Super fun summer read! Sunshine and Margot are so different, I enjoyed both of their stories. Would recommend this book for sure.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Margot and Sunshine are fraternal twins, with different lifestyles. Margot is an ettiquette coach, currently hired to aid a middle-aged actress to help her when she marries her diplomat fiance. She, Bianca, tends to do as she wishes and her son, Alex, thinks she needs lessons in how to control her impulses. Sunshine is a nanny, working for Declan and his young son Connor. However, she's decided to changes her ways, and wait till someone sees her as a person, which includes going to college at age 31.

Both women need to overcome their pasts Margot had been with a con artist-type for years, and would drop everything to ofollow him. Sunshine had a habit of living up to her looks -- curvy and blonde -- and just taking off with any man who offers her something exciting. Love grows slowly for both women and the men they work for. Alex is a loner, happiest, so far, examining antiquities. Declan is still struggling with the aftermath of his wife's infidelities and then death. The chemistry between all of the characters, including Bianca and Connor, is very real. And the ending is great, even though expected,

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

These sisters are very different and I love how we feel that in their stories.  Sunshine's is bigger, louder, and messier but she is oh-so-appealing for it.  Your heart just goes out to her as she struggles to be the person she wants to be and not who she used to be.  Declan and Connor are a perfect match for her - if only they'd met under different circumstances.  Unfortunately they didn't so there's going to be some struggles and a lot of bumps along the way.    

Margot is more formal & reserved and her story matches, except for Bianca.  Matching these two brings out some wonderful comedic moments and I only wish we'd had even more of Bianca's oddly compelling presence.  Unfortunately some of her more risque choices over the years haven't gone over as well, especially with Alec.  It helps explain a lot of why he's the way he is, and why Margot is a good match for him. 

If you are looking for a fun read to throw in your bag for a trip to the beach or the pool, this is definitely it.  The Summer of Sunshine and Margot follows the sisters as they fall in love and we effortlessly flow between the two & the people in their lives.  It never felt disjointed (as multi-characters books can) as we get to know everyone and watch as their connections deepen.

Susan Mallery introduces us to such rich characters. Margot and Sunshine are sisters down on their luck with finding men with whom they could share their lives. Sunshine finds a nanny job and a boy that wins her heart. She also falls for the dad but how do you date your boss? She tries to interest him in a divorced mother she meets, thinking it would be best for both of them. Margot’s job is to help clients adjust to the culture and customs of places they come in contact. Her present client is a retired actress who needs to know the protocol for being a diplomat’s wife. Margot is to move into the son’s house so she can spend time with Bianca. Being in such close quarters with the son causes its own problems. The characters are rich and their lives are full of ordinary questions that have many answers.

Susan Mallery is one of my go to authors - she always seemed to find the right balance of interesting characters, humour, seriousness, and a little over the top. I absolutely loved this book - beautifully written and engaging. I laughed. I cried. An enjoyable look at family, flaws, and romance (sweet and sexy like usual.). Her characters are well written - you feel like you know them. The quirkiness that finds its way through the story leaves you smirking. Overall another wonderful escape - perfect summer reading.

Favorite Quotes:

Just so you know, I’m feeling especially pouty tonight. If you hang out with me, I’ll whine and be unreasonable.

“I’m the firstborn. Responsibility is my middle name.” “You’re firstborn by eight minutes.” Margot sighed. “I did love being an only child.”

From her perspective, there was only one surefire way to get him to back off. She offered a regretful smile and lightly touched his arm. “I would love to only things are a little contagious…”She waved her fingers toward her crotch. “Down there, if you get my meaning. It’s not horrible but the rash can really burn.” Steven shifted away from her so quickly he nearly lost his balance and fell off his chair.

We’ve all done things we’re ashamed of. The point is to do better when we know better.


My Review:

Margot and Sunshine Baxter were fraternal twins and I adored them and want to be in their circle of friends. Both had started new jobs and had each reached an epiphany over their history of poor choices in their previous relationships with each sister actively striving to improve their lot in that department; if only the past were so easy to leave behind. The characters were beguiling and endearingly quirky with unique yet relevant challenges to accommodate. The storylines were well-crafted, engaging, cleverly amusing, and expertly paced. Ms. Mallery’s wordcraft is well-honed and she certainly knows what she is doing as I have easily fallen into a refreshingly pleasurable state of rapt entertainment with each of her lovely books that I have been lucky enough to peruse.

I honestly couldn't finish this book. I was very horrified but a character's need to establish that he wasn't gay.

Sunshine and Margot are fraternal twins who are in the process of taking their lives back and right now love is not in the equation for either of them. Left to grow up with their great-grandmother, the twins grow up knowing just how different they are from each other. Margot, the serious one, is now an etiquette coach and her current client is a former actress who needs to learn proper etiquette before her upcoming wedding to a foreign diplomat. Margot’s got a job to do and she needs to not be feeling what she’s beginning to feel for Margot’s son, and her new host, Alec. Alec is just as serious and staid as Margot, a perfect match for her. But they each have their own issues with relationships.
Sunshine on the other hand, is the flighty one. A nanny who’s great with kids, until a man looks her way. Then she’s off on whatever adventure that man takes her on, leaving the family behind without looking back. Back in town after her last disastrous relationship ended, she’s decided to get her life together and to make something of herself. She’s become a nanny to Connor, a nine-year old who’s mother recently passed from cancer. Connor’s been a handful for other nannies, making them leave within a couple of weeks of being hired. Connor’s father, Declan, is at the end of his rope, and needs to find someone that Connor will take to. Declan’s got his own issues. He never got a chance to deal with his wife’s infidelity and lies before she passed from cancer, he’s not interested in a relationship, or even dating, no matter how beautiful he thinks the new nanny is.
Ms. Mallery has done a great job of weaving these two stories together. You feel all the emotions the characters do, even the cringy ones. You root for the sisters and the men in their lives. You want to see that happily ever after, even when things start to fall apart. With wonderful characters, a superb story, and amazing writing, you fall into the story and their lives in California, and you don’t want to leave.
**I was given an ARC by Netgalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review The Summer of Sunshine and Margot. I only hope that there are sequels fall, winter, and spring of Sunshine and Margot because I would like to continue reading about their lives. A great summer read with likable characters that you want to see them have a happily ever after.

A tale of two sisters, The Summer of Sunshine and Margot, is fun, with an underlying side of messed up childhoods. Twins Margot and Sunshine Baxter couldn't be any more different. Margot is a life coach, of sorts, for people who need crash courses in the etiquette in, say, Spain. She teaches them to fit in and thrive.

Margot is hired by aging movie star Bianca, to "remake" her into a diplomat's wife. Bianca has a reputation for outrageous behavior, and has lived by her looks all her life. She does NOT understand that, understated can be sexy, too. All she sees is boring. The main perk Margo sees in taking the Bianca job is the refurbished monastery home she gets to live in while she works. The second perk is Bianca's gorgeous son, the academic Alec, who hides his childhood hurts behind his studious nature. Can Margot help him realize that caring for someone else doesn't have to hurt?

Sunshine has a history of falling for the wrong men. Her job as a nanny is perfect. It is by nature short-term and she is great with kids. Her references say, "She's a great nanny if you can get her to stay." She has no desire to be "that girl" again. She's going back to college at 32, and she's found a job with a single dad and his son, that fits her to a T. She will not mess this up. Even if her boss is insanely hot, and his son is completely adorable, and she can SO see herself as the woman in both of their lives. Repeat, she will NOT mess this up! Can Declan convince her that she has more staying power than she gives herself credit for?

Wow! Susan Mallery has done it again! I loved these characters but if I had to choose my favorites, they would be Sunshine and Bianca. Sunshine has a gift for sarcasm that is fun and some of her "let downs" for the college boys who try to ask her out are hilarious. Bianca, and all of the Bianca stories that Margot hears secondhand, are beyond outrageous. I can see her ending up with a picture or three every week in the Enquirer, or some other gossip rag. She is a hoot. I also really liked Alec and Declan. Each was perfect for his chosen Baxter twin.

All in all, The Summer of Sunshine and Margot was a fun story that will keep Mallery fans clamoring for more.

Margot is a etiquette coach taking on the challenge to get Bianca a star who is known for acting outrageous to be more proper. So she moves in to Bianca and her son's, Alec, monastery turned mansion. While she tries to help Bianca, Alec and Margot have a attraction they'll try to deny. Then there's her sisters Sunshine who is know for being a flake taking on nanny jobs, finding a guy who ditches her then repeats cycle. It's when she was left in a completely different country with little with her that she decided to make a change. Now shes working for a decent guy with an amazing kid and shes taking on going back to school to get her life straight. She never expected to fall for the father but she refuse to repeat her cycle and will try to resist.

If you love a good contemporary romance, if you are looking for a cute book to read beside the pool this summer you'll want to check out this book. I sometimes have a hard time keeping two different story lines separate but this book was easy to follow. I enjoyed getting to see how different these twin sisters were dealing with their life with the way they grew up and how completely different they are as adults. One flighty, one who is very by the rules and it was interesting seeing their relationship. I also loved seeing the different sides of both girls with their love life. There is plenty to love and enjoy about this book but hard to talk about without giving it away. Overall this was a pretty great book I really enjoyed it.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, this book is an enjoyable summertime read. I liked that the two sisters had non-typical careers, which added some interest to the story. I didn’t feel that the overly descriptive sex scenes added to the story. I think the coarseness of those scenes detracted from the story. The ending of the story was rather abrupt, which also lowered my rating somewhat.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me a copy of this book. I loved it! The story of the two twin sisters was uplifting. The fact that they were so different in personalities, their lives had taken on such different paths and those chose such different types of men proves that even if you are a twin you are still distinctly different. Ms. Mallery has written a book which entertains and makes you laugh out loud. The antics these two sisters get into is quite amusing yet at the same time is very thought provoking. I applaud the way she took Sunshine through her "complete life change" with the struggles that come with it and she comes out the other side a stronger and more confident person. The same can be said about Margot to a degree. It was nice that Margot could kick her useless boyfriend to the curb and finally find someone that appreciated her. Very enjoyable book and a great summer read!!!!

This was a fantastic summer read for me! I loved the family drama and found it very funny at times. Susan Mallery always writes a great romance and this one doesn't disappoint. I really enjoyed it!

This was a cute read. For me, the familial relationships were more enjoyable than the romance, but the romance was still good.

One of Susan Mallery’s best qualities is how when you grab one of her books, you just keep reading and forget time. The Summer of Sunshine and Margot definitely doesn’t disappoint. These two sisters will keep you flipping the pages wanting to see where life takes them. Trying to make their lives better, their story gives us all the elements that makes Susan’s book swoonworthy.

We are introduced to Margot and Sunshine. These ladies have been through a lot, but what has been consistent, is their love for each other. At different places in their lives, they’ve had their fair share of disappointments, especially in the love department. Little did they know that life happens when it’s supposed to and how fate had something in store.

Margot is the more reserved sister. An etiquette coach, she lands a job working for a former movie star, Bianca, who is a lot to handle. Quirky and out of control at times, she is seeking her help to make her more social acceptable to her dignitary boyfriend. Little does she know that

Bianca has an ulterior motive for her. Her recluse and conservative son has sworn off love. Actually the last thing on his mind or wants is a relationship but when Margot comes into their lives, could this be fate meant to be?

Sunshine, definitely lives up to her name. Wanting to change her ways of running away from life and not to mention attaching herself to the wrong men, she really wants to have a real life. She wants a future, a real relationship and for once be respected as a person. Insecure but optimistic, she lands a position as a nanny with a widow and his son. A great guy who recently lost his wife and a charismatic son that is the center of his world. They hit off great. Actually, the ideal situation that seems meant to be. Seems perfect right?

As Sunshine gets adjusted and attached to her new situation, the past keeps creeping in on her clashed with her current feelings in turmoil. In her past, she would have a job, fall in love with the guy and leave. Not wanting to keep making the same mistakes, she wants to make this work. Not wanting to mix business with her personal life, she finds herself at a crossroads in life unsure of which direction to go. Little does she know that sometimes when you least expect it, what’s meant to be can be right in front of you.

The Summer of Sunshine and Margot brings all that we love in a great story by Susan Mallery. As much as these girls were enjoyable to read, the relationship between Bianca and Alec is worth noting as well. We get family drama, romance, wit that will make this wonderful. There’s much more to this book but I want you to enjoy all that it brings. I’m going to recommend adding this to your TBR.

Great story. I loved the characters and relationships. Well written and enjoyable read. Definitely recommend.

The story of two sisters who feel that they are genetically predisposed to have bad love lives and try to make drastic changes to have a better future. The ups, downs and struggles that they go through as they try to get through the obstacle course of life is plotted out in a well thought out manner laced with a variety of emotions and offset by humor to keep you laughing, crying and raging right alongside the characters. The character development is quite good for both the main and secondary characters to have you feeling the love, frustration, confusion and all the other emotions that the main characters go through as they interact with the secondary characters. The book switches quite quickly from one characters point of view to another so it keeps you intrigued and engaged in a manner that has you flying through the pages.

Great book about family and love and self esteem. I love the relationships each sister has and in turn their relationships together. Great summer read.

Ahhhh, a super sweet and satisfying story that I just devoured in one day. Susan Mallery has been hit or miss for me lately but this one of of my favorites of hers! It actually has some pretty steamy romance scenes and the sister protagonists are just so original and empowered - I loved them. I also loved how original the entire storyline was - sometimes I feel like I’ve read every story on earth already, but this one was refreshingly different in the world of gentle romance ❤️