Lady Sunshine really snuck up on me and pulled me in with its lyrical writing and vivid imagery. Told in two time periods, 1979 and 1999, this novel unfolds at its own pace but keeps you turning the pages. For music fans like myself, the part of the book set in the Seventies on the California coast brought me right back to my childhood summers. Lady Sunshine is the story of two teen cousins, Jackie & Willa, living what appears to be an idyllic summer on a rock and roll compound, free of parental boundaries and filled with music and magic. By the point when the golden summer turns dark, we are already invested in the lives of Jackie & Willa. We meet Jackie again twenty years later, as she inherits the compound and comes to terms with the past. A satisfying read.

Lady Sunshine is more than a story to read and enjoy—it is a story you will LIVE and experience. I was completely and instantly transported to 1979, when Jackie exits the town car that has brought her to spend the summer with her uncle and his family. Like Jackie, I fell under the spell of the spirit of The Sandcastle, with the music, the freedom and the people who lived in the cabins, walked along the beach, hiked in the hills, and sat around the campfire. As idyllic as that summer was, there were secrets and darkness lurking beneath the beauty and peace, things that would alter the lives of everyone who was there in the summer of ‘79. 20 years after that fateful summer, Jackie inherits the property and returns to California with plans to quickly sell it and return to her life in Boston, but when a musician shows up with hopes of paying tribute to her uncle’s music, Jackie once again finds herself transfixed and transformed by The Sandcastle and its temporary residents. This is a glorious novel, nostalgic and clever, with shifting emotions and revelations that took my breath away.

Set in 1979 and 1999 this is a slow evolving story set in 400 acres called Stonecastle owned by her aunt and musician uncle Graham, along with her cousin Willa. All their friends flock to Stonecastle and It’s a summer of reawakening for Jackie, getting to know these family members she’s never met before, and quickly growing to love and be a part of them, especially Willa. The story flips from that summer of 1979 to 1999 when Jackie has inherited an empty Stonecastle and must confront her memories in order to clear it out for sale.
A wonderful plot, and characters, but the flipping back and forth through time the way it was done made me dizzy, it was done so much.

I’m convinced Amy Mason Doan captured the sun when she wrote "Lady Sunshine." The summer of 1979—when seventeen-year-old Jackie meets her cousin Willa at a faded rock star’s California compound—carries that sun-washed aura of nostalgia and things that are sometimes best left in the past. Twenty years later—when Jackie returns to the estate—the sun penetrates ray by ray to reveal those things from the past, and Jackie must contend with secrets hidden in the shadows.

With her soulful probing of the pain that comes with the truest and most complex of friendships, Doan has confirmed herself as a “must read” for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House for providing an early copy of this book for review purposes.

Just the perfect bit of nostalgic wonder! (It felt reminiscent of moment in The Electric Koolaid Acid Test, which I Ioved and felt really encapsulated that era).

The writing is beautiful and truly builds a memorable scene that fills the senses. Characters were vivid and fully realized. And the added suspense made this compulsively readable, with a nice balance of darkness and heartwarming lightness.

Based solely on the description, I knew I'd like this book, but I was not prepared for how much I would enjoy this one. This was my first Amy Mason Doan book, but it absolutely won't be the last.

I loved this book! It was heartwarming and strong. It was exactly what I needed with everything going on in the world! A happy little escape!

Boy did this take me back to my teenage years! Plus it is set in California, in an area I know so well and live close to. The concert venues mentioned in the story are all ones I have been to.

Jackie heads back to her late uncle's compound/estate that she has inherited. Things happened there many years ago that have changed Jackie forever. It brings back the memories so we get to hear all about the free way of life that was lived there. I guess people would have called them all hippies back then. People would come and go, stay in cabins, play music together. Jackie doesn't expect to become close to her cousin Willa but they become bosom buddies. There is a mystery that comes with people and their deaths that takes Jackie on an unexpected journey.

This just brought back so many memories. I can imagine that I was wearing a lot of what the author describes. I was wearing the scents and the colors. I was listening to the music. I love how Jackie finds herself there and how she loves her cousin. You go along a path of seeing what was true and what was what people wanted you to see. Free love wasn't always free. The descriptions are vivid and the storyline keeps you involved. Just a really great way to escape.

Thanks to Netgalley and Graydon House for an advance copy of this book.

When I dive into a Amy Mason Doan novel I know I am about to forget about the real world and focus solely on her fantastic writing. Lady Sunshine had me doing exactly that and because it was so unputdownable, I finished it in one day! This novel centers around Jackie and her cousin Willa, and the fateful summer the spent inseparable! Time hopping between 1979 and 1999 Amy Mason Doan takes us on a full circle journey filled with unexpected twists and turns! This 5 star novel combines the suspense and women’s fiction genres perfectly to create a storyline that will stay with you! Lady Sunshine is a 2021 favorite and would make terrific beach read!

I’ve got LADY SUNSHINE on a cloudy day….
A stunning book cover? I’m intrigued! A book about the ultimate, endless summer during the 70’s? Sold! The uncovering of dark family secrets at a magical compound on the California Coast? Gimme, Gimme! While I am a 90’s baby, Amy Mason Doan’s lyrical writing about the free spirits, fierce passion for music, and golden state of mind made me long to build a time travel machine and teleport back to the 70’s! When conventional Jackie Pierce is sent to spend the summer at the enchanting, oceanside commune of her famous musician uncle, her world is never the same again. An unforgettable summer of growing up and developing a meaningful friendship with her cousin Willa, ends in harsh reality, tragedy, and Willa’s disappearance. Two decades later when Jackie is named the executor of her uncle’s famous estate, she is forced to relive the truth of what really occurred during that memorable summer. This book is summertime magic.
Huge thank you to Netgalley for this eARC!

This is mesmerizingly impressive! This author can draw colorful paintings and create lyrical compositions by only using her talented story telling skills. Time traveling between 79’s to 99’s to tell us whirlwind, emotional, epic friendship of two cousins hook you up to your seats and let you enjoy your virtual trip!

You find yourself at the fairy tal-ish universe of Sandcastle: impeccably elaborated, vividly depicted portraits, engaging, realistic dialogues, connectable, genuine characters and of course realistically reflected Californian coast setting captivate your attention and make you devour each chapter, cancelling your entire program, focusing on your reading!

It’s also the unique and thought provoking criticism of the redemption of fame: how it could be destroying when it is positioned by wrong people and how the relationships would be torn apart violently by its terrible side effects!
It’s an evolving coming of age, provocative, powerful, exciting story! Both Jackie and Willa are likable characters!

The mysterious opening about surprising inheritance part was intriguing and the book kept my attention intact till the end! Well built story line, great characters and remarkable conclusion of longtime friendship story earned my 5 nostalgic, musical, lyrical, poignant stars!

Special thanks to Netgalley and HARLEQUIN TRADE PUBLISHING for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

What a fantastic read! The transitions between 1979 and 1999 are well-written and help add a richness to the story. I love Jackie and Willa's friendship and you can practically taste their freedom. I can see this being a good read for a book club in the summer.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful coming of age novel set during a turbulent backdrop. I loved this story and was engaged instantly. Highly recommend this novel.

I'm a big fan of Amy Mason Doan's work. She writes beautiful novels with memorable characters, set in unique locations. I particularly loved the setting for this book & if you want to be transported back to 70's sunny, California, you will too! Throughout the story we meet musicians, song-writers, tree-lovers, hippies & free spirits, all unique & complex individuals. The author does a wonderful job as always, creating realistic, endearing characters and a story so compelling I couldn't put the book down. Along with Jackie I particularly enjoyed Bree, one of the minor characters, who is a successful & talented singer. There's so much beauty in these pages, I suggest you keep your eye out for Lady Sunshine in June when it comes available. It's going to be a perfect summer read! Https://Instagram.com/booksteaandglutenfree

Amy Mason Doan delivers another satisfying read with Lady Sunshine. She is a deft storyteller, blending vivid descriptions, believable dialogue, and always, a nostalgia that makes me smile and takes me home. She created a fascinating world with The Sandcastle and its players in one time period and juxtaposed it with discoveries that occur when the main character inherits The Sandcastle as an adult. It makes for an effective unraveling of the mysteries and complexities surrounding the two cousins at the heart of this tale.