Laugh out loud funny; a bit of spice; strong women; tackles real issues; loved it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DNF

Note to self: be super careful henceforth when a claim is made that a book will appeal to readers of Emily Henry. Emily Henry writes books of substance. I should have equally taken note when Carrie Bradshaw was mentioned because Carrie Bradshaw conveys a mindset that I have no interest in reading about: typically materialistic and superficial.

Regarding Sunny Side Up in particular. The reader is supposed to accept that Sunny has issues finding clothes that fit. Sunny is a size 12 and the average size in the US is 16. The character talks about how humiliating it is to go into a store and have to ask if the "larger" sizes are in the back. At this point, I think the intended reader must be a size 0-6 who actually feels sorry for anyone over an 8 and said reader is not me.

I was not a fan of the narration style, just to lump one more thing on.

Every book has a reader and not every reader will like all books.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.

I have been a Katie Sturino fan for years and this book is a treat for anyone who loves her and connects to her mission statement. An unconventional FMC (and MMC) are always refreshing and relatable to me.

After meeting and bonding with two other recent divorcees, an upcoming girls' beach getaway leaves Sunny Greene spiraling in the fitting room yet again. With some help from her expert tailor and inspired by the rage of never having fit into straight sizes, Sunny ends up with a custom fitting swimsuit that becomes a prototype for a new extended size-inclusive swimsuit line.

In the midst of running her existing business, Sunny pursues investors to help her launch her swimwear line. All the while, she also reboots her online newsletter that her (absolutely terrible) ex-husband shamed her for writing. Putting herself back out on the dating scene with the hopes of finding a suitable date for her brother's upcoming wedding becomes a focal point of the newsletter, amassing Sunny hordes of new fans.

This is a beautiful story about self-love and self-acceptance, female friendship, romantic love and family love. I felt the full range of emotions reading along while Sunny got her groove back, including the butterflies, the anger, and the disappointment that were woven throughout.

I loved how much of Katie's own story was clearly the inspiration for Sunny's character. There is even a swimsuit line collaboration with the suits from the book, named after the characters! 👙

I would happily read more about these characters, so fingers crossed for interconnected stories about Brooke's and Noor's own journeys!

Sunny Side Up is a lighthearted novel about self-discovery, acceptance, romance, and friendship! I loved Sunny and couldn’t help but rooting for her! The newsletters added a fun element to the story. Dennis was such a swoon worthy character. Loved him! This book made me smile!

Sunny Greene is like that friend you root for—smart, gorgeous, and trying to find her footing after life throws her a curveball. At 35, she’s navigating the tricky terrain of self-worth, dating, and body image, and she does it all with a cheeky wit that made me smile more than once.

This book had big “fictional fantasy” energy—like a glamorized version of what we wish the post-divorce glow-up looked like. While I loved the message of body positivity and Sunny’s unapologetic confidence (we need more of that in books!), I found myself raising an eyebrow at how fast and furious the romantic encounters piled up. It felt more like a highlight reel than something grounded in reality.

Still, there’s something fun about getting swept up in Sunny’s world. Even if it leans more into the dream than the day-to-day, it’s a reminder that confidence can change everything—and that’s a message worth cheering for.

I found this very surface level, could not relate to the self-centered MC. Who just leaves their friend in a store without saying anything?

I REALLY wanted to love this one! Divorced women who support one another, body positivity, finding and loving yourself as a woman. However, the pieces just didn't fit together for me. I found that the characters did not live in reality. That often, what was supposed to be support and positivity came across as very fake. The beginning of the book was the complete opposite of body positive. I did enjoy the story of these women supporting one another, finding success for themselves and accepting one another for who they are. They cheered the others on throughout the book and supported them along the way. I did not find that this book was very body positive. It talked about a woman unhappy with her body and how she could accept it, it discussed fat shaming, but it all felt very surface level. I never felt like the author dug deep into body acceptance and body positivity. I liked the idea of this book and parts of the story, but it just did not work for me. If you are looking for something different for the summer, this may be a good option though.
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

A nice story about self-acceptance/empowerment and finding our inter strength even in the middle of turmoil. Sunny is a successful, smart, career minded person who is also striving for success in her personal life. I admire her strength and her resilience even when the people around her are so frustrating. I wasn’t always thrilled with her choices but nobody’s perfect. This was a quick read that kept my attention. Lots of talk about body acceptance/positivity.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

3 / 5 Stars
“Sunny Side Up” is an easy, beach read, Sex In The City fantasy that does a disservice to itself by not diving deeper into its body acceptance themes. Sunny Greene just divorced her toxic husband and is back to reclaiming her life. She has a successful fashion PR company and new fellow divorcee friends, but when she goes to Bergdorf Goodman to buy a swimsuit, she learns that not only has her body changed but they don’t carry her size in the store. This spurs her to start her own inclusive swimwear brand and restart her newsletter to focus on body acceptance. And along the way she falls into a love triangle.

This book had a ton of fun aspects. If you are a fashion lover, I think you will enjoy her descriptions of fashion and various looks. Sunny has a great kick ass assistant and fun friends. Her dogs are named after the Golden Girls. The Sex In The City and Gossip Girl brain candy vibes are great if you are looking for a quick read. And even though it is truly impossible to start a clothing brand in five months (I don’t have an MBA but I have watched enough Shark Tank to feel pretty confident in that statement), seeing her accomplish this big thing was empowering.

But Katie Sturino (in part) makes a living from being a body acceptance advocate and this book is marketed around a message of loving your body and to me, it felt like it offered a very beginner’s level, intro to body acceptance information. She would touch on fatphobia in dating and then move on to the next. She would touch on how women of all sizes criticize themselves and then back off. It made it seem like body acceptance was easy. And maybe, it is for some people. My personal experience has been that it is a constant, tedious effort to retrain my brain to stop engaging in deeply ingrained societal bullshit about size. Maybe the author thought that that tonally would not work with this book but even just a little bit more of what that deep work looks like would have felt more realistic. She shows one example of how she talks herself through the negative thoughts but that was it. Maybe showing other forms of self-work like journaling or therapy or deeper conversations with friends about size could have helped. Again, I know that is not everyone’s journey but it would have felt powerful since Katie does some of that on her social media. And because some of the book is written as her newsletter, it felt more tell than show which didn’t help with this specific issue.

It also felt like such a miss not to discuss the privilege of wealth. Yes, it can be hard or humiliating or anxiety inducing or a plethora of different emotions to live in a larger body if you haven’t done the work of self acceptance (currently trying to do that work). But it is easier when you have money. No, she may not be able to find swimwear in her size on the floor at Bergdorf Goodman and that is unfair, but she had money to go to a different store online, buy swimsuits, and take them to a tailor (and the tailoring is what launches her swimwear line which PS, I know I would not be able to afford her brand’s clothes). Again, I understand that we are living our Carrie Bradshaw fantasy here, but even one line to acknowledge that the privilege would have made the book feel more self aware and layered.

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: June 24, 2025

Beginning was a little confusing and slow for me but overall an entertaining summer read. I really like the author's company and social media messages and that was carried over into this book.

I really enjoyed this book. There was real depth to the main character. She was fun and self confident. The book dealt with divorce, dating again, and body issues. There was smart cultural commentary in addition to a readable novel.

Sunny Side Up is a summer must read debut novel from MEGABABE founder Katie Sturino. Filled with humor and the reality of being a plus size fashion designer in NYC, Katie tells of the struggles with dating after divorce and loving yourself for who you are. Filled with hope, body positivity, and real life struggles. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Katie Sturino and Celadon Books for providing an ARC in exchange for honest thoughts.

I gave this book 4 stars

I adore this book!! Sunny Green is a recently divorced entrepreneur who’s on a mission to help women feel comfortable in their own bodies. This is never more true than when she’s in Bergdorf Goodman trying to find a suitable bathing suit for a trip (a divor-cation) that she’s taking with her best friends. She asks her tailor to help her customize a boring black one and realizes she has a knack for this kind of design. Her brother is getting married and Sunny is determined to go with a date. She’s on a self-imposed timeline to find a date and launch a brand new swimwear line while running her successful PR firm. This book is so hopeful and funny. An absolutely perfect summer read!

Many thanks to Celadon Books for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my feedback.

This was my first Katie Sturino book and I was really pleasantly surprised! Sunny Side Up is such a fun summer/beach read. It’s light and feel-good but still manages to touch on some heavier topics like fatphobia and emotional abuse in a really thoughtful way. I loved the mix of humor, heart, and real moments. Thanks so much for the early read!

If you’re already a fan of Katie Sturino, you will love her debut romance novel. Sunny is recently divorced with a tribe of high powered divorced ladies. She’s a PR guru running her own highly successful boutique firm but still feeling like life at 35 just isn’t what she thought. Feeling lost post divorce she sets her goal to find a date for her brother’s wedding in Chicago. Along Sunny’s dating journey she learns about self love and confidence finding a man and creating an amazing size inclusive swim line. (Sound familiar??? Again, if you love Katie and her writing style this is for you!).

I’ll say it’s not the most polished writing but an enjoyable and sweet story. Perfect beach read (in your new Katie Sturino swim collab ofc)!

Thank you Celadon Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sunny is recently divorced from her 3 month marriage (7 year relationship), and she's struggling extra with her body image. Her ex made lots of horrible comments, and then her trip swimsuit shopping is the last straw.
Through Sunny's successful business, her two best friends, a great assistant, and two interested men, she begins getting her confidence back. She also has a great idea for a new startup.
I enjoyed watching Sunny's progress and her excitement build, and it was nice watching her date both guys for a bit. I did wish she'd realized the pitfalls sooner, so that felt a little obvious. Overall it was a fun story and a good summer read.

This was a light sweet rom com, set in New York, and circling around themes of body image, designer fashion and mid 30s “coming of age” vibes. For me, the writing style and themes were not my favorite, but still found it a sweet story. Maybe a good, lighter read for summer.

✨ The Vibes ✨
An NYC rom-com that balances romance with self acceptance

📖 Read if…
✨ You’re looking for a light and sweet romance to throw in your beach bag
✨ You were Team Aidan over Team Big
✨ You’re OK with a book that touches on the emotional impact of body image and divorce

Calling all fans of an NYC rom-com – a new bombshell has entered the villa!

Sunny Side Up follows Sunny, a recently divorced publicist who decides to reinvent her life after several setbacks. Part of her plan? Start a sixe-inclusive swimwear empire. Oh, and fall in love along the way.

If I had to describe this story in one word, it would be real. Katie Sturino has written a book that touches on feelings many people experience – from romantic troubles to struggles with body image – in a way that captures both the frustration and humor of each situation. I think the humor is what impressed me most, as it can be hard to create comedy from tough situations, but Sturino always makes sure it stays relatable, and never veers into mean-spirited territory.

One thing that really stuck with me after finishing the book, was how similar it was to Sex and the City. Sunny was VERY Carrie-coded, writing a newsletter about her dating life, fashion, and body acceptance, and her circle of friends had big Charlotte and Miranda vibes (I guess Samantha is absent in this version too). This extended to the romantic interests as well, Dennis (my favorite) felt very Aidan inspired, while Ted was essentially Mr. Big 2.0. I don’t think this was necessarily a negative, as the actual story was very much its own thing, but the inspiration for the framework was very obvious.

In short this is a quick and enjoyable book that’s perfect for anyone who wants summer reading that is light and funny with just a touch of emotion. Sunny Side Up hits shelves next week. Thanks to Celadon and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sunny Side Up by Katie Sturino is a journey of rediscovery for 35-year old, newly divorced Sunny Greene. Sunny, who owns a successful PR agency in New York City, is coming to terms with her recent divorce and subsequent 40 pound weight gain. The reader is able to explore NYC hot spots, as she embarks on back-to-the-dating-scene escapades and achieves corporate triumphs. I enjoyed these glimpses into a glamorous New York City life, especially all of the fun restaurants and fashion. And I appreciated how Sunny uses her entrepreneurial talents to tackle the challenging topic of female body positivity which is a central theme. However I found it to be a very light read, lacking significant depth. I didn’t really connect to Sunny or find her love triangle and then instant love particularly believable. I’m not a fan of relationships that start with lying. I did adore her dogs, assistant Avery and her supportive dad. Readers who are looking for a lighthearted, entertaining story should check this one out. 3/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was a nice summer read. I had a few issues with it, but overall think it would be a good beach read for the summer.

The things I liked were the characters - I think the author did a nice job making even side characters feel fairly fleshed out and important - and the friendship. The ride or die nature of the main character’s BFFs was really fun to read about.

The writing style was tough for me, because it was “tell” more than “show” for a lot of the plot. I also think this is a book meant for someone very early on in their body neutrality / fat acceptance journey. The language around bodies seemed geared toward how the main character’s body looked to men, rather than how she felt about it. And it was corny sometimes.

Overall, I likely would have DNFed this earlier on if it wasn’t an ARC, but as it is, I’m not mad that I finished it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.