On Tuesday, April 22, I celebrated one of my favorite days of the year — Emily Henry’s book release day. I’ve been an Emily Henry fan since 2021 when I read Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation. Since then, I’ve been hooked and read all her other books, specifically Book Lovers, Happy Place, and Funny Story, immediately as they were released.
Henry is a very well-loved author, and for good reason. Her books are rom-coms that center around love stories with just the right amount of comedic flair and deeply emotional writing. They always have a summer vibe, and the protagonists always have careers related to books or writing. Most of all, her stories feel genuine and real. Readers feel connected to the characters and their emotional journeys.
Henry’s new book, Great Big Beautiful Life, which many people on TikTok have affectionately referred to as “Great BBL,” has been highly anticipated, and I knew I had to go to the bookstore on release day, like I always do. A friend and I went to Barnes & Noble, and I immediately rushed to find a copy of the book. After being nearly unable to put it down, I finished Great Big Beautiful Life the next day at 2:30 a.m., feeling all the feelings. Emily Henry has done it again, and I’m already anticipating this being my favorite book of the year.
So What’s Great Big Beautiful Life About?
Great Big Beautiful Life follows a writer named Alice Scott, who travels to a small coastal town on Little Crescent Island to write the memoir of Margaret Ives, an heiress and former tabloid princess who came from a scandalous family and has been gone from the public eye for decades. When Alice arrives, she finds out that she hasn’t actually gotten the job yet. She’ll be competing with another writer, Hayden Anderson, and they’ll have a one-month trial period where Margaret will separately tell each of them her life story. Alice and Hayden sign NDAs and agree to compete for the job.
Alice and Hayden are rivals, competing for the opportunity to write Margaret’s memoir, but they keep bumping into each other on the small island. He’s grumpy, she’s sunshine, and their romantic tension is undeniable. As they spend more and more time together, their attraction and feelings for each other grow, but something’s off with Margaret. She isn’t telling them the full truth, and because of their situation and NDAs, they can’t work together to figure out why.
The novel tells two stories simultaneously — Alice and Hayden’s love story and Margaret’s life story. This interesting combination makes the book more complex and layered.
Why Is It Worth Reading?
I’ve loved everything that Emily Henry has written. She’s genuinely an amazing storyteller, and each of her books is beautifully crafted. Henry has a way of weaving a world that feels wonderful, romantic, and lovely. Her writing is straightforward, and she creates characters that feel real and relatable.
It’s honestly a joy to read her writing. I’m always unable to put her books down, voraciously reading them in almost one sitting, barreling toward the ending, needing to know what will happen next. I’m giggling and kicking my feet one minute, and I’m teary-eyed the next. When I’ve finished one of her books, I’m always left wishing I could occupy the space of the world she’s created for just a bit longer and have a bit more time with her characters.
Great Big Beautiful Life is just as amazing as Henry’s other books, but she’s doing something a bit different with this one. It still has the rom-com charm of her other books, with delicious banter and building romantic tension between Alice and Hayden. Even so, there’s more of a mystery element to this book, with Alice and Hayden trying to figure out what’s really happening with Margaret, and what she’s not telling them. The rom-com and mystery components of the story blend seamlessly to create an interesting and compelling story.
The book explores stories and perceptions, with the idea of there being multiple versions of any story, depending on who’s telling it. It also touches on family dynamics, what someone might do for the people they love, and how our relationships with the people we care about shape us. Henry does an incredible job of creating a lot of emotional depth within her books, touching on themes that are impactful to readers. When I finished Great Big Beautiful Life, I had tears in my eyes. The story was beautiful, and I absolutely loved it. I can’t recommend it enough.
Different Editions
There are a few different U.S. editions of Great Big Beautiful Life, in addition to the U.K. editions. Each of them is gorgeous. I’m a pink girl through and through, so of course I had to get the Barnes & Noble edition, which has considerably more pink throughout the dust jacket. With this version, the book itself is pink, with gold lettering on the spine and front cover. There’s blue gingham on the inside, and it’s gorgeous. The various editions have different colors, and each one has a different quote on the front cover.
What’s Next?
Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation is currently being adapted into a movie starring Emily Bader and Tom Blyth! There isn’t an official release date just yet, but it looks promising, and I’m very excited to watch it. Some of Henry’s other books have film adaptations in development, but People We Meet on Vacation is the one we can expect soonest.
As far as books go, Henry typically publishes one a year, around the same time. Hopefully, her next book will come out in about a year! The wait will be a bit torturous for me, but I simply don’t have it in myself to draw her books out — I can’t resist reading the whole thing immediately.
Like Emily Henry’s many fans, I’d read anything she writes (even her grocery list), which is why I subscribe to her newsletter, jokingly named Emily’s Grocery List. If you’re looking for updates from her, that’s definitely the place to go! I’d also recommend following Emily Henry on Instagram and TikTok. Please read Great Big Beautiful Life and Emily Henry’s other books, if you haven’t already. If you’re not, you’re missing out!
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