4.5 - Thank you so much to Berkley for the advance copy of this book!

Lord, I did not what I was getting myself into when I started this book. I thought I was going to get this sweet romance about a woman at a beach with a dog and instead I got a book about 3 women who have had 3 different versions of love.

I will break down my mini thoughts into the 3 point of views.

Joy - Joy is an older woman who has just never felt like she could just be herself. She was always striving to appease someone. She never fully was living for herself. We learn about Joy's upbringing and the toxic environment in her household. She was very close to her brother and would do anything for him. She was constantly changing her appearance and refuses to allow herself to age. She became friends with her tennant's mother and learned what it was like to have a real friend. I was so happy when Joy found what she was meant to do with her life.

Ellie - Just like with Joy, we see Ellie early on in her life as she is a young mother to 5 children with her husband Gerald whom she has been married to for 38 years. They have had a wonderful life together devoted to their children and to each other. She learns that her husband has been keeping a secret and it was so jarring that she had to leave her home and asked Joy if she could stay with her. Ellie's chapters are mostly her figuring out what she should do with her husband. I love the friendship that she and Joy begin to have as a result of this. They really were able to help each other out.

Lark - Lark is the star of the book being the focal point that connects to the two above. Lark rents a cottage on the property owned by Joy and is the daughter of Ellie. At the beginning of the book Lark is timid and not the most confident oncology doctor who tends to be overly emotional when she loses patients. She gets sent to emergency department and is not super thrilled about it. In hopes to get back into the oncology she agrees to fake date a surgeon Dr. Lorenzo Santini, whom is known as Dr. Satan. I appreciated Lark's tenacity to try to break Lorenzo and make him seem like a normal human. This is not your typical fake date as we learn over the course of the book. Lark's story of her first love truly broke my heart. I was not prepared for how sad I was going to be while reading. I truly enjoyed reading her parts despite the pain it brought me. I love the growth that we see in Lark. By the end of the book she is putting her skills as a doctor to use and she realized what she was truly made to do.

I feel like this book is going to sit with me for awhile after finishing. Even now a day later, I am finding myself still thinking about all 3 women and their stories and how we are all connected in this world.

If you are looking for a book that will put you through an emotional rollercoaster ride but still end with happy endings, give this book a read!

Look on the Bright Side is a perfect romantic beach read. Kristan Higgins does not disappoint in this wonderful story of love and loss. The author keeps you going until the bitter end and you don't want the story to end.

Lark Smith thought it was her life’s calling to be an oncologist, so she’s devastated when she gets “demoted” to the ER for being too emotional for oncology. After all, although empathy is an important component for the job, it’s a bit over the top when the doctor cries so much the patient’s family is comforting her! About the same time, Dr. Lorenzo Santini (aka Dr. Satan) offers to provide Lark with an endorsement to a prestigious oncology department head, but there’s a catch: she has to agree to be his fake girlfriend for the summer and attend his sister’s wedding events with him. Seems like a pretty good bargain… until Lark falls for Dr. Satan’s brother Dante!

If “fake dating but make it deep and emotional” is your jam, then this is the book for you! I adore Kristan Higgins’s writing style, she is so talented at hooking your heart immediately and making you love her characters. Lark is so sweet and you can’t help rooting for her; I simultaneously wanted to wrap her in a warm hug and push her out of her self-imposed nest. In addition to Lark’s POV, we also get her landlady Joy and Lark’s mom Ellie. It’s a summer of growth for all three women, with themes of love, grief, forgiveness, growth, and second chances. I definitely recommend this beautifully written and touching story!

Many thanks Berkley Publishing for providing me an advance copy of this book.

4.5 Stars

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is another story from this author with all the feels. The characters are fully drawn with their own unique personalities and areeasy to relate to. Readers will be pulled right into this story as they cheer these characters through the complexities of life and finding their happy endings. Highly recommended to women's fiction fans!

This author does such a good job in weaving through so many emotions in her stories with relatable characters that readers can't help but love. This story made me laugh, cry, swoon, cheer... there were seriously so many good moments! I loved when Lark totally steps up and takes charge. I also loved the "Dr. Satan" moniker, but also that even though he is, you also see that he's not just one dimensional. These characters have histories, their own challenges, and their own redeeming qualities. Now Dante was definitely swoon worthy, and that whole story and history and emotional connection was pretty amazing. But also not easy. There was some work involved and real conversations, and not just between Dante and Lark but with other characters too.

I really liked that the author took what you could think was going to be a Beauty and the Beast story or enemies to lovers and it not be that. She didn't fall into the cliche at all. And she didn't fall into one of my pet peeves of cheating either. Characters approached and even stepped over the line, but there were consequences. It wasn't just brushed aside and there was responsibility for choices from both sides. That's a pretty hard line to walk and it worked for me here. There were some really tough themes in this book, like the cheating, but also loss, grief and abuse. All of that heaviness was balanced by humorous moments (some of them in the ER), beautiful moments of friendship, family moments, and one adorable dog. Of course, the endings for these characters were bittersweet and beautiful. My favorite way for stories to end.

I also had a few places that really struck me. Here are two of them:

"I'm on your side, he said. "People say not to take sides, and to that, I say, ridiculous! There's right and there's wrong. I'm on the side of right."

"The key, she had learned, was to live in the here and now. Not the back then or the what-if, but right now. Not to worry about the shadows or the times of sorrow and darkness. They would come, of course. No one was immune. The trick was to carry hope and determination like a torch into the dark times."

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was a book I was looking forward to and the author did not disappoint. It took me on an emotional journey with characters I loved and little pieces of wisdom along the way. Well worth the read!

Content: References to abuse and neglect (nothing overly detailed), references to cheating, someone dying from cancer with the subsequent grief and loss, some ER trauma in and out of the hospital, some swearing (mostly s-words).
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This treasure of a book absolutely broke my heart into pieces, but then put it back together again. Kristan writes with such emotion, sensitivity, vulnerability and grace. This book made me laugh, ugly cry, fall in love, and form attachments to Lark, Ellie, Joy, and so many others. I became so invested in these three brave women and their journeys, and I was rooting for all of them to find their happy endings.

Told from three different points of view, in addition to some flashbacks, Look On The Bright Side is rich in both character development and plot. While the majority of it is focused on Lark, her childhood sweetheart, her path to becoming an oncologist, and her healing journey, I also came to know and love Lark's mother, Ellie, and Lark's landlady, Joy. And let's not leave out all of the Smith siblings and extended family, as well as Lorenzo and the Santini family! They absolutely captured my heart and started to feel more like family than fictional characters. They also gave me a "While You Were Sleeping" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" vibe, which I adored! They are all so flawed and beautiful and authentic, and I fell in love with every single one of them.

While this story has an incredible amount of heart and hope, it is also very heavy. I ugly cried several times, and if you are sensitive to or triggered by cancer, hospice care, on-page death, and dementia, as well as body shaming, emotional/physical abuse, and infidelity, please proceed with caution. This is a beautiful story, but it is also full of very difficult, heartbreaking, and moving moments that will make you hug and hold your loved ones to your heart even more.

I am so very glad I read/listened to this book. Voice actors Susan Bennett, Xe Sands, and Christina Moore all managed to make me tear up and sob at various points due to the raw emotion with which they read this book, and I loved this one so much that I immediately checked out Kristan's Pack Up The Moon from my local library. Kristan, you've made me a huge fan despite making me bawl, and I can't wait to read more from you!

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins
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Look at this cover! Just a woman with her dog, walking on the beach. Unassuming, uncomplicated.
This cover is deceptive, because this was an amazing book. An absolute treasure.
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But, WHY, Stacia? WHY is it an absolute treasure?

1-We start out with Lark Smith, who receives an unbelievable business proposal from everyones least favorite person at work (hint: fake dating). I was cracking up laughing for the first few chapters of the book. So funny.

2-It isn’t all funny though, we also get a POV from Lark’s mom. Lark’s mom’s story broke my heart. I was totally invested in her part of the story and was actually very frustrated when we would change to someone else’s POV because I just wanted to stay with her.

3-I adored how heartwarming this story is. There are some strong family ties here in the Smith family. They are the type of family who just pull people in and I wanted to be part of their family too. 💜💜💜 Lark’s neighbor, Joy, was so sad since losing the only close family she had and it was the sweetest thing to see her being brought into the Smith family circle.

4-Lark’s story was this amazing combination of funny, yet sad, but heartwarming. I was laughing one minute, and crying the next. I finished the book and was sad that it was over. This will be an excellent reread over the years.
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5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ In conclusion, I think everyone should read this book. It is in the running for my top ten (possibly top three) of the year. I want to read everything Kristan has ever written.

My heart hurts. This book tore me apart in the best possible way. Look on the Bright Side is packed full of emotions—it’s funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and really just an overall great read.

Lark Smith may have blown her oncology residency by being too emotional. Her heart is so big and she cries about every terminal diagnosis. She rather quickly gets moved from the oncology department to the ER even through her passion remains in oncology. A renowned surgeon, Dr. Santini, but known by the staff as Dr. Satan, proposes to Lark to be his fake date for the summer. In return for Lark pretending to be his girlfriend to please his 99 year old grandmother, Dr. Santini will recommend that Lark be transferred back to oncology.

As the storyline develops, we learn why Lark is so passionate about oncology. The story is richly deep and emotional. There’s also some anticipated romance and quite a bit of humor. I adored the characters in this book—they were all so lovable.

This title released May 28, 2024.

5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kristan Higgins, and Berkley Publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars - moving & heartfelt while having lighter moments too!

This is my first Kristan Higgins book, but it won't be my last. Like a Jill Shalvis story, this one is several stories in one which I absolutely adore. There is the main story which is Lark's who is a hot mess of an oncologist who probably gets a bit too involved with her patient's plights - she has the reputation for being weepy - which she is...a LOT.

There is also Lark's landlady, Joy who is at loose ends with her life and how to make it a fulfilling one. And then there is Lark's mom, Ellie, who temporarily moves in with Joy to really avoid Lark's dad as we find out. That one took a bit to unravel and boy did my heart hurt for Ellie when all was discovered.

The only drawback was the slow revelation of Lark's former fiance and his parents. They are discussed without us really learning the full story until later in the book. But oh my heart once all was revealed - that one was a heartbreaker for sure!

Lark agrees to Dr. Satan's request to attend several wedding and summer events as his fake girlfriend. Lark is at a crossroads, so what's the harm. Well it gets complicated when Lark meets Dante, the sexy & better/hotter/better estranged brother. They have an instant connection!

This was an enjoyable read with lighthearted moments amongst the pain and heartbreaking ones. This story had such depth and heart! It was a beautiful thing to see Lark come into her own and really fully realize her potential.

Entertaining and heartwarming read!

I voluntarily requested and read an uncorrected advance reader copy from the publisher via Net Galley.

I adored this book! I loved all of the characters personalities and enjoyed getting to know them as the story progressed. It seemed to randomly jump between characters and in depth stories that didn’t have much to do with the main story. It was almost as if there were 3 main stories going on. I didn’t like that at the beginning but by the end I was used to it and enjoyed all of the story lines!

Lark Smith may be the nicest person you’ve ever met. She’s even a cancer doctor (or trying to be). When “Dr Satan” the arrogant, brilliant and gorgeous surgeon asks her to be his pretend girlfriend for the summer it seems like that timeless rom-com trope but “Look on the Bright Side is anything but.
Yes it’s romantic and yes it’s funny (I loled) but as Kristan Higgins alternates between three narrators, unique yet timeless love stories emerge. I also loved her exploration of the power and importance of sibling love. Look on the Bright Side is a quick and easy read because Higgins transports you in to a world of complex families where you’ll feel right at home. Highly recommend you add this to your summer reading list!

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins is a new women’s ficiton or contemporary romance novel. The story in Look on the Bright Side is one that is told mainly in the present time but there are a few chapters flashing back to earlier events. This one is also one that changes the point of view between characters however it’s two of the ladies switching the POV and not the male character.

Lark Smith had her life mapped out at a very young age and life most that included marriage, children and a career. Things didn’t exactly go as planned for Lark though when she thought she was in reach of a few of her goals. Now Lark is losing another step on her path when she’s transferred from Oncology to the ER because she can’t stop crying with each terminal patient.

Just as Lark is coming to terms with the move she is contacted by Lorenzo Santini or as he is better known, Dr. Satan. While Lorenzo has made many at the hospital cry Lark tries not to let him affect her when he tosses out an odd proposal, to be his fake date for the summer. Being a sucker for family and grandmother’s in particular Lark couldn’t turn down the request.

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins is a story that will take you on an emotional roller coaster as you get to know the characters and the backstory to what makes Lark who she is. The side story of Lark’s mother and Ellie, Lark’s landlady, was also enjoyable to read too but Lark really stole my heart early on. I was drawn into this with the whole fake dating trope since I always enjoy those but this one had some nice surprises in store for me that I definitely didn’t expect so hats off to the author since that rarely happens in any genre. Definitely an author and story to check out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins is a moving, romantic story about how a young woman learns to put aside her prior ideas and make changes that really make her happy.

Kristan Higgins books are always a fun read, and this one was pretty emotional. Also, is there always a dog on the cover? lol

4-4.5⭐️ After being transferred out of Oncology for crying too much, Lark Smith is faced with a choice - pretend to be the girlfriend of Dr. “Satan” (an ER attending) for his sister’s wedding to alleviate his dying grandmother’s worries in exchange for an oncology recommendation at a different hospital, or be permanently remanded to the ER. However, things quickly become complicated when she develops an instant attraction to his brother.

This was just the book I needed at the time I needed it. The universe has been sending me book after book about the importance of human connections, and I found this book offers the same. At its core, this story is about how pivotal those connections are to the human experience. Told from three view points, each character is facing their own lack of connections, whether it’s friendships, love, or losing the connection or a spouse. And as we progress through the story, we see those connections begin to blossom.

Kristan Higgins writes these gorgeous, complex emotional stories with strong, but realistically flawed characters who you end up feeling as though you know. In this story, we get not just one dynamic MC, but three - each with a very distinct voice and set of experiences that make them wholly unique. As someone who loves the theme of found family and the power of friendship, I was emotionally invested in both Lorenzo’s family and Lark’s, and in the friendship that develops between the two other MCs.

🎧 I read this via audio, in addition to the physical book. The full cast narration made it easy to follow along with the changing points of view, and each of the narrators added that extra bit of emotion Higgins books are so well known for.

Read if you like:
•women’s fiction
•multi-generational stories
•marriage in crisis
•found family
•female friendships
•emotional reads multiple POVs

Thank you Berkley Pub and Recorded Books for the gifted copies.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I have enjoyed the new style this author has written for the past years, probably a decade. They are not romances but Life Fiction. The characters are more realistic and well developed along with all those around them, their families and friends. The settings and emotional situations are also well built for a deep connection.

The main character in Look on the Bright Side is Lark. At present, she is a medical resident. She has wanted to be an oncologist for a long time and was moved from that program to ER. She is a twin and has 3 sisters and a brother. She is close to her family. Lark has not taken the time for very many friends or dating, focusing on her medical education.

The other characters, where the other narrators come in for their point of view, are Lark's mother, Ellie, and her landlady, Joy. All three women have growth and development in this story, but primarily Lark.

Lark is asked by Dr. Satan to be his fake girlfriend since his grandmother wants to see him settled for the events around his sister's wedding this summer. Lark was close to her grandmother and has a soft spot for older people so she ends up agreeing. She loves his family but hates not telling them the truth.

Lark has a summer of personal growth with more social events, trying out an ER doctor position, and volunteering at hospice. For us, this is interspersed with flashbacks to her history of her life starting when she was 5, and how she got interested in oncology. It's as real as it gets, no wonder she is a weeper.

I loved Lark's strength and kindness, her love of others. I appreciated her practicality and no nonsense intelligence. It's a joy to go on this life journey with her.

Her mother and landlady's stories are equally touching and realistic. There is everything to love in Look on the Bright Side.

Kristin Higgins knows how to bring on tears, laughter and joy. This latest book centers around three women who are faced with some tough challenges. Those challenges include grief, anger, change and acceptance. This definitely is more of a work of women's fiction than romance as it is packaged. There is a lot of drama but also a lot of humor. I laughed out loud several times. Let’s just say I will never look at a renaissance faire the same again! There are also some heavier topics that include death and cancer that are emotional and heart breaking.


Standard Higgins book that I have grown to love over the years and look forward to them. Always a comfort read for me.

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @berkleyromance & @netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I cried reading this. Twice. I took a picture of it for proof and.... Let's just say I'm not a pretty crier and it was promptly deleted. 😂 I've read - and oftentimes reread - her whole backlist so you better believe a new one is always an auto-read.
Lark is kicked out of the oncology program because she cries. A lot. Meeting with Dr. Satan... Er... Santini... gives Lark hope that getting back in maybe won't be impossible. She just has to pretend to date him for the sake of his crotchety grandmother. It's not what you know but who, after all.
Once I cried, I couldn't stop reading. Sounds like I'm an emotional basket case, but fair! I loved going back to some of these characters so much and seeing them from Lark's point of view. And the way things circle back? It's perfection. I already added this to my re-read pile.

4 Pulling My Heartstrings Stars!

Surprisingly this is my first book by Ms. Higgins and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. We get a book that is told from three different view points, Lark, her Mom and her Landlady Joy. And between all three of these ladies my heart was fully invested in each and every one of them.

Lark is an Oncologist which has been her lifelong dream, and we find out why as we get deeper into the book. Unfortunately, Lark has been transferred to the ER because according to those above her she gets too emotionally involved with her patients. For me, this would be a huge favorable factor if I was seeing an Oncologist because cancer is hard. What she wasn’t expecting when she got to the ER is that the one man everyone in the hospital is NOT a fan of, Dr. Satan has a proposition for her that could get her back to where she knows she’ll be the happiest.

Because Lark wants that more than anything in the world, she agrees to be his fake girlfriend for the summer to appease his Nonni. Little did she realize that this bargain would introduce her to a family that she immediately falls in love with. This also brings back someone from her past which she now has to deal with.

When it comes to Lark’s Mom and Landlord Joy they form an unlikely friendship and it added a wonderful dimension to this story. We get to relive their pasts as well in flashbacks and there are some surprises in store us.

This book may be classed as a romance, because there are moments of romance in the book, but I think it’s a great women’s fiction book. There are moments of snarky comebacks, especially between Lark and Dr. Satan, heartfelt moments that had me tearing up and three women that have to come to terms with not only their pasts, but their futures as well. All around this was an exceptional reading experience for me!

A multi-generational story that filled my heart with joy!

Lark, a thirty-something oncology resident that’s just been kicked out of the specialty for not being able to hack the emotional impact. We find out how her happily-ever-after was shattered, which was heartbreaking. She gets a bit of fun with an offer from “Dr. Satan” which was so fun! It ends up being instrumental in her moving on from her grief.

Ellie, Lark’s mom has a marriage and career everyone envies, but she encounters a bump in the road that has her spiraling and hopping mad! I loved her story and rooted for her marriage and career-in-crisis situation. She had wonderful support from Joy, Lark’s landlady.

Joy, an older, rich, glamorous woman with little going on in her life. She had a hard beginning. Awful parents but an amazing brother! Until Lark and Ellie came into her life, she was kind of directionless. I loved that as she helped them, they also helped her find purpose and self-esteem!

Look on the Bright Side was so utterly wonderful! It brought out so many emotions! I laughed, I cried, I was ticked! By the end my heart soared with joy!

Every time I picked up "Look on the Bright Side", I went on an emotional journey with this story.

Firstly, this cover is so sweet!

Kristan Higgins writing so full of so much heart, and her storytelling truly leaps right off of the page! Her characters all feel like such real people, and I was pulled in to this beautiful story from the first page to the last.

This novel centers around three women, Lark, Ellie, and Joy. Throughout this novel, there is truly so much: family, friendship, heart-wrenching moments, hope, romance, heartwarming moments, connection, healing, and so much more. As the stories intertwine, I truly found myself unable to put this heartfelt and moving novel down, and so look forward to reading what Kristan Higgins writes next. There are so many powerful and poignant messages throughout this book.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this novel, and to Berkley Publishing Group for having me on the blog tour! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.