Great Big Beautiful Life: Reese's Book Club

Bookseller recommendation

“A mystery and a love story wrapped together that will captivate you, have you on the edge of your seat and have you in tears. ”

— Sam • The Book Rack

Bookseller recommendation

“Emily Henry has mastered the art of building tension, and stretching it like taffy. Knowing someone is into you and you are into them is often just an acknowledgement before the main event, and luxuriating in the sensation is truly a treat. This whole book is dessert. Not to sneak diss, but in a world of predictably structured wide open door, smash cut, fade to blinding neon light, no build up, immediately resolved sexual tension, and then subsequent plot based on and around unpacking and DTR convos, this felt extremely refreshing. Also, Julia Whelan crushed it on the audiobook, my god. As usual, I need to cast this movie (limited series probably i mean let's get real), and it does seem that Jacob Elordi and Elizabeth Debicki could pull this off height wise, though I actually think if we go full unkowns it would hit harder, while casting a well known celeb a la Meryl or Patricia Clarkson (!!) to play Margaret would work well. ”

— Nyawira • Page 158 Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This book and its narration by Julia Whelan left me as a great big beautiful sobbing mess. ”

— Sabrina • McNally Robinson Booksellers

Bookseller recommendation

“Emily told us, when she announced this book, that it is not like her others. And she's right. It's so much more. It's truly great, truly big, truly beautiful. A dozen big lives created, molded, interwoven around each other in this one book made up of several stories. An exploration of love and the way it builds us, how the people we come from live in us, how our decisions matter, and sometimes don't. How the truth is not just limited to one thing, or two, or three, but maybe all of it. All at once. It is wonderful to love Emily Henry's writing, because she captures the human experience so well that you cannot help but feel like she is cutting you open to bury herself inside. This book is a trip, it's a comfort, it's a joy and an ache. There was not a single moment where I did not sit here thinking, "I love this book". ”

— Paola • Steamy Lit

Bookseller recommendation

“A story within a story and a love story that transcends the typical romance - how does EmHen do it?! A Great Big Beautiful Life differs from Henry's previous novels in that it is so much more than just a love story; if anything, the romance is a side character, but it has all of EmHen's charm, witty and loveable characters, and an emotional story that pulls on your heartstrings while also instilling a sense of hope. This story was unexpected and deeply profound; Henry keeps surprising me with every book! As always, Julia Whelan does a beautiful job narrating the audiobook. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook on Libro.fm!”

— Anna Rose • The Well-Read Moose

Bookseller recommendation

“5 stars. No notes. Chefs kiss. ”

— Brittany • One More Chapter

Bookseller recommendation

“Great Big Beautiful Life is a radiant, heart-tugging journey that captures the messy magic of storytelling and finding love in unexpected places. With her signature wit and emotional depth, Henry delivers characters so vivid, you feel like you’ve known them forever. It’s a story that wraps around your heart and reminds you how beautiful life can be—even when it’s far from perfect.”

— Beatrice • The Common Good

Bookseller recommendation

“Great summer listen! Great Big Beautiful Life leans more like Beach Read from Emily Henry’s catalog, the romance is the subplot rather than the main focus of this book. Still worth a listen/read even if you aren’t a big fan of women’s fiction. And is definitely a bit spicier than her other books.”

— Lexi • Modern Romantics Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“This was my first Emily Henry adventure and I was so pleasantly surprised! With not typically being a romance reader I wasn’t sure what to expect but everything from the characters, the plot and writing had me smiling while simultaneously tearing up at times. This was a beautiful exploration of love, life, and discovering what truly matters. Witty, and full of emotion, Great Big Beautiful Life kept me on the edge of thinking I knew what was coming next and then not being totally sure. I honestly loved every second of it. ”

— Carli • Folklore & Fable Booksellers, LLC

Bookseller recommendation

“Henry’s latest gives Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes mixed with her trademark charm as a romance builds between the two writers at the center of this story. While there is less sharp banter, the grumpy/sunshine trope is still an absolute delight. Henry’s books have such heart and rich context for her characters, but this was the first to cause me to actually cry out loud. She perfectly captures the complicated love of family and parenthood. And as always, Julia Whelan is the Queen of narrators. ”

— Casey • Golden Bee Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“I really enjoyed Margaret’s story and how Hayden and Alice’s stories are all woven together. It’s such a beautiful way to look at life, even when it’s been tough. It’s also a great reminder to cherish and remember the lives of our loved ones.”

— Taylor • Roaming Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Great Big Beautiful Life reminded me a little of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book focuses mostly on the plot and less on the romance, compared to many of her other books. But in my opinion, Emily Henry’s books are mostly borderline fiction-romance. The tension between our two main characters was great, as always. There wasn’t much for typical EmHen banter between characters, but I still enjoyed both of these characters and found them both very likeable. Overall, I would recommend and can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks of this one. ”

— Sara • Spoke & Word Books