Notes from the Shelf

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This post contains spoilers.

Book Summary

In Great Big Beautiful Life, bestselling author Emily Henry delivers a witty, heartfelt, and layered novel about two writers battling to tell the true story of a woman shrouded in scandal, secrets, and surprising twists. Alice Scott, a hopeful debut author, and Hayden Anderson, a cynical Pulitzer Prize winner, are both invited to Little Crescent Island to compete for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: writing the biography of the elusive Margaret Ives.

Margaret—former heiress, media sensation, and daughter of one of the most infamous families of the 20th century—hasn’t been seen in years. Now in her eighties, she offers each writer a one-month trial, sharing only selective fragments of her story. Bound by strict NDAs and a growing mutual attraction, Alice and Hayden must navigate ambition, creative rivalry, and the blurred lines between fact and fiction.

Perfect for fans of character-driven fiction, rivals-to-lovers romance, and stories about the power of storytelling itself, Great Big Beautiful Life is a dazzling exploration of legacy, truth, and the unexpected ways our lives—and love stories—are written.

My Thoughts

I wasn’t sure how I would like the book since I saw some mixed reviews, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Alice and Hayden’s banter was top-notch, and every time he said her name, I could hear his tone of voice in his serious manner. There are definitely flirty moments and many scenes had me kicking my feet in joy.

I do agree it was not as romantic as Emily Henry’s past books, which wasn’t a secret because Emily Henry herself was upfront about the departure from her typical formula. However, it wasn’t a complete departure because it still has the serious/grumpy man and the sunshiny, bubbly woman, so the grumpy sunshine trope that Emily Henry loves is very much alive.

The romance did take a little bit of a backseat to Margaret’s story, although it all came together at the end into the best twist. And I wouldn’t say there wasn’t any romance at all. Alice and Hayden’s relationship developing over the month with coffee dates and early morning diner dates built up the relationship in a realistic way, so that worked for me.

I also felt emotionally invested in their story (I cried when Alice left Hayden) as well as Margaret’s. I might be in the minority, but I really enjoyed Margaret’s story, and then the twist tying her story together with Alice and Hayden’s at the end was beautifully done.

I also liked that Alice and Hayden took things slowly. Neither of them picked up their lives to move in immediately with the other. Alice took time to reconnect with her mom and rediscovered stories about her dad who had passed away years before. Everything felt more realistic than any other Emily Henry novel, or most romances for that matter. Great Big Beautiful Life doesn’t shy away from the messiness of life, which made me adore it even more.

Final Thoughts

Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life was done in a beautiful and realistic way, with two stories intertwining together into a masterpiece. I thoroughly enjoyed the realistic relationship development as well as the theme of reconnecting with family. While the chemistry between Alice and Hayden simmers with slow-burn tension, it’s Margaret’s elusive past and the messy, beautiful entanglements of all three lives that stayed with me.

If you’re interested in buying Emily Henry’s ‘Great Big Beautiful Life’, consider purchasing it through Bookshop.org. Supporting this link helps sustain independent bookstores and keeps this blog thriving.

Read my other Emily Henry reviews:

Book Review: Beach Read

Book Review: People We Meet on Vacation

Book Review: Happy Place

Book Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Review: Funny Story

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