Great Big Beautiful Life Audiobook By Emily Henry cover art

Great Big Beautiful Life

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Great Big Beautiful Life

By: Emily Henry
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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Brought to you by Penguin.

A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR & GLOBAL TIK TOK SENSATION, EMILY HENRY


Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of an heiress with more than a few plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island, Alice knows this is it: her big break. And even more rare: a chance to impress her family with a Serious Publication.

The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, is sure of the same thing.

The proposal? A one-month trial period to unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century, after which she’ll choose who’ll tell her story.

The problem? Margaret is only giving each of them tantalising pieces. 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.

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.

'Emily Knows how to craft a love story like the all time greats' - Taylor Jenkins Reid

'I've loved every single one of her books more than the previous' - Ali Hazelwood

'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

© Emily Henry 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Accolades & Awards

Goodreads Choice Award
2025
Contemporary Genre Fiction Goodreads Choice Award Family Life Romantic Comedy Friendship

Critic reviews

Emily knows how to craft a love story like the all time greats (Taylor Jenkins Reid)
One of my favourite authors (Colleen Hoover)
I've loved every single one of her books more than the previous (Ali Hazelwood)
My happy place is an Emily Henry book (Carley Fortune)
An expansive, sweeping love story that also feels so intimately tender...it enveloped me from start to finish. Beautiful. (Bolu Babalola)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
All stars
Most relevant
I liked the ‘story’ chapters and these could have been expanded. The main character was not likable or credible. Her childish, overly dramatic, mawkish character did not match her more professional mature approach to unraveling the ‘story’. I skipped large parts of this book and kept to the ‘story’. One of the worst books I’ve listened to for some time!

Two stories: one interesting and one ‘Mills and Boon’

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I skipped over some of the more saucy scenes, personally felt it was a bit much. And I found the narrator a little bit whiny sometimes. But the overarching storyline I enjoyed.

Easy listening romance

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I loved Julia Whelan’s narration but the story was incredibly disappointing. Not nearly as good as Emily Henry’s other books.

Very disappointing

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Where to start? I laughed. I CRIED. I mean, I SOBBED like a distressed baby. But it was worth it. This is a brilliant book with a phenomenal narrator. It’ll break your heart and glue it back together again. Get your tissues read for sad AND happy tears!

Infinity stars

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No sooner had I started listening to this did I regret wasting a credit on it! Nice concept but narrator gave main character such an irritatingly jolly hockey sticks voice. I kept hoping it would redeem itself but sadly, it did not. If I could have my chance to order again and return this title I would!

Immature - teenage erotica 101

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