Despite my best efforts to give Hello, Sunshine a good shot, I gave up on it halfway through due to a lack of forward movement and characters who couldn't carry the story in place of such forward movement.

Hello, Sunshine by Leila Howland is a super quick read about the uncertainty of life after high school and following a dream. This book is not one that will resonate in my mind forever, but it was a good read to pass the time. It was quite entertaining -- even if I could not turn off my adult brain while reading it.

Howland's book follows Becca Harrington, a prep school graduate who has been rejected from every school she applied for. So, she goes with plan B which is move to LA and become a famous actress. She gets in the car on a cross country road trip with her boyfriend Alex -- who happens to break up with her within the first ten pages. Dejected, Becca decides to rent a studio in LA instead of staying with her cousin Vivian in Pasadena. There Becca will pound pavement and do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true.

Lucky for her she makes two excellent friends in her apartment complex - Raj who is a young filmmaker and Marisol who is another aspiring actress. Becca weathers the ups and downs of her new adult life with pluck. Even though she's told no over and over again, she doesn't give up. Instead, she keeps on going which I think is admirable.

So, I never really connected all that deeply with Becca or any of the characters. But, I did like the friendships in this book, as well as the romance. Hello, Sunshine is certain to work for that late high school crowd. As for me, not so much. Maybe because I just read another book set after graduation? On the whole though, this would work with people who cannot get enough of New Adult but don't want explicit content.

Loved, loved, loved! I am so happy Leila Howland is back with another YA book. And friends, I have to say I think she's grown a lot as an author since the Nantucket books and I loved those books, too! Becca is a killer character. She's smart, funny, goes after what she wants, but is still flawed and held back by things that hold many of us back (fear of rejection, wanting people to like her). Even though it was painful at times watching her struggle through life in LA, it was really such a joy. Yes, she made friends too easily and yes, I wanted to shake her at times for not just doing the things she should do (but I feel that way about myself, so...) but she was still so much fun. This is such a good coming of age story that's told in a way that feels original, true, and relatable. Read it!

While everyone from her graduating class is off to college Becca travels from Boston to LA so she can pursue an acting career.
I liked the premise, following Becca as she tries to find her own way in the world, despite the expectations of others. This novel was a quick read with fun and quirky characters. Beyond Becca, the supporting characters added interest--Both Raj and Marisol certainly had depth that added to the plot. Though at the end of the novel, I was left wanting just a bit more. I would suggest this rom-com to high school students who enjoy realistic fiction about life choices and relationships.

Cute, fun contemporary. Will check out more by her and I recommend.

3.5/5 stars

A cute, fluffy coming of age story that has an overarching lesson of finding your own path. I'd recommend as a quick summer read as it was fun with just enough downfalls to make it interesting.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading about Becca Harrington and her exploits, feeling myself drawn to her as well as Raj and Marisol. However, as the book drew to a close, it seemed as if everything wrapped up too neatly. I wish there had been a bit more of a solid ending.

Several years ago, I read Howland’s debut, Nantucket Blue, and I saw glimmers of promise mired in a book filled with girl-hate. With Hello, Sunshine, I’ve got a Howland book I can really love, and that pleases me no end. If you were afraid to give Howland another shot after Nantucket Blue, you should definitely give this one a try. Hello, Sunshine has an engaging voice and adorable ship, so that makes it Christina approved.


First thing you need to know is that the book cover is completely misleading. It makes Hello, Sunshine look like it’s about a spoiled little rich girl who shows up in LA clueless. As if! Becca Harrington does move to LA to try to make an acting career happen, and she is clueless, but she’s also struggling and working hard. Her mom appears to have money, though I suspect they’re pretty solidly middle class, but Becca moves to LA under her own power with years of babysitting money.

Becca didn’t get into college. Even though she applied to eleven different schools. She’s not sure exactly why they all rejected her, but she does know it’s because she wasn’t good enough. Her mother wants her to stay home in Boston, take some classes, and reapply, but Becca wants to try another path; just staying home felt too sad. The only thing her mom wants to finance is college applications; I also thought it was cool how Howland subtly showed that people can love you but be low level toxic by not supporting you.

It’s really awesome that Howland considers a different possible future. I haven’t read much YA about teens who haven’t gotten into college or who decide that the four year college plan might not be right for them. While I did the whole college thing, I think it’s fantastic for fiction to model various options. Becca makes some bad choices and some good ones, and she grows up a lot and quickly.

Hello, Sunshine is one of those books that’s technically new adult but that gets marketed as YA because it’s not jam-packed with sexy times (though there is sex! sidebar: it’s great that Becca has three sexual partners in this book with no shaming. 😀 « Hide Spoiler). Becca starts out with this plan of walking in to talent agencies and immediately getting an agent. It…doesn’t pan out. Becca’s naive and unaware of all the catch-22s of Hollywood. However, she’s an optimistic, cheerful person, and she keeps trying and educating herself.

Becca has such a great spirit and attitude. She tries so hard constantly, and she works just as hard to help the friends she makes in her apartment building, Marisol and Raj (halloooooo, ship). It would have been easy for Becca to give in to jealousy when Marisol got gigs and she didn’t, but instead she remains supportive; it seems weird to be proud of her for human decency, but it’s not easy not to succumb to that sort of jealousy. When Becca’s struggling, her friends pull her up, and she does the same for them. They’re a little found family in a grungy apartment building, and they give me feelings.

While there’s definitely a lot of the idealized in Hello, Sunshine, it does convey how hard and confusing trying to make it as an actor is. Becca’s path is still probably waaaaaay easier than it would be for most people, but it’s not as simple as in most of the hollywood/musical star novels (Wildflower comes to mind). Becca gets really lucky, but she also is in debt for most of the book despite constantly waitressing and acting. Given the genre of novel and the need for a happy ending, Howland does a nice job depicting the struggle.

What I did love was that Becca’s big block in all of her relationships turns out to be her own issue. Towards the end, she hits rock bottom, and she feels like she can’t trust anyone. She has to deal with her fear of rejection and own insecurities to be a good friend and to achieve her goals. It’s a bit overt, but I think it’s a great message, and I had all the feels.

Hello, Sunshine surprised me with how adorable and unputdownable it was. It’s a nice departure from most of the Hollywood stories in YA, because they tend to be about fame rather than the hard work to try to get there. Pick this one up for a hard-working, kind, funny heroine and an adorable interracial romance.

I loved the movie La La Land. LOVED IT. And so I really thought that this book might be similar since it has the same theme of a young actress trying to make it in Hollywood. No. This is not the book I wanted it to be. The main character, Becca, is SO NAIVE. I don't even WANT to be an actress and I know that you have to have nice headshots! Also, I didn't like how her relationship with Raj developed. First she was like, "Oh, sorry Raj, I'm still not over my ex-boyfriend" and then she literally hops into bed with her hot co-star and imagines the rest of their lives together. Like...what? You can't be with Raj right now, but you could TOTALLY see yourself with this other hot guy? Please. Speaking of Raj, this is the kind of diversity that I HATE. We can tell from Raj's name that he's Indian, right? And I think the color of his skin is mentioned a couple of times (in a very complimentary, non-racist way). However, beyond that there is literally nothing that makes him Indian. It doesn't seem to effect his life at all which is COMPLETELY unbelievable to me. I mean, he wants to be a film-maker. At the very LEAST he should mention how few Asian Americans there are in the film industry and how he wants to break stereotypes and show the white people what it's like to be an Indian American. Nope. None of that. Anyway...the last thing I'll say is what was up with Becca's Scientologist neighbor? Literally had nothing to do with anything and didn't progress the story or characters in any way. TL;DR This book was not what I wanted it to be and was "diverse" in such a white person way.

If there’s one thing you should know about Becca Harrington, it’s that she’s not the kind of girl who lets life get her down. So, when Becca is rejected from not one, not two, but every single one of her college choices, she refuses to despair. Instead, Becca turns her attention towards Hollywood where, armed with nothing but her hopes and dreams, she’s determined to make it as a star. Or, you know, a working actress.

Becca is a breath of fresh air, relentlessly enthusiastic and optimistic about life in such a way that only the truly young or the truly blessed can authentically be. While the title of this book fits Becca’s new life in a city where the sun always shines, it fits her personality too. This is a girl who looks on the bright side of life, always. And it’s not like Becca has it easy – at least not all of the time. On arriving in Los Angeles, Alex, Becca’s boyfriend of two years unceremoniously dumps her, explaining that he thinks they should ‘take a beat.’ Then, to make matters worse, he doesn’t even stick around to talk things out. What a douche! Jennifer Aniston might say ‘there’s a sensitivity chip missing with this guy’ – and she’d be right! Welcome to L.A, baby!

Becca arrives in L.A heartbroken and a little – OK a lot – unprepared for the demands and expenses of big city life. If this book wasn’t a feel-good YA with the title ‘Hello, Sunshine,’ I might have worried for our girl and her dreams. As it is, Becca’s grotty apartment is just about the only unsavoury element to Becca’s bright and shiny new life in L.A. where she quickly makes new friends, scores a waitressing gig to pay her rent, and lands a part in a play all in quick succession. OK, I’ll admit that I found Becca’s new life was all a little too plain-sailing at times, but this is hardly a book about the ‘casting couch’ side of Hollywood, so let’s just go with it. That said, Becca’s first paying gig is one in which she plays the part of ‘Baby Bear’ – and she has to don a musty bear costume for the part – but there’s no doubt about it, Becca is on her way!

Of course, just because Becca is living the dream in L.A, doesn’t mean everything goes her way. Like all teenagers the world over, Becca still has to answer to her mom, who is constantly on her case regarding college applications. Becca’s head might be lost somewhere high in the Hollywood Hills, but her mom is determined that she have a back-up plain in case the whole acting thing doesn’t work out. Becca, on the other hand, is sure it’ll all work out. After all, it already is working out. Becca just scored a high-paying gig in a Volkswagen advert. With so much going on and so many parties to attend, who has time for college applications anyway?

Then there’s Alex. He may be gone, but Becca hasn’t forgotten the boy who dumped her and never even called to see if she was OK. They had two years. Two years is a long time to devote to a relationship at any stage of life. But in high school, where relationships come and go like the seasons, if not the tides, it’s a lifetime. Becca is sure that Alex will come round. She’s determined to win him back, even after her new BFF, aspiring-actress Marisol, questions why she’d want to be with a guy who treats her like an afterthought. Becca should think about that. She should also think a little more about Raj, the aspiring screenwriter who lives just down the hall. Could a new leading man be on the cards for this wannabe leading lady? Does Becca have room in her life for a little bit of romance? Of course she does! This book is cute with a capital C!




In short: A sugar-coated slice of fun in the L.A sun, Hello, Sunshine, is a feel-good summer treat!

***I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

3.5 stars

This story follows Becca Harrington, a "girl-woman" fresh from graduating and being rejected from every college she applied to. Feeling alone and outcast, she decides to take the year off to pursue her acting dreams in LA. Only it isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Overall, this is a book I really enjoyed, especially the characters. Becca has that never give up attitude with a crazy humor, Raj is sweet and sensitive, and Marisol is the girl everyone wants to have as their best friend. There is another character as well, and he was probably one of my personal favorites. Let's just call him the crazy neighbor, because Becca calls him by another hilarious name...and you'll just have to read to find out.

One of the things I adore about this story is the feeling it gives you. This is the kind of book that reminds you of that feeling of being lost. I know everyone in the world has felt that way at some point, but one of the most common times that feeling occurs is graduation. It seems like everyone else has a life plan and sometimes you are just confused and standing there, wishing you could crawl under the covers and not have to make decisions for another year. That feeling also comes back around when something doesn't go the way you plan. But I love that Becca shows strength, humor, and a good attitude when it feels like our worlds are crashing down around us. It doesn't matter what age you are, it will happen, and I feel like we could all learn a little something from Becca.

The only reason I gave this book a 3.5 stars is because I wanted more book. When I got to the end, I was expecting there to be at least another 2 or 3 chapters. I still have so many questions that didn't get answered and that is a little disappointing...but maybe there will be another book (one can hope).

All in all, this story was a quick, fun read and had a little bit more adult humor than I was expecting from a Disney publisher, but I loved that. If you're looking for a fun contemporary read, I definitely recommend this one.

I love the concept of this book. It’s the story everybody hears about artists who go to LA hoping to be a star one day. I love how she keeps pushing and pushing for what she wants no matter how many times she is turned down. I also really enjoyed her friends that she makes in this book. This book was a quick read and overall an enjoyable read.

I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing a review copy!

I have such a soft spot for Leila Howland's Nantucket series, so I was thrilled to see a new book by her, although set on the West Coast. My NetGalley request to read Hello, Sunshine was approved with perfect timing as I had just listened to Leila's podcast interview with Sarah Enni on First Draft, and learned about her time spent as an aspiring actress herself. It set the stage perfectly for my reading of Hello, Sunshine as I felt more connected and as though I had more intimate insight to Becca's journey to stardom in Los Angeles.

Hello, Sunshine begins with a rather daring premise- Becca, a recent high school graduate, is rejected from all of the colleges she applied to and makes a deal with her mom to move to LA for one year to try to break into the film/tv/acting industry. While a bit of an unbelievable premise in some ways, it's refreshing in its realism in portraying Becca's struggles. From her dingy studio apartment to her cheap Ikea furniture to having to negotiate how much food she can afford, I appreciated that Leila didn't shy away from how hard it is to support yourself when you're young, especially in California (where rent- and just about everything else- is crazy expensive). I enjoyed reading about Becca's gradual understanding of how to balance working, financial responsibility, and acting and it reminded me of the determination and grit that Cricket has in the Nantucket series.

While at some points Becca's naiveté was a bit frustrating and surprising for someone who has wanted to be an actress for a while (for example, thinking she can just walk into agencies without an appointment or head shot and expect anyone to give her the time of day), I enjoyed learning about aspects of show business that I had no idea about. I knew breaking into the industry was hard (I knew many people in college trying to break into it from all angles- directing, producing, acting, etc.) however I was surprised to learn things like the catch-22 of becoming a member of the SAG or the fact that residuals aren't automatically paid to any actress/actor who stars in a commercial. I appreciated that Becca also learned she needed to pay her dues and never acted like a part or role was beneath her- she was always genuinely enthusiastic and honored to have the chance to be selected for any part.

Another element of this book that I really enjoyed was the support system that Becca finds in Los Angeles. Raj and Marisol, neighbors in her run down apartment complex, become more than casual acquaintances and they genuinely go out of their way to support each other's crafts and dreams. While I found the "big reveal" about one of them toward the end of the book to be a bit distasteful the novel showed how a strong support system is essential when embarking on your own, and it doesn't always have to be made up of the most conventional people or relationships.

Overall: I couldn't put Hello, Sunshine down once I started reading it, and breezed through it in just a few short sessions even during an extremely busy work week. I loved returning to Leila's writing and appreciated her slightly gritty humor and realism while still managing to write a fluffy summer read. I feel like Hello, Sunshine gave me not only insight into the show business industry but insight into Leila as well, and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

This book was adorable! Becca's feeling low. Not only was she rejected from every college she applied to, but after a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend - he's headed to Stanford, she's headed to L.A. to try to find work as an actress - he dumps her. But she pulls herself up and tries to make it work.

I loved that this book didn't sugarcoat the difficulty of working toward your dreams. I was reading an New York Times article recently that described a new college class on ... failure -- being open to it and bouncing back from it. The article argues that today's kids, raised by helicopter parents in a trophy-for-everyone culture, haven't been taught how to fail. (I'd also argue that social media culture, a culture that didn't exist during the 80s and 90s when I grew up, encourages all of us to pretend that our lives are great and perfect all the time.) So I kind of loved that Becca does fail. Even though she's hard-working and motivated, she suffers a lot of setbacks, which were painful to read about at times. But she never gives up.

There was something so endearing to me about this book. I'm an HGTV addict, and loved Becca's struggles to set up her tiny apartment on a budget - yes, stories of hanging curtains on the cheap are fascinating to me. Becca also gets to know her motley crew of neighbors (very Melrose Place, lol), navigates the competitive and often frustrating showbiz world, and even finds time for a new romance.

All in all, a cute book that's also inspirational. And a great summer read!

Sometimes you're just in the mood for a sunny, fun, fluffy YA contemporary, ya know? I was in one of those moods when I requested this book, even though recently I've been avoiding YA contemporary like the plague. I have my reasons. Don't judge. I hoped to just lost myself in Hello, Sunshine and pretend I lived in Los Angeles for a bit because the English weather has been a bit crappy this week, and lose myself I did.



I have a lot of love for books about actresses. Fiction books, that is. I really enjoy reading about the industry, whether the characters are struggling to get into acting, like Becca is in this book, or the characters are already full blown celebrities. I find the entire Hollywood mindset and obsession truly fascinating. And that kind of links in with my love for Rich People Drama. So this book was great for me.

The book starts with Becca, the main character, getting dumped. Like, completely out of the blue. Her boyfriend drove her across the country and then broke up with her when he dropped her in LA. I was SO. MAD. And then I realised that I was attached to Becca already and I calmed down and carried on reading. And reading. And reading. Then I was done and I was super happy with myself because I'd done exactly what I set out to do.

I loved Becca's drive, and her whole attitude in general. I love that she was willing to go after what she wanted. She had a list of goals, which is something I relate to on an astronomical level. Because lists. I love that she didn't let anyone tell her what to do, no matter how many people tried to dissuade her from her dreams.

Also, there was very little romance but quite a lot of sex. I say "quite a lot", but really I mean there are two very light sex scenes as well as mentions of a couple of others. BUT! Becca has sex with (or talks about having sex with) three different guys in this book. Which was awesome. Because slut-shaming sucks, and I love how the book just rolls with sex and treats it as a normal thing, because that's what it is.

Hello, Sunshine isn't the most thought provoking book by any means, but that doesn't mean it isn't perfect for a day at the beach. Or even a rainy day, really. I flew through it, and there wasn't a moment where I was rolling my eyes (which is what has been happening a lot lately due to bleugh romances... but more on that later) or wanting to put the book down.

I totally loved Leila Howland's book from a few summers ago, Nantucket Blue, so I was excited to read her latest offering. And it was engaging from the first sentence. I really loved Becca - even though she was only 18, she had a dream and I was kind of awe-struck of her pursuit of it. This felt very realistic to me and I have to say that Leila Howland writes kick-ass women MCs. Even if they're young, they are so well developed and know what the want. There is this pushing through life in the face of the fear that she is able to capture and that I so admire! One of the other things that Leila was able to convey in both books was super strong friendships. I loved Becca's friendships and how she really grew and came into her own over the course of the book. The beginning of the book started focused on a romance but the romance then took a backseat to the acting, which I thought worked SO well!

I've been trying to fall asleep for five hours. I've breathed according to a pocket-sized book about meditation, read the People magazine I bought near the bus stop in Pasadena, memorized half of a Shakespearean sonnet, and flipped the pillow to the cool side, but nothing has worked.

Both of these books not only have the same title but they both involve an MC that has lost everything. I think that Leila Howland was able to show more growth, strength and a good journey than Laura Dave. Both Hello, Sunshine and Hello, Sunshine were released earlier this week on July 11, 2017, and I would definitely recommend reading some Leila Howland!!

I enjoyed both of Leila Howland’s earlier novels set in Nantucket, but I have more mixed feelings about her newest book.

Becca Harrington decides to move to Los Angeles to try to make it as an actress after not getting accepted at any of the colleges she applied to. Still reeling from that rejection, she promptly gets dumped by her boyfriend as soon as she arrives in L.A. Becca has no choice but to make the best of things, so she starts doing everything she can to make her acting dreams come true. She gets a job as a waitress, looks for acting gigs, and tries to get an agent. While she has some successes, everything is a lot harder than she thought it would be. What gets her through is the support of her new friends—Marisol, another actress, and Raj, an aspiring director and screenwriter (who just happens to be really cute). However, as Becca flounders, she starts to wonder whether it’s really possible to succeed in Hollywood.

Becca is an appealing character. She’s smart and spunky. Her plans for her life are totally upended when she doesn’t get into college and her boyfriend dumps her, but she keeps on trying, even when she doubts herself. Becca seems like a real 18-year-old, in that she makes impulsive decisions and doesn’t always make the best choices. It made me cringe when she blew a big tip on buying an expensive shirt, but an 18-year-old from a well-to-do prep school background may not have ever had the opportunity to learn that lesson.

It’s her acting adventures that leave me a little conflicted about this book. On the one hand, the author actually was a member of a New York theater company, so some of the details she includes about life as an actor seem very realistic. At the same time, Becca’s successes sometimes come just a little too easily to seem real to me. She just happens to get invited along to sing karaoke and then lands a commercial job that pays thousands of dollars? I suppose it’s possible, but it doesn’t seem very likely. In particular, the way Becca finally lands an agent seems more like a fairy tale than anything approaching reality, and that part of the novel really hit a sour note for me.

While I had some problems with this book, readers who are looking for a feel-good story about a teen pursuing her dreams will probably enjoy the novel.

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

when becca harrington is rejected from every college she applied to, she takes a cross-country drive with her boyfriend and plans to make it big in l.a. as an actress. of course, her boyfriend dumps her soon after they arrive. and the only place she can afford is a studio apartment that has seen better days. and she keeps getting laughed out of agents reception areas when she tries to get a meeting.

but becca is the kind of person who is relentlessly sunny-natured. she has enthusiasm and a drive to work hard to get where she needs to go in order to make her dreams reality. so even though her stay in l.a. doesn't start off the way she'd hoped, over time she does make progress on her to-do list.

i think what makes hello, sunshine so relatable is becca. she's not perfect, but she means well. she messes up but she owns her choices. there is just something about her that is so irresistible. this is a perfect poolside read, it's sweet and funny and thrives on becca's boundless optimism.

Readers who liked Charlotte Huang's Going Geek will like this book. It follows Becca on her journey to start over in LA and become an actress. She has to move on from the boyfriend who dumped her and find a new set of friends. Becca moves to LA with no plans, or understanding of how Hollywood works and though she struggles to make it, the basic plot didn't quite work for me. Everything seems to fall into place a little too easily for the naive teen and she quickly becomes the most beloved apartment tenant in her building. Teen readers who enjoy Kasie West, Morgan Matson, and Jennifer E. Smith will like this sweet Hollywood romance though some readers might question how believable Becca's success is.