Thank You to Simon and Schuster for providing me with an advance copy of Laura Dave's novel, Hello, Sunshine, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Sunshine Mackenzie is a rising star in the world of social media chefs. She is on the brink of transitioning from Youtube videos to a high-scale production show on The Food Network. The only problem is Sunshine is not the image that she has created. She is not a farmer's daughter and did not grow up in the rural south. She can't even really cook. Just as her star is rising, her secret is exposed. Not only is the truth about her background revealed, but she is also caught having an affair with her producer, ruining her marriage. In the cutthroat world of social media celebrity, who has it out for Sunshine? Now that her world has been destroyed, can Sunshine rise from the rubble? 

LIKE- I liked Dave's snappy writing and colorful characters. I liked that the plot wasn't completely predictable; for example, Sunshine's life is complicated and the complications do not have simple resolutions. Hello, Sunshine has a strong message regarding social media and will give readers pause with regard to their own uses for social media. A few times, there is mention of characters taking posed, perfected shots for Instagram. These are pictures that don't truly reflect their reality with accompanied falsified hashtags. Maybe I'm jaded, but I think most people engage in this behavior to an extent. Reading Hello, Sunshine has made think before I post. Am I reflecting the real me?

Sunshine's life when she returns to Montauk and works for a high-end restaurant is entertaining. I loved the behind-the-scenes look at the back house of a fine dining restaurant. Chef Z is a fabulous crank!

DISLIKE-  There was a lot of plot crammed into the story making it feel rushed. For example, the start of the novel was a flurry of characters, the employees in Sunshine's world, and it was on onslaught that was a struggle to track. I wish there had been more development between Sunshine and her niece, Sammy. I loved their growing relationship. 

RECOMMEND- Yes. Hello, Sunshine is the epitome of a chick-lit/beach read. I'm not sure that I ever understood the concept of this until having my step-kids visit for the summer. The distraction of reading with kids around, makes me gravitate to novels like Hello, Sunshine. I'm not saying that Dave's novel is lacking depth, only that it is written in a style that is easy to digest in small chunks and doesn't require a quiet reading space. I'd definitely recommend Hello, Sunshine as a vacation read and I look forward to reading more of Dave's novels.