Great Big Beautiful Life By: Emily Henry

If Emily Henry has no stans… I fear I may be dead.

Light spoilers ahead, but nothing major!

In Emily Henry’s sixth novel, we're introduced to Alice and Hayden—two journalists drawn to a small island off the coast of Georgia. (Georgia girls, stand up!) They’re competing to write the memoir of the elusive and glamorous socialite Margaret Ives, who mysteriously vanished from the public eye 20 years ago.

Things I Loved:

Emily Henry is a certified lover girl. No one writes yearning and desire quite like her. Her male leads make me believe in the magic of love—if only for a moment. This novel beautifully explores themes of love and loss, forgiveness and growth, all while centering a slow-building, magnetic romance between Alice and Hayden.

Their story is one of my favorite love arcs of the year. The pacing is just right—never dull, yet slow enough to feel real. Great Big Beautiful Life is a love letter to the girls who have no chill, who love loudly and feel deeply. It's for the girls who dream of a love so powerful it consumes them, who see a stunning future for themselves and dare to reach for it.

The quote that wraps it all up perfectly comes from page 192:

“Love isn’t something you can cup in your hands, and I have to believe that means it’s something that can’t ever be lost.”

Meet the Cast:

Alice
I am so Alice-coded. My first highlight came on page 2 when Alice says she’s “never played it cool in her life.” She’s a dedicated optimist—her glass isn’t just half full; it’s half full of the sweetest drink you can imagine. On the surface, she radiates sunshine, but underneath, she’s tangled in worry. After receiving a tip that Margaret is living in Georgia, Alice sets out to tell her story—not just for journalistic glory, but to prove to herself and her mother that she’s a serious writer. Her late father was a massive fan of Cosmo Ives, Margaret’s husband and the writer of some of the most beautiful love songs of all time. Alice wants her life to be beautiful and will put in the work to make it so.

Hayden
Hayden is the other half of our writing duo. Unlike Alice, he was invited to write Margaret’s memoir, giving him a clear advantage. At first, he comes off as cool and reserved, but we quickly see him fall—hard—for Alice. A natural pessimist, he makes a real effort to see the world through her hopeful lens. He listens. He shows up. He gives her what she needs, even when he’s scared to. Though more guarded and hesitant about their budding romance, his walls slowly come down as Alice chips away at them. One of my favorite Hayden quotes comes from page 219:

“Just because something doesn’t make money or win awards doesn’t mean it doesn't have value.”

Margaret
Margaret Ives might just be the most glamorous woman to ever live. Including the memoir storyline was a interesting move by Emily—it could’ve been purely a romance, but this subplot shows off one of Emily’s greatest strengths: crafting compelling characters beyond the central love story. It reminded me of Funny Story and Nora’s relationship with her sister. Emily doesn't just make you fall in love with romantic connection—she makes you care deeply about every kind of love, and every corner of the human experience.

I really think this is my new favorite of Emily’s novel’s. I keep believing that she’s catching lightning in a bottle but in reality she is just that gifted.

Her writing gives me hope, it makes me want to write, it makes me want to live a Great Big Beautiful Life.