Author: Emily Henry

Synopsis:

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.

Review:

Great Big Beautiful Life was an emotional story that wove the past and the present.  With mysteries and secrets abound, I enjoyed trying to figure out where I was being led.  Yet I personally struggled, because I was never able to connect to any of the characters.  Even though the grumpy sunshine and rivals to lovers tropes were done so well!

It’s important that I play this cool.
Fact: I have never played it cool in my life.

Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson were up against each other.  They were both given the opportunity of a lifetime to write the biography of Margaret Ives.  Right away, I liked Alice.  She was funny and I adored her random thoughts and conversations.  I loved how she messed with Hayden, while at the same time I loved learning his habits….like his obsession with that back corner booth.  Hayden was such a grumpy, quiet soul.  But he could be nice when he wanted to haha.  And as they kept running into each other, I enjoyed watching a friendship start to form and turn into more.

“Alice?” he calls over the top of it.
“Hmm?”
“She lies to me too,” he says. “For whatever it’s worth, Margaret Ives isn’t telling me the truth.”

Margaret started her story back with her great-grandfather.  We watched history unfold, and it was fascinating.  We learned the stories of those before her and how it shaped the world she stepped into.  We saw how the media painted them however they wanted, and the truth was damned.  It was suffocating at times.  And through it all, there was so much guilt, struggle, broken hearts, and not ever thinking you were enough mixed in with love.

“For the one you love? Anything. You unmake the world and build a new one. You do anything to give them what they need.”

The way we slid from the past to the present was seamlessly done.  And my interest was intrigued as the book unfolded.  But through it all, I never could find that connection to Margaret, Alice or Hayden.  I’m one of those that desperately needs that connection to characters for a book to be enjoyable.  So while this book closed with a wonderful happily ever after, I don’t think I’ll be picking up another book by Emily Henry.  I dnfed Happy Place, because it pulled me down into a depression.  And this one felt lackluster to me since I missed that connection.  Here’s hoping you enjoyed this one so much more than I did!