
Member Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This book was fine/meh. I enjoyed the body acceptance angle of it all, but the romance was boring, and there was zero tension until like the last 10% of the book. I likely would have DNFed if this wasn’t a NetGalley copy.

Sunny Side Up by Katie Sturino was cute! Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a cute story that focused on body acceptance. I loved that Sunny was divorced and in her thirties and learning to accept and embrace her body and shape and love herself first. I thought the format, from the newsletters to texts and conversations, was really well done and made Sunny seem super real.
Sunny Side Up releases June 24, 2025!

"What superpower would you want?" -- Buzz
"Invisibility." -- Sunny
Matter-of-fact graphic novel that alternates between the amusing and the bittersweet, Sunny Side Up centers on the plucky blonde ten year-old Sunny Lewin. A native of suburban southeastern Pennsylvania (woot-woot!), she is suddenly shipped off to spend August of 1976 with her widowed grandfather at his retirement cottage in quiet Vero Beach, Florida. (The reasons for Sunny's parents sending her away for a month soon become clear via many flashbacks.) Although initially fighting a case of terminal boredom - after all, this is set in the long-ago era before cable TV, cell-phones, and the Internet (thanks, Captain Obvious!) - Sunny soon meets Buzz, an ingratiating Cuban-American boy of similar age. Buzz - who is always bedecked with a Dodgers baseball cap (woot-woot!) - then becomes Sunny's de facto sidekick / best friend, and introduces her to the world of comic book superheroes as they hustle to earn an honest dollar or two for a little spending cash of their own.
The 70's nostalgia factor was one of the notable aspects - TaB cola, the Polaroid SX-70 'instant' camera, Dorothy Hamill's 'wedge' hairstyle, and other little details solidly ground the thoughtful story in those weeks following America's Bicentennial celebration. Although the cover illustration may suggest that this is strictly a children's book, it really was appropriate for ANY age over ten.

Sunny Side Up is a perfect by the pool/beach read. It's a cute story and I easily related to the main character. I enjoyed the humor and banter. Sunny is compared to Carrie Bradshaw but I think Sunny is much much more tolerable and likable. I liked the body acceptance message of the story and I really liked the post man. Sturino has done a great job with Megababe and influencing and writing is definitely her next successful endeavor.

Swimsuit shopping at Bergdorf’s broke her. Reinventing her life? That’s next.
✨ Reasons to Read
Body Positivity. Sunny’s journey is a powerful and joyful celebration of self-love at any size.
Second Chances. Divorce isn’t the end—it's Sunny’s beginning, and the dating drama is delicious.
Big Friendship Energy. Her ride-or-die crew adds heart, humor, and hype to every page.
Modern Romance. With mailmen, moguls, and mayhem, Sunny navigates love in a refreshingly real way.
I am a sucker for some plus size representation. And Sunny is one of those you wish you were friends with in real life or at least could read her online newsletter for reals. She kind of slays it, and her quest to find a date to her brother’s wedding in addition to creating her own inclusive swimsuit line was fun to read. There is a little spice too. However, there was a distinct time when I literally screamed at Sunny to have certain conversations. And yes that is the main conflict of the book, but it’s not my fav. Despite that, I still liked this book and Sunny a lot.

I loved this book! It was so relatable and funny. The struggles with body image and the overcoming of those struggles into a space of positivity, acceptance and empowerment is inspiring. I loved (and hated some) of the characters. It was a fun read that I will definitely recommend to friends and family.

meh. I found this quite boring actually.
Sunny is plus size, divorced and learning to live for herself. She makes mistakes as we all do. And then she makes some good choices and has a happy ending.
I don't know if I've read too many books like this all in order and am bored with it or if this book was just boring. I was annoyed with the mc which made the whole book hard to read.
Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for an ARC of this story. Publication date is June 24, 2025.

This book as so fun! Perfect summer read. As a millennial who watched all the rom-coms when I was younger, I just felt this was written for me. (A wedding and “ain’t no mountain high enough” as part of the conclusion? I’ve seen this movie and I loved it!)
Have to admit it took me a minute to get into Sunny Side Up. Our FMC is a 35yo divorcee dreaming of starting her own size inclusive swim line while swiping the dating apps. Not exactly relatable for me. But it wasn’t long before I started rooting for her. Sunny is fun and real and easy to love. She has a confidence that’s admirable. At the same time still has some insecurities (like we all do..) she’s not overly perfect. Great friends, great business, and a messy love life.
Highly recommend this one when it’s out at the end of June!
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

Wow, I really enjoyed this! While I read primarily romance - this was a welcome reprieve that made me feel seen and validated in my struggles with my weight and body image. The glimpse into Sunny’s life was well thought out while also touching on so many difficult topics - societal pressures, divorce, life after divorce, dating in the modern age and so much more!

While this is the first book I have read by Katie Sturino, unfortunately I've lived a lot of what Sunny went through in this novel. It was so refreshing to read a book where the challenges of shopping were called out and the plus-sized woman was the main character and not just relegated to being the best friend. Kudos to Sturino for penning this book.
Sunny is a recently divorced woman who owns her own business and also had a successful blog promoting body positivity. She got away from the blog when she was with her husband, but now she's ready to get back to it. She finds herself in a department store looking for a bathing suit for a trip with her friends and she is disheartened when she can't find anything that will fit a larger frame. She goes to her tailor and friend for some help and the idea of a new venture is born when she realizes she could create what is missing; a line of attractive, plus-size bathing suits.
This story follows not only the ups and downs of starting a new business, while guiding the business she already had, but Sunny also ends up meeting two men who turn her world upside down. Sunny learns so much about herself as she navigates everything going on in her life, which I thought was great. Sure, she makes some mistakes along the way, but who doesn't?
All in all, this was a great book and one I'm very glad I took a chance on!
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Sunny Greene is 35-year old Midwest girl who moved to New York, runs her own PR firm, and writes a wildly successful newsletter about her life. (But don’t call her a girlboss!)
Reeling from her recent divorce, she must balance reclaiming her confidence, facing her insecurities and trust issues, and learning to love and accept her body, now heavier than it’s ever been, while getting back out on the dating scene.
With the love and support of her newfound divorcee friends, she embarks on a new adventure hoping to help other women love their bodies and feel their best.
Fun and fast-paced, perfect read to start “bathing suit season”!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review. The story is about Sunny a plus size divorcee on a journey of finding herself again. On her journey, she works very hard to accept herself as she is and maneuver through this new chapter in her life. I did find it a fast read and enjoyable.

I can't recommend it enough! I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a couple of days!

Sunny Side Up is a funny, introspective, and well-written romance novel centered around body acceptance. I really appreciated Sunny’s vulnerability—you can genuinely empathize with her as she navigates the challenge of finding outfits that help her feel both confident and stylish. The author also did a great job showing growth in Sunny’s family, particularly in the evolving relationship between her and her mother. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of some of the romantic plotlines, which at times felt a bit cringy, the book’s overall message more than made up for it.

Sunny Greene is thirty-five, recently divorced, facing the looming prospect of going solo to her little brother’s wedding, and currently trying to find anything plus-sized in the Bergdorf Goodman swimsuit department that doesn’t make her want to cry. It’s not going well. But isn’t rock bottom the perfect place to start a climb?
She decides it’s now or never. Sunny has her PR empire, her gorgeous Chelsea apartment, her two dogs, and her loyal best friends. Maybe it's time to just love her body and accept herself for who she is. With a new commitment to confidence, her journey begins. Who says a plus-sized divorcee can’t put herself first, feel beautiful, and date up a storm?
This is such a fun summer read. It is empowering, funny, emotional, and triumphant.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed getting to know Sunny—she’s such a vibrant and relatable character. Her personal growth throughout the story felt genuine, and I appreciated how she began to step into her own power and sense of self. Her voice is funny, warm, and full of heart, which made the book an easy one to root for. There was a bit more focus on body size than I expected, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. While I get that it’s part of Sunny’s journey, I would’ve loved to see even more attention given to her other strengths and the relationships she was building. Overall, this was a thoughtful and engaging read with a memorable main character and a lot of heart.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This book was a bit difficult for me to get through. I'm a plus sized woman and made my peace with that decades ago. I have family, friends, and colleagues that accept me for me...not for the size my body shows to the world. I got teased, got the side eye, and it truly didn't bother me. I think that's why I just couldn't relate to Sunny in the beginning. SHE had the problem and projected her problem to other people.
Having said that....
Sunny was redeemed in my eyes when she just decided to embrace herself. If you don't like you...no one else will either. I guess once she was a success in societies eyes, she could see how likable and loveable she actually was. The ending sealed the deal for me when 'he' was in attendance at her sister's wedding. She had to be 'good enough' in her own eyes to see how someone could truly love her for her!
Four stars since the Sunny at the beginning wasn't likable to me at all. I'm glad I went ahead and finished the book.

While this book dealt with difficult issues for women navigating a world in which men seem to hold most of the power, I also felt the main character had everything business-wise work out for the best and in a very unbelievable way and time frame. Sunny was a caring person who loved others fiercely and she was working on loving herself--this aspect I identified with. Sunny also made some really poor decisions on social media that made me cringe as she never considered the people she was discussing on her public newsletter and what impact it would have on them. The ease in which Sunny was forgiven disappointed me because again, her problems/obstacles (including herself) were solved without much mess.
My favorite part of this novel was the deep friendships that Sunny had. Her assistant is someone I'd love to have in my own life and would enjoy reading about her story. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cute girl power story to kick off summer reading! I loved the format, and the fast paced just fun story. I wish I could order one of those suits from her!

Gahhhh I wanted to love this. Wisconsin girl makes a name for herself in NYC - yes please! However I’m not a huge fan of someone’s body type/weight being basically the main character in the story. Also a size 12?! Is that different than a size 12 I know? I mean I don’t work in high fashion and I’ve shopped that size before and I’m not saying it’s always easy when you don’t feel confident but it wasn’t as foreign as it made it out to seem.
I think this was just a case of not for me but it may work for some others! It’s a good comeback feel good story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.