Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this novel.

I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Great for a quick cute summer beach read.

Recommend.

This book was a treat to read with a real heroine who could teach every one of us how to love ourselves for who we are rather that who society tells us we should be.

Sunny Side Up is a warm, breezy debut that carries Katie Sturino’s signature voice, uplifting, candid, and full of heart. Fans of her work will recognize the themes of self-acceptance and reinvention, now brought to life through a fictional lens. As a first foray into fiction, the writing leans more toward earnest than literary, with moments that feel somewhat unpolished, but there’s an undeniable charm in its sincerity. This is a story that aims to empower, and it succeeds in doing so with humor and relatability. A lovely pick-me-up read that encourages readers to show up as their full selves...even when life feels scrambled.

An enjoyable female-centered book looking at friendship and love. Really enjoyed the female main character and reading about her experiences in dating and finding herself after a divorce.

This book had so many LOL moments as well as heartfelt moments. I had both the book and audiobook arcs but mostly listened to it while gardening and lawn mowing. I found myself cracking up at the main character's (Sunny) witty banter with so many people. There were so many great characters including her friends, the golden girls, the postman (swoon) and the CEO (yum) as well as the villain, her awful degrading ex-boyfriend.
While I understand now, but did not at the beginning, the body negativity from Sunny toward herself was incessant at the beginning and I felt was too much. In the end it needed to be there as it was a catalyst to all that comes later in the book . At the beginning though it made me want to end the book. I am so glad I pushed through it to see what she could create and complete the whole book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copies of both the book and audiobook.

This is a 3.5, but...you know, no halves on GR.

I've followed Katie Sturino for a long time. Not only am I a MAJOR Megababe fan, I enjoy Katie's open and honest dialogue about body acceptance. Sunny Side Up is the natural extension of her career.

Sunny is a successful woman, living in one of the most desirable New York City neighborhoods. She has her own PR firm, dogs that she calls "The Golden Girls", and her own bright and unique sense of style. She's also newly divorced and trying to find her way back to herself.

Sunny's brother is getting married and she is determined to bring a date. Could it be the Irish construction worker who accidentally saw her naked? Her ex? An investor? The mailman? While she dates around, she is also in the middle of creating an inclusive swimsuit line, after a disastrous shopping trip when she found smock-level bathing suits for women of her size.
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I've said many, many, MANY times that books of this nature are not really my speed. It's fluff! I like dark, deep stories. Sunny Side Up was refreshing in that it brought about a sense of nostalgia, but I did some parts a bit MUCH. Everything just seemed to come to Sunny without much pressure or resistance. I found some of her flirting and hookups a bit....unrealistic, but what do I know? I hate my body so I can't imagine the idea of prancing around naked in front of a construction worker.

I think that this is a great book for younger women still finding their way in life, and understanding the path to their true selves. I feel like Katie has a few more books and a memoir in her, so I'll keep my eyes out for that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sunny Greene is a successful and accomplished woman who owns her own PR firm, has a fabulous network of family and friends, mothers her beloved dogs dubbed "the Golden Girls," and embodies a fierce fashion sense. But somehow she's come undone in the changing room of Bergdorf Goodman's women's swimsuit department over an ill-fitting swimsuit and a disturbing lack of options for plus-size women such as herself. Sunny's vulnerability is compounded by her recent divorce and her brother's upcoming wedding that she is determined to attend with a date.

But you can't keep a good woman down and Sunny takes her mortifying swimsuit experience and decides to launch a second business, dedicated to offering fashionable swimsuit options for plus-size women.

Her experiences brings her into the orbit of two very different men. Her quirky and endearing mailman Dennis who has a penchant for running into Sunny when she's at her worst and Ted, the sexy "silver fox" investor for her swimwear line. These two are strong contenders for wedding date material, but ultimately the love that Sunny is seeking might just need to come from herself first.

Katie Sturino creates a heroine worth rooting for in this warm and endearing rom-com. I loved Sunny and her circle of friends and loved even more the celebration of body positivity and acceptance woven throughout the fabric of this novel.

I definitely recommend this joyful love letter of a novel to women of all shapes and sizes.

3 ⭐️
Sunny Greene is 35, recently divorced, and needs to find a date to her brother’s wedding. Sunny has gained some weight and is crying in the swimsuit section because nothing fits right. (Can I get an amen to this!! I HATE swimsuit shopping)

She’s got a successful PR career, a nice apartment, two dogs who adore her, and ride-or-die besties. Sunny decides it’s time to stop hating her body, start loving herself, and maybe even have some fun dating again.

Her dating is a hot mess. There’s Dennis, the super nice mailman who might actually be perfect. Then there’s Ted, the rich guy who wants to invest in her size-inclusive swimwear line (and maybe her). And just when things are finally looking up.. here comes her ex showing interest again.

Overall this book was okay. For me the body image stuff was a little over done.
If you are a plus size girly who likes to read about body positivity and the struggles of loving yourself and your body, you will probably like this book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: June 24, 2025

Sunny Side Up was a nice, light summer read! It felt a little nostalgic- reminded me of Jennifer Weiner’s books in the early aughts. Getting to know Sunny and her friend circle was fun. At times I felt she needed a therapist instead of a new man. A good read for summer - at the beach, pool or just hanging out at home needing a distraction.

I really enjoyed Sunny's journey of self love in this book. I enjoyed her discovery that she wasn't the problem nor was her body, it was the way she let society alter her opinion of herself. I can't imagine what its like to have to try and date post divorce in this tech heavy life we live, but it was interesting to see Sunny's experience. The blogging about her dating life stressed me out though, I just kept waiting for the men to find out. I truly hated the ex-husband, he is an absolute turd and needs to be thrown away in a poop bag! I'm glad Sunny finds her self worth and learns to love herself and in turn helps other learn to love themselves too.

Body shamers beware, here comes Sunny Greene!

Katie Sturino’s debut novel, Sunny Side Up, is an empowering story that blends humor, romance, and self-discovery. Known for her advocacy for body positivity and as the founder of MEGABABE, Sturino brings her signature candor and wit to this fictional narrative, offering readers a refreshing take on the modern pressures womanhood.

We first meet Sunny Greene, a 35-year-old PR mogul in New York City, as she's navigating the aftermath of a divorce. Despite her professional success and supportive friends, she grapples with self-image issues, highlighted by a particularly bad swimsuit shopping experience. This incident propels her on a journey of self-acceptance, leading her to revive her newsletter, embrace body neutrality, and consider launching an all-inclusive swimwear line. Amidst this personal growth, her romantic life becomes complicated with two potential suitors: Dennis, a charming mailman, and Ted, a business tycoon interested in her brand. The narrative unfolds with Sunny balancing her ambitions, friendships, and the complexities of modern dating.

There's been a few new releases lately with the themes of body positivity, 'The Love Haters' by Katherine Center, immediately comes to mind.

It helps that Sunny is written as a relatable and multifaceted character. Her journey highlights the ups and downs of personal growth and empowerment. You can tell that the author is passionate about this subject, and her background in advocacy and social media shines through in her engaging prose, filled with humor and contemporary references.

A fun rom-com with postitive messages for women of all ages!

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book. This book will be published on June 24, 2025.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars.

I will start by saying that I LOVE Katie Sturino and everything that she stands for. I am a long time follower of hers and have been using Mega Babe for years! When I saw that she had written a Romance book, I was super excited to read it.

This book follows Sunny Greene, a recently divorced PR business owner, who is navigating her newly single life in NYC. As she starts to develop a new business idea, she suddenly has three men pining over her. Will she choose Mr. Postman, the silver fox, or her ex?

I would definitely say this book was more women's fiction than romance. It is SUPER HEAVY on the body positivity aspect, which I expected since that is everything Katie stands for. However, I felt like since it was so much about Sunny's insecurities, it took away from the romance trope.

I always worry when someone who becomes famous for something other than writing, writes a book, but I couldn't deny that it was a very well written book. This book will definitely resonate with lots of people and I think that's great. I just didn't connect to it the way I wanted to.

I did love the references to "The Golden Girls" and will absolutely be purchasing a swimsuit from Katie's ACTUAL swim line that was just released. If you're looking for a fiction book that has a strong focus on women's insecurities and how to remedy them, this book is for you.

This book was such a fun read. I connected with the FMC and her process of learning to love her body ~as it is.~ It felt very relatable with a twist a humor along the way. The romance aspect is entertaining, but her friendships are the real winner here. A great book with a needed reminder as we head into the summer months, a time that can be challenging for body image!

This book spoke to me on a level I didn’t know I needed. Katie Sturino’s voice feels like chatting with your funniest, most honest friend who refuses to sugarcoat a single thing. I adored the balance of wit and vulnerability in the writing. Sunny is relatable, flawed, and fierce in all the right ways, and watching her navigate dating, friendship, and self-love felt like a celebration of what it means to truly put yourself first. What really stayed with me was how this story embraces confidence in every shape and size and reminds us that beauty and worth are so much bigger than a number on a tag. It’s a fresh, joyful take on the modern romance I couldn’t put down.

A perfect summer read, that made me LOVE BEING A WOMAN! I truly could not put this down! The characters felt real and relatable and I empathized with her journey. I can’t wait to see what Katie writes next!

This book is perfect for fans of author Jennifer Weiner. Sunny Greene is trying to navigate the NYC as a newly divorced woman and is finally accepting herself as a plus size woman. She's successful in so many ways and lives a fantastic life,, but she's missing love. She wants a new shot at a relationship, and we are along for the ride!
Perfect fluffy summer read with a big heart-I can see this a streaming series in the near future. The author is the founder of Megababe, which I thought was an interesting aside!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this fun summer read! I really enjoyed the concept and the execution for this book. It was fun and funny, and I loved all the characters, especially our MVP Sunny. The story wasn't overly complicated but still very uplifting. I found myself chuckling along to some of Sunny's antics but also routing for her. It almost had me wishing that her Substack was a real blog I could follow. I think so much of Sunny's confidence issues really touch on her real self esteem problems that many women face and I enjoyed the wit with which the story tackled something so confusing and overwhelming. I think overall Sunny is relatable and engaging as a narrator and I really loved the addition of her 'blogs' as part of the book.
I think the only part that really bothered me was the extreme internalized fatphobia that the book starts with and I wish there had been a little more lead into that. Although I think it sets the tone really well for the rest of the book which deals with that in its own way.

I adore Katie Sturino and her body-positive messages. I appreciate novels starring fabulous plus-size characters, and I so identified with her opening dressing room disaster that it caused sweaty flashbacks.

That said, I couldn’t quite get a handle on the main character. She is self-flagellating and planning starvation diets in the dressing room, and a few pages later is strutting her stuff naked in front of a construction worker. And I get a little tired of the wildly successful PR mogul character backgrounds as a PR professional myself.

Overall, I’m very glad Katie is writing books and championing plus-sized characters, but I just didn’t find myself reaching for this one as eagerly as I had hoped to.

You can't help but root for Sunny. She is coming into her own, recognizing her mistakes once her marriage fell apart. Now if she can just remember those lessons as the rat tries to re-enter her new wonderful life. Not even considering him, she has two wonderful men in her life that she is having trouble choosing between. Listen to your heart, Sunny!

I’ve followed Katie for some time and was interested when I saw she wrote a book. I thought the depiction of being over weight and dressing room struggles was real. However a lot of the storylines especially those surrounding her love life seemed so implausible. It was well written I just don’t think I’m the target audience.