Great Big Beautiful LifeGreat Big Beautiful Life
What it's about
Two writers, the eternally hopeful Alice Scott and the grumpy, Pulitzer-winning Hayden Anderson, are invited to a small Georgia island to compete for the chance to write the biography of Margaret Ives, a reclusive heiress from a famously scandal-ridden family. Margaret tells each of them pieces of her story, and the two rivals start falling for each other.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Goodreads Choice Award for romance and hit #1 on the New York Times list. Emily Henry mixes romance with a sweeping family saga in her most ambitious book.
You'll love it if you liked
Book Lovers
The Wedding People
Every Summer AfterGood to know
It's more family history than most of Henry's books. There are sex scenes and family trauma.
By the numbers
- Readers26 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller73 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz49 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #104 of the 233 romances we rank
- #166 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #244 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1392 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Uplifting
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Quick answers
Is Great Big Beautiful Life worth reading?
Yes. It won the Goodreads Choice Award for romance and hit #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #1,392 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Great Big Beautiful Life about?
Two writers, the eternally hopeful Alice Scott and the grumpy, Pulitzer-winning Hayden Anderson, are invited to a small Georgia island to compete for the chance to write the biography of Margaret Ives, a reclusive heiress from a famously scandal-ridden family. Margaret tells each of them pieces of her story, and the two rivals start falling for each other.
How long does it take to read Great Big Beautiful Life?
About 10 hours (418 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Great Big Beautiful Life won?
Goodreads Choice (romance) winner (2025).
What should I read after Great Big Beautiful Life?
If you liked it, try Book Lovers by Emily Henry, The Wedding People by Alison Espach or Every Summer After by Carley Fortune.