I'm a fan of Emily Henry, and I've read most of her books, so when I saw she had a new one out: Great Big Beautiful Life (2025), I knew I would be reading it eventually. I thought this was an interesting read, although it's not my favorite book by Henry.
Alice Scott is a journalist waiting for her big break. Hayden Anderson is a pulitzer-prize winning non-fiction writer who is often grumpy. The two end up on Little Crescent Island vying for a job. Margaret Ives is eighty years old and wants either Alice or Hayden to write a book telling her story. She was born to one of the wealthiest families in the nation, every move she made was covered by the press. Then she married one of the most famous singers of the time, only for him to die shortly thereafter in a car accident. And then she disappeared. She was a fascinating enigma, and everyone in the country would buy a book about her life.
Margaret Ives has decided to talk with both Alice and Hayden for one month. They will submit a sample and a plan, and she will decide who will get the job. Alice and Hayden sign an NDA that keeps them from even discussing Margaret with each other.
However, Little Crescent Island is a very small place, and the two keep running into each other. There's really only one coffee shop, they are staying at the same hotel, and there's not much else to do. Hayden is very grumpy and closed off and Alice is sunny and optimistic.
It doesn't take long for attraction to take hold, but the looming deadline and the fact that only one of them gets the job hinders their budding relationship. In the end, there are a couple of surprising reveals as we hear the rest of Margaret's story. Both Hayden and Alice have to grow a little bit, but it all ends well in the end.
Like I said before, this book was not one of my favorites by Henry. First, I was not particularly interested in Margaret's story, especially at the beginning. It felt like a departure from the romance that I really wanted to read about. Second, the romance between Alice and Hayden didn't do much for me. I did want to see them together, but Hayden was a little too aloof. I also felt like their relationship involved a lot of almost hooking up, but not doing it because of the writing project. It began to feel repetitive. I wanted more feeling, but it could also have been the mood I was in when I read it.
I always enjoy Henry, and I will continue reading her books, but this one was not one of my favorites.
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