Publication Date: June 6, 2023
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.
Kristan Higgins does it again, this time while tackling the serious topic of adoption. A Little Ray of Sunshine was often an emotional read since so many tumultuous feelings are sprinkled throughout. Adoption directly affects two characters, but there’s a ripple effect too.
Matthew is almost eighteen and thinks he knows what’s best for him even though he’s only going to be a senior in high school. Matthew’s birth mother, Harlow, thought she was doing what was best for him since she was a college freshman living far from home when she became pregnant.
She handpicked his parents along with a closed adoption and hoped he would have a better life than she could give him. She got on with her own life with the help of her best friend, Rosie, and Rosie’s dad. But did she really move on?
Cynthia, in her sixties, was also adopted as a baby but never let her adoptive parents know she knew. She was also uninterested in her birth parents and always thought of the worst-case scenarios.
The story is told from multiple characters’ perspectives—Harlow, Monica, and Cynthia. Monica is Matthew’s adoptive mother and only wants what’s best for him. At times though, it felt like it had to be based on her agenda. Even her even-keeled husband, who is Indian, didn’t always have a say.
Cynthia was a difficult character for me to like until she was softened up by others unexpectedly. The story has a good flow and is mainly set on Cape Cod, where Harlow grew up. She and her extended family are woven throughout, and I liked their relationship once she could stand up for herself and let her feelings be known.
The characters all had depth to them, and we got to know them a little at a time. Her grandfather is a wonderful and caring addition to the story, as is her dog, Ollie. Her grandfather is part owner with her and Cynthia of their family bookstore and always is diplomatic and full of wisdom which he likes to disperse—especially when others think he’s napping or not paying attention. Many were in for a few surprises!
Multiple storylines are told, and they are nicely tied up. There are family and friends, secrets, lies, long talks, wisdom imparted if not always acknowledged or acted on, walks along the beach, unexpected pairings and love interests, lots of food and drink, references to books, romance, and love.
There are a few unexpected twists and turns that are nicely resolved. There is closure with a chance for a couple of happily ever afters, but the book ends abruptly. An epilogue would have been the icing on the cake since Ms. Higgins doesn’t write sequels. The title and the cover drew me in, and I loved how the phrase, a little ray of sunshine, often appeared unexpectedly in the story.
A Little Ray of Sunshine is a contemporary romance set at the beach with wonderfully flawed characters who want the best not only for themselves but also for others. What more could you want as we’re entering the summer season?
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.
