Having loved most of Emily Henry's previous books, I was incredibly excited when she announced Great Big Beautiful Life. She always delivers the coziest small-town romances, and this newest release's plot sounded like it would be right up my alley. Two writers competing to get to write a sought-after biography, in a charming small-town setting, and then they fall in love? Sign me up! After about a week of carrying this book everywhere, and I mean everywhere, I finally finished it. Here are my thoughts.
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Synopsis
Alice Scott is waiting for her big writing break, and is hoping that on Little Crescent Island she finds it in writing a biography about a woman there, Margaret Ives. However, she's not the only one wanting the story of the heiress/tabloid princess, as Hayden Anderson who has won Pulitzer's for his writing is also on a mission to write her story. Margaret decides she will give them both a one month trial period, then will choose who gets to write her story, but the only problem is she seems to be giving them both only fragments of her story, and with a tight NDA they can't put these fragments together. As they struggle with this, as well as with their desire for one another, they also start to develop their own story alongside Margaret's.
Strengths
Let me begin by saying I absolutely loved the setting in this book. Not only was it set in a cozy coastal small town, but it was so well fleshed out that you can't convince me this isn't a real place. From Alice's strolls on the beach, to the little coffee shops on the island, and of course I can't leave out all the diners her and Hayden visited, the atmosphere felt truly alive. In addition to this, all the characters were incredibly well-developed, each containing a compelling backstory. It had me guessing until the very end on what the twist would be, and made for an amazing reading experience. I also thought the discussions on family dynamics, as well as how familial approval can impact self-worth was very interesting, and done in a realistic yet approachable way. Finally, the way the story was told in a dual timeline format, alternating from Alice's point of view and "The Story" of Margaret Ives, also worked exceptionally well in Great Big Beautiful Life.
Weaknesses
In all honesty there was very little I didn't enjoy in this book. If I had one minor criticism, it would be the timeline and all the backstories of everyone in relation to Margaret Ives was a little hard to follow at times.There were so many characters introduced in her chapters, and little twists in family trees that made it fairly easy to get confused. In addition to this, I feel like this book had a little more spice than what you typically can expect in a Emily Henry book, so that's something to be aware of going into it.
Would I recommend?
Yes! I enjoyed this one a lot, and it kept me intrigued all the way up until the final pages. The story between Alice and Hayden was just as captivating as the chapters on Margaret's story, which is crucial since dual-timelines can sometimes lead you to prefer one over the other. If you enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I think you'll like Great Big Beautiful Life, as they share some similarities. Personally, I will say I preferred this one, as I couldn't guess the twist, and I loved the added romance story we were given between Alice and Hayden. This is easily one of my new favorite Emily Henry books, so if the plot sounds good to you, then you should definitely give it a try.
Ratings
Overall Rating: 4/5
Spice Rating: 2/5
Content Warnings
Family trauma, death of a loved one, harassment, car accidents, grief, extortion
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