Read with Fern

“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, Margaret Ives. The problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room. And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.”

Great Big Beautiful Life, Emily Henry

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

From the top, let it be known that I love Emily Henry’s writing, and this is a fully biased review. I also cried when I got the email, read the book immediately in one sitting, and got a kitten the next day, so my memory is wrapped up in a full dopamine glow. That being said, obviously I loved this book.

Great Big Beautiful Life is full of Emily Henry’s classic formula: a bright and quippy woman, a brooding and reserved man, stunning scenery, instantly addicting chemistry, and a big ol’ whopper of a secret (or two, or three). Alice is cheerful, a friend to all, and is dealing with a complicated relationship with her mom after her father’s passing. Hayden is quiet, solitary, and is dealing with adjusting to life without a parent in politics anymore. And together, it’s banter all the time, baby.

However, there is a slight switch up from her regular plots, which starts with the introduction of Margaret Ives. She was a famous socialite turned social recluse, and the two main characters are both spending a month with her, trying to earn the chance to write her biography. The book is told in two timelines, the present and Margaret’s past, the two woven together as Margaret shares her story with Alice and Hayden. 

This book was faster-paced than most romance, and Margaret’s storyline covers a century of her family’s story, so it felt like every page was packed with plot points. But even with that adjustment, Henry’s characters felt like people I’d known my whole life. I wanted to spend even more time on Little Crescent Island, just watching their stories unfold.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!