Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave is the story of Sunshine Mackenzie. Sunshine is living a dream life as chef with bestselling cookbooks. She is just about to begin filming a television show for the Food Network when she is exposed as a fraud—she never grew up in the country (as she claimed) and she never developed any of her recipes. Suddenly, she has lost everything including her job, home, and husband. She goes home to her estranged family members and tries to put herself back together authentically. I thought this story had so much potential and I was really excited to read it. I expected some great insight into living authentically in a digital age. Overall, the story was a big disappointment. It was very unbelievable at times and the characters did not seem to behave true to who I thought they were. I was very disappointed in this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

My Thoughts:
Hello, Sunshine is the first book by Laura Dave I have read. Admittedly, I have had her book Eight Hundred Grapes on my TBR Shelf forever, but alas I have yet to read it. With that said, if her other books are even half as good as this one, then I’ve been missing out!

Hello, Sunshine is about a food blogger/vlogger turned Food Network star named Sunshine Mackenzie. She is living her dreams of being in the public eye when out of nowhere she receives a message threatening to ruin her. This person knows deep secrets about Sunshine her husband doesn’t even know. With her career, love, and friendships on the line, Sunshine is thrown into a whirlwind of chaos.

This book was both hilarious and sad. I was sucked into Sunshine’s life from the beginning. A lot of her bad decisions were completely her fault, yet I found myself sympathizing and empathizing with the pain she endured through out the book.

I found this book to be a guilty pleasure, almost like a bad reality show. I would recommend this book as a great quick summer read. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read/review it.

The characters were for the most part likable,

Who doesn't enjoy reading about cooking?

Great book for a summer read at the beach. maybe the Hamptons?

Laura Dave offers readers a fun, flirty novel that focuses on celebrity, keeping you past the past, and being careful what you wish for. I really enjoyed this light contemporary novel. I appreciated the premise and I was so happy that the book kept the promise of that premise. The characters were layered and I really liked the growth shown through the story - no one changed overnight, many times people reacted instead of responding, and that made the story more realistic for me. The secondary characters were as complex and interesting as the primary. Dialogue is a Laura Dave strong suit, and it always seemed appropriate both to character and situation. I will definitely read more from this talented writer.

“Hello, Sunshine” by Laura Dave was a fun book to read. Her previous book “Eight Hundred Grapes” focused on wine and “Hello, Sunshine” is set in the food world. As I read, I was fantasizing about being her research assistant. Gathering material on food and wine (and doing lots of sampling) - what could be better! “Hello, Sunshine” is an enjoyable book for the beach, the pool, the backyard, or anywhere you’d like a light summer read.

My review was posted on Goodreads on 8/2/17

A fable for the Facebook age!

"Hello Sunshine" is the story of a woman who chooses to remake her identity, then loses that newly made self. There is a fable, and a clear moral, which takes the heroine a while to learn.

Hello, Sunshine is the perfect book to throw into your beach bag or pack in your suitcase this summer when you're looking for something that can be absorbing when you want it to, but is still light and enjoyable. While not pure fluff, it feels like the kind of movie you would happily watch with a couple of girlfriends. There's a dysfunctional family, all sorts of secrets that come out, and even a thoughtful exploration of the role of social media in the way we present and actually live our lives. I'd like a different ending, as it lost some of its authenticity there, but I found myself looking forward to picking this book up throughout my day and think it's a wonderful book to inhale on these long summer days.

This was such a great book to read at the end of my summer. If you like food, Food Network or finding out behind the scenes this is the book for you. Sunshine has created a life that is not real - and someone has found out. This book deals with what we portray as our real lives and what is truly real. With all of the social media out there today this addresses how we let other people know about us and what we tell them about ourselves - true or otherwise. This is a fun book!

In comparison with the other novels I read during the month of July, this one did not stand out; not life-altering, but certainly an entertaining story with thought-provoking commentary on what we, as a society, have come to accept as "reality" via television programming, social media, etc., and what impact that must have on those whose lives are so carefully curated. I really liked the characters, Dave is always great at writing enjoyable characters, and it is a solid summer read.

6 Women’s Fiction Best Bets for July 2017
Scarlettleigh
One benefit of Summer was that each day we had more light to read by.”
—Jeanette Walls, The Glass Castle
With electricity we don’t really need to worry about light to read by—but don’t you find as the summer gets hotter and the humidity gets higher you’re staying indoors more? I know I am—which is perfectly fine. It gives me the perfect excuse to spend more time reading.
From beach read books to books that make you think about social mores or just how it feels to be different, there is the perfect book just for you in this month’s selection:
The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Elvira Carr believes in rules. She also strongly believes in crisp schedules, clear guidelines, and taking people at face value. Not that the twenty-seven-year-old sees many people. After several unfortunate incidents, her overbearing mother keeps her at home.

But when her mother has a stroke, Elvira is suddenly on her own. To help her navigate a world that is often puzzling, she draws up seven ironclad rules. Armed with these, a notebook full of questions, and guidance from a helpful neighbor, she takes charge of herself ? and realizes that something isn't quite right about the life she thought she knew.

She'll need all the courage, perseverance and curious charm she can muster to unravel the mystery of what happened to her family and to manager her own life, her way.
Strengths: Atypical heroine; Multi-faceted characters; Compelling storyline; Uplifting ending
Measure of Love: Dash
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: This book is definitely a favorite. I loved the characters, especially Elvira and her altruistic neighbor. And while the book thoroughly entertained it's a great societal reminder that we're all different.

Secret of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Kelly Murphy's life as a tulip farmer is pretty routine—up at dawn, off to work, lather, rinse, repeat. But everything changes one sun-washed summer with two dramatic homecomings: Griffith Burnett—Tulpen Crossing's prodigal son, who's set his sights on Kelly—and Olivia, her beautiful, wayward and, as far as Kelly is concerned, unwelcome sister. Tempted by Griffith, annoyed by Olivia, Kelly is overwhelmed by the secrets that were so easy to keep when she was alone.

But Olivia's return isn't as triumphant as she pretends. Her job has no future, and ever since her dad sent her away from the bad boy she loved, she has felt cut off from her past. She's determined to reclaim her man and her place in the family…whether her sister likes it or not. For ten years, she and Kelly have been strangers. Olivia will get by without her approval now.

While Kelly and Olivia butt heads, their secrets tumble out in a big hot mess, revealing some truths that will change everything they thought they knew. Can they forgive each other—and themselves—and redefine what it means to be sisters?

Told with Mallery's trademark heart and humor, the Tulip Sisters are in for the most colorful summer of their lives…
Strengths: Appealing characters; multi-romances; Complex relationship dilemmas; HEA
Measure of Love: Tablespoon
Mood: Poignant and lighthearted
Why You Should Read this: Perfect feel-good beach read. Another one of Mallery's page turners.

The Bookshop at Water’s End by Patti Callahan Henry
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Bonny Blankenship’s most treasured memories are of idyllic summers spent in Watersend, South Carolina, with her best friend, Lainey McKay. Amid the sand dunes and oak trees draped with Spanish moss, they swam and wished for happy-ever-afters, then escaped to the local bookshop to read and whisper in the glorious cool silence. Until the night that changed everything, the night that Lainey’s mother disappeared.
Now, in her early fifties, Bonny is desperate to clear her head after a tragic mistake threatens her career as an emergency room doctor, and her marriage crumbles around her. With her troubled teenage daughter, Piper, in tow, she goes back to the beloved river house, where she is soon joined by Lainey and her two young children. During lazy summer days and magical nights, they reunite with bookshop owner Mimi, who is tangled with the past and its mysteries. As the three women cling to a fragile peace, buried secrets and long ago loves return like the tide.

Strengths: Multi-generational characters; Atmospheric setting; Complex emotional issues; Uplifting ending
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: The problems that the characters face are not lighthearted –the disappearance of a mother, and the death of a patient— but Henry's lyrical writing pulls you into this rewarding story.

Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Sunshine Mackenzie is living the dream—she’s a culinary star with millions of fans, a line of #1 bestselling cookbooks, and a devoted husband happy to support her every endeavor.
And then she gets hacked.
When Sunshine’s secrets are revealed, her fall from grace is catastrophic. She loses the husband, her show, the fans, and her apartment. She’s forced to return to the childhood home—and the estranged sister—she’s tried hard to forget. But what Sunshine does amid the ashes of her own destruction may well save her life.
In a world where celebrity is a careful construct, Hello, Sunshine is a compelling, funny, and evocative novel about what it means to live an authentic life in an inauthentic age.
Strengths: Flawed heroine; Thought provoking scenarios; Real-life compromises; Uplifting ending
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read This: Fascinating look at the role social media now plays in our life. Sunshine is not always an easy character to like, so intent on getting back her successful life, but her journey is a compelling one.

Wives of War by Soraya M. Lane
(Amazon | B&N)
London, 1944. Two young nurses meet at a train station with a common purpose: to join the war effort. Scarlet longs for the chance to find her missing fiancé, Thomas, and to prove to her family—and to herself—that she’s stronger than everybody thinks. Nursing is in Ellie’s blood, but her humble background is vastly different from Scarlet’s privileged upbringing. Though Ellie puts on a brave face, she’s just as nervous as Scarlet about what awaits them in France.

In Normandy, the two friends soon encounter the seemingly unflappable Lucy. Scarlet and Ellie are in awe of her courage and competence, but the experienced nurse is well aware of the dangers of the job they’ve chosen—and even she is terrified they won’t make it home alive.
Pushed to their limits by the brutality of a world at war, Scarlet, Ellie and Lucy will need to rely on each other—and the power of their friendship—to survive.
Strengths: Strong female friendships; multi-romances; HEA
Measure of Love: Tablespoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: While this is an historical-light book the emotional poignancy definitely makes up for that.

The Perfect Recipe for Love and Friendship by Shirley Jump
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Bridget O'Bannon is ready for a do-over. After years of pretending she had a happy marriage and denying that she missed the friends and family she'd left behind, she's headed home to restart her life.

But working alongside her family every day at their bakery isn't as easy as whipping up her favorite chocolate peanut butter cake. Her mother won't give her a moment's peace, and her sister Abby is keeping secrets of her own. And there doesn't seem to be enough frosting in the world to smooth over the cracks forming between them.

Bridget can see the recipe for a happy life- including the possibility of a new romance- written out before her, but first she and her family will need to lay bare their secrets and rediscover the most elusive ingredients of all: forgiveness, laughter, and love.

Strengths: Authentic familial relationship issues; Appealing characters; Uplifting ending
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: Intriguing skeleton-in-the-cupboard plots—more than one secret! Delicious description of food and examination of the bonds of sisterhood.

https://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/blogs/2017/07/best-july-womens-fiction

This will go live on my blog on Sunday. Kellyvision.wordpress.com

Sunshine is a Youtube sensation and is about to get her own cooking show...and then she's hacked. The hacker reveals she's a fraud. Her carefully curated backstory is a complete lie; she can't cook at all. Not surprisingly, her life implodes.

The majority of the story is how she puts it back together--the life she chooses to create.

I love Laura Dave and this book is why. I love Sunshine. She's not a great person but she tries to be (sometimes). And she's selfish but not malicious. She wants things her way but she won't run roughshod over people for it.

And best of all, basically everything here is unexpected. There's redemption but nothing else goes the way the reader would expect. This is a sweet surprise of a novel.

Highly recommended.

Easily Lives Up to Pre-Pub Hype as a Top Summer Beach Read!
I chose "Hello Sunshine" because it made so many "best of summer" pre-pub lists, and I was not disappointed. (As a librarian, I receive digital galleys from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.) Laura Dave's book did not disappoint, and I breezed through it in 2-3 days of summer vacation. The main plot of betrayed celeb chef who is herself a sham was intriguing enough to keep me turning the pages; less captivating were the minor subplots and characters (hence, the 4 stars instead of 5). I have been pleasantly surprised to find that the premise of the novel and its insights have stuck with me in the week since I finished the book. I gained an understanding of what might go on behind the scenes of my favorite cooking shows--especially the idea that those chefs might just be on TV because they are personalities first and chefs first (or second, or third). As a librarian to teens and faculty members, I know I could recommend this book to anyone looking for a no-fail beach read!

This was the perfect fun, quick read that you'll want to finish in one or two sittings. Sunshine is an internet famous chef in NYC-- until she loses her job, house, and husband because she lied about basically everything. I didn't expect her downfall to happen so early in the book, but I ended up really enjoying the pacing and how the book progressed. While the ending wasn't the one I was rooting for, I appreciated that it was a more realistic option considering everything going on in Sunshine's life.

Hello, Sunshine is the latest release by author Laura Dave. This is an author that I haven't read before, and I must admit that this book took me completely by surprise.

Culinary star Sunshine Mackenzie has it all...a great husband (Danny), millions of fans that follow her You Tube cooking show, multiple cookbooks that have reached #1 on the best sellers list, and she's slated to be the co-host of a new show on The Food Network. Life is good...or so she thought! She wakes up on the morning of her thirty-fifth birthday and receives an email that simply says "Hello Sunshine" in the subject line. Initially, she dismisses it as junk mail...especially since she doesn't recognize the sender. Going against her initial reaction, she opens the email only to find out all of her accounts have been hacked and her perfectly crafted life is about to be ruined!

The book had my complete attention right from the start...and held it throughout. The storyline is intriguing, to say the least. Social media plays such an important role in our lives, and often the person we see on these platforms is not even close to who that person truly is. It's all about perception, and how that person wants to be seen...and this is especially true with Sunshine. Her entire career is built on lies, and when the hacker reveals this, Sunshine's life quickly and completely falls apart. Her fall from grace leaves her alone and flat broke, forcing her to return to her childhood home and the sister she has long forgotten about.

I will end it here...as I would hate to reveal too much and risk spoiling the book. The hacker is not revealed until the end of the book,and it will definitely keep you guessing. The characters are ones that you will either love or hate, but all are well written and well developed. Sunshine is a strong character, despite her flaws, and I loved following her transformation as the story unfolds. Sometimes a person has to hit rock bottom before they realize what is truly important in life.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. My views are my own and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

I have obviously been super lucky with my summer reads from Netgalley because I have another good one for you today called Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave. I definitely picked this book for it's cover...and was so happy that it didn't turn out to be a dud!!

Sunshine Mackenzie had it all. A wonderful husband, a great apartment, a cooking show that was about to jump from YouTube to The Food Network, best-selling cookbooks and legions of adoring fans. But when a hacker reveals that it's all a sham, Sunshine loses everything and is forced to return back home to the only family she has left...a sister who wants nothing to do with her, and a niece who only knows her from the checks she sends on her birthday. Can she come to terms with the fraud she's become?? And what does she want for the future??

I loved this book. I think it's a great summer or vacation read...not too deep, addictively paced and full of a lot of nonsense that is so far removed from my life that just reading it felt like a vacation!

The idea that someone could basically curate a personality for a food show, coming up with a person's backstory and everything...and put someone in front of a camera just feeding bullshit to viewers (she can barely cook)...makes me think a little more about the people on YouTube and Food Network! And I say that as someone who has spent way more time than I'd care to admit watching Beauty Guru's vlog and Food chicks make dishes on YouTube. And the lying!! This book really is another light-hearted read that masks some serious social commentary (just like Fitness Junkie!!).

Sunshine tells you from the beginning that she's not a nice person and has done some horrible things...and she's right. Yet, I liked her character in a way. And the budding relationship with her clearly gifted six-year old niece was really great. I was a bit shocked by a revelation towards the end of the book, and wanted everyone to be more angry than they were...but it didn't take anything away from my enjoyment.

And I really loved Laura Dave's writing style. I'm going to have to take a look at what other books she's written because I knew within the first few paragraphs that this book was going to be a hit for me...and that is pure writing finesse. Something about her style just clicked with me. It was smart and sassy but didn't go too far into the cleverness. Occasionally it feels like writers are trying too hard to show you how clever they are, and their sarcasm comes off as too biting. This book didn't go there...for me it was just right. (If I felt better I would throw in a Goldilocks analogy in here, but I don't have the energy!)

So, if you're looking for another good contemporary clever beach read, that's just the right amount of chick-lit...pick this one up. Just looking at the cover will automatically make your day brighter!!

Honestly, I'm not sure where I want to rate it. I chose 3 stars because it's neutral and right in the middle, which describes exactly where I am with Hello, Sunshine.

Unfortunately, I have not read Laura Dean's other books, so I do not have anything else to compare it too. I went into this book as the discovery of a new author whom I wanted to give a try. Plus the cover art is pretty delicious.

Hello, Sunshine is about modern age social media fame. The new rich and famous - I mean, what's there not to like. This was enough (along with the cover) to interest me right from the start. Then the true meaning came out. The lies and deceit. It goes to prove you really can't believe anything you see and hear. Everyone on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc is just posting what they want you to see and believe. If that wasn't the case, then why were filters even invented.

I'm not trying to lead you to believe that wholesome is what I believe in. But the amount of betrayal that started off this book kind of turned me off for the coming of age that was attempted eventually. As for a summer read though, this totally fits the bill!

I just can't even with this book. I mean, without spoilers there's not much more I can say. It's a fun read until it isn't.

I've enjoyed everything I've read by Laura Dave, and this book was no exception. While Sunshine was not an easy person for me to relate to, I enjoyed living in her world for a little while. The story was entertaining and kept my interest throughout.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Sunshine Mackenzie (Stevens), a celebrity chef whose career is almost 10 years in the making. On the cusp of the greatest developments in her career, including a Food Network show and a book series, someone has apparently become determined to take her down. Within one day she loses everything: her career, her home, and her husband. Forced down about a million pegs and with no on else to turn to, Sunshine is forced to crawl home with her tail between her legs. And to her actual home in the Hamptons and not the Texas small town that everyone believed she was from. There she confronts a sister she hasn’t spoken to in years and a niece she doesn’t know at all. Sunshine comes up with a plan to put her life back to the way it was, but the enforcement of said plan becomes questionable after she begins reconnecting to her roots. And in the end Sunshine has to decide if her old life is something that she really wants back.
Overall this book was just ok for me. I didn’t love it but I didn’t dislike it either. It was interesting for the most part but there were also a lot of pieces that either didn’t make sense to me or just kind of annoyed me. Sunshine was an extremely hard character to care for, she is flawed and and selfish and just kind of an awful person at the beginning of the story, Her character evolves and really does draw the reader in but at the same time I never found myself wanting her to win. Still when you find out who it was that actually betrayed her, I felt so much pity for her. Her life is just so completely screwed up, its so depressing. I thought that the author’s commentary on technology through the book and the effect its had on the general population was interesting and completely true. Sunshine’s niece Sammy was amazingly cute and probably my favorite part of the whole book. And while I ended up liking the book more than I expected to, I still didn’t love it. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend or not recommend, but the book was ok.