Lark feels she has a calling to work in oncology, but after being told she lets her emotions get in the way, she is transferred to the E.R. department, but she is determined to prove she belongs in oncology and tries to find a way to work back to that department. Lorenzo Santini has a family wedding to attend, and he doesn't want to go alone, so he asks Lark to pretend to be his girlfriend and in exchange he would introduce her to a connection to help get her back into the oncology department. Lark agrees to help thinking this is her only way to get back to her career goa, but things don't go exactly as planned.

Lark is a strong character who has a determination to work in oncology after her childhood sweetheart dies from cancer. After Lark is transferred to the E.R. she uses her time there to try and harden her emotions and not get overemotional over a patients diagnosis. While working in the E.R. Lark makes friends with her colleagues and volunteers to work in hospice facilities. While pretending to be Lorenzo's girlfriend, Lark come to grow close to his family, in particular his brother Dante. Lark begins to question whether this plan may be the best idea. I enjoyed seeing Lark grow close with Lorenzos family and also start to get to know Lorenzo better. Lorenzo can be rude and abrasive, and it was fun to see Lark put him in his place. It enjoyed Larks interactions with Dante and seeing them grow closer. While reading from Larks perspective you have several chapters from her past, showing her time with her childhood sweetheart Justin and how his battle with cancer was the reason she wanted to work in oncology. As the book progresses you see how Lark begins to thrive working in the E.R. and seeing her start to learn how strong she really is and question what she really wants to do.

Lorenzo is close to his Grandma, who is afraid that he will end up alone, so he asks Lark to pretend to be his girlfriend to help ease his Grandmas worries. Lorenzo has not had the easiest childhood and he carries some resentment with him, he has an ego and can be rather rude to people he fells are beneath him. He has a reputation at work and a nickname Dr. Satan as a result. With all his faults Lorenzo does care for his family and does his best to look out for them and take care of them, even though he makes questionable decisions at times.

One of the aspects is finding out what you want in life. Some of the chapter perspectives you read from are Joy, Lark's landlady, and Ellie, Lark's mom. Joy is lonely after the death of her brother, the only person she has ever loved in life works to find something meaningful to do. While Ellie learns a secret her husband kept from her and questions her trust in her marriage. It was nice to see the friendship between Ellie and Joy and how they helped each other.

I enjoy fake dating storylines, but this one does not go as one would expect. I enjoyed seeing how Lark and Lorenzo's ploy plays out and seeing the romance that starts to bloom between Lark and Dante. While this is predictable, there are some interesting revelations along the way. I enjoy reading Kristan Higgins, and this book was no different, this was a fun, quick, and cute read.

This book was amazing!! You should read it. I love all the books this author writes, but this is one of her best! I read this book in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down. I loved how the author expertly interwove three stories together seamlessly and beautifully. My only complaint is I wish the epilogue was longer! Overall, one of the best books I’ve read this year! Has all you could want- great characters who have depth, humor (I laughed out loud several times), and great writing. Seriously, a great book!

A Feel Good Read!

Look on the Bright Side is a novel about friendship, loss, and change.

This is the story of three women at a crossroads experiencing dramatic and traumatic changes in their lives. Two of the three characters are related to Harlow Smith, the MC in A Little Ray of Sunshine but you don’t have to read that one to enjoy this.

Lark, a medical resident in Oncology, is sent to work in the ER after being called out for getting too emotionally attached to her patients. When a renowned surgeon known as Dr. Satan offers her the opportunity to introduce her to his contacts in exchange for serving as his fake girlfriend for two months.

Although the plot suggests a rom-com, this is not a romance, although romance is mixed in. Rather, this is a good dose of women’s fiction.

The other two storylines revolve around a 67-year-old woman named Joy trying to cope with her brother's death, and Ellie, Lark’s mother, whose marriage is about to implode.

The narrative alternates between the three women, and a good chunk is told in flashbacks of Lark’s past. The beginning is centered on Lark, so I was a bit surprised when the other women's POVs were added, but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

I enjoyed all three characters, although Lark’s is dominant. She is a little annoying at first (she cries at everything), but she had me shedding a few tears in the end.

The setting in Cape Cod was my favorite part of the novel. Higgins transported me from dreary weather and added some sunshine! I also loved seeing many of the eccentric characters featured in Higgins’ previous books, especially Grandpop.

I needed a change of pace from the dismal thrillers I have been reading, and this book hit the spot. The characters are relatable and easy to like, the pacing is fast, the plot isn't too heavy, and the atmosphere is dreamy. This book was a much-welcome escape from reality!

Thank you to Elisha Katz from Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.

Lark Smith's life plan isn't working out at the moment. She longs to be an oncologist, but working in that area she is too emotional. So she is transferred to the ER. She is determined to get back to oncology. Foul tempered Dr. Santini, aka Dr. Satan, suddenly asks her to be his pretend date for his sister's wedding. He even offers to pay her; which she refuses. He does off to put in a good word for her to get back to oncology. She agrees, but gets more then she bargained for.. With all the wedding activities, Lark finds that she really likes his family and is falling for his brother. Lark's mother suddenly leaves her father and moved in with Lark's landlady. The two form a wonderful friendship and the three women find out that the best things are not always planned and to look on the bright side.

I was excited to learn this book was about a character in the same family as her previous novel, LIttle Ray of Sunshine. The Smith family is a easy to love and be annoyed with, much like one's own big family. This story follows one of the younger siblings, Lark, and her struggle to find her place in the world when all of her plans fell apart. She doesn't have the husband and family she planned for, and the career she planned for isn't panning out the way she thought it would. Like in Little Ray of Sunshine had the animated and fun character of Grandpop, Look on the Bright Side has Joy, Lark's vivacious and colorful landlady. Lark isn't the only one at a crossroads: Joy and Lark's mother, who become roommates, are also facing a reality they aren't ready to accept. Slowly, and with the help of an enjoyable cast or characters, Lark realizes that she must move past her past and build a new future. one she never saw coming.

This is the second book in Higgins’ Smith family where Lark takes center stage. We learn that Lark has worked towards one goal to become an oncologist. She’s doing her oncology rotation, there’s only one problem, she isn’t able to mask her emotions. So instead she finds herself assigned to the emergency room. Thus begins Lark’s summer off of a fake relationship, her parents separation, and Lark falling in love for only the second time in her life.
Higgins takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride in this book. She touches upon cancer, end of life care, lost love, and childhood trauma. I have never been disappointed in a Higgins’ book. Although this one touched a little to cleanse to home. I do not regret reading this book and would encourage you to read it too.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I've been reading this author for a few years now and usually enjoy her books. The last one, which featured the same family, didn't do it for me, but this one made up for it. I like how she wrote about a different sibling in the same family. Maybe the next one will feature another sibling, like Marian Keyes' Walsh family. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Kristan Higgins! Always entertaining while having those emotional elements that tug on your heart strings! This was a fun relationship/storyline to follow. Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for this arc in exchange for a review

I am a huge fan of Kristan Higgins and was happy to read and enjoy this wonderful book. I have already recommended it to my bookish friends. It’s five stars by a five-star author of great women’s fiction. Hurray!

I cried a lot reading this book, but it wasn’t all sad. Higgins has made a specialty of compelling, multiple POV stories about women at crossroads in their lives. The strongest parts were the artist mom whose marriage has been shaken, and the lonely woman who becomes her friend and roommate. The romance was the least believable part, as things moved rather quickly.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I was able to read this book in thanks to NetGalley. Kristan Higgins knocks it out of the park again. The Bright Side is funny, thoughtful, sad, and inspiring. Lark is an Oncology resident at a Cape Cod hospital. She is very connected to her patients, this however gets her moved from oncology to the Emergency department. 7 years have passed since her fiancée has died, she is just now starting to move forward. She is extremely close to her family and her fiancées parents. Dr Santini wants Lark to pose as his girlfriend for family events that summer. In exchange he will help Lark get back into the Oncology program. Then Lark meets Dante the Drs brother, and she starts to have feelings for him. This was a great book It was so thoughtful and memorable. I highly recommend reading this book.

Since I’m a fool as soon as the temperatures went from 30 below to 60 above my TBR got chucked right out the window so I could take a trip to my Summer home . . . Okay, my IMAGINARY Summer home. But seriously, though, you give me a hint of Spring and I am all about Elin Hilderbrand and Kristan Higgans who are my go-to gals for some beachy good times. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this and just took a gander at the blurb now that I’m finished to see exactly what I should/should not be spoiling. I’ll keep the details to myself, but just be forewarned it’s not quite as breezy as the lighthearted synopsis might have you believe and if you are a crier, you best get your Kleenex ready because there’s more to this fake dating trope than meets the eye.

I didn’t realize there would be more than one narrator so that sort of threw me for a loop and it took me a little while to enjoy Lark’s mother. The landlady, though? Oh I want to be her when I grow up. Maybe this wasn’t my favorite Higgans’ story (because I was expecting something much lighter), but she’s still an auto read for me so I’ll happily round up my 3.5 Stars.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of Kristin Higgins Look On The Bright Side. I give this book a solid 4 stars. I recently discovered Kristin and have fallen in love with her style. It’s deep and emotional but at the same time light with some humor. I enjoyed revisiting this family and getting updates on Harlow while learning more about other family members. I hope there are more books that come out involving them! I loved the story and watching Lark and Ellie ‘s characters mature and develop. Definitely a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this title. Look on the Bright Side continues the story of the Smith family, whom the reader may have met in the book, A Little Ray of Sunshine. This book focuses on Lark, an overachieving medical resident who may be too emotional for her job in Oncology. As the story unfolds, the reader learns why Lark is so hell-bent on becoming an Oncologist. Side plots include a stereotypical surgeon with a God complex, issues with the Smith parents marriage, and Lark's landlady Joy. Joy's backstory is interesting and has teeth. She is a character I would like to know more about. All in all, it was pleasurable to enter the world of the Smiths again, and the book was a light, but not unsubstantial read.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book . Lark enjoys her job but is forced to move to another department. A fellow coworker invites ger to a family wedding. This summer is shaping up to be quite different from years past. I enjoyed this book.

Look on the Bright Side is a fresh take from Higgins. Lark is an extremely likable character stuck in an early in life loss. The book catches her at a crossroads and traces her journey to self actualization. The supporting cast is strong. I hope this is the first book in a series because the characters were that great.

A story about life, death and choices.
So well told that I had to put it down a few times to dry my eyes and calm myself. Beautiful and heartbreaking.
Followed by humor and surprising twists. I absolutely loved it. I learned so much.

Kristan Higgins keeps getting better & better! Lovely family, characters, and believable relationships all around. So happy to see a variety of ages represented. Which family member will get the next story line??

Such a fun and heartbreaking. I don’t know how drs can deal with giving bad news daily but Lark couldn’t seem to handle it because it was to emotional for her so she was moved down to the ER. There’s lots of stories here but I never felt lost.

This story and the subplots pulled at some heartstrings. I really liked the main character , Lark and her emotional outbursts in oncology. This is several different love stories. That between friends, family, couples, twins, parents. The characters are well thought out and well written and the hope you feel keeps the pages turning. Well researched with a lot of medical jargon for the hospital and illness scenes. Somewhat predictable but a pleasant read.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley