I'm a big fan of the author, and I really liked this newest book. I wasn't expecting the stories of the Smith family to continue, but they are a rich group of characters to draw from. Lark's story has a lot of the bittersweet in it (readers who are sensitive to cancer or hospice story lines be advised that these are a big part of her story), but there is enough charm balanced with the story to enjoy it.

I loved this book! It is the first time I have read a Kristan Higgins book, and it was more than I expected. Lark was studying to be a Dr.--particularly an oncologist. Her fiancé died from leukemia, and she was determined to help cancer patients. She is a caring, friendly and thoughtful person, but she was moved from her oncology residency to ER, because she could not help crying. When the most feared Dr. on the hospital staff asked her to be his pretend date for his sister's wedding, she was a bit intimidated, but she agreed. This was a wonderful story about family, marriage, love. loss, and forgiveness. I highly recommend it, and am looking forward to a sequel. It would be a spoiler alert, but I won't tell you what I am looking forward to. I will definitely read more of her books. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc, and no pressure for a positive review.

Another great book by Kristan Higgins! This one pulls on your heart strings and at the same time it has some laugh out loud moments. I loved the way it ended, however there was one character that I would have liked to know what happened to him in the long run.....perhaps a sequel??? A great summer beach read that you will enjoy from beginning to end!

Lark Smith is a resident but is transferred out of oncology to the ER after she is too emotional with her patients. Her engagement to her love since kindergarten didn’t work out as planned and she is trying to find her way. Dr Lorenzo Santini (Dr Satan) asks her to be his fake girlfriend so his Noni will not die before he has someone special in his life and in exchange he will put her in touch with someone that can help her return to the oncology world. Lark doesn’t expect to fall for his family or develop a crush on his brother. The whole tangled mess makes her reconsider what she really wants in life and if she’s ready to love again.

I like Kristan Higgins and enjoyed the heavy tone mixed with some lighter moments and characters. Larks landlady, Joy, is a great character and the family on both sides are interesting and likeable. There were some tears so grab your tissues. Loss, love and finding your happiness told in three POV. I did feel that the ending was rushed and would have liked to have seen that fleshed out a little more but overall a lovely story.

Dear Kristan Higgins,

I just love you.

Thanks,
Me
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I almost put this down because I thought, gosh I know what's going to happen and I'm very glad I didn't because it's got surprises. And it's got Joy and Ellie, not the main character to be sure but still fun. Lark agrees to fake date Dr Lorenzo Santini (aka Dr Satan) when he agrees to get her back in the oncology residency she's been bounced from because she gets too emotional. Their relationship is classic trope- sunshine/grump-but it's well executed. Lark's mom Ellie, an artist, is shocked when she discovers her husband Gerald has been keeping a secret and decamps to Joy's home. Joy has moved to the Cape after losing her brother. These two bring out good things in one another even as Lark and Lorenzo's brother Dante become friends. I liked this for the scenes in the ER, the great Cape Cod vibes but most of all the characters. Higgans is a great storyteller and this one pulled me in and made me slow down my reading as the story unfolded. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, I really enjoyed this.

3.5⭐. This was a bit more emotional than I was expecting, but an enjoyable summer read.
This one deals with grief, forgiveness,and second chances. Lark has been transferred out of the oncology department after losing a patient and getting too emotional. Now, Dr. Santini (aka. Dr. Satan) says he can get her back in oncology if she would pretend to be his girlfriend for his sister's summer wedding because his grandma on hospice really wants to see him settled down. She agrees. While there, she really falls for his loving family….and his brother. Larks parents are also recently separated and you'll read about the new friendship her mother finds with Larks new landlady.

Overall, just a nice book to throw in your beach bag. Gives you plenty of summer vibes

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks for the free book Berkley Pub!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

4.5★

If the cover didn’t give it away, this is the perfect summer read! This is a feel good book and a great one to add to your pool or beach bag this summer! This was my first Kristan Higgins book and I feel like I’ve been missing out on such an amazing author. I will definitely be reading her backlist books now because I am a fan! She has such a beautiful writing style and I fell in love with the characters in this book. I felt such a connection to Lark from the start. She’s the type of character that you can’t help but love and root for. I loved how this was a women’s fiction novel with a splash of romance.

*It’s important to note that this book does deal with a lot with cancer. If this is a difficult topic for you, please use caution when reading.

💙Love & Loss
💙Self-Discovery
💙Forgiveness
💙Second Chances
💙Multiple POVs

Posted on Goodreads on May 22, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around May 23, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on May 28, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Advanced Book Review! Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for sending me this book for review. Opinions are my own.
I always enjoy a Kristan Higgins standalone novel and this one was no exception. Look on the Bright Side has what is becoming one of my favourite tropes – fake dating – but with a fun twist that I won’t spoil here.
Lark is a medical resident at the local Cap Cod hospital when one of her superior doctors, Lorenzo, asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend for the summer and at sister’s upcoming wedding to appease his dying grandmother. Although Lark has her reasons to say yes it’s at this point that I was thinking, does anyone else think this is a bit too close to the Me Too movement? But anyway, Lark has a tragic event of the past that is still consuming her life and career choices and she’s trying to figure out how to finally move on.
At the same time, her parent’s rock-solid marriage is starting to crack and her mom is trying to navigate that with the help of Lark’s wealthy and eccentric landlady, Joy. It’s sometimes hard to see how these three stories connect in one book but Kristan Higgins’s writing is so capitvating that I’m not sure it really matters. Her stories go places and branch off in ways I wouldn’t expect.
Lark and Lorenzo both have big families and it’s fun to see them interact, however I would have liked more background on Lark’s siblings. Also, wow Lorenzo is a piece of work! His demeanor made me laugh but are people really that rude and egotistical in reality? I liked that we got some of his backstory to explain his tense relationship with his family and I loved how Lark tries to make him more of a person. Also, was anyone else getting Lorenzo and Winnie vibes?
I do think this book needed a better title. I find Kristan Higgins’s titles hard to remember. While the final paragraph of this book wrapped up with a nod to the title, I don’t feel that it really resonated throughout most of the novel.

Another heart-wrenching summer beach read from the absolute Queen of the tear-jerker women's fiction romances! This book sees Lark and Justin, two high school sweethearts torn apart from a cancer diagnosis just before their wedding.

Fast forward seven years and Lark is working towards becoming an oncologist and gets asks by a gruff big shot surgeon to be his fake girlfriend to help make his daying grandmother happy only to have her falling for his estranged brother.

Moving, perfect for fans of While you were sleeping and great on audio. This is going to make you feel ALL the feels as you soak up the sun on the beach. HIGHLY recommended but take care for readers who are sensitive to books about grief and loss from cancer.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. There is also a secondary timeline featuring an older woman in the book and of course the author's trademark canine companions. Fans won't want to miss it!

Lark Smith is an oncology resident who is struggling with getting her emotions in check as she gets too close with her patients. She is demoted to the ER while she works to manage her tears. Who can blame her? It's been seven years since the death of her fiancé, Justin and since then, Lark has focused on her career and her large, loving family. Her hope to quickly get back to oncology seems more hopeful when the brilliant yet despised Lorenzo Santini (known as Dr. Satan) asks Lark to pose as his girlfriend at his sister's upcoming wedding (and the events leading up to it) as a comfort to his dying grandmother. Afterwards, he'll make some introductions for Lark with his oncology contacts. While it seems like an easy thing for Lark to do, it gets complicated when it turns out that the Santini family is also a large and loving group (with the exception of their eldest son) and they quickly get close to Lark, including brother Dante, an adorable firefighter.

Author Kristan Higgins has done it again with Look on the Bright Side. Head to Wellfleet and meet the wonderful characters Higgins has created. While the focus is on Lark, this lovely book also delves into the story of her mother Ellie, whose idyllic marriage, filled with lots of passion, may have hit a bump in the road. Lark's landlady Joy comes to Ellie's rescue, and we also learn of Joy's difficult backstory. This book will make you laugh and make you cry. I normally can't handle story lines that include cancer and hospice care, but I made it through and loved this book.

Kristan Higgins in my opinion just can't do any wrong! She makes you feel all the emotions and she writes in a way where you genuinely feel connected to her characters! I really enjoyed this one!

Look on the Bright Side was such a sweet, funny, heartbreaking, and uplifting story from 3 different points of view. Lark, a 33 year old oncologist who has a hard time not crying while dealing with her cancer patients; Ellie, Lark's mother, is an artist that is forced to deal with some surprise marital problems; and Joy, and eccentric older woman that is obsessed with plastic surgery and just so happens to be Lark's landlady.
I laughed out loud but I also cried several times because Lark's grief was palpable. I loved that romance played a part in the story but it wasn't a central theme.

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins!There is a lot going on in this women's fiction about family, fate, loss and self-discovery but told in such a beautiful story. 

Lark is an oncology resident but has just been moved to the ER because she's grown too attached to her patients. When a hot shot surgeon needs a date for his sister's wedding he asks Lark to fake date him and she agrees when he says he'll put in a good word for her...

If you read A Little Ray of Sunshine, her 2023 book you'll notice some characters, but this can easily be read as a standalone. I loved the Cape Cod setting and how Kristan Higgins writes about family and loss. 

If you're looking for a great women's fiction book check this one out!

DNF @25%. Not my favorite of Kristan's (she is definitely an auto buy author for me). BUT...I think it's just me. Since the book centers around a doctor, there is lots of medical and grief stuff that I just don't want to read about as I've experienced a lot of loss in my life recently. I absolutely still love KH's books and will definitely read her next one. This one just wasn't the right time or book for me.

Kristan Higgins has become my favorite author of family fiction. She can focus on the tension of family relationships, without too much drama and dysfunction. It was nice revisiting with the Smith family again. Quite a few storylines are going on simultaneously, but I didn't feel the Ellie and Joy storyline helped move the plot forward and I was tempted to skip it. Kristan Higgins is always a must-read for me and I can't wait for the next one. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in advance!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it 1000% lived up to my own hype.

I don’t think there’s a single thing I’d change about this book. I loved that this took the fake dating trope and twisted it. I also loved how much of Lark’s past with Justin was included, and to see her grow as a person since then. She was such a likable MC, and I admired her loyalty and commitment to both her job and her loved ones. Though Lark’s POV is the main one throughout the book, I also liked the story we got with the other two plots, and think they all meshed well together. There’s a ton of fun banter between all of the characters that had me laughing out loud, as well as more tender moments that made me tear up. This book felt so well-rounded with all the different emotions it brings up, all while taking place in a beautiful setting.

I think it’s important to note this book has a lot of the same characters from A Little Ray of Sunshine and makes references to it. Personally I think you should read the other one too to get the full effect, but this can definitely be read as a stand-alone!

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins is a wonderful, emotional, and captivating story that is an emotional and healing journey for Lark Smith as she gains strength and insight into overcoming the heartache life dealt her and the choices she originally made for her career path; finding a new future to embrace. In typical Higgins style this story will make you laugh out loud, tug at your heart, and find tears running down your face.

As much as I enjoyed this story, I struggled with the inclusion and background about Joy, Lark’s landlady as well as the struggles Lark’s mother, Elle, was dealing with, regarding her husband. I was unable to figure out what each added to the story; not that they took anything away. Overall I enjoyed the story, the shenanigans, the tears, the secondary characters, especially the hospital staff, and the families; both the Smiths and the Santorinis.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, provided by the publisher.
#NetGalley #Berkley

Dr. Larkby (Lark) Smith is an oncology resident who gets kicked out of her program and punted into the ER for being too emotional, including shedding copious tears with and for her patients. Lark went to medical school with the intent of curing cancer because of what happened to a loved one. The man she grew up with who became her fiancé did not end up being her husband which has put Lark in an emotional holding pattern for seven years. Adding to Lark’s latest trauma, her beloved parents whose marriage seemed to be perfect turns out to be not such a trouble-free zone. One of the most respected and yet feared surgeons in her hospital, Dr. Lorenzo Santini, offers Lark a chance at getting back to her preferred program if she will be his fake wedding date.

While Dr. Santini has no personality, warmth, or compassion for anyone other than his very elderly grandmother, his family is quite the opposite. Lark not only comes to love them instantly as she is that type of gal, but something about Lorenzo’s brother, Dante, calls to Lark in a compelling way. Her mother, Ellie, abruptly moves in with Lark’s landlady’s where she rents a cottage. The fairy tale marriage of her parents has hit a major snag from which it may not recover. Lark’s love life is told in the past and present to explain how she got to where she is now.

Lark’s older sister, Harlow, was the focus of the previous book so readers will already know the Smiths and some of their backstory as well as other family members. As with previous of the author’s stories, there are several POV’s including the three main ones of Lark, Ellie, and Joy, the landlady. Ms. Higgins seems to delight in and has a proclivity for gruesome, in-depth medical descriptions of illnesses with their attendant grim details and outcome especially since in this book, Lark is a physician. Fans of Ms. Higgins should be prepared to weep along with Lark at an often heartbreaking and at the very least, heart rending story of love, loss, and the possibilities of eventual renewal.

Prepare to embark on an emotional roller coaster with Kristan Higgins's Look on the Bright Side. This book had me laughing, crying, and loving, a testament to its ability to deeply engage and captivate. The characters and the unique blend of a tragic love story and a traditional fake dating rom-com create a narrative that is both complex and emotionally rich, leaving a lasting impression that I won't soon forget.

When the meanest doctor in the hospital asks Lark to be his fake girlfriend for family events (including a wedding) over the summer), Lark couldn't imagine anything worse.  But with the promise of introductions she needed to secure an oncology position, she didn't feel she could say no. This begins the romcom story thread in a tale encompassing four different story threads and three different amazing women.  Needless to say, it's complex and multi-faceted, and I loved all of it!

Usually, this is the portion of the review where I tell you about my favorite aspects, but in Look on the Bright Side, all aspects are my favorite. It takes on so much and delivers even more. I couldn't tear myself away from the book and never once wanted to. The characters are fascinating, even the mean doctor nicknamed Dr. Satan. They are all complex and well-developed, with intricate layers that make them as real as someone I can reach out and touch.

Look on the Bright Side is perfection—a story that will evoke all of your emotions and leave you satisfied.