While <i>Sunny Side Up</i> is touted as a body positive journey, I would only take that as face value and consider this book as a quick beach read. Sunny is described as a larger size, newly divorced woman taking over NYC. It comes across as a struggling single woman trying to make it in the Big Apple with a big body. But really Sunny is a highly successful business owner with her own apartment with two dogs. That seems pretty positive to me. However, she is unhappy with her extra weight and how she feels trying on bathing suits in a dressing room. This leads to her working on a second company and trying to have a successful dating life. She finds her confidence pretty quickly. Even stating that she doesn't want a penpal - if the online app matches don't make it to a date after two days, then she's done with them. That sounds pretty confident to me. She also states that she loves public speaking. There are a lot of things that made for a good body positive story, but there seemed to be a lot more already positive things in her life that didn't make it believable that she was struggling too hard. She even had super loving parents (who were still together) and a little brother that had her as the maid of honor in his wedding.
It was a cute story and a few parts made me laugh out loud. Definitely a quick read that you should pack in your beach bag.

I'm not even sure that I can put a review of this book in to words. What an absolutely stunning display of perfection. Sunny was the ultimate protagonist. A bad ass entrepreneur, a kick butt and take no prisoners, and the true definition of a friend. The body positivity angle was such a refreshing plot and I think this novel will help a lot of women with body issues (myself included.) There aren't enough words to say just how meaningful it is to have a character that represents so many women in the US. We finally have someone that we can relate too and Sunny was the perfect role model. I loved her blog and how she found her people and some company in the internet. She was approachable and funny, which led the world to love her. I loved her two love interests and couldn't wait to see who she would finally end up with. I just can't praise this book enough. It left my cheering for her, crying with laughter, and then ugly crying when she finally got her happy ever after.

This was enjoyable. I loved the concept of loving your body, but I wish the execution would have brought it home a little bit more. It was kind of hard to root completely for the main character as she literally had a life most people would dream of and still complained about her issues which is hard to read. But that was a small annoyance, overall I really liked the story.

I’m actually a little surprised by how much I loved this one! Sunny Side Up is a light-hearted novel about FMC, Sunny who is a professional businesswoman in New York City. Recently divorced, she has to ask herself what is next- in terms of her love-life and professional endeavors. It has self-discovery, friendship, and romance. You feel like Sunny is your best girlfriend as you’re reading this. This book has the perfect 90s romcom vibe to it. I ate it up!

Sunny is a super endearing character and you’ll find yourself rooting for her throughout the story. Since she’s on a self-love journey, there is a lot of weight talk and negative self worth, but this is never stated as fact, only that this is how the main character feels about herself (and she’s desperately working to change that). The addition of her newsletters really adds to the quirkiness of the story. I loved to see her recognizable growth as the story progressed. I think fans of Dolly Alderton will enjoy this one!

There are a lot of real and pop culture references in here (be warned if that bothers you!). They are highly relevant to the story though, so it didn’t bother me or seem out of place. I.E. mentioning her products being on The Today Show, etc.

Super cute and quick read!

This was an OK read. It was fairly light and predictable, a nice palate cleanser if one is needed. Realistic characters, but a bit over the top in some situations.

A wonderful story of healing, self-discovery and love. Sunny represents what we all feel at times and how she dealt with it was nothing short of raw, honest and amazing.

I had a personal bias on this one and it was really hard to get over. I felt like, in the beginning, things were going ok until Sunny had a meltdown for not finding a swimsuit in a size 14 and then kind of ranting that she can't find clothes in her size. I do understand the struggle of finding things that fit, trust me, I do, but...a 14? Not even a 14W. And one of her love interests picks her up and holds her against a wall during intimate times. I feel like I'm partially shaming someone for not being big enough, so of course I feel awful but I have to be honest. That was a hard sell.

I eventually started reading this book again and realized that Sunny's initial meltdown and attitude were not indicative of her true personality. I really enjoyed the story line and Sunny doing something to fix her problems and not wallowing or waiting for a prince. It had a great positive message, and I love the idea of body neutrality instead of body positivity. Avery, Brooke, and Noor were fantastic side characters and were perfect friends and partners for Sunny's adventures. Her dating life was equally positive whole providing a bit of comic relief. Sunny had a great way of working through her problems instead of hiding from them.

What a fun story!

Sunny is dealing with going to her little brother's wedding, when she's in the dressing room trying on swimsuits and has a major breakdown....and breakthrough. She turns her distress into a new business - and meets a handsome new business partner. And then there is the mailman in her building. She's 35, single and dating and writing all about it. It's just a fun story. I didn't know about Katie Sturino before reading this, but I'm learning more now.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

| Post-divorce reset with SO MANY good options… |

Sunny is finally living on her own terms. She is successful in business, living in a new neighborhood and carving out a life that finally feels like her. Moving on from a long-term douche companion she is ready for someone new – and would rather not show up alone to her brother’s wedding. Her search not only opens the bedroom door, but also the one that leads to the boardroom, and soon the juggle flings out of reach. With so much on her plate, can she focus to determine the important parts to keep?

The huge theme-anchor for me is the undeniable value of friendship support systems. Sure, this story is drenched in spicy encounters and romantic tension (and at one point, three options?!) but the first wives club might be my favorite stable thread. Everyone deserves the constant reliability of true friends and Noor and Brooke (and Sunny) make the most delightful trio. Sunny only truly lives and weighs the value of her options and opportunities with the sounding board encouragement from her trusted circle. Sunny lived six years in a supremely untrustworthy relationship and deserved every good thing she found in the life that followed its demise.

Also, let’s hear it for the concept of body-neutrality. I hadn’t considered how toxic generalized body-positivity could be, and I agree that there are more interesting topics to cling to.

Sunny Greene is not the stereotypical thick-thighed style-drenched girlboss (and she would hate the label). She is living her life on her terms for the first time, and it takes a minute to find footing with fresh confidence. Even though I know how the story ends (HEA, all the way) I’ll definitely come back to this book when I need the tension with a PR NYC backdrop.

5/5 stars!
Big thanks to Celadon Books, NetGalley and Katie Sturino for the ARC for review!

As a plus size content creator and fashion professional with a background in swimwear, I wish I had liked this book more. Unfortunately I found it a little on the nose. Yes to more plus size protagonists! But this wasn’t quite it for me.

This was a lighthearted and easy to read story that embraces body acceptance. I enjoyed the New York Ciry vibes, fashion descriptions, and fun side characters. I did find Sunny a bit one dimensional and everything about her life seemed to work out easy throughout the story. I wish we got to see more of the swimsuit line development. It all happened very quick and off page so it seemed unbelievable. Overall this was a quick, easy, light read that began to scratch the surface of body acceptance. I wish the plot, character development, and conflict dove a bit deeper but it was still a fun story.

Ignore the single-star rating and consider it without one.

Sturino's name on a book had me excited to begin with...excited for the body positivity I'd undoubtedly find within the pages of this novel. However, during a recent interview / profile with the New York Times, Sturino touts having used a ghostwriter, stating, “I don’t have the traditional path that a lot of people who write books have had and I needed help.”

My understanding now extends to the fact that, not only is this ghostwriter not given author credit on the cover, but they don't even appear to be mentioned in the acknowledgments, which I know is not always the case — but those books are generally celebrity memoirs and other nonfiction fare. Those are acceptable. But to have a ghostwriter for a novel is beyond where I draw the line.

Either you can write and should be a published author or you should leave that skill and hard work to the people who can — and do — and they should get full credit for their efforts and, if it is the case, success.

After having discovered this NYT article, published on June 22, 2025 and written by Madison Malone Kircher, I have been unable to do more than consider my opinion on the direction Sturino has taken and the privileged attitude with which she seems to approach it. In the NYT profile, Sturino adds that she 'felt “no shame or embarrassment about having a collaborator.”'

And she goes on to say, “I think that there’s a big wall around literature and who can be a writer...there’s just a lot of pretension.”

I cannot in good conscience read or review this book beyond what I have here. I am surprised that Celadon Books chose to publish this, and fully disappointed in this step in the complete wrong direction within the publishing world.

This chick lit gem serves up major body acceptance energy and a beautiful reminder to love yourself, just as you are.

Think Sex and the City vibes with a love triangle, some steamy moments and an incredible cast of women hyping each other up.

It was fun, flirty, and full of heart. I devoured it and loved every page.

Very cute woman positive novel about a GirlBoss who starts a company while looking for love. Bonus points for having friends who talk about things other than boys.

Really enjoyed the book. It was a different kind of story for me, probably geared to a Gen z reader. But enjoyable and fun. And a great story about empowerment and body positivity.

Sunny Greene is 35 and recently divorced and floundering. She's trying to find her way with new friends and a new life. With humor and heart we follow Sunny as she struggles to find swimwear for her plus sized body. (Oh how I have been there!) It can be so disheartening and discouraging to find properly fitting, fun swimwear (and clothing)! Sunny shows us that not only can we learn to love the skin we are in, but that we can also make a change for the better if we are so inspired. While trying to launch a plus sized swimwear line, she is also trying to find a date from her bother's wedding (and possibly more)! We go along for the ride as she explores relationships with two different men. Men whom she finds attractive qualities in and whom she feels drawn to and torn between.

This was a light hearted, rom-commie road to loving yourself and your body, and learning to love someone else again! Plus it's set in NYC which is always a bonus for me!

I went into Sunny Side Up looking for a humorous, light beach read, and I got what I wanted. There are some parts of this book that are laugh out loud funny. As a plus size/midsize girl myself, I love seeing women like me represented in media, but I have to say that size 12 isn’t really plus sized.

Sunny is a successful 35 year old living in New York and she can’t find a swimming suit she likes, which sets her on a quest to create a line that’s size inclusive and cute. There are different love interests (this was by far my favorite part of the book) and Sturino touches on body positivity, but it’s a little glossed over for me.

That said, this is a light book, so depth isn’t totally expected.I’m giving this one three and a half stars (rounded to four) because it made me laugh - it’s cute! It's a vibe! - but it won’t make a huge impression.

Thank you Celadon and NetGalley for the early digital copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

I really enjoyed this book and found it empowering and fun. Sunny Side Up is written by Katie Sturino, a female entrepreneur and influencer. It tells the story of Sunny, a successful PR professional post divorce. Sunny is trying to find herself, love herself and find a date to her brother’s wedding. Her path to self acceptance and love is a lot of fun and it’s honestly nice to have a successful protagonist, not only one who is struggling. Sunny may not always be completely likeable or be the best decision maker but it’s still fun to be along for her ride. This book is a refreshing read and would be great for the beach. Great audiobook.
Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon for an advanced copy of this book.

This is the kind of feel good novel I’m about! Sunny struggles with her weight and knows she is not alone. She knows of problems in extended size clothes (particularly swimwear) and launches a business to fill that gap. She is not preachy but realistic. She also has her own drama with her love life which is very well done.

I wanted to like this book but it just didn't land for me. I can't turn off the part of my brain that was thinking about how the author wanted us to feel sorry for a woman who couldn't shop at a store because of size when in reality 99% of the population can't shop at a store like that because of cost. In 2025 I think isolating body size and not considering race, ethnicity, income, etc is short sighted.