Review: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Thank you Berkley Pub for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
I wasn’t an Emily Henry fan girl from the beginning. It wasn’t until I read Book Lovers that I “got” the appeal and I’ve been a fan ever since. I was so excited to read her latest and I’m really happy to report that I enjoyed it. I don’t think it’s possible for me to not enjoy her excellent banter and emotion filled romances.
Synopsis:
“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.” —Netgalley
What I Liked:
The Romance/Tropes—I love rival writers and I felt the characters’ intense connection from the very start. Hayden’s broody nature is what I am always attracted to in heroes! I thought their banter was so fun and kept me reading.
The Secondary Storyline—I’ve always been fascinated by Old Hollywood and celebrity culture pre-modern tabloids and social media. I didn’t find it to be too similar to Evelyn Hugo as others are criticizing it for because I was so curious to keep learning about Margaret and her family’s legacy.
The Writing—I love Emily’s writing and I enjoyed getting to step outside her usual structure.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
I Want Them as Two Separate Stories—I loved the romance between Hayden and Alice. I loved the history and drama of the Ives family. I don’t know if I loved them together because I feel like we didn’t get to fully explore them.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating: 4/5
Content Warnings:
grief, death of a parent, car accident, miscarriage, pregnancy