5 out of 5 stars
I am a hopeless romantic. For this reason, I don’t read romance books or watch rom-coms. I can’t take the heartache that comes with it.
Emily Henry has been the exception to my rule for the past few years. I’ve read “Book Lovers,” “People We Meet on Vacation” and “Beach Read.” Henry’s books feature strong-willed female characters with active careers and busy lives, and Henry’s sixth novel, “Great Big Beautiful Life,” might be the best book she has ever written.
Reading “Great Big Beautiful Life” is like sipping on a glass of romance-infused sweet iced tea.
The book tells the story of Alice Scott, a journalist in her early 30s, trying to land a book deal. Alice finds herself in a small town in Georgia interviewing one of society’s most elusive names, Margaret Ives.
Margaret is most known for her marriage to Cosmo Sinclair, the “Poor Man’s Elvis,” as the tabloids call him. After Cosmo’s death in a tragic car accident, Margaret disappeared.
Alice is surprised to find that she’s not the only one interviewing Margaret. Hayden Anderson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, is also trying to convince Margaret to give him a book deal. As Margaret recounts her love story to the two journalists, Alice and Hayden must learn how to navigate their professional relationship while battling their growing feelings for each other.
While reading the book, I laughed, cried, huffed in indignation and uttered “aww.” Henry takes readers on a beautiful journey through Margaret’s story, unfolding it as Alice lives a month in the Georgia sun.
Alice’s bubbly personality breaks apart both Margaret’s life story and Hayden’s cool demeanor. When Margaret describes Hayden as “a suit of armor that talks,” Alice can’t help but rise to his defense.
Brought together by a book deal, the two journalists find solace in each other’s company. No matter how close they get, the competition between them keeps each of them acutely aware of how disastrous it would be to truly love the other.
The main conflict for the characters in the book is the time that weighs on each of them. At 87 years old, Margaret is at the end of her life, and Alice and Hayden are limited to a month in Georgia before they return to opposite sides of the country — Alice to Los Angeles and Hayden to New York City.
Toward the end of the book, Alice says, “There’s a heaviness in the air, and I know we both can feel it: the hotel walls closing in on us, the sand pouring through the hourglass, the back half of the book thinning with every turned page.”
The book is a love letter to love. Being in love, falling in love, losing someone you love: Henry covers it all. As a journalist, Alice is aware of the complexities of living. “That’s the deal with people. They’re always more than one thing, and a lot of times they’re even a collection of contradictory traits,” Alice says.
In her books, Henry strikes a perfect balance between “spicy” explicit content and the story. Her characters fall in love and savor every moment. “When his eyes rise to mine, it feels as if the whole world has tilted slightly on its axis,” Alice says about Hayden.
The book isn’t a quick read at 418 pages long, but it is engaging. I consumed it pretty much all in one day, not even putting it down while cooking dinner.
Photo courtesy of Book Riot.