The first 30% was great, I loved the characters and thought their chemistry was good and believable. The fluffy cute moments were what kept me going. I think that the characters had a lot of depth and both were working through some tough trauma, and I think these are experiences a lot of people can relate to.

After that, it kind of got boring. There isn't much plot at all, nothing happened. It focused heavily on the development of their relationships but I think that it jumped time too much for me to be invested at that point.

There were a couple of things that gave me a little bit of an ick but I chose to ignore it, like Cal being 30 years old but not acting 30, I aged him down in my mind. The proposal that wasn't a proposal? that threw me for a loop lol

Overall, I think that this was an okay book.

Brightest Light of Sunshine was a fun and entertaining story. I was taken with the characters from the first moment, and it was difficult not to love them and root for them the entire time.
As for the writing, I found it easy to digest and with enough detail to make you feel inside the story.

*Title: Brightest Light of Sunshine-Bk#1-2 The Brightest Light series

*Release date: 12/19/23 read: 12/11/23

*Author: Lisina Coney-1st time read

*Format: e-ARC. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC 🧡! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

*POV: dual between H/h

*Setting: Warlington

*Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

*Tropes:
✅ friends to lovers
✅ brother/sister relationships
✅ college students
✅ ballet dancer
✅ tattoo artist

Look out for:
⚠️ SA/SH, parental neglect, alcoholism

Main Characters:
Grace Allen-22, college senior- English major. A ballet dancer, teaches classes at The Dance Palace. Adopted and has 2 dads who live in Canada.

Aaron Allen-26, Grace's cousin. Owns a tapas restaurant. He's like her brother and crazy OTT protective.

Samuel "Cal" Callaghan-30, owns tattoo shop- Inkjection. Cares for 4 year old sister Maddie because their mother Larissa is an alcoholic and Maddie's father Pete sits on the couch all day.

*Review: Loved this sensitive, loving story between 2 likeable main characters. I loved Grace's courage and innocence. Cal is my new book boyfriend-caring, protective, and tattooed.

*Rating: 5/5 ⭐

*Spice level- 3/5🌶️

Super cute, light read! Cal was dynamic, and a grumpy bear. Grace, sweet and I just wanted to hug her.

I struggled the most with the third act feeling both unnecessary and dragging. As well as the character maturity seemed low for both despite Cal being much older than Grace.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a fan of slow burn and the first half of this book did that brilliantly. The only criticism I could have would be the angst in the last third seemed unnecessary. Grace had already shown she was all in and accepted/happy to be involved if Cal was to look after Maddie. Cal was a great mmc, a protective teddy bear will always be a winner

First of all, can I say how much I appreciate the author for not having them to break up because of miscommunication or betrayal or either ML or FL felt insecure so they decide to break up so that their significant other can be “free”. With the age gap and Cal being 30 I do hope he is mature not like other 30s or 40s y.o ML that act or say something very childish.

Now on to the story. I went in with this book completely blind except for the bits and pieces I saw on IG. I love the flow with this book. Everything was done so smoothly and nothing felt rushed for me. With the trauma that happened to Grace, it was so heartwarming that her cousin, her dads, and even Cal felt very protective of her.

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVEEE a book where there is children or pets involved?? Because oh my goodness! I love Cal and Maddie so much and also Grace and Maddie too. The connection on how they met through Maddie was so CUTE and Maddie was the sweetest.

Like everything else, when everything was too good to be true, something happened. AND I LOVE THE AUTHOR’S EXECUTION WITH THIS PROBLEM😭🤍. And the epilogue ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹I LOVE this kind of epilogue😏

-Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the eARC-

Sweet, cute, and spicy

This book is a slice of life shown through the eyes of Grace a twenty two year old ballerina and college senior who dreams of becoming an author and Cal a tattoo shop owner and artists who also is a father figure to his four year old sister. When Grace backs out of getting a tattoo after gathering the courage to walk in and talk to the tattoo artist Cal, that’s not the last time she sees him. They keep bumping into each other and from that their friendship starts to grow. As time progresses and they get to know each other better both of them can’t help but feel that maybe, just maybe they feel something a little bit deeper than the love between to friends.

The Brightest Light of Sunshine is a beautiful romance book that doesn’t shy away from how trauma can effect a relationship. The author Lisina did a fantastic job of really showing how a persons trauma can impact a persons and a couples life. These traumas were done with great care, the author never at any point romanticized or downplayed these issues. Instead shown a light on how regardless of these how a healthy relationship can progress and thrive with the right care.

I really appreciated the consistent checking in and work that the two main characters put into themselves and their relationship. Especially that they each made mistakes at times and learned from them. It brought in a sense of reality to the situation. It was nice to read something that showed the ups and downs of the work being put in to a relationship without sensationalizing it.

Tropes include:
Friends To Lovers
Age Gap (22 & 30)
Slow Burn

Possible Triggering Content:
Sexual assault victim
Alcoholic parent
Neglectful parent

“Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.”

The minute I started reading this book I was swept away by the story – which is exactly what I hoped would happen after seeing the stunning cover. Thank you so much Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Lisina Coney for the ARC!

Both Grace’s and Cal’s stories were moving and important and it was wonderful to read this novel from two points of view. They both had trust issues – for obvious reasons! – and their blooming friendship and affection for each other was really precious. I did feel that the book was a bit too long and the foreboding that something bad might be about to happen is something I am never a huge fan of but the solid and gripping beginning and the swoony chemistry between the two leads kept this a four-star-read for me.

I strongly recommend reading the Content Notes at the beginning of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

5 stars for this one. this book was freaking adorable. first of all, let me say the author did a wonderful job of portraying grace's strong character and her journey. i felt as though this was definitely a romance, but it also was a work of women's fiction, showcasing a woman on her journey to heal after a horrible moment in her life that changed her forever. i fell in love with her character and the relationship she had with her parents was incredible. they love her so much! grace really did bloom with grace throughout the story and it was beautiful to read. she really does embody sunshine.

cal was absolutely, devastatingly amazing. wow. his character was so rugged and sexy, but also so extremely caring, protective, genuine and loving. the amount of love he has for his sister was moving. his relationship with maddie as a brother made me emotional as i too have an older brother (two actually). maddie was a true beautiful, sweet princess who i adored.

cal and grace? woah. their love was so special and bloomed from just strangers to absolute best friends to lovers. my heart was bursting with the care and love they had for each other. they both were able to heal from their pasts on their own, but had each other to grow in to two even stronger people than before. it felt so genuine and real. their journey is one that will stick with me for a while. i honestly want more especially after that amazing epilogue.

I love a good slow burn and age gap was the cherry on top! Lisina did an amazing job with this book balancing love, trauma, and all the emotions in between.

This is not the book I thought it would be at all. And I’m not sad about it at all. I normally hate a slow burn but the relationship between Cal and Grace was everything. Their story was so lovely and refreshing to see. Where it’s a mutual connection that they feel and for once I wasn’t wishing they would hurry it up. The pace of the book was brilliant and it was such a heartwarming read. My only pet peeve is that the ending felt a tiny bit rushed, but it doesn’t take away from the story at all. I loved the character development and will be reading Maddie’s story as soon as it hits the shelves.

This was a promising debut novel from an indie author. There is a lot to love about this sweet story following an unlikely pair that start as friends - a tiny ballet dancer in college working on building her confidence as a trauma survivor and a big 30yo tattoo artist who frequently takes on the responsibility of raising his young sister when his mother can’t due to her addiction problems. While this wasn’t a 5 star read for me, the characters are sweet and likable and I enjoyed their story. Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Page and Vine for the ARC!

My first thought is that the author did a good job of addressing the heavier topic that the main character Grace faced. Grace was both resilient and vulnerable at the same time and I loved that the author made her this way. Cal was an incredible brother to his younger sister and a supportive partner to Grace. The story feels heavy at times but it is well-balanced out by moments of love and light.

Lisina Coney’s Brightest Light of Sunshine is one of my top reads of this year. It was heartwarming and emotional and a very pleasant read. I loved the progression of Cal and Grace’s relationship. First and foremost they are friends! They truly understand and support each other. I loved the sex positivity after everything that Grace went through being a sexual assault survivor. The topics were handled beautifully. Overall, this book was amazing and I cannot recommend it more.
Can’t wait to read about sweet baby Maddie next!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a cute romance on the slower side which I tend to prefer. I adored Grace and Cal (and Maddie of course) and I liked seeing the development of their friendship and later, their relationship. There were for sure many moments that made me smile and laugh out loud.
Grace's story is on the heavier side so while I don't see it fit to comment on her story personally, I think the author wrote and developed a very good character. Also the emphasis on consent was greatly appreciated and I realize the weight this story can have. My heart also aches for Cal but he was such a good MMC overall.
One thing that definitely stressed me out in terms of writing was sometimes the author ended a chapter in such a way to imply that something bad was going to happen to disrupt the happier parts. That just made me more anxious while reading and it was a bit harder to enjoy some chapters because I was thinking about the incoming stress. Apart from that though, I loved this book and I already re-read my favourite parts constantly.


(Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher but my review is entirely honest and optional.)

Lisina Coney’s Brightest Light of Sunshine was enjoyable, and a good read. It was more emotionally charged than I usually read, but I enjoyed the change of pace. The writing was good and the storyline and characters sucked you in. Definitely recommend, especially with the holidays coming up! This would be a great read to cozy up with on the couch. Enjoy!

Brightest Light of Sunshine by Lisina Coney is the best kind of slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance I’ve ever read!
OMG, this book made me feel everything.
Cal and Grace were just perfect for each other! They just worked. And watching their relationship grow was an amazing thing. The chemistry between these two is fire, right from the start. There is no question they are into each other and Lisina Coney just writes the heck out of it. It was beautiful to witness Grace and Cal overcome their personal challenges throughout this book.
I loved their passion and their emotional connection and could not get enough of their beautiful love story.
Even the side characters were among my favorites here.
From the moment I picked it put to the moment I finished, I was obsessed and couldn't stop reading.

Literally one of my new favorite books of 2023.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Page & Vine for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

What an incredible read! This is my first time reading anything by this author and it did not disappoint. While it does touch on some touchy subjects of SA the author did this with class and good taste. There are a few things I would have changed about this book one being that he is 30 years old however, as someone who went back to college later in life this didn’t bother me too much. This was a very quick read that will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Page and Vine for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

✨ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ✨

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Brightest Light of Sunshine
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Lisina Coney
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.75/5

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦.”

☀️ 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗫 𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁
💗 𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽
☀️ 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁
💗 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
☀️ 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀

The Brightest Light of Sunshine is a sweet slow burn romance with multi POVs from Grace and Cal. Firstly, the compatibility of a ballet dancer and a tattoo artist is off the charts because that immediately piques my interest, it’s like top tier good girl X bad boy romance. Secondly, I’m not hugely into age gap romance, this one wasn’t as gaping as other romance’s that I’ve read that felt icky, but I do feel like having an age gap and then writing Grace as naive as the author has done makes her seem even younger in the story, whereas Cal, who has his own place, owns his own business, and is a father figure to his little sister, comes across as a lot older than his fictional thirty years in the story. I think it’s a trope that is really hard to do well and sometimes it did feel like the dynamic between Grace and Cal was more daddy-daughter than potential-love-interests, especially with Cal’s toxic alpha male tendencies.

However, this does have one of my favourite tropes: friends to lovers. And that made the first half of the book a gorgeously simmering sweet slow burn as the characters platonically bonded, both denying their desires; Grace; due to her trauma, and Cal, due to his duties, whilst mutually pining over the other was delicious. I think the second half of the story got frustrating, to be honest. As a couple, the relationship should have made me bloom, but instead it made me wilt, it got repetitive real fast and the friction felt inadequately justified.

The exploration of sexual assault is a large theme in this novel, and it leads to a good character development not only from Grace, but from the characters surrounding her too. Whilst it felt like Grace was wearing the identity of her trauma in the beginning of the novel, she becomes more and more comfortable with her own wants and desires, and although it was clear that some level of fear will always plague her, and that she may be triggered by certain situations, that to me accurately reflected the non-linear journey of healing with trauma. The author explored this very well and delivered it to readers in a way that was tender, emotionally affluent, and practical.

—Kayleigh🤍

— 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒖𝒔, 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 . 𝑻𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.

I enjoyed it so much. I can't get enough of Sammy & Gracie and Maddie too! 🥺

Incredible storyline and this book is definitely my go-to comfort read.

Sammy is such a great guy, stepping up as a father figure for his sister. He takes care of her because he didn't want her to feel neglected by their parents. And let's talk about how he treats Gracie - like an absolute princess (and not to mention that he also buys her books)!
He went above and beyond to fulfill her every wish 🫣. Sammy always has a soft spot for Maddie and Gracie.

"Hurt them and you die"

⚠️ 𝗧𝗪: sexual assault, alcoholism, child neglected, panic attacks

✨ 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

🧡 Age gap (22&30)
🧡 Strangers to best friends to lovers ✨✨
🧡 Ballet teacher x Tattoo artist
🧡 Slow burn romance ❤️‍🔥
🧡 Dual POV
🧡 Single father (a father figure to his lil sister)
🧡 Protective MMC 🤭
🧡 Nicknames

Thank you NetGalley and author for giving me an opportunity to read this amazing book in exchange for my honest review.