But as the story continued, it grew on me. It was love and connection on a deeper level. And of course, Hayden went onto the list of the best book boyfriends. Gotta love men written by Emily.
The book is a mix of The Seven Husbands of Emily Hugo (because of Margaret’s story, it gave 1920s vibes) and Beach Read (mostly because the main characters were writers and something else that I can’t really explain). So, absolutely read it if you want to feel the vibes of those two books, but also The Last Great American Dynasty vibes.

Emily Henry tells a really compelling story in Great Big Beautiful Life. This book follows two writers vying for the opportunity to write the biography of a reclusive woman, who is a member of a rich and famous family ready to tell her family’s story.

Some sections of the book were fast-paced and other sections, slow. I found myself speed reading through some sections especially towards the end to find the answers to all the questions raised in the book.

I would have liked to see more around the development of Alice and Hayden’s romance. It seemed to progress too quickly and I don’t there was enough in the book to make their romance believable.

Issues with the romance aside, this was an engaging story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is different from Emily Henry’s other books; part mystery, part romance and true to form she did not disappoint. I would read anything she writes!

Many thanks to Viking Books UK and NetGalley for the advanced copy; best Valentine’s Day gift ever and very much appreciated!

This may be the love story of Alice and Hayden but the great big wonderful life is Margaret.. the emotional in her story makes Alice and Hayden’s story better and at times not even the most compelling part, that’s how good this latest Emily Henry book.
I couldn’t put it down until I was finished and now all I want is to appreciate all the different types of love story in this book all over again!

I received this book as an ARC and provide an honest review

I am (as always) struck by Emily Henry's ability to write such effortless prose and create characters I root so hard for. GBBL is expansive and heartfelt and filled with all the sparkle and wit I know to expect from an EmHen novel – it's a great, big, beautiful love story about all the ways love can leave a mark, and OH BOY did this book leave a mark too.

Every one of Emily Henry's books captivates me in different ways, and Great Big Beautiful Life was just simply amazing!
There is Grumpy/Sunshine in the mix, but so, SO much more in the story.
Alice is a journalist who has finally been given a chance to stretch her writing muscles on a story that is close to her heart.
Hayden is a Pulitzer prize willing writer looking to fill the gap he's feeling after writing a biography that took his whole being to write.
She's full of the light of life, finding the silver linings in all situations.
He's - well - grump. Unapproachable, gruff, rude. And hot.
The story finds both of them competing in a month-long interview to see who will be granted permission to write the biography for Margaret Ives, the infamous, reclusive heiress to the tabloid conglomerate built by the Ives family.
The story is mostly told from Alice's POV, with a subtle dual timeline that takes us back to Margaret's past. We learn so much about all three main characters, and in between, the simmering chemistry between Alice and Hayden bubbles along in true Henry style.
There is love, loss, grief, tragedy, scandal, and an unexpected twist at the end, which brings about pain and healing all at once.
I LOVED this book.
I think this might be her best, yet, and my favourite Emily Henry read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC.

Every time I sit down with a new Emily Henry book, I ask myself "can this one really be even better than the last?" And the answer is always, no matter what, yes. With a Great Big Beautiful Life, she has certainly done it again. This is a story about love, what it means to love and to be loved, whether familial or romantic, and what really matters in our little time here on the planet. It's about lies, but mostly truth, and about how those things don't always even matter as much as you think they do.
It is not just a five star read, but ten or a hundred. It's my heart, hurting and still mending.

4.9 Stars

Alice + Hayden

Alice is a journalist. Writing articles for a magazine. But she wants to write something amazing ...something her mom could be proud of.
That's where the legendary Ives family comes into the picture. The super famous and glamorous last living Ives - Margaret - has been hiding away from the public for over 20 years. And Alice found her! Living on a small island in Georgia.
Margaret agrees to being interviewed for a book. Only problem... Alice is not the only one who wants the job.
Grumpy hot Pulitzer winner Hayden is here too and they have a month to convince Margaret to pick the right Author.
Let the fun times begin...

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Adorable!

I loved this!

Alice has been a fan of Margaret and her late rock star husband since she was a little girl. Her dad was a fan and she grew up listening to the music and the stories.
And now she finally has the chance to write something meaningful and super exclusive. But there's this annoying other guy - who we of course find very attractive and interesting.
I loved them together. He's so adorably grumpy and she is so the opposite.
I usually don't like it when a side story is told in my books. I want to concentrate on my romance and my two darlings. But this book has just enough about Margaret Ives' life that we want even more. More of her, but of course also more about Alice and Hayden. It was the perfect mix of all the stories and I still wanted more! It was all so interesting and exciting and heartbreaking and mysterious and you just have to know how it all ends - Margaret, Alice and Hayden.
I loved reading this. Amazing cast, amazing location. Well, almost - I could've done without the super humid summer heat - I was sweating just reading about it!

I need to see this as a movie one day!

► GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE was such a sweet and sparky and heartbreaking and mysterious and exciting love and life story. Run to your nearest book dealer for your own Hayden - he'll be sold out in no time!

Emily Henry just keeps getting better.

Great Big Beautiful Life is her most ambitious romance yet, with a dual timeline that spans generations, and twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat. Although the memoir element was something different for Emily Henry, it slotted perfectly into the romance alongside Alice and Hayden’s incredible chemistry.

This is a book about the importance of writing and telling stories, written by someone who’s clearly so passionate about writing and telling stories. I would recommend for everyone, but especially fans of Beach Read.

This is very different from everything Emily Henry's ever written...

Great Big Beautiful Life centres around Alice, a journalist who follows a lead and finds Margaret Ives, the heiress of a very important family and a tabloid princess in her youth, hidden away in a small town. Margaret wants to write a book telling her and her family's story and offers a month-long trial to Alice and Hayden, a Pulitzer-winning journalist who is also in town vying for the job. During this month, the two alternate days interviewing Margaret and getting to know each other.

Great Big Beautiful Life caught me by surprise. It's a big departure from Emily Henry's other books; it feels like a Taylor Jenkins Read-esque novel. I adored Alice and Hayden's connection and love; their relationship grew through so much trust and dialogue and it was amazing to watch it develop. However, I have to say Margaret's story didn't really catch my attention; I kept pushing through her story to get back to the moments between the couple, as it was not my favourite part of the book. It felt like there wasn't space to connect with Margaret; her story felt distant.

Fans of Emily Henry's novels might be surprised by this one, but if you also like Taylor Jenkins Read's novels, especially The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this might be a good one for you.

Thank you very much to Viking UK and NetGalley for the e-ARC!