Weekend Cooking: Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave

Are you the same person on your blog and on other social media as you are in real life? I think most of us can answer that question with a resounding yes. Okay, so maybe we don't photograph our kitchens when the sink is full of dirty dishes, but for the most part, what we present to the world is fairly truthful.

Sunshine Mackenzie (not her real last name), started on her road to culinary personality fame after Ryan, an agent and producer, decided he could turn her amateur YouTube videos into a brand. All seemed to be going as planned until, on the morning of Sunny's thirty-fifth birthday, all her social media accounts were hacked.

In this way Laura Dave's newest novel, Hello Sunshine (Simon & Schuster, July 11), begins. The story of how Sunny copes with having all her secrets exposed to the world is both funny and a little scary.

For Sunny, the biggest problem is not that her husband learned about her one-night stand but that her fans know she is not at all who she said she was. She can't cook, she can't develop recipes, and she's most decidedly not from the South. In fact, she grew up in a large beachside house in the Hamptons. Oops.

After Sunny loses her marriage, her book deal, and her television series, she is forced to confront her authentic self and decide whether she wants to remain in the food world and, if so, in what capacity. Other plot lines involve Sunny figuring out which person in her life was responsible for the hacking, her rocky relationship with her sister and niece, and her friendships with various people in the Hamptons.

Hello, Sunshine is a cute, fun book, perfect for foodies and bloggers. The characters are easy to root for or boo at, and the story moves along at a decent clip. Dave has a good sense of humor, but manages to add depth to her novel, particularly when exploring branding, image, and competitiveness. I can't say I liked Sunny's husband or her producer much, but I enjoyed getting to know the other people in her life.

Some of my favorite scenes took place in the kitchen of a snooty Hamptons restaurant. In addition, I also liked the mystery of the identity of the hacker, and I was as surprised as Sunny when the culprit was revealed. The ending was left a little up in the air, but I'm okay with that.

I recommend Laura Dave's Hello, Sunshine for foodies, bloggers, and anyone looking for an afternoon escape. The novel is light on one level, but the underlying layers will give you pause to think. In fact, I bet this would make a great book club pick, and I think Sunny would agree that grilled cheese sandwiches are the thing to serve at your meeting.

[Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the review copy.]

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

_______