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A Little Bit of Sunshine: The 2026 bestseller from the author of Perfectly Ordinary People and The Photographer's Wife
*** Promotional launch price (limited duration) ***
Two sisters.
With very different lives.
An invitation that changes everything.Dee’s life in rainy Salford couldn’t be more different from her sister Trina’s champagne-and-caviar shenanigans. So when Trina invites her to spend ten days on a luxurious Greek island, Dee can’t resist the promise of sunshine — or the chance to step briefly into her sister’s enviable world.
But paradise proves hot and restless and as the heat intensifies, tensions begin to blister in the heat. The other guests grow restless. The island starts to feel claustrophobic.
And Dee begins to sense that something about her sister’s perfect lifestyle doesn’t add up.
With the Aegean sun blazing overhead, long-buried truths begin to surface — about family, envy, and the dangerous allure of appearances. Soon Dee must confront the reality behind Trina’s glamorous world, the intentions of their seductive host, and a question she can no longer
Is the life she has been longing for really as perfect as it seems?
A gripping, emotionally rich family drama about sisters, secrets, and the cost of jealousy— from multi-million bestselling author Nick Alexander.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A beautiful and poignant tale that will steal your heart.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Packed with simmering frustrations, wonderfully immersive — I could almost feel the heat.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I found it impossible to put my Kindle down.”
📖 Free with Kindle Unlimited
Two sisters.
With very different lives.
An invitation that changes everything.Dee’s life in rainy Salford couldn’t be more different from her sister Trina’s champagne-and-caviar shenanigans. So when Trina invites her to spend ten days on a luxurious Greek island, Dee can’t resist the promise of sunshine — or the chance to step briefly into her sister’s enviable world.
But paradise proves hot and restless and as the heat intensifies, tensions begin to blister in the heat. The other guests grow restless. The island starts to feel claustrophobic.
And Dee begins to sense that something about her sister’s perfect lifestyle doesn’t add up.
With the Aegean sun blazing overhead, long-buried truths begin to surface — about family, envy, and the dangerous allure of appearances. Soon Dee must confront the reality behind Trina’s glamorous world, the intentions of their seductive host, and a question she can no longer
Is the life she has been longing for really as perfect as it seems?
A gripping, emotionally rich family drama about sisters, secrets, and the cost of jealousy— from multi-million bestselling author Nick Alexander.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A beautiful and poignant tale that will steal your heart.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Packed with simmering frustrations, wonderfully immersive — I could almost feel the heat.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I found it impossible to put my Kindle down.”
📖 Free with Kindle Unlimited
429 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 22, 2025
1205 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Nick Alexander
35 books669 followersMy novels:
A Little Bit of Sunshine (2026)
Where Do We Go From Here (2025)
The Imperfection of Us (2023)
Perfectly Ordinary People (2022)
From Something Old (2021)
The Road to Zoe (2020)
You Then, Me Now (2019)
Things We Never Said (2017)
The Bottle of Tears (2016) (also published as Let the Light Shine).
The Other Son (2015)
The Photographer's Wife (2014)
Two novels featuring Hannah:
- The Half-Life of Hannah.
- Other Halves (Dec 2013)
Two novels featuring CC:
- The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend
- The French House (May 2013)
The Fifty Reasons Series, following the life of lovelorn Mark
- 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye
- Sottopassaggio
- Good Thing, Bad Thing
- Better Than Easy
- Sleight Of Hand
And the standalone novel
- 13:55 Eastern Standard Time
The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend, The French House, and The Half-Life of Hannah have all been huge kindle hits, reaching number #1 in Amazon's kindle chart.
I live in the southern French Alps with three mogs (Mangui, Pastel & Pedro) and a very special ferret.
A Little Bit of Sunshine (2026)
Where Do We Go From Here (2025)
The Imperfection of Us (2023)
Perfectly Ordinary People (2022)
From Something Old (2021)
The Road to Zoe (2020)
You Then, Me Now (2019)
Things We Never Said (2017)
The Bottle of Tears (2016) (also published as Let the Light Shine).
The Other Son (2015)
The Photographer's Wife (2014)
Two novels featuring Hannah:
- The Half-Life of Hannah.
- Other Halves (Dec 2013)
Two novels featuring CC:
- The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend
- The French House (May 2013)
The Fifty Reasons Series, following the life of lovelorn Mark
- 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye
- Sottopassaggio
- Good Thing, Bad Thing
- Better Than Easy
- Sleight Of Hand
And the standalone novel
- 13:55 Eastern Standard Time
The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend, The French House, and The Half-Life of Hannah have all been huge kindle hits, reaching number #1 in Amazon's kindle chart.
I live in the southern French Alps with three mogs (Mangui, Pastel & Pedro) and a very special ferret.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
February 8, 2026
I usually enjoy Nick Alexander’s book despite the usual unsubtle political digs and references. However, this one was just weird. Why on earth were there so many references to the temperature? We get it … it’s hot in Greece and colder in England!!
And, who in the UK uses Fahrenheit? This was just weird and so distracting for the silly, but not-too-bad story, about a woman realising she’s happy with her lot after all.
And, who in the UK uses Fahrenheit? This was just weird and so distracting for the silly, but not-too-bad story, about a woman realising she’s happy with her lot after all.
February 24, 2026
I usually like this authors story and enjoy reading his books. However, I personally felt that this was not up to his usual standard.
Started off well enough, Dee, who was bored with her life, took the opportunity to go to Greece with her selfish sister and her husband. They stayed in an old ‘mansion’ which belonged to her sisters husband, Jason’s friend who just happened to be a millionaire.
Then it all got a bit silly and unbelievable and quite predictable.
I finished reading it as I wanted to see if the ending was any better. It was, as expected, nothing surprising there then.
All in all, he’s written much better novels. Not his best one, but that’s just my view/opinion.
Started off well enough, Dee, who was bored with her life, took the opportunity to go to Greece with her selfish sister and her husband. They stayed in an old ‘mansion’ which belonged to her sisters husband, Jason’s friend who just happened to be a millionaire.
Then it all got a bit silly and unbelievable and quite predictable.
I finished reading it as I wanted to see if the ending was any better. It was, as expected, nothing surprising there then.
All in all, he’s written much better novels. Not his best one, but that’s just my view/opinion.
January 7, 2026
Predictable.
A Little bit of Sunshine, Nick Alexander 4 stars
A bit of an unrealistic opportunity for a get away holiday with your sister due to her husband’s work. This involves a free stay on a small Greek island owned by an attractive narcissist, who is suave and attentive. Gradually the truth of Mr Attractive comes out, especially as a result of Greek fires and a tight escape.
Back home with her husband their long standing love is predictably rekindled, especially as he was the one who arranged their escape to safety from the Island.
Predictability meant that I skim read the boring bits in which you know how it’s going to go down! This resulted in 4 stars rather than 5. I’ve read it but wouldn’t say it is one of Nick’s best books.
A Little bit of Sunshine, Nick Alexander 4 stars
A bit of an unrealistic opportunity for a get away holiday with your sister due to her husband’s work. This involves a free stay on a small Greek island owned by an attractive narcissist, who is suave and attentive. Gradually the truth of Mr Attractive comes out, especially as a result of Greek fires and a tight escape.
Back home with her husband their long standing love is predictably rekindled, especially as he was the one who arranged their escape to safety from the Island.
Predictability meant that I skim read the boring bits in which you know how it’s going to go down! This resulted in 4 stars rather than 5. I’ve read it but wouldn’t say it is one of Nick’s best books.
December 27, 2025
hard to put down!
This book was really interesting and kept me invested in the characters. Not predictable, the plot surprises you at times. Some very interesting conversations between the characters at times about our paths in life and about grief. I love this author and will read anything new he writes. It’s always an interesting story that makes you think as well as entertains.
This book was really interesting and kept me invested in the characters. Not predictable, the plot surprises you at times. Some very interesting conversations between the characters at times about our paths in life and about grief. I love this author and will read anything new he writes. It’s always an interesting story that makes you think as well as entertains.
December 23, 2025
really makes you think about life, it's temptations and the ways we can get stuck: both by doing the same thing every day and dreaming of all the different things we could be doing but aren't!
April 16, 2026
A refreshing change!
I really, really enjoyed this book. The story arc was not only interesting, but unpredictable, which was a refreshing change from the norm. As a woman of a certain age, that has been married for a long time, I completely understood the protagonist’s need of changing her life up a bit only to find an appreciation what is right in front of her. The novel addresses the challenges that many middle aged people are experiencing…taking care and having the responsibility of an aged parent, all while mourning the loss of the other parent.
All heavy stuff, that the author expertly wove into an enthralling tale. Having survived two California wildfires, Dee’s escape from the island was harrowing and brought back some truly terrifying memories. Again, the author tempered the story with humor. Highly recommend.
I really, really enjoyed this book. The story arc was not only interesting, but unpredictable, which was a refreshing change from the norm. As a woman of a certain age, that has been married for a long time, I completely understood the protagonist’s need of changing her life up a bit only to find an appreciation what is right in front of her. The novel addresses the challenges that many middle aged people are experiencing…taking care and having the responsibility of an aged parent, all while mourning the loss of the other parent.
All heavy stuff, that the author expertly wove into an enthralling tale. Having survived two California wildfires, Dee’s escape from the island was harrowing and brought back some truly terrifying memories. Again, the author tempered the story with humor. Highly recommend.
April 13, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. There were many great things about it, which I appreciated.
The dialogue was believable, which isn't easy to maintain and sounded like real conversation. There were no unnecessary metaphors or similes to jar you out of the story, the descriptions of rainy Salford and Britain, the sizzling heat of Greek islands and interesting characters all helped with gripping you to the story.
At times, it had elements of Shirley Valentine. At other moments, it seemed to be unspooling as a possible thriller or maybe a murder, and the twists and turns of the plot kept me wondering and reading on as to what direction it would go in next. Never envy or assume you know someone's life from the outside.
It kept me on my toes, and I liked it immensely. It's very satisfying. easy to read novel. The last few chapters as the forest fires trapped and encircled Sona and Dee on the beach blazing away, threatening their lives and ability to flee were well written and exciting.
The dialogue was believable, which isn't easy to maintain and sounded like real conversation. There were no unnecessary metaphors or similes to jar you out of the story, the descriptions of rainy Salford and Britain, the sizzling heat of Greek islands and interesting characters all helped with gripping you to the story.
At times, it had elements of Shirley Valentine. At other moments, it seemed to be unspooling as a possible thriller or maybe a murder, and the twists and turns of the plot kept me wondering and reading on as to what direction it would go in next. Never envy or assume you know someone's life from the outside.
It kept me on my toes, and I liked it immensely. It's very satisfying. easy to read novel. The last few chapters as the forest fires trapped and encircled Sona and Dee on the beach blazing away, threatening their lives and ability to flee were well written and exciting.
February 18, 2026
Not what I expected, but bloody fantastic!
Well! I've been to Greece and Cyprus and Turkey. I've been in a rut, job wise, marriage wise, etc. But this was a charmer of a story. I really don't know what else to say without spoilers, but the characters were believable, the situation also. The ending satisfying. A very enjoyable read.
Well! I've been to Greece and Cyprus and Turkey. I've been in a rut, job wise, marriage wise, etc. But this was a charmer of a story. I really don't know what else to say without spoilers, but the characters were believable, the situation also. The ending satisfying. A very enjoyable read.
January 2, 2026
Anyone who knows me knows that this is one of my favourite authors whose 50 Reasons series was one of the first series I read on my shiny new kindle keyboard way back in April 2011... Since then I have pounced on every new release as soon as I was able... And have loved them all just as much, this one being no exception...
We start with Dee whose life is merely ticking along. She is still suffering from the death of her mother and also juggles her own life and work with visiting her father in the care home where he lives, not that he knows who she is... Quite different to that of her sister Trina who lives in Australia with her flashy rich husband, both living the life of Riley! Or so it appears...
Anyway... long story short and Trina is making one of her very rare visits to the UK and suggests that Dee travel down to London to catch up with her - I mean, all that way and can't even make the effort to pop up north to see her sister - but her time is precious and so Dee gives in and, as well as seeing her sister, scores an invite to a rather posh do, where she is seated with a business contact of her brother-in-law who takes rather a fancy to her... So much so that she is included in his invitation to Trina and her husband to stay with him on his private Greek island.
And it is there where Dee starts to realise that maybe her sister's life isn't as idyllic as she portrays and also that maybe, her's isn't as humdrum as she thinks...
I's already said how much I love this author's books. His characters, the storylines, and the no nonsense way the whole is delivered. And he always leaves me satisfied at the end. Occasionally emotionally exhausted, but always satisfied. And the way he makes the characters get under your skin, compelling you to root for them, or otherwise in some cases, all the time caring about what happens to them.
Ok so in this book I did find certain elements a wee bit on the contrived side, especially the dramatic rescue, but the rest of what I read was so well delivered that I was well able to easily forgive and move on.
All in all, a worthy addition to an already well impressive back catalogue. Roll on next time...
We start with Dee whose life is merely ticking along. She is still suffering from the death of her mother and also juggles her own life and work with visiting her father in the care home where he lives, not that he knows who she is... Quite different to that of her sister Trina who lives in Australia with her flashy rich husband, both living the life of Riley! Or so it appears...
Anyway... long story short and Trina is making one of her very rare visits to the UK and suggests that Dee travel down to London to catch up with her - I mean, all that way and can't even make the effort to pop up north to see her sister - but her time is precious and so Dee gives in and, as well as seeing her sister, scores an invite to a rather posh do, where she is seated with a business contact of her brother-in-law who takes rather a fancy to her... So much so that she is included in his invitation to Trina and her husband to stay with him on his private Greek island.
And it is there where Dee starts to realise that maybe her sister's life isn't as idyllic as she portrays and also that maybe, her's isn't as humdrum as she thinks...
I's already said how much I love this author's books. His characters, the storylines, and the no nonsense way the whole is delivered. And he always leaves me satisfied at the end. Occasionally emotionally exhausted, but always satisfied. And the way he makes the characters get under your skin, compelling you to root for them, or otherwise in some cases, all the time caring about what happens to them.
Ok so in this book I did find certain elements a wee bit on the contrived side, especially the dramatic rescue, but the rest of what I read was so well delivered that I was well able to easily forgive and move on.
All in all, a worthy addition to an already well impressive back catalogue. Roll on next time...
March 29, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed A Little Bit of Sunshine, a gripping story that kept me guessing at every turn. Some reviewers have called the plot predictable, but for me, it was anything but. Dee initially travels to the Greek islands with her sister, Trina, and her husband, with additional guests arriving later on (unbeknown to Dee when she said yes to the trip). As Dee finds herself stranded on the island, where English isn’t the most commonly spoken language, the sense of isolation and uncertainty only grows. The possibility of various plotlines lurks throughout, and not knowing which direction the story would take kept me enticed from start to finish.
One aspect I did find odd was Dee’s decision to visit the island without her husband. Given that her sister’s husband was going to be there, it did seem a bit like a couples’ retreat—without the couple. However, the author does a good job of explaining that Dee and Bob don’t have a lot of funds, which made her solo trip feel more understandable within the context of their relationship.
Really good light read, recommend if you are going on holiday. Takes me back to those nice summery hot island holidays! ☀️☀️
One aspect I did find odd was Dee’s decision to visit the island without her husband. Given that her sister’s husband was going to be there, it did seem a bit like a couples’ retreat—without the couple. However, the author does a good job of explaining that Dee and Bob don’t have a lot of funds, which made her solo trip feel more understandable within the context of their relationship.
Really good light read, recommend if you are going on holiday. Takes me back to those nice summery hot island holidays! ☀️☀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2026
Reminder everyone arent always as they seem
This was good. I liked the way the build up happened to the end event.
I could see why Dee was attracted to the excitement of travel and the Greek island.
I knew something was off with the dynamic with Trina.
Didn't like the cheating trope and it was not handled well.
The drama was palpable with what happened on the island and understood Dees resentment towards Trina.
What was done really well, was the dementia storyline. It was written realistically and with care. It also raised imoortant issues such as global warming and how undocumented people are exploited and treated.
There was resolution and good character growth.
This was good. I liked the way the build up happened to the end event.
I could see why Dee was attracted to the excitement of travel and the Greek island.
I knew something was off with the dynamic with Trina.
Didn't like the cheating trope and it was not handled well.
The drama was palpable with what happened on the island and understood Dees resentment towards Trina.
What was done really well, was the dementia storyline. It was written realistically and with care. It also raised imoortant issues such as global warming and how undocumented people are exploited and treated.
There was resolution and good character growth.
April 6, 2026
That was actually so bad. Firstly who in the UK uses Fahrenheit instead of Celsius (and feels the need to mention it every few chapters and says that using metrics is weird every few sentences as well?)?! This part already annoyed me and made no sense.
The story was predictable and just overall very annoying I find it hard to find any sort of compassion for this woman who just cheats on her husband and excuses it by saying she's now come to her senses and is realising that her husband was good all along.
Ugh. Horrible read.
The story was predictable and just overall very annoying I find it hard to find any sort of compassion for this woman who just cheats on her husband and excuses it by saying she's now come to her senses and is realising that her husband was good all along.
Ugh. Horrible read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2026
I’d never read anything by this author so didn’t know what to expect. I’m on holidays so was just looking for something light to read and this came up in my kindle app. It filled the light gap but was frustrating and hard to get through. I skimmed over the last chapter (epilogue) which could have been one paragraph not another 20 pages! The constant mention of the heat in Greece became annoying and I didn’t particularly warm to any of the characters even though I probably identify with Dee’s situation the most. Sometimes I felt the author was too literal describing each scene minute by minute with unnecessary detail. The themes raised weren’t really seen through making them pointless and the book could have had the same outcome but been 100 pages shorter.
January 9, 2026
Originally gave it a 5/5 because any book I just don’t want to put down must be 5 star worthy but moved down to a 4 because while it was very good, it was slightly predictable and I personally prefer a book that you don’t see the twist coming. I also don’t condone cheating (even if it’s a fictional story) and there was a bit of that as well even if it didn’t go far. It was very thought provoking though and encourages the reader to also take a look at their own life. Overall, it was a good story that really did make me just want to keep picking it up to see what happened next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2026
Generally I enjoyed the book and probably wouldn't normally make a comment.
However, a minor point - but it really irritated me. Since when do people in the UK still use Fahrenheit? We started using Celsius in the 60's - and weather forecasts have used it totally since the 80's. I'm older than Dee and would be totally confused if someone used the Fahrenheit scale these days.
Anyhow, as I said, a minor point but I'm surprised a British author would do that.
However, a minor point - but it really irritated me. Since when do people in the UK still use Fahrenheit? We started using Celsius in the 60's - and weather forecasts have used it totally since the 80's. I'm older than Dee and would be totally confused if someone used the Fahrenheit scale these days.
Anyhow, as I said, a minor point but I'm surprised a British author would do that.
January 26, 2026
Always enjoy Nick Alexander's books, they are well written, very readable, usually about regular people, likeable characters so you actually care what happens to them (very important I think). This book was no exception - you are always guaranteed a good story and a good read with one of Nick Alexander's books - treat yourself.
January 29, 2026
Story is good
While the story is good, the need to add political views, however disguised, is not necessary. Political preferences should remain private as everyone has their own beliefs and reasons for choosing their affiliation. The multiple Trump negative references were unnecessary to the story.
While the story is good, the need to add political views, however disguised, is not necessary. Political preferences should remain private as everyone has their own beliefs and reasons for choosing their affiliation. The multiple Trump negative references were unnecessary to the story.
March 2, 2026
I could not get past the reasons why a multi millionaire would not to able to stretch to fans in each persons room? Why did he invite people he obviously did not actually like? I did not buy the storyline and was waiting for some twist which never actually came. Have read a few previous books but did not enjoy this one so much.
March 16, 2026
It's an okay book, perfectly readable. I quite liked parts of it.
Bit confused about the suggestions that Brits use Fahrenheit, though, since the author is English. Fahrenheit stopped being the most common temperature measurement here a long time ago. Strange choice by the author. Stranger still that it was a theme throughout the book.
Bit confused about the suggestions that Brits use Fahrenheit, though, since the author is English. Fahrenheit stopped being the most common temperature measurement here a long time ago. Strange choice by the author. Stranger still that it was a theme throughout the book.
April 3, 2026
Excellent atmospheric thriller
Really enjoyed the entire book, read within a few days, as was hard to put down. The story was gripping throughout with lots of twists and turns. The characters and relationships were interesting and created a good deal of suspense as the story went along. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys an atmospheric thriller.
Really enjoyed the entire book, read within a few days, as was hard to put down. The story was gripping throughout with lots of twists and turns. The characters and relationships were interesting and created a good deal of suspense as the story went along. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys an atmospheric thriller.
April 22, 2026
Loved this book
Loved the relatable ordinary characters, who are extraordinary in their own way, having the hero inside them selves , reflecting life. Nice to see the wet north of England in a book with the feeling of persistent rain , a feeling I know well, though today the sun is shining! Loved the story line
Loved the relatable ordinary characters, who are extraordinary in their own way, having the hero inside them selves , reflecting life. Nice to see the wet north of England in a book with the feeling of persistent rain , a feeling I know well, though today the sun is shining! Loved the story line
December 30, 2025
Unputadownable
This book certainly gets you thinking about life and the people surrounding us. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. It's a beautiful story of relationships but also of discovery, hope and realisation. I absolutely loved it.
This book certainly gets you thinking about life and the people surrounding us. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. It's a beautiful story of relationships but also of discovery, hope and realisation. I absolutely loved it.
January 5, 2026
Good story
I really enjoyed this book even if it is not really a blokey book but I'll read anything that holds my attention and this story certainly did that. Thoroughly recommend it.
I really enjoyed this book even if it is not really a blokey book but I'll read anything that holds my attention and this story certainly did that. Thoroughly recommend it.
January 6, 2026
Sunshine
I loved this story. Read it really quickly as I loved the characters and the scenes created by the author. I could feel the temperature on the island as the descriptive writing conveyed it so well.
I loved this story. Read it really quickly as I loved the characters and the scenes created by the author. I could feel the temperature on the island as the descriptive writing conveyed it so well.
January 12, 2026
I had been looking forward to this latest book but in truth having struggled to reach the finishing line I found it somewhat below par and far too much of a soap opera set with predictable storyline content and detached disconnected characters.
January 16, 2026
If I had a pound for every sentence of Dee’s beginning with ‘um’ I’d be as rich as billionaire Wayne. I’ve enjoyed all of Nick Alexander’s other novels but unfortunately found this one to be dull, repetitive and preachy.
January 21, 2026
I love Nick's books have done since I read Photographers wife. I always wait impatiently for his next book. This is not his best and was a bit disappointed. Sorry. I was bored in bits and skim read it. It didn't grip me like his other books.
I'm looking forward to his next book
I'm looking forward to his next book
February 2, 2026
the book is confused about its genre!
I feel like this book had a point to make and the story was forced to add a bit of interest and drama. It didn’t flow and felt disjointed and clunky
I feel like this book had a point to make and the story was forced to add a bit of interest and drama. It didn’t flow and felt disjointed and clunky
February 8, 2026
DNF’d at 60% - this was just getting boring. I was really hoping this book would pick up in pace because I enjoyed the character development. But I found myself predicting what was happening and the narrative was just too repetitive for me.
February 10, 2026
While I have enjoyed this read to a certain extent, I did not like the references about Trump which was totally unnecessary.
To sum up this book in one line;
The grass is not always greener on the other side.
To sum up this book in one line;
The grass is not always greener on the other side.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews