Look on the Bright Side
By Kristan Higgins
ISBN: 9780593547656
Website: kristanhiggins.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary:
Lark Smith has always had a plan for her life: find a fantastic guy, create a marriage as blissful as her parents’, pop out a couple of kids and build a rewarding career as an oncologist.
Things aren’t going so well.
For one, the guy didn’t work out. Theoretically, she’d love to find someone else, but it hasn’t happened. Two, she’s just been transferred out of oncology for being too emotional. (Is it her fault she’s a weeper?) Three, her parents just split up.
Deviating from the plan was…well, not in the plan. A potential solution comes from the foul-tempered and renowned surgeon Lorenzo Santini (aka Dr. Satan). He needs a date this summer for his sister’s wedding. His ancient Noni wants to see him settled. In exchange, he could make a few introductions and maybe get Lark back into the field of her choice.
As a sucker for old people and fake relationships, Lark agrees. Teeny problem—she instantly falls for his big, warm family. Especially his estranged brother.
Meanwhile, Lark’s mom has moved in with Lark’s flamboyant landlady, Joy, and an unlikely friendship blossoms. The three women have a long summer and a big beautiful house on the ocean to figure out what’s next…and quite possibly learn that the best things in life aren’t planned at all. (Goodreads)
Review:
I must say right off the bat – Kristan Higgins never ceases to amaze me with her storytelling. From the beginning I was engrossed in the story, becoming sympathetic with Lark and her challenges during her residency and Lorenzo’s summer proposition with Lark. Basically, I was hooked from the very start!
The story begins with Lark Smith having major challenges with her rotation working in Oncology – her chosen speciality. In fact, she is sent down to the ER … because she gets too emotional with her patients. She feels that this change will impede her getting to practice medicine in oncology, so when an opportunity arises where she can get a much needed recommendation, Lark grabs the opportunity. Now this opportunity is “odd” (in my opinion) … Dr. Lorenzo “Satan” Santini needs a date for the next few months to persuade his 99-year-old dying grandmother that he is not alone. If Lark says yes, Dr. Santini will call his connections to get Lark nearer to an oncology position. Of course what happens is that Lark fall’s for his family and more specifically, his brother Dante.
The reader gets settled into learning why Lark wants to be an oncologist so badly (I shall let you learn that yourself!). And then we end up with the story also being told with two other points of view (PoV). One – Lark’s mother, Ellie and the other is Joy, Lark’s landlady. Both of these other two PoV’s add a unique perspective and depth the individual story’s regarding these two women’s lives, but Lark’s as well.
I must say the personal growth that Lark shows while on the ER rotation was well told, I felt like I was right there along with Lark as she gained experience in the ER. This allowed herself to shine as a doctor and give her a bit more confidence in her profession as well as in her personal life.
The “fake” relationship must last for three months, until Lorenzo’s sister’s wedding. This relationship tests Lark’s ability to remain positive and convince his family (well – at least his Noni!) that this truly is a real, loving relationship. Once she meets the rest of the family, things are much smoother. Of course, they all seem to wonder why Lark has partnered with Lorenzo. It does become a bit more difficult as time goes by as Lark becomes interested in Lorenzo’s firefighter brother Dante. As the story continues, the reader becomes aware of the past (brief as it might have been) between Lark and Dante. Interesting is all I will say. I must say though that Lark’s life story was an emotional rollercoaster of a ride as we find out more of the “why” of oncology. Be warned and note that tissues may be needed!
The other two major storylines involving Lark’s mother and her landlord add another dimension. Ellie (the mom) is having mid-life issues in her marriage and feels the only way to shake things up is to move out of the family home. She ends up moving into the big mansion that Joy (Lark’s landlord) owns. Joy is a woman who never married and was involved with her brother’s life, but is adrift since he passed). Joy was married previously and is well to do and does not need to work. And this certainly can lead one to wonder what they are doing with their life. Ellie and Joy strike up a friendship and both, throughout the story, learn about themselves from each other and eventually find their path in life. It was a fun and interesting journey!
The storylines were engaging -> heart wrenching at time, the storytelling wonderfully written, progression of character development believable, descriptions of the locations were interesting and made me wish I was there. Truly a book I could not put down.
If you would like to read a book with heart and soul, wonderful descriptions written by a truly gifted author, then Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins is your book.
