Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

A Story About Secrets, Storytelling, and the Life You Choose to Live

Quick Glance

Title: Great Big Beautiful Life

Author: Emily Henry

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Format Read: Hardcover

Rural Reader Vibes: Southern Island | Writer Life | Family Pressure | Legacy

Rating: ★★★★☆

Read If You Like: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Character-Driven Stories | Slow-Burn

First Impressions

I’m a big Emily Henry fan, and this book felt like a curveball — but in a good way. It wasn’t her usual romantic comedy with sharp banter and butterflies. It was quieter. A little messier. Definitely heavier.

It reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — not because the plots are the same, but because of the way the story unfolds. The hints. The secrets. The way you can feel there’s more coming, even if you don’t know what it is yet. And while the romance wasn’t as deeply developed as I wanted it to be, the bigger emotional arcs really stuck with me.

The Setup

Alice Scott is a cheerful, still-waiting-for-her-break writer. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning grump who takes himself (and everything else) very seriously. Both are invited to a remote island in Georgia to interview Margaret Ives — a former tabloid darling, tragic heiress, and the kind of woman whose name once lit up headlines but who’s now disappeared from public view.

Margaret has a story to tell. But instead of choosing just one writer, she offers them a deal: one month, two competing biographies, and a final decision at the end. The catch? They each get different pieces of her past — and can’t compare notes. Add in a slow-simmering attraction neither Alice nor Hayden expected, and the truth becomes a little harder to untangle.

What Worked

The historical arc of Margaret’s life — the scandal, the sorrow, the mystery — was so well crafted. As a historical fiction fan, I loved the way Emily Henry wove Margaret’s story through the decades. It felt believable, textured, and full of emotional weight.

The strongest parts of this book weren’t the plot twists or even the romance (which I’ll get to in a minute), but the themes. The pressure to prove yourself. The loneliness that hides under ambition. The need to be seen and understood — especially by the people who are supposed to know you best.

Alice’s relationship with her mother was particularly raw for me. That tension of being “too much” or “not enough” depending on the moment. Of carrying your family’s perception of you like a backpack you didn’t choose. Watching her navigate that — to finally say the hard things and let go of needing her mom’s approval — hit home.

The side characters were quirky and sometimes a little over the top, but they brought a richness to the island community that worked. And the setting? Pure southern charm. That tiny island town felt like a world of its own — still, a little mysterious, and just isolated enough to force reflection.

What Didn’t

For a book with two writers and a romance subplot, I expected more emotional buildup between Alice and Hayden. The connection was there, but we didn’t get the usual Emily Henry depth — the internal tug-of-war, the slow unfurling. It felt like one minute they were bristly and competitive, and the next they were kissing in the rain (okay, not literally — but you get the idea).

And while I loved the layered themes, there were a lot of threads being pulled at once — Margaret’s mystery, Alice’s self-worth, Hayden’s career, the romance, the NDA structure, family wounds. Most of it worked, but some transitions could’ve been smoother.

Rural Resonance

The southern island setting wasn’t just a backdrop — it was a character in its own right. It reminded me how small towns, especially insular ones, have their own way of holding secrets. Of wrapping around people. Of forcing you to face things you’ve been avoiding.

Neither Alice nor Hayden came from rural places, but their time in that community — with its rhythm and quirks and closeness — softened their edges. It made space for reflection, and you could feel how much it shaped the story they were trying to tell.

Final Thoughts

What stayed with me most was the title. Great Big Beautiful Life. It’s a reminder that no matter what story someone else tells about you — you get to live it. And that, in itself, is enough.

This book made me ask: If someone were writing your life, what would they say? What version of you would they tell?

And more importantly: Are you living a story you’d want to read?

It’s not a perfect book, but it’s a meaningful one. And I’ll be thinking about that final question for a while.

Your Turn

Have you read Great Big Beautiful Life?

Did it remind you of Evelyn Hugo or something entirely different?

Come chat with me on Instagram @ruralreaderco — I’d love to know what you thought.