Look on the Bright Side
by: Kristan Higgins
narrators: Susan Bennett, Xe Sands, Christina Moore
RB Media / Recorded Books
General Fiction (Adult), Romance, Women's Fiction
Pub Date: June 4, 2024

Author Kristan Higgins writes the most emotionally compelling stories, in a style all of her own. She deftly blends humor, romance, and family dynamics into the story of oncology resident Lark, in a setting of Cape Cod.
Lark didn't picture herself as someone who could fake date someone, but she finds that the unexpected can happen in both her personal life and career path.

Lark's mother and landlady also have prominent roles in this lovely, emotionally charged book. Higgins smoothly carried me from giggles to tears, and I care about her characters.

Each narrator offered a distinctive style of narration for the characters portrayed. Together, the cast provides the perfect audio, adding even more depth, for the emotions and plot points that Higgins delivers so well.

I received an advance listener's copy from Net Galley and RB Media / Recorded Books. My review is my own.

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook copy of this book- I discovered a new favorite author thanks to it and binge listened to a few of their books:)

The narration of this book was flawless- the narrator is warm, entertaining and their sound effects had me laughing out loud.

The story is warm and funny with pieces of absolute heartache. Lark’s backstory of her fiancé Justin had me crying and rooting for her to find someone as kind and loving as she was. We know Dr Satan isn’t the right person but we know immediately his family is.

Occasionally the book will steer into a bit too much comedy - (anal fissures are mentioned a few too many times). But overall this book was a cozy read.

Lark Smith was planning a fairy-tale wedding to her childhood sweetheart when everything was suddenly gone. Years later, becoming an oncologist is within reach when she's transferred out of the department for being too emotional. A solution comes in form of the foul-tempered and renowned surgeon Lorenzo Santini who needs a date for his sister's wedding in exchange for helping Lark get back into oncology.

Hence begins a summer where Lark is introduced to his family in a ruse that guarantees his dying Noni sees him settled. Dante, his firefighter brother, brings on unexpected feelings she didn't see herself ever having again. She also begins to question the career path she's chosen and whether it's her life's purpose.

There were more characters in this book like Joy, Lark's landlady, who developed an unlikely friendship with Lark's mother and found herself in the process. I loved the different subplots woven into this story.

Couldn't keep up with the many siblings on each side at some point but enjoyed it nonetheless. The audio was done amazingly by three narrators and kept me hooked till the end.

This is my first Kristan Higgins book and I cannot wait to read more! Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Look on the Bright Side is a heartwarming story about life, love, loss, friendship, and adapting to life’s ‘swerves’.

A friend recommended Kristan Higgins books to me, and I was so pleasantly surprised by this audiobook, which I finished in a day! I loved the strong, fierce and grounded female characters and their unwavering support for each other. Lark was vulnerable, open and authentic, and her romantic relationship reminded me a bit of While You Were Sleeping.

The story fast paced but terribly rich and moving. I had the tissues on hand pretty early on, but the moments of sadness and loss were perfectly balanced with moments of hope, hilarity and love. I loved the overall message of this book, about facing adversity with hope and determination, and I can’t wait to pick up more of Kristan Higgin’s books.

The audio narration added an extra layer of depth to the story. The narrators did a wonderful job of capturing the emotional experience of the characters, and I loved the trio of narrators for Joy, Ellie and Lark. I’d highly recommend picking up the audiobook for this read.

Thank you RB Media and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media and Berkley Publishing for the audio ARC of this title. This was my first book by Kristan Higgins and will absolutely not be my last. I devoured the entire audio book in about a day and got so immersed in the story and the characters that I just could not stop listening, The book had me laughing, crying and smiling and truly was an emotional rollercoaster but I just loved it so very much! Not only was the writing and character development beautiful, but the 3 audio book narrators were incredibly talented and really enhanced the story as a whole.

Lark is a doctor in her residency as an oncologist, when she gets dismissed to a new department for being too emotional. She has gone through a significant loss in her life 7 years previously and it likely affects how she reacts in that situation. Around the same time, a fellow doctor asks her to pose as his girlfriend to help his dying grandmother feel better about his path in life. She agrees and is immersed in his world with his family. She finds love in an unexpected way and I truly enjoyed that since it was not what I anticipated. While following along with Lark's story, the reader also gets to follow along with her mom, Ellie, an artist, as she discovers what is important to her in her marriage and in her life. The reader also gets to learn about Lark's landlord, Joy and follow along as she finds a purpose for her life after the loss of her brother.

I highly recommend this one and I am grateful for the opportunity to listen to it. 5 bright shiny stars!

I finished Look on the Bright Side this afternoon and have already recommended this book to friends and colleagues. What a great story of love, loss, change, and growth! I resonated strongly with Lark’s character as I’ve experienced some similar twists and turns in my personal and professional lives. I could really feel her emotions and loved seeing her find her joy. The Ellie and Joy POV chapters showed a lot of depth also; all three narrators had great character development by working through their unique trials. Can’t wait to see what Kristin Higgins writes next!

This was my first Kristan Higgins book and while this first started out really slow for me, I ended up really enjoying it. The narration for Ellie was my absolute favorite. She was so fun, I think that's what saved this story for me. Also, JOY! She was so adorable. She was just so bubbly and unique.

This book didn't make me cry or even make me super emotional, which I was surprised at. I did find it had a sad moment or two that tugged on my heartstrings but the book is not a tearjerker like I was expecting. It was a good listen and I did really like it.

I have heard nothing but good things about Ms. Higgins works and I am looking forward to reading/listening to more.

Lark met the love of her life at age 5. As they grow up and grow old together, they are pulled apart by sickness. Lark is studying to be an Oncology Doctor and Justin is working in the financial sector.

Lark digs in and becomes an Oncology doctor and basically lives and breathes it. One day Dr. Santori (Dr. Satan) asks Lark to do something for him. His grandmother is dying, and her last wish was to see Lorenzo happy. Lark agrees to be his "fake" girlfriend but will not take the generous amount of money Lorenzo offered. Instead, he is going to give her an introduction to an Oncology Hosptial since she was pushed out of hers for being too sympathetic to patients. She is then sent to the ER.

As Lark and Lorenzo begin to date, there is no chemistry there and his grandmother is a bit on the nasty side, yet he wants her to be happy in her final days.

Needless to say, nothing is a perfect as it seems. Lark is dealt a blow with Justin's death, Lark's mother has the perfect marriage, or maybe not? Does she make it to the hospital before Justin fades away? There were so many questions and yet every one of them was answered.

And we can't forget about Connery the dog with his antics and Joy with her gregarious personality who is just looking to fit in.

There were times that not only did the story tug at my heart strings, it also ripped it out of my crest as I was crying.

Wonderful book

I was given an opportunity to read and review this book through NetGalley and the opinions voiced are my own.


5 stars

I adored this book. It gave me all the feels! Lark was an amazing main character and I loved that her mom and landlady Joy played integral parts as well as Lark's family and the Santini family. I listened to this book and loved the narrator and I could not stop listening so busted through this so fast.

Well done as usual Kristan Higgins! 5 stars!!!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy

Pub date 06/04/2024

I wasn’t sure how I felt first meeting the characters, but the story was woven together so sweetly and I grew to love the characters so much!

A little fake dating, some self-enlightenment, love, tragedy and sweet friendships throughout… really great story and a wonderful ending. 😊

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook for review.

cute beach read, uplifting despite heavy themes
definite triggers of cancer/death, but in the past timeline
story of a family, forgiveness, grief and self-love

This is my first time reading a book by Kristan Higgins and it won't be my last. Look on the Bright Side is a heartwarming family drama/romance that is so lovely. I was captivated by this book and listened to in one day. There are three simultaneous story lines happening. The first by Lark Smith who is a medical resident, wanting to be an Oncologist, but is deemed too emotional. Lark lives in the guest house of her eccentric and lonely landlady Joy who owns a beautiful oceanside house. At the same time Lark's mother Ellie has found out some disturbing information and needs to process it, so asks Joy if she can move in with her. We see the dilemmas of these three women.

This book will make you laugh and cry as well as tug on your heartstrings. Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced listener copy. The narrators Susan Bennett, Xe Sands and Christina Moore were all wonderful, and added a lot of emotion. I highly recommend this wonderful story.

Sensitive reads should be aware of the content warnings, which include:
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death of a loved one and portrayals of late stages of cancer.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Look On The Bright Side" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audiobook. This was a good book to listen to. I liked the characters and how they interacted with each other. The story was interesting and flowed easily. Great book for a summer read.

Okay, this was not quite the book I expected, but in a good way! I listened to this book rather than read it. I like listening to books when I'm running, going on errands, or doing chores.

The book is told from the perspective of 3 female characters: Lark, an aspiring doctor, her mother and artist (Ellie), and Lark's landlady (Joy).

I was not not at all prepared to cry from this book. I thought it was going to be a sweet beach read romance and in some ways it was, but in other ways it was so much deeper. It is a story about grief, loss, change, self-discovery, second chances, and unexpected platonic and romantic relationships. No spoilers, but you may need tissues. Or in my case a shirt sleeve because I was on a run when I was listening to the toughest part of this book. I was taken aback by how much I cried, but certain aspects of the story hit deeply and semi personally to me and not everyone may have the same reaction.

Some parts of the book were cheesy and predictable, but there were definitely unexpected moments. And again I think this book does a really great job on tough subjects (grief, loss, change), but won't share what the grief is except to say it helps you understand why Lark wanted to become an oncologist. And I loved the setting of the story- if you've ever lived or visited Boston it is extra easy to imagine. I really appreciated Joy's character and loved her friendship with Ellie and her newfound calling in the book. It's never too late to find meaning or try something new (Joy is 67 years old)!

The only downside of this book is specific to the audiobook copy- I felt like the Lark narration was hard to understand and quieter compared to the other narrators (Ellie and Joy) and that was frustrating to me because I'd turn up my volume on those chapters and then my eardrums would ache when the narration switched to Ellie or Joy.

All in all, I give the audiobook narration 3.5/5 and the book itself 4/5, so that's where my 4/5 star rating comes from.

This was one of my most anticipated spring releases and it was another five star read by Kristan Higgins. Lark was one of my all time favorite characters. She had such a beautiful heart and old soul and my heart broke for the deep grief she experienced at such a young age. There was so much to love about this book - - the family dynamics and drama, fake dating, a unique cast of secondary characters including Connery the rescue dog plus the Massachusetts settings and so much more. Although the bulk of the story was focused on Lark, I really enjoyed the chapters devoted to Ellie and Joy as well. Each narrator was wonderful for their respective character and I was cheering for each of these wonderful women.

I absolutely loved this book!!! This book made me cry which is a very hard thing to do! I live in Massachusetts and vacation in Cape Cod so I connected with the books and characters right away. It’s a different spin on a fake dating trope - more mature and more believable. Dr. Satan was a character you love to hate! His hot down to earth brother, Dante, was the dreamy brother that you rooted for. Secondary characters are great too with lots of POVs (Joy and Ellie) as we learn more about Lark and her journey that landed her in Oncology. I don’t often give 5 stars but this one was beautifully done!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook in return for a honest review.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!!

And, I pretty much loved ALL of the characters too...even the downright not-likable Dr. Satan!

Lark Smith had her life all figured out. She met her soulmate back in kindergarten... They became fast friends, then lovers, then got engaged and were planning to be married. Unfortunately, that's when Justin's Leukemia came back...

In the years that followed, Lark went to Medical School, got her degree and is now a practicing RESIDENT in a big Massachusetts Hospital. Her ideal position would be in Oncology, treating patients with Cancer and terminal illnesses...
Just one problem. She's a crier.
So much so that every time she loses a patient, the family of the patient seems to be comforting her...the DR... What???

So, she is given a breather and moved to the ER.
She does NOT want to be an ER Doc.
So, she decides to do her due diligence and get BACK TO Oncology.

We are along for the ride throughout the book!! :)

Additionally, one of the meanest docs, known throughout the hospital as Dr. Satan (aka Dr. Lorenzo Santini) who ridiculed her early on in her days as a resident, has now requested her presence to present a deal to her...
He needs a date for his sister's wedding in a few months. In exchange, being as he is a well known and well respected surgeon, he will put in a good word for her back in the Oncology world...

Add in to this the big, happy family that Lark comes from, including her twin sister, her meddling Mother, and so many others...
Then we have the Santini family. One big, happy, Italian family..But of course we have a Noni who seems to be giving Lark the evil eye... because, nothing and no-one could EVER be good enough for her grandson...

Then we have the whimsical Joy, who goes through husbands like tissues, and lives in a big old house right on the beach...she is Lark's landlord, and FRIEND...
And Connery (as in Sean)...their SHARED dog!!

And, well, you to will find it hard NOT to fall in love with this book, it's message, and all the characters too!

5+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 for me!!

Thanks to #NetGally and #RBMedia for an ARC of the audiobook, which is due to be released on 6/4/24 (less than a week away), in exchange for an honest review.

#LookOnTheBrightSide by #KristanHiggins and narrated so beautifully by #SusanBennett, #XeSands and #ChristinaMoore.

This one made me feel ALL THE FEELS, and then some!!

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IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

I always enjoy books by Kristan Higgins and while I did enjoy Look on the Bright Side, I found it different than her last few. There are still some of her signature laugh-out-loud hilarious moments but there are also some very sad and raw moments that I was was not expecting. This is not an overly heavy read, but it is also not a light read. It’s the story of three women facing turning points in their lives. As the story unfolds, each must decide how she will proceed and if she really is ready to start over or if she will continue with the familiar path. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Kristan Higgins writes from a place of deep feelings. She explores first love, death, sibling relationships, parental problems and
career choices. I enjoyed listening to the thought and feelings of different characters.

Lark is still processing the emotions that come with losing the only man she has loved since she was 5 years old. Her fiancé had cancer as a child that came back as an adult when they were engaged. Now, Lark is a doctor and has been in Oncology for years which was inspired by her late fiancé when she is told that she is too emotional for it and gets moved to Emergency Medicine. She is hopeful to get back to oncology when Dr. Lorenzo Santini. or Dr. Satan as everyone calls him, propositions her to be his fake girlfriend for the events leading up to his sisters wedding. She agrees and begins meeting all his family, including his brother Dante who she has an instant connection with but she can't figure out why.

This story has a few POV's and flashbacks and with the chapters being so long, it was hard to follow or connect them all together at times. There was a random storyline of Lark's parents having marital problems that I do feel like contributed to the story. I loved Lorenzo's family and how they took Lark in and loved her. The storyline about her late fiancé had me crying at some points and the wreck towards the end of the book pulled on my heart strings as well.