Damn. These books. There are so many things that my rational mind knows I should scoff at. But the moment I open a Sierra Simone book, my ID takes over and I just go with the flow.
Especially when there is a somewhat jaded yet innocent in many ways man caught between a couple who are on their way to marriage. It’s never simple. It’s never a love triangle. And I cannot explain why it works for me. But here we are.
Mentions of President Colchester don’t hurt either.

Emily Henry could never write a bad book, but Great Big Beautiful Life fell a little flat for me compared with her other books. GBBL is primarily a general fiction story about Margaret Ives correction of her tabloid-covered past, but we also get the (very insta-lovey) romance sub-plot and the two characters exploration of their own issues with their parents. It felt like Henry tried to cover too many plots/issues in one book. The romance felt very instantaneous without being earned, Alice’s friends added really 0 to the story, and the ending felt a bit rushed. I think she could’ve potentially lengthened the book to given these elements more space or just cut them all together and had a stronger novel. At times, too, it did feel verrrry similar to the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and they mini plot twist/reveal near the end just annoyed me. I feel like I’m being harsh, but I did actually enjoy the book. Emily Henry writes the best banter and realistic dialogue, and her books always have so much heart. I loved Alice’s interactions with her mother, too, and wished that got more time in the story. Ultimately, I don’t love general contemporary fiction, and I think that’s a lot of why this one didn’t hit as strong as her other work. I will still continue to read whatever she writes