Great Big Beautiful Life

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