The Haiku Review

by Emily Henry

Island echoes past
Two lovers seek hidden truths
Stories shape our hearts

Love and ambition collide in the most unexpected ways, and Great Big Beautiful Life is where Emily Henry invites us into that collision—and the sparks that follow.

The novel’s heart lies in its exploration of storytelling, ambition, and connection. Alice, a sunny magazine writer, and Hayden, a Pulitzer-winning biographer, are both lured to Little Crescent Island with hopes of winning the trust of Margaret Ives, a reclusive heiress offering one lucky writer the chance to pen her life story. As the two compete, they discover their rivalry is complicated by respect, attraction, and the complex truth of Margaret’s past. Interwoven with this is Margaret’s own narrative—spanning Hollywood glamour, family tragedy, and long-buried secrets—revealing how personal stories shape identity and legacy. The novel asks us: How much of our narrative do we choose to share? And how do those omissions shape who we become?

Henry’s vision is deeply ambitious. She blends the tension of enemies‑to‑lovers romance with the emotional depth of intergenerational drama—as two timelines merge, and the present-day chemistry mirrors century-old heartache. This dual structure elevates the story, making it richer and more resonant than a simple romance. As Margaret’s story unravels, it feels like peeling back layers of memory and myth—revealing both beauty and harm. Henry executes this with her signature wit and warmth, balancing breezy dialogue with thoughtful moments of reflection. Her setting—an atmospheric island with salt‑stung air and moss-draped oaks—mirrors internal landscapes of hidden emotions. Where her earlier work centered on two characters, here she expands her canvas, making the island, Margaret’s legacy, and even minor characters feel lived-in and essential. There are moments where the pacing slows—Margaret’s life history is rich and sprawling, and sometimes edges into scenic exposition—but the payoff lands with emotional clarity. Henry nails that delicate balance of heart and depth, showing she’s ready to grow beyond rom‑com and lean into literary ambition.

This book will most appeal to readers who love character-driven romances that feel like they could have walked off the screen. If you fell for the dynamic between January and Gus in Beach Read, or the sisterly warmth of Book Lovers, this novel takes familiar strengths and layers them with ambitious storytelling. It’s perfect for those who enjoy opposites‑attract romance but crave more substance—family drama, legacy, moral nuance. The ideal setting? A lazy long weekend by the beach or a cozy reading nook, where you can savor the romance and also pause to reflect—on love, on memory, on how the stories we tell shape us. This isn’t one to rush; it’s meant for slow appreciation, especially when you can return to Margaret’s chapters and watch how Alice and Hayden grow under her gaze.