A Book Review

Each year, I select an author whose books I have enjoyed, and make reading ALL of their books my goal for the year. Of course, I only do this with authors who have a reasonable number of books to read. I wouldn’t select say, Stephen King, who according to Wikipedia has written at least 65 novels (although I suppose that could be fun). For 2024 my author of the year was Emily Henry. So when she announced that she was releasing a new book in 2025 I pre-ordered it.

I enjoy Henry’s books; some more than others. You can read my review of one of her books, Book Lovers, here. I would describe Henry as a romance author who delivers quick beach reads with witty dialogue (think Gilmore Girls) and excels at writing female friendship (which is my favorite thing to read about). A Great Big Beautiful Life, her 2025 release was a bit of a departure from her past writing. There was romance and there was friendship; but the romance seemed to take a bit of backseat to the unfolding storyline about family history with a little bit of mystery. Some reviewed it as more of Women’s Fiction and Mystery book rather a romance. It had a Taylor Jenkins Reid vibe; and TJR was my 2023 author of the year.

A Great Big Beautiful Life centers around Hayden and Alice, both writers (a common trait among characters in Henry’s books), competing to write the story of a reclusive former socialite, Margaret. Alice is working to build her career as a journalist and make a name for herself. Hayden has already made a name for himself as a Pulitzer Prize winning biographer. As they compete to get the job of writing about Margaret’s life, they learn about her family history rife with tragedy and some secrets are revealed that impact Hayden. The setting is a fictional coastal town in Georgia with some interesting southern characters and humid beach weather. The budding romance between Hayden and Alice is there but it isn’t electrifying. It takes a backseat to what we learn about each character, particularly Margaret and Hayden. The romance was slightly underdeveloped, but also just not the main focus.

It felt like a cross between The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (hence the TJR vibe) and Book Lovers. I think it was by far Emily Henry’s best writing and my favorite of her books. The story had more depth and the characters more complexity than her other books. Even though it lacked a sparkly romance and a typical witty female friendship, it made up for it in other ways. The developing friendship between Margaret and Alice is fun to read. It is intergenerational and a tad complicated but entertaining and at points heart warming. The book is really about family history and dynamics and the role that plays in who we become as we age. I recommend this book if you are into TJR, Emily Henry, or just in general enjoy character centered stories.

FYI my Author of 2025 is Abby Jimenez – stay tuned for my reviews!