Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

From the publisher:

From the author of Pack Up the Moon comes a funny, romantic, and deeply moving novel about the unexpected rewards that come from life’s detours.

Lark Smith has always had a plan for her life: find a fantastic guy, create a marriage as blissful as her parents’, pop out a couple of kids and build a rewarding career as an oncologist.

Things aren’t going so well.

For one, the guy didn’t work out. Theoretically, she’d love to find someone else, but it hasn’t happened. Two, she’s just been transferred out of oncology for being too emotional. (Is it her fault she’s a weeper?) Three, her parents just split up.

Deviating from the plan was…well, not in the plan. A potential solution comes from the foul-tempered and renowned surgeon Lorenzo Santini (aka Dr. Satan). He needs a date this summer for his sister’s wedding. His ancient Noni wants to see him settled. In exchange, he could make a few introductions and maybe get Lark back into the field of her choice.

As a sucker for old people and fake relationships, Lark agrees. Teeny problem—she instantly falls for his big, warm family. Especially his estranged brother.

Meanwhile, Lark’s mom has moved in with Lark’s colorful landlady, Joy, and an unlikely friendship blossoms. The three women have a long summer and a big beautiful house on the ocean to figure out what’s next…and quite possibly learn that the best things in life aren’t planned at all.

“Bestseller Higgins proves her mastery of the romance genre in this emotional tour de force… Higgins balances tear-jerking moments with happiness and hope, and crafts strong female characters worth cheering for. Readers should have tissues at the ready.“ —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

https://amzn.to/3x4BG9G

This is an emotional, compelling read centered around three women. Lark is the protagonist, a resident in oncology who is also prone to crying. After she loses yet another patient, the patient’s family ends up comforting her, which her supervisor is not thrilled with. He boots her out of oncology and into the emergency room, where patients don’t stick around long enough for her to get attached. It’s either send them upstairs or send them home, so no tears need to be shed here.

One of the best surgeons on staff is Dr. Lorenzo Santini, whom the staff calls Dr. Satan. He is cold and short with the staff, to say the least, but an awe-inspiring surgeon. He approaches Lark and asks if she would fake date him for the summer, a series of events leading up to his sister’s wedding. She is dumbfounded; her one interaction with him had her in tears. He explains that his grandmother is near death, and her only happiness will be to see her favorite grandson with someone. Lark’s soft heart won’t let her refuse, and he buys her some amazing outfits to wear to the wedding events.

Lark has always admired her parents’ marriage and aspires to a relationship like theirs for herself. So when her mother moves out, ostensibly to let her father do some renovations on the family home, Lark isn’t convinced that’s what is really going on. She had her own perfect relationship once, that started in kindergarten and lasted most of her life. We get to look back occasionally and see how that relationship bloomed, and why it ended.

Lark rents a small guesthouse on the beach from Joy, a lonely woman who has spent her life trying to improve her looks via plastic surgery. She’s lost a few husbands, none of whom she really loved, and she lost her brother, who was truly the love of her life. Devastated, she packs up her money bags and buys this beautiful oceanfront home. She gives Lark a great deal on the rent, and in return, Lark will provide her regular facial fillers, Botox, etc. When Lark’s mother needs a place to stay, Joy invites her to stay in the big house with her. These women don’t really know each other well, but as different as they are, they form a close friendship.

The dates with Dr. Satan aren’t all bad, especially when they spend time with his family. Both of these doctors come from large families with lots of siblings, so Lark is comfortable with that dynamic and adores his sisters. The only problem is that she also finds herself falling for his brother, Dante. Oh, what a tangled web has been woven here.

There are some heartwrenching scenes here, and I found myself crying a few times while reading this over the weekend. But to her credit, Higgins doesn’t really write tearjerkers; there is a lot of humor and sweetness here as well. Higgins has become one of my favorite authors – her books remind me of Elin Hilderbrand, somewhat of Jodi Picoult, and this book in particular, of Colleen Hoover, but with slightly older protagonists. To be a tad more succinct – I loved it and could not put it down!

6/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE by Kristan Higgins. Berkley (May 28, 2024). ISBN:‎ 978-0593547656. 432p.

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