Publishers Weekly
★ 02/24/2025
What begins as a charming if standard rom-com evolves into a hauntingly beautiful meditation on what makes a life well lived in the latest showstopper from Henry (Funny Story). Thirty-something entertainment journalist Alice Scott jumps at the chance to interview an octogenarian claiming to be the infamous Margaret Ives, descendant of American media royalty and a “Tabloid Princess” of yore. Alice heads to Little Crescent Island, a small coastal Georgia town, with dreams of Margaret’s biography being her big break. She’s not the only one vying for the job, though: Pulitzer winner Hayden Anderson is also in the running. They have a month to each separately interview Margaret then pitch their proposals. But Margaret’s stories don’t quite add up, leading Hayden and Alice toward each other as they search for answers. Flashbacks to Margaret’s glamorous past are threaded throughout the contemporary narrative, offering a candid glimpse into loves and lives lost and serving as a poignant counterpoint to the romance between Hayden and Alice. There’s also plenty of Henry’s trademark wit and even a hint of mystery as the sparring hearts probe the veracity of Margaret’s tales. This is a stunner. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Readers can count on Em-Hen to transport them to a kinder, sunnier, and funnier galaxy where happy endings can be counted on . . . Henry’s magic elixir, it seems, is to return again and again to a simple boy-meets-girl formula while writing textured novels populated with vivid characters that never feel formulaic: she takes us back to a time when we believed, with all our being, that love conquers all.”—The Boston Globe
“A sweeping love story about the choices we make and the threads that knit us together. Thoughtful, moving, and deliciously tender. Emily Henry is as captivating as ever. I love everything she does.”—B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First Time Caller
“A true joy. Playful, fun, and virtuosically plotted, Great Big Beautiful Life is a novel about life's winding paths and dangerous dead-ends—and the way that love can lead us out of the labyrinth.”—Kaliane Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of The Ministry of Time
“Emily Henry spoils us with this one, giving readers not one but two gorgeous stories. Great Big Beautiful Life plays with truth, story-telling, family, and the things we do for love. With a delicious slow-burn romance, a perfectly grumpy hero, and a setting that comes to life, this one checked all my boxes. Two compelling stories to move the plot forward meant I couldn't put it down! Emily Henry does it again!’”—Laurie Gilmore, USA Today bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe
"Great Big Beautiful Life has everything you love in a classic Emily Henry novel, plus so much more. Nobody writes chemistry like Emily Henry, and you're guaranteed to fall head over heels for Alice and Hayden."—Beth O'Leary, international bestselling author of Swept Away
“What begins as a charming if standard rom-com evolves into a hauntingly beautiful meditation on what makes a life well lived in the latest showstopper from Henry . . . This is a stunner.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Both longtime Henry fans and new romance readers will devour this rivals-to-lovers slow burn, one of Henry’s best to date. Also good for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.”—Library Journal (starred review)
"Henry (Funny Story, 2024) continues to burnish her reputation for fashioning sublimely satisfying love stories with another perfectly calibrated, delectably witty tale featuring endearingly quirky, thoughtfully nuanced characters."—Booklist (starred review)
“Alice and Hayden’s romance is a delightful slow burn and Henry, as always, shines when exploring family drama . . . Both a steamy romance and a moving look at the sacrifices people make for love.”—Kirkus
Library Journal
★ 03/01/2025
Entertainment journalist Alice Scott thinks that she might be finally getting her big break. She has managed to track down Margaret Ives, the notorious and reclusive media heiress who hasn't been seen in decades, and snag an invite to Margaret's home on a tiny island in Georgia, where she hopes to secure permission to write Margaret's biography. The catch is that Margaret has also invited Pulitzer-winning journalist Hayden Anderson and wants to give both Alice and Hayden one month to make their respective pitches for her book. Neither Alice nor Hayden is thrilled with this arrangement, especially once they realize that Margaret is telling each of them a completely different tale. The ever-present attraction between the two of them doesn't help matters either, as they compete for the chance to write Margaret's story—and wonder if their own can end happily. Readers will love Alice and Hayden's grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and Margaret's life is equally riveting. VERDICT Both longtime Henry (Funny Story) fans and new romance readers will devour this rivals-to-lovers slow burn, one of Henry's best to date. Also good for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.—Whitney Kramer
Kirkus Reviews
2025-02-15
Two journalists compete for the chance to write the biography of an aging heiress.
Alice Scott works for a pop-culture website, but she hopes writing a biography of Margaret Ives, a reclusive heiress known as the Tabloid Princess, will boost her career to the next level. One problem: Margaret Ives is incredibly hard to track down. Make that two problems: When Alice finally finds her on a small island off the coast of Georgia, another journalist is there, too—Hayden Anderson. They both want this job, and Margaret wants to be sure she can trust the person telling her story, so she proposes an unusual deal. Both Alice and Hayden will stay on the island and work with Margaret for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll decide who gets to write her book. Hayden couldn’t be more different from Alice—while she’s optimistic and friendly, he’s cynical and standoffish. She’s desperately seeking her family’s approval and thinks she can get it by writing a book, and he’s a Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer. The two of them sign ironclad NDAs, but it’s a small island and they can’t help running into each other—and then, against all odds, they even start to like each other. Alice and Hayden’s unlikely attraction is only one of the book’s timelines, however. Although Henry is known as the queen of contemporary romance, here she explores the world of historical fiction as Alice interviews Margaret and learns about her family’s history—going back to the gold rush and the early days of Hollywood—and finally the tragic love story that led her to retreat from the public eye. Alice also begins to unravel her own family history and learns that the stories she’s been telling herself may not have been true after all. Alice and Hayden’s romance is a delightful slow burn and Henry, as always, shines when exploring family drama, but the emphasis here is on Margaret’s past and how it ties into everyone’s future.
Both a steamy romance and a moving look at the sacrifices people make for love.
