This is not a typical Sawyer Bennett book. This story will rip your heart out and put it back in before you finish it. The Hard Truth About Sunshine is like no book I've ever read before.
You have four people with different backgrounds who are in a support group. Some willing some not. 
Jillian is the optimist who is losing her sight. Connor who is dying from a brain tumor. Christopher who lost more than just a leg while serving his country. And Barb who was so abused, just wants to die.
How can these four characters even become a great story? Well when the willing and the unwilling agree to take a journey across the country to fulfill one of Connors dying wishes, something happens. Each person discovers something about themselves. Not all good. Strange how another persons outlook on life can change the way you see yours. 
This story had moments of pure beauty and at times I even laughed. I most certainly cried! It was a roller coaster of emotions that in the end was very satisfying. I couldn't put this book down.

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Well this book is definitely not like any other books that Sawyer Bennett has written. I absolutely love the fact that Sawyer Bennett has made me fall in love with her & her writing even more. This book pulls at all of your emotions & feelers! This book causes you to take a look at yourself and evaluate what is truly important to you and your life. This book broke me and I definitely had an ugly cry over this amazing read. I kept putting it off because I was not in the right head space to read a book of this magnificent but in all honesty it was truly what I needed at this point in my life. I can't thank Sawyer Bennett enough for an another amazing book/journey! This is a must buy. Sawyer Bennett brings pure joy to her books even when is a tough topic such as suicide, death, self-loathing and depression. She gives it that splash of sunshine and gives you a chance to hope. Honestly that's just one of the things the world needs right now is a little hope. This book gives you all the feelers and more. Don't let fear of what this book will make you feel or bring out in you, just read it and truly trust the journey it will send you on. This is a a top read of 2017 for me!

Every once in a while you read a book that will really affect you and you can't write the review right away because you need time to process the story.  That is what this book did to me.  This story is not a typical romance type of story, even though there is a romance.  I would probably classify this book as more woman's lit.

A group of 4 individuals are in group therapy for different reasons.  Two by choice, two forced by the law.  Each person is so different and unique but at the same time they all do have something in common...therapy.  Mags is their therapy leader.....loved her!

The story is told from Christopher Barlow's point of view.  Christopher is 26 years old and an ex-marine who was wounded in action and lost one of his legs and two fingers over a year ago.  To say Christopher is mad at the world is an understatement.  He is one of the people being forced into therapy.

Jillian Martel is 21 years old and has depression because of being diagnosed with Kearns-Sayre Syndrome, which means she will eventually be blind.  She also has cardiomyopathy because of the eye disease.  When Jillian speaks she is always happy and upbeat, something that Christopher is drawn to because of his dark world.
 
Barb Stiles is 24 years old and looks like a goth chick.  She is mad at the world and doesn't talk and is being forced into therapy by the law.

Connor McCann is almost 18 years old and has alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer and only has a few months left to live.  He has accepted that he is going to die and wanted to go to therapy just to be around people.

The group has to meet each week and are suppose to discuss their feelings.  Christopher and Barb never do.  Jillian came up with an idea that the group should go on a week long trip to help cross off many of the things on Connor's bucket list before he dies.  Mag's agrees to this and if Christopher and Barb go, they will not have to finish the rest of their weeks of therapy.  Both of them reluctantly agree as long as Christopher can drive.

The main story is about the group's trek out west from North Carolina to the Pacific Ocean.  They camp and stay in hotels along the way and they slowly start to open up to each other.  Some of the things this group did along the way was funny, sweet, swoon worthy and then down right sad.  I just adored how they ended up all becoming good friends.  Be prepared for a REALLY emotional ride the last 1/4 of the book....I mean a really good cry....but don't let that stop you from reading this story.  It was wonderful and I would highly recommend it...tears and all.

Emotions, tough love, reality checks, fears - all wrapped up in a awesome cross country road trip.
Four individuals dealing with their own demons form an unlikely comradeship  as they travel across the country fulfilling bucket-list items.
A truly fantastic view of life and a new perspective on sunshine.

The hard Truth about Sunshine is a wonderful read from the very first page to the very last. Just the dedication Sawyer makes on the first page, gives you the idea that it won't be just another read!
There are some authors you read everything they write, without even bothering with the blurb. Sawyer Bennett for me is one of them. Would I have picked up The hard truth about Sunshine without being Sawyer's? Noo, cause I don't like books that make me cry but Oh Boy!!! I am sooo glad I read it. Wonderful and moving read!!!! I loved it to pieces. Thanks Sawyer!

The book is about feelings, hope, despair, depression, second chances in life, resilience, friendship, love and death. Amazing read!

So different than Sawyer's other books, but possibly one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. It is certainly a hard read, but absolutely worth the journey. A five-star rating is not enough for a book that will haunt me.

Note, I did request and received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Gosh, WOWZERS! What a departure from this author's usual raunchier works. 

This was an AMAZING and MOVING story.

Four incongruous people embark on a road trip across America. This journey will change their outlook and their lives forever. 

“Each one of us hates our life. It’s a burden for us. It’s unfair. It’s nothing but misery and torment…”

Four people with seemingly nothing in common come together in a therapy group. They are all troubled in one way or another. Two are approachable and talkative, whilst the other two are snarky and standoffish. 

“I am a man who cannot be redeemed.”

Told from the POV of Christopher Barlow, who is an ex-Marine and amputee. He’s wallowing in bitter, angry darkness. He’s forced to go to the therapy group in lieu of going to jail. There he meets Jillian, who he’s attracted to and emanates lightness; Connor, who’s dying of cancer; and Barb, who has a perpetual death wish. 

The road trip across America is for Connor to see the Pacific Ocean before he dies. Along the way, he has a number of bucket list items to tick off. 

“She actually radiates light. Happiness. Joy. Invincibility regardless of her situation.”

What starts off as a difficult journey taken by four quite different people, ends up being a real journey of discovery and self-discovery. It’s a story about love, friendship, despair, and faith. It’s a story about the strength of the human spirit, as well as its fragility. 

“Jillian makes me want to believe in the possibility of happiness, and I vow to myself that I’m going to have her show me how it’s done.”

This was such an incredible, emotional, and heartbreaking journey. It was stunning and poignant watching how this motley quartet bonded, and how they affected one another. Christopher begins the story full of anger at his situation. He spews his bitterness over everyone, however, Jillian, the epitome of goodness and sunshine, pierces his darkness with her brightness, giving him a new lease of life and making him view everything with new eyes. 

Thoroughly, thoroughly recommend this novel. Top Read 2017.

I don't know that I'm ready to start this one. My box of tissues is handy and I might grab a glass of wine...(posted as I picked up to read)
Now five hours later, when I should have gone to bed two hours ago, but I Couldn't Put It Down. 
This does not happen often in which I read the entire book in one sitting. The Truth About Sunshine draws you in. The characters are so real you think they are going to walk off the page. This book will change your view on so many things. Depression, it's more prevalent than you can imagine. Don't think for one second  you can know what's going on in someone else's mind. Sawyer gives us a glimpse into the lives of four troubled souls as they connect on a cross country journey. She gives us ups, laughs and downs. But at the end the sun will still be shining and life moves on. 

Side note: Listen to the warnings, if suicide or sexual assaults are going to harm your psyche this is not the book for you.

PSA: National Suicide Hotline Call 1-800-273-8255
Available 24 hours everyday

Veteran's Suicide Hotline:

Confidential support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year through the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255 and Press 1) and online chat , and text (838255).

There are two things I have to say about my reading habits, before I talk about this book:

1. I read happy books. Books that might be angsty, but that I know will be happy in the end. I mean, I read mysteries that sometimes don't end happily, but I don't pick up books I know will not end well.
2. There are very few authors I trust enough to override my book preferences, and read their books, regardless. Sawyer Bennett is one of those authors.

This book is magnificent. It made me curious, hopeful, uplifted, devastated, and hopeful yet again. I smiled, I basked in the sunshine, and I cried. I'm still crying as I write this, but you know what? The sunshine's still there, reminding me of the hope these characters all gave me. I don't know how else to talk about it, or describe it, other than to say it's an experience not to be missed.

This story will run you through all sorts of different emotions, it will break your heart, make you laugh, cry but it will also remind you that life is full circle we live, love and die and will its hard and it hurts if the story is told right its a celebration.  I am so happy that Sawyer Bennett had wanted to tell this story because I know that I am better for it.  

Told from Christopher's POV he has lost it all, his career, his girl and his leg.  Forced to go to a group he meets others he knows are not in as much pain as he is, even when one is losing her eye sight, one is dying and the other is also forced to be there.  These four unlikely people who probably would have never meet if life worked the way it was supposed to decide to go on a cross country trip, what they find is amazing and for Christopher he may just find love again.  

If you have read Sawyer Bennett's books in the past be prepared this is nothing like she has ever written.  The journey she takes the readers on is so well written that I thought I was there with them.  I love that each character has a secret that they are keeping to themselves especially Jillian who is going blind we have to remember things are not always as they seem and that's ok.  This is a standalone book that does have a HEA even if it is unconventional.  This book may not be for everyone but I promise if you give it a chance you will walk away thinking of life in a different way.

I'm a huge Sawyer Bennett fan and have read all her books. This book was so different than her other books and I was nervous about reading it because it seemed more 'serious' than what I usually read. This book made me smile, laugh, and cry. It made me think about life and the stories that are not always told. This was an amazing book! I also loved the section at the end which told  of the personal experience she had that led her to write the story.

I really dont know where to start or finish with talking about this book! I've been a fan of Sawyer's for years but this book is completely different then anything i've ever read by her. This book hits all your feels, anger, sadness,  pity, hate, compassion, love, smiles, laughs, tears, cheers, shock, guilt, i dont think a single emotion was left untouched. 

Going into the book i knew that it wasn't the typical Sawyer experience, she warned and warned me, but this book was like seeing straight into her soul and catching a glimpse of her that she has never given us before.

Four completely different people, four completely different upbringings, four completely different battles they are facing or have faced or will face, brought together or forced together in some cases to start the healing process. They all have something to learn from each other or have something they can share. 

I couldn't put this book down! Pulled an all nighter and ever lied to friends saying i wasn't feeling well (fake cough lol) so i could hide in my room all day Saturday to finish. I was pulled into the lives of Christoper, Jillian, Beth and Connor from Page 1! Christopher's foul mouth, fouler attitude and just complete hate for life. Jillian with her sunny outlook on life even when her future will eventually be cloudy and dark everyday thru her eyes. Connor and his happiness even while walking with a death sentence hanging over his young head. Beth with her hurtful remarks that she hides her pain behind cus she feels that life just isnt worth living. These people will stick with me for a very long time, they have taught me lessons about life that i hope to carry forward, they have shown me that there is way more then just one way to look at life and to never take the simplest things for granted.

This is THE BOOK that will stay with me for a long time. There are so many feels in this that still need to be sorted through it will take some time but this will be at the top of my recommendations list.  Four people start a cross country trip after being in the same therapy group. This is an extension of the group and what starts out as something to get out of the rest of therapy, turns into a lesson in life. A boy with cancer, a veteran with anger issues, a suicidal woman, and a woman who has been given a diagnosis that will ultimately leave her blind.  Together they are traveling across the country to get to the Pacific Ocean but on the way they learn more about each other and themselves than they planned.  This book had me laughing at times and crying and ultimately left me knowing I will definitely be buying and sharing this book with others. 

This one is highly recommended to EVERYONE!  

**Received an ARC copy for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

Wow this is deep feelings and deep struggles. Very different. These group is dysfunctional but put together somehow works. When a depressed group with a lot of issues go on a across country trip together they start to grow as human beings. At first these characters feel like no one else's  troubles compares to theirs. Then when they start opening up and bonding, it helps them have a different look on life and death. It is actually beautiful to read the journey that they take and how much they grow together. The look on life after you have been dealt a tough one is not always pretty, and this book is hard truth. Read it, it will enrich and widen your eyes to feelings and decisions that maybe you never considered people have to deal with.

WOW...now that I've gotten past the huge ugly cry this emotionally charged story brought on I am going to try and write a somewhat comprehensible review. First and foremost - if you haven't purchased your copy of this one, go, now, do it!!! Five stars is not nearly enough to describe the story that is contained in this book. It will pull out every emotion contained within you from joy to sadness, from happiness to anger, you will feel something from every single page. I don't want to get into too much of the story because you will want to experience everything yourself as you turn the pages. Just know that even though it will make you cry (yes, even the hardest hearts will cry) it is a story that will leave you with hope. Hope for a brighter tomorrow and the life it contains.

Wow I don't even know what to say on this one.

Sawyer has completely outdone herself with this book... 

4 people each with their own struggles and demons set out on a road trip. Watching friendships grow, love prosper and innocence being lost was the post heartfelt thing I have read in a long time.

Christopher Barlow is an ex marine who lost his right leg and some fingers off his right hand when an IED exploded whilst on tour. Connor is a teen with terminal cancer and feels suffocated by his parents. Barb is a young woman who was abused by her uncle and has suicidal issues. And Jillian is an optimist who is loosing her eyesight. What do they have in common - Group Therapy. They meet weekly to either fulfil the court order or to seek help with their problems. It is not until Jillian suggests a road trip to complete a bucket list item for Connor that this group of misfits start to bond.

Told in Christopher's POV, they travel across the county and start crossing off a few other wishes that they want to achieve for each other. Even after a few days, they have a strong union with experiencing this once in a life time journey.

It is a different change of pace from the normal Swayer book but it was brilliant just the same. Christopher pulled on my heartstrings the most, but truthfully I enjoyed each character for them self. Jillian may seem to always be bubbly and enthusiastic but she is human like the rest of us and her fears come to light. Barb wasn't as cold and hard as she made out either, helping Conner with a personal bucket list item, his favourite, was selfless. Conner may have worried about dying but more so for his parents. And Christopher, the asshole, came to terms with his injuries physically and mentally with a little help from his "friends". 

A contemporary romance with characters that blossom into their true selves from adversity, always is a great read for me. Even though there is next to no sex in this book, some of the hottest things are the romantic things Christopher says to Jillian. He was not an asshole at all. Just needed the right person to help him see the sunshine. Highly recommend.

** I received a copy from the publishers for an honest review. **

I just finished and WOW.... this book is different from her other books... was not sure about it when I started... AMAZING... a whirlwind of emotions and a unique look at what life is... as it is much different for every person. I loved it! Must read....

This story takes you on a journey with 4 different people from 4 different walks of life, all a little broken, but they are all in the same therapy group thinking all the others have it better than they do..... until the go on a trip across county and really start to get to know each other. There is friendship, love, laughter, shenanigans, loss, guilt, understanding and above all LOVE... It is a WONDERFUL addition to Sawyer's books. I can't wait for my friends to read this beautiful book.

I have never read a more emotional heart wrenching  book......you will laugh, cry, hate the characters and love them.  It's a sad love story and I believe will be loved by all that read it. And in my opinion would make a great movie.  Following the four unlikely friend as they go on an adventure and mark off bucket list items!!!