What an enjoyable and heartwarming story.. This novel had all of the elements that I love in modern fiction -- a gripping setup that goes deeper than the first few chapters of "grab me" plot, elegant writing, memorable characters and setting, and turns in the story that kept me guessing and turning pages way after my bedtime.

The title is sunshiney but this book is deeper and at turns, quite heartwrenching. Ultimately it is brimming over with joy and the healing that only comes from forgiveness and chances taken. A great pick for a book club or vacation read if you want to spend a little time thinking about the characters after you're done. It had me longing to slip back in time to the seventies and wishing these were real people.

Highly recommended 2021 title, summer.

I was so excited for this - I thought it would be the whimsical, summery book of my dreams, but I just could not connect to it at all. The story is told in dual timeline, which usually works great, because even if one time isn't holding my attention, the other can carry s bit of the story weight for me to enjoy it - but nothing was working for me here. I'm over halfway through the book and I still feel like I don't know Jackie, Willa, Graham, or anyone else from the 1970s timeline, that so clearly is supposed to influence who Jackie is in the 1990s timeline. I can't connect to these characters or their story, so I can't bring myself to care finishing it. I kept waiting for the spark to hit me, when I couldn't put the book down, but while I do think the idea of the story is great, it's not actually working for me.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

It's the summer of 1979 and everything that Jackie Pierce knows is about to change. After her father remarries, Jackie is sent to stay with her musician uncle and family at his huge estate on the Californian coast called The Sandcastle. The first few days Jackie mostly keeps to herself, despite being surrounded by musicians, artists, and other free spirits who call the compound home, until she and her cousin Willa strike up a fast friendship. The pair are quickly attached at the hip and spend all their moments at the beach or getting lost in the woods surrounding the house. Until one night, tragedy strikes and Willa disappears without a trace.

Twenty years have passed, and Jackie finds herself once again back at The Sandcastle but this time now as its owner. Jackie has no desire to keep the estate and intends to clean it up to sell it, but her plans are put on hold when she finds out her estranged aunt had agreed to let a group of musicians record an anniversary tribute album to her late uncle. With the estate once again full of music and people, Jackie can't help but be transported back to that fateful summer and all the memories that come with it. When Jackie stumbles upon clues that prove there's more to Willa's disappearance, she must face dark secrets she's spent years burying if she hopes to uncover what truly happened.

This had a lot going for it. Stunning cover? Check. Beachy, 1970's setting? Check. Family mystery to unravel? Check. Yet I still found this lacking a bit. I think Doan's writing was atmospheric and easy to fall into (I read the entire thing in almost one sitting) and did a nice job transporting you to both periods. This is told in two different timelines, and while that can get a little jumbled if not done well, that wasn't the case here. Everything flowed well and I liked following Jackie both as a teen in the '79 and an adult in '99. I was very into discovering what happened to her cousin Willa, but I will say it was easy to figure out and I knew where the plot was going halfway through. Because I knew how the mystery was going to play out, the ending didn't have as much of an impact on me, but I still enjoyed how Doan wrapped it up. This isn't one where I felt any strong connection to the characters or storyline, but it's still entertaining enough and would be a good beach read.

Amy Mason Doan's new novel, Lady Sunshine transports the reader to the California coast of 1979. It is here that Jackie goes to spend three months on her uncles sprawling communal estate where artists and musicians have have converged for the ultimate California free spirited hippie experience. She soon forges a close friendship with her cousin Willa as they bond and explore the coast and woodlands surrounding the estate. Eventually there is a tragedy and everything is torn apart and Willa disappears.

Twenty years later and Jackie inherits the estate upon her uncle's death and when she arrives she finds that a tribute album is being recorded at the estate's studio. Soon, Jackie begins to see things that are making her rethink the night that Willa disappeared and what the truth might really be.

I adored this book for so many reasons. Doan captures that golden free spirit vibe that can only be found in 1970's California. You can almost smell the ocean air and feel the sun on your face. The novel is filled with memorable characters whose actions and motivations ring true. If you like a good dose of nostalgia and a mystery filled with dark family secrets, I highly recommend you pick this one up. A perfectly nuanced, atmospheric and multilayered novel that will make you want to head to the coast of California immediately. The PERFECT summer read!

Title: Lady Sunshine
Author: Amy Mason Doan
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

ONE ICONIC FAMILY. ONE SUMMER OF SECRETS. THE DAZZLING SPIRIT OF 1970S CALIFORNIA.

For Jackie Pierce, everything changed the summer of 1979, when she spent three months of infinite freedom at her bohemian uncle’s sprawling estate on the California coast. As musicians, artists, and free spirits gathered at The Sandcastle for the season in pursuit of inspiration and communal living, Jackie and her cousin Willa fell into a fast friendship, testing their limits along the rocky beach and in the wild woods... until the summer abruptly ended in tragedy, and Willa silently slipped away into the night.

Twenty years later, Jackie unexpectedly inherits The Sandcastle and returns to the iconic estate for a short visit to ready it for sale. But she reluctantly extends her stay when she learns that, before her death, her estranged aunt had promised an up-and-coming producer he could record a tribute album to her late uncle at the property’s studio. As her musical guests bring the place to life again with their sun-drenched beach days and late-night bonfires, Jackie begins to notice startling parallels to that summer long ago. And when a piece of the past resurfaces and sparks new questions about Willa’s disappearance, Jackie must discover if the dark secret she’s kept ever since is even the truth at all.

This book was unexpected. That’s the only adjective I can think of to describe it. Parts of it are lyrical, parts are sad, parts are just plain magical. Excellent, vibrant writing—I can practically watch events unfolding in my imagination as the narrative switches between present-day events and those of the past. I highly recommend this!

Amy Mason Doan grew up in California. Lady Sunshine is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Graydon House in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 6/5.)

Thank you to the author and publisher and Netgalley! Beautiful story by Amy Mason Doan. I'll update with a more thorough review closer to publication.

This book was like stepping back into time. I felt like I was in the 70’s and a summer of love. This is told in dual times lines, one with a bit of mystery to it.
Jackie has returned to the place she spent one summer. Willa is the cousin she had never met til that summer. The story was good and certainly kept my attention to the very end. I was kinda surprised by the ending.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This is a special and memorable book that took me by surprise. Jackie's journey from rebellious, promiscuous 17 year old in 1979 to guarded 37 year old in 1999 is a compelling one.

I was very moved by her journey to find out what happened way-back-when, and enjoyed the descriptive writing about "The Sandcastle" and the musical, gentle souls who drifted in and out. Extra half star for an ADULT romantic connection with Shane that builds in a realistic way.

Recommended very highly for an escapist but memorable summer beach book.

Amy Mason Doan's Lady Sunshine was actually a ray of sunshine in my reading log. Jackie and Shanes' adventures back from the seventies and of present keep the book moving quite mysteriously. It encourages the development of friendships and goals in life that benefit many. The book is memorable.

A beautiful story! Very atmospheric. It transports you to a beautiful retreat during a carefree 70s summer..

This is one of my favorites reads so far this year! I loved the unusual beachy setting and tore through the story very quickly to find out what happened in 1979 to send main character Jackie away from "The Sandcastle."

Along the way, we meet interesting characters who are well detailed and have plenty of depth. Just enough twists and turns to surprise you without feeling forced.

A page-turning and and beautiful read, will be sure to recommend to book clubs this summer.

“Lady Sunshine” is a total page turner--I was immediately pulled into the story of Jackie, Willa, and the Kingstons. The story moves along at just the right pace, and watching Jackie try to cope with what happened to her in the summer of ‘79 is absolutely fascinating. I’d definitely recommend “Lady Sunshine” to anyone who likes a good mystery story.

This book took over my life for three days. I enjoyed it so much I neglected just about everything else, which is how it goes with me if I click with a novel. My recent reds have been pretty hit or miss these days, but this one yanked me in and I didn't resist.

Jackie's plight is a compelling one -- does she keep the past in the past, or enter it again as a grown woman and try to right a grave wrong committed long ago? Play it safe or open her heart to healing, and possibly her true love? I was rooting for her nearly immediately. Also, the ending to this book is SO PERFECT I wish I could read it for the first time again. It's that good.

Jackie and Willa's friendship, the 70s period details, the unusual setting, and the layers of secrets made for a very special read I won't forget for a long time.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the early review copy.
Online review to come in July.

I struggled with this story. I liked the time line between 1979 and 1999. I finished it, bit some chapters were difficult to get through. None of the characters resonated with me and the story dragged in places. It wasn't unitl the end that the story picked up and my interest was reignited. It was a decent read but not one of my favorites by Doan.

If you're anything like me, you are feeling kind of nostalgic these days what with the world sucking so hard, and you have a hankering to go back in time - but not that far! You may even want to go back to TWO times, like two of the greatest times in history - the 70s and the 90s! Yeah!

So if you're like me, you will pick up Lady Sunshine with no further ado! Oh, and did I mention this has enough history for historical fiction buffs, enough music for music buffs, enough gorgeous sentences for literary buffs, and enough mystery for thriller buffs? Did I?

Jackie comes back to her uncle and aunt's massive 400-acre compound on the bluffs of San Francisco after she unexpectedly inherits it. But it's a bit odd as she only spent one summer there before her uncle, a famous folk-rock musician named Graham (I personally pictured David Crosby), slipped off those stunning bluffs to his death. There, Jackie unearths music (back when it mattered), love, closure, forgiveness, and understanding.

Doan is an expert at teasing out those tiny but visceral moments that grab you and yank you back to another time and place. Every detail is spot on. You will smell the patchouli oil and weed, you will hear Blondie and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, you will have flashes of Woodstock. You will hear the waves crashing against the shore, and feel the exhilaration of teen golden years.

Go get this book! NOW!!

This is one of the best books I've read this year. The author presents us with a story that tips gracefully between "now" (1999) and "then" (1979) in the life of main character Jacqueline (Jackie) Pierce.

Nothing was as it seemed in this novel and twice it made me gasp aloud. Anyone looking for a riveting story of friendship, sex, secrets, and music, with a heavy dose of California coast scenery and seventies nostalgia a la Daisy Jones & the Six, should connect with this one. 4.5 stars rounded up!

This is a beautiful book, peopled with characters who hum with life and will stick with you long after you've finished it.

As the book opens, we meet Jackie, a thirtysomething music teacher who has just inherited a most unusual piece of land by the ocean in California. With each scene, Mason-Doan ratchets up the tension as Jackie reveals herself to us in flashbacks from 1979, when she was a troubled teen sent to live at the house with musical relatives she barely knew. The book reminded me of past summers, and their bright friendships and romance that shine with an intensity it can be hard to recapture later in life.

I dove into this one completely and shed a happy tear at the end. It's wonderfully done.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Lady Sunshine is the nickname given to our protagonist, Jackie Pierce, by her musician Uncle Graham in 1979. The book flits between 1999, when Jackie is given the task of dealing with her late Uncle's estate, and 1979 - the Summer that changed everything.

The sprawling estate in California was home to Graham, his wife Angela, and their daughter Willa. Jackie is sent there for the Summer when she's seventeen, and after a shaky start, her and Willa forge an incredibly close bond. In the present, Willa doesn't seem to be in the picture at all, so what happened? Jackie is busy packing up the estate for sale, but a promise was made to a group of musicians to allow them record there. The music brings back a lot of memories for Jackie, could this finally give her some closure and help her move on from the events of that Summer?

This has (and will be) compared to Daisy Jones and the Six and I don't entirely disagree - it has that same lazy, hazy seventies vibe and the musical element does play a part - but that's where the similarities end. This book is a look at friendships, families, and forgiveness. I really loved this one, I think it's definitely one of my favourites this year and I would highly recommend it as a good Summer novel. It's lovely.

Wowza! This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I was pulled in from the first scene, when our girl Jackie arrives at the locked gates of "The Sandcastle," her surprise inheritance. I can honestly say this book kept me reading late into the night as I tried to figure out what would happen with Jackie and Willa.

This is a very beautiful book with a heartwarming message about holding onto what is important in life. There are some twists that I did not see coming, especially in the last one-third.

5

I really enjoyed this book! The writer did a terrific job of keeping the story moving while spacing out just enough intriguing details on what happened to Willa and Jackie during their "perfect" summer in California to keep me hooked.

The writing is fluid and descriptive and the characters were very unique. The novel did not go in the direction I expected either in the 1979 setting or the 1999 one. Multiple times, I thought I had the plot figured out but was happily surprised to be wrong. I especially liked how sensible Jackie gets to re-live her wildest teenage dreams and romances in middle age with Shane.

I think this would make a great summer read for those into a little more depth and a memorable story. It is a change of pace from the cute "vacation" novels I have read recently.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.