You can read this as a cautionary tale about social media- it's not. It's a story about three women, told from the perspective of two of them. Mia is an extraordinary influencer until she realizes that she's not living, just posting, and throws her phone into the abyss while she's at her mom's home trying to reset after the death of her engagement and so much more. Paige, an IT whiz who monitors content, suddenly sees a post she realizes is made by her half sister Jessica, who is suicidal. Jessica worships Mia and the loss of her posts has made her despondent so Paige takes over the account. And then there's a blip and Paige and Mia collide. You will laugh, you will root for these women, and you will find yourself turning the pages. Harms has great storytelling skills. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

There is a definite trend in books that are focused on social media influencers and how they cope when things go wrong. While I don't think this is the strongest/best book on that theme, I did find it interesting and entertaining. It's the kind of book that you read on a lazy weekend, perfect for the summer months ahead!

I got through about 2/3 of this book and just couldn’t go further. At first the concept was interesting, but the characters just didn’t seems natural or believable. I pushed myself enough to try and finish this book, but really couldn’t. Perhaps if this book had been edited a bit more or redrafted it would be better, but as it is, I didn’t find it very good.

OK, I feel like we are on a trend for books about social media, which totally makes sense given the years it takes to publish these novels. This is at least the 4th one I have read in 2020. Unfortunately, they seem to be getting rated lower and lower as they are released. This book is boring and I just do not care about the two protagonists of this story.

Mia is an influencer on a platform similar to Instagram. She is about to get married, which everyone appears to be following. There is only one problem her fiancé has dumped her and if she does not have her wedding you could be in financial ruin. Meet Paige, who works for this social media platform, in safety and security handling flagged posts. Paige is mandated to take off after an incident involving her family. Mia also takes off and goes off social media to contemplate her break up and what is next for her.

All in all that sounds ok, right? However what ensues is pure silliness and while I think Harms was trying to write a novel of morals, it did not work. These characters are immensely unlikeable for my taste, and how their stories intertwined just seemed like a cop-out of a story.

I do not like writing these types of reviews, but I feel I need to be honest. I am sure people will enjoy this book, but this did not work for me at all. I want readers to go in having an idea of what to expect. If you love Social Media, you might enjoy this book, but I will leave that for you to decide.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kelly Harms has done it again! I loved The Overdue Life of Amy Byler but had been avoiding this one a bit because I thought I would end up feeling guilty about my current screen time. Thankfully it was not at all guilt-inducing but was a story filled with heart and richly nuanced characters.

Thank you to Kelly Harms, #TallPoppyWriters, Lake Union Publishing and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this tale of a social media influencer going off the grid. A fun read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Social influencer Mia is days away from her wedding to Tucker when he ditches her. Initially she’s relieved that their small guest list means she doesn’t have to contact a bunch of guests, but then she thinks of all her followers and sponsors, and decides to pretend the wedding happened.

Paige is a coding genius who works for Pictey, a social media app. Not only does she fail to follow up on a comment by one of Mia’s followers, she learns the suicidal commenter was her half-sister, Jessica. Forced to take time off work, she goes to Colorado to try to help Jessica—coincidentally near where Mia’s wedding was to have been.

With Mia on a self-imposed social media break, Paige and Jessica begin posting for her, initiating a disastrous chain of events.

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF GOING DARK explores both our addiction to our devices and the dangers of believing others’ lives are as perfect as shown on social media. The three primary characters, different as they are, are lovable in their unique ways. Another enjoyable quarantine read. #TheBrightSideofGoingDark #NetGalley

I loved Kelly Harms The Overdue Life of Amy Byler, and The Bright Side of Going Dark did not disappoint! Especially with what is going on today with everything "going virtual" it was a relevant read. The idea of throwing your electronics off a cliff right now is probably appealing to a lot of people. The main character Mia, is a social media influencer who is planning a virtual wedding to her fiancé. She has a little meltdown and and goes MIA for awhile and then her personality gets essentially stolen. The events to follow were interesting and sometimes funny. Its a light read, and totally up to date on the times of virtual everything. Its thought provoking and sweet. Perfect porch with a glass of bubbles read!

DNF @ 24%, 83pgs

oof. I feel like I just spent 84pgs getting clobbered over the head by the fact that social media is terrible and we are all slaves to likes and posts and have no meaningful relationships via anything that comes from the internet, while simultaneously being thrown into some HEAVY topics such as anxiety, suicide, neglect, and abuse.

From reading other reviews (both other DNFs as well as 4★ and 5★ reviews, of which there are quite a few!), it seems like the story doesn't really take off until about 40% into the book - but I wasn't nearly invested enough to keep going.

Speaking of the content warnings mentioned above: I haven't experienced some of the topics at all, and others not to the degree in the book, so I can't perfectly speak to the author's handling of them - but it did feel as though she wrote them with care.

This one just wasn't for me.

The Bright Side of Going Dark


An intriguing and amusing book of our dependence on our phones and the realities of social media.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Mia Bell is one of the most popular influencers on social media. She is planning the ultimate virtual wedding entirely paid for by her sponsors. But off-camera, her world is no so perfect.

She has beenjilted by her handsome fiancé and fakes her nuptials to please her sponsors. Mia finally has had enough. She heaves her phone off a cliff, ready to live offline for a change.

Paige Miller, is a high-paid computer nerd, who hacks Mia’s account and begins impersonating the internet celebrity. Paige has her reasons. Her half sister, Jessica, idolizes Mia and desperately needs something to believe in. If taking over Mia’s online persona is Paige’s only means of connecting to her sister, so be it.

Paige has more fun creating posts for Mia account than she expected. But when she forgets who she is supposed to be online she is caught in the act. A fiasco ensues that could forever change Mia, Paige, and the people who love them. But somewhere amid the chaos is a real life lesson.


REVIEW
What would it be like to get rid of your cell phone? Can you even imagine yourself heaving it off a cliff? THE BRIGHT SIDE OF GOING DARK is a clever and intriguing story that makes you give a lot of thought to that little device you hold so dear! It’s an amusing, fast and easy read, perfect for a day in the mountains or at the beach...if you can just put the phone down for a few hours! And by the way...you may not want to tKe it with you when you go on that mountain hike!

The tight writing alternates between Paige and Mia perspectives and moves swift. Both characters are unique and well-developed and will have you invested in the story. At times you will want to to throttle one or the other of them, and at times you’ll be cheering them on. One of my favorite parts of the book was Paige’s renewed relationship and her dedication to help her half-sister, Jessica.

Do you ever think your life should be just as perfect as what you see on Instagram or Facebook? THE BRIGHT SIDE OF GOING DARK’s reveals a reality of social media, It also touches on depression, attempted suicide and recovery, but finishes with personal growth and maybe even a little romance.

Author Kelly Harms also wrote bestselling book The Overdue Life of Amy Byler (2019). She lives in Madison Wisconsin and has been working in the publishing business for two decades.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Lake Union
Published May 12, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com


#netgalley #lakeunion #kellyharms #thebrightsideofgoingdark #bluestockingreviews #readitloveit

Mia is an influencer on Pictey. She has about 500k followers and basically gets paid to post. She has so many sponsors that she was able to get her wedding paid for. That is until her fiance decides that he doesn't want to get married.... The day before they were supposed to walk down the aisle. Mia panics, how is she going to pay these sponsors back, how will she explain it to her followers. So she lies, not just to her followers, but to herself as well. Meanwhile, there is Paige. Paige works at Pictey. She is one of many who monitor flagged posts and decides if the post or comment need to be deleted. She sees the worst of the worst, all day every day. One day at the end of her shift a comment on one of Mia's posts comes thru, but since she is done for the day, she logs off because that is what she is required to do. It is the next day when Paige comes to work that she finds out that the commenter was her sister Jessica and she has tried to commit suicide. From there the story evolves and the reader is left thinking about their own social media presence, their own phone addiction. Kelly Harms has a way to take a serious topic and make you laugh, make you cry, and just make you think! Take a chance and read this book! You won't be disappointed!!

This was my first novel by Kelly Harms, but since I enjoyed it a lot, I will be checking out her back-list now! "The Bright Side of Going Dark" is a delightful send-up on social media "influencers" and their followers, as well as a look at some mental health situations, and DOGS!! It was a delightful read and I highly recommend it! I received a free e-book in exchange for my honest opinion from NetGalley and the publisher.

This story is about a social influencer who gets too wrapped up in her social media. She decides to unplug and actually throws her phone off a mountain.

The story is also about a woman who flags inappropriate things on social media and missed her sisters cry for help on the social influencer’s account. She goes to help her sister and takes over the social influencer’s account at the same time.

I felt this was two books out into one. The books crossed but I think they could have been two separate books. I enjoyed the social influencer’s story much more than the other story. The other story has several triggers for mental illness.

The Bright Side of Going Dark is a thought-provoking book about social media, mental health, and making true connections with people. It was interesting and sobering to read about the life of a social media influencer and also a look behind the scenes of a tech company. I read this book during the height of the pandemic, a time when our only connections with people were through social media—which put an interesting spin on the story!

The Bright Side of Going Dark is an easy, unputdownable read about the illusion of the perfectly curated life that can be created on social media. Told from Paige & Mia’s alternating story lines we follow along as Mia’s practically perfect life beings to fall apart while at the same time someone slips through the cracks of Paige’s online safety parameters.
Mia decides to go offline and starts to really find herself while Paige decides to help Mia from afar while helping her sister. What ensues will make you shake your head, nod in agreement, laugh and ultimately bring awareness to the very real addiction of social media and how it’s possible to “go dark”.

What a clever idea for a story! As one of the most popular and influential media personas, Mia, after being jilted by her fiance, chooses to abandon social media and live life “off the instagram grid.” And so Paige, a techie loner, poses as Mia online and continues her social media popular presence.

I think this book covers so many more topics than it original presents and is highly applicable to many lives today. While being fun and entertaining in many ways it also begins to tackle the emotional issues that arise in society today due to social media and comparing our lives to others.

Mia is a popular social media influencer who shares her entire life online. But when her fiance calls off their wedding, Mia finds herself doing something she never could have imagined. She throws her phone off a cliff, and works on living her life offline.

Paige works behind the scenes for a popular social media site. When her sister attempts suicide, Paige takes time off work to go be with her sister.

The Bright Side of Going Dark is told in alternating perspectives of Mia and Paige, with a connection between the two women that is wild.

I enjoyed this book and found that it has some excellent points to think over. I'm not triggered by any topics, and I'm not sensitive by any means. So content warnings and judging what people may be upset by is not my forte! But, with the heavy focus on suicide, I think it will be difficult for some readers to enjoy this book. For everyone else - I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Kelly Harms for the advanced copy of The Bright Side of Going Dark in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this one due to all the hype I heard last year on the Overdue Life of Amy Byler and I'm so glad I did. This was the perfect repreive from the dark more serious books i've generally been reading lately. The story follows a social media influencer who decides to go cold turkey on her online life and "go dark" and the techie who ends up hacking her online life. Their paths are due to cross in a spectacular messy way.

I thought it was a cute, interesting take on social media and the effects it can have on all aspects of our lives and do the influencers help make our lives better or worse by following them? I found the characters/story a bit quircky and charming yet underneath found the story to have a nice bit of substance to it. I highly reccomend for a summer or beach read once we can get back to the beach. If you like your chick lit to be a bit of brain candy, this one may be for you. I really need to now get my hands on her Amy Byler book!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sharing this ARC in exchange my honest review.

‘The Bright Side of Going Dark’ by Kelly Harms centers around two women with very different lives, who are each struggling with long ignored feelings of unhappiness and discontent. Each has arrived at that point along a different path. Through the wonders of today’s technology, which has allowed for an extremely connected world, their lives become intertwined in increasingly complex ways.

Mia is a social media influencer and although she did not set out to live her life online, she now spends the vast majority of her time staging photos, planning posts, and managing communications with her followers. Everything falls apart when her fiancé calls off their wedding, threatening the picture-perfect image she has created. Now, she must face her life with eyes open and without a phone screen to shield her from the ugly stuff that cannot really be filtered. She must deal with the difficult events that brought her to a place where she preferred to use an internet connection to disconnect from the world around her. She must process through some very real and very difficult feelings of grief, loss, and sadness...

Paige is a homebody and a workaholic. She screens flagged content for an online platform to determine whether it is okay to stay. Meanwhile, she is hiding her own symptoms of depression and anxiety. Paige has always struggled with her mental health, due to a mixture of unfortunate genetics and unfortunate parenting. She learned to cope by leaving her family behind, isolating herself, and sticking to a regimented routine of medications, which she kind of uses to numb out from any potential emotions, good or bad. Everything is going along okay enough for Paige until an unexpected event forces her to take a leave of absence from work and revisit the family she would rather leave behind…

The main characters of Mia and Paige are bolstered by an interesting cast of secondary characters, who each have their own important and valuable stories. All revolve around themes of learning to deal with the hand you were dealt, learning to live authentically in a world that pressures for perfection, and learning to really connect with our experiences even when they are difficult such that we might rather turn away. The way that these stories unfolds is complex but masterful. Mia and Paige’s stories each progress and propel one another forward. Flashbacks to key events are placed at just the right moment to inform the current story line. As a reader, I was taken on an emotional journey with these characters, while also being encouraged to think about my own use of technology and authenticity in daily life.

This was an incredibly emotional book, with funny moments and intensely sad moments (some of which left me practically sobbing). The characters go through some intense stuff and this may be one of those books that needs a sensitive material warning as some of the content could be triggering or difficult for some readers. There are themes related to mental health, maladaptive coping, grief, loss, and suicide. At times the discussion around suicide could be especially difficult for some readers. Simultaneously, the themes in this book could be normalizing for readers ready to confront their own mental health issues. I also appreciate how the main characters of Mia and Paige illustrated the different, main paths towards poor mental health and maladaptive coping (a mix of genetics and upbringing vs. difficult life events).

This is a good book and I believe that readers ready for the emotional journey will thoroughly enjoy it. My sincerest thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Kelly Harms for an advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have experienced Mia and Paige’s journeys!

A fun, light read in between heavier novels, that’s how I think of The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms. I have had a few friends ask me for book recommendations and I am pointing them to this one when they mention wanting an entertaining but not too dark book.

This story is so timely. Go anywhere (although not now during this quarantine) and you will see people with their eyes glued to their phones. Everything is about posting and social media and tagging and hashtags and filters and its enough to make your head explode. People love to paint these perfect pictures of their amazing lives for all to see when the truth about their lives is not always so ideal.

I like how Kelly Harms took a very relevant topic of today’s society and created this story!

Take a look:

As one of the most popular influencers on social media, Mia Bell has lived her life online for years. With her celebrity dog and gorgeous fiancé, she is planning the ultimate virtual wedding—expensive, elaborate, and entirely paid for by sponsors. But off-camera, her world is far from picture perfect. After being jilted by her fiancé and faking her nuptials to please her sponsors, Mia finally has had enough. She heaves her phone off a cliff, ready to live—and maybe find love—offline for a change.

Mia’s sudden absence doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by techie loner Paige Miller, who hacks Mia’s account and begins impersonating the internet celebrity. Paige has her reasons. Her half sister, Jessica, idolizes Mia and desperately needs something to believe in. If taking over Mia’s online persona is Paige’s only means of connecting to her sister, so be it.

Creating a like-worthy life is more fun than Paige expected. But when she grows too bold and is caught in the act, a fiasco ensues that could forever change Mia, Paige, and the people who love them. Because somewhere amid the chaos is an invaluable lesson—one that only real life can teach.

While the book isn’t heavy in the sense that its not a scary horror or twisty suspense book, it definitely tackles topics that aren’t sweet and fun. Depression, anxiety, grief are all addressed in this novel. I think Kelly Harms did a fantastic job with this!

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