What's The Highest Rated Romance Pick From Reese's Book Club?

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Ever since Reese Witherspoon launched her book club in 2017, she's been very transparent about her goal to highlight women-centered titles. "We consciously curate books that celebrate the stories and autonomy of women, championing voices and platforming authors too often overlooked," reads the official Reese's Book Club website. In this way, it's not surprising that the celebrity-led reading group has spotlighted some notable romance books over the years. While the genre isn't exclusive to any gender, romance has historically been written by women, about women.

Additionally, while Witherspoon has recommended plenty of Valentine's Day-ready romances, there is one title that ranks as the club's highest rated pick from the genre. As of May 2025, Emily Henry's "Great Big Beautiful Life" boasts the highest average rating on Goodreads with 4.14 stars. The highly-anticipated spring release was selected as the May 2025 book club pick, marking the fan-favorite author's first collaboration with the literary group. "The plot follows two journalists competing for the chance to interview a prominent socialite who has been missing for 30 years," Witherspoon wrote on Instagram. "What unfolds between them? I won't give away any spoilers, but trust me, it's so good!"

Emily Henry's "Great Big Beautiful Life" follows Alice Scott, an up-and-coming writer competing with Pulitzer-prize winning author Hayden Anderson to pen the biography of the long-lost heiress Margaret Ives. Both hopefuls have traveled to Little Crescent Island in the hopes of being selected as biographer, with Margaret inviting them to participate in a one month trial period. While their rivalry brews alongside something deeper, Alice and Hayden begin to realize that there's more to Margaret's mysterious story than each is being told. 

As seen in our ranking of Henry's iconic rom-coms, the midwest-based author has become known for her witty banter and butterfly-inducing romance, but she's noted that "Great Big Beautiful Life" isn't quite as romantic comedy as her other works. "In so many ways, this book is a huge departure for me, but in this essential way, I think it's a natural continuation of what I've always done," she wrote on the Reese's Book Club blog. "It's a story of imperfect people, trying their hardest, getting it right some of the time and very wrong at others, and then looking for the hope and courage to try again, to make a better world for those they love."