Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
ARC from PRH audio, Berkley and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
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 20th 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.
My Review: 3.75 stars
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry was a fun and engaging listen. I love that writers are often part of her storylines.
This one had more layers than Henry’s usual storylines as this one offered a good historical twist. Two authors, Alice and Hayden are both vying for the same job – to have the chance to write a tell-all about the infamous Margaret Ives, who has lived a long and public life. Alice is a happy go lucky ray of sunshine and Hayden is a young version of a stereotypical curmudgeon. The two work quite differently and are interviewing Margaret on different days of the week.
Over time, Alice’s joy slowly begins to lighten Hayden’s heart and of course a romance ensues. The real issue at hand is who will get the job of writing the book about Margaret – because there can only be one winner and one loser.
As secrets come out from the interviews and the research the two individually discover, some surprising twists come to light. I was intrigued by the historical parts of this book more than the current day, yet I really felt like Alice could be my BFF.
Quotes I liked:
But the problem is, once you love someone, you can’t have it all anymore. Love comes with sacrifice.”
“Just because something doesn’t make money or win awards doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value.”
“Then again, maybe love was always a gift. The only thing that couldn’t be bought or sold or bartered for.”
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