Review of “Sunny Side Up” by Katie Sturino. Or: When Your Beach Read Is More Branded Than a Pair of Gucci Flip-Flops

 

There are two types of books you find in a Bergdorf Goodman tote bag this summer: one is a deeply affecting literary exploration of grief and global injustice… and the other is Sunny Side Up, a romcom so Instagrammable, you half-expect it to come with a discount code for a size-inclusive caftan.

Written by Katie Sturino, entrepreneur, influencer, and high priestess of the “Body Positivity, But Make It Retail” gospel Sunny Side Up is a feel-good, eat-your-feelings-without-guilt novel that follows Sunny Greene, a 35-year-old PR boss babe who’s recently divorced, emotionally frazzled, but somehow still managing to launch a luxury swimsuit brand in the exact way that real women definitely do in real life: with casual meetings, cute dogs, and a suspicious lack of venture capital paperwork.

The Plot: Romance, Retail, and Really Relatable Rich People Problems

Sunny is trying to navigate her post-divorce identity while searching for a swimsuit that doesn’t insult her soul. She has a killer NYC apartment, two dogs, best friends who always say the exact right thing, and a tragic amount of charisma. Her crisis? Choosing between three men: the earnest mailman (yes, seriously), the hot tech bro/business savior, and the regretfully reformed ex.

Also, somewhere in there, she designs a swimsuit line, saves her confidence, makes peace with her body, and probably eats a croissant without apologizing for it. We are meant to root for her because she’s “just like us,” if “us” means wealthy, beautiful, and deeply marketable.

The plot is less of a story and more of a sponsored content carousel: body image pep talks, dating misadventures, fashion montages, and enough brand name-drops to qualify for product placement tax breaks. It’s Sex and the City for the Gen Z-cusp millennial who left corporate PR to start a candle line and believes in manifesting confidence through Pinterest quotes.

The Cover:

The cover of Sunny Side Up looks exactly like what your phone screen would generate if you asked it to create a “girlboss summer aesthetic.” Think pastel fonts, big-sunglasses energy, and maybe a half-finished mimosa on a poolside table. You know there’s a beach bag involved. You know someone described it as “breezy with bite” in a Slack thread.

It screams, “You can read this while wearing SPF and pretending you’ve never had a depressive spiral at a wedding.”

The Marketing:

This is not just a novel; it’s a brand extension. Katie Sturino’s literary debut fits so neatly into her influencer universe that it may as well come with an affiliate link. Sunny Side Up is not here to challenge your worldview; it’s here to give your internal monologue a glow-up.

It’s not quite literature. It’s not quite satire. It’s content. Market-tested, cover-tested, beach-tested content. And the reviews? A tidal wave of praise from every glossy platform with an avocado-toast budget: Oprah Daily, New York Times, CBS Mornings, probably someone’s Instagram story about “self-love.”

The wild part? Every single review uses some version of “body positive,” “laugh out loud,” or “feel-good.” You’d think this book cured emotional damage and thigh chafing.

The Verdict:

If you want a fun, frothy summer read that feels like scrolling a well-lit Instagram feed of someone prettier and more confident than you, this is your book. It’s a little shallow, mostly predictable, and absolutely aware of itself as a Product.

That doesn’t mean it’s bad. It means it knows exactly what it is: a soft-focus fantasy for women who want to feel empowered and seen… but also wouldn’t mind dating a dreamy mailman while launching a fashion empire.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (one for relatability, one for humor, one because capitalism won again)

Sunny Side Up: Because sometimes self-love comes with a side of branded body cream and an ex who still texts “u up?” on Thursdays.