Great Big Beautiful Life

De: Emily Henry

Narrado por: Julia Whelan

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.

Perfect

Emily Henry always breaks my heart and opens my world. Like all her stories, her characters unfold, exposing their imperfections, misunderstandings, beauty and humanity. It’s a love story, inside a love story, inside another love story. Beautiful.

Excellent Julia Whelan performance again!

Julia Whelan’s exceptional narration carries this book. I’d rate the story 4/5 overall. This book focuses heavily on the third main character, which at times made the pacing feel slow. While I’ve enjoyed all of Emily Henry’s books (and have listened to them all), this wasn’t my favorite. I felt the romance between the two main characters developed too quickly that initially lacked the depth needed to feel truly believable.

Always so powerfully and beautifully crafted

Emily Henry knows how to write family dynamics and love stories tho at sweep you off your feet and make you cry. As a mom to a daughter with a heart defect the mention of it caught me off guard, but it was so sweetly inter-woven through the story it gave me new words to describe exactly how it feels to know how each day is a gift and what are the priorities of life. A really good story about family and second chances.

Wow.... Didn't disappoint.

I couldn't stop listening. I enjoyed every minute of it. I was about to let this one go by without reading/listening to it because of a few random reviews. But they are wrong if your a fan of the author you won't be disappointed. If your into this type of books you will not be disappointed.

Another hit

The story telling, lovable characters, a nice twist, and flawless narration. A mother must read from Emily Henry.

Sobbing & Swooning

Perhaps it was the reading drought I was in or perhaps Emily Henry can’t seem to write a book I’d hate… but this book made me feel all the emotions, seriously all of them. One second I’m pissed off, the next I’m swooning, then frustrated, then swooning again, then sobbing?! I loved the parallel stories. I love that we were reading along Alice’s book for Margarette or perhaps it was the book she mentioned at the end of chapter 35. Either way, I loved that aspect and also following along the romantic feud between Hayden and Alice.

Best Emily Henry book yet!

Emily Henry hit this one out of the park. I was invested in both stories and didn’t want the book to end.

Powerful and fabulous

Emily Henry is amazing. Her stories take you through all ranges of emotion. I laughed so hard and cried and cried and cried. Julia Whalen doesn’t just read the story, she brings the story to life.

Emily + Julia = Perfection

Great Big Beautiful Life is on a shelf of its own and cannot be compared to Emily’s other books. It’s a completely different genre — a mix of romance but also a generational family story — but what a big beautiful story it is.

There is magic dust in every Emily Henry book and this one is no different. There is just something about the way she writes and how her books make me feel that hits differently. There is only thing that’s disappointing about this book, and that’s that it’s over and now I have to wait another whole year for her next book.

And is there a better duo on Earth than Emily and Julia Whelan? I don’t think so! Julia does some of her best work in this book. She is perfect and flawless and so impressively talented.

All the stars for these queens!

Good story telling and twists.

I’ll listen to anything Julia Whelan narrates. She’s makes the story even better. This was my first book by this author and some parts were a bit corny and mushy but overall very good