En Parlak Gün Işığı

The Brightest Light #1

by Lisina Coney, Berke Kılıç (Translator)

Geçmişinden kurtulmaya hazır bir kadın.
Hayatında bir dikkat dağınıklığını göze alamayacak bir adam.
İyileştirici aşkın ilham veren yolculuğu.

Geçmişte yaşadığı travmatik olayları geride bırakmaya kararlı olan Grace Allen, iyileşme yolculuğunun bir sonraki aşamasına hazırdı. Flört havuzuna bir adım atacaktı. Ama muhtemelen önce birkaç arkadaş edinmeliydi, öyle değil mi?

Samuel “Cal” Callaghan, korkutucu bir fiziksel görünüme, her tarafını kaplayan dövmelere ve canından çok sevdiği küçük bir kız kardeşe sahipti. Şu anda, aşk için hayatında bir yer ayırması kesinlikle mümkün değildi. Ancak gizemli geçmişi olan tatlı bir sarışın, bütün duvarlarını yıkmaya başlamıştı ve Cal’in duygularına karşı direnmesi zaman içerisinde giderek zorlaşacaktı.

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Slow Burn, College, New Adult

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2023

About the author

Lisina Coney is a Spanish international bestselling romance author in her twenties.

She’s a lover of slow-burn stories with happy endings and main characters who help readers feel less alone in their journeys.

When she’s not reading or writing, Lisina can be found fighting people over the last French fry, spending too much time on social media (Gen Z habits die hard), and pestering her two very patient cats.

Reviews

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m a little conflicted about this one?

the first half was really good which is where my 3⭐️ is coming from. but the second half bored me half
to death.

the fluff was really cute and grace’s story was really important!!! but it was WAY TOO LONG for the fact that absolutely nothing happened. how this was 400 pages is beyond me.

their friendship was adorable but it did feel very immature. i did have a good time and i read it in one sitting so yay for that.

aaron did have me cackling tho. king. 🤭🫡🤝
“he’s totally her boyfriend” HAHAHHAA

also… cal being 30 years old and attending frat parties really ✨threw me off✨

[lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was just so wholesome. the strangers to best friends to lovers was so good. the SLOW BURN please i was eating it up. everytime they held hands, the subtle touches, them cuddling in his apartment watching movies, his hand grazing up and down her side. i literally melted into a puddle. i was so desperate for them to get together.

cal is such a big teddy bear i love him so much. he was so sweet. so thoughtful. so supportive. he’s such a softie. and his relationship with maddie 🥹 HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE HIM he would do anything for his baby sister

grace and her books she just like me fr 🤭 she was so precious. i wasn’t expecting it but she made so many of the first moves and she put herself out there so many times despite what she’d gone through. i applaud her for that confidence bc me? i could neverrr

i was literally giggling at him asking her for updates on the smutty books she reads. TELL ME THATS NOT GOALS RIGHT THERE

ugh the love they both had for maddie was my fav thing ever ever ever. maddie our princess 💗 she deserves the world. and grace adopting maddie’s nickname for him jdhxhsjoajwhshdjenbe our sammyyyy 😭

i cried reading the epilogue and extended epilogue my babiesssss 😭

what i didn’t like was that some things were so overdramatic. like the conflict at the end was very silly lmao why did we need a build up to that nonsense 🤨

BUT IT WAS SO GOOD AND IF YOU NEED A CUTE LIL ROMANTIC PALATE CLEANSER THIS IS HER SHE IS THIS BOOK 😩💗

”There you go. There’s my Gracie.”
“And there’s my Sammy.”

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one had all the right ingredients for me to love it, so I genuinely can’t pinpoint what didn’t work, but something was missing. the unpolished writing didn’t help either, and maybe that’s what made the disconnect feel even more frustrating 😭

[Mia · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know how this would be better if this was collage romance and not him being 30 year old loser on college parties. The end product was corny.

[youssra · Rating 5 out of 5]

5★

“𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚”

This book was so cute. The stranger to best friends to lovers was so wonderful.
Overall this whole book was so wholesome and beautifully written. I also really loved that this book was written in dual povs and not just from Grace´s point of view. Reading from both their views only made it better for me.

My god the slowburn had me sitting on the edge of my chair just waiting for one of them to finally make their first move. I'm desperate okay.😭The slowburn in this book was top tier.🤌🏼

Grace my girl. I´m actually surprised by how many first moves she made. From just cuddling to kissing and other stuff. The courage she has to do this even after what happened to her in the past and despite her being traumatized was so brave and precious. Plus my girl loves reading as well omg +1 point for her.

Cal, Cal, Cal if i ever fall in love please let it be with someone like Cal right here. The way he handled everything was so heartwarming. The way he always reassures Grace and just is there for her when she needs him is so sweet and attentive. I can't believe the patience this man here has when it comes to her. He's so selfless I can´t. The love this two have for each other is something else.😩

AND HE CALLS HER SUNSHINE OMG😩💗💘💕

Cal´s bond with his sister was the cutest thing ever. It was like i could feel his love for her from here. The moments I read about these two had me giggling at my phone. People in the bus and train probably think I'm crazy now but you know it's alright I can live with that. This man is such a softie when it comes to his girls Maddie and Grace. Let's not forget about the fact that Maddie adopted Grace into calling Cal Sammy, such a little cutie.

“𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙢𝙚?”
“𝙊𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙖𝙢, 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙨. 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣´𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.”

Grace bonding with Maddie was so adorable. The way she actually loved her as her own sister was so cute to see.

This book was just so beautiful. Maddie, Grace, and Cal all deserve the whole world and beyond.

“𝙄𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣´𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨- 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨, 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨”

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚´𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙞𝙟 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨.”

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙤, 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚´𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙚.”
“𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚´𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙮.”

------------------
Buddy reading this with my love, Cara💗

The epilogue wasn't enough for me, my soul is craving for more😭

[ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟 so cuuuute😭😭

[sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ⭐️

Devoured this in a day and loved it so much! I was looking for a sweet romantic book, and this delivered precisely that and more.

❥ Slow burn
❥ Strangers to best friends to lovers
❥ Opposites attract (ballet teacher & tattoo artist)
❥ Age gap (22 & 30)
❥ Single guardianship
❥ Journey of healing
❥ Terms of endearment
❥ Reread worthy

Grace is a 22 year old ballet teacher, a senior college student and an aspiring author. She meets Cal, a 30 year old tattoo artist and owner of a tattoo shop. These two are complete opposites, yet they complement each other perfectly. It all starts when Grace backs out of getting the tattoo she wants. As fate would have it, they kept running into each other and eventually formed an unlikely friendship. Over time, their friendship blossoms into a love that cannot be ignored and despite all the challenges, they find a way to be together.

Grace is a ray of sunshine. She is on a journey of healing after a past traumatic experience. She is incredibly brave, and I admire and love everything about her. She refuses to let her trauma define her. I loved seeing her confidence grow throughout the book and how she wasn't afraid to ask for what she wanted or needed help with.

Cal is the sweetest, most caring, and protective man. He has family problems due to an alcoholic parent, so he’s had to step up and look after his younger sister, Maddie. The bond he shares with his sister is adorable, and it really shows how big of a heart he has. I loved how gentle and patient he was too. I loved how much Grace also cared for Maddie, she’s her ballet teacher so their friendship formed early on.

“Bloom with grace, my sunshine. Whatever happens, like you were always meant to.”

The journey of strangers to lovers was done perfectly 🤌🏻 It felt so natural and genuinely beautiful due to the slowness of it. So many sweet moments had me swooning, and I loved how Grace and Cal cared so much for each other. This book had so many micro tropes that I love. I know it appears that there are so many tropes already, but they were incorporated so well and weren't too in your face. They made sense and flowed and fit into the story flawlessly. There were text messages, close proximity, nicknames, thigh/hand holding, and he buys her books. I could go on and on about all the sweet moments 🦋💘

The book also touched on many other aspects and some heavier themes. Grace doesn't have much experience with dating. She was sexually assaulted (off page) years prior. She's also adopted and has two dads. Cal is basically a parent figure to Maddie. Again, there are many more the book touches upon. The representation is amazing to see, and everything was handled well. All of this leads to such a healthy relationship. They set clear boundaries and communicated with each other well. No miscommunication is a huge plus 1 for me.

I’m surprised this was a debut book because it was written so well! At just under 450 pages, I expected it to get a bit slow at points, but honestly, the pacing was perfect, and I found it so enjoyable. It got a bit too cheesy at times, which is why this isn't a full 5 stars, but overall, it was a heartwarming and comforting book, and I'm really looking forward to the next one!

Some of my favourite moments are below 🥹

❥ Me: I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, Sammy <3
Cal: I didn’t know people still sent hearts like that.
Cal: <3

❥ “Because I love how your eyes fill with light when you read your sneaky smutty books,” I reply honestly before I can stop myself. “And when you’re happy, I’m happy.”

❥ “Did you have fun today?”
“A lot,” I whisper. “Did you?”
“Yeah.” He holds my hand in his much bigger one and places it over his thigh. My heart isn’t beating anymore.

❥ His nose brushes against mine as he whispers, “Let’s go home and I’ll take care of you.”

❥ “We don’t have to do anything tonight. Or until you’re ready,” I assure her. “And if you’re never ready, that’s all right too. I want to spend the night with you, but we can do plenty of things before going to bed. We can play a videogame if you’re into that.” Hesitation is written all over her face, and it takes her moment to swallow and ask, “Can we watch a movie?” I place a soft kiss on the side of her head. “Of course we can. You pick.”

[ikram · Rating 4 out of 5]

if he’s not a thirty year old dark-haired tattoo artist who’s a father figure to his little sister and loves hearing me ramble about books I DON’T WANT HIM ‼️‼️(callaghan samuel you will always be famous <3)

this man was whipped from the very beginning and the fact that this was slowburn?? i was genuinely losing my mind over here.

***
My thumbs wipe the remaining of her tears, and her lips curve into a small smile that steals my breath and my sanity.

“There you go. There’s my Gracie.”

Her smile only widens, and I can’t help but mimic it. “And there’s my Sammy,” she whispers.

yea don't mind me i’ll just be sleeping on the highway tonight 👋🏾

honestly the only thing stopping this from being 5 stars is the fact that the author made it sound like something insane was going to happen at the end but um literally nothing happened?? like i fully expected someone to 😵 or smth with the way it was going but there was just... nothing??

tropes
-tatoo artist x ballerina
-dual pov
-slow-burn
-age gap
-single parent (father figure to little sister)

make sure to check tws before reading <3

[jfdbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 ☆

Hater to my core so this was just okay. Was a bit bored through most of this and didn’t love the writing. Felt a bit juvenile too… Cal’s 30 but still going to frat parties? Definitely not a 30 yr old I’d want to hangout with lol

[Jenna ꕤ*.ﾟ (barely active) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace."

✧༺♡༻✧

Most of you know by now that Im HORRENDOUS at writing reviews, but this book is hugely under-rated so i will try to put into words what i loved about it.

TROPES:
➳ strangers to friends to Best friends to lovers (??)
➳ single parent trope (OF SOMESORT... i mean it was actually an older brother being the father figure type but we gobble that up nevertheless)
➳ Golden retriever MMC
➳ Age-Gap
➳ SPICY
➳ NICKNAMES

Overall if your looking for a super cute, fluffy and wholesome book to get you out of a slump and into a good mood... THIS is the one for YOU.
caution; check trigger warnings beforehand!! :)

[Sienna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fcking booktok strikes again

[buket · Rating 4 out of 5]

i don’t have energy to write a review for this beautiful book but we love a mature couple who communicates
i’m glad this was the last book i read in 2023, finishing year with a new favorite <3

🌺 “Bloom with grace, my sunshine. Whatever happens, like you were always meant to.”

☀️ “We might not know each other very well yet, but I have no doubt you’re the brightest light of sunshine, Grace.”

🩷 I want Grace in my life, for however long she’ll have me, as my best friend but also as everything else. As my confidant, as my partner in crime, as my lover. As the sunshine to my stormy heart.

😍 Mine. She’s mine. And I’ll be dead before I’m anyone else’s.

🫂 “I’m a survivor, yes, but I’m also much more than that.”

🥹 “There you go. There’s my Gracie.”
“And there’s my Sammy.”

~~~~~
pre-review
finishing the year with a book that has been in my tbr since forever🫶🏼 i heard so many good things about this so i hope i’ll enjoy this 🥹

[Iqra]

On pause for a while bc it’s making me upset every time I see it eating dust in my cr shelf lol.

***
I’m reading this bc my fav bear, @Lulu, said so and her taste in books >>> 🤭💗🫂💅✨🤌

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus}]

It literally took me one reel to want to add this in my tbr-list.

[glavreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was really, really cute and sweet and surprisingly spicy.

she's a college senior and he's an older local tattoo shop owner and one of her cousin's close friends. they develop an unlikely friendship when she backs out of getting the tattoo she wants and he helps her overcome trauma she has from her assault years ago and she helps him navigate life taking care of his little sister.

super cute, like so many sweet moments and cute gestures and the spice was unexpectedly spicy. cal was an amazing hero (ya'll know how i feel about tattoo artists <3) and they both have so much growth independently and together.
the only part i didn't love was that she's 22 and i think he's 30, or somewhere around there and some parts read really young like she was 18 and he was 20 so that threw me off at some points. i love age gap romances but i want him to read like the 30 year old he is, ya know?

[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't for me.

The whole story, plot and characters felt under-developed. The author relied on time-skips for character/relationship/plot development. She told us rather than showed us, which detached me from the book.

The fast-paced relationship between Grace and Cal was also not very believable to me. Grace was assaulted a few years back which has led to her being skeptical about getting close to men she does not trust. But we never saw any of this skepticism with Cal which discredits this part of her and makes her character quite flimsy. They had known each other for a matter of days and a level of trust that takes months/years to build was automatically there. Cal hadn't really done anything to earn Grace's trust either, and the readers had to rely on time-skips to believe that they had grown closer.

Despite my criticisms of the book, I still found Grace and Cal's relationship cute. I loved how warm and soft Cal was with Grace, especially when she was feeling anxious. I just wish it was executed better because there was potential.

[Samantha Jump · Rating 1 out of 5]

i should have known how bad this book would be from how dumb the title is

[lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m giggling i 100% didn’t expect to like this as much as i did??!?

[Júlia]

I did one round of Developmental Edits for this book and I had a good time reading it! It was very cute!

I think you guys are going to love it

[eden · Rating 1 out of 5]

why was this 30 year old man going to college parties with 22 year olds😭😭😭

[Mairyn Schoshinski · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t know how this book has an average of 4 stars. Bad writing and predictable plot.

[isy · Rating 1 out of 5]

note for contemporary romance authors: STOP making your mmc's say they are going to do something violent or kill someone!! It's CRINGE, UNREALISTIC, and nothing but FUNNY. That is reserved for fantasy and dark romance, thank you!!
example:
"Or I'll break your fucking legs and shove them into your idiotic mouth, since you refuse to shut it."
...
Man has never even been in a fight in his life and is saying shit like this 🤣

Also a 30 year old going to frat parties??? WHY?!! Ladies if you ever see a 30 year old at your collage party, RUN!! That is a WEIRDO!

And the girl was odd. Sometimes she was super mature/knowledge able and other times she was dumber than a bag of rocks. She was very shy I guess? She was raped 4 years ago her friends were trying to get her to got out and stuff, one second she was against it and the next she was fine. She also couldn’t have a conversation with a man at all, but wanted to date the biggest hotshot hockey player playboy on campus… okay!
Also her being so stressed about the writing assignment 💀 Girl thats your major, thats WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. You need to chill cause how do you want to be an author but haven't written anything at 22???? Just odd
She legit said this: “The professor was telling us about the final project, and I want to pee my pants a little,”
GIRL YOU ARE 22 YEARS OLD AND YOU WANT TO PEE YOUR PANTS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO WRITE A NOVELLA?????? STOP 😭

I honestly wonder how old the author of this book is honestly cause I could definitely see her being a teenager...
Anyways, this just did not work for me at all.
DNF 34%

[Lorena ♡ (semi-ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you've been looking for a book with the same level of cheesiness that 'archer's voice' has, then look no further because this one's for you (and i mean this in a good way btw, i love that book)

↪ plot:

When Grace met Cal at his tattoo shop, she couldn't have imagined how much of a great friend he would be and how much of a special bond they'd have. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to ignore the feelings they're developing for each other. It would all be easier if Cal didn't have to carry the responsibility of taking care of his little sister thanks to their parents' recklessness, and if Grace wasn't still trying to overcome and put herself out there after a traumatic event from her past.

↪ thoughts:

The writing could've been better, the back and forth was driving me insane at one point, and an attempt at a third-act conflict so close to the end was definitely a choice... but I had a nice time. Grace and Cal's love story was super sweet and soft ―and I love the friends-to-lovers trope, so it earned them some extra points.

Grace's healing journey was also amazing to read, and a reminder to take all the time you need when approaching triggering situations. Healing is not immediate or linear, and you must ask for help whenever you need it, know how to establish and voice out your boundaries, and surround yourself with people who care about you.

↪ ★★★½ stars

[give me books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nie jestem wam jeszcze w stanie podać konkretnego argumentu czemu, ale bardzo podobała mi się ta książka

[✩ Yaz ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“All beautiful things in life need the sun to bloom and thrive. We might not know each other very well yet, but I have no doubt you’re the brightest light of sunshine, Grace.”

The Brightest Light of Sunshine is an emotional and swoon-worthy debut novel featuring favorite tropes and such lovable characters.

And let me tell you this, the butterflies in your tummy won't get a moment's rest.

What to expect:

— Ballet teacher x Tattoo artist
— Strangers-to-friends-to-lovers
— Age gap (22 x 30)
— Slow burn
— Sex positivity and exploration
— Healthy relationships/communication
— MMC is a father figure to his 4 year old sister
— Cute big brother and baby sister relationship.
— Spice level: 3/5
— Dual POV
— FMC is a sexual assault survivor

The development of the romance was swoon-worthy. I always love seeing a couple explore a healthy relationship and respect each other's boundaries considering the FMC is also a sexual assault survivor, and the author handled it tactfully and addressed the stigma around sexual assault survivors and their sex life. Grace was very vocal about not allowing anyone to coddle her because of what she had gone through. I love that Grace also read smut which was another outlet for her to explore sex at her own comfort.

“What happened to me doesn’t define me, and the last thing I want is to be coddled because of it.”

I know many readers are not big fans of friends-to-lovers trope, but I absolutely love it and in this case the friendship between Grace and Cal was perfect! They clicked right away despite how it looks to others that a ballet teacher and a tattoo artist are likely polar opposites, but it was obvious Grace and Cal were soulmates and a perfect match the moment they met.

“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath. “You look like a fucking goddess on top of me. So sweet, so perfect.”

Cal had me weak. A hot tattooed man with an intimidating look who is an absolute cinnamon roll on the inside? He would absolutely go feral if his loved ones are hurt? Who takes care of his baby sister and attends all her school activities and performances? Of course I end up falling for him with Grace.

This book is perfect for readers looking for a sweet and steamy romance that also includes a beautiful healthy relationship between a couple who also carry their own baggage.

Before I conclude this review I want to thank the author Lisina Coney for gifting me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings: this story contains themes of sexual assault (there are no scenes depicting an explicit sexual assault), profanity, explicit sexual content, and topics that may be sensitive to some readers.

[suus⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had potential, but it just didn’t work for me. The story felt underdeveloped, and a lot of important moments were skipped over instead of being shown. Instead of actually seeing Grace and Cal’s relationship grow, we were just told it had happened through time-skips, which made it hard to connect with them.

Grace’s past trauma was supposed to play a big role in her character, but it didn’t feel believable. She was meant to be wary of men, yet with Cal, there was instant trust without much reason. Their whole relationship moved way too fast for me to buy into it. And Cal? He was sweet, sure, but I kept waiting for something to happen beyond the same “we’re just friends” cycle over and over.

The third-act drama felt unnecessary, and by the end, I was just over it.

That being said, I did like the soft moments between Grace and Cal, and I can see why some people would love their dynamic. It just wasn’t my thing!

[winnie ₊ ⊹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

four stars! ʚïɞ

ugh this was everything i hoped it would be and more :’) i read this in one sitting on my kindle and immediately added a physical copy to my cart on amazon bc i just know i’m gonna wanna reread this and annotate my favorite moments <3

the tropes in this literally hit the spot. i loooved the parental figure aspect with cal and maddie, that was genuinely the sweetest relationship i’ve ever read about. grace wasn’t the only one whose ovaries exploded with how cute it was to see cal in that mode. i’m also honestly not the biggest fan of the friends to lovers trope (for literally no reason, i just never really vibe with them) but it was done sooo well in this book that i couldn’t help but love it. grace and cal were so different and yet struck an unlikely friendship that was so heartwarming. i loved how attentive they both were to each other and how much they cared for each other before their romantic feelings got involved.

i found myself relating a lil too hard to both characters, tbh. as the eldest sister, i resonated with cal and his feelings of duty for his little sister, because that’s literally me to a fault. our stories were pretty much the exact same, the abandoning father, alcoholic mother, huge age gap between siblings, like ding ding ding!! cal is me, no doubt about it. i loved the way he handled everything though, and you can’t help but root for him to find his own happiness with grace. and grace, ugh. she was such a sweet angel baby character, i loved her so unbelievably much. seeing her start to heal from her sa experience with the support of her amazing friends, loving family, and of course cal, was so heartwarming and she was such a strong character. i admired the hell outta her 🥲 felt like a proud mother when she was figuring herself out, ngl <3

as for their relationship, *swoons* at times it did feel a little rushed, and a little cheesy, but ultimately they had the sweetest relationship and i ate it up. cal is the ultimate book boyfriend and grace deserves nothing but the best! not to mention the mouth on that man bc jesus christ, i genuinely felt myself blushing for grace during their spicy scenes. those were too good 😤

overall, this was such a heartfelt and fun novel! i loved it from the very first page, and i’m so happy it’s finally out in the world! truly such an amazing novel and i really can’t wait to see what else lisina coney has coming! *:･ﾟ✧

[vio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goddamn- I'm glad this was going so great from the first chapter until the epilogue. I have no regret in deciding to pick up this book as soon as possible (as I was in a sickeningly sweet romance craving).

This is the book. An alarmingly sweet and cute romance book that will just melt your heart and give you diabetes at the same time. I would say that this is not only a romance book but this is also a book about a person's journey on healing and becoming better, and let me tell you that this book beautifully depicted that.

The writing was awesome, it was also my favorite go-to so I enjoyed it a lot. It's a dual POV from Cal and Grace, which was awesomely written because both POV were some times funny, some times sad, some times sweet and cute. There weren't any turn-offs too, like a cringey words or words/action that repeatedly used. It was clean if may be honest! Great job for the author!

The characters were amazing. Grace is such a sweetheart and a wonderful woman. Cal is caring and sweet yet could be very much as hot as the devil. Maddie is a cutie and a princess. Everyone was greatly written! Even Pete and Larissa. No one appeared painted too much, not a single on give me a cringey or annoying vibe from this book.

The plot and flow was great! I love that we have two POVs here and each POV has their own resolve process with their own problems. Each MC has their own healing journey so even though the book was basically titled Grace but this was also a book about Cal. I love the story flow, how the author carry the conflict and everything was in a perfect pace for me, it wasn't boringly dragging and annoyingly too fast. The romance and the slowburn are just to die for!

Recommended for everyone whose in the need of sweet and cute romance!

TW. mention of rape victim and alcohol abuse.

[꩜ marti &#x1f577;️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➸ 4.5 stars

“Wherever life takes you, remember to bloom with grace”.

➷ as soon as I read the first pages of this book, it was love at first sight, I knew it would exceed my expectations but not that much.
i think this is the novel par excellence, for various reasons, but the main reason is the love story it tells.
brightest light of sunshine talks about a beautiful, sweet and intense love story that deserves to be read at least once in your life. Grace and Cal meet by pure chance, on an ordinary day, but they have no idea that from that day on their lives would never be the same, because without knowing it, that day they met their soulmate.

- i fell in love with the evolution of the love story. Grace and Cal are two different people, both with a stormy past, but together they are perfect because they complete each other.
with the pure and childish touch of Cal's little sister, this story is a bottomless well of tenderness and emotions. This book deals with very delicate subjects, but despite this they are treated in a perfect way, they are not heavy to read, but above all you can understand them a little and they do not make the reading too heavy at all.
it is a fairly realistic story and this allowed me to immerse myself better in the reading and to become part of this series. (now I'm just waiting for the other books to be translated so I can read them).

“it's the way she lights up a room just by walking in that makes my heart do somersaults in my chest just thinking about her.”

➳ grace:
grace is a 22 year old ballet teacher, a senior college student and an aspiring author.
grace is my favorite character for the strength and courage she had in overcoming an event that she suffered when she was younger.
in addition to her character I loved the way she accepted that she had real feelings for Cal, she accepted them, welcomed them with open arms and was not afraid, of course, at first she thought that these feelings were not reciprocated, but when she understood that Cal also felt something for her it was as if she was reborn.
grace's courage and willpower are not to be underestimated, as I wrote before I admire her, she did not let herself get down, thanks to the love of her fathers she understood that she was not wrong, that she was not broken or shattered, but she was perfect as she was, and that one day she too would fall in love but above all she would be loved and would feel right for a person.

➳ cal:
「 in a world of boys, he’s a gentleman 」
cal is the perfect example if we want to talk about the golden boy.
i won’t deny that at first I thought he was a man who was too pretentious or who thought he was who knows who, but page after page, I understood that it was absolutely not like that. I understood it from the love he has for Maddie, I understood it because, even if he didn’t know grace, he always helped her, and was always there for her.
despite his mother having a problem with alcohol he always remained cal, the sunny and altruistic boy he has always been, he never let it get to him, he always tried to be the father that Maddie never had, trying to make her feel like the best ballerina-princess in the world.

꒰ grace + cal ꒱
they complete each other, they are each other's soul mates, that's what grace and cal are.
two people who love each other more than themselves, two people who will always be there for each other, two mature people who prefer to talk and discuss rather than ignore problems, two people who have supported each other, two people who could never be without the other person.
i loved their love story because it starts from a simple friendship, slowly they become best friends, and in the end they understand that in reality they have never been just friends, but have always been something more.
grace and cal are the right example to say that destiny exists and that two soul mates will always find each other. that day, when grace went to the best tattoo shop in town, she had not only found a tattoo artist but also the father of their future daughter.
reading their story, a legend that my grandmother told me when I was little immediately came to mind: the legend of the red string.it tells that each of us is born with an invisible red thread tied to the little finger of the left hand. This thread binds us inextricably to the person we are destined for, the one who for us is our soulmate. The two people are destined to meet. well for me grace and cal were tied by this red thread and destiny made them meet, i may seem like a very romantic girl, but it was the first thing that came to mind when they started to know each other.

“I love you, sunshine. My heart has loved you since it recognized yours, so similar to mine, so beautiful and selfless. I want to cherish it forever, keep it safe in my hands.”

「 tropeೀ」
𝜗𝜚 slow burn
𝜗𝜚 strangers to best friends to lovers
𝜗𝜚 opposites attract
𝜗𝜚 age gap (22 and 30)
𝜗𝜚 single guardianship
𝜗𝜚 journey of healing
𝜗𝜚 terms of endearment

”they say that love can’t save you, that you have to save yourself first. I don’t think that’s always true. I think we have to be the ones to plant the first seed of salvation and let love water it until it grows into the most beautiful and strongest flower, capable of surviving anything.”

──── ♡ ───────────

જ⁀➴ 🌺 pre-read:

i really hope that this book is as good as everything says, i read so many reviews before i started reading it and to say that everyone speaks well of it is an understatement, so consequently my expectations are also quite high

[Sheridan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why was a 30 year old going to frat parties?