Great Big Beautiful Life: Reese's Book Club
A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK ∙ AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ 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.
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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.
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Community Reviews
Yes, really.
Up until the plot twist (and no spoilers here), I was this close to DNF-ing. I just wasn’t feeling it—disengaged, frustrated, wondering if the emotional payoff was even coming. But then... WHAM. Emily Henry pulled the rug out, and suddenly, everything changed. I was emotionally invested in a way I didn’t see coming.
The ending hit so hard and so beautifully that I immediately wanted to start over, just to see all the foreshadowing I had missed the first time. This is hands down the most rewarding romance I’ve ever read. Henry doesn’t just write love stories—she builds emotional bombs and sets them off at just the right time.
If you're struggling to connect early on, I get it. But please keep going. The final chapters alone are worth the entire journey. What a treasure I would have missed if I hadn’t finished it.
While there is romance (and yes, it was absolute chef’s kiss perfection), it definitely takes a backseat to the deeper emotional journey at the heart of the story. This one leans more into women’s fiction, and it does so brilliantly.
The main storyline gave me strong The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes (which happens to be one of my favorite books ever)—that sweeping, layered, introspective storytelling that pulls you in and does not let go.
I know I say every new Emily Henry book is my favorite when it comes out, but this one? This might actually top all of them. It’s that good. Emotional, thoughtful, gorgeously written—I didn’t want it to end.
If you’re a fan of stories that dive deep into identity, legacy, and self-discovery—with just the right amount of romance—this book is everything.
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