Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry Published by Berkley on 4/22/25
Genres: Historical Romance
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 427
Source: Purchased
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Alice Scott believes she has landed the interview of a lifetime when reclusive heiress Margaret Ives unexpectedly decides to share her life story. Leaving behind the sun-drenched streets of Los Angeles, Alice travels to a remote island off the Georgia coast, anticipating a straightforward journalistic assignment that could be her career-defining moment.
But Margaret Ives is not a woman who does anything simply.
Through a dual timeline that artfully weaves Margaret’s extraordinary past with the unfolding dynamic between Alice and Hayden, the story becomes a nuanced meditation on storytelling, love, and the intricate ways personal histories shape our present. Margaret’s life—marked by passion, loss, and unexpected choices—serves as a mirror to the younger journalists’ own struggles with vulnerability and connection.
What begins as a professional competition transforms into an intimate journey of discovery. As Alice and Hayden navigate Margaret’s complex requirements, they find themselves creating a story far more compelling than the memoir they’ve been summoned to write—their own unexpected love story. Each challenge posed by Margaret becomes a test not just of their journalistic skills, but of their ability to truly understand the depths of human experience.
Table of Contents
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“I think you live in a world that’s more interesting than the one most people live in,” he says, and just as my heart starts to sink with disappointment, with a kind of loneliness, he adds, “and I wish I could live in it too.” I feel myself beaming. “I’ll take you sometime.” “I’d like that,” he says.”
About Great Big Beautiful Life
Alice Scott believes she has landed the interview of a lifetime when reclusive heiress Margaret Ives unexpectedly decides to share her life story. Leaving behind the sun-drenched streets of Los Angeles, Alice travels to a remote island off the Georgia coast, anticipating a straightforward journalistic assignment that could be her career-defining moment.
But Margaret Ives is not a woman who does anything simply.
To everyone’s surprise, she has summoned not one, but two journalists: Alice, a rising star in narrative journalism, and Hayden Anderson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for his exceptional storytelling skills. Margaret’s challenge is both unexpected and profound—these journalists must prove themselves worthy of documenting her extraordinary life, setting the stage for a complex narrative that is part competition, part personal discovery.
The island itself becomes a character—isolated, mysterious, holding secrets as deep as the surrounding waters. It’s a fitting backdrop for a story that promises to unravel decades of hidden truths, personal sacrifices, and the kind of love that changes the trajectory of entire lives.
Through a dual timeline that artfully weaves Margaret’s extraordinary past with the unfolding dynamic between Alice and Hayden, the story becomes a nuanced meditation on storytelling, love, and the intricate ways personal histories shape our present. Margaret’s life—marked by passion, loss, and unexpected choices—serves as a mirror to the younger journalists’ own struggles with vulnerability and connection.
What begins as a professional competition transforms into an intimate journey of discovery. As Alice and Hayden navigate Margaret’s complex requirements, they find themselves creating a story far more compelling than the memoir they’ve been summoned to write—their own unexpected love story. Each challenge posed by Margaret becomes a test not just of their journalistic skills, but of their ability to truly understand the depths of human experience.
The narrative explores the delicate balance between professional ambition and personal connection, asking profound questions: What makes a story worth telling? How do we measure the value of a life? And can love truly transcend time, circumstance, and personal limitations?
“He is, I think, the most wonderful person I’ve ever met, and in the interest of full disclosure, I have a personal stake in whether you tell him the truth or not, because I love him with every fiber of my being, and as someone once told me, when you love someone, you do anything to give them what they need. You unmake the world and build a new one.”
Tropes in Great Big Beautiful Life
❤️ Grumpy/Sunshine
🧡 Rivals-to-Lovers
💛 Dual Timeline
❤️ Forced Proximity
🧡 Slow Burn
💛 Emotional Healing
“Honey, there’s never been a me or a you before,” he replied. “This works however we say it works.”
My Review
📙 Not My Favorite Emily Henry: This novel departed from the humor and vibrant energy I’ve come to expect from her work.
🧁 Sweet, Complicated Love: At its core, a tender exploration of two wounded individuals learning to love despite past traumas.
⏰ Interwoven Love Stories: The narrative beautifully mirrors the once-in-a-lifetime loves of Margaret and Cosmo Sinclair through Alice and Hayden’s developing relationship.
📸 Margaret’s Storyline: While intended to be provocative, her life choices and the final reveal felt less impactful than they could have been.
💕 Underlying Potential: Despite its shortcomings, the book offers a thoughtful examination of how past experiences shape our capacity for love and connection.
🔍 Narrative Depth: The dual timeline approach adds layers of complexity, inviting readers to draw parallels between different generations of love and loss.