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emotional
funny
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Misogyny, Kidnapping
emotional
inspiring
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:
Yes
I absolutely loved this book! I was weeping by the ending, and it broke the curse of my DNFing every other Emily Henry book!
I had heard mixed reviews of this one, but perhaps it's just because I'm nosy and love dramatic celebrity stories and cult documentaries, but the story part of the book did not bother me at all, I was invested in most of it in fact.
I had heard mixed reviews of this one, but perhaps it's just because I'm nosy and love dramatic celebrity stories and cult documentaries, but the story part of the book did not bother me at all, I was invested in most of it in fact.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Pregnancy
emotional
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Going into this book, I’d read and heard a lot of mixed reviews saying that this book deviates from Emily Henry’s typical style. I wasn’t too concerned about this because the style of this book actually aligns more with my typical reading preferences, so I feel I was lucky in this regard.
Alice and Hayden are both given a month to vie for the chance to write the life story of an aged former celebrity, Margaret Ives, now living in seclusion. The competition isn’t exactly bitter as Alice and Hayden connect. Unfortunately, thanks to NDAs, neither of them can discuss their interviews with Margaret. This becomes increasingly difficult for Alice in particular as the month goes on.
While certainly different than what I’m used to from Emily Henry, I did enjoy this. That said, this isn’t necessarily the kind of book I’m looking for when picking up her work. I think I would have preferred to listen to the audiobook. I also found it too similar to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It’s less of a romcom and closer to general fiction. Which, again, is not an issue for me, but might be for people expecting another Beach Read.
I enjoyed the scenes with Alice and her mother the most. I liked how that situation played out, and I liked watching Alice’s growth through these situations. Honestly, I could have read an entire book about them and leave or take Hayden. I liked him, but I feel like we missed out not hearing his POV.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Car accident, Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Dementia
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Even having heard spoiler free reviews of this book, I was still surprised by what all made up this book.
If you're like me and first feel in love with Emily Henry for her fun lighthearted romances, this might not be what you want, but it is such a great book. Do know though this is like 60% the unraveling of the celebrity's story the other 40% the romance.
Few things I liked
1. I love how the Male love interest is given good reasons for how he is acting in the situation they're in. I never had to go for chapters on en's asking what's his deal or just assuming he does it solely for tension.
2. I like the secondary plot being something completely different that interacted with the present plot. The main issue I had with Happy Place was the flashbacks, but with this book, they're done so well.
3. For what a lot of people will call a "silly little romance" this book actually looks at and confronts the issue of generational trauma really well.
If you're like me and first feel in love with Emily Henry for her fun lighthearted romances, this might not be what you want, but it is such a great book. Do know though this is like 60% the unraveling of the celebrity's story the other 40% the romance.
Few things I liked
1. I love how the Male love interest is given good reasons for how he is acting in the situation they're in. I never had to go for chapters on en's asking what's his deal or just assuming he does it solely for tension.
2. I like the secondary plot being something completely different that interacted with the present plot. The main issue I had with Happy Place was the flashbacks, but with this book, they're done so well.
3. For what a lot of people will call a "silly little romance" this book actually looks at and confronts the issue of generational trauma really well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Classism
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
I guess when I see a new Emily Henry novel, I jump in assuming I know what to expect. I hadn't read any reviews, just the blurb, but I have to agree with other reviewers who felt that this is less of a romance and more women's fiction. Actually, there was so much mystery that the romance seemed like an afterthought. Alice and Hayden are both writers who have been invited to vie for the prize of writing the biography of Margaret, heiress turned recluse. There's initially some spark between Alice and Hayden, a little grumpy meets sunshine, rivals to lovers vibe. Unfortunately, the book then gets bogged down in telling Margaret's story, which didn't interest me until almost the last quarter of the book. Her story involves family secrets, trauma, and loss, so it was definitely heavier than the author's previous books. Alice and Hayden's relationship had potential for quite a bit more emotional development, as well as banter and tension. It seemed like a missed opportunity, but at least the story ended well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Car accident, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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 loved it and I’m sobbing. (Maybe I’ll be more coherent with my thoughts later)
**Updated**
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
**Updated**
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚 Great Big Beautiful Life, Emily Henry
✨ Emotional. Reflective. Inspiring.
💭 Emily Henry literally never misses! Once again her characters and their stories captured my heart and my imagination. This book felt like the mosaics described in the story. Colorful, mesmerizing, unique, and sharp enough to keep you invested while still allowing escape from the ordinary. A beautiful exploration of legacy, identity, success, and the way the past shapes our future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Car accident
Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, Sexual content, Medical content, Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Pregnancy
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Listed as romance but reads like a mystery - mother child relationships - small town vibes
Having read all of Henry's other books, this was not what I was expecting. Personally, I would have preferred 2 POV's. There was a serious lack of Hayden's inner thoughts which left me felling 'meh' about the romantic relationship aspect of the story.
That being said, if it was sold to me as a mystery... well, this could be a different review.
“There’s an old saying about stories, and how there are always three versions of them: yours, mine, and the truth.”
Having read all of Henry's other books, this was not what I was expecting. Personally, I would have preferred 2 POV's. There was a serious lack of Hayden's inner thoughts which left me felling 'meh' about the romantic relationship aspect of the story.
That being said, if it was sold to me as a mystery... well, this could be a different review.
“There’s an old saying about stories, and how there are always three versions of them: yours, mine, and the truth.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident, Pregnancy
Minor: Dementia
funny
medium-paced
My least favorite Emily Henry book. Enjoyed the story but disliked the ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy