A Little Ray of Sunshine by Kristan Higgins
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: June 6, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Book Review
Harlow Smith’s peaceful life takes a dramatic turn when her long-lost son, Matthew, shows up at her Cape Cod bookstore, revealing a secret she kept hidden for seventeen years. Stunned and overjoyed, Harlow grapples with the unexpected reunion as she prepares to meet her son before he starts college. The revelation shocks her seemingly perfect family, raising questions about her past. As the summer unfolds, more secrets surface, old wounds resurface, and a lost soul discovers that the future holds the promise of something wonderful. This emotional journey will unveil the truth and bring about profound transformations.
A Little Ray of Sunshine addresses the complex emotions surrounding adoption and is told from three unique perspectives. The first is Harlow from her first-person perspective. Harlow, now in her mid-thirties, loves her life but is haunted by the choices she made in her teens to give up her baby boy and keep his existence a secret from her family. I loved Harlow so much and my heart broke for her. No matter what choice she makes she hurts someone. She wants to get to know her son but in doing so she hurts Matthew’s adoptive family.
The other two perspectives, Monica and Cynthia are told in the third person. Monica is Matthew’s adoptive mother. She feels deeply conflicted and possessive about Matthew reconnecting with Harlow. She also struggles to balance supporting her family and her high-pressure career as a security consultant.
Cynthia is Harlow’s cousin and part owner of the family bookstore Harlow runs. She was adopted as a baby and is slowly coming to terms with how that impacted the trajectory of her life. Of all the narratives, Cynthia’s was my favorite. At first, she’s completely insufferable and pretentious, but as she starts to open up she has such immense character development and personal growth.
I love how quintessentially Massachusetts this book is with references to Red Sox history, local favorites, etc. but also that they are always explained so that even if you do not get the reference you can be in on the joke. The setting, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, is the same as Higgan’s last book, Out of the Clear Blue Sky. It also features some of the same characters. You do not need to read Out of the Clear Blue Sky to understand or enjoy A Little Ray of Sunshine, but some of the plots from the earlier book may be slightly spoiled.
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis from Goodreads
A kid walks into your bookstore and… Guess what? He’s your son. The one you put up for adoption eighteen years ago. The one you never told anyone about. Surprise!
And a huge surprise it is.
It’s a huge surprise to his adoptive mother, Monica, who thought she had a close relationship with Matthew, her nearly adult son. But apparently, he felt the need to secretly arrange a vacation to Cape Cod for the summer so he could meet his birth mother…without a word to either her or his dad.
It’s also a surprise— to say the least—to Harlow, the woman who secretly placed her baby for adoption so many years ago. She’s spent the years since then building a quiet life. She runs a bookstore with her grandfather, hangs out with her four younger siblings and is more or less happily single, though she can’t help gravitating toward Grady Byrne, her old friend from high school. He’s moved back to town, three-year-old daughter in tow, no wife in the picture. But she’s always figured her life had to be child-free, so that complicates things.
When Matthew walks into Harlow’s store, she faints. Monica panics. And all their assumptions—about what being a parent really means—explode. This summer will be full of more surprises as both their families are redefined…and as both women learn that for them, there’s no limit to a mother’s love.
About the Author
Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than twenty novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. If you want to receive a free short story and be notified when Kristan releases a new book, sign up at kristanhiggins.com.
Kristan enjoys gardening, mixology, the National Parks and complimenting strangers on their children. The mother of two entertaining and wonderful humans, and the grandmother of one perfect child, Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband, cuddly dog and indifferent cat.
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Erin Evelyn Reads 