3.75 ✨

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for my ARC. I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved bopping into this wonderful, body-positive (or body-accepting? I liked that nuance she introduced) story by Katie Sturino. She is unquestionably a voice we need more of and I immediately turned on notifications for her IG posts. I love what she has to say!

Someone described this as a flavor of SATC and that felt like a good comp for the style of the story (though main character led vs an ensemble). It was like a virtual trip to NYC and I really enjoyed the realistic portrayal of life there — honest and of course, sometimes glamorous.

This has a unique storytelling style and I think it would work really well as a TV show, but I had a harder time getting sucked in as a book. It definitely feels unique and I felt really uplifted at the end.

One of the most poignant lines in.the book that really struck me was "I let myself to be seen." Despite her tremendously successful businesses and a loving and supportive family and friend group, Sunny continuously berated herself as too big and unlovable due to her weight gain and divorce. She never felt good enough. Subsequently, she believed finding a date to her brother's wedding would bring herself and subsequent confidence back. That was further from the truth. It was as she once she truly looked at herself did she realize that she was incredible just the way she was. Yes, Dennis and Ted made her feel special but she knew that in her experience with her weight, that she could make others feel as special and beautiful that she was herself. Divorce didn't define her as from that, she found lifelong friends in.Noor and Brooke. Weight is not who.she is and which is why she launched a swimsuit line catering to the plus size community that would preclude a woman crying in a dressing room because she felt ugly. It was so successful that it wss featured in.the NYT. Most importantly, in.exposing herself and became vulnerable as evidenced by her newsletter, she fell in.love with a man who made her feel alive and deserved love and happiness. A truly heartwarming and inspiring book.

With its #girlboss MC and body positive take on SATC, <i>Sunny Side Up</i> is giving major millennial vibes. The story follows Sunny and her friends as they navigate finding love after divorce, launching a new, inclusive swimwear company, and exploring their sexual selves all while keeping up their tight-knit group. I think it's a specific (slightly dated) niche, but readers who are inclined towards that kind of material will love this feel-good, motivational book.

I have been following Katie Sturino for a long time and am a huge fan of her brand, MegaBabe. For those of you that follow her on social media, this fiction book is definitely semi autobiographical as Sunny goes through many of the same things that Katie speaks about on Instagram. I loved the romance story in this book and I think this won't only resonate with people who are struggling through dating on the apps, but also those who are looking for more representation. Body positivity is a huge theme in this book as it is in Katie's own brands and content. Definitely worth the read and it will be the perfect vacation read this summer!

This book was a delight! I was immediately pulled in to this book and enjoyed it all the way through. The book transports you to NYC and takes you through Sunny’s personal and professional life through laugh out loud and meaningful experiences.

Just when I thought I couldn’t love Katie Sturino any more, she goes and writes this amazing serotonin-boost of a book! I loved Sunny, her adventures, and all of the characters in her life. I found myself not wanting to put the book down and then simultaneously not wanting to pick it back up again because I didn’t want it to end. Just as all plus sized women deserve amazing fashion choices, so too do we deserve to see ourselves reflected in the popular culture that we consume. Bravo to Sturino for doing so much to facilitate both in our lives, and making the journey so fun to boot!

This was a light and easy read, very well written. I found the body image messages, a little over-the-top, and too heavy handed. I was looking for some kind of deeper meaning to Sunny’s story and feel like I didn’t receive that.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fun novel! Sunny is an engaging protagonist, and I rooted for her the entire time. It felt like reading a ‘90s rom-com movie in the very best way. I follow Katie Sturino and am a fan of her and her products; I was a little hesitant that her fiction debut wouldn’t live up expectations, but that was not the case. Would definitely recommend!

First off, I am a Katie Sterino stan! I wouldn't make it through life without her megababe products. But I was honestly leery about a book by her. I have red Body talk which deals with body image. But I was nervous about a fiction story. This book is so good. It was a great story, it was real, it was honest. It was refreshing, it was everything that a woman's fiction book should be buy it. Read it, gift it little library at everything

Thank you, net galley, for the arc.In exchange for an honest review

3.5!
This reminded me of a great 90’s rom that my older sister would read. It was fun, heartfelt and decently written (like a 90s romcom it felt dated tbh).

This was such a funny book! From the start, I laughed reading about Sunny and her friends. It felt believable and very current. A great summer read and one that I couldn't put down! I can't wait to read more from Katie Sturino!

This was such a cute and fun read! I was rooting for Sunny the entire time, and while some of the body-image messaging was a little heavy-handed for me, I think this book will resonate with anyone who has ever dealt with confidence issues around how they look.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sending me this book!

I didn't want this book to end and I wanted more of it. It felt like you were really in Sunny's head going through everything with her, making mistakes and making gains right there with her.
I would have liked more of her meet cute with Dennis. I felt as though this was glossed over and maybe it was because she was newly into dating at the time.
Great beach read or book club with the girlfriends.

This book is totally delightful. Sunny has such a charming, funny voice, and you can really feel Sturino through the pages if you’re at all familiar with her online presence. Even if you’re not, I think any rom com fan or lover of books about New York City would get a kick out of this warm novel.

I really loved this book for so many reasons. Sunny Greene has struggled with her weight and body image her entire life. As a newly divorced woman, an unfortunate trip to Bergdorf Goodman for a bathing suit triggers a mindset change and a new business venture. Filled with hilarious stories of online dating, being plus sized in NYC, and the power of strong females, this book will really resonate with anyone who has ever felt bad about the way they look for any reason. Sunny is refreshing and real. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for this review.

Sunny Greene - recently divorced, successful entrepreneur PR whiz - takes on the fashion world and the dating world in this roman a clef (I am guessing!) by real-life influencer, body acceptance advocate and MegaBabe founder Katie Sturino. If you are at all familiar with Sturino, you may only be able to picture her as Sunny (despite Sunny's being described as a blonde) and her real-life husband John as one of the men she dates.... and the storyline and embedded messages about body image will sound familiar as well. Though a bit of heavy-handedness with this messaging and a few plot line details that fall into place a little too easily (do that many start-ups get full financing at their very first meeting with an investor?!?!), this was a fun and easy read. More than even the body image themes, I appreciated that throughout the book there were women supporting women instead of tearing each other down.

I don’t know Katie Sturino in real life, but I’m so freaking proud of her for this book! I’ve followed her blog/substack/instagram for years now, but had no idea she could tell a story like this! We’ve all had dressing room moments like she describes in the opening of the book, the writing here is so good I could feel her pain like it was my own. There’s so much here that mirrors her own life that I kept wondering over and over how much of this is true. This story is heartwarming and relatable and such a fun romp. Team Post Malone all the way!!!

A truly heartwarming debut. I heart Katie Sturino and I’m so glad I got to read this! Sunny is a heroine to root for…to quote Eli Wallach in The Holiday, she’s got gumption! Love love love.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I adored this book. I loved Sunny so much. I follow Katie Sturino, and when she posted about Sunny Side Up I immediately looked it up on Goodreads and when I saw reviews from people who got an ARC from NetGalley, I requested it right away. I will always co-sign body neutrality and saying fuck off to society's unrealistic expectations of women's bodies.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

This book was cute and charming and a fun, quick read. The depictions of the many different types of relationships were lovely and a happy ending to tie it all up was nice. Some of it was a little repetitive -phrases and points hammered on multiple times but overall, it hit the notes it was going for pleasantly. The timeline of literally all of it seemed kind of bananas but the characters themselves were compelling enough to move past it.