Great Big Beautiful Life Review

Hello, all!

Raise your hand if you also binged Emily Henry's latest release, Great Big Beautiful Life, the second it came out.   

Pub Date: 4-22-25
Adult - Contemporary

Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson are both writers, and that's where their similarities end. Alice has a knack for always looking on the bright side, and Hayden walks around with a perma-frown. Alice has dreamt of making it big, while Hayden has won a Pulitzer. The two couldn't be more different, but their paths cross in a small Georgia town when they compete for the story of a lifetime.

As part of the notorious Ives family, Margaret has been famous since birth. She was known as the Tabloid Princess, constantly making headlines until she mysteriously disappeared. But now, Margaret is ready to tell her story. She invites Alice and Hayden to Little Crescent Island on a month-long trial basis to see who will get the opportunity to write her biography. Due to an ironclad NDA, Alice and Hayden can't tell each other anything, but they soon realize that something about Margaret isn't adding up. Alice desperately wants this job and the budding relationship with Hayden, but when she stumbles upon Margaret's secret, she discovers more at stake than she thought.

I've heard mixed reviews about this one, but I loved it. The premise gives off Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes, so I was intrigued to see what Henry would do. Margaret's story was interesting, and I liked learning more about her life. Alice was such a charming MC, and I admired her sunny disposition and positive outlook. It was cute watching her and Hayden interact. He was stoic and buttoned-up, and I thought they complemented one another so well. Sometimes I wanted more chemistry, but I still liked their relationship. There's a mystery aspect to Margaret's life, and I was as invested as Alice and Hayden in discovering what it was. I thought Henry tied everything together so well. It did feel like a departure from her typical quirky romances, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rating: 4/5