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emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Great Big Beautiful Life is only the second Emily Henry book I’ve read—my first was Funny Story—and this one definitely feels like a departure from her usual style. It leans more into women’s fiction, and I absolutely enjoyed the shift.
Margaret’s story was both beautiful and heartbreaking, and I was completely drawn in. That twist at the end genuinely caught me off guard, even though some parts were a bit predictable. I liked not always knowing where the story would lead.
There is a romance plot which is between Alice and Hayden, who are competing to write Margaret’s story, but I felt like their chemistry could’ve been explored a bit more deeply. Still, the emotional weight of the book more than made up for it.
Overall, this was a emotionally rich read, and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in seeing a different, refreshing side of Emily Henry’s storytelling.
Margaret’s story was both beautiful and heartbreaking, and I was completely drawn in. That twist at the end genuinely caught me off guard, even though some parts were a bit predictable. I liked not always knowing where the story would lead.
There is a romance plot which is between Alice and Hayden, who are competing to write Margaret’s story, but I felt like their chemistry could’ve been explored a bit more deeply. Still, the emotional weight of the book more than made up for it.
Overall, this was a emotionally rich read, and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in seeing a different, refreshing side of Emily Henry’s storytelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Dementia, Car accident, Pregnancy
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Car accident
Minor: Pregnancy
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Car accident
Minor: Pregnancy
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Grief
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great Big Beautiful Life is Book Lovers meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in the best way imaginable, and y’all aren’t ready. Emily Henry has done it again.
I love Henry’s books for her round characters in deeply believable, seemingly unreconcilable circumstances. This delivers on that front, with journalists (sunshine) Alice Scott and (grumpy) Hayden Anderson competing for the chance to write the celebrity memoir of a woman named Margaret Ives who disappeared from the public eye years before. As we watch Alice and Hayden get to know each other better (and wonder what will happen to their budding attraction when one of them beats out the other for the dream job), we also get Margaret’s family story in bits and pieces — but why is Margaret still withholding information even though Alice is under a strict NDA?
I absolutely loved the structure and mystery of this one; I was totally sucked in. Alice and Hayden have a sizzling chemistry, and the way everything fell apart (and then came back together, since this IS a romance novel) in the end had me tearing up. As always, that’s largely thanks Julia Whelan’s excellent performance of the audiobook — she brings out the emotion in me every time.
I think Happy Place is still my favorite (as an OTP girlie, I’m a sucker for second chance), but this one is definitely up there toward the top!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Kidnapping, Car accident
Minor: Pregnancy
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reminded me a lot of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder, Car accident, Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Car accident