Kristan Higgins has become my favorite author of family fiction. She can focus on the tension of family relationships, without too much drama and dysfunction. It was nice revisiting with the Smith family again. Quite a few storylines are going on simultaneously, but I didn't feel the Ellie and Joy storyline helped move the plot forward and I was tempted to skip it. Kristan Higgins is always a must-read for me and I can't wait for the next one. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in advance!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it 1000% lived up to my own hype.

I don’t think there’s a single thing I’d change about this book. I loved that this took the fake dating trope and twisted it. I also loved how much of Lark’s past with Justin was included, and to see her grow as a person since then. She was such a likable MC, and I admired her loyalty and commitment to both her job and her loved ones. Though Lark’s POV is the main one throughout the book, I also liked the story we got with the other two plots, and think they all meshed well together. There’s a ton of fun banter between all of the characters that had me laughing out loud, as well as more tender moments that made me tear up. This book felt so well-rounded with all the different emotions it brings up, all while taking place in a beautiful setting.

I think it’s important to note this book has a lot of the same characters from A Little Ray of Sunshine and makes references to it. Personally I think you should read the other one too to get the full effect, but this can definitely be read as a stand-alone!

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins is a wonderful, emotional, and captivating story that is an emotional and healing journey for Lark Smith as she gains strength and insight into overcoming the heartache life dealt her and the choices she originally made for her career path; finding a new future to embrace. In typical Higgins style this story will make you laugh out loud, tug at your heart, and find tears running down your face.

As much as I enjoyed this story, I struggled with the inclusion and background about Joy, Lark’s landlady as well as the struggles Lark’s mother, Elle, was dealing with, regarding her husband. I was unable to figure out what each added to the story; not that they took anything away. Overall I enjoyed the story, the shenanigans, the tears, the secondary characters, especially the hospital staff, and the families; both the Smiths and the Santorinis.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, provided by the publisher.
#NetGalley #Berkley

Dr. Larkby (Lark) Smith is an oncology resident who gets kicked out of her program and punted into the ER for being too emotional, including shedding copious tears with and for her patients. Lark went to medical school with the intent of curing cancer because of what happened to a loved one. The man she grew up with who became her fiancé did not end up being her husband which has put Lark in an emotional holding pattern for seven years. Adding to Lark’s latest trauma, her beloved parents whose marriage seemed to be perfect turns out to be not such a trouble-free zone. One of the most respected and yet feared surgeons in her hospital, Dr. Lorenzo Santini, offers Lark a chance at getting back to her preferred program if she will be his fake wedding date.

While Dr. Santini has no personality, warmth, or compassion for anyone other than his very elderly grandmother, his family is quite the opposite. Lark not only comes to love them instantly as she is that type of gal, but something about Lorenzo’s brother, Dante, calls to Lark in a compelling way. Her mother, Ellie, abruptly moves in with Lark’s landlady’s where she rents a cottage. The fairy tale marriage of her parents has hit a major snag from which it may not recover. Lark’s love life is told in the past and present to explain how she got to where she is now.

Lark’s older sister, Harlow, was the focus of the previous book so readers will already know the Smiths and some of their backstory as well as other family members. As with previous of the author’s stories, there are several POV’s including the three main ones of Lark, Ellie, and Joy, the landlady. Ms. Higgins seems to delight in and has a proclivity for gruesome, in-depth medical descriptions of illnesses with their attendant grim details and outcome especially since in this book, Lark is a physician. Fans of Ms. Higgins should be prepared to weep along with Lark at an often heartbreaking and at the very least, heart rending story of love, loss, and the possibilities of eventual renewal.

Prepare to embark on an emotional roller coaster with Kristan Higgins's Look on the Bright Side. This book had me laughing, crying, and loving, a testament to its ability to deeply engage and captivate. The characters and the unique blend of a tragic love story and a traditional fake dating rom-com create a narrative that is both complex and emotionally rich, leaving a lasting impression that I won't soon forget.

When the meanest doctor in the hospital asks Lark to be his fake girlfriend for family events (including a wedding) over the summer), Lark couldn't imagine anything worse.  But with the promise of introductions she needed to secure an oncology position, she didn't feel she could say no. This begins the romcom story thread in a tale encompassing four different story threads and three different amazing women.  Needless to say, it's complex and multi-faceted, and I loved all of it!

Usually, this is the portion of the review where I tell you about my favorite aspects, but in Look on the Bright Side, all aspects are my favorite. It takes on so much and delivers even more. I couldn't tear myself away from the book and never once wanted to. The characters are fascinating, even the mean doctor nicknamed Dr. Satan. They are all complex and well-developed, with intricate layers that make them as real as someone I can reach out and touch.

Look on the Bright Side is perfection—a story that will evoke all of your emotions and leave you satisfied.

Predictably, Kristan Higgins wrote a book that I had trouble putting down. Her characters are always perfectly flawed but so darn likeable! Lark is such a great character - a doctor specializing in oncology who can't restrain herself from openly sobbing along with her patients and their families. This was a very fun twist on the fake dating trope with a hot fireman and grumpy doctor brother duo. Told in three POVs, Lark's mother Ellie and landlord Joy also get their own stories and although Lark's was my favorite, the others held my rapt attention as well. It was so fun to revisit the characters from A Little Ray of Sunshine! It is worth nothing that the book deals with Leukemia in excruciating detail. If you have a relationship with blood cancer (or any cancer), please take care of yourself while reading. I lost my best friend to this disease and those parts were triggering for me having not seen it coming. I still LOVED the book, but I wanted to put out the warning.

One thing about Kristan Higgins is that she is going to eviscerate me. Ever since this lady has moved from straight up romance to women's fiction, I simply do not stand a chance. Higgins handles the tough stuff with great care but the topics in Look on the Bright Side are tough. If you want a read that will cause slow tears, please grab this one. Just be prepared to take to your bed afterwards.

Three women. All at different stages in their lives, but all at the same point of finding themselves again.

Lark lost the love of her life at a young age. Ever since, she's dedicated her time, whether consciously or not, to honoring his memory. When her plans don't come to fruition and she's forced to pivot, she begins to find the possibility of something new exciting. And when a colleague asks Lark to pose as his girlfriend for an upcoming family wedding, Lark begins to think maybe it's time to start living her life again.

Joy has recently lost her brother. With years of struggling with her looks and worth, he was the only family she would claim. He was her best friend. Without him she's lost.

Ellie has seemingly lived the most perfect life with the perfect family, but a terrible secret threatens everyone and everything she's put her faith in over the years and makes her reassess her future.

I was a little surprised that Kristan Higgins was revisiting the Smith family after A Little Ray of Sunshine. I shouldn't have been since there are enough siblings to go around, but I certainly wasn't expecting it. Suffice it to say, it was a nice surprise to begin reading Look on the Bright Side when the realization hit that we were going to get Lark's story this time.

Lest you fear, Lark is the main focus of the book which I rather liked because, looking back, I felt like she was the most on-the-periphery Smith sibling. Seeing her front and center was a good change.

With that being said, however, I don't know that I felt like Joy and Ellie's sections were as fleshed out as Lark's. I think their journeys are completely valid and worthwhile, but I don't think they got the full attention they too deserved.

Regardless, I did really enjoy this read. I think what I liked the most is that the story took a few unexpected turns which kept me very engaged. There were moments where I thought I could guess where Kristan Higgins was headed, but then she would change things around and we would head in a different direction. I appreciated this more than I think I can articulate. It felt a lot like subverting the regular tropes we're all on the lookout for in our romances and utilizing them for a more contemporary story over romance.

For me, it wasn't readily apparent how much Lark had closed herself off until she begins "dating" Dr. Lorenzo Santini because she's sparring with him right out of the gate. I like the contrast between Lark and Lorenzo. For all that he was a very difficult person to deal with. He ended up bringing out this side of her that she hadn't maybe ever shown anyone or at least not for a long time. But also on the reverse of that you can see that he is lonely and he doesn't seem like a terrible person. He cares. He wants to do a good job. Yes, he's arrogant and he likes to flaunt his arrogancy and his achievements but he's not a bad person. As with many Kristan Higgins books, we get further context in the form of flashback chapters. It's there that we see everything Lark has been through and how she's built her life up to this point. I don't want to say too much because I really like the turn things take, but I appreciated that even though Lark has been grieving she still hasn't lost her spark.

And let me say, it would have been very easy for that spark to go out completely. This book, more than any others of Kristan Higgins' recent ones I'd say, was very heavy and heartbreaking. I was brought to tears a few times. It makes the idea of looking on the bright side more poignant I think. You can still grieve and wish things had turned out differently, but you can also keep moving forward.

Overall, like all of Kristan Higgins books, it was a very heartening read. One that I connected with emotionally and I appreciated the care she showed her characters. I hope there's room for another book in the Smith family as I'd be very interested in the other siblings getting their own stories told.

I usually love Kristan Higgins books. I was so disappointed that I just could not get into this one. Lark was not relatable for me. I did not like that in the first chapter they were criticizing her for showing her emotions. Dr. Santini was a very stiff character that never wiggled his way into my heart - his family was nice.

I know this may seem irrelevant, but the cover of this book is very misleading. It looks like a light beach read, but it is so much more than that. The different perspectives in the story helped it move along, but I couldn't always see the connection between the characters.

I think I am in the minority with my opinion on this book. I will definitely read another Kristan Higgins. I have enjoyed some of her other books more than this one.

Lark had the perfect life lined up, until everything came crashing down. Now she has been moved off oncology to the er because she couldn’t keep her emotions in check when she lost a patient. When Dr. Satan as they call him, offers her a recommendation back to oncology if she pretends to be his girlfriend for his sisters wedding summer, she gives in. His grandmother is on hospice and just wants to see him in a relationship. This fake relationship ends up being a big harder than she assumed though.

First things first, and more importantly…have tissues! Seriously, this book will bring out the tears! Like...all the tears! I just love Kristan Higgins books and this one was no different! I adored the characters and Lark’s family was just beyond fabulous. To be honest, Lorenzo’s family was pretty great too…minus him and Noni. This is not your typical rom com, and I loved that about it! I flew through this one, I just could not stop reading!

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins is a sweet family oriented standalone novel. The story revolves around three women POV’s, but Lark Smith (our heroine) takes the lead; with Ellie, her mother and Joy, a wealthy friend sharing some of the stories. We meet Lark, who is a doctor resident in Oncology, but since she gets too emotional with her patients, she is sent to work in ER (emergency room). Lark is very intelligent, and her coworkers in the emergency room, respect her knowledge, and she builds a friendship with them; even though she wants to return to oncology. To her surprise, Dr. Santini (who is known as Dr. Satan), offers her a deal, paying her money, to help Lark attend his families upcoming events, including his sister’s wedding; as she would be his fake girlfriend. He also promises her that he can get her contacts to return to oncology when it’s over.

Dr. Satan (Lorenzo) has a terrible reputation at the hospital, as he is rude, obnoxious, arrogant, with no one liking him. Lark is strong and always answers back at Lorenzo’s nasty comments. But when she meets his family, and is shocked how likeable they all are; in a short time. she fits in with them, having a great relationship with them all (except Lorenzo). Lark quickly finds herself being attracted to Dante, Lorenzo’s younger brother, who is sweet and caring. Can she continue to keep her fake dating secret?

The other two storylines revolve around Ellie and Joy. Ellie, discovers her husband might be cheating on her, and decides to move out and ends up staying with Joy, as Lark is also staying at Joy’s huge house, by the beach. Ellie and Joy develop a wonderful friendship, with each helping each other. Ellie has to deal with her husband and learn more about what she thought was betrayal. Flamboyant Joy, became wealthy due to ex-husbands, is also obsessed with plastic surgery over the years, making herself look pretty. She is thrilled to have both Ellie and Lark staying at her place, especially since she was lonely after her brother’s death. Joy will find herself a wonderful job at a memory care place livening up the patients, and is thrilled to throw parties for both Ellie/Lark’s family and the Santini family. The three women have a wonderful summer together in helping each of them discover what is next.

There are emotional flashbacks with Lark and her deceased love from years before. She loved Justin since they were 13 years old, and when he had leukemia, she was also there for him, and in time he was able to recover. Years later, when they were planning their wedding, the leukemia returned, but again he was able to recover; with something else effecting his body, and he died. Lark has never gotten over Justin’ death, and when a memory flashes, she discovers that Dante was the fireman who helped her get to the hospital, to see Justin before he died. The back story revolving around Justin and Lark was very sad and emotional.

What follows is a heartwarming story of love, friendship, sadness, tragedy and life changing issues. Lark was an amazing and passionate heroine, whom I loved throughout the story. I was happy that she would find love in the sweet epilogue. Look on the Bright Side was a fantastic story, that was emotional, captivating, trauma, and romantic. Look on the Bright Side was so very well written by Kristan Higgins. You need to be reading this book.

Lark Smith is a medical resident who has wanted to be an oncologist for many years, but cannot stop crying with all of her patients and family. She is moved to the ER medical residency program and it’s only the start of changes to come in her future. She is approached by a world, renowned surgeon, named Lorenzo with a nickname, Dr. Satan. What could possibly go wrong for things fake dating right? Especially when most of his family really lovers her already. Her fake dating will lead to love but not in the same way as most other love stories. I really enjoyed this book, I couldn’t wait to see how it ended .

Look on the Bright Side

Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kristin Higgins brings us along side a family who might look just like yours and mine. Siblings that bicker and fight, parents that struggle in their marriage, and a close-to-home trauma that weaves its way through the everyday.
Following a couple POVs, I found the story to be interesting, but not enticing. Liking some storylines, but not others, it was hard to see why where the story was leading us. With an overarching morale of keeping the bright side of life close to the heart, the story fell a little flat on appealing to a deeper meaning.
I enjoyed this read, but it didn’t hit the mark for me.

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins is a delightful novel that seamlessly blends humor, romance, and heartfelt emotion. This story beautifully illustrates the joys that can arise from life's unexpected twists and turns. With tear-jerking moments filled with happiness and hope, Higgins skillfully crafts strong female characters that readers will find themselves cheering for.

This is one story that definitely will pull on your heartstrings. You could be laughing and smiling on one page and tears rolling on the next page.

This book has a few triggers in it especially surrounding the death of a loved one and chronic illness. But it’s also filled with love and life. It’s a story of family and permitting yourself to open your heart.

Higgins writes the most amazing stories that are impossible to put down. She has this beautiful way of telling a story that envelopes you. This new release is one of those stories.

Just a warning, don’t read the story without a box of tissues. There are many sad parts, but it’s balanced beautifully with funny, snarky comments that make you smile. Strong family ties and bravery are a focus too.

Look on the Bright Side tells a story of romance like none other with amazing characters who leave a memorable impression on you.

Funny and crushingly sad, this is a beautiful story of love and learning to live again.

I love how when you read Kristan Higgins books it's like going back to a favorite vacation spot. Her latest book features a different member of a familiar family,
Lark, an oncology resident has just been transferred to another department because she is too emotional. An agreement to be the fake girlfriend of a well-connected and respected doctor gives Lark a chance to return to her beloved oncology department, or so she thinks. Meanwhile she has made a deal with the devil as he is a very unpleasant person.
I thought this might turn out to be an enemies to lovers story but it is not. It's a welcome and enjoyable surprise.

As a longtime reader and fan of Higgins, the latest title definitely was in her style and tone. Funny and heartwarming, some action, and character-driven. However, having read the previous Smith-sibling stories I felt like I was just reading regurgitated and relentless Lark and Justin sad tale. I would've preferred more of the couple before the brief HEA. The ER and "Lark in action" portions were the best parts. Accurate portrayal of FFs and probably not just due to McIrish ... :-) This reader has known a FF ..or two... (biblically).

Kristan Higgins has given us relatable characters, family dynamics, and lessons in love.

The novel follows three women: Lark, Ellie, and Joy, as they struggle with love, loss, and family relationships.

The Doctor Satan storyline was delicious and funny, and others tugged at this reader’s heartstrings. Highly recommended. #LookontheBrightSide #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthorSeries

I think the author seems to be always marketed or assumed to be a romance book but the thing is, her novels aren't really that. They're typically deep dives into emotions and packed with triggers that both help a reader be seen and can give the depth that others want. In this new one, the cover is quite deceiving as the reader is expecting a "light" book but with the voices of 3 women (Lark, Ellie and Joy), it is anything but.

Lark is still hurting from the loss of her fiancé. She's still very close to her 'in-laws' but can't really picture ever getting over the lost of her childhood sweetheart. So when a curmogedy Doctor at the hospital where she works asks her to pretend she's his gf for his grandmother's dying wish, she figures why not. She can do it because she definitely wouldn't fall for this grumpy, standoffish man. But what happens when she falls for his family instead?! including his gorgeous firefighter brother?

Lark's mother Ellie has what she imagines is a storybook love story. Not without ups and downs but with a love that is still there after decades of marriage. Until she finds out that her husband has been keeping a secret from her.

And Joy, the neighbourhood eccentric with a heart of gold and Lark's landlady. Poor Joy, she never felt any self worth (thank you parent's) and is struggling to get through the grief of her brother's death.

The book is about friendship and a crossroads of life. The romance is there but it's more of a subplot. The 3 storylines connect but don't, if that makes any sense...and is really just about them finding a way through "loss". I enjoyed this one, it was a tad slow for me to get into. But I like the grittiness of family drama. I admit I thought the author was leading us somewhere to an ending with my hopes but it went another way, and it eventually made sense.

if you're new to the author, check out "Pack up the Moon" its my fav of hers. This one was missing my connection to the story but I still enjoyed it. I would have liked more of Joy's story. And Lark annoyed me at the start until I understood why she was the way she was...

ps. This is a good one for those who like family dramas. 3.75 stars rolled up to 4

ARC provided by NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

So good. So heartwarming. So perfect. Kristan Higgins knows how to write real life so well, nothing feels far fetched. Just a real, raw story about real people living their lives. This is my second Kristan Higgins book and both times I’ve had the pleasure of laughing and crying (both sad and happy tears). 5 stars again and again and again.