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.

Always a fan of an EmHen! This is the perfect summer read. Focused on two writers, it is great for anyone thinking being a writer is their dream career - fun to live through Alice and Hayden!

Easy 5 star read, definitely recommend.

I was THRILLED to get an early preview via Netgalley and couldn’t wait to dive in. As always with Emily, her characters are well rounded, leaning just enough into the classic romance tropes whilst winking at the reader knowingly. The storyline is well paced and focuses on two talented writers who are competing to ghost-write the memoir of a mysterious and enigmatic icon who is living her later years incognito. The sizzle is palpable and the payoff is very satisfying. Emily Henry fans won’t be disappointed, this is another smash.

Marvellous. I loved it.

Funny, romantic, a plot to keep you guessing, great characters. Everything I want from a book.

I want to live in an Emily Henry book. She writes so beautifully. Pink really is the giddy part of a sunrise.

‘There is a moment when everything’s just all pink. Pink-lemonade pink. And it feels almost silly. Like the sky is playing.’

I really warmed to Alice Scott. She desperately wants to write the biography of Margaret Ives. Margaret has lived life in the spotlight and much has been reported about her family. Alice has to compete with Hayden Anderson for who will get to write Margaret’s story. What a story it is!

Hayden is a a snake phobic, green tea drinking, trousers wearing, heartthrob. Of course Alice is going to fall for him. They made me melt! I just love Alice’s thoughts on why tall men like short women; of course it’s because there will be more room in the cave.

‘Love isn’t something you can cup in your hands, and I have to believe that means it’s something that can’t ever be lost.’

My brain was racing with theories of what Margaret’s story would reveal. I was breathless and completely hooked. I want to re-examine my relationship with my parents and with my kids. Did I tell them I loved them enough? Emily Henry made me take stock.

Without a shadow of a doubt her best book yet! I have enjoyed her books in the past but this absolutely knocks it out of the park. This book has me gasping and laughing and kicking my feet for these characters. I binge read this in a day because I could not put it down. Wow!

Great Big Beautiful Book.

This book strikes a different cord to Henry's previous romance books. Though you can see threads of Henry's previous work, Great Big Beautiful Life definitely leans more to literary fiction than her other work.

Great Big Beautiful Life is about the love that makes and shapes us, and the world. The decision to tackle love and its truths, ugly and beautiful, was executed beautifully into such an atmospheric and tender beach read. The two narratives informed each other really well with the former acting as a cautionary tale. You could feel the fractures growing and feel yourself grasping for the edge whilst bracing for the inevitable. Both storylines executed with such tenderness and attention to detail. Henry's writing never fails to make me feel like she is cradling me between her pages.

The overarching theme of this book was gorgeous and the round-off was superb. Yes, what a great big beautiful life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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

I loved Great Big Beautiful Life, a story about two writers trying to get an heiress to choose them to write her life story. Alice and Hayden were great characters, highly recommend.

Just when I think the last Emily Henry book was my favourite, she comes out with another one even better!

I loved Alice and Hayden's story. The setting of a small town, without meeting too many characters, was lovely and it really allowed us the space to get to know Alice and Hayden. They're thrown together when a they're both in the running to write maybe the best book they'll ever write and although they should be against one another, they keep finding themselves together.

Not only did I enjoy the romance aspect of it, and the slower timeline made it realistic, what I really loved was hearing Margaret's story. Getting to hear about her past, how her family started and all of the things they'd been through was so interesting.

Great Big Beautiful Life had so much going for it. Romance, humour, mystery. What's not to love.

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.

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

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.