Rating: 4.75 š
Iām such a fan of this author and The Sunny Side is a fantastic example of why her contemporary romances continue to resonate with so many readers, book after book, series after series.
Supermodel Dean Jacobs has appeared in the authorās newsletter serial and pops up in other stories (Deal Maker for one). That cover is a perfect match for the character itās portraying, a rare occurrence!
However, itās the internal Dean, the one thatās kind, fighting a life long insecurity issue bourn of bad parenting, later in life diagnosed with dyslexia, now newly sober,coming off years of being stoned, heās stressed and struggling.
Jonas Durand is a highly successful, focused owner of the modeling agency that handles some of the most famous models in the world. After wresting control of the company from his mother and restructuring it into the respected firm it is today, heās had just one known passion, the business.
But a lesser known one is Dean Jacobs. Just as Jonas has been Deanās.
Morton weaves a tale of love and romance so skillfully as Deanās struggles catches Jonasā attention, and itās to Jonas that Dean instinctively turns to for safety and sanctuary.
Their personalities matching and adjusting each to the other, through warm hearted dialogue, scenes filled full of laughter and raw emotion, whether itās just them or with Jonasā daughter, Ruby Tuesday, and Henry, the dog.
Morton shows us the slow building of a couple, then a family, every skittish step each man takes forward.
Thereās a moment of crisis of course. And as bad as it feels, itās also very believable and real. Painful, hurtful, and real.
Morton makes us believe in these men, stumbling with them towards love and happiness. And when it comes to a close, we arenāt ready to end.
Which brings me to a note. I originally gave this a 5. Then, Morton herself said there was a addendum short showing what happens to Dean and Jonas afterwards.
So I read it.
I laughed so hard I cried. Then I cried because it was perfect!
That short was THE perfect ending!
It needs to be in the book.
Lily Morton, if youāre listening, books get edited all the time. Just sayin.
Iām definitely recommending The Sunny Side by Lily Morton. Itās fantastic, and probably a reread for many!
The Model Agency:
ā¦ The Sunny Side #1
Available in Kindle Format
Synopsis:
Jonas Durand is successful, rich, and controlled. He owns a prestigious modelling agency and has the world at his fingertips, but a turbulent childhood has taught him to be focused and never deviate from a plan.
Dean Jacobs threatens that stance. Heās one of the worldās most sought-after supermodels, but heās also laidback and lighthearted and free in a way that Jonas has never quite managed.
Dean has always been interested in Jonas and has never made any secret of his admiration, but from the beginning, Jonas put him in a neat little box labelled, āDonāt touch,ā turned the key, and never looked back.
However, the universe seems determined to thwart Jonasās plans. Over the course of one hot summer, the two men come together, and Jonasās well-ordered life becomes something a whole lot wilder.
Moving from the glamorous worlds of London and Paris Fashion Weeks to the sleepy South of France, Jonas finds himself liberating partridges, chasing his supermodel, and falling in love.
From bestselling author Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy set in the fast-paced and snarky world of modelling. This is the first book in the Model Agency series.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 