Romantic Reads
I've read quite a few of Bennett's books and a few of them have taken me on a ride of emotions before ... but I think that was just to prepare me for this one :) While there are deep moments, there is also a good amount of humor and fun. It took me up and down and around. And I enjoyed all of it! I really loved this little group of troubled souls, road-tripping their way across the US for all different reasons. It starts out as a chance for Connor (dying of cancer) to knock a few things off his bucket list, but everyone ends up learning something along the way. And while Christopher is our main character, you quickly find yourself attached to everyone as he (and us) discovers a little more every day about the others, and himself. He's drawn to Jillian, who has an amazingly bright outlook on life even though she is slowly going blind. She, along with Connor, has been the most open about therapy and embraced all of them, regardless of their prickly nature. Conner is facing death head on and trying to experience life a little bit more before his time. Barb is as negative about the whole process as Christopher but she too starts to open up, just a little, and we find out that her scars are so much deeper than what you can see on her wrists. Christopher also has signs on the outside of his body of what he's been through, but nothing compares to the turmoil underneath. While they are each dealing with some of the heaviness that life has to offer, they are handling them in different ways. But together, they might manage to get to a place where they can face life, and all that it brings, with their heads held high. To find a way to laugh, love, and enjoy again. This book is definitely not for everyone. But if you think your heart can take it then grab a box of tissue, put your feet up, and go for a journey. You'll laugh and cry and sigh and you might even find bits of them in you. *** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***
Lenore Kosinski
4.5 stars — Before I get started, be warned about potential triggers! Luckily this author was smart and actually noted it in her blurb — nicely done!! 🙂 This was a difficult read, but also a very different read. It had romance in it, but it wasn’t the main focus of the story in my opinion. It was really about Christopher’s journey from an angry man who was 100% an a-hole, to someone with hope again. It made it hard to read at times, b/c Christopher was mean and angry right down to his inner thoughts. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to connect with him because of that. But the author did a good job of showing what he went through, and showing how he came to that point. I thought it was really interesting and refreshing, b/c not everyone is 100% likable, and they don’t always make the right choices. I could totally understand why he couldn’t see the light…it still made me sad that he went full on hate-the-world, but there was a part of me that got it. And while I’m not sure I fell in love with him necessarily, I did come to sympathize with him and his struggle, and root for him to come back to himself. I had waffled about this book from the first moment I heard about it simply because of the difficult subject matter, but after reading some snippets on Book+Main Bites, I was just too curious and had to take a chance. I know some of the negative reviews question Christopher’s quick transformation, but I didn’t for some reason. I mean it was kind of quick, but he was also in a unique situation, where he was with these other oddball/misfits for 24 hours a day. So I can see how that would influence him more. He was confronted head-on with the struggles of the rest of the group, and he got a first-hand glimpse of how they were each coping with it, and…I don’t know. In the end, I was OK with his transformation. And through Christopher’s eyes we got to see each member of the group go on a journey. I fell in love with Connor and Jillian, and my heart ached for Barb. It was interesting to see how differently they all handled their individual struggles. I feel like so many times in books we just see the same thing, but this felt more real somehow. And I felt like it showed how difficult it is to deal with depression. It didn’t pull punches. But honestly, what really got me in this book was the connections that Christopher made. I really FELT the friendships he formed, particularly with Jillian and Connor…I felt like I formed those friendships myself. And they all made me laugh and cry. For a book told from a single POV, it was actually a great cast book. There were the occasional little things that bothered me…one in particular was Christopher and his pain pills. In one flashback in particular it appeared he was abusing oxycontin, and I just always assumed that addiction would be hard to avoid. Yet that wasn’t part of his story. Perhaps if it was a different pain medication I wouldn’t have noticed it. Obviously not really a big deal, it was honestly just a passing reference. It just up sticking out to me, and was a factor in why I chose to round down instead of up. All in all, while I was wary of reading this book, it really made an impact on me, and it had a nice balance of light and hope to counter the feels.
Avephoenix
The story itself centers around Four people with nothing in common but their destination. The Hard Truth About Sunshine is a difficult but memorable book. I was hooked straight away. The story is tragic, painful, heart-breaking, emotional, beautiful, hopeful and inspiring. A fantastic and compelling read nonetheless. Beautifully well-written, in a way that I could see and feel everything this characters were going through while following their journey. I found myself engrossed in this book, crying, laughing, holding my breath, frenetically turning page after page, unable to put the book down until I knew what would become of this characters and their turbulent lives! Oh, is there romance in the story, you may ask. Well, the answer is yes. I enjoyed Author Sawyer Bennett's writing style on this book as much I have in the past; even though this story is different to the ones I'm accustomed to, her descriptions of the events, the characters and her brilliant storytelling never ceases to amaze me. This story touched my heart! I never expected this book to go where it went, but I definitely loved it, and highly recommend it!!
