This was a sweet book about Sunny Greene, she's 35, recently divorced and trying to find plus sized swim wear in Bergdorf Goodmans. Her brother is getting married and she's going to have to go solo. After hitting rock bottom she decides it's time to climb her way back up starting off by accepting herself the way she is. Her next journey begins with newfound confidence. She's letting herself be open to dating and the mailman, Dennis, seems to be sweet on her. Is it fate knocking on her door? Or is the business tycoon who seems to want to make her plus sized swimwear idea a reality a possibility or is he too good to be true? Sunny's personal journey and growth is inspiring, I received an advanced audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Go read this one!

☀️ Overall, Sunny Greene was touted (in the synopsis) as “a Carrie Bradshaw for the next generation.” And, because she writes about her love life online, the comparison is certainly there. While I love the idea of that icon being plus-sized, Sunny wasn’t quite bearing the message I want for future generations.

☀️ I did love the way this book began and appreciated the overarching body positivity. The plot line around the body positive swimsuit line started by the main character in the book was probably my favorite part. I love a good woman entrepreneur!

☀️I also enjoyed that Sunny was dating and having fun with two men after her divorce. There was certainly meant to be a message about being a more empowered woman post divorce. BUT, Sunny seems to be putting so much of her self-worth into the men she dates that it felt very unempowering. Her miscommunication and secrecy with the men she dates was also less than empowered and led to one or more men getting hurt (trying not to spoil things!) I really didn’t love how she strung along both men even after one showed that he wasn’t worth her time.

☀️ I got mad again when she worked on a business deal with her ex, who was clearly an awful person.

☀️ I thought the audiobook was well-narrated! No complaints and definitely an easy listen.

☀️ Thank you to macmillan audio, netgalley, macmillan, and the author for their access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

☀️ PS: if I had a baby girl (I have 3 boys), I was going to name her Sunny. Sunny Sterling has a real ring I thought. But, since I didn’t, I have a cavalier named Sunny now 😂

I was excited to try the ALC because I couldn't get into it on my kindle... unfortunately the audio did not help. I didn't love the narrator and I was a little bored.
I had to DNF.

Sunny Side Up
By Katie Sturino
Narrated by Yael Rizowy

Published June 24, 2025

I love me a plus sized girly book and this was such an amazing read. Sunny, thirty five and recently divorced on the search for something for her brothers wedding, an outfit and a date. I love that she meets the mailman and they become close. Sunny is truly someone who gives those who dont fit into the tiny figure squad a name. Our bodies dont need to look a certain way to fit in and Sunny really embodies that.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. All words are my own.

Sunny Side Up is a refreshing, honest, and empowering listen that feels like a pep talk from your funniest, most fearless friend. Katie Sturino shares her story with warmth, humor, and vulnerability, and hearing it in her own voice makes the audiobook even more impactful. I laughed, I nodded, and I walked away feeling inspired. Such a relatable and uplifting experience from start to finish! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Audio for providing a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Holy moly, I truly LOVED this book! ✨ If you've been searching for that modern Sex and the City energy but with a whole lot more heart (and a dash less problematic), this is it, ladies! This rom-com hit all the right notes for me.

Sunny's journey with her weight, self-esteem, and career? So incredibly powerful and real. I felt seen, heard, and cheered for her every step of the way. It's not just a dating story; it's a vibrant, empowering exploration of finding your feet after a long-term relationship and absolutely owning your confidence in the bustling backdrop of NYC.

This was such an easy, utterly delightful read. And the audiobook, narrated by Yael Rizowy? Perfection! She brought Sunny to life in the grooviest way. If you need a feel-good story that packs a punch of self-love, grab this one!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the eALC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️4.5 stars⭐️

I believe this will be one of my favorite books this year. As someone who has struggled with weight, self esteem, and my worth, this message of body acceptance is exactly what I needed! Sunny is charming and so relatable. There were times I forgot this was a fictional story. It felt like a memoir.

I listened to this audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed this narrator. She really brought the story to life!

A quick, easy summery read. A journey of re-discovering. What you want, where you are unwilling to settle, and the difficult choices we have to make in love. For fans of drop dead diva and Sex and the City.

This was a difficult review to write. I stand and cheer the body-acceptance message, but I’m troubled by the execution.

The synopsis:
Sunny Greene is a 35-year-old success: she has her PR empire, her gorgeous Chelsea apartment, her two dogs, and her loyal best friends.

But Sunny feels like a disaster: she’s recently divorced, 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.

With a new commitment to confidence, Sunny decides it’s time for a change. Who says a plus-sized divorcee can’t put herself first, feel beautiful, and date up a storm?

3️⃣ Things To 🫶

Sunny’s confidence.
Sunny is a force to be reckoned with! She dared to step out on her own and built a PR empire. She’s creative. She knows what she likes, what she wants, and she goes after it. When shopping for a swimsuit brought her to rock bottom, she decided it was time to rock the fashion industry.

The fight for size-inclusivity.
Let’s face it, the way we feel in our clothing affects more than how squeezed our tummy feels when we sit or how we “suck it in” when we stand. No one should cry in the fitting room. When fashion is only targeted to certain sizes, the message is clear: “You aren’t (important, good, successful, pretty…insert that day’s nagging emotion) enough.”

The mailman.
Everyone needs a Dennis in their life.

2️⃣ Things That Made Me 🤔

There were many words devoted to the physical descriptions of the men Sunny dated: their good looks, their muscles, “those arms,” etc., and this niggled at me for a couple of reasons. One, Sunny doesn’t want to be judged on her body, yet there is a significant focus on men’s physical appearance. Two, women aren’t the only ones who struggle with body-acceptance. I couldn’t help but wonder how these descriptions would have made some male readers feel?

I appreciated the insight into how stores stock (or rather, don’t stock) their physical locations with plus-size options, and more importantly, how this impacts shoppers. As an average-sized, middle-aged woman, I frequently find clothes shopping a disheartening experience. “If only they’d give me a little more room in the waist…” is my constant refrain. My heart broke reading Sunny’s shopping experience at the beginning of the book. Fashion World, no one should feel that way when they just want to wear a swimsuit. It is way past time for size-inclusivity to be an industry standard, not limited to singular brands.

1️⃣ Thing That Left Me 🥺

Sunny’s “dating up a storm” early in the book translated frequently into “falling into bed with the next guy.” For a book with such a strong body-acceptance message, this felt counter to accepting and loving yourself for the beautiful person you are.

The witty banter and positive body-acceptance theme will be enough for some readers, but if you’re looking for a romantic comedy with a sympathetic main character, this may not be your book.

I listened to this on audio, and thoroughly enjoyed Yael Rizowy’s narration.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and author Katie Sturino for the complimentary advance copy. It was my pleasure to write this candid review.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 3

I think it's time that we stopped talking about women's bodies. Men talking about it was enough, but women need to stop shaming each other too. Let us eat the cake, wear the bikini, and be okay with a few rolls. I had so many days where I was in the fitting room and sweating profusely or about to cry because damn sizes were getting smaller and I was getting bigger.

Sunny was there too, in the BG fitting room trying to find a bathing suit serving its purpose. She was this successful with everything going well for her, but she was in a deep turmoil because of her body. She didn't like it. She didn't want to showcase it. After that moment in the fitting room, she made a decision to accept herself as she was and take the dating world by storm with her refreshed confidence.

Of course, she was going to be put in a difficult position again: choose between 2 men she cared for. Dennis was a nice mailman who could make her happy with no strings attached. Ted was the moneymaker who could make all her dreams come true. This is like Carrie being in between Mr. Big and Aiden back in the day. If you followed SATC religiously, you'll love this book.

Thanks @macmillan.audio for an ALC!
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Sunny Greene is a fierce, funny, and refreshingly real heroine navigating life, love, and swimsuits post-divorc. And she does it all with style and heart. This body-positive, feel-good romcom radiates confidence and second chances. Think self-love glow-up meets dating chaos in the best way. Yael Rizowy brought Sunny to life and you couldn’t help but love her.

This was a cute, easy listen. Light on drama, quick to get through, and pleasant enough to have on in the background. Nothing particularly exciting or memorable, but sometimes that’s exactly what you’re in the mood for.

I loved this book, which I listened to on audio and completely devoured. *Sunny Side Up* follows Sunny Greene as she reinvents her life after a messy marriage and divorce, and I was rooting for her the entire way. She’s real, authentic, confident in her size 12 body, and just the kind of main character you want to be friends with.

Sunny is building her PR business but also sees a major gap in the market for plus-size swimwear, and decides to follow her dream of creating something meaningful. Watching her chase that goal was so inspiring. On top of it all, there’s a dating element that felt so relatable for us thirty-somethings. Ted and Dennis, her two potential love interests, add a fun dynamic that kept things interesting and honest.

This book is a body positivity story (which might not be for everyone), but I thought it was handled in such a refreshing, uplifting way. It’s light-hearted, empowering, and one of the most feel-good reads I’ve had in a long time. A solid 4 stars from me, and I’ll be reading more from Katie Sturino!

Sunny Side Up by Katie Sturino is a body-positive rom-com starring a "plus-size" FMC who is on a mission to find a date to her brother's wedding. I wanted to love this, as a plus-size woman who often struggles with my self image, but I found Sunny to be a little unbelievable. Yes, her panic attack in the dressing room after trying the largest swimsuits (size 14) and not finding any that fit was relatable. And I wanted to love it, but Sunny rubbed me the wrong way. She was 35 years old and acting like she was unworthy of love because she had big thighs and some cellulite. I personally didn't connect with her sleeping around with multiple guys and blogging about it. There really was no romance, just flings. And if that's something you enjoy, then you will probably tear through this book with no problem. But I was hoping for something else. The way things went for Sunny seemed a little far fetched and unbelieveable. Anyway, I made it about 35% through before I DNF'd this one. I enjoyed the writing and the narrator - I just didn't love the character or the story.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

DNF at 40%. Why this book is getting so much attention is beyond me. The main character has so many issues besides her body image. She just plows ahead - using people and having constant one night stands.

Since I did not finish the novel I will not post on publishing sites. Thank you

Katie Sturino's new novel is a sweet, sugary glass of ice cold lemonade that's the perfect companion for a sandy, summery beach day.

Sunny Greene has the world going for her: The larger-than-life-in-a-larger-body executive has amazing new friends following a quick divorce, a booming PR business, a vision for a swimsuit line full of garments women would actually want to wear, and a recently revived newsletter that is blowing up faster than The Skimm. So, what's keeping this superstar down? A lack of a date for her brother's impending wedding, lingering feelings for an ex, and closed doors on her new passion project. But as the world opens up for the newly viral Sunny, a pair of men walk into her life, and, boy, could they not be more different. Who will Sunny fall for? Can Sunny really have it all?

Megababe founder and internet personality Katie Sturino continues to blaze a path toward body acceptance (a similar concept to body positivity) with Sunny Side Up, a work of fiction that feels closely connected to Sturino's own business success and foray into online fame. Her proven success in changing hearts and minds is likely what motivates this story, undoubtedly inspired by works from authors like Jennifer Weiner, Candace Bushnell, and Talia Hibbert. SUNNY SIDE UP is ultimately a rom-com, one that feels ready to be adapted into the kind of movie you'll be desperate to watch on an airplane (and I mean that in the best way!) However, while the novel is a breath of fresh air in many ways, it might be too much pure oxygen: There's a lack of conflict in Sunny Side Up, even in its third act. Sunny is simply perfect at everything she does, as are her never-tired assistant, her two best friends, and her sister-in-law. The love triangle in this story is painted a touch broadly, as if it's clear from the jump which of the two Sunny is destined to end up with, based on conventions in these types of stories. There's joy in reading a story like this one, but Bridget Jones, Carrie Bradshaw, and Cannie Shapiro are all fabulous if not flawed, and Sunny lacks the same blemishes to make her as iconic as her predecessors.

Sunny Side Up felt like a warm hug on a messy day — comforting, honest, and surprisingly empowering. Sunny’s journey through heartbreak, self-doubt, and body image struggles was raw, real, and deeply relatable.

Katie Sturino balances tough topics with humor and heart, making this more than just a feel-good read — it’s a reminder that healing is messy, confidence takes time, and you’re allowed to cry in your car and wear a fabulous bathing suit.

It’s not about plot twists; it’s about the vibe — and it delivers. Highly recommend for anyone who needs a boost and believes in brighter days ahead.

I loved the audiobook and read it along side the book. I thought it really enhanced the experience.

Sunny Greene is 35 and newly divorced. She is a boss bitch that runs her own PR firm in New York City. She has gained 40 pounds since her divorce. Being plus size in NYC is rough. She has a hard time finding anything decent to wear in stores and contemplates starting her own clothing line. Sunny Greene is not on the search for love. She’s looking to find her own happiness with her group of new friends. She’s searching to love herself and feel confident and comfortable in her own skin. She’s also downloading dating apps and trying to have some fun while she’s at it.

I really enjoyed this book. Sunny is an utterly relatable character. One of my favorite shows of all time is Sex in the City and this was giving that vibe.

Loved the narrator for this novel. The plot was interesting and light.. perfect for a beach read! However, sometimes the book dealt with heavier topic but it felt almost glossed over.

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't realize until I had almost finished it that the author is the founder of Megababe. The body positivity message felt natural and authentic to the story but now it makes even more sense knowing the author. I enjoyed hearing the business side of the MC's startup and PR career, as well as the romantic side of her life and her dates. The audiobook narrator does a really nice job as well.