Reviews

Always Sunny by Isabel Jolie, Isabel Jolie

theeditorreads's review

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4.0

Always Sunny is Ian and his lifelong crush Sunny’s super sweet story.

Synopsis
Sandra Turner aka Sunny (only Ian calls her that) has not had the life she had imagined. In her late thirties now, her dreams seem to be catching up with her, especially the particular dream of having her own kid.

Ian Duke, single but not ready to settle down, comes to know about Sunny’s dream. Having had a huge crush (or was it love) since his teenage years with this older woman, he thinks of taking a shot at life again.

Review
This is my second read by Isabel Jolie. And her contemporary romance is as great as her romantic suspense.

Always Sunny has been narrated in the first person from Ian and Sunny's point of view. Ian Duke is an orthopaedic surgeon, who's morosely working his shifts after Sunny leaves him, while his friend Harrison finds creative yet age-old ways of theirs to make him forget as well as cheer him up.

Sandra Turner starts her story with what happened the Christmas before the last one. This is a new way of narrative that I've never come across before. The story continues with specific events from two years ago till the present, in the same vein (such as the New Year before the last etc.) and it was quite interesting, in a good way.

Sunny enjoys spending time with the Dukes, whose eldest son she dated way more than a decade ago. The Dukes too consider Sunny as family.

Crushing on and then falling in love with the elder sibling's ex is a trope that needs to be handled well to not let it feel gross and Isabel Jolie has created such a sweet story that has all the feels.
I plop down on the sofa, fully aware I sound sad, but sometimes the best way to handle sad is to let it be.

Sunny may be spreading sunshine and joy into others' lives but her life has lately been a series of sad things happening one after another. However upbeat she wants to stay (and she's an optimistic one), certain things happening one after the other seem to be bringing her down.

I'm glad to have read a story where the boy has been falling since he was a boy while the girl starts realising it much later.

There's a six-year age gap between Sunny and Ian, with her being close to 40 and him being around 34.
I think sometimes we give our worries more power than we should. Sometimes you have to envision the future you want, think through all the steps to get there, and take that first step.

I loved how they are with each other but Sunny constantly worried about being the gossip of the town.

It gave me such a high, reading this book, particularly the ending.
It’s more of a bad-boy smirk, but there’s a still a touch of a boy-next-door grin.

P.S. 'In researching Always Sunny, I read several books, most notably [b:Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science|2685223|Complications A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science|Atul Gawande|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464325355l/2685223._SY75_.jpg|2710546] and [b:Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First Years|80310|Hot Lights, Cold Steel Life, Death and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First Years|Michael J. Collins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1407192860l/80310._SY75_.jpg|77551].'

Hmm...Since the author read the above two books, I too need to check these out then.

Music
Complicated by Avril Lavigne
Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers
Closer to Fine by The Indigo Girls
Merry Go Round by Kacey Musgraves
The Rolling Stones, Waiting on a Friend
Sunday Morning by Maroon 5
Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles
My Universe from Coldplay
I’m Yours by Jason Mraz

Thank you to the author for an e-ARC of the book.

Originally posted on:
Shaina's Musings
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