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Great Big Beautiful Life
- Author
- Emily Henry
- Narrator
- Julia Whelan
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 22 April 2025
- Run Time
- 12 hours 8 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Modern and Contemporary romance, Humorous fiction, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Family life fiction / Stories about family
- Rating
- 4.8 (6 reviews)
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What to expect
Two writers. One story. A twist to beat them all…
Get ready to fall in love with the emotional new slow-burn romance from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Happy Place, Funny Story and People We Meet on Vacation.
THE INSTANT No.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!
A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK
When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island to write her life story, Alice knows this is it: her big break.
The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, has been invited there for the exact same reason.
The proposal? A one-month trial period, after which Margaret will choose who will get to tell her story and unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century.
But Margaret isn’t telling them everything, only giving each of them pieces of a past filled with scandal, wealth and heartbreak. Pieces they can’t put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.
But the truth about Margaret Ives is only part of the story.
And depending on who tells it, this could be a mystery, a tragedy… or a love story.
‘A love story like the all-time greats’ -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
‘Captivating, meaningful, and absolutely dazzling - Emily Henry didn’t just write a book, she delivered a literary hug with a twist of intrigue.’ ? ? ? ? ?
‘Nobody writes chemistry like Emily Henry’ Beth O'Leary, bestselling author of The Flat Share
© Emily Henry 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Critics Review
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Emily knows how to craft a love story like the all time greats
Taylor Jenkins Reid
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One of my favourite authors
Colleen Hoover
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I've loved every single one of her books more than the previous
Ali Hazelwood
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My happy place is an Emily Henry book
Carley Fortune
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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An expansive, sweeping love story that also feels so intimately tender...it enveloped me from start to finish. Beautiful.
Bolu Babalola
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Great Big Beautiful Life has everything you love in a classic Emily Henry novel, plus so much more. Nobody writes chemistry like Emily Henry, and you're guaranteed to fall head over heels for Alice and Hayden.
Beth O'Leary
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With a delicious slow-burn romance, a perfectly grumpy hero, and a setting that comes to life, this one checked all my boxes. Two compelling stories to move the plot forward meant I couldn't put it down! Emily Henry does it again!
Laurie Gilmore
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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
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A true joy. Playful, fun, and virtuosically plotted, Great Big Beautiful Life is a novel about life's winding paths and dangerous dead-ends—and the way that love can lead us out of the labyrinth.
Kaliane Bradley
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Great Big Beautiful Life simmers with longing and glitters with secrets and scandal, all set against a hot summer in Georgia. A joy of a book!
Evie Woods
User Reviews
Book 4.8
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
Incredible
jasminehope 2025-05-27 -
5.0 5.0
Another excellent story from Emily Henry! A cross between a family saga and a contemporary enemies(ish) to lovers romance. Lots of engaging characters, a few twists, and a happy ever after. What’s not to like?
Narration-wise, Julia Whelan is excellent! Clear, warm, friendly voice. Very easy to listen to.lottiefb 2025-05-19
Details
- Author
- Emily Henry
- Narrator
- Julia Whelan
- Duration
- 12 hours 8 minutes
- Release Date
- 22 April 2025
- ISBN
- 9781405971133
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Modern and Contemporary romance, Humorous fiction, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Family life fiction / Stories about family
- Rating
- 4.8(6 reviews)
- Narration
- 5.0(6 reviews)
Synopsis
Two writers. One story. A twist to beat them all…Get ready to fall in love with the emotional new slow-burn romance from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Happy Place, Funny Story and People We Meet on Vacation.THE INSTANT No.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICKWhen Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island to write her life story, Alice knows this is it: her big break.The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, has been invited there for the exact same reason.The proposal? A one-month trial period, after which Margaret will choose who will get to tell her story and unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century.But Margaret isn’t telling them everything, only giving each of them pieces of a past filled with scandal, wealth and heartbreak. Pieces they can’t put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.But the truth about Margaret Ives is only part of the story.And depending on who tells it, this could be a mystery, a tragedy… or a love story.‘A love story like the all-time greats’ -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo‘Captivating, meaningful, and absolutely dazzling - Emily Henry didn’t just write a book, she delivered a literary hug with a twist of intrigue.’ ? ? ? ? ?‘Nobody writes chemistry like Emily Henry’ Beth O'Leary, bestselling author of The Flat Share© Emily Henry 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
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