I'm an Emily Henry superfan but Great Big Beautiful Life has one major problem
A romance between two rival writers set on an island? Sign me up.
The novel opens with writer Alice on the verge of her big break as she is invited to Crescent Island to interview reclusive heiress Margaret Ives for her upcoming memoir. There's just one problem; Alice isn't the only person in the running for the job.
Hayden, a Pulitzer-winning writer with one beloved memoir already under his belt, is also on the island, with Margaret pitching them against each other for the role. They each get a month to live on the island and take it on turns interviewing Margaret, before she picks her favourite to write her story.
Let me start by saying this is a good book, I enjoyed reading it and I would recommend it to other people. The problem for me was it didn't deliver the fundamental thing I look for in any romance book: romance.
Margaret's life was fascinating, even heart-breaking at times, but it came at the expense of the romantic element of the book. I was expecting to fall in love with Alice and Hayden, but I came away feeling rather lukewarm about them.
I think they just felt a little bland compared to the author's usual characters. When I think of Alice, all that comes to mind is her unfailing optimism and preference for skirts over trousers. That's it.
Because of how much time is spent telling Margaret's story, there isn't much room for full love story between our main characters, and they ended up feeling more like secondary characters with more of a forced connection to me.
Speaking of secondary characters, one or two were memorable but, for the most part, they weren't of any consequence.
If you liked The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, this could be your next favourite read, but if, like me, you like Emily Henry's books for the romantic plot, it might not be the one for you.
Overall, I would give Great Big Beautiful Life 3/5 stars. I still enjoyed the story, but it wasn't what I was after from this particular novel and Funny Story will definitely remain on top as my current favourite Emily Henry read.
Great Big Beautiful Life will be released in the UK on April 24, 2025.
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