Title: A Little Ray of Sunshine
Author: Kristan Higgins
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: June 6, 2023
An emotional and heart-warming novel from the bestselling author of TikTok sensation Pack up the Moon.
'A raw and genuine look at motherhood, A Little Ray of Sunshine is a lovely ode to love in all of its many forms, family lost and found' Ashley Poston, author of The Dead Romantics
A kid walks into your bookstore and... guess what? He's your son. The one you put up for adoption eighteen years ago. The one you never told anyone about. Surprise!
And a huge surprise it is.
It's a huge surprise to his adoptive mother, Monica, who thought she had a close relationship with Matthew, her nearly adult son. Until he secretly arranged a vacation to Cape Cod so he could meet his birth mother... without a word to her.
It's also a surprise to Harlow, the woman who secretly placed him for adoption so many years ago. She has built a quiet life, running a bookstore with her grandfather, and is happily single... though she can't help gravitating toward Grady Byrne, an old friend who has moved back to town, three-year-old daughter in tow, and no wife in the picture.
When Matthew walks into Harlow's store, she faints. Monica panics. And all their assumptions about what being a parent really means explode...
This summer will be full of more surprises as both their families are redefined...and as both women learn that for them, there's no limit to a mother's love.
As a huge Kristan Higgins fan, I knew I had to read A Little Ray of Sunshine.
This novel deals with adoption and all the feelings surrounding it from the mom who gives her child to strangers, to the parents who get the new baby, to the child wanting to know more about his birth parents.
Harlow lives in Cape Cod with her family. She is a part owner of a bookstore in conjunction with her grandfather and her distant cousin, Cynthia.
Harlow receives the shock of her life when the child she gave away when she was seventeen walks into her bookstore. Of course, she was not ready and proceeded to faint. When she comes back, she realizes her son Matthew is truly there with his adoptive father. Harlow couldn't be happier that Matthew came looking for her but how is she going to explain it to her family who have no clue she did this in college. The only person who knows of her devastation and sorrow was her roommate at that time.
Monica Patel works hard to make sure her family has what they need. She is always providing for them and her children's future. Since the moment she got Matthew in her arms, Monica has dedicated herself to being the best mom she could be.
As part of the summer, the Patels have always taken a vacation together, and this year the place her son picked was Cape Cod. When she finds out that he did it because of Harlow, she can't believe how sneaky he has become. She is so mad that he blindsided them and Harlow.
Cynthia Millstone is part owner of the bookstore too. Her personality is off-putting. She believes she is above others and more refined than the Smiths but her marriage fails and without any money, the only choice she had was to move to Cap Cod. The only person from that family she likes is Grandpop.
There are pretty interesting and well-developed characters in this book. I do have favorites. I love Grandpop, Oliver Twist (the dog), and Grady Byrne.
I was able to see both sides of the coin in regard to Harlow and Monica. Felt super bad for Monica and all the sacrifices she had to make to give her family what they needed.
I'm not going to lie, I do miss some of Kristan's earlier books when the romance was forefront but I will read anything she writes.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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