The Sunshine Club

Written by Carolyn Brown

Narrated by Brittany Pressley

Sisters of the heart play Cupid in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s funny and heartwarming novel about friendship, family, and finding love.

Gussie, Ina Mae, and Blanche have been best friends for more than sixty years. From their humble beginnings of founding the Sunshine Club when they were girls to becoming the matchmaking queens of Newton, Texas, these three were inseparable. When Blanche passes away, Gussie and Ina Mae feel the best way to honor their dearly departed is with a shot of whiskey, some good music, and making a match for Blanche’s niece, Sissy.

Never mind that Sissy’s in town for only six weeks. Is there a better reason for her to stay? And is there a better prospect than handsome, charming, blue-eyed local preacher Luke Beauchamp? No and no. The attraction is already there. Now it’s up to Gussie and Ina Mae to make sure the sparks really get to crackling by Christmas.

The Sunshine Club is back in business. Don’t underestimate two feisty women who have their hearts set on a happy ending.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781713620242

Carolyn Brown

 Carolyn Brown is a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly and #1 Amazon and #1 Washington Post bestselling author. She is the author of more than 125 novels and several novellas. Brown has been published for 26 years, and her books have been translated into 21 foreign languages, and have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.  When she’s not writing books, she likes to take long, road trips with her family to research and plot future stories.

Reviews for The Sunshine Club

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good story of love, friendship, and healing. Gussie, Blanche, and Ina Mae have been friends since they were children - more than sixty years. The three women were sisters of the heart, and when Blanche suddenly passes away, Gussie and Ina Mae don't know how they'll cope with their grief and loneliness. The story opens on the day of Blanche's funeral, as Gussie, Ina Mae, and Blanche's niece Sissy carry out Blanche's last wishes. I had to laugh at Blanche's last bit of shenanigans as her requested "jazz funeral" shocked the townspeople, though Gussie, Ina Mae, and Sissy enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the flashbacks/memories that each of them experienced and how they provided insight into Blanche for the reader. Ina Mae and Gussie continued their celebration of Blanche's life by inviting Sissy into their clubhouse and sharing memories - and whiskey shots - for the rest of the day. The three women's grief leaped off the page, and I ached for their pain. I enjoyed the story of how they began the Sunshine Club and the part it played throughout their lives. It was the support of Gussie and Ina Mae that got Blanche through her disastrous and short-lived marriage. All three were there for each other through their successful careers. They also earned a reputation as the matchmaking queens of the town. Ina Mae and Gussie agree that the best way to honor Blanche is to find a husband for Sissy. This would have the added benefit of keeping Sissy in Newton rather than returning to Louisiana. Sissy had an unusual childhood, traveling the country with her rock band parents in an RV. While she loved her parents and enjoyed the travel, it was a lonely life. She enjoyed the time she got to spend with Aunt Blanche, experiencing "normal" life. Sissy now lives in Louisiana and has a job as a therapist that she loves. When Blanche died, Sissy took six weeks of leave to settle Blanche's affairs. She received quite a shock when she learned what Blanche left to her and decided to take her time deciding what to do. I loved seeing the interactions between the three women. Ina Mae and Gussie think of Sissy as family since they have none of their own. They also don't bother to sugarcoat anything at their ages and are forthright with their opinions and advice. It was funny to see their plotting and planning to throw Sissy and Luke, the preacher, together. They think they are subtle about it, but Sissy figures it out right away. Sissy doesn't want to hurt their feelings, so she goes along with their efforts. She has no intention of falling in love as she plans to return to her job in Louisiana, but Luke certainly gets her attention. Luke has been the preacher in town for about two years, hired when his Uncle Jimmy retired. He's a good-looking and charming young man who loves what he does. He's successfully avoided the efforts of other matchmakers but finds himself intrigued by and attracted to Sissy. I loved their conversation about the matchmaking efforts and their agreement to be friends. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop as friendship grew into more. It was easy to see that their outlooks on life and helping others were compatible, and I loved seeing them support each other. There are obstacles, however, as a few people don't approve of Luke's interest in Sissy, and they are intent on making trouble for the pair. I liked the reasoned and practical approach that Luke and Sissy took to their options and that they found a way to have each other and the life they wanted. I especially loved Luke's statement at church. Ina Mae and Gussie do their best to help things along. There are some terrific parts as they attempt to run interference against the most vocal of the objectors. This woman is a real piece of work, and I wanted to see her get her comeuppance at the end. I'm not sure she did, but it all ended well anyway. I also had fun watching Sissy turn the tables on Ina Mae and Gussie. After getting wind of their plans to push her and Luke together, Sissy figured that getting them involved with suitors of their own would keep them out of her hair. She also recruited Luke to help her. They were much more subtle than the two ladies. I had a great time seeing Jimmy and Paul become more involved in their lives, and none of them suspected a thing. The scenes involving them were often sweet and sometimes hilarious. I liked how these activities helped all three women work through their grief. Stories of Blanche frequently came up when some action would remind them of her. In contrast to the tales of hijinks, Ina Mae and Gussie also revealed the whole story behind Blanche's marriage. Their actions to protect Blanche showed the depth of their love for her and their willingness to go to any lengths to do so. One of the things I loved about the book was how each one would hear Blanche's voice in their heads during times of stress or confusion or just needing advice. One of my favorite characters in the book was Blanche's bird, Danny. His salty language and nightly drinks of vodka were hilarious. Though each of the ladies frequently seemed disgusted with him and threatened to give him away, none of them could. He reminded them too much of Blanche. I also loved his relationship with the rooster. I liked hearing stories about their Sunshine Club activities, from how and why they started it to what they did during their meetings. Ina Mae and Gussie's grief over Blanche's death made it difficult for them to spend time there. I loved the decision they finally made about what they would do.#netgalley