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emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Yes
I feel a lot of feelings about this book. For once, I read it in German but for most of the book, I listened to the audiobook and that one I really disliked. It felt really slow and dragged a lot without any markings when a new chapter or a history part began.
As soon as I started reading it with my eyes though, I really enjoyed the book again as I always (so far) did with Henry‘s books.
I really liked Margaret and the mystery surrounding Jodi, her mysterious housekeeper. Alice was a great narrator and main character, and her love story with Hayden was sweet and pretty convincing.
The history parts were partly my favorites, especially when I started reading the book and started to notice how the names were actually spelled after listening to them (I thought Gerald was spelled Darren ups) and all the plot twists wooing into them were just chefs kiss.
And just for fun, bc the public was comparing them: all in all I like Great Big Beautiful Life a lot more than The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, even though the plot twist in the end was pretty similar. Also The Last Great American Dynasty is my favorite Folklore song, so I was ecstatic when getting to know Henry wrote a book inspired by it and it definitely didn’t disappoint.
As soon as I started reading it with my eyes though, I really enjoyed the book again as I always (so far) did with Henry‘s books.
I really liked Margaret and the mystery surrounding Jodi, her mysterious housekeeper. Alice was a great narrator and main character, and her love story with Hayden was sweet and pretty convincing.
The history parts were partly my favorites, especially when I started reading the book and started to notice how the names were actually spelled after listening to them (I thought Gerald was spelled Darren ups) and all the plot twists wooing into them were just chefs kiss.
And just for fun, bc the public was comparing them: all in all I like Great Big Beautiful Life a lot more than The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, even though the plot twist in the end was pretty similar. Also The Last Great American Dynasty is my favorite Folklore song, so I was ecstatic when getting to know Henry wrote a book inspired by it and it definitely didn’t disappoint.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Dementia, Stalking, Pregnancy
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide attempt
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Emily Henry does not disappoint. I didn’t want this book to end. Absolutely loved the relationship growth between Alice and Henry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i am never getting over this book.
the theme of hope can never escape me i fear, that and the multiple outlooks on life and messages that were subtly dotted around 😭😭 my literal favourite thing ever about books and this was STACKED.
the way love is portrayed was beautifully written, all aspects of it in its best and worst forms. the complexity!!!!! i went into this knowing i'd enjoy margaret's story and ohmy gad it was crazy, the generational lore, the several plot twists toward the end, her whole person!!! 'She's being brave where it counts.' 🫂 i loved her character so much. the dual timeline also flowed perfectly imo, we were told pieces of information when it was the right time to hear them 👏👏!!
the people have also forgotten that romance also includes YEARNING. like the "no romance" bullshit is just ragebait btw!! hayden and alice were slow burn at their centre, their hand holding moments, the HUG. the snake scene, the storm, the many many diner visits, the knee bumping, the GENTLENESS. the opening up, the "I don't know anyone like you.", the EVERYTHING. the numerous groundbreaking quotes. like??????? the mature way of waiting and trying to make rational choices, what don't people get i have no idea !! they were so special and real ❤️🩹
hayden 😩 a yearner at heart 💓💓 his vulnerability peeking through throughout the book!!! his optimism. "There's a soft, thrumming, hopeful heart." 💚 alice, i love her immensely. her perspective on life and the world she sees (how hayden wants to be a part of it 🥹), her love of writing, her love of love and it's many forms, just her her her!!! 🫶
i was a sobbing mess throughout those last few chapters and i just couldn't keep up with the emotions, i honestly feel like this is a 'you get this book if you get it' type understanding! it healed a part of me i didn't even realise needed a lil bit of healing 😭 this is now on par for favourite beside my beloved beach read 💛
there's so sooo much i could talk about but i'm still trying to function and as always, it's best to go in blind and discover the love for yourself ❤️🩹
the theme of hope can never escape me i fear, that and the multiple outlooks on life and messages that were subtly dotted around 😭😭 my literal favourite thing ever about books and this was STACKED.
the way love is portrayed was beautifully written, all aspects of it in its best and worst forms. the complexity!!!!! i went into this knowing i'd enjoy margaret's story and ohmy gad it was crazy, the generational lore, the several plot twists toward the end, her whole person!!! 'She's being brave where it counts.' 🫂 i loved her character so much. the dual timeline also flowed perfectly imo, we were told pieces of information when it was the right time to hear them 👏👏!!
the people have also forgotten that romance also includes YEARNING. like the "no romance" bullshit is just ragebait btw!! hayden and alice were slow burn at their centre, their hand holding moments, the HUG. the snake scene, the storm, the many many diner visits, the knee bumping, the GENTLENESS. the opening up, the "I don't know anyone like you.", the EVERYTHING. the numerous groundbreaking quotes. like??????? the mature way of waiting and trying to make rational choices, what don't people get i have no idea !! they were so special and real ❤️🩹
hayden 😩 a yearner at heart 💓💓 his vulnerability peeking through throughout the book!!! his optimism. "There's a soft, thrumming, hopeful heart." 💚 alice, i love her immensely. her perspective on life and the world she sees (how hayden wants to be a part of it 🥹), her love of writing, her love of love and it's many forms, just her her her!!! 🫶
i was a sobbing mess throughout those last few chapters and i just couldn't keep up with the emotions, i honestly feel like this is a 'you get this book if you get it' type understanding! it healed a part of me i didn't even realise needed a lil bit of healing 😭 this is now on par for favourite beside my beloved beach read 💛
there's so sooo much i could talk about but i'm still trying to function and as always, it's best to go in blind and discover the love for yourself ❤️🩹
"For the one you love? Anything. You unmake the world and build a new one. You do anything to give them what they need." 🌅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
No
i don’t really know how i feel about this one. while i really enjoyed parts, obviously emily henry’s writing and banter is always amazing, some of the quotes really stuck with me but it felt too much like two different books in one. i wish we got more of alice and hayden together than we did of the secondary story. while i enjoyed the biography they were hoping to write, it felt like it overpowered the relationship and when they did get together, it felt very rushed and insta-lovey. i wish we would’ve found out the plot twist sooner and then seen how they navigated it together. i would still recommend but know that the romance felt more of a subplot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had seen so many mixed reviews of this book before reading it, so I was quite nervous to get into it. I am glad to report that for the most part I did enjoy this book, although I do completely understand why this book is so incredibly devisive.
I personally really loved the Margaret storyline. I truly wish this book was more of that. I thought her life was so incredibly interesting, and the chapters focussing on it had me so gripped. I just had a blast reading those parts. On top of that I also just liked Alice's personal journey as well throughout this book.The parallels between that and Margaret's life were also so interesting, and I loved the dynamic these two women developed as well. I could have read a book that was fully just them because this book was just so strong during those parts, in my opinion.
However, this book is a romance (let's stop those discussions because this definitely is romance, the relationship between Hayden and Alice is easily the main thread of this book) and I really wish it wasn't because that part of this book was so BORING. This is easily the worst case of insta-love I've ever read. On top of that I thought Hayden was just a really hard to read character, and he just was who he needed to be in that particular scene rather than a full character, in my opinion. I also just didn't see the chemistry between the two of them, and I just did not care for any of their scenes together. It felt a bit half assed to me, which is especially a shame because I could see glimpses of Emily Henry's fantastic romance writing whenever Margaret was talking about her late husband. So there is an epic romance in this book, it is just so hidden in the background but it makes the actual main romance feel so much more lame in comparison.
So yeah, my own opinions on this book are pretty devisive so it totally makes sense to me that the general reception to this book has been as well. I just think Emily Henry should have just taken the full leap into litfic rather than forcing this to be a romance.
I personally really loved the Margaret storyline. I truly wish this book was more of that. I thought her life was so incredibly interesting, and the chapters focussing on it had me so gripped. I just had a blast reading those parts. On top of that I also just liked Alice's personal journey as well throughout this book.The parallels between that and Margaret's life were also so interesting, and I loved the dynamic these two women developed as well. I could have read a book that was fully just them because this book was just so strong during those parts, in my opinion.
However, this book is a romance (let's stop those discussions because this definitely is romance, the relationship between Hayden and Alice is easily the main thread of this book) and I really wish it wasn't because that part of this book was so BORING. This is easily the worst case of insta-love I've ever read. On top of that I thought Hayden was just a really hard to read character, and he just was who he needed to be in that particular scene rather than a full character, in my opinion. I also just didn't see the chemistry between the two of them, and I just did not care for any of their scenes together. It felt a bit half assed to me, which is especially a shame because I could see glimpses of Emily Henry's fantastic romance writing whenever Margaret was talking about her late husband. So there is an epic romance in this book, it is just so hidden in the background but it makes the actual main romance feel so much more lame in comparison.
So yeah, my own opinions on this book are pretty devisive so it totally makes sense to me that the general reception to this book has been as well. I just think Emily Henry should have just taken the full leap into litfic rather than forcing this to be a romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Misogyny
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent
medium-paced
yknow what idk where all the slander is coming from for this book i thought it was fun and i like the interview style and jumping between margarets story and theirs (a hayden pov couldve gone crazy i think) it was by no means a slow burn but i thought it was fun anyway
THE ENDING???????? I KNEW SMN WAS BREWING HERE IN THAT LAST 10% I COULD SMELL IT IN THE AIR AND I WAS RIGHT
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Terminal illness
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Car accident
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Dementia
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder