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The Sunshine Sisters
The New York Times bestselling author of Falling presents a warm, wise, and wonderfully vivid novel about a mother who asks her three estranged daughters to come home to help her end her life.
Ronni Sunshine left London for Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen. But at home, she was a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienated her three daughters.
As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother's overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother s criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother's fame, while her marriage crumbled around her.
But now the Sunshine Girls are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are all going through crises of their own, their mother s illness draws them together to confront old jealousies and secret fears and they discover that blood might be thicker than water after all.
Ronni Sunshine left London for Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen. But at home, she was a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienated her three daughters.
As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother's overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother s criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother's fame, while her marriage crumbled around her.
But now the Sunshine Girls are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are all going through crises of their own, their mother s illness draws them together to confront old jealousies and secret fears and they discover that blood might be thicker than water after all.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2017
1,713 people are currently reading
14.7k people want to read
About the author
Jane Green
78 books8,609 followersJane Green's twenty first novel, Sister Stardust, is out April 5th 2022.
She is the author of eighteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels, and known as one of the world's leading authors in women's fiction, with over ten million books in print, and translations in over 25 languages.
Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate.
She joined the ABC News team to write their first enhanced digital book— about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News as a live correspondent covering Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton.
A former journalist in the UK, she has had her own radio show on BBC Radio London, and is a regular contributor on radio and TV, including as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.
Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including anthologies and novellas, and features for The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self. She has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking, and has a weekly column in The Lady magazine, England’s longest running weekly magazine.
A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, Green is bringing out her first cookbook: Good Taste , with Berkley in October 2016.
She is a storyteller for The Moth radio hour on NPR,
and lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.
Jane's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Gr...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
She is the author of eighteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels, and known as one of the world's leading authors in women's fiction, with over ten million books in print, and translations in over 25 languages.
Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate.
She joined the ABC News team to write their first enhanced digital book— about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News as a live correspondent covering Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton.
A former journalist in the UK, she has had her own radio show on BBC Radio London, and is a regular contributor on radio and TV, including as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.
Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including anthologies and novellas, and features for The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self. She has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking, and has a weekly column in The Lady magazine, England’s longest running weekly magazine.
A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, Green is bringing out her first cookbook: Good Taste , with Berkley in October 2016.
She is a storyteller for The Moth radio hour on NPR,
and lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.
Jane's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Gr...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,637 reviews
June 30, 2017
The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green is a 2017 Berkley publication.
This book is the ideal beach read.
Ronni Sunshine was once a famous actress, defining the narcissist personality we so often associate with that occupation. But, she also has three daughters, Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy, all of whom couldn’t wait to get away from Ronni… and each other.
But, now they have all been summoned home by Ronni, who has been diagnosed with a fatal disease… for real this time. She only has a little time left to get her daughters back together in one place, and to apologize to them for being such a wretched mother, and hopefully receive their forgiveness, but she also needs their help to carry out one final, shocking request.
After years of estrangement from their mother, the girls gather together with all their resentments and baggage coming along for the ride. Can they make peace with their mother and mend their broken relationship with each other?
All of Ronni’s daughters bring high drama with them- Nell, a single mom, who has never been able to get over her first love, no matter how hard she tries to feel a connection and real passion with someone else.
Meredith took a dull job, has a boring boyfriend, and finds great comfort in food, while trying to make everyone else happy.
Lizzy, is the youngest, and the most like her mother. She’s a successful celebrity chef, with a husband and young son, but she is also having a long running affair, she can’t seem to withdraw from, having also inherited her mother's spoiled self-absorbtion.
Under the same roof, the sisters become catty, with their barely contained annoyance with each other simmering just underneath the surface. But, when they find out their mother is gravely ill, they each take stock of their lives, and find the courage to take risks, embrace their sisterhood, and commonality with each other, and embark on a new chapter in their lives.
The story got off to a slow start, for me, but I’m glad I stuck it out. The real turning point comes when a writer shows up at Ronni’s, hoping to do a documentary over her life. His presence allows the sisters to look back over their mother’s life, and helps them put their childhood’s in perspective.
Other than Ronni’s illness, the story is not too heavy, and there are several comical moments along the way, but the emotional levels stay on an even keel, so you won’t have to worry about doing the ugly cry sitting poolside.
But, mostly this is a story about three sisters who did not have a strong parental influence in their lives, because their mother was so caught up in her career, always trying to keep the attention on herself and was a real life drama queen, and father who chose his second family over them. They all endured some kind of side effect from their upbringing that influenced the decisions they made and the actions they took as adults, with disastrous results.
They now have the rare chance to change the course of their lives, to make peace with the past and with each other and enjoy the last, but best gift their mother ever gave them… each other.
Overall, this is a nice and easy read, with nice character growth, and a feel good ending.
3.5 stars
This book is the ideal beach read.
Ronni Sunshine was once a famous actress, defining the narcissist personality we so often associate with that occupation. But, she also has three daughters, Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy, all of whom couldn’t wait to get away from Ronni… and each other.
But, now they have all been summoned home by Ronni, who has been diagnosed with a fatal disease… for real this time. She only has a little time left to get her daughters back together in one place, and to apologize to them for being such a wretched mother, and hopefully receive their forgiveness, but she also needs their help to carry out one final, shocking request.
After years of estrangement from their mother, the girls gather together with all their resentments and baggage coming along for the ride. Can they make peace with their mother and mend their broken relationship with each other?
All of Ronni’s daughters bring high drama with them- Nell, a single mom, who has never been able to get over her first love, no matter how hard she tries to feel a connection and real passion with someone else.
Meredith took a dull job, has a boring boyfriend, and finds great comfort in food, while trying to make everyone else happy.
Lizzy, is the youngest, and the most like her mother. She’s a successful celebrity chef, with a husband and young son, but she is also having a long running affair, she can’t seem to withdraw from, having also inherited her mother's spoiled self-absorbtion.
Under the same roof, the sisters become catty, with their barely contained annoyance with each other simmering just underneath the surface. But, when they find out their mother is gravely ill, they each take stock of their lives, and find the courage to take risks, embrace their sisterhood, and commonality with each other, and embark on a new chapter in their lives.
The story got off to a slow start, for me, but I’m glad I stuck it out. The real turning point comes when a writer shows up at Ronni’s, hoping to do a documentary over her life. His presence allows the sisters to look back over their mother’s life, and helps them put their childhood’s in perspective.
Other than Ronni’s illness, the story is not too heavy, and there are several comical moments along the way, but the emotional levels stay on an even keel, so you won’t have to worry about doing the ugly cry sitting poolside.
But, mostly this is a story about three sisters who did not have a strong parental influence in their lives, because their mother was so caught up in her career, always trying to keep the attention on herself and was a real life drama queen, and father who chose his second family over them. They all endured some kind of side effect from their upbringing that influenced the decisions they made and the actions they took as adults, with disastrous results.
They now have the rare chance to change the course of their lives, to make peace with the past and with each other and enjoy the last, but best gift their mother ever gave them… each other.
Overall, this is a nice and easy read, with nice character growth, and a feel good ending.
3.5 stars
Shelved as 'books-i-gave-up-on'
May 30, 2017dnf @ 40%
I have read almost half the book and I really don't like any of the characters and don't care what happens to them. Maybe I will give it a try at some other point but it is not working for me at all right now.
I have read almost half the book and I really don't like any of the characters and don't care what happens to them. Maybe I will give it a try at some other point but it is not working for me at all right now.
June 6, 2017
Ronni Sunshine was a famous B-list actress back in the day. For Ronni, being the center of attention came first, and the needs of her three daughters came last. As the years went by, the girls - Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy - became estranged from their narcissistic and often cruel mother, and unfortunately each other, too. Now Ronni is suffering from a terminal illness, and her last wishes are to reunite her daughters and make amends before it's too late.
The bright beachy cover of this book is a bit misleading. The story of the dysfunctional Sunshine family is pretty sad. The girls' lack of motherly affection in childhood shaped the troubled adults they became - one distant, one lacking self worth, and one spoiled and selfish. None of the characters where particularly likable, however, it's certainly understandable why they turned out the way they did.
This is my first Jane Green book, and I'm left with mixed feelings about it. The characters felt genuine, however some of the situations weren't realistic or were just too convenient. I did enjoy the author's storytelling, and though the subject matter was sad, the book was a quick and easy read. I especially enjoyed the bucolic Connecticut setting of Nell's farm.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The bright beachy cover of this book is a bit misleading. The story of the dysfunctional Sunshine family is pretty sad. The girls' lack of motherly affection in childhood shaped the troubled adults they became - one distant, one lacking self worth, and one spoiled and selfish. None of the characters where particularly likable, however, it's certainly understandable why they turned out the way they did.
This is my first Jane Green book, and I'm left with mixed feelings about it. The characters felt genuine, however some of the situations weren't realistic or were just too convenient. I did enjoy the author's storytelling, and though the subject matter was sad, the book was a quick and easy read. I especially enjoyed the bucolic Connecticut setting of Nell's farm.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 5, 2018
I'm a fan of this author and do happy that I was able to purchase this book on a deal. I could not put this down. The story takes its time with character development and your glad because you have connected with each one never wanting the story to end.
This is a story about a mother whose vanity has destroyed all of the relationships that have mattered. She has received news that she has a terminal disease and needs her family but on her terms. The reunion with her daughters are met with tears and soon the healing begins. I loved every page of this story, I felt for each character including Ronnie Sunshine. Well done, Ms. Green!!
This is a story about a mother whose vanity has destroyed all of the relationships that have mattered. She has received news that she has a terminal disease and needs her family but on her terms. The reunion with her daughters are met with tears and soon the healing begins. I loved every page of this story, I felt for each character including Ronnie Sunshine. Well done, Ms. Green!!
October 1, 2019
Ronni Sunshine is a famous but mildly aging actress and the mother of three daughters. By her own admission, she failed as a parent, so much so that as adults, they have very little interaction with her or each other. In fact, her middle daughter, Meredith, moved abroad to London in order to put some serious distance between them. Now that Ronni is facing a serious illness, she wants to make things right with her daughters and bring them together at her home in Connecticut.
I found this story fascinating in how Ronni’s narcissism and self absorption manifested itself in each of her daughters. The eldest, Nell, became aloof and emotionally challenged, except when it came to her son. Her middle daughter, Meredith, who had weight issues all of her life, couldn’t have lower self esteem. The youngest, Lizzy, is most like Ronni in personality and temperament, also following a self destructive path with her marriage. The story shifts back and forth to each character during pivotal moments of time from childhood to present day. At times it was confusing but overall it was effective in creating vivid images of all of them and made for an interesting story.
Throughout most of the book, I didn’t find any of them likable but that slowly evolved to a healthy respect by the end. I cared what happened to them, even Ronni, and found myself pulling for them to find their way. Narrated by the author, the story was made even more distinctive by her performance, which isn’t always the case when the writer takes this on. The benefit, however, is the narrator knows the intended nuances and in this case, it worked. It’s my first by this author and now I’ll seek out other titles as I very much enjoyed this one.
June 13, 2017
The Sunshine Sisters is the perfect Summer read!
This story is about a very dysfunctional family, I mean really, what family isn't?! Ronni Sunshine, once a famous actress, was a self-centered, dispassionate mother who was never available for her 3 daughters as they were growing up. You might say she created a very toxic environment for them because the bond they once had has now been disconnected through all the turbulence Ronni created throughout the years.
The story follows each sister through their life, and you will see how each one is unique in their own way. Each creating a different life for themselves, each going down a different path. But now Ronni has called them home in hopes they will fulfill her final wishes. Ronni wants to make amends to her daughters, and she wants them to become a family again - like they should have been many years ago. Will the girls ever forgive their mother for how they were raised? Will the girls become a family again and set aside the distaste and jealousy they have for each another? Is Ronni asking the impossible?
In the end, this is a very emotional story about family, forgiveness, love, finding out who you really are, self-worth, and most importantly, mother and daughter relationships.
I would like to thank First to Read, Berkley Books, and Jane Green for the ARC of this book.
This story is about a very dysfunctional family, I mean really, what family isn't?! Ronni Sunshine, once a famous actress, was a self-centered, dispassionate mother who was never available for her 3 daughters as they were growing up. You might say she created a very toxic environment for them because the bond they once had has now been disconnected through all the turbulence Ronni created throughout the years.
The story follows each sister through their life, and you will see how each one is unique in their own way. Each creating a different life for themselves, each going down a different path. But now Ronni has called them home in hopes they will fulfill her final wishes. Ronni wants to make amends to her daughters, and she wants them to become a family again - like they should have been many years ago. Will the girls ever forgive their mother for how they were raised? Will the girls become a family again and set aside the distaste and jealousy they have for each another? Is Ronni asking the impossible?
In the end, this is a very emotional story about family, forgiveness, love, finding out who you really are, self-worth, and most importantly, mother and daughter relationships.
I would like to thank First to Read, Berkley Books, and Jane Green for the ARC of this book.
June 11, 2017
"It doesn't matter how many years go by, how grown-up we think we are, how much we presume we have changed or evolved, when we are back in our childhood homes, we become exactly who we have always been... we will all just slip back into the roles we have always played, whether we were ever comfortable with them or not."The Sunshine Sisters is an exploration of sisterhood, family, and women in general. The sisters consist of three daughters of a famous movie star who have barely spoken to one another for years. In the midst of individual crises of their own, their self-absorbed and usually absent mother calls them all home. Falling back into roles as easily as muscle memory, they all must find a way to get to know each other again, grant each other (and their selves) permission to change, and pull together for a new crisis at hand...their mother.
This women's fiction novel seems to be receiving mixed reviews from the start. I for one loved it. The ending is unexpected, but if you think about it, it is completely expected. The characters act in accordance with how the author carefully developed them to - even if it deters from how you thought it might end. The Sunshine Sisters is much more about each individual character than it is about any particular storyline. Remember this and you'll be fine.
My favorite quote:
"I don't have to be the same, she thinks. I can do it differently. Whatever I may have done in the last few years, I can do things differently from today." ♥
June 15, 2017
Ronni Sunshine is a famous, wonderful, pleasant actress on stage, but at home she is anything but wonderful and pleasant. She has no time for her daughters.
We follow Meredith, Nell, and Lizzy as they grow up in an unloving household with a mother who is more of a tyrant than a mother and a mother who cares only for herself.
The girls flee the nest one at a time and have troubles of their own because of their childhood, but now that Ronni is dying, she wants her daughters to rally around her. Ronni also had something else in mind when she invited her daughters back to their childhood home.
Each sister has a totally different personality, and it was interesting to follow them to see the path each one took. Nell seemed to be the responsible one. Meredith seemed to still be looking for happiness. Lizzy was still the fly-by-night, spoiled one.
The family issues and the different lifestyles the girls led were nicely developed by Ms. Green and could be the lifestyle of any young girl growing up trying to make choices.
This is my first book by Ms. Green. It was an enjoyable read and not something I normally read so I was surprised how her writing and story line pulled me in.
Nell seemed like a genuine person who worked hard in her life to make up what she had missed during her childhood.
Meredith kept speaking to me because of the way she put everyone before herself and kept the peace.
Lizzy was self-centered like her mother, and I liked her the least.
The characters did grow on me as they grew emotionally and made choices they never thought they would.
Women's fiction fans will enjoy this book because of the family drama, the regrets, the healing, and how Ms. Green addressed both family and friend relationships, as well as addressing end-of-life decisions.. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.
October 5, 2022
Not really my taste. I thought all three of the sisters were awful and one deminsional. The plot was very thin. It is a 350+ page book and not very much happens in it. Just overall the book was a little shallow for me.
November 5, 2017
At first, I didn't think I would like this book, but I did. What an interesting story of dysfunctional daughters and a narassistc cruel mother! The book takes you through each girl's life and how being raised by a horrible celebrity mother affects them. Not all of the main and side characters are likable especially the mother but they are engaging. Not a fluffy cute book (despite the cover) but one I would recommend. 4.5 stars!
July 4, 2017
Since I enjoyed listening to Falling in audio last year, I decided to do the same for The Sunshine Sisters. Jane Green has a lovely speaking voice and hearing the story narrated by her adds some extra flair.
I found it interesting that the story starts off from Ronni's perspective, and then after a few chapters it completely shifts to the three sisters for the rest of the novel. I think Ronni would have become a more sympathetic character if we had more of an idea of what was going through her head. There were times I felt similar to her and that scared me.
The sisters each had their interesting story arcs. I think I liked it most when we got to the present time and they were all together again. I enjoyed listening to them interact in person and try to settle their differences after years of being apart. There were some really good moments in this section where I found myself laughing and smiling. I was able to find at least one thing in common with each sister. Being an avid reader, I was able to guess some of the things that were about to happen. However, some parts also surprised me. And I was glad when the outcome was what I was expecting. I also love that Jane took on a story line for one of her characters that I would like to see more of in novels.
I'm not sure why Billy needed his own chapter in the middle in order to tell more of Ronni's story. It could just have easily been told from Ronni's perspective to get back into her head. While Billy does appear a lot through the last half of the book, we could have gathered pieces of his life without needing his perspective. Aside from this, the story went a bit long, although it was good company on my rides to and from work, as well as while doing household chores. While it was enjoyable as an audio book, it was sometimes hard to tell who was doing the talking.
Overall, an enjoyable read that's perfect for the beach this summer. I would give it 4.5 stars. Just don't read it on an empty stomach. Jane's a foodie and it shows in her writing!
Present day casting (too hard to cast the teens and twenties):
Lizzy: Sugar Lyn Beard
Nell: Ever Carradine
Meredith: Claire Danes
Ronni: Christine Baranski
Derek: Jude Law
James: David Walton
Billy: Zachary Levi
Greta: Molly Parker
Sean: Bradley Cooper
I found it interesting that the story starts off from Ronni's perspective, and then after a few chapters it completely shifts to the three sisters for the rest of the novel. I think Ronni would have become a more sympathetic character if we had more of an idea of what was going through her head. There were times I felt similar to her and that scared me.
The sisters each had their interesting story arcs. I think I liked it most when we got to the present time and they were all together again. I enjoyed listening to them interact in person and try to settle their differences after years of being apart. There were some really good moments in this section where I found myself laughing and smiling. I was able to find at least one thing in common with each sister. Being an avid reader, I was able to guess some of the things that were about to happen. However, some parts also surprised me. And I was glad when the outcome was what I was expecting. I also love that Jane took on a story line for one of her characters that I would like to see more of in novels.
I'm not sure why Billy needed his own chapter in the middle in order to tell more of Ronni's story. It could just have easily been told from Ronni's perspective to get back into her head. While Billy does appear a lot through the last half of the book, we could have gathered pieces of his life without needing his perspective. Aside from this, the story went a bit long, although it was good company on my rides to and from work, as well as while doing household chores. While it was enjoyable as an audio book, it was sometimes hard to tell who was doing the talking.
Overall, an enjoyable read that's perfect for the beach this summer. I would give it 4.5 stars. Just don't read it on an empty stomach. Jane's a foodie and it shows in her writing!
Present day casting (too hard to cast the teens and twenties):
Lizzy: Sugar Lyn Beard
Nell: Ever Carradine
Meredith: Claire Danes
Ronni: Christine Baranski
Derek: Jude Law
James: David Walton
Billy: Zachary Levi
Greta: Molly Parker
Sean: Bradley Cooper
July 31, 2017
Ronni Sunshine was not a very good mother. Her career as an actress was always most important to her. But when life throws her a curve ball she isn't expecting, she will call her three daughters home together to try to make up for lost time.
Each daughter dealt with their mother's selfish ways the best way they knew how. Nell, the eldest,was unemotional; Meredith, in the middle, took everything to heart; and Lizzy, the youngest ignored her mother and did whatever she wanted to do anyway. They have all gone on to lead separate lives, and rarely spoke to each other. Their childhood and their relationship with they mother have shaped them into the women they became as women. Nell has lived her life being a mother to her son and running a farm, even though she loves her work and her son, is she really happy? Meredith is engaged to be married and has a great job, but is this the life she envisioned? Lizzy is a celebrity chef and is married with a son, but her life isn't as perfect as it looks from the outside.
I love Jane Green's books. They always send a wave of emotions. This book grabs at your heart strings and makes you feel for these characters How do you reconnect with family when you've been apart for so long. I don't think there has ever been a time when I didn't speak with my mom and my sister. I don't know what I would do if anything would happen to either one of them. The character I most connected with in this story was Meredith. I've always been the type of person to always make sure the people around me are taken care of before I've taken care of myself.
This book immediately makes you think of family and how to stay connected to them. Make sure your relationships are well maintained before it's too late. Life is so short and the next day is not promised to anyone. For those you love, you need to always keep them close so that when they go, as we all will someday, you will not feel as though there was something that you should have or could have done.
Each daughter dealt with their mother's selfish ways the best way they knew how. Nell, the eldest,was unemotional; Meredith, in the middle, took everything to heart; and Lizzy, the youngest ignored her mother and did whatever she wanted to do anyway. They have all gone on to lead separate lives, and rarely spoke to each other. Their childhood and their relationship with they mother have shaped them into the women they became as women. Nell has lived her life being a mother to her son and running a farm, even though she loves her work and her son, is she really happy? Meredith is engaged to be married and has a great job, but is this the life she envisioned? Lizzy is a celebrity chef and is married with a son, but her life isn't as perfect as it looks from the outside.
I love Jane Green's books. They always send a wave of emotions. This book grabs at your heart strings and makes you feel for these characters How do you reconnect with family when you've been apart for so long. I don't think there has ever been a time when I didn't speak with my mom and my sister. I don't know what I would do if anything would happen to either one of them. The character I most connected with in this story was Meredith. I've always been the type of person to always make sure the people around me are taken care of before I've taken care of myself.
This book immediately makes you think of family and how to stay connected to them. Make sure your relationships are well maintained before it's too late. Life is so short and the next day is not promised to anyone. For those you love, you need to always keep them close so that when they go, as we all will someday, you will not feel as though there was something that you should have or could have done.
June 27, 2017
Better than her last few books, but still not up to her writing when she wrote British chick lit like Jemima J. The characters are not very well fleshed out and very unrealistic. The mom is also a caricature. They all have enough money to live comfortably in Connecticut by the water. Have you ever seen the real estate prices up there? Jane has certainly become much more of posh American than a working girl Brit. She was waaay more fun before. I think I will throw in the towel now and give up on her returning to her roots. Bye Jane.
August 20, 2017
One of the best books I've read this year.
A story of a mother and her three daughters. Nell the oldest. Lizzy the middle child and Meredith the youngest. It's an emotional roller coaster for all three girls.
Ronni Sunshine their mother is caught up in the spotlight of Hollywood. When she knows
she hasn't long to live she demands all her daughters come home so she can die. They obey her and come home to old conflicts. They all come to realize family is everything.
This book is more than a beach read. A very profound story.
I won this book in a Jane Green Summer giveaway.
A story of a mother and her three daughters. Nell the oldest. Lizzy the middle child and Meredith the youngest. It's an emotional roller coaster for all three girls.
Ronni Sunshine their mother is caught up in the spotlight of Hollywood. When she knows
she hasn't long to live she demands all her daughters come home so she can die. They obey her and come home to old conflicts. They all come to realize family is everything.
This book is more than a beach read. A very profound story.
I won this book in a Jane Green Summer giveaway.
July 9, 2017
3.5 stars
After reading the summary, I chose this book as one of my summer beach reads because it sounded like it would be a perfect fit. I’ve never read anything by Jane Green before, though I had heard of her other works and know that most of them fall into the “chick lit” category, so with this book, I was expecting a light, easy-to-read story focused around women. That’s pretty much what I got except the part about the matriarch of the family, Ronni Sunshine, having a terminal illness and therefore wanting her daughters to help her end her life (not spoiler, since both these plot points are in the cover summary). While that part of the book lent an element of “seriousness” to the story, everything else was light-hearted enough so that things balanced out in the end.
Overall, I would say that this was a good book and the story itself was enjoyable, however what fell short for me were the characters, none of whom were likable. While I’m perfectly fine with (and actually prefer) flawed characters in stories, the caveat is that the characters need to be realistically written, which I felt was a bit lacking with this story. All the characters felt too contrived and some of the situations they went through felt too convenient, almost as though specifically written so that the characters would go down certain already pre-determined paths. I think what bothered me the most was how cliched and stereotypical the characters seemed to be – for example: the self-absorbed successful actress but horrible mother Ronni, the serious and responsible but emotionally detached oldest sister Nell, the insecure due to being largely ignored “people pleaser” middle sister Meredith, the spoiled and bratty youngest sister Lizzy who always gets her way because she thinks the world revolves around only her. And that’s just the main female characters! The men in the story seemed to have it worse, as almost all of them (except for the 2 sons of the sisters, who were mostly kids throughout the story) were portrayed as “losers” of some sort – i.e.: deadbeats who abandon their first families after they remarry, womanizers who have one affair after another with a variety of women, weak husbands/boyfriends who are consistently emotionally detached from their significant others, arrogant jerks who emotionally abuse their wives/girlfriends in efforts to exert complete control over them, etc. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the picture. It also didn’t help that everything worked out perfectly in the end for all the characters, almost exactly as we (the readers) expected them to. The way everything ended up being neatly packaged and wrapped in a bow for the readers kind of reminded me of those Hallmark (or was it Lifetime?) movies that were quite the craze many years ago.
I usually judge how good a book is by whether it is able to elicit an emotional response from me (i.e. move me to tears) and/or whether it is thought-provoking enough that I continue thinking about the story/characters long after I finish reading. Neither of these elements was present in this case. My frustration with all the unlikable characters made it difficult for me to feel any type of emotional connection with anyone in the story – even when “sad” things happened, I unfortunately could not bring myself to empathize or feel anything emotionally, despite the intent of the author (I’m assuming) to elicit some type of response from most readers (though not really the author’s fault I guess, since I don’t consider myself a “typical” reader).
I ended up giving this book 3.5 stars, mostly because of the writing and the fact that I did like the story, even though I was annoyed with the characters -- no doubt that Jane Green is a good writer and knows how to tell an enjoyable story. I would consider this book on the higher end of the “chick lit” spectrum and even though it didn’t quite work out for me, I would still recommend it for those who enjoy this genre and are looking for a nice, quick summer read. It also might be a good idea to perhaps read the other reviews for a different opinion before deciding.
Received advance reader’s copy from Berkley Books via NetGalley
After reading the summary, I chose this book as one of my summer beach reads because it sounded like it would be a perfect fit. I’ve never read anything by Jane Green before, though I had heard of her other works and know that most of them fall into the “chick lit” category, so with this book, I was expecting a light, easy-to-read story focused around women. That’s pretty much what I got except the part about the matriarch of the family, Ronni Sunshine, having a terminal illness and therefore wanting her daughters to help her end her life (not spoiler, since both these plot points are in the cover summary). While that part of the book lent an element of “seriousness” to the story, everything else was light-hearted enough so that things balanced out in the end.
Overall, I would say that this was a good book and the story itself was enjoyable, however what fell short for me were the characters, none of whom were likable. While I’m perfectly fine with (and actually prefer) flawed characters in stories, the caveat is that the characters need to be realistically written, which I felt was a bit lacking with this story. All the characters felt too contrived and some of the situations they went through felt too convenient, almost as though specifically written so that the characters would go down certain already pre-determined paths. I think what bothered me the most was how cliched and stereotypical the characters seemed to be – for example: the self-absorbed successful actress but horrible mother Ronni, the serious and responsible but emotionally detached oldest sister Nell, the insecure due to being largely ignored “people pleaser” middle sister Meredith, the spoiled and bratty youngest sister Lizzy who always gets her way because she thinks the world revolves around only her. And that’s just the main female characters! The men in the story seemed to have it worse, as almost all of them (except for the 2 sons of the sisters, who were mostly kids throughout the story) were portrayed as “losers” of some sort – i.e.: deadbeats who abandon their first families after they remarry, womanizers who have one affair after another with a variety of women, weak husbands/boyfriends who are consistently emotionally detached from their significant others, arrogant jerks who emotionally abuse their wives/girlfriends in efforts to exert complete control over them, etc. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the picture. It also didn’t help that everything worked out perfectly in the end for all the characters, almost exactly as we (the readers) expected them to. The way everything ended up being neatly packaged and wrapped in a bow for the readers kind of reminded me of those Hallmark (or was it Lifetime?) movies that were quite the craze many years ago.
I usually judge how good a book is by whether it is able to elicit an emotional response from me (i.e. move me to tears) and/or whether it is thought-provoking enough that I continue thinking about the story/characters long after I finish reading. Neither of these elements was present in this case. My frustration with all the unlikable characters made it difficult for me to feel any type of emotional connection with anyone in the story – even when “sad” things happened, I unfortunately could not bring myself to empathize or feel anything emotionally, despite the intent of the author (I’m assuming) to elicit some type of response from most readers (though not really the author’s fault I guess, since I don’t consider myself a “typical” reader).
I ended up giving this book 3.5 stars, mostly because of the writing and the fact that I did like the story, even though I was annoyed with the characters -- no doubt that Jane Green is a good writer and knows how to tell an enjoyable story. I would consider this book on the higher end of the “chick lit” spectrum and even though it didn’t quite work out for me, I would still recommend it for those who enjoy this genre and are looking for a nice, quick summer read. It also might be a good idea to perhaps read the other reviews for a different opinion before deciding.
Received advance reader’s copy from Berkley Books via NetGalley
June 6, 2017
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
I’ve been a huge Green fan for years and I always love when it’s time for her to release a new book. There is something about her writing and the easiness, the effortless flow that is like comfort food to me. The Sunshine Sisters was Green doing what she does best; crafting complex characters that virtually anyone could relate to while telling a story that is engaging and fun.
The entire first half of this is a bit on the slower side and impatient readers may get frustrated. It starts in the early eighties when mom Ronni is just beginning her career as an actress. Then there are several smaller sections from the nineties all the way through the early two thousands where the three daughters are growing up. I enjoyed this structure as it gave some background and showed what shaped each woman in a fairly quick way. At the halfway point, it’s present day and Nell, Meredith and Lizzy have all been called home by their mother because she has some news to share.
Ronni was not an easy woman to like, she was an awful mother and an even worse wife, but I really liked all three Sunshine sisters. They are all vastly different from one another but they were well fleshed out and I found I could relate to each of them in some way. They did sort of fit into the stereotypical roles of sisters, one is serious, one is a people pleaser and one is the flighty one, but those aren’t the sort of tropes that annoy me, so I wasn’t bothered in the slightest.
Despite some heavier topics it really does read like a light, summery read. At it’s heart it’s a novel about family, forgiveness, acceptance, letting go of painful pasts, and the always complicated relationships between mothers and daughters and sisters. I read it on vacation and it was truly the perfect book to read on the beach, it’s fun albeit slightly predictable but I honestly didn’t want to be thinking too hard while reading it anyway!
I’ve been a huge Green fan for years and I always love when it’s time for her to release a new book. There is something about her writing and the easiness, the effortless flow that is like comfort food to me. The Sunshine Sisters was Green doing what she does best; crafting complex characters that virtually anyone could relate to while telling a story that is engaging and fun.
The entire first half of this is a bit on the slower side and impatient readers may get frustrated. It starts in the early eighties when mom Ronni is just beginning her career as an actress. Then there are several smaller sections from the nineties all the way through the early two thousands where the three daughters are growing up. I enjoyed this structure as it gave some background and showed what shaped each woman in a fairly quick way. At the halfway point, it’s present day and Nell, Meredith and Lizzy have all been called home by their mother because she has some news to share.
Ronni was not an easy woman to like, she was an awful mother and an even worse wife, but I really liked all three Sunshine sisters. They are all vastly different from one another but they were well fleshed out and I found I could relate to each of them in some way. They did sort of fit into the stereotypical roles of sisters, one is serious, one is a people pleaser and one is the flighty one, but those aren’t the sort of tropes that annoy me, so I wasn’t bothered in the slightest.
Despite some heavier topics it really does read like a light, summery read. At it’s heart it’s a novel about family, forgiveness, acceptance, letting go of painful pasts, and the always complicated relationships between mothers and daughters and sisters. I read it on vacation and it was truly the perfect book to read on the beach, it’s fun albeit slightly predictable but I honestly didn’t want to be thinking too hard while reading it anyway!
December 15, 2017
Entertaining and enjoyable! I really like Jane Green's books.
Ronni Sunshine was an actress and is the mother of three daughters. She wasn't around much when her daughters were growing up, as a result the girls are not close. When Ronni discovers she is sick she wants to change this. Ronni invites them all to her house for a weekend and doesn't tell them why. It is an emotional weekend for everyone. I enjoyed getting to know the sisters, they are all so very different. The story goes back and forth to different times in the girls lives, we get to know them really well. Perfect summer read!
Thank you to Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ronni Sunshine was an actress and is the mother of three daughters. She wasn't around much when her daughters were growing up, as a result the girls are not close. When Ronni discovers she is sick she wants to change this. Ronni invites them all to her house for a weekend and doesn't tell them why. It is an emotional weekend for everyone. I enjoyed getting to know the sisters, they are all so very different. The story goes back and forth to different times in the girls lives, we get to know them really well. Perfect summer read!
Thank you to Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2017
A heartwarming story about three sisters coming together in the last days of their mother's life. I've read a few of this author's books, and I feel she's really returned to top form with this one. She writes with warmth and charm, crafting characters that are likable and complex even though they are flawed. It's a beautiful look at love, family, and redemption, perfect for light summertime reading.
May 16, 2017
Ronni Sunshine has summoned her daughters home. The aging actress is ill, and she wants her daughters by her side. This, however, will be easier said than done, as her three children--Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy--are estranged, both from each other and their mother: the result of a traumatic childhood. Even Ronni will now readily admit she focused on her acting career and beauty rather than her daughters. Her constant belittlement and pressure on the girls made them turn on each other as well. Nell lives the closest to her mother, on a nearby farm, and her son River is in grad school. Middle child Meredith spent her childhood struggling with her weight, thanks to endless biting comments from Ronni; she fled to England and is now engaged. Youngest Lizzie escaped most of her mother's wrath and appears to be the "golden child": she's a successful chef and celebrity, with a TV show and line of related products, but her marriage and personal life aren't all that they seem. Frustrated by their mother's long history of hypochondria, the girls reluctantly return home, excepting to find her fine. However, it seems this time Ronni may be telling the truth: she's really sick. Can the Sunshine sisters set aside their differences? And can they ever forgive their mother?
In some ways, I'm not sure why I keep giving Jane Green books a chance. I liked Summer Secrets well-enough, but was really let down by Saving Grace and Falling. I was intrigued that in her acknowledgements, Green mentions that this is the first book in while where she's felt like herself. I went in hoping that this was true, but still wary, and truthfully, this wariness may have clouded some of my thoughts and feelings about the book.
Overall, this is a summery read, though it does deal with some serious subject matter. If you're looking for a book that will surprise you, this isn't it. Most of these plot points I saw coming from a few miles away; I predicted the majority of the twists and turns before they happened. And, truly, I think the ending is a foregone conclusion. Green relies a bit to heavily on some tropes, as well. Serious older sister? Check. Insecure middle sister? Check. Flighty younger sister? She's here, too, don't worry.
Still, this was a fun book--despite the dark topic at its core--and I found myself compelled to read through the second half in nearly one sitting. Despite some of the transparency of the characters, I was oddly invested in their lives. The novel starts out with a brief glimpse of Ronni summoning her daughters home, then goes back in the past, allowing us to learn about the Sunshine family via various snippets from the sisters at different points in time. In this way, we sort of catch up with the family fast-forward style--it's like a cheat sheet of sorts. It also allows us to get to know each sister a bit better and explore their relationship with their mother (and other sisters). It's easy to see how much influence Ronni had on their lives and how she shaped them into the women they are today.
The girls can certainly be frustrating at times. Poor, needy Meredith drove me nearly mad, with her insecurities and inability to stand up for herself. There's also a point in the book where Meredith magically cleans up after a party (everything is fixed) and later loses a large amount of weight (everything is fixed, again!). I would have liked to have seen a little more plot realism. It was also hard to see how anyone could be quite as big of a doormat as Meredith, even with her mother's influence. And, truly, Ronni is pretty bad. It's an interesting technique--learning how terrible of a mother she is after we're told in the beginning of the novel that she's sick. But, in this way, we're allowed to see how the sisters were alienated by their poor upbringing and how everyone has reached the point we are at today.
Eventually, we reach the present day, with the girls learning about their mother's illness and coming to grips with reality. And, Ronni, of course, must grapple with the kind of mother she was to her children. She's a surprisingly compelling character considering how awful she was to her children, so that's a testament to Green's characterization. To me, the novel picked up a bit more in the present day time period. There were still some silly, unbelievable moments, but I truly did find myself invested in Meredith, Nell, and Lizzy (and Ronni).
The book does wrap things up too easily, as I stated. It's often quite trite and cliche, so you have to go in prepared. Think Lifetime movie, wrapped up in a bow. Still, it's fun at times and certainly a quick read. Well-suited for the beach or a vacation.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 06/06/2017.
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In some ways, I'm not sure why I keep giving Jane Green books a chance. I liked Summer Secrets well-enough, but was really let down by Saving Grace and Falling. I was intrigued that in her acknowledgements, Green mentions that this is the first book in while where she's felt like herself. I went in hoping that this was true, but still wary, and truthfully, this wariness may have clouded some of my thoughts and feelings about the book.
Overall, this is a summery read, though it does deal with some serious subject matter. If you're looking for a book that will surprise you, this isn't it. Most of these plot points I saw coming from a few miles away; I predicted the majority of the twists and turns before they happened. And, truly, I think the ending is a foregone conclusion. Green relies a bit to heavily on some tropes, as well. Serious older sister? Check. Insecure middle sister? Check. Flighty younger sister? She's here, too, don't worry.
Still, this was a fun book--despite the dark topic at its core--and I found myself compelled to read through the second half in nearly one sitting. Despite some of the transparency of the characters, I was oddly invested in their lives. The novel starts out with a brief glimpse of Ronni summoning her daughters home, then goes back in the past, allowing us to learn about the Sunshine family via various snippets from the sisters at different points in time. In this way, we sort of catch up with the family fast-forward style--it's like a cheat sheet of sorts. It also allows us to get to know each sister a bit better and explore their relationship with their mother (and other sisters). It's easy to see how much influence Ronni had on their lives and how she shaped them into the women they are today.
The girls can certainly be frustrating at times. Poor, needy Meredith drove me nearly mad, with her insecurities and inability to stand up for herself. There's also a point in the book where Meredith magically cleans up after a party (everything is fixed) and later loses a large amount of weight (everything is fixed, again!). I would have liked to have seen a little more plot realism. It was also hard to see how anyone could be quite as big of a doormat as Meredith, even with her mother's influence. And, truly, Ronni is pretty bad. It's an interesting technique--learning how terrible of a mother she is after we're told in the beginning of the novel that she's sick. But, in this way, we're allowed to see how the sisters were alienated by their poor upbringing and how everyone has reached the point we are at today.
Eventually, we reach the present day, with the girls learning about their mother's illness and coming to grips with reality. And, Ronni, of course, must grapple with the kind of mother she was to her children. She's a surprisingly compelling character considering how awful she was to her children, so that's a testament to Green's characterization. To me, the novel picked up a bit more in the present day time period. There were still some silly, unbelievable moments, but I truly did find myself invested in Meredith, Nell, and Lizzy (and Ronni).
The book does wrap things up too easily, as I stated. It's often quite trite and cliche, so you have to go in prepared. Think Lifetime movie, wrapped up in a bow. Still, it's fun at times and certainly a quick read. Well-suited for the beach or a vacation.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 06/06/2017.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+
June 24, 2017
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Genre: Women's Fiction
The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green is a phenomenal novel about the complexities of families. Green dives very deep in this one and I found it to be a moving novel with down to earth and lifelike characters. What I also liked about this novel is the fact that I was hooked to the pages. Sure, a lot of books are catchy and grasp their readers attention from beginning to end, but somehow, this one was different. I was EXCITED to read it. I wanted to pick up the book even when I was busy (summer is such a busy time of year in my life), and I absolutely did NOT want to put it down. I was enthralled in the lives of these characters and utterly addicted to the story because of them. Perhaps this is one of Jane's best. After all, I don't think it's the type of story that I will soon forget. Even more, I can't remember the last time I read one of her novels and I used to be such a huge fan. But I know that I am now going to continue reading based on this one. So if your a fan of the author and/or enjoy women's fiction novels that detail the hardships of family and how to make amends again then I implore you to read this one. It's certainly one of the best that I have read in a very long time.
A little more about the story for those who are curious and like to know what to expect:
This novel is about 3 sisters and their mother. The mother (Ronnie Sunshine) is the epitome of an emotionally neglectful parent. (Readers will see what I mean as the author uses the first 30% of the book detailing their early lives). So it is not surprise that these girls (the Sunshine Sisters) grow up to have problems of their own. Lizzie- the youngest- is in a failed marriage due to her own infidelities. Mer- the middle child- is extremely insecure and seems to settle for anyone that will take her. And Nell- the oldest- is having somewhat of a midlife crisis as her sexuality seemingly changes (or not so much- you shall see). Each are distant from one another and hardly talk until their mother summons them home. Being back to where it all started is emotional for each of them in their own right. But coming back together can be as challenging as ever. You'll have to read to find out more... And I really think you should!
Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend it to readers who enjoy the genre. If your solely a romance reader then this one is probably not your cup of tea (there isn't much in the name of romance) but if not, this one is for you! I can't wait to read Green's upcoming releases and go back to my shelf and pick up the others that I have from her (I have read almost ALL of her novels and am never disappointed). Happy reading!
Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Women's Fiction
The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green is a phenomenal novel about the complexities of families. Green dives very deep in this one and I found it to be a moving novel with down to earth and lifelike characters. What I also liked about this novel is the fact that I was hooked to the pages. Sure, a lot of books are catchy and grasp their readers attention from beginning to end, but somehow, this one was different. I was EXCITED to read it. I wanted to pick up the book even when I was busy (summer is such a busy time of year in my life), and I absolutely did NOT want to put it down. I was enthralled in the lives of these characters and utterly addicted to the story because of them. Perhaps this is one of Jane's best. After all, I don't think it's the type of story that I will soon forget. Even more, I can't remember the last time I read one of her novels and I used to be such a huge fan. But I know that I am now going to continue reading based on this one. So if your a fan of the author and/or enjoy women's fiction novels that detail the hardships of family and how to make amends again then I implore you to read this one. It's certainly one of the best that I have read in a very long time.
A little more about the story for those who are curious and like to know what to expect:
This novel is about 3 sisters and their mother. The mother (Ronnie Sunshine) is the epitome of an emotionally neglectful parent. (Readers will see what I mean as the author uses the first 30% of the book detailing their early lives). So it is not surprise that these girls (the Sunshine Sisters) grow up to have problems of their own. Lizzie- the youngest- is in a failed marriage due to her own infidelities. Mer- the middle child- is extremely insecure and seems to settle for anyone that will take her. And Nell- the oldest- is having somewhat of a midlife crisis as her sexuality seemingly changes (or not so much- you shall see). Each are distant from one another and hardly talk until their mother summons them home. Being back to where it all started is emotional for each of them in their own right. But coming back together can be as challenging as ever. You'll have to read to find out more... And I really think you should!
Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend it to readers who enjoy the genre. If your solely a romance reader then this one is probably not your cup of tea (there isn't much in the name of romance) but if not, this one is for you! I can't wait to read Green's upcoming releases and go back to my shelf and pick up the others that I have from her (I have read almost ALL of her novels and am never disappointed). Happy reading!
Rating: 5 stars
June 25, 2017
Ronni Sunshine left London for Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen. But at home, she was a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienated her three daughters.
As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother’s overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother’s criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London—and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother’s fame, while her marriage crumbled around her.
But now the Sunshine sisters are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy have never been close, their mother’s illness draws them together to confront the old jealousies and secret fears that have threatened to tear these sisters apart. As they face the loss of their mother, they will discover if blood might be thicker than water after all...
My Thoughts: The Sunshine Sisters was a beautifully woven story that brought the past and the present together, and revealed moments of discovery for the characters. Hope for new beginnings.
Multiple narrators offer the opportunity to feel empathy for the individual characters. Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are the daughters who each felt the hurt of an uncaring mother who only seemed to think of herself.
Ronni was focused on her own needs to the exclusion of all else, but in the reunion brought about by her illness, more is revealed. Each character, perhaps especially Ronni, had regrets and felt the sting of what might have been.
Can Ronni’s plan to reunite her family bring out more for each of them? Will she take the drastic steps that she had envisioned?
I enjoyed traits about each character. I liked that Nell was independent and didn’t seem to need anyone to lean on…until the unexpected happened. I admired Meredith’s ability to forge a new life in London, a life that felt like growth for her. But when coming home helped her realize that her fiancé was controlling and judgmental, I loved that she was able, with the support of her sisters, to make the best choice for herself. Lizzy, spoiled and thinking primarily of her own needs, had to finally face the consequences of her actions, but those newly forged sisterly connections turned out to be just what she needed to finally accept herself.
While the story was wrapped up pretty neatly for the characters, I still felt a glow as I turned the last page, making this another 5 star read for me.
As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother’s overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother’s criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London—and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother’s fame, while her marriage crumbled around her.
But now the Sunshine sisters are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy have never been close, their mother’s illness draws them together to confront the old jealousies and secret fears that have threatened to tear these sisters apart. As they face the loss of their mother, they will discover if blood might be thicker than water after all...
My Thoughts: The Sunshine Sisters was a beautifully woven story that brought the past and the present together, and revealed moments of discovery for the characters. Hope for new beginnings.
Multiple narrators offer the opportunity to feel empathy for the individual characters. Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are the daughters who each felt the hurt of an uncaring mother who only seemed to think of herself.
Ronni was focused on her own needs to the exclusion of all else, but in the reunion brought about by her illness, more is revealed. Each character, perhaps especially Ronni, had regrets and felt the sting of what might have been.
Can Ronni’s plan to reunite her family bring out more for each of them? Will she take the drastic steps that she had envisioned?
I enjoyed traits about each character. I liked that Nell was independent and didn’t seem to need anyone to lean on…until the unexpected happened. I admired Meredith’s ability to forge a new life in London, a life that felt like growth for her. But when coming home helped her realize that her fiancé was controlling and judgmental, I loved that she was able, with the support of her sisters, to make the best choice for herself. Lizzy, spoiled and thinking primarily of her own needs, had to finally face the consequences of her actions, but those newly forged sisterly connections turned out to be just what she needed to finally accept herself.
While the story was wrapped up pretty neatly for the characters, I still felt a glow as I turned the last page, making this another 5 star read for me.
June 6, 2017
The Sunshine Sisters is a compelling book that you will not be able to put down until you've reached the very end...so don't plan on getting a lot done while you're reading this book! Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are the daughters of Ronni Sunshine, a narcissistic actress who was a disinterested mother. The sisters are as diverse as three people can be, but they all bear the scars and burdens of growing up with a volatile mother and an absent father. I loved how the story was told in flashbacks, watching the girls grow up, as they navigate a world with the emotional baggage they carry with them. The dynamics between the sisters are at times difficult and hurtful, and it was interesting to watch as their relationships with each other, with their mother, and with their significant others evolve. The Sunshine Sisters is heartfelt and honest; a powerful story about families, and how, even through the pain, they are better off together than apart.
June 18, 2017
Entertaining 'beach' read. Thee sisters, one dysfunctional family, and some lovely resolutions. 3.5 stars.
July 2, 2017
I look forward to a new Jane Green novel each summer. "The Sunshine Sisters" is Jane Green at her best. It deals with a more serious topic than many of her novels, but in such a readable way that it still makes a great beach read. Three sisters are called home by their ailing actress mother. I really enjoyed each of the three sisters' stories.
July 7, 2017
This was the most cliche, predictable book I've read in a long time. I'm sort of mad at myself for even finishing it. The author made sure to throw in every contentious social issue possible and gratuitous f-bombs unnecessarily. Ruined what could have been a been a realistic, sweet story.
July 6, 2017
Favorite Quotes:
For the past few months she has had a huge, mad crush on him and has built him into some sort of demigod, with otherworldly qualities that would mean he would never have a normal, human conversation with someone like her.
She pauses just inside the front door, trying to gauge the temperature of the house. She does this a lot; they all do this a lot, pause just inside the front door to try to sniff out their mother’s mood, try to figure out who they need to be.
It doesn’t matter how many years go by, how grown-up we think we are, how much we presume we have changed or evolved, when we are back in our childhood homes, we become exactly who we have always been, Meredith thinks. I bet we will all just slip back into the roles we have always played, whether we were ever comfortable with them or not.
“Also” — she pops her head back around the doorway, with a big thumbs-up— “yay, lesbians. Big fan.”
My Review:
The Sunshine Sisters was a surprisingly nuanced and thought-provoking family drama that spanned several households and time periods in the lives of four women. I was fascinated by these deeply flawed and emotionally wounded women as well as the various colorful and humiliating memories they retained of their fractured family. Compelling scenes of emotionally provocative and damaging instances from their childhoods with their heinously self-absorbed and mercurial diva of a mother were so well-crafted and polished, they played like a movie reel in my head. Written in the third person from multiple points of view, I was captivated by the richly detailed and evocative storytelling. Each character was fully fleshed out and well inhabited with relatable, heart-squeezing, and cringe-worthy moments from their pasts and their present - all of which were observantly and insightful detailed from several angles. Even as unhappy yet successful middle-aged adults, their manipulative mother continued to pull their strings from her deathbed and lure them into her mechanizations, hoping to right some of her wrongs before heading into the great beyond. As much as they dreaded and fussed, the sisters grudgingly allowed it to happen, and much to their surprise were all the better for it.
For the past few months she has had a huge, mad crush on him and has built him into some sort of demigod, with otherworldly qualities that would mean he would never have a normal, human conversation with someone like her.
She pauses just inside the front door, trying to gauge the temperature of the house. She does this a lot; they all do this a lot, pause just inside the front door to try to sniff out their mother’s mood, try to figure out who they need to be.
It doesn’t matter how many years go by, how grown-up we think we are, how much we presume we have changed or evolved, when we are back in our childhood homes, we become exactly who we have always been, Meredith thinks. I bet we will all just slip back into the roles we have always played, whether we were ever comfortable with them or not.
“Also” — she pops her head back around the doorway, with a big thumbs-up— “yay, lesbians. Big fan.”
My Review:
The Sunshine Sisters was a surprisingly nuanced and thought-provoking family drama that spanned several households and time periods in the lives of four women. I was fascinated by these deeply flawed and emotionally wounded women as well as the various colorful and humiliating memories they retained of their fractured family. Compelling scenes of emotionally provocative and damaging instances from their childhoods with their heinously self-absorbed and mercurial diva of a mother were so well-crafted and polished, they played like a movie reel in my head. Written in the third person from multiple points of view, I was captivated by the richly detailed and evocative storytelling. Each character was fully fleshed out and well inhabited with relatable, heart-squeezing, and cringe-worthy moments from their pasts and their present - all of which were observantly and insightful detailed from several angles. Even as unhappy yet successful middle-aged adults, their manipulative mother continued to pull their strings from her deathbed and lure them into her mechanizations, hoping to right some of her wrongs before heading into the great beyond. As much as they dreaded and fussed, the sisters grudgingly allowed it to happen, and much to their surprise were all the better for it.
June 22, 2017
#FirstLine ~ Prologue: All those years when Ronni thought she was sick, all those years convinced that every mole was melanoma, every cough was lung cancer, every case of heartburn was an oncoming heart attack, after all those years, when the gods finally stopped taking care of her she wasn't scared.
Green is an amazing storyteller and this book was incredible. I felt like this is one of her best books yet! She has a way of pouring herself into her books and you can tell when you read it. I feel like this book has so much heart and richness in story! What an engaging read. Green can just really cut to the quick and capture family dynamics like none other. She gets at the complicated relationships, but does so with subtle humor and honesty...never shying away from tough topics. This book is a MUST read for summer and perfect for any book club!! A new favorite of mine!
Green is an amazing storyteller and this book was incredible. I felt like this is one of her best books yet! She has a way of pouring herself into her books and you can tell when you read it. I feel like this book has so much heart and richness in story! What an engaging read. Green can just really cut to the quick and capture family dynamics like none other. She gets at the complicated relationships, but does so with subtle humor and honesty...never shying away from tough topics. This book is a MUST read for summer and perfect for any book club!! A new favorite of mine!
November 8, 2018
As a long time devotee of Green's family sagas, I especially delighted in this story of three adult sisters who must come together when their mother, who was a glamorous but selfish movie star, falls ill. The jealousies, fears and reckoning with the past make for a compelling tale, and along with the love and humor, remind us of family histories of our own.
April 21, 2017
I would like to thank First to Read, Berkley, and Jane Green for the ARC of "The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green for my honest review.
The genres of this novel and Women's Fiction and Drama.
Jane Green writes about a truly dysfunctional family. She describes her characters as complicated and complex for starters. This is a heavy family drama.
The mother, Ronni Sunshine is an actress and reminds me of a "Mommy Dearest" type person. Totally narcissistic, and unavailable as a mother to her three daughters, she has created a toxic environment for them. Ronni is very moody and takes it out on two of her daughters when she is having a dark day. She is constantly critical of her daughters and always complaining.
The three daughters have very different personalities and have different ways of coping with their mother's temperament. This reflects in their relationships to one another and to to others. This also contributes to many life choices and their professions.
An older Ronni calls her three daughters home, when she learns that her has a fatal illness. Upon reflection, Ronni wants to make amends to her daughters, and she wants her daughters to relate to one another and become a family.
Is Ronni asking the impossible? How can three sisters who have been separated by choice,come together? Is it possible to show forgiveness to their mother.
I love the way Jane Green writes the emotional story and discusses, family, mother and daughter relationships, self-worth, growth, forgiveness, love and hope? What does make a family?
I would highly recommend this intriguing and dramatic family novel.
The genres of this novel and Women's Fiction and Drama.
Jane Green writes about a truly dysfunctional family. She describes her characters as complicated and complex for starters. This is a heavy family drama.
The mother, Ronni Sunshine is an actress and reminds me of a "Mommy Dearest" type person. Totally narcissistic, and unavailable as a mother to her three daughters, she has created a toxic environment for them. Ronni is very moody and takes it out on two of her daughters when she is having a dark day. She is constantly critical of her daughters and always complaining.
The three daughters have very different personalities and have different ways of coping with their mother's temperament. This reflects in their relationships to one another and to to others. This also contributes to many life choices and their professions.
An older Ronni calls her three daughters home, when she learns that her has a fatal illness. Upon reflection, Ronni wants to make amends to her daughters, and she wants her daughters to relate to one another and become a family.
Is Ronni asking the impossible? How can three sisters who have been separated by choice,come together? Is it possible to show forgiveness to their mother.
I love the way Jane Green writes the emotional story and discusses, family, mother and daughter relationships, self-worth, growth, forgiveness, love and hope? What does make a family?
I would highly recommend this intriguing and dramatic family novel.
July 14, 2017
The best Jane Green book yet! Hands down this is my favorite Jane Green book! This story of Ronni Sunshine and her three daughters was touching, funny and thoroughly enjoyable. We meet Ronni who is an actress as she tries her hardest to make it in the industry. From the very start, she chooses her career over her family including her three daughters whom each have their issues with her.
We get to know the Sunshine Sisters through the years but the storyline comes to life when they are summoned back home by their mother who has some bad news for them. Ronni is terminally ill and wants them there so she can take her life on her terms and most importantly she wants her daughters to reconnect after years of estrangement. Nell, Meredith, and Lizzie hadn’t ever been close not even growing up so when they all come back home it’s a little awkward, to say the least. All have problems in their lives but as soon as they are together they slowly reconnect like never before.
What I loved most is that this story is all about family. The relationship with their mother was a hard one, one that definitely shaped their future, especially on how they viewed themselves. It's really hard to have the self-love and confidence in yourself if the one person who should’ve given you that from day one never did. While I felt for Ronni, her illness and death did bring her daughters together in a way I don’t think they would’ve otherwise. Each one's story comes full circle and each finally finds the peace and love they deserved their entire lives. I found myself laughing and crying, which to me is the sign of a truly amazing book!
We get to know the Sunshine Sisters through the years but the storyline comes to life when they are summoned back home by their mother who has some bad news for them. Ronni is terminally ill and wants them there so she can take her life on her terms and most importantly she wants her daughters to reconnect after years of estrangement. Nell, Meredith, and Lizzie hadn’t ever been close not even growing up so when they all come back home it’s a little awkward, to say the least. All have problems in their lives but as soon as they are together they slowly reconnect like never before.
What I loved most is that this story is all about family. The relationship with their mother was a hard one, one that definitely shaped their future, especially on how they viewed themselves. It's really hard to have the self-love and confidence in yourself if the one person who should’ve given you that from day one never did. While I felt for Ronni, her illness and death did bring her daughters together in a way I don’t think they would’ve otherwise. Each one's story comes full circle and each finally finds the peace and love they deserved their entire lives. I found myself laughing and crying, which to me is the sign of a truly amazing book!
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