Ronnie Sunshine - actress, narcissist, mother, grandmother

Ronnie Sunshine loves the adulation of her fans. She loves being in the spotlight. The love that she has for herself makes it almost impossible for her to find room in her heart for her three daughters - athletic Nell who dreams of owning her own farm; plump Meredith who has great artistic talent but lacks the self-confidence to find the right person to love; and Lizzie, the spoiled youngest daughter who is most like her mother and is now a renowned TV chef and restauranteur.

The three sisters have gone their own ways over the years, not close to each other or to their mother. And now they get calls from their mother saying she wants them all to come home to see her - and reluctance isn't a strong enough word to express how they feel about this.

I've enjoyed author Jane Green's stories in the past and this family drama is another I'm glad I read. Fully explored characters, a few characters that were unlikable (which I always enjoy), and a storyline that brought tears and laughter made this an interesting, engaging read.

I received this book from Berkley Publishing through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I have read a few of Jane Green's books in the past and I think this one is completely different from what I expected. This is a tough subject matter to handle and Jane did it well. I don't think that this is my favorite book that she has ever written but it was good.

The relationships between the three Sunshine sisters and their mother was one of discord and anger. They grew up resenting their mother and not feeling loved and cared for. As each of the daughters grew up they moved away from their mother and their sisters.

***Spoilers: This book tackles subjects such as parental abandonment, terminal illness, adultery, negative body image, single parenthood, questioning sexuality, divorce and the main one: dying a dignified death.

I didn't start the book. Too much swearing and F bombs for me.

The Sunshine Sisters is another great summer read for 2017! This is a good dysfunctional family/forgiveness story but it doesn’t get too overly emotional or dark which makes it just right for a light summertime read.
We move through the lives of the Sunshine sisters from childhood through adulthood seeing how their parental issues affected their lives and relationships. Each sister dealt with their overly dramatic and selfish mother’s moods in different ways and also carried those coping mechanisms into their working and personal relationships later in life. I think everyone can identify a little bit with each sister be it Nell’s fear of vulnerability, Meredith’s people pleasing ways, or Lizzy’s constant need for excitement.
I really enjoyed reading about how each of the sisters dealt with their relationship issues and how they came to realize that they don’t have to carry their family dysfunction on. This has a nice wrapped up ending with a tinge of sadness but it is an enjoyable read even though it was occasionally predictable.

This book is classic Jane Green in all the best ways-multifaceted characters, an idyllic setting, and a story about the complexity of family and personal relationships. The Sunshine Sisters brings together three sisters who have drifted far apart, mostly due to their contentious relationship with their difficult mother, Ronni. But now Ronni needs them to come back together, and despite the complications in their relationships with both her and each other, Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy all return home at their mother's call, and from there will start to discover and heal the things that have fractured them, and find the things that bind them.
Perhaps the only complaint I have about this story is that I just wasn't done with it when it ended. Jane Green enthusiasts will find lots to like here, and if there is somehow a women's fiction reader out there who hasn't discovered her yet, this may be a great place to start. I found that The Sunshine sisters combined the maturity of the writing in her other more recent books with the style of her earlier books, which will be welcomed by new readers and old fans alike.

Ronni Sunshine is a famous, wonderful, pleasant actress on stage, but at home she is anything but wonderful and pleasant. She has no time for her daughters.

We follow Meredith, Nell, and Lizzy as they grow up in an unloving household with a mother who is more of a tyrant than a mother and a mother who cares only for herself.

The girls flee the nest one at a time and have troubles of their own because of their childhood, but now that Ronni is dying, she wants her daughters to rally around her. Ronni also had something else in mind when she invited her daughters back to their childhood home.

Each sister has a totally different personality, and it was interesting to follow them to see the path each one took. Nell seemed to be the responsible one. Meredith seemed to still be looking for happiness. Lizzy was still the fly-by-night, spoiled one.

The family issues and the different lifestyles the girls led were nicely developed by Ms. Green and could be the lifestyle of any young girl growing up trying to make choices.

This is my first book by Ms. Green. It was an enjoyable read and not something I normally read so I was surprised how her writing and story line pulled me in.

Nell seemed like a genuine person who worked hard in her life to make up what she had missed during her childhood.

Meredith kept speaking to me because of the way she put everyone before herself and kept the peace.

Lizzy was self-centered like her mother, and I liked her the least.

The characters did grow on me as they grew emotionally and made choices they never thought they would.

Women's fiction fans will enjoy this book because of the family drama, the regrets, the healing, and how Ms. Green addressed both family and friend relationships, as well as addressing end-of-life decisions.. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green.
A story of three sisters, a self centered Mother, and the Father who left them. An actress mother who choose the wrong path, wrecks havoc on her marriage and children.
Nell the oldest, trys to take care of everyone. She herself finds a wonderful mother figure on a farm she helps out on, and finds a future there with her son.
Meredith the middle child. Peace keeper. Criticized her whole youth by her mother for every infraction, she turns to food for comfort. As an adult the loses the weight, but learns that being skinny does not make all things right in her life.
Lizzy, the baby of the family. She was protected by not letting her mother's antics bother her, her sisters took the brunt of every bad mood... Self taught chef, she is confident and determined to make a good life for herself.
Through all of life's ups and downs, their childhood shapes their adult lives. Missunderstandings have led to hugh gaps between them. When each is called home to a sick mother, they all come to understand how much they have missed of each others lives.
Read how they mature and come to grips with unknown truths of themseflves and each other.

I featured this book in a beach read roundup today:
http://www.bethfishreads.com/2017/05/10-books-for-your-beach-bag.html

I really enjoyed this book as I do all of Jane Green's books. She has never let me down. If you are a fan of Jane Green you will love this one. It deals with important situations that we all face.

God, I was ready for a summer read and this was it. Thank you Jane Green for always being so real and telling a story I can relate to.

BROOKE’S REVIEW

Full Disclosure: I have read almost all of Jane Green’s books. I first fell in love with Jane Green as a writer when I read Jemima J when I was in college. It is definitely “chick lit,” but in the best way possible. Over the last several years, however, I haven’t enjoyed her latest books as much. It seemed that they had lost their spark. Happily, it’s my opinion that Jane Green has her groove back with The Sunshine Sisters.

This is the story of three very different sisters and one narcissistic mother. Ronni Sunshine, the matriarch of this story, pursues fame as a B-list actress over developing strong relationships with her daughters. It is not until she learns of a serious illness that will end her life that she realizes the human cost of her transgression.
Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are her three now-adult daughters who have estranged relationships with each other. The stress from their mother drove them apart, instead of together. When their mother calls them all home to help her die, they have the chance to potentially mend their relationships with each other, as well as romantic partners.

This book, while dealing with a heavy issue, manages to stay funny, compassionate, and engaging. Coming out on June 6, 2017, this is well-worth considering as a summer read.

PRAISE

“All women will recognize something of themselves in one of the Sunshine sisters. Jane Green’s best yet. I raced through this.”—Jojo Moyes, New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You and Paris for One and Other Stories

“A plum of a novel: juicy, ripe and bursting with sticky situations. I savored every page.”—Elin Hildebrand, author of The Identicals

“No one understands complicated families like Jane Green. In The Sunshine Sisters, she uses her trademark warmth and wit to bring us a deeply engaging story of parents, siblings, and lovers alike. She is the undisputed queen of the beach read.”—Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of Modern Lovers

“An absolutely fabulous read…A superbly entertaining story about sisters that will make you laugh and cry, of course, but also ponder a dead-serious issue of what to do about mom. It’s perfect for book clubs. I adored it!”—Dorothea Benton Frank, New York Times bestselling author of Same Beach, Next Year

“Whether you have a sister or not, The Sunshine Sisters is my definition of the perfect beach read.”—Lauren Weisberger, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada

AUTHOR

Jane Green is the author of eighteen novels, of which seventeen are New York Times Bestsellers, including her latest, Falling Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate. She will be debuting her cookbook, Good Taste, on October 4th. She lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks. A cancer survivor – she has overcome Malignant Melanoma, she also lives with Chronic Lyme Disease, and believes gratitude and focusing on the good in life is the secret to happiness.

Ronni Sunshine has summoned her daughters home. The aging actress is ill, and she wants her daughters by her side. This, however, will be easier said than done, as her three children--Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy--are estranged, both from each other and their mother: the result of a traumatic childhood. Even Ronni will now readily admit she focused on her acting career and beauty rather than her daughters. Her constant belittlement and pressure on the girls made them turn on each other as well. Nell lives the closest to her mother, on a nearby farm, and her son River is in grad school. Middle child Meredith spent her childhood struggling with her weight, thanks to endless biting comments from Ronni; she fled to England and is now engaged. Youngest Lizzie escaped most of her mother's wrath and appears to be the "golden child": she's a successful chef and celebrity, with a TV show and line of related products, but her marriage and personal life aren't all that they seem. Frustrated by their mother's long history of hypochondria, the girls reluctantly return home, excepting to find her fine. However, it seems this time Ronni may be telling the truth: she's really sick. Can the Sunshine sisters set aside their differences? And can they ever forgive their mother?

In some ways, I'm not sure why I keep giving Jane Green books a chance. I liked Summer Secrets well-enough, but was really let down by Saving Grace and Falling. I was intrigued that in her acknowledgements, Green mentions that this is the first book in while where she's felt like herself. I went in hoping that this was true, but still wary, and truthfully, this wariness may have clouded some of my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Overall, this is a summery read, though it does deal with some serious subject matter. If you're looking for a book that will surprise you, this isn't it. Most of these plot points I saw coming from a few miles away; I predicted the majority of the twists and turns before they happened. And, truly, I think the ending is a foregone conclusion. Green relies a bit to heavily on some tropes, as well. Serious older sister? Check. Insecure middle sister? Check. Flighty younger sister? She's here, too, don't worry.

Still, this was a fun book--despite the dark topic at its core--and I found myself compelled to read through the second half in nearly one sitting. Despite some of the transparency of the characters, I was oddly invested in their lives. The novel starts out with a brief glimpse of Ronni summoning her daughters home, then goes back in the past, allowing us to learn about the Sunshine family via various snippets from the sisters at different points in time. In this way, we sort of catch up with the family fast-forward style--it's like a cheat sheet of sorts. It also allows us to get to know each sister a bit better and explore their relationship with their mother (and other sisters). It's easy to see how much influence Ronni had on their lives and how she shaped them into the women they are today.

The girls can certainly be frustrating at times. Poor, needy Meredith drove me nearly mad, with her insecurities and inability to stand up for herself. There's also a point in the book where Meredith magically cleans up after a party (everything is fixed) and later loses a large amount of weight (everything is fixed, again!). I would have liked to have seen a little more plot realism. It was also hard to see how anyone could be quite as big of a doormat as Meredith, even with her mother's influence. And, truly, Ronni is pretty bad. It's an interesting technique--learning how terrible of a mother she is after we're told in the beginning of the novel that she's sick. But, in this way, we're allowed to see how the sisters were alienated by their poor upbringing and how everyone has reached the point we are at today.

Eventually, we reach the present day, with the girls learning about their mother's illness and coming to grips with reality. And, Ronni, of course, must grapple with the kind of mother she was to her children. She's a surprisingly compelling character considering how awful she was to her children, so that's a testament to Green's characterization. To me, the novel picked up a bit more in the present day time period. There were still some silly, unbelievable moments, but I truly did find myself invested in Meredith, Nell, and Lizzy (and Ronni).

The book does wrap things up too easily, as I stated. It's often quite trite and cliche, so you have to go in prepared. Think Lifetime movie, wrapped up in a bow. Still, it's fun at times and certainly a quick read. Well-suited for the beach or a vacation.

The Sunshine Sisters
By
Jane Green



What it's all about...

The Sunshine Family...Ronni...an uncaring almost cruel movie star mother...with an uncaring father and dysfunctional daughters...Nell, Meri and Lizzy...born in that order. Nell was kind of ignored, Meri was the middle chubby sister and Lizzy was the "baby"...the beauty who got everything she ever wanted. The results of this kind of parenting are that Nell doesn't feel as though she belongs anywhere...Meri feels overweight, unloved and unattractive and Lizzy just feels as though she can get away with anything. So...we have a sister with tons of confusion about her sexuality, a sister with issues of self worth and a sister who doesn't really care about anyone but herself. So...what happens when Ronni becomes ill and is determined to do something about it? Something unexpected? Something that she wants her daughters around for? Well...that's what this book is all about and why this book is so good. It will be a masterful beach read that no one can put down!

Why I wanted to read it...

I love Jane Green books...her trademark is adding a bit of London to her novels and adding dysfunctional characters that the reader...most readers...love to dislike.

What made me truly enjoy this book...

Lots of quirky characters are in this book plus tons of quirky relationships...Billy and Dreadful Derek and Greta and Sean and just really tons more. These characters add dysfunction and interest to the book and enhance and inhibit the lives of Nell and Meri and Lizzy.

Why you should read it, too...

Readers who love Jane Green's style and way with characters should have much fun with this one!

this story of three sisters raised by a once-famous movie star movies back and forth through time telling each girl's story and her relationships with her siblings and parent. It was a fast read and interesting as the three sisters led such different lives, but each happy in their own way.

The Sunshine Sisters is a moving story of the power of forgiveness and the happiness that can be found when you follow your heart. I would have preferred the story occurred all in the present instead of half of it being set in the past, as I found the present story the most compelling. I wanted more time with the sisters "now" for their stories to feel earned at the end. But overall it was a satisfying read.

Interesting characters and family relationships. I enjoyed this book, but wish we had gotten more details about the Sunshine family's early lives.

https://booktrib.com/2017/05/the-sunshine-sisters-book-review/

I am a huge fan of Jane Green and was so excited to see that she has a new book coming out called The Sunshine Sisters. I do enjoy a good book about mothers, daughters, and dysfunctional family dynamics… this one has it all!

Here’s the synopsis:

Ronni Sunshine left London for Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen. But at home, she was a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienated her three daughters.

As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother’s overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother’s criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London—and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother’s fame, while her marriage crumbled around her.

But now the Sunshine Sisters are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy have never been close, their mother’s illness draws them together to confront the old jealousies and secret fears that have threatened to tear these sisters apart. As they face the loss of their mother, they will discover if blood might be thicker than water after all…

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This family puts a big ole capital D in dysfunction! Ronni Sunshine is a terrific actress, but terrible mother. She has three daughters that grow up and has very confusing lives themselves. They are brought back together when their mother is dying. Well written and riveting. I enjoyed getting to know each of the girls. I will say Lizzy drove me crazy! Bring your tissues and enjoy this crazy ride of this family.