Book Review: Great, Big, Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Or, how I accidentally read a book about myself...

In Great, Big, Beautiful Life, we meet Alice — a quirky, sunshine-in-human-form character who’s constantly chasing a good story and trying to make everyone around her smile. She’s upbeat, overly optimistic, and sees the silver lining in every cloud.

Oh my word… I am this character.

Reading Alice was like holding up a mirror — slightly embarrassing, often hilarious, and weirdly comforting. Yes, she can come off a little ditsy. And yes, I too can come off a little ditsy. But hey, the world needs our kind of sparkle!

The Premise

The story kicks off when Alice becomes obsessed with tracking down a mysterious woman from her childhood — a former public figure who vanished from the spotlight over 20 years ago. Alice offers to write her memoir, hoping to unearth the untold story. But surprise! She’s not the only one with that idea. Enter: a charming but awkward rival author also vying for the memoir of a lifetime.

Cue banter, tension, unexpected romance, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

What I Loved

I really enjoyed this book. The characters felt relatable (okay, especially Alice — for obvious reasons). The plot reminded me a bit of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — another favorite — with the whole “let me tell your life story” vibe.

The chemistry between the two authors was sweet, the dialogue was sharp, and the story had that cozy-yet-adventurous energy I love in a beach read.

Also — the twist ending?! Chef’s kiss.

I didn’t see it coming. (But full disclosure, I was also shocked by the twist in The Sixth Sense. Yes, really. So take that how you will.)

Real Talk

Is this book totally realistic?

No. Not even close.
But that’s kind of the point. Sometimes, I just want to be swept away by a story — even an improbable one — and this book did exactly that.

Final Thoughts

Next time I promise to take better notes so I can remember all my favorite lines. There were definitely a few gems in here.

If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Was it too silly? Too unrealistic? Or did you fall in love with Alice like I did?

Till next time —
Happy Reading,
Marsha