Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Stora vackra liv by Emily Henry

36 reviews

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious 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: Complicated

This is my second Emily Henry book and while I really did not enjoy Beach Read, I love this. It was sad and emotional. It was hard to follow the family tree at times, that was a bit difficult. I often tell my sister I wish books would all have the character explanations in the front of the book like the original American Girl books. 

I enjoyed the main love interests and how they actively worked through problems and worked to understand and apologize with each other. Their issues seemed more grounded in logic versus narrative contrivances. They were not able to talk to each other about certain things due to
the NDA's they sign.
They penultimate issue
again being afraid of legal threat and also not telling a love one something like that would destroy the relationship slowly over years.
 

I was also quite moved by the parental relationship with the main female character and her mother. I loathed the mother. She made me so angry.
Then I actually forgave her. Her reasons were not great and she screwed up but they made sense in some way versus actually being apathetic to your child's passions and work.


Margaret and the story she told were so interesting and heartbreaking.
I genuinely convinced myself there would be a happy ending for her. I get upset thinking about how there really wasn't one.
You can have all the money in the world but be barred away from love and happiness by that same money. 

And Julia Wheylan, when she read Margaret in a moment of seething anger, her voice gave me chills. She sounded genuinely scary. She did a great job on the audiobook. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous emotional funny 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: No

I loved this book SO much. It was the perfect summer read! I loved the mystery aspect so much.  This is one of my favorite cast of characters as well!! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

               This book felt like it was trying to be two books at once. It was trying to be a bit of both a literary mystery and a contemporary romance book. The two didn’t weave that well together, however. 

              I hated all the edging the author did with the MC’s sexual relationship. I think she was trying to keep it from being “too spicy” for her readers, but still spicy enough. However, it just got frustrating. I get the building anticipation of them having intercourse, but it just took too long! 

              I liked most of the characters, all the townspeople, Cecil and Margaret especially, though others not as much, looking at you, Alice, and especially her mom, and Theo. 

              Overall, it was a decent book. Mostly, the structure just didn’t work for me. As well as the drawn-out nature of the MCs’ relationship, and their admitting their feelings and desires. 


  
​Narrator Rating:​ 4.75 stars
             I wish they’d gotten someone else to narrate the section of the book that was supposed to be part of the biography. Julia Whelan is wonderful and did an amazing job, however, I feel like having dual narration would have been better for the two intertwined sections of the book. 



Elements 
Heartfelt-💔💔💔 
Horror- N/A
Love aka Romance- 💋 💋 💋 💋 & 1/2
Predictability-🔮 🔮 🔮 
Spice-  🌶  🌶  🌶 
Tear- 😭 & 1/2
Thrill- N/A
Humor- 😜 😜 & 1/2

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional reflective 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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: Yes

This was a beautiful book! While a slight departure from Emily Henry’s typical romance, I thought Alice and Hayden’s story was so sweet, and Margaret’s was fascinating. I think this is my favorite Emily Henry book yet!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Emily Henry we are so back!!!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional lighthearted mysterious 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

Emily Henry you mad genius. I love you so much. Great Big Beautiful Life has got to be one of Emily's best books. It was different than anything else she's written but it is fantastic. I was so sucked into this world that I would question where I was when I looked up from the book. What a wonderful writer Emily is. What a magnificent book. 

Okay, first, the cast of characters are perfect. From Margaret and all her family to Alice and Hayden. Every character added something to the book. Alice Scott is such a loveable character. Her sunshine demeanor and optimism won me over. She's hilarious and kind and it was so easy to root for her. I loved her from page one. Hayden Anderson, what a man. I gotta be honest, he was a jerk at the beginning. But, as usual, Emily made us absolutely adore him by the end of the book. He was so kind and honest. He's selfless and funny. And he absolutely worships the ground Alice walks on. Hayden is down BAD! As all men should be for the woman they love. I loved watching Alice and Hayden grow together and fall in love. Their love felt so pure and honest. They way it developed felt so natural and real. It was perfectly written. 

Onto the Margaret Ives storyline. Oh my gosh, was I absolutely hooked. I loved connecting all the dots and learning all about Margaret's family. So much joy and grief is found in Margaret's story. It made my heart ache to read about, but then it made my heart rejoice when Margaret gets her happy ending. Everything about this story was so real and put together perfectly. I love these characters, I love the story, I love this book. I honestly don't think Emily Henry is capable of writing a bad book. Everything she writes turns to gold. I love love love you Emily Henry. 

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