*I received a free copy of Secrets of a (Somewhat) Sunny Girl from via Author. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Secrets of a (Somewhat) Sunny Girl by Karen Booth on October 16, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: ARC
Source: Author
As sisters, they tell each other all their secrets...except one.
With divorce and infidelity hanging from nearly every branch of her family tree, Katherine Fuller sees no point in marriage. Boyfriends? Sure. Sex? Of course. Wedding vows? No, thanks. Still, when her younger sister Amy gets engaged, Katherine gathers all the enthusiasm she can. She won’t let Amy down. She’s done enough of that for a lifetime.
As the sisters embark on wedding plans, Katherine’s college love resurfaces. It nearly killed Katherine to part from sexy Irish musician Eamon more than a decade ago, but falling under his spell a second time forces her to confront everything she hid from him. The secrets surrounding her mother’s death are still fresh and raw in her mind, but one has haunted her more than the others. She can’t bear to tell anyone, especially not Amy. It could ruin far more than a wedding. It could destroy a sister’s love forever.
I first fell for Karen Booth’s storytelling in Bring Me Back, a heartwarming yarn spun around an older couple…characters closer to my age. That Secrets of a (Somewhat) Sunny Girl also revolved around an older heroine and hero was therefore appealing. It’s also a second-chance romance. I’m a sucker for second chances and this one was served up lovingly. But Katherine’s story is about so much more than her second chance at romance. It’s about finding yourself, forgiveness, and realizing that while our past shapes us and how we look at life, it doesn’t define us.
What Worked:
- Characters
Booth excels are drawing relatable and engaging characters. I was immediately drawn to Katherine, her sister Amy, and Eamon. I was curious about their pasts, thrilled with their achievements, and rooting for their HEAs. Katherine and Amy’s dynamics, with each other and their family, and the idea that Katherine was seemingly a different person – lighter – when she was studying abroad and involved with Eamon were things I found fascinating. - Plot/Sub-Plot
Katherine was dealing with her past via her sister’s wedding and the rekindling of her romance with Eamon. I liked how she went about tackling them both. She had to make peace with things from her past – being from a broken home, losing her mom and her perceived role in the loss, and the secrets she’s kept from both her dad, Amy, and Eamon. Katherine had to resolve these issues in order to more forward toward a future she really wanted. The way Booth wove this element into Katherine’s journey of self-discovery and forgiveness was well done. I also liked how Katherine’s secrets were doled out piecemeal so that the image of who Katherine was and how she came to be that person became clearer and sharper little by little. - Romance
As I’ve said, I’m a sucker for second chances so Eamon and Katherine getting one ROCKED. It’s been 11 years and yet when they see each other again, it’s all still there. The chemistry, the feelings. Yes, they’ve experienced more life and Eamon was adamant they not start anything if she wasn’t serious but everything fell back into place as if fated.
What Could Have Worked Better:
- Loose Plot Threads
There were a few things left untied and although they were minor, it bothered me. - Character Development – Eamon
Eamon didn’t seem to do much growing as a character. There were some areas where if we’d seen a little growth, learned a little more, his character would have had more depth.
Secrets of a (Somewhat) Sunny Girl was well written and compelling. It solidified my admiration of Booth’s talent.
About Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Brandee is a mom of 3 and a soon-to-be empty nester. She is also an avid reader, a genre omnivore, and a compulsive one-clicker - but she's in recovery. Besides being a reader, she's also a writer and hopes to divide the vast quantities of spare time she'll soon have between reading and finally publishing her first book.
Great review! I don’t think it’s one I would put on my TBR but I’m super glad you enjoyed it yourself. I really like the cover!
Thanks, Sabrina!
Twitter: ailynk
i am a sucker for 2nd chances too! I hope he gets her this time XD
Yay! This was a good one, Ailyn. 😉
Loose plot threads kind of drive me nuts but I can forgive an author for it if the rest of the story is great. And I do love second chance romances. ^_^
This was a great second chance, Stephanie. And Katherine kinda got second chances in other areas as well. 🙂
This really sounds good. Great review! I want to go read it now. I’ll have to shove it into the huge TBR. Anne – Books of My Heart
Ha! I know what it’s like having a bulging TBR pile! 😉 This was a good read, Anne, and I hope you’ll enjoy it if you ever get to it. 🙂
There should be more books about older characters. And I love that this wasn’t just about romance but also finding yourself and all that because it’s not like everyone just figures themselves out and gets their crap together and just stops growing as a person at 22, you know? But the romance does sound great too. I know how you like second chance romance!
I agree about the need for more older characters, Kristen. It’s not that I don’t enjoy young characters because you know I do. But it’s nice to read about characters who are similar stages in life as me sometimes. 🙂 Ha! I’m getting close to 50 and I still don’t have all my crap together so yeah, I appreciated that aspect as well. 😉
I love second chance romance stories. This one sounds good. Wonderful review.
Thanks, Carla. It was good. 🙂
I didn’t take this one on for review because I didn’t have the time but I have it on my list to get once I do. It sounds really sweet.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
Oh, I hope you get to it sooner than later. I’d love to see your thoughts, Karen. 🙂
I like it when books have older characters as it still seems rare to see those in romances and they can be just as fun to read about. I can really enjoy a good second chance romance, so I can see why you enjoyed this one. It sounds great how it also deals with forgiveness and her finding herself.
It is still kinda rare to have older characters in romance novels, Lola, and that’s a shame since we “older” readers read so much romance. haha That’s one reason I enjoy KBooth’s books. This one was a great read all around and was so much more than a romance. But that was a nice element. 🙂