Great Big Beautiful Life

By: Emily Henry

Narrated by: 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.

©2025 Emily Henry (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Her best-selling romances have made her a new standard-bearer of the genre."—The New York Times

“Readers can count on Em-Hen to transport them to a kinder, sunnier, and funnier galaxy where happy endings can be counted on . . . Henry’s magic elixir, it seems, is to return again and again to a simple boy-meets-girl formula while writing textured novels populated with vivid characters that never feel formulaic: she takes us back to a time when we believed, with all our being, that love conquers all.”—The Boston Globe

“A sweeping love story about the choices we make and the threads that knit us together. Thoughtful, moving, and deliciously tender. Emily Henry is as captivating as ever. I love everything she does.”—B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First Time Caller

Incredible!

I loved everything about this book and the narration. It’s a story within a story, both stories riveting and beautiful.

Henry Never Misses

Emily Henry is a treasure, Julia Whelan is a gift. Alice and Hayden are pure magic. ❤️

You’re kidding, right?!

Seriously phenomenal. Found myself both enthralled by the love story and the story or Margaret. Also, what a wonderful ending. Haters be damned, this story is one of her best.

Julia Whelan is the perfect narrator!

Beautiful story! Her performance kept me captivated throughout. Her voice acting skills are unmatched. I get excited anytime a new Emily Henry

Waited for this release and it didn’t disappoint

I have been eagerly awaiting this release and I loved it! Possible my favorite of all Emily’s books.

Emily Has Done It Yet Again

GBBL has catapulted to the top of my list of favorite Emily Henry novels. Alice’s respective relationships with Hayden, Margaret, and her mother are deep and beautiful. This story gives us so many love stories of so many types - Alice and Hayden, Alice and her mother, Margaret and Cosmo, and Alice and Margaret to a degree. I loved every moment of this book, and I cannot wait to come back to it some day.

A little slow to start, but amazing ending.

Wasn’t getting into it at the start. Backstories were confusing and back and forth…. But then. So. Good. So developed. Not what I saw coming.

Emily Henry Does It Again

Another beautifully written story by Emily with fantastic narration by the amazing Julia Whelan. I loved the story within a story aspect of this novel, and while things between Alice and Hayden were at times redundant and drawn out, Margaret's life story and the book's resolution were perfect. Yes, I cried. Yes, it made me want to call my parents and tell them I love them. Thank you, Emily and Julia. The ultimate Audible Dream Team.

Really beautiful

From start to finish this book is wonderful. The intricacies of the characters and how their lives and stories intersects makes it another one of my favorites. Especially like that last line of the story.

Interesting storyline. Excellent narration.

Engaging Mystery with some romance thrown in. Gets a little spicy on a couple of occasions.