The Sunshine Sisters

I gave this book three stars (two stars now - see update below) because I don't dislike it but I also don't really like it that much. I think the character development of the three sisters (I like Lizzy's story line the best) earned it three instead of two. There seems to be a lot of filler in the story so I find myself skimming over parts of it. I am at page 295 and will finish it but I don't anticipate that I will like the book any better at that point. Like other reviewers, I feel the book dragged through to a certain point then all of a sudden it's like a race to the finish, let's wrap up all of the issues and put a pretty bow on for a happy ending - yawn. The positive of this book is Green's ability to give such good descriptions of the surroundings in the story...the rooftop meals, the farm, the beach...such that you can visualize these places, adding more dimension to the characters and their lives. I find it interesting people a lot of times refer to books as a good "beach read". Personally I wouldn't take this one to the beach because it's a little depressing and dysfunctional....perhaps a book for an already rainy day. Update: Okay, wasted my time and finished it to the end...no it got no better, it actually got worse. The Mother had always been awful to these sisters, continued to be awful yet all was so perfect in the end and they "felt loved". Due to the ending I changed it from 3 stars to 2!

Usually I can enthusiastically endorse Jane Green's novels...this one not so much.

The protagonist is Ronni Sunshine, a B level actress who never achieved the fame she thought she deserved. Her passion and ambition for her career overrode her commitment to her husband and her three daughters as her "supporting cast." Ironically, the "Sunshine" sisters had anything but a light-filled childhood, each one imprinted by their mother's neglect in a different way. Nell, the first-borne, distanced herself from the family dysfunction by shutting off her emotions and physically escaping the home. The middle daughter, Meredith, internalized all the criticism resulting in her belief she is not worth much and must settle for security and people-pleasing over passion and creativity. Lizzy, the baby of the family, simply laughed off her mother's moods and manipulated her into getting what she wanted. The result: a fractured family in which the sisters are estranged from their mother as well as each other.

The driving force of the storyline is a "call" from Ronni to gather her family together for an important announcement and to ultimately heal the broken relationships. The timeframe ranges from 1981 to the present, which gives "snapshot" perspectives of the sisters' lives as they move from childhood, through teens, young adulthood and middle age.

I found the reading slow going in the beginning, but it did pick up in the last half. I am puzzled why authors spend so much time laying groundwork in their novels and then speed through the conclusion. This book wraps up all the loose ends in the relationships in record time, which lends an air of incredulity to the resolution. (The good news is that it left me wanting to know more about the characters' lives in the future. Perhaps a sequel would be more satisfying.)

The characters themselves, being fairly stereotypical, were not particularly engaging. There were a few twists that added a bit of spice with occasional mild humor, but overall, the story carries a heavy tone. It is not depressing, but it can't be billed as an entertaining "feel-good" beach read.

If this is your first exposure to Jane Green's work, Sunshine Sisters is a decent summer read, but not her best work.

A very compelling story about the family dynamics and relationships between a self-absorbed mother and her three grown daughters. Jane Green captures the emotions and reality of some of the character's life situations in a very real way. Any mother of daughters or woman who has sisters will find this book a good read!

Summer in New England has been off to a particularly sluggish start this year. But even though it was only about 50 degrees and raining as I read THE SUNSHINE SISTERS recently, any new novel by Jane Green seems to have the power to usher in summertime --- at least mentally and emotionally! This book is indeed perfect beach reading --- its jacket has a picture of a beach on it, after all --- but it’s hardly escapist.

Green, who herself has been undergoing treatment for malignant melanoma, takes on serious issues of illness and mortality in her latest novel, in ways that must feel very personal to her. She also explores perhaps less weighty but still serious topics such as infidelity, body image, sexual orientation and more, even as she paints a complex family portrait of the titular Sunshine sisters and their imposing mother.

In some ways, THE SUNSHINE SISTERS starts near the end chronologically, as aging Ronni Sunshine, former B-movie actress and star of the Westport County Playhouse, contemplates when and how to end her own life. Having been given a terminal diagnosis, she knows she would rather take matters into her own hands than spend the next however many months or years helpless and in pain. But before she goes, she has brought her three daughters together again --- in some ways for the first time since childhood --- in the hopes that she can reconcile with them, and that they might begin to reconcile with one another.

The book then circles back to the very beginning, to Ronni’s career, marriage and early motherhood, as well as to the childhoods and young adulthoods of her daughters. Nell, the oldest, is athletic and down to earth, until her high school sweetheart leaves her pregnant and brokenhearted. Now, in her early 40s, Nell is fulfilled by overseeing a Connecticut farm near her mother, but she has never found a romantic partner who can share her life with her.

Meredith, the quintessential middle child, always bristled under her mother’s incessant criticism, particularly of her weight and choice in clothes. As soon as Meredith was able, she moved about as far away from Connecticut as she could --- all the way to London. She once gave up on a career in art in favor of a more practical one in accounting, and she’s now engaged to be married to another accountant, the most handsome and accomplished man at her firm. So why does she feel so far away from “happily ever after”?

And then there’s Lizzy, the youngest, the one who is most like Ronni in terms of looks and temperament. She has an envious life as the host of exclusive supper clubs in New York City and the host of a television show on cooking and entertaining. But she’s secretly having an affair with her business partner even as she tries to make things work with her husband and their young son. Perhaps returning to Connecticut as her mother has requested will give Lizzy the opportunity for some perspective or even a fresh start.

As Green delves into each character’s back story and present-day predicaments, Ronni Sunshine --- quietly or not-so-quietly suffering while her daughters come to terms with her diagnosis --- necessarily fades into the background (which is not a place she’s accustomed to being). The novel, however, winds up being far more about the sisters’ relationships --- and their individual routes to fulfillment --- than it is about the mother-daughter dynamic, even if those childhood wounds are what continue affecting the sisters’ decisions in the present day.

For the most part, Green avoids predictable resolutions, leaving things just unresolved enough that readers will be able to spend their remaining beach hours or days speculating about how, exactly, things will end up for the Sunshine sisters.

Reviewed by Norah Piehl

The undisputed Queen of the Beach Read, Jane Green is out with what’s destined to be this summer’s favorite novel, THE SUNSHINE SISTERS (Berkley). It’d be a safe bet to wage that Ronni Sunshine isn’t going to win any mother-of-the-year awards! She’s been wrapped up in herself and showbiz career, leaving her three daughters on the sidelines, except when needed their entire life. Oldest daughter, Nell has grown up with an iron shell around her, Meredith has craved just a moment of attention from her mother, only to be repeatedly told, she’s too fat, and youngest, Lizzy is spoiled, because she’s just like Ronni and yells back at her. Once they’re old enough to leave home, that’s exactly what they do.
At sixty-five years old, Ronni receives some shocking news that changes her entire world. Estranged from her daughters and knowing the three aren’t close to one another, mostly because of her, Ronni hopes she will be able to right some wrongs.
“I was self-absorbed and selfish and disinterested in my children. By the time they were old enough for me to want to get to know them, none of them were interested. Who can blame them? I would have been the same. But now I have called my daughters home, and I plan on apologizing for the mother I was. I want them with me when I die.”  page 179
Once the Sunshine sisters gather together, old jealousies and petty lies resurface. But then the purpose of their visit begins to focus and love, and the bond they share with their mother and each other brings them together. When hearts are open, forgiveness and reconciliation can heal any wrongs of the past.
Ronni is a flawed character that I don’t like in any way. I think she’s a terrible mother and I’m quite surprised her daughters come home so easily, just because she summons them. She has treated them awful and at some point enough is enough. I’m happy the sisters reconnect. Nothing is more special than having a sister you’re blessed to be closed to. But the bottom line, nothing is better than reading a Jane Green novel down by the shore or at the pool during the summer with a cold flavorful drink!

The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green is an emotional family drama about a movie star and her dysfunctional relationship with her three daughters.

Ronni Sunshine never quite reached the pinnacle of stardom she hoped for and her quest for success and self-centered behavior took a huge toll on her marriage and daughters. Her three daughters dealt with her volatile behavior in very different ways. Oldest daughter Nell is indifferent to her mother’s rage-filled diatribes and she shuts down when faced with conflict. Middle child Meredith is a people pleaser with extremely low self-worth due to her mother’s cutting remarks about her appearance and weight. Youngest daughter Lizzy is spoiled, selfish and acts without considering how her choices affect others. The three girls left home as soon as possible and over the years they have grown estranged from their mother and each other. Living completely separate lives with little interaction with one another, Nell, Meredith and Lizzy come together at Ronni’s request but is it too late to repair their fractured relationships?

Nell found solace working on a farm not too far from her family’s home and after becoming a single mom at a young age, she devoted her life to her son. Content to raise her son on her own while running the farm, she never really thinks too much about her lack of companionship. After her son goes off to college then grad school, Nell is finally ready to begin dating but has the time for romance passed her by?

Meredith calls England home and despite the distance between her and Ronni, she still lacks confidence and turns to food for comfort. Now an accountant, she is engaged to a handsome, successful man that no one in her family cares for. Meredith is not exactly thrilled with how he controls nearly every aspect of her life, but her insecurities make it impossible for her stand up for herself. The trip back home is fraught with tension but Meredith is enjoying the freedom to express herself without her overbearing fiancé by her side. When faced with the prospect of returning to her regular life, will Meredith be able to go back to a life that no longer feels right?

Lizzy has a wildly successful career as a chef but her selfish and thoughtless choices might destroy her marriage. She is impulsive but well-liked and respected by the people who work for her. Never having dealt with the consequences of her actions, is it too late for Lizzy to repair the mistakes she has made?

The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green is an engrossing novel of forgiveness, healing and redemption. Ronni’s decision to bring her daughters to her side is not exactly selfless, but the reunion does provide Nell, Meredith and Lizzy the opportunity to reconnect and move past some of their emotional wounds. The storyline is bit predictable, but the growth of the characters is quite satisfying. An overall entertaining read with emotional depth that fans of the genre will enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

The Sunshine Sisters is the perfect Summer read!

This story is about a very dysfunctional family, I mean really, what family isn't?! Ronni Sunshine, once a famous actress, was a self-centered, dispassionate mother who was never available for her 3 daughters as they were growing up. You might say she created a very toxic environment for them because the bond they once had has now been disconnected through all the turbulence Ronni created throughout the years.

The story follows each sister through their life, and you will see how each one is unique in their own way. Each creating a different life for themselves, each going down a different path. But now Ronni has called them home in hopes they will fulfill her final wishes. Ronni wants to make amends to her daughters, and she wants them to become a family again - like they should have been many years ago. Will the girls ever forgive their mother for how they were raised? Will the girls become a family again and set aside the distaste and jealousy they have for each another? Is Ronni asking the impossible?

In the end, this is a very emotional story about family, forgiveness, love, finding out who you really are, self-worth, and most importantly, mother and daughter relationships.

*I would like to thank First to Read, Berkley Books, and Jane Green for the ARC of this book.

Ronnie Sunshine loves the adulation of her fans. She loves being in the spotlight. The love that she has for herself makes it almost impossible for her to find room in her heart for her three daughters - athletic Nell who dreams of owning her own farm; plump Meredith who has great artistic talent but lacks the self-confidence to find the right person to love; and Lizzie, the spoiled youngest daughter who is most like her mother and is now a renowned TV chef and restauranteur.

The three sisters have gone their own ways over the years, not close to each other or to their mother. And now they get calls from their mother saying she wants them all to come home to see her - and reluctance isn't a strong enough word to express how they feel about this.

I've enjoyed author Jane Green's stories in the past and this family drama is another I'm glad I read. Fully explored characters, a few characters that were unlikable (which I always enjoy), and a storyline that brought tears and laughter made this an interesting, engaging read.

I received this book from Berkley Publishing through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Three daughters who could not have been more different all begrudgingly return to their Connecticut home to try and make peace with their dying mother and each other. The products of an unhappy home the girls were emotionally terrorized by a narcissistic and unstable mother, the famous actress, and ironically named, Ronni Sunshine. Each child sought escape and self preservation in a different way and these manners of coping have continued to determine their adult lives and relationships. Nell, the oldest is industrious and introverted. She has never really let herself feel love or acceptance from anyone but the son she raised as a young single mother. Meredith, the middle daughter, also suffered from extremely low self esteem, never able to escape the shadow of a mother who constantly told her she was too fat and unattractive. She has lived so unhappily with a career and an impending marriage that she cleaved on to because she thought they were the best she could expect from life. Lizzie is the youngest and apparently the luckiest because her mother seemed to love her the best. Lizzie achieves success as a celebrity chef but fails in her marriage and is becoming the same kind of absentee mother that raised her. This reunion takes place in the well to do and artistic beach community of Westport, Connecticut. I have to mention this fact because Westport is my home town and I really enjoyed reading all the shout outs to local places and traditions. The Sunshine Sisters does a good job of blending past flashbacks with present realities to bring these characters to life. My only disappointment is the narrator of the audio book who had a very breathy voice and unusual accent which I found distracting.

3.5 stars

After reading the summary, I chose this book as one of my summer beach reads because it sounded like it would be a perfect fit. I’ve never read anything by Jane Green before, though I had heard of her other works and know that most of them fall into the “chick lit” category, so with this book, I was expecting a light, easy-to-read story focused around women. That’s pretty much what I got except the part about the matriarch of the family, Ronni Sunshine, having a terminal illness and therefore wanting her daughters to help her end her life (not spoiler, since both these plot points are in the cover summary). While that part of the book lent an element of “seriousness” to the story, everything else was light-hearted enough so that things balanced out in the end.

Overall, I would say that this was a good book and the story itself was enjoyable, however what fell short for me were the characters, none of whom were likable. While I’m perfectly fine with (and actually prefer) flawed characters in stories, the caveat is that the characters need to be realistically written, which I felt was a bit lacking with this story. All the characters felt too contrived and some of the situations they went through felt too convenient, almost as though specifically written so that the characters would go down certain already pre-determined paths. I think what bothered me the most was how cliched and stereotypical the characters seemed to be – for example: the self-absorbed successful actress but horrible mother Ronni, the serious and responsible but emotionally detached oldest sister Nell, the insecure due to being largely ignored “people pleaser” middle sister Meredith, the spoiled and bratty youngest sister Lizzy who always gets her way because she thinks the world revolves around only her. And that’s just the main female characters! The men in the story seemed to have it worse, as almost all of them (except for the 2 sons of the sisters, who were mostly kids throughout the story) were portrayed as “losers” of some sort – i.e.: deadbeats who abandon their first families after they remarry, womanizers who have one affair after another with a variety of women, weak husbands/boyfriends who are consistently emotionally detached from their significant others, arrogant jerks who emotionally abuse their wives/girlfriends in efforts to exert complete control over them, etc. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the picture. It also didn’t help that everything worked out perfectly in the end for all the characters, almost exactly as we (the readers) expected them to. The way everything ended up being neatly packaged and wrapped in a bow for the readers kind of reminded me of those Hallmark (or was it Lifetime?) movies that were quite the craze many years ago.

I usually judge how good a book is by whether it is able to elicit an emotional response from me (i.e. move me to tears) and/or whether it is thought-provoking enough that I continue thinking about the story/characters long after I finish reading. Neither of these elements was present in this case. My frustration with all the unlikable characters made it difficult for me to feel any type of emotional connection with anyone in the story – even when “sad” things happened, I unfortunately could not bring myself to empathize or feel anything emotionally, despite the intent of the author (I’m assuming) to elicit some type of response from most readers (though not really the author’s fault I guess, since I don’t consider myself a “typical” reader).

I ended up giving this book 3.5 stars, mostly because of the writing and the fact that I did like the story, even though I was annoyed with the characters -- no doubt that Jane Green is a good writer and knows how to tell an enjoyable story. I would consider this book on the higher end of the “chick lit” spectrum and even though it didn’t quite work out for me, I would still recommend it for those who enjoy this genre and are looking for a nice, quick summer read. It also might be a good idea to perhaps read the other reviews for a different opinion before deciding.

Received advance reader’s copy from Berkley Books via NetGalley

The Sunshine Sisters is about a selfish mother and her three equally selfish daughters. Jane Green is an excellent storyteller, and her writing her is top notch, but there’s one small problem. The four main characters have no redeeming qualities in anyway, shape or form. The blame for the three sisters being spoiled, defensive, and closed off emotionally falls at their vain mother’s feet, or some readers may think so. But then there is their father, who in the beginning seems like a great husband and father. For some reason when he gets remarried and has another daughter, he pretends his three daughters no longer exist. It’s an example like this, including the three sister’s lack of relationships with one another and with others, mainly men, shows major dysfunction that’s spotlighted just to create drama and angst for no real reason. If a reader can’t sympathize or understand a character’s motivation or actions, then the story doesn’t work, which is the case of The Sunshine Sisters.

Things start in the 1980’s from Ronni, the mother, an actress trying to make it big in Hollywood. She has three daughters- Nell, the oldest and most stoic, Meredith, the chubby middle one, and Lizzy, the youngest and easiest to get along with. Ronni is self-absorbed, and at times a witch who only cares about her beauty. Karma is a bitch, as they say, because when she’s essentially retired and in her 60’s, she finds out she is dying. She doesn’t want to die alone, so she requested her daughters, who she doesn’t really speak to, come see her.
Nell is a single mother of a college aged boy, who runs a farm. She is very emotionally cut off from most people. Meredith is an accountant engaged to a man who monitors her food and clothes. Lizzy is a celebrity chef of sorts who is cheating on her husband. The girls don’t talk to one another, and when then go see their mother, it’s very awkward.

The first 100 pages scans the girls’ childhood, teen years, and finally them as adults. Their portrayals shows them as self centered and lacking any favorable attributes. These are people I wouldn’t want to be around at all, including Ronni, who comes across more as a caricature, almost one-dimensional.

The main characters here may be horrible, but the writing is excellent. I kept reading because of the way Jane uses words and dialogue. If only her characters here weren’t so lacking, then The Sunshine Girls would have really shined.

Katiebabs

Ronni Sunshine has summoned her daughters home. The aging actress is ill, and she wants her daughters by her side. This, however, will be easier said than done, as her three children--Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy--are estranged, both from each other and their mother: the result of a traumatic childhood. Even Ronni will now readily admit she focused on her acting career and beauty rather than her daughters. Her constant belittlement and pressure on the girls made them turn on each other as well. Nell lives the closest to her mother, on a nearby farm, and her son River is in grad school. Middle child Meredith spent her childhood struggling with her weight, thanks to endless biting comments from Ronni; she fled to England and is now engaged. Youngest Lizzie escaped most of her mother's wrath and appears to be the "golden child": she's a successful chef and celebrity, with a TV show and line of related products, but her marriage and personal life aren't all that they seem. Frustrated by their mother's long history of hypochondria, the girls reluctantly return home, excepting to find her fine. However, it seems this time Ronni may be telling the truth: she's really sick. Can the Sunshine sisters set aside their differences? And can they ever forgive their mother?

In some ways, I'm not sure why I keep giving Jane Green books a chance. I liked Summer Secrets well-enough, but was really let down by Saving Grace and Falling. I was intrigued that in her acknowledgements, Green mentions that this is the first book in while where she's felt like herself. I went in hoping that this was true, but still wary, and truthfully, this wariness may have clouded some of my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Overall, this is a summery read, though it does deal with some serious subject matter. If you're looking for a book that will surprise you, this isn't it. Most of these plot points I saw coming from a few miles away; I predicted the majority of the twists and turns before they happened. And, truly, I think the ending is a foregone conclusion. Green relies a bit to heavily on some tropes, as well. Serious older sister? Check. Insecure middle sister? Check. Flighty younger sister? She's here, too, don't worry.

Still, this was a fun book--despite the dark topic at its core--and I found myself compelled to read through the second half in nearly one sitting. Despite some of the transparency of the characters, I was oddly invested in their lives. The novel starts out with a brief glimpse of Ronni summoning her daughters home, then goes back in the past, allowing us to learn about the Sunshine family via various snippets from the sisters at different points in time. In this way, we sort of catch up with the family fast-forward style--it's like a cheat sheet of sorts. It also allows us to get to know each sister a bit better and explore their relationship with their mother (and other sisters). It's easy to see how much influence Ronni had on their lives and how she shaped them into the women they are today.

The girls can certainly be frustrating at times. Poor, needy Meredith drove me nearly mad, with her insecurities and inability to stand up for herself. There's also a point in the book where Meredith magically cleans up after a party (everything is fixed) and later loses a large amount of weight (everything is fixed, again!). I would have liked to have seen a little more plot realism. It was also hard to see how anyone could be quite as big of a doormat as Meredith, even with her mother's influence. And, truly, Ronni is pretty bad. It's an interesting technique--learning how terrible of a mother she is after we're told in the beginning of the novel that she's sick. But, in this way, we're allowed to see how the sisters were alienated by their poor upbringing and how everyone has reached the point we are at today.

Eventually, we reach the present day, with the girls learning about their mother's illness and coming to grips with reality. And, Ronni, of course, must grapple with the kind of mother she was to her children. She's a surprisingly compelling character considering how awful she was to her children, so that's a testament to Green's characterization. To me, the novel picked up a bit more in the present day time period. There were still some silly, unbelievable moments, but I truly did find myself invested in Meredith, Nell, and Lizzy (and Ronni).

The book does wrap things up too easily, as I stated. It's often quite trite and cliche, so you have to go in prepared. Think Lifetime movie, wrapped up in a bow. Still, it's fun at times and certainly a quick read. Well-suited for the beach or a vacation.

The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green is a 2017 Berkley publication.

This book is the ideal beach read.

Ronni Sunshine was once a famous actress, defining the narcissist personality we so often associate with that occupation. But, she also has three daughters, Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy, all of whom couldn’t wait to get away from Ronni… and each other.

But, now they have all been summoned home by Ronni, who has been diagnosed with a fatal disease… for real this time. She only has a little time left to get her daughters back together in one place, and to apologize to them for being such a wretched mother, and hopefully receive their forgiveness, but she also needs their help to carry out one final, shocking request.

After years of estrangement from their mother, the girls gather together with all their resentments and baggage coming along for the ride. Can they make peace with their mother and mend their broken relationship with each other?

All of Ronni’s daughters bring high drama with them- Nell, a single mom, who has never been able to get over her first love, no matter how hard she tries to feel a connection and real passion with someone else.

Meredith took a dull job, has a boring boyfriend, and finds great comfort in food, while trying to make everyone else happy.

Lizzy, is the youngest, and the most like her mother. She’s a successful celebrity chef, with a husband and young son, but she is also having a long running affair, she can’t seem to withdraw from, having also inherited her mother's spoiled self-absorbtion.

Under the same roof, the sisters become catty, with their barely contained annoyance with each other simmering just underneath the surface. But, when they find out their mother is gravely ill, they each take stock of their lives, and find the courage to take risks, embrace their sisterhood, and commonality with each other, and embark on a new chapter in their lives.

The story got off to a slow start, for me, but I’m glad I stuck it out. The real turning point comes when a writer shows up at Ronni’s, hoping to do a documentary over her life. His presence allows the sisters to look back over their mother’s life, and helps them put their childhood’s in perspective.

Other than Ronni’s illness, the story is not too heavy, and there are several comical moments along the way, but the emotional levels stay on an even keel, so you won’t have to worry about doing the ugly cry sitting poolside.

But, mostly this is a story about three sisters who did not have a strong parental influence in their lives, because their mother was so caught up in her career, always trying to keep the attention on herself and was a real life drama queen, and father who chose his second family over them. They all endured some kind of side effect from their upbringing that influenced the decisions they made and the actions they took as adults, with disastrous results.

They now have the rare chance to change the course of their lives, to make peace with the past and with each other and enjoy the last, but best gift their mother ever gave them… each other.

Overall, this is a nice and easy read, with nice character growth, and a feel good ending.

By Melissa Amster

Since I enjoyed listening to Falling in audio last year, I decided to do the same for The Sunshine Sisters. Jane Green has a lovely speaking voice and hearing the story narrated by her adds some extra flair.

I found it interesting that the story starts off from Ronni's perspective, and then after a few chapters it completely shifts to the three sisters for the rest of the novel. I think Ronni would have become a more sympathetic character if we had more of an idea of what was going through her head. There were times I felt similar to her and that scared me.

The sisters each had their interesting story arcs. I think I liked it most when we got to the present time and they were all together again. I enjoyed listening to them interact in person and try to settle their differences after years of being apart. There were some really good moments in this section where I found myself laughing and smiling. I was able to find at least one thing in common with each sister. Being an avid reader, I was able to guess some of the things that were about to happen. However, some parts also surprised me. And I was glad when the outcome was what I was expecting. I also love that Jane took on a story line for one of her characters that I would like to see more of in novels.

I'm not sure why Billy needed his own chapter in the middle in order to tell more of Ronni's story. It could just have easily been told from Ronni's perspective to get back into her head. While Billy does appear a lot through the last half of the book, we could have gathered pieces of his life without needing his perspective. Aside from this, the story went a bit long, although it was good company on my rides to and from work, as well as while doing household chores. While it was enjoyable as an audio book, it was sometimes hard to tell who was doing the talking.

Overall, an enjoyable read that's perfect for the beach this summer. I would give it 4.5 stars. Just don't read it on an empty stomach. Jane's a foodie and it shows in her writing!

Present day casting (too hard to cast the teens and twenties):
Lizzy: Sugar Lyn Beard
Nell: Ever Carradine
Meredith: Claire Danes
Ronni: Christine Baranski
Derek: Jude Law
James: David Walton
Billy: Zachary Levi
Greta: Molly Parker
Sean: Bradley Cooper

Favorite Quotes:

For the past few months she has had a huge, mad crush on him and has built him into some sort of demigod, with otherworldly qualities that would mean he would never have a normal, human conversation with someone like her.

She pauses just inside the front door, trying to gauge the temperature of the house. She does this a lot; they all do this a lot, pause just inside the front door to try to sniff out their mother’s mood, try to figure out who they need to be.

It doesn’t matter how many years go by, how grown-up we think we are, how much we presume we have changed or evolved, when we are back in our childhood homes, we become exactly who we have always been, Meredith thinks. I bet we will all just slip back into the roles we have always played, whether we were ever comfortable with them or not.

“Also” — she pops her head back around the doorway, with a big thumbs-up— “yay, lesbians. Big fan.”

My Review:

The Sunshine Sisters was a surprisingly nuanced and thought-provoking family drama that spanned several households and time periods in the lives of four women. I was fascinated by these deeply flawed and emotionally wounded women as well as the various colorful and humiliating memories they retained of their fractured family. Compelling scenes of emotionally provocative and damaging instances from their childhoods with their heinously self-absorbed and mercurial diva of a mother were so well-crafted and polished, they played like a movie reel in my head. Written in the third person from multiple points of view, I was captivated by the richly detailed and evocative storytelling. Each character was fully fleshed out and well inhabited with relatable, heart-squeezing, and cringe-worthy moments from their pasts and their present - all of which were observantly and insightful detailed from several angles. Even as unhappy yet successful middle-aged adults, their manipulative mother continued to pull their strings from her deathbed and lure them into her mechanizations, hoping to right some of her wrongs before heading into the great beyond. As much as they dreaded and fussed, the sisters grudgingly allowed it to happen, and much to their surprise were all the better for it.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The Sunshine Sisters is about a DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY. (Yes, all caps). Ronni is concerned about herself and her career. Her daughters learned at an early age how to read her moods and when to “duck and cover”. As soon as they were old enough they got out of her house, rarely visited, and didn’t really stay in touch with each other. Nell still lives nearby with her son and has the most contact with Ronni. Meredith is in London pretending to be happy. Lizzy landed in New York as a chef. She is married with a son but her marriage is rocky. When their mother calls them all home they assume it is for one of her big dramatic displays but are shocked by her appearance and they know there is something really wrong with her this time. This pulls the girls together until they learn her final wishes.

First I have to say the cover of the book is very misleading. Reading the synopsis I thought this would be a story about a family coming back together after a dysfunctional upbringing with a happy ending but it took a dark turn with a trigger theme for me – suicide. While different than what my family experienced it still gave me pause.

The characters were all so different, each had their own ways of dealing with things. The sisters fit the stereotype many believe of children. The eldest being the strongest, steady, independent, but in Nell’s case she closes herself off from so much, happy on her farm, alone. The middle child, Meredith, is the people pleaser with low self esteem, thinking she needs to settle for what is offered. Lizzy is the baby of the family and most like her mother. She got everything she ever wanted and she inherited a drive from her mother to pursue her dreams while following in her footsteps of putting her family last.

The pace of the book was a little slow in the beginning. It didn’t really grab me until about halfway through. It picked up near the end but that was where the theme became problematic for me. The saving grace for me was that that the sisters were starting to evolve and look at themselves and their relationships differently. When they were together they were more engaging than the parts of the story when they were on their own.

This is the first Jane Green novel I have read and while it was not an off the charts read for me it was still a good story. There are some heavy topics so for me this is not the summer beach read I expected from the cover. It ended the exact way I thought it would which made me a little sad. I do want to read more by this author because I think the subject matter just weighted me down this time.

3.5 stars

Of all her acting jobs, motherhood was Ronni Sunshine’s least successful part.

For one thing, none of her pregnancies were planned. In fact, her last one, with Lizzy, cost her a potentially award-winning role. Her three daughters are not so much children for her to tend as props and, far more often, targets. Nell, the oldest, learns to keep quiet and retreat, something she puts into life-altering motion when she leaves home at the first opportunity. Middle child Meredith, the people pleaser, strives to do just that: please her mother. But Ronni finds her lacking, particularly when it comes to her looks. Meredith is a little overweight, something Ronni points out at every opportunity. Like Nell, Meredith leaves home as quickly as she can, only unlike Nell, she doesn’t move within an hour – she flees to London. The baby of the family, Lizzy, learns that the best revenge is to remain defiantly unaffected.

Now, with the girls in their thirties and early forties, Ronni has beckoned them home. Disease-ridden, she is not above using that as a means of manipulating her daughters into an extremely rare visit. One reason for the command: Ronni wants a documentarian to film her waning days, and she would like Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy to partake.

Jane Green treads familiar territory with the premise of this book: the remote, uninvolved mother; the three disparate and detached sisters; even a father who emotionally and physically abandons his daughters upon a remarriage. Despite the sense of cliché, Green gives her story some jolts of freshness, largely with Lizzy. She’s the only one who faces ugly truths about herself and sets out to do something about them. She is selfish, spoiled, and entitled, and once she realizes and accepts this, she recognizes that she has to change some things. Nell and Meredith neither face nor conquer such a dramatic shift, yet their familiarity feels comfortable. You’ve seen them before, but you welcome them again here. The men in this book fare poorly, largely because they are straight out of Central Casting, the most egregious of which is the girls’ father.

Despite the sense of unoriginality, this is an enjoyable book to read. Green uses the setting of Westport, Connecticut, quite purposefully, putting the Sunshine women close to healing waters. Yes, you will feel as if you’ve read this story before, but encountering it through the eyes of Jane Green makes it a wonderful summer read.

Ronni Sunshine spent years as a B-list actress and enjoyed the fame that came along with it. Unfortunately, she'll never be nominated as Mother of the Year by her three daughters. Ronni was narcissistic and often cruel to her daughters which has caused a long estrangement between the four women. Now that Ronni has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, she is adamant to end this estrangement and calls her girls home to patch things up.

While this book addresses serious issues I'd still call it a light, beachy-type of book. It was enjoyable enough to keep my interest and was a quick read but I felt it was too predictable and didn't go deep enough into the issues it raises. I also wasn't a fan of the loose ends in the plot that leave readers hanging (What happened to Nell's first love?, How does the most important person in her life react to her new love?).

The book had a good premise and had the potential for an emotional family drama. Unfortunately, I found the plot to be contrived and the characters one-dimensional with the self-absorbed, nasty Hollywood mother and her three daughters --- Nell, the people pleasing, serious older sister, Meredith, the insecure middle child and Lizzy, the baby who can get away with anything. People reacted as expected and events unfolded as anticipated - there are no surprises here, folks.

If you're looking for an escapist kind of read then you'll probably enjoy this book because it's light and has a good pace. But if you're looking for a book that surprises you with family secrets and twists, and gives you 'all the feels' with some gritty family turmoil then Sunshine Sisters may not feel substantial enough for you.

Overall, this is a good light read if you're looking for something in the easy-breezy category that touches on some big issues but is fairly predictable and has a conclusion that is nicely wrapped up.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Berkley Books for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ronni Sunshine is a famous, wonderful, pleasant actress on stage, but at home she is anything but wonderful and pleasant. She has no time for her daughters.

We follow Meredith, Nell, and Lizzy as they grow up in an unloving household with a mother who is more of a tyrant than a mother and a mother who cares only for herself.

The girls flee the nest one at a time and have troubles of their own because of their childhood, but now that Ronni is dying, she wants her daughters to rally around her. Ronni also had something else in mind when she invited her daughters back to their childhood home.

Each sister has a totally different personality, and it was interesting to follow them to see the path each one took. Nell seemed to be the responsible one. Meredith seemed to still be looking for happiness. Lizzy was still the fly-by-night, spoiled one.

The family issues and the different lifestyles the girls led were nicely developed by Ms. Green and could be the lifestyle of any young girl growing up trying to make choices.

This is my first book by Ms. Green. It was an enjoyable read and not something I normally read so I was surprised how her writing and story line pulled me in.

Nell seemed like a genuine person who worked hard in her life to make up what she had missed during her childhood.

Meredith kept speaking to me because of the way she put everyone before herself and kept the peace.

Lizzy was self-centered like her mother, and I liked her the least.

The characters did grow on me as they grew emotionally and made choices they never thought they would.

Women's fiction fans will enjoy this book because of the family drama, the regrets, the healing, and how Ms. Green addressed both family and friend relationships, as well as addressing end-of-life decisions.. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I would like to thank First to Read, Berkley, and Jane Green for the ARC of "The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green for my honest review. The genres of this novel and Women's Fiction and Drama. Jane Green writes about a truly dysfunctional family. She describes her characters as complicated and complex for starters. This is a heavy family drama. The mother, Ronni Sunshine is an actress and reminds me of a "Mommy Dearest" type person. Totally narcissistic, and unavailable as a mother to her three daughters, she has created a toxic environment for them. Ronni is very moody and takes it out on two of her daughters when she is having a dark day. She is constantly critical of her daughters and always complaining. The three daughters have very different personalities and have different ways of coping with their mother's temperament. This reflects in their relationships to one another and to to others. This also contributes to many life choices and their professions. An older Ronni calls her three daughters home, when she learns that her has a fatal illness. Upon reflection, Ronni wants to make amends to her daughters, and she wants her daughters to relate to one another and become a family. Is Ronni asking the impossible? How can three sisters who have been separated by choice,come together? Is it possible to show forgiveness to their mother. I love the way Jane Green writes the emotional story and discusses, family, mother and daughter relationships, self-worth, growth, forgiveness, love and hope? What does make a family? I would highly recommend this intriguing and dramatic family novel. Read More

I love books by Jane Green. Her characters are well written and whole. Her stories touch you in places, leaving you raw at times, content at others. The Sunshine Sisters is one of those books and a very good novel to escape into.
This is the story of a self-centered, often downright mean, mother making a last effort to reconcile her estranged daughters. The women are as different as sisters can be and they each have had very different relationships with their mother, Ronni, and none of them good.
Nell, the oldest, escaped the turmoil at home by working at a local small farm. This proved to be her saving grace when she found herself pregnant and unwed. Meredith, the middle daughter, fled to college in London and made her home there. Her encounters with Ronni during her life caused Meredith anguish and suffering. Ronni saw her as imperfect because she was not thin and sveldt. Lizzie, the baby,seemed to have been unscathed and spoiled to her sisters.But, Ronni's constant absence led Lizzie to be a risk taker in life, in work, and in her marriage.
Ronni calls all the women home without divulging why. She is dying and wants the women to assist her in suicide. Her real motive is to give them a chance to be what they once were: connected.

Nell, Meredith and Lizzy are the three daughters of famous British B-movie actress Ronni Sunshine. Ronni has always been rather a narcissist and their father divorced her, remarried, started a new family, and kind of left them in the lurch. As they all grew up, they went their separate ways, not really close as sisters should be. When Ronni calls them back home with what they think is another of her overly dramatic needs, they find out she is ill and wants them to become close before she leaves this world. Nell runs a farm, Meredith is getting married in England and Lizzy is a famous chef but her married life leaves a lot to be desired. Can they reunite as sisters? Will they help their mother with her last wishes?

These sisters are all so very different and yet, all the same. None of them really lets anyone in. They are all afraid of getting hurt, which they are used to with the parents they had. The three leads are characters that have to grow on you. None of them are completely likable but that is okay. You get to understand them in time as we go through their past lives. I did start to lose steam with this story in the middle but it rallied at the end to make it an enjoyable read. I think my favorite Jane Green book is still Bookends and recommend her books for anyone looking for a light read.

I received this book from Goodreads and the opinion is solely my own.

The sunshine sisters by Jane Green
Have read other books by the author and have enjoyed them.
This one is about 3 sisters and their mother who's sick. Starts at present day then goes back to 1970's then 2000 then back again.
To me it's so mixed up and hard to keep track of who os who. There are three sisters and the best part for me is when they are summoned home from their jobs and family.
Their mother is very ill and she tells them a secret she's held close for a long time.
The sisters are once again together, something that's not happened since they were young.
Good story and I've though of doing same thing, my husband and myself if our circumstances get to that point. It's legal in OR already.
Wish each of the sisters had gotten their own book because I like to get to know my characters.
Liked mixture of careers and relationships but I couldn't tell you who was who at any given point.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

This book starts out on the dark side - which was really confusing since the title is "Sunshine Sisters". One thinks they are reading a beach story - a walk in the park, etc. but that is not the premise behind the title. I wasn't too sure I wanted to read it after the first few pages but by the end of the story, I wanted more. It really is a great read about three sisters who have had to battle their lives based on their childhood view of a mother who never seemed to have time for them, a mother who was only concerned about herself. These shadows have followed the three into their adult lives. It was quite interesting to see how they came to grips with the reality that, in spite of everything, they really loved their mother (who was dying) and that they really enjoyed and loved being together as sisters. Definitely recommend.

I really loved this book! The characters were so well-developed, and had depth, flaws and other complexities that made them so interesting to spend time with. I would consider this a family drama. It centers around a very flawed, narcissistic mother who is dying and wants to make peace with her three daughters. The sisters have been estranged from their mother and from each other for years. The book starts in present day where you meet the mother, Ronni sunshine, an actress living in Westport, Connecticut. And then it flashes back to the past with some glimpses into the sisters childhoods, early adulthood, and then eventually midlife, when they’re all drawn back to their mother’s side as she’s dying. I enjoyed some of the side characters and story lines that revolve around the family. But it’s really the relationship between the three sisters and their mother that is at the heart of this book and what make it so good. It made me tear up and smile, and was a very satisfying read. Just the kind of book that I was in the mood to lose myself in.

The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green is a phenomenal novel about the complexities of families. Green dives very deep in this one and I found it to be a moving novel with down to earth and lifelike characters. What I also liked about this novel is the fact that I was hooked to the pages. Sure, a lot of books are catchy and grasp their readers attention from beginning to end, but somehow, this one was different. I was EXCITED to read it. I wanted to pick up the book even when I was busy (summer is such a busy time of year in my life), and I absolutely did NOT want to put it down. I was enthralled in the lives of these characters and utterly addicted to the story because of them. Perhaps this is one of Jane's best. After all, I don't think it's the type of story that I will soon forget. Even more, I can't remember the last time I read one of her novels and I used to be such a huge fan. But I know that I am now going to continue reading based on this one. So if your a fan of the author and/or enjoy women's fiction novels that detail the hardships of family and how to make amends again then I implore you to read this one. It's certainly one of the best that I have read in a very long time.

This book deals with some incredibly heavy subject matter. But Jane Green deals with it in such a way that I never felt bogged down by the heaviness of it all. Instead I felt buoyed up in the hope that she filled the pages with, hope that problems could be solved, that relationships could be mended, that forgiveness could be had and given and that love would win out in the end.

This was a beautiful book, my favorite by this author for sure. I loved each of the Sunshine Girls, in all of their brokenness and quirkiness. I even eventually loved Ronni, although it took awhile. The emotion ran strong and there were a lot of tears for me along the way as I identified with a few of the characters and their feelings. But I never felt sad or depressed with all of the angst. There was a lot of laughter throughout and a really great ending that left me hopeful and loving this strong group of women. I love when a book can make me feel so much but leave me happy at the end, and this book does that.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of family drama, with well written characters who make you love them, quirks and all. This was a fabulous read.

I liked the plot and character development quite a lot, but the ALS part was simply not believable. I couldn't accept that 3 intelligent, well-educated women like the Sunshine sister would not think of ALS when they learned of their mother's symptoms -- falls, weakness in one hand, fatigue. Towards the end, their ignorance and the depiction was not quite right. ALS is not generally very painful, because the nerves die. Paralysis, not stimulation of pain receptors, although along the way muscles can cramp. The fasciculations are generally early on, not later when Ronni was supposedly end stage. I've worked with ALS patients and this didn't ring true. The end was realistic, but the daughters again seemed very clueless.

Jane Green's latest novel, The Sunshine Sisters, chronicles the lives of three women who are daughters of a once-famous film star. Ronni Sunshine is a fading Hollywood icon, well-known in her Connecticut suburb. Her three daughters, Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy, have very different personalities and have dealt with their mother's absent parenting and father's rejection in different ways. Nell spends her life working on an upstate farm, Meredith moves to London and abandons her artistic talents, and Lizzy is a celebrity chef in New York City. All three women are summoned by their ailing mother, and it is here that they reunite and re-establish their relationships.

The novel moves back and forth throughout the women's lives in order to provide context, but once they are all at their mother's bedside, the time frame remains consistent. Readers of Green will recognize familiar themes- complicated marriages, body/weight issues, and the sibling dynamic. Though there are portions of the novel that seem pretty predictable, the three sisters and their relationship make this worth reading. Most women can identify with at least one of these characters in some way. Ronni seems unnecessarily cruel at times, and some of the plot lines seem a little cliched; however, the best part of the novel comes in the beginning. Getting a glimpse into the early lives of the three sisters was honestly the most interesting part of the book. Don't judge this book by the cover, though- This novel has absolutely nothing to do with the beach!

Though this is not as strong as some of Green's earliest works, this is much better than the last couple that I have read. I know I can rely on Jane Green for easy, interesting plots about women and women's issues. This is definitely worth reading, especially if you loved Jemima J.

The Sunshine Sisters is a compelling book that you will not be able to put down until you've reached the very end...so don't plan on getting a lot done while you're reading this book! Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are the daughters of Ronni Sunshine, a narcissistic actress who was a disinterested mother. The sisters are as diverse as three people can be, but they all bear the scars and burdens of growing up with a volatile mother and an absent father. I loved how the story was told in flashbacks, watching the girls grow up, as they navigate a world with the emotional baggage they carry with them. The dynamics between the sisters are at times difficult and hurtful, and it was interesting to watch as their relationships with each other, with their mother, and with their significant others evolve. The Sunshine Sisters is heartfelt and honest; a powerful story about families, and how, even through the pain, they are better off together than apart.

The Sunshine Sisters is the story of Ronnie Sunshine, a beautiful star of the silver screen, whose own children feel neglected by their self-centered mother. As adults, Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy have lived their own lives without the support of their mother or their sisters. When faced with the mortality of one of their own, will the sisters be able to find the love they were missing?

Having read many of Jane Green's previous novels, I was underwhelmed by the quality of The Sunshine Sisters. In her attempt to fully tell the main character's stories, the book felt too disjointed and, subsequently, did not draw me in.

I will say, however, that the author did a great job of reading The Sunshine Sisters. Although I was not a huge fan of the book, Jane Green is captivating as a narrator.

Ronni Sunshine, once a famous B-movie actress, who barely raised her three daughters has called the siblings — who dislike each other almost as much as they dislike their mother — home for a very important matter. Everyone has agendas. No one really understands the lives of the others. There are myriad complications and hurdles between the past the now and the happy (sort-of-ish) ending. Lifetime movie stuff. Okay for an afternoon when you’re looking for something which doesn’t demand too much of your attention — and, be warned, the foreshadowing is choke and gag you obvious; my most fun reading this was seeing how many pages ahead of something happening I had predicted it. But, it’s meant as a summer read and there is some comfort in knowing what’s coming.

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

What a fantastic novel about three sisters who have gone separate ways and a mother's illness brings them home to confront their childhood and maybe reconnect.

First - I love a story about families when you read about siblings who all come from the same household but end up completely different people. Nell, Meredith and Lizzy had the same mother and father, maybe different childhoods due to where their parents were in their lives when they arrived, but essentially came from the same home and the three ladies ended up in completely different places - both personally and professionally.