Books/Series
Great Big Beautiful Life
Great Big Beautiful Life
Great Big Beautiful Life

Great Big Beautiful Life

Great Big Beautiful Life
Great Big Beautiful Life
By:
Emily Henry
  • Spice Scale
  • Number of books

    1 Published

  • KU

    ❌

  • Audiobook

    ✅

  • Series Status

    Complete

  • Interconnected

    N/A

  • Overall Rating

    Coming Soon

A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK ∙ AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry.

As featured in The New York Times ∙ Rolling Stone ∙ People ∙ Good Morning America ∙ NPR ∙ Vogue ∙ The Los Angeles Times ∙ The Cut ∙ USA Today ∙ Cosmopolitan ∙ Harper's Bazaar ∙ Marie Claire ∙ Glamour ∙ ELLE ∙ E! Online ∙ The New York Post ∙ Bustle ∙ Reader's Digest ∙ BBC ∙ PopSugar ∙ SheReads ∙ Paste ∙ and more!

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—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But 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.

Jamie’s review

Hands down, my favorite Emily Henry book I've read! Very different from her usual style. I loved the mystery element to it.

Alice is a journalist vying for a deal writing the biography for the famous heiress Margaret Ives. In the author competition is also Pulitzer Prize winner and (surprise!) hot-face Hayden Anderson. They both feel like Margaret is hiding something from them and work to uncover the truth.

There are a LOT of characters and stories to unpack, which feels a little daunting and unnecessary at times. But I loved how it all came together. The secrets are worth waiting for the reveal.

If you liked Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, you'll like this.

Hands down, my favorite Emily Henry book I've read! Very different from her usual style. I loved the mystery element to it.

Alice is a journalist vying for a deal writing the biography for the famous heiress Margaret Ives. In the author competition is also Pulitzer Prize winner and (surprise!) hot-face Hayden Anderson. They both feel like Margaret is hiding something from them and work to uncover the truth.

There are a LOT of characters and stories to unpack, which feels a little daunting and unnecessary at times. But I loved how it all came together. The secrets are worth waiting for the reveal.

If you liked Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, you'll like this.

Erica’s review

Erica hasn’t read this yet, it’s on her never ending TBR

Books in this series

  • Book 1

    of

    1

    Great Big Beautiful Life
    Great Big Beautiful Life

Comments

Commenting coming soon

Commenting coming soon

Book Release Calendar

Stay up to date on what's coming out next!

Featured Bookish Merch

Some of our favorite shop drops

You Might Also Like These Books/Series

Banter

Forced Proximity

Grumpy Sunshine

Miscommunication

Opposites Attract

Rivals To Lovers

Slow Burn

Small Town

Workplace

Romance

Contemporary Fiction

© 2025 Basic Bookish

© 2025 Basic Bookish

© 2025 Basic Bookish