A humiliating experience in a department store leads Sunny Greene on a journey of self awareness and a entrepreneurship. She’s a successful woman with her own PR firm and newly resurrected (her ex didn’t like it) newsletter. She has a loving family, two best friends and two sweet dogs. But she’s newly divorced, unsure of herself and worrying about her weight. Her attempt to find a bathing suit that fits her plus size frame leads her to design one, then an entire line, partnering with her seamstress and assistant. Nagging at her is her brother’s upcoming wedding and her lack of a “plus one”. There are two possibilities: the handsome Ted Manns, major investor in her company, and Dennis, her mailman. Because this is a rom com and a beach read, all will turn out well. However, Sunny Side Up is not just a quick beach read. Katie Sturino describes the pain overweight women feel daily. The scene in the dressing room, the date with a man who had “fat girl” on his bucket list, the comments on diet…the list goes on. Sunny’s galvanizing speech to Ted Manns is the heart of tis novel. Well done, Katie Sturino! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Katie Sturino for this ARC.

SUNNY SIDE UP is about Sunny Greene, a divorceé and New Yorker whose crash out in a dressing room leads to her designing her own size inclusive swimwear line. As she navigates launching her brand, she is pursued by numerous suitors, has the support of excellent female friendships, and yes - a couple tense body talks with her mom. I loved it, and it is truly a romcom - with the rom and the com! It’s a book that’s very much needed and I think will make you laugh and cry. Wholeheartedly recommend.

Fun read with a positive message.
Author could have worked on the pacing a bit but overall a fun summer read.

This was a fun story with a message about positive body image. The story felt rushed. I enjoyed the storyline but just wanted more depth to the characters and their storylines. Overall a good story to bring attention to positive body image.

Sunny Greene is recently divorced and the heaviest she's ever been. Trying on bathing suits for an upcoming trip to the Bahamas with her new friends, Noor and Brooke, reduces her to tears. But she decides to do something about it. Not only does she resuscitate her newletter, "Sunny Side Up," to promote body positivity (even as she continues to struggle with it) but she works with her favorite tailor to design a bathing suit that is both comfortable and flattering. So much so that Noor and Brooke convince her to start her own bathing suit line.

Busy with her PR firm, her new business venture, and her newsletter, Sunny finds time to reignite first her sex life then her love life, Ted, the gorgeous financier who is backing her bathing suit business, and Dennis, the quirky but totally adorable mailman, unknowingly vie for her attention. Sunny finds it hard to resist Ted's confidence, wealth, and sexual magnetism, but she just feels so at home with Dennis, who seems content to move slow. A little too slow when Ted is turning up the heat.

Sunny is irrepressible and fun and the message she's conveying is important. Despite occasionally cringey moments (I was firmly Team Postman and hurt for Dennis when he felt betrayed), this is a compulsively readable book. I do wonder sometimes where these characters put all the alcohol, but it is fiction, after all. Readers of all sizes should go along with Sunny on her journey to self-acceptance. #SunnySideUp #NetGalley

Sunny Side Up is Katie Sturino’s debut novel, and it is a celebration. This novel celebrates women of all sizes, entrepreneurial women, divorced women, and women looking for love. Sunny Greene, the main character, really resonated with me. She is recovering from heartbreak, celebrating life with new friends, looking for love post-divorce, and devoted to building her business. Sunny encounters many obstacles, and the author presents us with an accurate, unflinching depiction of life as a plus-sized woman.

Sunny’s longtime relationship ended after a brief marriage when her husband abruptly left her and filed for divorce. This loss devastates Sunny, and the novel begins as we see Sunny rebuilding her life in a new home with new friends. I loved how this book celebrated the many positive parts of Sunny’s life while also describing her insecurities and self-doubt. Her experiences resounded with me as we have much in common: plus-sized, divorced, dating online as an older adult.

Sunny experiences many ups and downs dating after divorce, and her experiences were really authentic. I was happy that she met and “dated” a variety of men who were all clearly attracted and complimentary of her. This novel shows the challenges of life after divorce, but it also celebrates the possibilities of unexpected/newfound single status. I also loved seeing Sunny’s professional successes throughout the book. Her philosophy of life and outlook were reflected in her business practices, friendships, and romantic relationships.

Sunny Side Up is categorized as a romance and women’s fiction novel. The romance felt insignificant compared to the many other events in this novel, so I would categorize Sunny Side Up as women’s fiction. I loved the message of against diet culture and positive body image the author describes in this novel. I look forward to reading more of Katie Sturino’s work in the future.

Thank you to Katie Sturino, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sunny Greene at first glance, has it all. Recently divorced, her PR firm is wildly successful even though she’s only 35, she lives in her dream neighborhood of Chelsea in NYC, and she has two devoted rescue dogs. And since her divorce, where all her ex’s friends stayed on his side of the table, she’s met two other divorcees as devoted to the good life as she is.
But Sunny isn’t finished with men! On the contrary, she signs up for all the dating apps and is determined to find a plus-one for her brother’s wedding in six months.
Before that, her new friends convince her to join them in the Bahamas for a “divorcation” where they will lie on the beach and drink fruity drinks and relax.
Which send Sunny to Bergdorf’s to find a new swimsuit. But Sunny is 5’11 and 275 pounds and…
You get the picture. Rather than depression, Sunny chooses change, and not in the form of a diet. She will provide swimsuits that are stylish and comfortable for women her size! Sunny’s dating escapades, her business acumen and the ticking time clock to the wedding make for a fast paced and energetic read, coupled with plenty of sensitivity and emotion.
Sunny Side Up was released on June 24, 2025, by Celadon books. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

This is a great read that will make every woman feel good about herself. I love a romance that makes me think and gives me happy feels at the end.

3.5⭐ This is a fun and light summer read that was nice to escape into. If you enjoyed Sex in the City, this could be a good pick for you.. The main character, Sunny Greene, is 35, recently divorced, and plus sized. When she goes to Bergdorf Goodman to find a swimsuit, she cannot find one in her size. With other aspects of her life going so well, like great friends, a job, an apartment in Chelsea, she decides to go one step further and start a designer swimsuit line with swimsuits that will flatter the plus size women's body. And to learn to live and accept herself as she is. Along the way, she also has a few men who could possibly lead to a romance.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I liked the newsletters that Sunny wrote in this book. That was a fun touch. There are parts that made me laugh and I liked how the romance played out too. A nice book to escape into this summer!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

📚 ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

Sunny Side Up By Katie Sturino
Publication Date: June 24, 2025
Publisher: Celadon Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you so much to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this #gifted e-ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

Swoon. It's SUCH a great feeling when a rom-com gives you the ability to fall in love with falling in love again! With Sunny Side Up, Katie Sturino not only crafts a beautiful love story about two people falling in love, she also crafts a love story in which the main character falls in love with HERSELF again. And she does so with witty sarcasm and a laugh-out-loud sense of humor that makes this sparkling debut one that's worth talking about.

Recently divorced, 35-year-old Sunny Greene is facing the looming prospect of going solo to her little brother’s wedding. The book begins with her attempt to find anything plus-sized in the Bergdorf Goodman swimsuit department that doesn’t make her want to cry -- and it's not going well. But Sunny decides she's had enough - she has an incredible life she's built for herself and it's time to embrace her plus-size body just as it is. And allow herself to fall in love with a man who truly accepts her and loves her for the whole package she is. In the midst of an incredible entrepreneurial opportunity and her dating life exploding, can Sunny actually have everything she's ever wanted?

Oh y'all, I LOVED Sunny Greene. She was authentic, real, and the kind-of friend you wish you were meeting for brunch tomorrow. The friendships between Sunny, Noor, and Brooke spoke volumes about the importance of supportive and empowering female friends, and the sisterly sort-of love that developed between Sunny and her assistant Avery was a reminder to surround yourself with people who are your worth in every aspect of your life. And Sunny's stories about the dating world? They were both fantastic and cringe-worthy, just like those stories to be shared by those of us who've ever experienced the world of dating apps.

A quick read that is funny, smart, and uplifting, Sunny Side Up is a must-read for everyone who considers themselves to be a fan of rom-coms. If you're looking for a book that will bring a smile to your face and give you that much-needed reminder that you're worthy of everything you want in life -- do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Sturino's debut, Sunny Side Up. Available now!

#SunnySideUp #KatieSturino #CeladonBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #romcomreads #romcoms #bodyacceptance #booklover #bookaddict #bookreviews #bookrecs

This debut novel by body-acceptance advocate Katie Sturino was an absolute delight!

When 35 year-old Sunny Greene finds herself unexpectedly divorced with the prospect of going to her brother's wedding on the horizon and literally STUCK in a bathing suit in the dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman, she knows she's hit her own personal rock bottom... and she's ready to start rebuilding her confidence and rediscovering her passions.

Sunny Side Up is for every woman who's ever felt sick of spending all her mental & physical energy judging and trying to change her body. It's an anthem for body-acceptance, but it's also a love-note to female friendships, a reminder that self-love matters more than any man's opinion and a nudge to chase our dreams no matter what anyone else thinks.

The romance played a supporting role in this book, in my opinion. It was fun (and a little spicy if that matters to you), but it wasn't the star of the story, even if getting back into the dating scene was the catalyst to Sunny's personal journey.

If you love empowering stories about plus-sized women, set in NYC with a romance element, then this is for you!

Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I enjoyed the journey I went on with Sunny in this book! The emotions, challenges and struggles were so real. Glad for some romanic relief, her friends and acceptance and strength Sunny has..

4 stars

I love Sunny!

As a longtime fan of Katie Sturino, I was excited to read her debut novel! The story follows Sunny, a newly divorced millennial in her 30s in New York City. She has a delightful group of friends, a career in PR and great fashion sense (I loved all the descriptions of everyone’s clothing and places in NYC). Sunny finds herself unable to find a swimsuit she likes that fits for an upcoming vacation, and with her pals’ encouragement, launches a swim line with an extended size range. Sunny is also a writer and re-launches her newsletter, which documents her dating adventures. I liked following her dating escapades, especially with Mr. Postman.

I would have loved for her to dive a bit deeper with the body acceptance, but was happy that the discussion was a part of the overall narrative. There were so many excellent women in Sunny’s life including her group chat, sister in law to be, and Avery.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book really resonated with me. The whole trying to find an ok bathing suit, much less a great one for my size and body type. Sunny really wanted to go into fashion design but her being above the ideal size kept her on the outside even though she was a great intern. As a result she found herself in the adjacent field of PR and excelled there instead. Now she runs her own company and is recovering from her recent divorce with the help of her new found divorce friends.

Sunny Side Up is a sweet, sentimental, and truly "sunny" romance. There's nothing really new or earth shattering about it, but the plot is not meant to be the biggest "selling point." Author Katie Sturino joins Jennifer Weiner (Good in Bed, In Her Shoes) as an advocate for plus size women, and this is where Sunny Side Up excels. Any woman bigger than size 6 can relate to the negativity and prejudices Sunny faces. She is a very successful businesswoman, attractive, kind, and smart, yet all some people see is her physique. Sunny Side Up reminds us beauty comes in every shape and size, and we are all deserving of love. So be like Sunny and keep looking up even when someone tries to put you down.

Sunny is a plus sized woman newly single from a surprise divorce, living in NYC.
She goes on a “divorcation” with two friends who also have had recent divorces. She wears a modified bathing suit that she worked with her tailor on after a horrible time in a dressing room. It is a hit, and with some coaxing, she decides to launch a bathing suit brand for larger women.
While that is going on, she is looking to get into the dating pool and bring a date to her brother’s wedding.
I liked the story, but it was a little slow.
Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC.

This book caught my eye when I was looking for something light to read. It is a debut novel and the description sounded interesting so I thought I would give it a try.

Description:
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?

Of course things are never straightforward in the dating world. Is fate knocking at her door with Dennis, the charming and down-to-earth mailman, or should she be with Ted, the business tycoon who seems ready to make her size-inclusive swimsuit brand a reality? And what should she do about her ex, who shows up unexpectedly, eager to reconnect?

With the same candor and confidence her followers love, Sturino brings us Sunny Greene, a Carrie Bradshaw for the next generation, and her journey through the trials and triumphs of dating, friendship, and finding yourself.

My Thoughts:
Sunny is quite a character. I like that she identified issues a larger woman facing when shopping - especially for swimsuits. I loved her dedication to getting the perfect design for a beautiful, comfortable swimsuit for a larger woman and making them available in all the department stores that never seem to have anything nice for larger women. She had quite a dilemma with three possible romantic interests, but I do admit I thought the mailman was adorable. I also enjoyed the humor in the book. Overall this was a delightful read and I enjoyed the time I spent with it.

Thanks to Celadon Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This is a total charmer! Yes, even overweight women are entitled to love, success and happiness. The reader takes a lovely voyage with Sunny and her friends as she moves to accept herself and create a climate for other women who are not perfect size 4s.

I enjoyed this novel and recommend it to readers looking for light, fluffy and romantic.

I wanted to love this one! It’s a fun, cute story, but not a real winner for me because of a few things I couldn’t move past. 3 stars. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Things I enjoyed: the NYC setting, Sunny’s dating life and sexcapades, her Sunny Side Up blog posts, the work setting, and Sunny’s bestie friendships.

Now for what bothered me. Much of this book centers around the MC’s bigger body, as she figures out clothes, overcomes cruelty from those closest to her, and tries to find her self-love and body neutrality. All good things! And yet…she isn’t actually plus size imo?!

I know that people struggle with their weight and body image at all different sizes and shapes, and I get that we can each define “plus size” for ourselves, but as a woman who is several sizes larger than the MC, the messaging in this one didn’t hit the mark with me.

At one point, the MC talks about how awful it feels to hear thinner people talk about how bad they feel about their bodies. I mean…yeah. I’ve been there often…just didn’t expect to be there while reading a book that supposedly champions plus size women. 🙄 I’m sure it was meant to be a relatable moment from character to reader, but it fell flat for me.

I think this book would have been significantly better for me if the author left the size/number out of the story, so that I could interpret the main character’s looks for myself. Which would allow me to focus on the story more and appreciate all the things Sunny does in the book to lift herself and other women up.

I did like the messaging of body inclusivity, body neutrality, gaining confidence, and empowering women to embrace themselves at every stage, age, and weight. Sunny championing personal style, no matter your size, was my favorite part.

If you loved this one, I’m glad! And if you learned something, or gained more compassion from the story, I’m even more glad!

I just finished this book, and I feel like I just lived six months of the "young New York City overworked business person life". Ms. Sturino did a very convincing job bringing this reader into that world, with the added drama of a complicated dating life also in the mix. Sunny Greene is recently divorced, and I really enjoyed reading the moments with her wonderful friend group of recent divorcées as they commiserate and support each other. I loved the idea of Sunny collaborating with her tailor to create a line of all-sizes-friendly swimsuits - this is certainly a concept the world is ready for! I certainly developed plenty of sympathy for Sunny who was running a PR business, designing and producing a line of clothing, and dating two men at the same time. I have to say that I am probably not the target demographic for this novel; I found myself looking up pop culture references so I could be in the know. I don't feel that I got to know the characters very well, though I continually hoped that Sunny's business would succeed and that she would achieve her HEA. Take this one to the beach for a fun afternoon read.