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Rating: 5/5 stars
Alice Scott must compete with fellow writer Hayden Anderson for a chance to write the life story of mysterious heiress Margaret Ives—but there may be much more going on than either of them understand.
I loved this book SO much. I definitely went into it expecting something a bit different from past EmHen contemporary romances, and I think setting my expectations that way helped—but this book is also right up my alley and I’m positive I would have adored it regardless. The dual timeline and historical fiction elements were so well done, and I was so interested in the mystery aspects while simultaneously so invested in the relationship, which was heart-meltingly beautiful (as EmHen relationships always are).
This reminded me of a bit of Taylor Jenkins Reid meets Ashley Poston (meets Emily Henry herself) and since I adore all of those authors this was the perfect mix. I can’t wait until everyone gets to read this one in a few weeks!
CW: Death/death of parent; grief; car accident; mental illness
Graphic: Death, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder, Car accident, Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Pregnancy
I have so many feelings about Emily Henry's newest book. I went in knowing that she had mentioned it would be unlike anything she's written before, so I was prepared for that.
The dual timeline drew me in right away, as I've always been a fan of novels with this structure. While the plot starts off a bit slow, it picks up more than halfway through, which is when everything begins to come together. Henry is a puzzle master, assembling pieces that I didn't even realize matched until they were revealed—and this is coming from someone who can usually see every plot twist coming!
Be aware that the women's fiction elements shine more than the romance between Hayden and Alice. There's nothing wrong with this in the slightest, and there are still some swoon-worthy moments, but I found Margaret's backstory and Alice's struggles to connect with her mother to be the true highlights of the novel.
If you're a fan of "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" and "One Last Stop", you'll fall in love with "Great Big Beautiful Life"!
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident
Moderate: Death, Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Medical content
It’s that element of mystery that made me truly love this book. I’ve read mysteries about aging people with dangerous pasts and I’ve read romances about two people that are kept about by circumstance, but the combination of the two was inspiring. It’s rare that two completely different aspects of a story can be balanced in a way that isn’t artificial, but Emily Henry did it skillfully.
Read the full review: https://writethroughthenight.com/2025/04/03/review-great-big-beautiful-life-emily-henry/
Graphic: Death, Car accident
Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol