Great Big Beautiful Life

(Paperback, Large Print Edition)

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Description

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.

Named a Most Anticipated book of 2025 by The New York Times Rolling Stone People USA Today Harper's Bazaar Marie Claire 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 theyre both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in yearsor 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 shell choose the person wholl tell her story, there are three things keeping Alices head in the game.

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

Two: Shes 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 cant swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time theyre in the same room.

And its becoming abundantly clear that their storyjust like the tale Margarets spinningcould be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on whos telling it.

Reviews

What begins as a charming if standard rom-com evolves into a hauntingly beautiful meditation on what makes a life well lived in the latest showstopper from Henry . . . This is a stunner.Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Both longtime Henry fans and new romance readers will devour this rivals-to-lovers slow burn, one of Henrys best to date. Also good for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.Library Journal (starred review)

Alice and Haydens romance is a delightful slow burn and Henry, as always, shines when exploring family drama . . . Both a steamy romance and a moving look at the sacrifices people make for love.Kirkus

Author Bio

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Great Big Beautiful Life, Funny Story, Happy Place, Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read. She studied creative writing at Hope College, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it.