Rating: 7.5/10
For some, the best part about reading a romance novel is knowing that you’re going to receive the inevitable — a happy ending: a world in which the stars align and two main characters walk off into the sunset forever, just as you turn the last page.
This is only half of the story in Emily Henry’s latest novel, “Great Big Beautiful Life.” Published on April 22, the book explores a new side to Henry’s romance writing as she bravely ventures into the world of historical fiction.
Henry weaves between the story of heiress Margaret Ives, and two writers, Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson, who must compete for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to write her biography.
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The very enigmatic Margaret is no stranger to luxury. Daughter of one of the most famed and scandalous families of the 2oth century, Margaret was once a tabloid princess. But behind the flashing cameras, she was subjected to a family history of lies and loss.
Alice, an optimistic pop culture journalist, is waiting to secure her big break in the writing world. Hayden is the exact opposite — stoic, mysterious and a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer. Margaret invites the two to her secluded home on Little Crescent Island, where they must separately earn her trust and convince her they’re the right person to tell her story with the care it deserves.
Meanwhile, Alice is navigating an enemies-to-lovers connection with Hayden. As they repeatedly run into each other in the small town in coastal Georgia, they must grapple with their growing attraction while remembering the reason they’re there in the first place: to be chosen.
Once again, Henry knows exactly how to bring a moment to life with dreamy, vivid sentences. She depicts a world of bright yellows and pinks, sandy beaches, 24-hour diners and lavish Hollywood memories.
There are also complicated definitions of love and loneliness — blues mixed in with those yellows to reflect how her characters unapologetically feel their emotions.
In her earlier novels, “Beach Read,” “People We Meet on Vacation” and “Book Lovers,” Henry seemed to have mastered the art of creating simple, heartfelt romantic comedies. Readers are automatically catapulted into a world where the sun shines a little brighter and the male leads say and do all the right things.
This theme doesn’t fall short in “Great Big Beautiful Life,” but it is put on the back burner.
Rather than following the typical development of a budding romance, the story splits its focus. Henry pours half of her words into depicting the arduous life of Margaret. To make more room for family scandal and old Hollywood gossip, the relationship built between Alice and Hayden is rushed.
Regardless, there is some beauty in that. For readers who come to Henry expecting a full-blown love story, “Great Big Beautiful Life” might feel like a departure. The focus on family legacy and historical intrigue may not satisfy romance readers, but the examination of Margaret’s character over her lifetime is definitely something to pay attention to.
Margaret is a fascinating character from the very beginning. Her presence rolls the story along, and through Alice’s perspective, one is left wondering, “What isn’t she telling us?”
Despite Henry’s obvious shift in focus, the novel still delivers in the end. Just when it seems like the pieces might not fit, everything clicks into place — revealing a bigger picture that you realize you should’ve guessed all along.
At its heart, it’s still a romance, complete with the sappy ending that Henry is known for. But this time, the ending is wrapped up in something nuanced that doesn’t stem from the romantic leads, but from a former media icon with secrets up her sleeve.
