Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
✨ Book Review: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
Short Description:
Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize–winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.
When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period—after which she’ll choose one to tell her story—it’s a high-stakes race filled with secrets, tension, and a slow-burning connection neither Alice nor Hayden saw coming.
⸻
My Thoughts:
I’ll be honest—I wasn’t sure this was going to be a high-rating read for me at first. The pacing was a little slower, and the story was layered in a way that felt a bit hard to keep up with at times. But then… the last 20% hit, and suddenly I was hooked. I could not stop reading.
Alice was hands-down my favorite character. I loved her heart, her hopefulness, and her ability to connect with people. She made the story feel warm and alive, even in its messiest moments. Hayden, on the other hand, was harder for me to connect with. He was so closed off that I felt like I never fully got him until later in the book—and even then, I wanted more from him emotionally.
And Margaret? Let’s just say… I was suspicious of her from the very beginning. She’s one of those characters who keeps you second-guessing everything, and I didn’t know if I wanted to hug her or shake her by the shoulders.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
Short Description:
Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize–winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.
When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period—after which she’ll choose one to tell her story—it’s a high-stakes race filled with secrets, tension, and a slow-burning connection neither Alice nor Hayden saw coming.
⸻
My Thoughts:
I’ll be honest—I wasn’t sure this was going to be a high-rating read for me at first. The pacing was a little slower, and the story was layered in a way that felt a bit hard to keep up with at times. But then… the last 20% hit, and suddenly I was hooked. I could not stop reading.
Alice was hands-down my favorite character. I loved her heart, her hopefulness, and her ability to connect with people. She made the story feel warm and alive, even in its messiest moments. Hayden, on the other hand, was harder for me to connect with. He was so closed off that I felt like I never fully got him until later in the book—and even then, I wanted more from him emotionally.
And Margaret? Let’s just say… I was suspicious of her from the very beginning. She’s one of those characters who keeps you second-guessing everything, and I didn’t know if I wanted to hug her or shake her by the shoulders.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
lighthearted
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sadly this one was kind of a miss for me. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t love it either. The story was a bit boring in the middle and didn’t pick up until the very end. I was happily surprised with a nice twist, but wasn’t enough to gain more than 3 stars this time.
was it in some ways just an emily henry version of the seven husbands of evelyn hugo? yeah, for sure. did i still read and enjoy it? yeah
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No