Tell All, Tell Tall: The Skeleton is the Key

Emily Henry writes a rad romcom. Her characters are warm and witty, their worlds a heady mix of magic and familiarity. But her latest, Great Big Beautiful Life, is on another level.

Writer Alice Scott wants to make her mark. So when she learns that celebrity recluse Margaret Ives is holed up on an island in Georgia, she's determined to write her biography. But Pulitzer Prize-winner Hayden Anderson may have beaten her to it. Per Margaret, Alice and Hayden will spend a month interviewing her, separately, under ironclad NDAs. Then Margaret will make her choice. It's not what Alice wants, but she'll do anything to land the job. So she goes all in, setting out to win over even no-nonsense Hayden. An incurable optimist, Alice wears Hayden down one green tea at a time. As they grow closer, it becomes a challenge not to discuss Margaret and the stories she feeds them. Still, they can't help but wonder: Who is Margaret Ives really, and what does she want from them?

Engaging and poignant, Great Big Beautiful Life is one of those books that stays with you. Although Margaret's story within the story is the star, Alice and Hayden are the heart. Their writerly romance is irresistible, their connection stronger than any NDA.

Finding out how Margaret's -- and their -- stories end is the key to a great, big, beautiful beginning.