Sunshine on a Rainy Day: A funny, feel-good romantic comedy by Bryony Fraser

Aug 29, 2016 Leah added it

Shelves: dnf

DNFed at 60 pages.

This sounded like a really fun read. A couple, married for a year, decided to get divorced but still live together. WHAT CAN GO WRONG? Well, actually, that's not quite how this story was told. Instead we go back to the wedding day, when Zoe is already questioning her decision. She's like the least bride-like person I've ever met in my life, and considering I could tell she shouldn't be getting married, it's worrying no one else saw that. Then, we see their first few weeks of ma DNFed at 60 pages.

This sounded like a really fun read. A couple, married for a year, decided to get divorced but still live together. WHAT CAN GO WRONG? Well, actually, that's not quite how this story was told. Instead we go back to the wedding day, when Zoe is already questioning her decision. She's like the least bride-like person I've ever met in my life, and considering I could tell she shouldn't be getting married, it's worrying no one else saw that. Then, we see their first few weeks of marriage. It should be blissful, yes? WRONG. Zoe just picks at silly things, starts fights, throws a tantrum over Jack going out with his mates, when she had already been out twice since their wedding day, throws another tantrum because people assume she's taken Jack's name, and she's way, way, way too cool to do that. Or feminist? Who knows what her reasons were, but it greatly offended her that people assume that of her. It just seemed like one big over-reaction after another. She didn't seem mature enough to be married, even.

It was just too much for me. Too much negativity, too much over-reaching about the littlest things, going off the deep end because of a little joke, if all you have to worry about in life is what your married name is, or isn't, I'd say you're doing pretty well. Zoe, however, had the opinion that it was the worst thing ever. She was just so hard to like, period.

I honestly thought this would be a funny, enjoyable read. Not something that made you want to cover your eyes and scream. Not my kind of read at all.

I'm terribly curious who Bryony Fraser really is, as this is a pseudonym, and I'd be intrigued even further to know if it's an author I've previously enjoyed. I kinda think it might be Mhari McFarlane, since that's who they relate it to in the taglines, and who is in the back of the book as "if you like this, etc", but I'm not sure. Either way, this wasn't for me. I wanted to like it desperately, but you need to be able to like/sympathise with its main character and Zoe wasn't either of those things :( ...more

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Aug 16, 2016 Amanda rated it it was ok

Shelves: chick-lit, netgalley

Originally published at Desert Island Book Reviews

This cover is so cute and I so wanted to love this book. The concept had real promise: a couple gets married and then announces that they're getting divorced at their anniversary party one year later. It could have been funny, or sad, or entertaining, but instead, I found it more annoying than anything else.

My main issue with this book was that the main character, Zoe, was immature and irritating. Her new husband, Jack, isn't much better, but the Originally published at Desert Island Book Reviews

This cover is so cute and I so wanted to love this book. The concept had real promise: a couple gets married and then announces that they're getting divorced at their anniversary party one year later. It could have been funny, or sad, or entertaining, but instead, I found it more annoying than anything else.

My main issue with this book was that the main character, Zoe, was immature and irritating. Her new husband, Jack, isn't much better, but the problems really started with Zoe early on. She didn't want to get married ever, but she agreed to marry Jack (we find out why eventually), and even though she loves him, she hates the idea of being married. Now, as a married person, I can say that my life, at least, didn't really change much at all because we got married. And I think Zoe's and Jack's lives didn't need to change, either. If they loved each other, why did they suddenly turn into bickering idiots as soon as they'd said their vows?

Zoe and Jack antagonize each other pretty much from the start over such stupid things, things that must have happened before they were married, too, and yet they still loved each other then. So why did everything go downhill? It was really strange to me, and if this is someone's reality, I feel bad for them.

Zoe was also a little over-sensitive about the issue of her name. Under no circumstances did she want anyone to think she was Mrs. anyone, and she seemed to get actually angry when people referred to her by her husband's name. For better or for worse, society still expects women to change their names when they get married, and it leads to confusion when someone doesn't. (Not to say I don't understand on some level — I didn't change my name, either, and I still get things from family members as well as strangers assuming I did.) Her reactions were over the top and childish, and I found them annoying.
I did like the resolution (though I'd guessed at it early on) and I thought there were some funny elements (like the issue of the wedding gifts, for example), but overall, this book was more than a little disappointing. I didn't hate it, but there was nothing in it that made me feel like I had to keep reading, and honestly, Zoe's feelings about marriage are so completely opposite from mine that it was hard to read her perspective sometimes. I just couldn't relate at all.

This book was absolutely not my cup of tea, but I can see how other people might enjoy it. There's petty drama on many levels and the author did a good job of blending the past and present to help us understand the situation a little better, but in the end, if you find the idea of a childish newlywed who gets personally offended by EVERYTHING annoying, this probably isn't the book for you. I gave it two stars.

*ARC from Avon via NetGalley ...more

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Aug 26, 2016 Yi-Hsuan rated it did not like it

Shelves: read-in-2016, arc

Got this as an ARC from Netgalley...(I requested it because the cover was cute, and the summary was interesting).

I'm still barely past the beginning, but oh my god, can Zoe be more insufferable? I would like to edit the Goodreads summary to this: "Marriage isn't for everyone -- something that Zoe (and maybe Jack? haven't gotten that far yet) discovered BEFORE she walked down the aisle." She knows, I know, we all know (maybe not Jack though) that marriage isn't for her. And yet... she gets marrie ...more

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Oct 05, 2016 Toni rated it really liked it

First, I agree with some reviewers, the cover is misleading. Regardless of what people say, many of us do "judge a book by its cover." I would also change the title to: "Sunshine on a Rainy YEAR." That gives the reader a clearer indication that the newlyweds had a tough first YEAR, of adjusting to marriage. The wedding day was fine, the months after that, well that's the whole story! And it's a decent story really, relatable and possible. No spoilers, but for those that hated Zoe, and turned awa ...more

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Oct 18, 2016 Sarah rated it it was ok

There wasn't anything feel good, funny or romantic about this book.

Zoe was horrid and selfish. The story blends past and present to good effect to explain why she behaves as she does, and why the couple get married, but I just couldn't swallow Zoe's behaviour after the wedding. No-one ever gets cross with her or points out that she is acting in a ridiculous fashion.
The other characters were really 2 dimensional and added nothing to the story. We never get the viewpoint of anyone else and Jack ...more

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Mar 30, 2017 Zoe rated it it was ok

I couldn't get past my intense dislike for Zoe in this. For me, this was essentially a story about two people too immature and emotionally unstable to handle marriage - I just found it really annoying. That's all I can really say about this one. There wasn't anything I found particular funny or endearing about two individuals who got married and turned into children about the whole thing. Irritating rather than humorous.

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Jun 14, 2018 Ellie Pearson rated it liked it · review of another edition

interesting story. little bizarre in places but enjoyable nonetheless

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Sep 14, 2016 Agi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, 2016-releases

Those of you who follow my blog already know that I am not the biggest fan of cinema and watching films just bores me. However, there are some films that I could watch and watch, over and over again, such like "Bridget Jones" or ""My Big Fat Greek Wedding", but also I absolutely adored "The War of Roses" with Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. The description of "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" has totally reminded me of this film and it was for sure one of the things that made me request this book.
Those of you who follow my blog already know that I am not the biggest fan of cinema and watching films just bores me. However, there are some films that I could watch and watch, over and over again, such like "Bridget Jones" or ""My Big Fat Greek Wedding", but also I absolutely adored "The War of Roses" with Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. The description of "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" has totally reminded me of this film and it was for sure one of the things that made me request this book. I was desperately hoping for this war of roses, for "accidents" happening, tempers flaring and tons of misunderstanding - shortly, I was hoping for incredibly funny story with twists and turns.

And it could be a brilliant story, as it had tons of potential. I loved the idea for the plot, however the delivery somehow lacked. My biggest problem was with Zoe - already in the first chapter we learn that Zoe isn't sure if getting married is something for her. So far, so good, you could say, the only problem was that Zoe was GETTING MARRIED. It was crystal clear for me, after reading this few pages, that she shouldn't, under any circumstances, marry Jack, yet she went with it. Why? Why did she agree for this? It was a little childish and laughable for Zoe to blame Jack - her argumentation was that he KNEW she doesn't want get married, so why did he ask her? Erm, hello? Why did you say yes? It was also Zoe who created this hell on earth after the wedding, to be honest, she was picking at the smallest things, she was always unhappy and she was a hypocrite, as she herself was allowed to meet with her friends, yet when Jack wanted to meet with his mates she was questioning this. And guys, if you think that you've seen a tantrum, then probably you haven't seen Zoe in action yet. I also didn't completely get her obsession with not taking Jack's surname - sure, she was not obliged to do this but to flip her lid when other people assumed she changed her name? Altogether, I just couldn't understand what is so tragic and dramatic after you get married? What changed, day by day? So yes, Zoe was selfish and unfair and truly, she behaved as if she didn't have any regard for Jack's feelings. Jack, on the other hand, came across a little like a doormat, to be honest. He was a great guy, and he loved Zoe, and I think he really didn't understand what's happened to his Zoe, because - as the story jumps between present and past and shows us how Zoe and Jack got to know each other and fell in love with each other, showing us a totally different picture of Zoe - she wasn't like this before! However, it was always Jack who was doing the first step, making the effort but he was also stubborn and instead of telling his wife that this dinner was meant for her, he'd rather bin it. Communication, guys! Communication!

But! And you know what is funny? Despite all my problems with Zoe I still have found this book highly entertaining. OK, it wasn't completely this what I was so hoping for, this war of roses took place in maybe two scenes, and I so, so waited for accidents happening, for Zoe and Jack having heads full of ideas how to make each other's life more complicated and difficult - in a funny way! However, I wanted this book to be a light - hearted, entertaining read and I think that if you don't take Zoe too seriously, that if you read it with a pinch of salt and turn a blind eye on Zoe's tantrums, you can fully enjoy this story - at least this is how I read this book and how I felt about it. It didn't annoy me as much as it seem to have annoyed so many other reviewers.

The idea of this story was brilliant but as I've already mentioned it before, I think that it lacked in development and I really couldn't understand why everything went downhill - it was just so ridiculous. It is actually about a thing that shouldn't have happened, at all. However, there were many more elements that made this book a fun read for me. I liked the end, though I could see it coming from far away, and even though it couldn't be more clichéd, even if I asked for it, and some of the scenes were laugh - inducing. I liked the absolute support Zoe had from her family, and how much patience they had dealing with her and her problems.

So really, if you are in a need for a light - hearted, not too complex story about newlyweds making problems from everything and picking at anything and getting offended in the best childish way (and I don't mean it in a bad way!), then "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" may be the book for you. I enjoyed it, and liked the writing style, the sharp dialogues and that it was a quick - paced read. It just drew me into Zoe and Jack's world and I wanted to see what's going to happen. Altogether - yes, I was a little disappointed with the lack of the promised "accidents happening" (though tempers were flaring, especially those of Zoe), but still I really liked this book.

Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a review.
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Aug 25, 2016 Samantha Sim rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5/5 stars

The prospect of marriage has always scared me a little, and this book, *whistles*, this book brought to life all of my fears about marriage. The commitment, the pressure to be a perfect mum/wife, the assumptions that society makes about you, you name it.

Zoe never wanted to get married. She wants to be together with her partner, but just doesn't like the idea of marriage. Then Jack proposed, and Zoe had wanted to talk to him about it, but one inevitable thing led to another and she ju 3.5/5 stars

The prospect of marriage has always scared me a little, and this book, *whistles*, this book brought to life all of my fears about marriage. The commitment, the pressure to be a perfect mum/wife, the assumptions that society makes about you, you name it.

Zoe never wanted to get married. She wants to be together with her partner, but just doesn't like the idea of marriage. Then Jack proposed, and Zoe had wanted to talk to him about it, but one inevitable thing led to another and she just went along with it in the end. Obviously, their relationship started crumbling ever since. Some people might feel that the after-marriage scenes were too excessive and over-exaggerated, but I thought they painted a realistic picture of what actually happens in a household. Small things get blown up tenfold and before you know it, the fight has escalated until you don't even know what you're fighting about. I find myself being able to relate to Zoe, because I myself don't think I want to get married. In the book, Zoe stresses that we don't have to define our relationship with a paper, and I agree. Who cares if I'm not married? (Other than society and all my aunts and uncles, of course.) As long as I'm happy with my life, with or without a partner, who bloody cares?

However, I found Zoe annoying and immature. It seemed that Jack was the mature one and was the only one trying to make the marriage work. Zoe was just whining and picking fights every 5 minutes like a little bitch. (Who the fuck leaves teabags in the sink?! Zoe, that's who. God, I hate it when people in my house do that!)

Also, I gotta admit that there were a few scenes that were to draggy to me. Especially the part where it was just scenes of them doing stuff- wait, how do I explain this? Okay, you know in movies where there are montages of people doing stuff, with music over those montages instead of the original audio? Like- okay you know what. I suck at describing stuff. Just- it was draggy, that's all. Let's leave it at that.

Overall, I like that this book tells us that it's okay to do things at our own pace, and not just conform to the norm. If you're not ready, it's fine, take your time. If you want to live with your partner for the rest of your life without getting hitched, then fuck it, just do it!

(view spoiler)

An ARC was sent to me by Avon Books UK (thank you!) and this is my honest review of it. ...more

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Aug 30, 2016 Susanne Strong rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalley

Have you ever had a moment in your life where you knew you were making the wrong decision? Where you knew you were making a huge mistake but you felt like you couldn’t get out of it? Like you knew the day before, the day of and every day thereafter that what you were doing was completely wrong for you but you couldn’t say it for fear of hurting someone else? I know I have. And so has Zoe, one of the two main characters in Sunshine on a Rainy Day.

And for Zoe, this is a big one, she agreed to mar Have you ever had a moment in your life where you knew you were making the wrong decision? Where you knew you were making a huge mistake but you felt like you couldn’t get out of it? Like you knew the day before, the day of and every day thereafter that what you were doing was completely wrong for you but you couldn’t say it for fear of hurting someone else? I know I have. And so has Zoe, one of the two main characters in Sunshine on a Rainy Day.

And for Zoe, this is a big one, she agreed to marry her boyfriend Jack of 7 years, even though she has never ever wanted to get married. And even though she loves him very much. It’s just that marriage isn’t for her. She knows it with every fiber of her being. As the wedding approaches, she gets even more uncomfortable. And every day after the marriage, she is even more miserable, and because of it, things go awry. If only she had been honest and told Jack how she felt and if only they hadn’t gotten married. And so the only solution for both of them - immediately after getting married? Why getting divorced of course! If only it were that easy.

The author of Sunshine on a Rainy Day, Bryony Fraser switches timelines throughout the book, with Zoe narrating, starting with the wedding day and then going back to seven years prior. While both of the main characters Zoe and Jack were described well, I didn’t really care what happened to either of them and wasn’t invested in the story, though I did understand Zoe’s dilemma. Her parents, and siblings support her fairly well but don’t do much for the story itself and are extraneous. Sunshine on a Rainy Day is chick lit (which I will admit, is not a genre I typically read) and is a fluffy, easy read. If you are looking for a book you can pick up and put down again, and get through quickly without feeling like the world is going to end, this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, Avon and Bryony Fraser for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 8/31/16.

** Will be published on Amazon on 9/8/16.
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Oct 24, 2016 Hannah Symonds rated it it was ok

I was given an advanced copy of this book but I waited till recently to read it as I wanted to take a funny book on holiday with me. I really didn't enjoy this one, I read till halfway and gave up. I found Zoe quite irritating and very immature. I was hoping something would happen but unfortunately it did not. Even though I hate giving up on a book I just knew that would have to be the case in this book. This is my opinion of the book but other people may love it.

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Aug 27, 2016 Carol Scheherazade rated it it was ok

Again, who edits these books? Good story but needed editing.

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Apr 10, 2018 ThatBookGal rated it did not like it · review of another edition

***Spoilers***

Every single time I’ve picked up this book, I’ve mentally broken into song, humming Zoe’s song from the 90’s non-stop. That was annoying enough, the fact that the main character was also called Zoe just hurt my soul a little bit. Clearly the author intended to give me this annoying and persistent ear worm, why would you do that to me?!

Flaw two was the dedication at the front of the book, I felt like I instantly wasn’t going to click with Fraser and this was made abundantly clear b ***Spoilers***

Every single time I’ve picked up this book, I’ve mentally broken into song, humming Zoe’s song from the 90’s non-stop. That was annoying enough, the fact that the main character was also called Zoe just hurt my soul a little bit. Clearly the author intended to give me this annoying and persistent ear worm, why would you do that to me?!

Flaw two was the dedication at the front of the book, I felt like I instantly wasn’t going to click with Fraser and this was made abundantly clear by about chapter 3. I’m immensely proud to feel like a family, taking my husbands name was a choice I made and a choice I’m proud of. The main characters absurd ‘feminist’ attitude to a woman choosing to do that pissed me off. Ordinarily stuff like that doesn’t bother me, but I really felt like the author was throwing her own views out there by talking through her character. My mother has never been married either, the idea that her parents made her feel she couldn't be and the utterly out of date views of marriage in this book were just ridiculous.

Zoe was awful, selfish, stupid, utterly flawed in every single way. She literally had everything that so many people dream of, and threw it away because of a fucking tea bag?! A TEA BAG?! Its just not real life. Her utterly absurd rhetoric about how terrible her marriage is was laughable. If I was a woman who'd been cheated on, or worse, and was reading this crap I'd be furious. A TEA BAG?!

The whole story line with Kat was equally ridiculous, she accidentally ends up working for the evil secret ex of her big sister, and ultimately plots his downfall but cant tell anyone about it, even though they see him for about 10 seconds in the whole book, and that was just to check she was ok. So if she'd told them the plan, their paths would never have crossed with his anyway?! So stupid. Just tell them you're ok, you're just as selfish as your big sister. And why?! The parents are the only redeeming quality in the whole book, so why have they raised ridiculous, idiotic, spoiled brat children.

This is billed as a fun book. Its not. Its billed as hilarious. Its bloody well not. Its billed as a story about divorce. Its really not, more a hate speech about marriage than anything else. The whole thing was bad. Don't read it.

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Jan 28, 2018 Di rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This book could have had a lot going for it, but unfortunately the main character Zoe was very poorly written and simply came across as being very immature and selfish. Not to mention thoroughly annoying. I actually had no idea why her new husband Jack was with her - he could do a lot better. Indeed this is one of the mysteries of this shaky romance - Zoe is surrounded by an absolute bevy of totally charming friends and family who are very generous, kind and patient with her rank stupidity and d ...more

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Jul 18, 2018 Sophie West rated it liked it

I really enjoyed reading 'Sunshine on a Rainy Day'. This book really shows the true aspects of marriage and addresses the fact that life doesn't always go as planned. The chapters in the book alternated between the past and the present which I found helpful in understanding the relationship between Zoe and Jack however I do believe some of the chapters were not necessary. However, it was still a good read despite the unnecessary chapters and the predictable ending.

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Sep 12, 2019 Jazmin rated it it was ok

It says feel-good romantic comedy, it was more constantly-cursing-at-zoe and frustrated. This was that book that for me was ALRIGHT. However, definitely not for the impatient. I had a difficult time finishing this book, because every page i flipped made me want to rip this book apart.

Clearly from the first page Zoe had an issue with marriage and through out the entire book she was so stuck with the idea how marriage is the worse thing on this planet earth..

300 plug pages and perhaps only 10 pag ...more

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Mar 26, 2017 Janet Camilleri rated it it was ok

Zoe made me so impatient - I thought she was a bit of an idiot and really couldn't relate to her as a character. I nearly put the book down for good after about 100 pages but persevered. Of course by the end of the book you realise WHY she is the way she is but still ... she frustrated me no end!

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May 07, 2017 Elizabeth Dewfall rated it liked it

Struggled a bit with the story jumping years couldn't sit and read more than a couple of chapters at a time

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Jul 13, 2018 Jennifer rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-reading-challenge

This has been my waiting room book. Good for that purpose because it never bothered me to stop reading when I had to.

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Jun 04, 2017 Beth Cooksey rated it did not like it

This book is not hilarious nor is it heartbreaking.

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Mar 26, 2019 Caitlin rated it liked it

Cute fluffy read that I could see being made into a brill tom com movie.

Didn't 100% love Zoe, did adore Jack though, but Zoe's dad was the scene stealer. Absolute gem.

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Nov 09, 2016 Jenny Oliver rated it really liked it

Witty and feel good with realistic if flawed characters. Enjoyed being in this world.

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Aug 30, 2016 Kaisha (The Writing Garnet) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how STUNNING the book cover is?! Hats off to the team at Avon Books. What is even more fab about the cover is the fact the lettering on the paperback has a 3D texture (links to buy will follow!). Thank you to Avon for offering me the ARC in return for my unbiased and professional opinion!

I have the honour of kicking off Bryony’s blog tour and what better day to kick it off than…PU All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how STUNNING the book cover is?! Hats off to the team at Avon Books. What is even more fab about the cover is the fact the lettering on the paperback has a 3D texture (links to buy will follow!). Thank you to Avon for offering me the ARC in return for my unbiased and professional opinion!

I have the honour of kicking off Bryony’s blog tour and what better day to kick it off than…PUBLICATION DAY! Huge congratulations to Bryony Fraser on the publication of this gorgeous book! TWG wishes you every success!

Zoe and Jack recently got married, they should still be in the honeymoon period, right? WRONG, they’re not. They love each other, they cannot see their futures with anyone else, so what EXACTLY went wrong? Surely after two months of marriage you’ll still be loved up and sickly sweet, not finding divorce lawyers? Lets hope there is ‘Sunshine on a Rainy Day’!!

I read the first line of the blurb, then stopped. I didn’t want the blurb to tell me any more, but, because I was frowning and thinking ‘what the raindrops?!’, chapter 1 was under my nose quicker than I can eat a cookie (and that’s saying something!). One of the beauties of this book is that not only do you get to read the story of their relationship now, you also get to read about how they got together. Both the past and present stories flowed brilliantly and I think that one without the other just would not have worked as well as it did.

Originally I thought this book was going to be a ‘typical’ chick flick, but it isn’t! Zoe and Jack’s situation isn’t a straight forward ‘boy meets girl’ like other chick flicks, instead it’s a drama filled, modernised and hilarious take on real life relationships. When I was growing up, marriage seemed to be the next step before children and there always seemed to be such emphasis on couples getting married. However, Bryony Fraser has put marriage on the naughty step, stuck two fingers up at it, and gotten on with her day. And you know what?! I LOVE her for that!!

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all the various characters within the book, I can honestly say that I didn’t dislike any of them either! I did find myself siding with Zoe though, even though the antics between them both were childishly hilarious, we need girlpower!!

After finishing ‘Sunshine on a Rainy Day’ with a smile on my face, I am very excited to see what Bryony releases next.

‘Sunshine on a Rainy Day’ is a book about being true to yourself, doing what is right for YOU, and making sure you have a laugh whilst doing so. Bryony Fraser has written such a refreshingly hilarious read; that has the power to pull at your heartstrings, all in one go. Writing this book, Bryony brought sunshine to my soul and melted my ice queen interior (slightly), in the process. It will definitely be ‘Sunshine on a Rainy Day’ if Bryony Fraser has anything to do with it. Fabulous and fun, fantastic read.
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Feb 21, 2017 Nana Adomah rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017

I enjoyed a lot of it but just couldn't warm up to Zoe. I initially picked up this book because I was excited to see a pair of brown legs on the cover and it's so rare to actually have a brown protagonist in this type of "chick lit." I loved that Zoe was half Nigerian and her sisters and friends formed a nice community. However, Zoe's actions were truly nonsensical to me a lot of the time and while I could understand why she felt the way she did, nobody forced her to agree to marry Jack and it f ...more

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Nov 28, 2016 Laura rated it really liked it

Originally posted on:> http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot....

I know the saying goes that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but just how pretty is this one?! I love the simplicity of it wit the white background and the different coloured raindrops. Just beautiful.

Sunshine on a Rainy Day is Zoe and Jack's story. They have just got married, but are now discovering that marriage really isn't for them. Pretty bad timing and they can't get divorced for a year, meaning that they are going Originally posted on:> http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot....

I know the saying goes that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but just how pretty is this one?! I love the simplicity of it wit the white background and the different coloured raindrops. Just beautiful.

Sunshine on a Rainy Day is Zoe and Jack's story. They have just got married, but are now discovering that marriage really isn't for them. Pretty bad timing and they can't get divorced for a year, meaning that they are going to have to live with each other until then, as neither are willing to move out of their flat. With tempers rising, Zoe's three sister's interfering and Jack's best friend trying to get them back together, misunderstandings become more frequent, it's a wonder how they are going to survive the year! But is all well and truly lost?

Even though this story has sad undertones, Bryony has still managed to keep this quite lighthearted and on occasion I did I find myself laughing out loud. Also despite not particularly liking the way that Zoe treated Jack sometimes and the whole horrible mess she had got them in, I could not help but like her. OK granted I liked her more as the story went on, as initially she didn't give a great impression, but I certainly didn't dislike her. She was funny and actually a really nice person and when we get little flashbacks leading up to the 'dreaded' wedding day, we can see how Zoe who 100% didn't want to get married ends up getting married with disastrous consequences. These little flashbacks were great and you get to see how Jack and Zoe got together.

I actually quite liked how this story gets you looking at your own relationships and how you shouldn't take things for granted, but also need to think about what you really want. I also loved how Bryony has basically managed to say that despite the underlying pressures of society, you do not have to get married to have your happily ever after! Surrounding the main aspect of this story, it was filled with great supporting characters and their own side stories, like Zoe's friend Liz, her three sisters and Jack's Mum and Dad. I think it was these stories that made the story more enjoyable and actually added to it I think. I like to get to know as much about each character as I can, so this was a real plus for me.

A bit anti-rom com, but still lighthearted and enjoyable. ...more

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Sep 01, 2016 Ella (The Story Collector) rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, womens-fiction, humour

-- Originally posted on thestorycollectorblog.wordpress.com --

One month after her wedding to Jack, Zoe is not happy. She doesn’t want to become just ‘someone’s wife’, and the two of them have started arguing over the tiniest things. The result: Zoe wants a divorce. However, marriage laws state that a divorce cannot be granted before one year of marriage, so Jack and Zoe must spend the whole year still married, still living in their flat because neither can afford to move out, still at each other ...more

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Sep 13, 2016 Rachel rated it really liked it

My thoughts:

I thought that the relationship between Zoe and Jack was well written and very realistic at times, especially the petty arguments. I can definitely see where both sides were coming from. After my two children were born and after many a sleepless night my husband and I have had our fair share of these types of arguments. Then you realise how silly you both are and move on. However it is very easy to let these things build up! Zoe and Jack definitely show a good example of this and the ...more

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Feb 18, 2017 Joann rated it did not like it

Shelves: didnt-finish, arc-s-e-books-netgalley

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 09, 2016 Linda Hill rated it liked it

There is such a good premise to this story; marriage isn’t necessarily the inevitable outcome for two people in love and neither is it a panacea for all life.

I found Sunshine on a Rainy Day an entertaining read as Zoe and Jack deal with the aftermath of their wedding, and not the chick-lit I was expecting. There is far greater depth to it. I thought the passages set in the past and leading up to the wedding were more engaging and humorous than the present day ones and they provide a good antedot ...more

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Sep 20, 2016 Susan Hampson rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

I really do love a book with humour and this did start with a promise of great things to come but the story did become a little too depressing for me and somewhere all the humour was lost in it. The book cover I loved and the title sounded just perfect but unfortunately Zoe didn't seem to have any sunshine in her life and she brought little to her poor suffering new husband. All he was guilty of was asking Zoe to marry him. Poor bloke. I really did like him and the author did capture all of his ...more

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