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Rise and Shine
Charming, talky, wryly funny, poignant and original - Rise and Shine is a love story, yes, but it's a love story that happens ten years into a marriage, when somebody wants out.
This is a story about marriage. It is also a story about life and love and happiness and the absence of happiness and what we need to do to find it again.
It's a story about hope, baking, making music, lemon trees, painting, love, divorce, dogs, the families we create for ourselves, and the heat of the Brisbane sun.
It's a story about August and Noah.
It begins at the end.
Rise and Shine is an utterly surprising delight, a break-up tale that is also a love story; endearing, astringent, talky, wry, wise, uplifting and so original.
This is a story about marriage. It is also a story about life and love and happiness and the absence of happiness and what we need to do to find it again.
It's a story about hope, baking, making music, lemon trees, painting, love, divorce, dogs, the families we create for ourselves, and the heat of the Brisbane sun.
It's a story about August and Noah.
It begins at the end.
Rise and Shine is an utterly surprising delight, a break-up tale that is also a love story; endearing, astringent, talky, wry, wise, uplifting and so original.
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First published June 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
June 15, 2025
August and Noah have been married for ten years and it’s getting shaky. This is the story of wanting to end a marriage without the absolute certainty of this big decision. I felt literary fiction vibes, and the up and down nature of this huge decision. Opening at this perilous ten year mark, in the heat and sweat of Brisbane, it was easy to fall into the angsty feelings of someone wanting out, the writing was strong to draw me in. The author definitely has a uniqueness, and I’ll be curious to read Love and Other Puzzles . My problem is sometimes the current mood I am facing at the time of reading a book, and my personal experience sometimes creates a stumbling block, and this happened here. Which will not happen to other readers. This is a sweet book, perhaps just the wrong time for me.
With thanks to HarperCollins Australia for my copy to read and review.
With thanks to HarperCollins Australia for my copy to read and review.
August 5, 2025
*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...
🍋Rise and Shine is the second novel by Brisbane based author Kimberley Allsopp. Following the release in 2022 of her debut novel Love and Other Puzzles (which I still need to catch up on and read) Rise and Shine is her sophomore novel. A story of life changes, truth, intimacy, relationships, marriage, love, happiness, loss and renewal, this is a poignant tale from contemporary novelist Kimberley Allsopp
🍋 Offering readers a thoughtful and realistic exploration of a marriage that comes undone, Rise and Shine is a contemporary feel novel that speaks of many relationships as well as finding yourself later in life situations. In examining the genesis of a relationship, the progression, marriage, demise, fallout, and the recovery process, Rise and Shine seems to get you thinking about your own relationships. Allsopp’s married couple each have their own set of problems alongside their marital issues. We see what happens when a long term relationship begins to fall apart but there are still feelings of love under the overwhelming feelings of each partner experiencing the emotion of drifting away from each other under the weight of unspoken resentments and unshared dreams.
🍋Thanks to the blurb, this sounded like exactly my kind of read. I do appreciate a good no holds back style breakup story filled with raw emotion, careful introspection, character growth alongside a reflective look back on what once was a loving union. There was much to appreciate in this one. However, I will be honest and saw that I struggled to connect to this one. I found the beginning did pique my interest but it took a long time before I felt any real investment in either August or Noah. Allsopp does present us with some honest and flawed people, but for some reason it was hard for me to care deeply about their journey. I was following along on the surface level only.
Rise and Shine does feature some moments that stood out. There are flashes of emotive dialogue, glimpses of tenderness, areas of gut wrenching loss and a few splashes of humour (there’s a cracker near the end) which allowed me to see what the author was trying to achieve with this story, despite my disconnection. Allsopp manages to balance between melancholy, realism and warmth in her tale. I valued this tone very much. However, I often felt detached, as though I was watching from a distance rather than being fully involved in the emotional brevity of the story. I did read on to the end, there was sadness, grief, understanding, change, compromise, realisation, reconciliation, reinvention and hope in the closing elements of this tale. For me the lasting impression or take away message was the importance of rediscovering who you are outside of a relationship, even if this occurs in your forties or beyond.
Rise and Shine was a buddy read with my favourite book friend @nadsylovesbooks and that made all the difference. Discussing the characters, the writing, the events, situations and the themes together gave me a reason to keep turning the pages. I was definitely reminded why I love sharing books even when they don’t become favourites!
3 stars
A very big extension of thanks to @hapercollinsau for the copy
🍋Rise and Shine is the second novel by Brisbane based author Kimberley Allsopp. Following the release in 2022 of her debut novel Love and Other Puzzles (which I still need to catch up on and read) Rise and Shine is her sophomore novel. A story of life changes, truth, intimacy, relationships, marriage, love, happiness, loss and renewal, this is a poignant tale from contemporary novelist Kimberley Allsopp
🍋 Offering readers a thoughtful and realistic exploration of a marriage that comes undone, Rise and Shine is a contemporary feel novel that speaks of many relationships as well as finding yourself later in life situations. In examining the genesis of a relationship, the progression, marriage, demise, fallout, and the recovery process, Rise and Shine seems to get you thinking about your own relationships. Allsopp’s married couple each have their own set of problems alongside their marital issues. We see what happens when a long term relationship begins to fall apart but there are still feelings of love under the overwhelming feelings of each partner experiencing the emotion of drifting away from each other under the weight of unspoken resentments and unshared dreams.
🍋Thanks to the blurb, this sounded like exactly my kind of read. I do appreciate a good no holds back style breakup story filled with raw emotion, careful introspection, character growth alongside a reflective look back on what once was a loving union. There was much to appreciate in this one. However, I will be honest and saw that I struggled to connect to this one. I found the beginning did pique my interest but it took a long time before I felt any real investment in either August or Noah. Allsopp does present us with some honest and flawed people, but for some reason it was hard for me to care deeply about their journey. I was following along on the surface level only.
Rise and Shine does feature some moments that stood out. There are flashes of emotive dialogue, glimpses of tenderness, areas of gut wrenching loss and a few splashes of humour (there’s a cracker near the end) which allowed me to see what the author was trying to achieve with this story, despite my disconnection. Allsopp manages to balance between melancholy, realism and warmth in her tale. I valued this tone very much. However, I often felt detached, as though I was watching from a distance rather than being fully involved in the emotional brevity of the story. I did read on to the end, there was sadness, grief, understanding, change, compromise, realisation, reconciliation, reinvention and hope in the closing elements of this tale. For me the lasting impression or take away message was the importance of rediscovering who you are outside of a relationship, even if this occurs in your forties or beyond.
Rise and Shine was a buddy read with my favourite book friend @nadsylovesbooks and that made all the difference. Discussing the characters, the writing, the events, situations and the themes together gave me a reason to keep turning the pages. I was definitely reminded why I love sharing books even when they don’t become favourites!
3 stars
A very big extension of thanks to @hapercollinsau for the copy
Read
May 31, 2025Starting a love story with a sad break up and then having your protagonists work back towards each other while rediscovering themselves is such clever and grown up storytelling. I’ve been thinking a lot about where we choose to start and end the stories we tell. August and Noah have gotten so weighed down by the annoying but necessary details of life (do we need milk?!?!) that they have stopped loving each other well, or even at all. Watching them do the work to fix that is joyful and charming. Come for the WHMS days of the week underwear reference, stay for the life and love affirming ways two Gen X-ers fall back in love with each other surrounded by a misfit cast of friends. Delightful reading. I LOVE August and Noah.
June 1, 2025
Big thanks to Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review.
Rise And Shine is a fresh, honest and relatable story exploring a relationship break up after ten years together.
Kimberley goes deep into the characters psyche and examines all angles, emotions and what happens next.
When someone in a decade of marriage wants out, what happens to the love story…..
August and Noah are in a relationship.
It’s been many years and while they love each other, it’s become ordinary and monotonous.
Then one of them wants out.
This is what happens next…..
A break up love story with banter thats witty and sharp.
I really felt the feelings and what the characters were going through.
An enjoyable reading experience and sure to satisfy many.
Rise And Shine is a fresh, honest and relatable story exploring a relationship break up after ten years together.
Kimberley goes deep into the characters psyche and examines all angles, emotions and what happens next.
When someone in a decade of marriage wants out, what happens to the love story…..
August and Noah are in a relationship.
It’s been many years and while they love each other, it’s become ordinary and monotonous.
Then one of them wants out.
This is what happens next…..
A break up love story with banter thats witty and sharp.
I really felt the feelings and what the characters were going through.
An enjoyable reading experience and sure to satisfy many.
November 21, 2025
I couldn't get past a character called "Ragina"
November 29, 2025
Different, Australian - really enjoyed it.
June 4, 2025
I devoured RISE AND SHINE as carefully as I could. Firstly, because I didn’t want it to end and secondly, because this story seemingly demands a gentle read that allows the world within this book to come alive beyond the page.
I fell in love with August and Noah. I absorbed their story. I marveled at the masterful storytelling and skillful prose. I finished the book and then I hugged the book.
I absolutely adored RISE AND SHINE!
A love story that happens ten years into a marriage that is ending, RISE AND SHINE is about the messiness & gloriousness of love & life.
It feels very Queensland. It feels very familiar and my gosh, it all felt very relatable. Many readers will recognise themselves or their stories in some way within these pages, I’m sure.
Poignant, wise, funny, heartfelt, hopeful and delightful. I wanted to live inside this book.
RISE AND SHINE is one of my favourite books of the year.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
I fell in love with August and Noah. I absorbed their story. I marveled at the masterful storytelling and skillful prose. I finished the book and then I hugged the book.
I absolutely adored RISE AND SHINE!
A love story that happens ten years into a marriage that is ending, RISE AND SHINE is about the messiness & gloriousness of love & life.
It feels very Queensland. It feels very familiar and my gosh, it all felt very relatable. Many readers will recognise themselves or their stories in some way within these pages, I’m sure.
Poignant, wise, funny, heartfelt, hopeful and delightful. I wanted to live inside this book.
RISE AND SHINE is one of my favourite books of the year.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
October 6, 2025
What a sweet book. I really appreciated the alternating perspectives of Noah and August, both felt so relatable. Their relationship offered a realistic portrayal of a long-term marriage full of shared routines, silly little jokes, quiet frustrations and irritations, but also the kind of intimacy that only time together can build. The subtle humour throughout is great, and the characters felt like people you might know …familiar, and easy to connect with.
A lovely read, thanks for the recommendation @loujbee ☺️
August 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this book and the story of Noah and August. The characters were so relatable. The fact that both Noah and August had to seperate in order to grow and become the people they needed to be (even though Noah was forced into it) and couldn't be inside their long-term marriage was both heartbreaking but understandable. I loved that there was no 'bad guy' but rather a collection of nice human beings who are just trying to be happy and live fulfilling lives. It's an utterly charming book.
October 7, 2025
A story about life and relationships, set in Brisbane. This one was just okay for me, alternating female and male narrator for the audiobook and I did not like the delivery by either of them!
June 3, 2025
Kimberley Allsopp has a most unique style of writing. Her debut novel in 2022, Love and Other Puzzles, blew me away - I adored it. It was full of wit and charm, refreshing, never dull with a perfect combination of humour and hindsight. Kimberley has carried some of this over into her next book, Rise and Shine where once more she challenges her readers by asking the question, when you realise that life is not what you want or wish it to be … how does one change?
‘She had a good life. She had to stop worrying about it and trying to stretch it into a shape that she thought it needed to be when this was a good shape.’
This is a story about life, love and what happens when, after ten years of marriage, someone wants out. What makes us happy, what makes us unhappy and what can we do about it. It’s a story that gets you thinking, presented in Kimberley’s witty, quirky and uplifting way.
‘She had to fold this moment up and put it in her pocket so she could bring it out when her love for this man felt worn out and thin.’
‘She had a good life. She had to stop worrying about it and trying to stretch it into a shape that she thought it needed to be when this was a good shape.’
This is a story about life, love and what happens when, after ten years of marriage, someone wants out. What makes us happy, what makes us unhappy and what can we do about it. It’s a story that gets you thinking, presented in Kimberley’s witty, quirky and uplifting way.
‘She had to fold this moment up and put it in her pocket so she could bring it out when her love for this man felt worn out and thin.’
July 14, 2025
☺️ Thank you Harper Collins Australia for this review copy, part of the Bookstagram Book Club.
💬 “He could read and speak her fluently.”
🍋 A story as inviting and charming as its cover you see. This is a sweet and realistic love story, with the give and take of hurt and joy that we all know too well. Anything set in Brisbane is an instant gem to me, and this was no exception: how special it felt to cheer (and mourn) for the Lions and huff and puff the steep streets alongside August and Noah as I already do outside of the novel. A story wiser beyond my years, I can picture myself revisiting it in ten or so years through a more experienced, hardened lens, and squeezing even more out of it with a new appreciation than I have now at 25.
🍋 I look forward to checking out Kimberley’s first novel, Love and Other Puzzles — if it’s as tender and cleverly amusing as this one, I know I’m in for a warm treat. 🥐 You’ll enjoy this novel if you are: a suburban Aussie, a woman, career-driven, the odd one out in your friend group, or all of the above.
💬 “He could read and speak her fluently.”
🍋 A story as inviting and charming as its cover you see. This is a sweet and realistic love story, with the give and take of hurt and joy that we all know too well. Anything set in Brisbane is an instant gem to me, and this was no exception: how special it felt to cheer (and mourn) for the Lions and huff and puff the steep streets alongside August and Noah as I already do outside of the novel. A story wiser beyond my years, I can picture myself revisiting it in ten or so years through a more experienced, hardened lens, and squeezing even more out of it with a new appreciation than I have now at 25.
🍋 I look forward to checking out Kimberley’s first novel, Love and Other Puzzles — if it’s as tender and cleverly amusing as this one, I know I’m in for a warm treat. 🥐 You’ll enjoy this novel if you are: a suburban Aussie, a woman, career-driven, the odd one out in your friend group, or all of the above.
July 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this one! It was very easy to warm to both August and Noah, who are both very likeable and relatable. I’m sure the situation they find themselves in is also very recognisable to many long-term couples. I wholeheartedly agreed with them for not settling with the mundane lives that they had come to accept and being brave enough to want more and actively going out and seeking this. It was refreshing for their story not to rely on either of them dealing with their unhappiness by having an affair. Their support cast of friends and family were fun, providing wit and also deeper layers to their story.
I thoroughly appreciate Kimberley’s writing style - having also enjoyed her first book, Love and Other Puzzles. She combines love with introspection, tenderness, and humour perfectly.
Highly recommend this warmhearted and charming read!
4.5⭐️'s
I thoroughly appreciate Kimberley’s writing style - having also enjoyed her first book, Love and Other Puzzles. She combines love with introspection, tenderness, and humour perfectly.
Highly recommend this warmhearted and charming read!
4.5⭐️'s
June 3, 2025
Rise and Shine by Kimberley Allsopp
“He wanted to be both. Be this man who created his own happiness and be the man who made her happy.”
I’ve never read a book that started at the end of a relationship and was still classed as a love story!
The book was an absolute delight to read! And I especially loved the message of knowing yourself/finding yourself in the middle of it all.
“It felt important to be alone and be okay with being alone”.
This book followed the relationship undoing of August and Noah. It's a story about hope, baking, making music, lemon trees, painting, love, divorce, dogs, the families we create for ourselves, and the heat of the Brisbane sun.
If you are in a long term relationship this books for you. Kimberley’s writing style is unique, addictive and fun to read. She touches on some raw topics and captures them perfectly!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“He wanted to be both. Be this man who created his own happiness and be the man who made her happy.”
I’ve never read a book that started at the end of a relationship and was still classed as a love story!
The book was an absolute delight to read! And I especially loved the message of knowing yourself/finding yourself in the middle of it all.
“It felt important to be alone and be okay with being alone”.
This book followed the relationship undoing of August and Noah. It's a story about hope, baking, making music, lemon trees, painting, love, divorce, dogs, the families we create for ourselves, and the heat of the Brisbane sun.
If you are in a long term relationship this books for you. Kimberley’s writing style is unique, addictive and fun to read. She touches on some raw topics and captures them perfectly!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 29, 2025
Rise and Shine by Kimberley Allsopp was a bit of a slow burn for me in the beginning, I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to enjoy it. But once I settled into the rhythm, I found myself unexpectedly drawn in.
What really surprised me was how much I related to August and Noah’s relationship journey; I couldn’t help but reflect on my own 14-year marriage and feel those little similarities, the ebbs and flows, the quiet negotiations of love that come with time.
I also really enjoyed the Brisbane backdrop, being a Gold Coast girl myself, it gave the story a lovely sense of familiarity and made me smile whenever I recognised the setting.
Kimberley writes with a gentle honesty about relationships, how they shift, grow, and sometimes stall, but always carry the potential for rediscovery. While the pacing may not grab everyone right away, the emotional pay-off is worth the patience.
A thoughtful, tender read that left me reflecting long after I’d finished.
What really surprised me was how much I related to August and Noah’s relationship journey; I couldn’t help but reflect on my own 14-year marriage and feel those little similarities, the ebbs and flows, the quiet negotiations of love that come with time.
I also really enjoyed the Brisbane backdrop, being a Gold Coast girl myself, it gave the story a lovely sense of familiarity and made me smile whenever I recognised the setting.
Kimberley writes with a gentle honesty about relationships, how they shift, grow, and sometimes stall, but always carry the potential for rediscovery. While the pacing may not grab everyone right away, the emotional pay-off is worth the patience.
A thoughtful, tender read that left me reflecting long after I’d finished.
June 24, 2025
Rise and Shine takes us into the marriage of Noah and August, the beginning of this story is the end of their relationship.
Honestly, i think it took me 1/3 of the book to truly get drawn into the story, i felt reading about a loveless marriage incredibly depressing… but it was also written so well, Allsopp draws the reader into August and Noah’s world and you feel part of the Brisbane scene.
Extra points for the Lions references 😂🦁
I really enjoyed the last third and the growth and development of August and Noah as individuals. i also really liked the Character of Adam and Jasper!
Definitely different to most things i read, but charming and poignant ☺️
Honestly, i think it took me 1/3 of the book to truly get drawn into the story, i felt reading about a loveless marriage incredibly depressing… but it was also written so well, Allsopp draws the reader into August and Noah’s world and you feel part of the Brisbane scene.
Extra points for the Lions references 😂🦁
I really enjoyed the last third and the growth and development of August and Noah as individuals. i also really liked the Character of Adam and Jasper!
Definitely different to most things i read, but charming and poignant ☺️
June 28, 2025
The @harpercollinsaustralia bookstagram bookclub book of the month was the quietly wonderful Rise and Shine by Kimberley Allsopp.
A book about love that was sometimes so hard hitting I had to stare at a wall for a while. Allsopp has a beautiful way with words and will sometimes sucker punch you with truth, as all good authors do.
I listened to the audiobook while reading and I think it really enhanced my experience- the two narrators did a wonderful job of bringing Noah and August to life. Such beautiful characters 🥰
A book about love that was sometimes so hard hitting I had to stare at a wall for a while. Allsopp has a beautiful way with words and will sometimes sucker punch you with truth, as all good authors do.
I listened to the audiobook while reading and I think it really enhanced my experience- the two narrators did a wonderful job of bringing Noah and August to life. Such beautiful characters 🥰
September 18, 2025
A complex and heartfelt portrayal of love and the lack of it, of long relationships and all the people you become inside one. This is MILES better than her first novel, handling nuances and the multiplicity of human emotions wisely without needing to have things neat and tidy. I found both August and Noah pretty irritating and there were definitely still some magical problem-solvers popping up, but the structure and the way Alsopp weaves the misery, depression, loss and hope of her characters together was really satisfying.
December 26, 2025
This was a Zara McDonald recommendation. It was a great local read. A relatable love story. I liked it, the writing was good. It just didn’t rock my world and I probably won’t be thinking about it again but an easy summer read nonetheless!
July 12, 2025
Adored ALL the characters in this easy-to-read story. Thought the whole thing was beautiful. Doesn’t get 5 stars though because I didn’t cry!
August 1, 2025
A sweet Briscore love story. A little something for everyone. Would be a nice and easy holiday read.
July 21, 2025
4.25 stars
Gifted review
This is the love story that comes after the love story - 10 years into a marriage when you’re looking for the exit. At first glance, there is nothing altogether ‘wrong’ with August and Noah and you probably know a lot of couples like them (or you may be an August or a Noah yourself) but there are unmet needs in their marriage. August can’t take the monotony and same-old-same-old anymore and decides to leave. Rise and Shine does explore the lead up to the separation but at its heart it is the story of August and Noah finding their way back to each other, whatever that may look like.
I am very lucky to say I have never experienced the end of a long-term adult relationship but Kimberley Allsopp gaslit me into thinking I have because I FELT the pain of these characters. The way she describes the loss of a source of comfort, even one that doesn’t necessarily spark joy, and the bittersweet connection you can have with someone you loved for a long time after going your separate ways really pulled on my heart strings. August and Noah are both flawed and a little messy but it was very easy for me to see how they fell in love in the first place despite their differences. I also like how this book briefly explores childlessness and how August particularly is treat for this choice. The overall plot kept me engaged and I liked the pacing.
Bonus for a healthy dose of much-needed humour and some good Aussie culture. 💖
Gifted review
This is the love story that comes after the love story - 10 years into a marriage when you’re looking for the exit. At first glance, there is nothing altogether ‘wrong’ with August and Noah and you probably know a lot of couples like them (or you may be an August or a Noah yourself) but there are unmet needs in their marriage. August can’t take the monotony and same-old-same-old anymore and decides to leave. Rise and Shine does explore the lead up to the separation but at its heart it is the story of August and Noah finding their way back to each other, whatever that may look like.
I am very lucky to say I have never experienced the end of a long-term adult relationship but Kimberley Allsopp gaslit me into thinking I have because I FELT the pain of these characters. The way she describes the loss of a source of comfort, even one that doesn’t necessarily spark joy, and the bittersweet connection you can have with someone you loved for a long time after going your separate ways really pulled on my heart strings. August and Noah are both flawed and a little messy but it was very easy for me to see how they fell in love in the first place despite their differences. I also like how this book briefly explores childlessness and how August particularly is treat for this choice. The overall plot kept me engaged and I liked the pacing.
Bonus for a healthy dose of much-needed humour and some good Aussie culture. 💖
August 22, 2025
That was a gorgeous, wholesome and kind of emotional read. There are so many raw feelings described and I feel like I felt most of them as I was reading.
I didn’t cry… but I could have.
I didn’t cry… but I could have.
August 6, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️ this was a sweet story and not your typical romance novel! A tad boring at times, but a feel good read nonetheless. August and Noah have been married for ten years, and August begins to question the life they’ve built and their love for each other, as their daily routines settle and becomes ‘comfortable’. As their marriage unravels and they face crises separately, August and Noah learn to invest in themselves and reflect on the meaning of their relationship. Through the dual perspective of both characters, Allsopp encourages you to reflect on the ebb and flow of relationships and the messiness of long term love. It was witty and wise at times, with some meaningful insight, but I just found it a little uneventful and disengaging overall.
August 8, 2025
Mmmm
Some good writing but I didn’t love it
I felt it was a bit weak
Some good writing but I didn’t love it
I felt it was a bit weak
December 28, 2025
3.5 stars
I’m usually not a fan of books that focus just on relationships, but I really loved this one. It focuses on love, timing and the comfort of familiar relationships. It’s an easy, gentle read and leans more into emotion than plot.
Pros:
- The relationship between Noah and August felt relatable
- Wholesome to read about them finding their way back to each other
Cons:
- Pacing felt a little slow at times
I’m usually not a fan of books that focus just on relationships, but I really loved this one. It focuses on love, timing and the comfort of familiar relationships. It’s an easy, gentle read and leans more into emotion than plot.
Pros:
- The relationship between Noah and August felt relatable
- Wholesome to read about them finding their way back to each other
Cons:
- Pacing felt a little slow at times
July 16, 2025
ill go with chronological order so why i didnt enjoy the beginning im going to be so fr i did not like Noah he was very much giving loser boyfriend/husband who doesnt realise how hardworking and incredible his wife is until its too late💀like im sorry but i fucking hate losers I FUCKING HATE THEM and he very much was loser coded to me.
SURPRISINGLY, noah actually had a pretty good character development and honestly i did truly feel like both Noah and August grew as people from beginning to the end of the story.
SURPRISINGLY, noah actually had a pretty good character development and honestly i did truly feel like both Noah and August grew as people from beginning to the end of the story.
August 22, 2025
Nothing happens in this book. It's about a relationship, and like 90% of what I read and enjoy is character driven stories with relationships at the centre, but this is a pretty dull one. I feel like it was marketed to me as a divorce novel but it really isn't...at all. I thought it might be dark and funny and twisted, which are narratives that I generally relish in. But, in it's defense, it's called 'Rise and Shine,' so I'm probably the fool here. Anyway, it's about two boring characters mainly (there are some strange side piece characters that don't do much) who have a really bad marriage so they split up and you find this out on page 2, so it's not a spoiler. Then they each go on to do some more boring stuff but separately and I couldn't really even tell you the climax. Blink and you'll miss it. Three stars was maybe even a bit generous on reflection. However, I got to the end and I didn't quite hate it.
July 14, 2025
This book begins at the end of Noah and August’s marriage. It is a story about different forms of love, happiness, losing yourself and what it takes to find yourself again.
This book had a great premise. It was well written and I enjoyed the hot Brisbane setting. There was a moment where I did get a little teary. However, it didn’t just grab my attention. The characters were very bland and their relationships weren’t too well explored. I just didn’t really care what happened to them. Also, I was bothered by grammatical errors.
Thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia for an advance copy of this book.
This book had a great premise. It was well written and I enjoyed the hot Brisbane setting. There was a moment where I did get a little teary. However, it didn’t just grab my attention. The characters were very bland and their relationships weren’t too well explored. I just didn’t really care what happened to them. Also, I was bothered by grammatical errors.
Thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia for an advance copy of this book.
August 17, 2025
My experience with this book was with the audio book. I spent a lot of my listening time trying to decide if I hated it or it was ok. If the narrator of August had done the whole book I probably would have enjoyed the experience, I adored her narration. The narrator of Noah made me hate his character intensely. There was also some really weird pronunciations that needed editing. There was some lovely lines that I think would have resonated with me if I was reading it for myself. I really wish I had read this instead of doing the audio.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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