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Sunny: Heartwarming and utterly relatable - the dazzling debut novel by comedian, writer and actor Sukh Ojla
Sunny is the queen of living a double life. To her friends, she's the entertaining, eternally upbeat, single one, always on hand to share hilarious and horrifying date stories. But while they're all settling down with long-term partners and mortgages, Sunny is back in her childhood bedroom at thirty, playing the role of the perfect daughter. She spends her time watching the Sikh channel, making saag and samosey with her mum, hiding gins-in-a-tin in her underwear drawer and sneaking home in the middle of the night after dates, trying but failing to find 'the one'.
She juggles both lives perfectly . . . on the outside, at least. But when her mum sees a guy dropping Sunny home one evening, Sunny's life gets a little complicated. Now her mum wants to know about the life she's hidden from her for so long.
Sunny is well versed in lying to her friends, her family, and, above all, herself. But how long can she keep it up for? Or is it finally time to start being honest?
She juggles both lives perfectly . . . on the outside, at least. But when her mum sees a guy dropping Sunny home one evening, Sunny's life gets a little complicated. Now her mum wants to know about the life she's hidden from her for so long.
Sunny is well versed in lying to her friends, her family, and, above all, herself. But how long can she keep it up for? Or is it finally time to start being honest?
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2022
45 people are currently reading
1371 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
January 16, 2023
Quick thoughts:
Bridgerton fans, did you know one of the actors, Sukh Oilja, has written a book? I picked up Sunny over the weekend and am a huge fan of her honesty. It reminds me a little of what I loved most about Sorrow and Bliss, in its insightful internal dialogue regarding mental health, with a strong feel all its own led by a British Indian main character you can’t help but instantly love and root for.
Sunny is one of my favorite characters I’ve read about in a while. I found so much to relate to in her story, and I would love a follow-up just because I enjoyed spending time with her.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Bridgerton fans, did you know one of the actors, Sukh Oilja, has written a book? I picked up Sunny over the weekend and am a huge fan of her honesty. It reminds me a little of what I loved most about Sorrow and Bliss, in its insightful internal dialogue regarding mental health, with a strong feel all its own led by a British Indian main character you can’t help but instantly love and root for.
Sunny is one of my favorite characters I’ve read about in a while. I found so much to relate to in her story, and I would love a follow-up just because I enjoyed spending time with her.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
September 17, 2022
Well I went in blind with this one , saw it on the library shelf & for some reason just picked it up,Sunny by Sukh Olja is a contemporary novel about a lady Sunny who lives two different lives with her friends she is the life of the party 🎊 tells them of her disastrous dates she only dates white men as she is a Sikh but when she gets home again she is under her mother & fathers thumb… you see she suffers depression, anxiety & OCD.
I found this to be well written, heartwarming & 😆 funny it pulls at your heart strings & never let’s go.
I found this to be well written, heartwarming & 😆 funny it pulls at your heart strings & never let’s go.
Read
February 7, 2024Women's fiction/chick lit quite reminiscent of Queenie, which I suspect will work like magic for a lot of readers but with which I'm just not clicking at all: I find books about women desperate for men and worrying about their weight and jobs and body hair etc chokingly frustrating and uncomfortable. This may be because I'm 50 and joyously done with that shit, but tbh I hated Bridget Jones's Diary at the time, so maybe it's just me.
If you did like Queenie/Bridget Jones, you will love this, as it's well written and well observed. Just not for me.
If you did like Queenie/Bridget Jones, you will love this, as it's well written and well observed. Just not for me.
March 10, 2022
I LOVED Sunny.
I've not read such a relatable character for ages, despite the difference in cultural background between Sunny and I it was easy to nod along and smile wryly at the pressures and pitfalls of being a woman in todays world.
Her attempts to find her perfect happiness (and please her mother by finding that man to marry) are beautifully intense, often laugh out loud funny but also darkly observant when it comes to the affects on mental health of the constant pressure to settle down and be happy.
It is a novel of love, family and friendship, a vibrant, emotionally resonant story, with an unforgettable central protagonist and a thought provoking snapshot of life.
Excellent. Highly Recommended.
I've not read such a relatable character for ages, despite the difference in cultural background between Sunny and I it was easy to nod along and smile wryly at the pressures and pitfalls of being a woman in todays world.
Her attempts to find her perfect happiness (and please her mother by finding that man to marry) are beautifully intense, often laugh out loud funny but also darkly observant when it comes to the affects on mental health of the constant pressure to settle down and be happy.
It is a novel of love, family and friendship, a vibrant, emotionally resonant story, with an unforgettable central protagonist and a thought provoking snapshot of life.
Excellent. Highly Recommended.
December 22, 2022
I'll be honest: When I started reading Sunny, I wasn't sure where it was going or if I'd be along for the ride. It takes a few chapters to adjust to the book's style, which is largely a sprawling and internal look at Sunny's days trying to manage her barely-diagnosed anxiety and depression, her negative feelings about her body, her lack of self-esteem, and her general sense of aimlessness. At times, the weight of everything can be downright bleak, as it is for so many people in real life.
If I'd read this book even three years ago, I wouldn't have been able to grapple with the fact that there isn't always a point to what's going on with a character like Sunny. But now, as someone who's really been Through Some Shit™ in recent years, I'm sitting here in awe of how well Sukh Ojla captured the feeling of being in your late twenties or early thirties and not quite knowing where you're supposed to go but feeling the expectations of others — while everyone else seems to blaze ahead just fine. It's one of those books that doesn't always feel great in the moment, but I've been staring at a wall for 30 minutes since reading it contemplating my life choices and Sunny's arc. It's that kind of experience.
I don't know if a singular comp could do this novel justice, but it reminds me of TV shows like Insecure, Girls, and Broad City mixed with literary works like Writers & Lovers and You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.
I hope this is just the beginning of what we see from Sukh Ojla as an author. And I'd love any form of an update on Sunny in the future — I'm always and forever rooting for her!
Content warning: Depression, anxiety, racism, misogyny, fatphobia, negative body-image
If I'd read this book even three years ago, I wouldn't have been able to grapple with the fact that there isn't always a point to what's going on with a character like Sunny. But now, as someone who's really been Through Some Shit™ in recent years, I'm sitting here in awe of how well Sukh Ojla captured the feeling of being in your late twenties or early thirties and not quite knowing where you're supposed to go but feeling the expectations of others — while everyone else seems to blaze ahead just fine. It's one of those books that doesn't always feel great in the moment, but I've been staring at a wall for 30 minutes since reading it contemplating my life choices and Sunny's arc. It's that kind of experience.
I don't know if a singular comp could do this novel justice, but it reminds me of TV shows like Insecure, Girls, and Broad City mixed with literary works like Writers & Lovers and You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.
I hope this is just the beginning of what we see from Sukh Ojla as an author. And I'd love any form of an update on Sunny in the future — I'm always and forever rooting for her!
Content warning: Depression, anxiety, racism, misogyny, fatphobia, negative body-image
March 26, 2023
Loved this book!
This is a slow burn with lots of detail so I did have to be in the mood but so glad I picked this up when I did.
Loved the representation, and comedic value did not take away from the more serious topics that are covered
This is a slow burn with lots of detail so I did have to be in the mood but so glad I picked this up when I did.
Loved the representation, and comedic value did not take away from the more serious topics that are covered
December 22, 2022
Yay, a novel about Punjabi Londoners.
Boo, another Bend It Like Beckham-esque spin-off about the judgmental Punjabi community, overbearing parents and body-shaming mothers. I’ve come to a point where I don’t find these themes funny; I find them triggering.
Despite being set against this cliched backdrop, Sunny is a fresh story. Halfway through, it stops being a story of the chubby, funny girl finding love - and turns into a story of female friendships. The protagonist has an uplifting arc; I would have loved to see how she overcame her obstacles, instead of it being simply alluded to that she does.
Boo, another Bend It Like Beckham-esque spin-off about the judgmental Punjabi community, overbearing parents and body-shaming mothers. I’ve come to a point where I don’t find these themes funny; I find them triggering.
Despite being set against this cliched backdrop, Sunny is a fresh story. Halfway through, it stops being a story of the chubby, funny girl finding love - and turns into a story of female friendships. The protagonist has an uplifting arc; I would have loved to see how she overcame her obstacles, instead of it being simply alluded to that she does.
August 3, 2024
Funny and very relatable. So glad I finally got a chance to read it. Love the Indian family references. I read this very quickly which to me is a sign of a good book!
February 28, 2025
I loved Sunny and her story - for a debut novel Sukh Ojla it is full of well rounded characters that you can identify with or recognise. I thoroughly enjoyed it
March 7, 2022
I requested this arc with much anticipation, as I have seen the author in her stand up comedy shows a few times, and she has always hit the nail on the head about being a young, British Asian, single woman.
The premise of Sunny, is a thirty-year-old British born Indian woman, struggling to fit in with the stereotypes of the East/West background she has grown up in.
Add to that, the pressures to feel like she should look a certain way, act a certain way, live her life a certain way.
But it's the double life she struggles with and those pressures above? Doubled.
Sunny wants to be like those friends of hers, settling down with their partners of choice, finding that intimacy that you only have with your soulmate.
She also wants to keep her parents happy, and not overstep any mark that might bring disrespect to her family, or her parents in particular.
Cue trying out all the dating apps, kissing many frogs, but not finding her Prince Charming, then clambering back into her 'home clothes' and wiping her make-up off before getting home, to where she is living, again, with her parents. And going out with her friends, with that 'emergency kit' forever with her, to mask any activity her parents would disapprove of.
At home, life is so much simpler, until Mama comes in, with her wanting Sunny to find a suitable boy, and settle down,
What follows is a story filled with so much laughter, as you relate to some of the situations that Sunny gets herself into, including hesitantly allowing her mum to get involved in her online dating, even letting her look at 'Tindles'!
But there is more at the heart of this.
Sukh Ojla deals with much more than the funny side of bagging a man so you can have that Big, Fat Indian wedding. There are unspoken expectations about how a girl should look, what she should say, how she should behave, and how these weigh heavily on someone mentally and emotionally. She touches on mental health, and the hidden depths of depression that can hit someone who is loaded with the pressure of expectation from all sides.
Being a resident of Gravesend for the last twenty years, I can vouch for the authenticity of how my marital hometown has been described, from the local Indian sweet shop to the town centre, the gurdwara to the promenade!
Sunny is a fantastic character, in herself, but the cast around her are equally amazing. I love her Mama, who is that quintessential Indian Mummy (Gravo style) complete with the samosa making skills, and Yoga class friends who are forever gossiping. Her Dad is equally wonderful. Quiet, unassuming, but a pillar of strength, regardless.
Sunny manages to find some real pieces of work, on her hunt for Mr Right, but she also learns a lot about other friends she has, and the new ones she makes.
(There were times I wanted to slap certain 'friends' of hers!)
Most of all, she finds herself, and I absolutely loved the ending!
I can't wait for another from this author!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of Sunny, is a thirty-year-old British born Indian woman, struggling to fit in with the stereotypes of the East/West background she has grown up in.
Add to that, the pressures to feel like she should look a certain way, act a certain way, live her life a certain way.
But it's the double life she struggles with and those pressures above? Doubled.
Sunny wants to be like those friends of hers, settling down with their partners of choice, finding that intimacy that you only have with your soulmate.
She also wants to keep her parents happy, and not overstep any mark that might bring disrespect to her family, or her parents in particular.
Cue trying out all the dating apps, kissing many frogs, but not finding her Prince Charming, then clambering back into her 'home clothes' and wiping her make-up off before getting home, to where she is living, again, with her parents. And going out with her friends, with that 'emergency kit' forever with her, to mask any activity her parents would disapprove of.
At home, life is so much simpler, until Mama comes in, with her wanting Sunny to find a suitable boy, and settle down,
What follows is a story filled with so much laughter, as you relate to some of the situations that Sunny gets herself into, including hesitantly allowing her mum to get involved in her online dating, even letting her look at 'Tindles'!
But there is more at the heart of this.
Sukh Ojla deals with much more than the funny side of bagging a man so you can have that Big, Fat Indian wedding. There are unspoken expectations about how a girl should look, what she should say, how she should behave, and how these weigh heavily on someone mentally and emotionally. She touches on mental health, and the hidden depths of depression that can hit someone who is loaded with the pressure of expectation from all sides.
Being a resident of Gravesend for the last twenty years, I can vouch for the authenticity of how my marital hometown has been described, from the local Indian sweet shop to the town centre, the gurdwara to the promenade!
Sunny is a fantastic character, in herself, but the cast around her are equally amazing. I love her Mama, who is that quintessential Indian Mummy (Gravo style) complete with the samosa making skills, and Yoga class friends who are forever gossiping. Her Dad is equally wonderful. Quiet, unassuming, but a pillar of strength, regardless.
Sunny manages to find some real pieces of work, on her hunt for Mr Right, but she also learns a lot about other friends she has, and the new ones she makes.
(There were times I wanted to slap certain 'friends' of hers!)
Most of all, she finds herself, and I absolutely loved the ending!
I can't wait for another from this author!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 1, 2022
I had the complete joy of picking up Sunny by Sukh Ojla over the weekend. On Sunday evening, I was feeling peckish for the kind of book you can just inhale in one go, and right at the top of my pile was Sunny, which turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.
Sunny is the queen of living a double life, either the entertaining upbeat friend or the perfect daughter. But when her mum sees a guy friend dropping her home one night, things get a little complicated. Is now the time to be honest about what she needs, wants and deserves?
With shades of The Split, The View was Exhausting & Queenie, Sunny is a novel about feeling a little outside of everyone else, about hitting thirty, living with your parents and wondering how the fuck you got there, and what is going to happen next. It's crucially also about the relationship between Sunny and her mother, as they learn to communicate -- much of this in the latter section made me cry because it was just so lovely.
Sunny is also a fat woman, and i appreciated that the story explored the microaggressions of being a visibly fat person alongside the culmination of her story not being weight loss. also wow i love Beena, we all need a Beena and a Natalie in our lives
Sunny is a bright debut about cultural expectations, family, love and illness, for anyone who felt stuck between worlds. I am so grateful to have a proof of this, and it's out in the real world on the 3rd of March in hardback, ebook & audio! thank you to Hodder studio for the proof!
Sunny is the queen of living a double life, either the entertaining upbeat friend or the perfect daughter. But when her mum sees a guy friend dropping her home one night, things get a little complicated. Is now the time to be honest about what she needs, wants and deserves?
With shades of The Split, The View was Exhausting & Queenie, Sunny is a novel about feeling a little outside of everyone else, about hitting thirty, living with your parents and wondering how the fuck you got there, and what is going to happen next. It's crucially also about the relationship between Sunny and her mother, as they learn to communicate -- much of this in the latter section made me cry because it was just so lovely.
Sunny is also a fat woman, and i appreciated that the story explored the microaggressions of being a visibly fat person alongside the culmination of her story not being weight loss. also wow i love Beena, we all need a Beena and a Natalie in our lives
Sunny is a bright debut about cultural expectations, family, love and illness, for anyone who felt stuck between worlds. I am so grateful to have a proof of this, and it's out in the real world on the 3rd of March in hardback, ebook & audio! thank you to Hodder studio for the proof!
November 8, 2022
The balance of keeping up with expectations set upon you by family, always keeping up the appearance of being the happy and funny friend versus the reality of how imagined your life and coping with real feelings.
While it seems that Sunny might mainly be preoccupied with finding “the one”, friendship and what makes someone a good or toxic friend is an enormous part of this story and at one point I found myself wanting to give Sunny a hug and tell her that it's okay to not be okay.
What made this book a great read was the humour that Sukh Ojla put into the characters and the maybe somewhat absurd but still familiar everyday type of situations.
Thank you Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Sukh Ojla for the opportunity to read this Book as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Aloysius is a miniature schnauzer, one of those dogs that look like a grumpy old man and has the personality of one too. He hates children and loud noises.
We have a lot in common.
While it seems that Sunny might mainly be preoccupied with finding “the one”, friendship and what makes someone a good or toxic friend is an enormous part of this story and at one point I found myself wanting to give Sunny a hug and tell her that it's okay to not be okay.
What made this book a great read was the humour that Sukh Ojla put into the characters and the maybe somewhat absurd but still familiar everyday type of situations.
Thank you Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Sukh Ojla for the opportunity to read this Book as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2022
Sunny is struggling with life, she is living at home with her parents and is stuck in a job she doesn't love. She is growing apart from her friends and doesn't see where she fits in. She is most definitely depressed and this is where I felt that the book needed to be expanded.
It was light and amusing in places, but I felt that it needed some more serious sections and these were glossed over.
I also felt that we got a lot of back story and then just as things started changing it ended, I would have loved to read more on Sunny decisions and what happens next.
I liked her relationship with her mum and how that grew throughout the book, the love really some through the pages.
It was light and amusing in places, but I felt that it needed some more serious sections and these were glossed over.
I also felt that we got a lot of back story and then just as things started changing it ended, I would have loved to read more on Sunny decisions and what happens next.
I liked her relationship with her mum and how that grew throughout the book, the love really some through the pages.
February 28, 2024
I am not a romance reader (I've realised) and although I didn't love this myself I gave it a good 3/5 ⭐️ read because I think romance readers or fans of Bridget Jones would really enjoy this!
SYNOPSIS:
"Sunny is the queen of living a double life. To her friends, she's the entertaining, eternally upbeat, single one, always on hand to share hilarious and horrifying date stories. But while they're all settling down with long-term partners and mortgages, Sunny is back in her childhood bedroom at thirty, playing the role of the perfect daughter. She spends her time watching the Sikh channel, making saag and samosey with her mum, hiding gins-in-a-tin in her underwear drawer and sneaking home in the middle of the night after dates, trying but failing to find 'the one'."
MY THOUGHTS:
❤️ Okay so I may have realised that romance isn't for me and I struggle to relate to this book BUT...
❤️ It was lovely to see a book about modern-day dating with a South Asian main character.
❤️ I could imagine that readers who love Bridge Jones still stories would possibly enjoy this, there are nightmare date stories, body struggles, and societal and cultural expectations.
❤️ Some may struggle with the body/weight struggles in this book, however, it comes from the main character and her mother.
❤️ It was nice to see the positive changes in Sunny's relationship with her mum, whilst seeing the toxicity of her friend circle determine who she really cares about and vice versa.
❤️ Although this wasn't the book for me, and I really should just stop trying to read romance, I can imagine others enjoying this.
SYNOPSIS:
"Sunny is the queen of living a double life. To her friends, she's the entertaining, eternally upbeat, single one, always on hand to share hilarious and horrifying date stories. But while they're all settling down with long-term partners and mortgages, Sunny is back in her childhood bedroom at thirty, playing the role of the perfect daughter. She spends her time watching the Sikh channel, making saag and samosey with her mum, hiding gins-in-a-tin in her underwear drawer and sneaking home in the middle of the night after dates, trying but failing to find 'the one'."
MY THOUGHTS:
❤️ Okay so I may have realised that romance isn't for me and I struggle to relate to this book BUT...
❤️ It was lovely to see a book about modern-day dating with a South Asian main character.
❤️ I could imagine that readers who love Bridge Jones still stories would possibly enjoy this, there are nightmare date stories, body struggles, and societal and cultural expectations.
❤️ Some may struggle with the body/weight struggles in this book, however, it comes from the main character and her mother.
❤️ It was nice to see the positive changes in Sunny's relationship with her mum, whilst seeing the toxicity of her friend circle determine who she really cares about and vice versa.
❤️ Although this wasn't the book for me, and I really should just stop trying to read romance, I can imagine others enjoying this.
April 30, 2022
Oh Sunny!! 🌞
What an absolute joy it was to read this. A totally relatable book! Being Indian myself, I found myself laughing, crying and cringing at moments, along Sunny's journey. A brilliant debut by comedian @sukhojla.
An honest account which will resonate with you for a long time; Sunny finds herself turning thirty and unable to get a handle on her life. With so much not accomplished and living at home with her parents; seeing her friends all enter marriage zones and Sunny unable to hold down a date, she finds herself spiraling and losing sight of who she really is.
How often we find ourselves in Sunny's shoes. Especially women! Cultural pressures and societal pressures have almost morphed together and crippled the self values we have for ourselves. But Sunny does well to remind us of how to hold it together and this is probably what I enjoyed the most about the book.
With the forced mindset of how life should be lived by the age of thirty and together with her mum's interference and her friends constant judging, Sunny sets of on the best journey she will probably take...self discovery. And you'll be sure to not want to miss out...
What an absolute joy it was to read this. A totally relatable book! Being Indian myself, I found myself laughing, crying and cringing at moments, along Sunny's journey. A brilliant debut by comedian @sukhojla.
An honest account which will resonate with you for a long time; Sunny finds herself turning thirty and unable to get a handle on her life. With so much not accomplished and living at home with her parents; seeing her friends all enter marriage zones and Sunny unable to hold down a date, she finds herself spiraling and losing sight of who she really is.
How often we find ourselves in Sunny's shoes. Especially women! Cultural pressures and societal pressures have almost morphed together and crippled the self values we have for ourselves. But Sunny does well to remind us of how to hold it together and this is probably what I enjoyed the most about the book.
With the forced mindset of how life should be lived by the age of thirty and together with her mum's interference and her friends constant judging, Sunny sets of on the best journey she will probably take...self discovery. And you'll be sure to not want to miss out...
April 5, 2023
Loved every page and an ending that just felt right 🥰
March 3, 2022
This is an important story about finding love. Won't say more, so not to spoil.
February 25, 2023
Loved every part of this book! Loved all the Punjabi and Sikh culture, and loved Sunny’s journey in self discovery. Loved her relationship with her mom the most.
February 15, 2023
I absolutely adored this book, it reminded me of “Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?” with the female lead who is struggling with keeping both her Britishness a secret from her parents and family and keeping her Sikh culture to a minimum with some of her friends.
Sunny has two versions of herself, the Sunny that her parents are proud of but have no idea what is really going on with her and the Sunny that her friends see as the flirty party animal, the version that her family definitely don’t know about. Sunny is also dating and trying to find herself a nice husband that she would be proud to bring home to her family and show off to her friends but keeps finding men that either bore her or look nothing like their pictures. Sunny’s best friends, all in relationships, love her stories and ask her about her dating woes every time they get together, and it becomes obvious that they’re not as supportive as friends should be.
Sunny only seems to have one friend who loves her unconditionally, Natalie, and she is there for Sunny constantly checking in and reassuring her when needed. And when she meets Beena at a hen party, it becomes obvious that Beena is the kind of friend that Sunny needs too, although they’ve been kept apart by Sunny’s friend Anj because she’s bad news.
It becomes obvious that Sunny isn’t completely happy with her life, and I felt for Sunny in both her happy moments and her extreme low points. I didn’t want to put this book down and spent it hoping that things would get better for Sunny.
Thank you to The Pigeonhole book club and Sukh Ojla for allowing me to read this wonderful book!
Sunny has two versions of herself, the Sunny that her parents are proud of but have no idea what is really going on with her and the Sunny that her friends see as the flirty party animal, the version that her family definitely don’t know about. Sunny is also dating and trying to find herself a nice husband that she would be proud to bring home to her family and show off to her friends but keeps finding men that either bore her or look nothing like their pictures. Sunny’s best friends, all in relationships, love her stories and ask her about her dating woes every time they get together, and it becomes obvious that they’re not as supportive as friends should be.
Sunny only seems to have one friend who loves her unconditionally, Natalie, and she is there for Sunny constantly checking in and reassuring her when needed. And when she meets Beena at a hen party, it becomes obvious that Beena is the kind of friend that Sunny needs too, although they’ve been kept apart by Sunny’s friend Anj because she’s bad news.
It becomes obvious that Sunny isn’t completely happy with her life, and I felt for Sunny in both her happy moments and her extreme low points. I didn’t want to put this book down and spent it hoping that things would get better for Sunny.
Thank you to The Pigeonhole book club and Sukh Ojla for allowing me to read this wonderful book!
March 12, 2022
Sunny Sanghera is a 30-year-old Punjabi woman currently living back at home with her parents in Gravesend. Single and still looking for love, Sunny’s life is a massive lie. Maintaining her standing as the dutiful daughter, she’s searching for "Mr Right" away from the watchful eyes of her mum whilst keeping up the appearance of being the happy go lucky, amusing one amongst her circle of friends. Really though, she is suffering big style from low self-esteem and anxiety, and she comfort-eats ham and crisp sandwiches, slabs of chocolate and huge bags of cheese puffs among other things.
Wise and extremely amusing, I really enjoyed this début. Sukh Ojla applies an injection of humour at precisely the right moments making life's everyday situations interesting to read about. As I greedily flipped the pages I found myself willing Sunny to a happier place where she might feel comfortable in her own skin. This novel is very much about friendships, both genuine and toxic ones. Sukh Ojla's terrific writing made it easy to feel Sunny's emotions; her being the odd one out, her pain and insecurity. Family dynamics are also a main feature of the novel and I revelled being privy to Sunny's evolving relationship with her mum. Sukh Ojla's début is well worth picking up.
A special thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Sukh Ojla, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.
Wise and extremely amusing, I really enjoyed this début. Sukh Ojla applies an injection of humour at precisely the right moments making life's everyday situations interesting to read about. As I greedily flipped the pages I found myself willing Sunny to a happier place where she might feel comfortable in her own skin. This novel is very much about friendships, both genuine and toxic ones. Sukh Ojla's terrific writing made it easy to feel Sunny's emotions; her being the odd one out, her pain and insecurity. Family dynamics are also a main feature of the novel and I revelled being privy to Sunny's evolving relationship with her mum. Sukh Ojla's début is well worth picking up.
A special thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Sukh Ojla, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.
March 23, 2022
I started reading this book on a flight and had a number of other passengers passing awkward glances at me every time I snort-laughed. I hit a new record.
I could not put this book down.
A wonderful blend of humour, heartbreak and everything in between, it had my full attention throughout. So so so relatable for all women trying to figure out what the *F* is going on in our lives sometimes, where we fit in, and where the edges of our boundaries lie. I wish the dabble into Sunny’s mental health was delved into deeper, just for more pages to read, because it truly was a book I didn’t want to end.
The fact the author is also a comedian made me love this even more because She. Gets. Humour. The sheer amount of times I ugly-cackled out loud was liberating for my soul. It had been too long since a book has been able to do that for me, and I’m grateful.
Sunny is a superb debut novel for Sukh Ojla. I loved every bit of it.
I could not put this book down.
A wonderful blend of humour, heartbreak and everything in between, it had my full attention throughout. So so so relatable for all women trying to figure out what the *F* is going on in our lives sometimes, where we fit in, and where the edges of our boundaries lie. I wish the dabble into Sunny’s mental health was delved into deeper, just for more pages to read, because it truly was a book I didn’t want to end.
The fact the author is also a comedian made me love this even more because She. Gets. Humour. The sheer amount of times I ugly-cackled out loud was liberating for my soul. It had been too long since a book has been able to do that for me, and I’m grateful.
Sunny is a superb debut novel for Sukh Ojla. I loved every bit of it.
August 27, 2024
I felt for Sunny and thought the ending was lovely. Some genuinely funny moments but her insecurity often made her unkind, and this overpowered the story. Sunny felt judged a lot (and she was!) and she didn’t seem to realise how often she judged others - women who don’t work, women who do work but their jobs pay well, certain accents, relationships, appearances, etc. Loved the relationship arc with her mum and glad to see that therapy and mental health were addressed in the South Asian context.
May 29, 2022
Sunny is a 30-year old woman living with her parents and working a job she doesn't like, who is in constant denial of her depression. I am not sure why the kindle title includes "utterly relatable", but the lack of relatability was not the reason for the lower rating. I usually enjoy reading about other cultures as there is much for me to learn, but I must say I didn't learn much from Sunny's story and experiences. I didn't understand the main character, a lot of her choices made me cringe and the character development on chapter 30 seemed as stuck as on chapter 10. I am not sure why the book felt like a let down to me, maybe it was the lack of development and I was expecting witty dialogues.
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August 10, 2025I think fans of Maame will love this book! This had a lot of heart— I fell in love with + felt for Sunny as she waded through this tough standstill rite of passage point in her 20s. The interactions with her mother were my favorite parts and often made me laugh at loud at how much I could see me and my mom in it lmao. Refreshing, sweet, nostalgic, reflective— truly loved reading it!
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March 13, 2023A romance unlike any other: “Sunny” is the story of a young woman falling in love with herself.
The titular character in Sukh Ojla’s debut is a relatable and nuanced protagonist who, after moving back in with her parents at 30, struggles with self-confidence and mental health challenges, while leading a codependent life with her friends, boss, ex-lover, and family.
Sunny's relationship with her mom is particularly powerful, as we see their relationship evolve from one built on a choreography of lies to one that is filled with deep understanding. Ojla uses the setting of the kitchen, where Sunny and her mother make sabji with the Sikh Channel playing in the background, to paint an all-too-relatable picture of the dutiful Punjabi daughter who makes every effort to hide her real pain and loneliness from her mom.
Ojla also addresses the difficult truth that adult relationships change, sometimes to the point of dissolution. Sunny unpacks moments of racism, microaggressions, and gaslighting from some of her longtime friends that ultimately plant the seeds of a friendship breakup. Readers will root for Sunny as she has raw confrontations with these so-called friends and have her back as she navigates the grief and acceptance that comes with those endings.
“Sunny” is a gift to those who have struggled with insecurity, validating the messy, painful, and beautiful parts of navigating loneliness and growth. Readers will feel like they are having a one-on-one conversation with Sunny, whose flawed yet wholeheartedly lovable character is made even more relatable by Ojla’s tempered blend of humor and heartache.
The titular character in Sukh Ojla’s debut is a relatable and nuanced protagonist who, after moving back in with her parents at 30, struggles with self-confidence and mental health challenges, while leading a codependent life with her friends, boss, ex-lover, and family.
Sunny's relationship with her mom is particularly powerful, as we see their relationship evolve from one built on a choreography of lies to one that is filled with deep understanding. Ojla uses the setting of the kitchen, where Sunny and her mother make sabji with the Sikh Channel playing in the background, to paint an all-too-relatable picture of the dutiful Punjabi daughter who makes every effort to hide her real pain and loneliness from her mom.
Ojla also addresses the difficult truth that adult relationships change, sometimes to the point of dissolution. Sunny unpacks moments of racism, microaggressions, and gaslighting from some of her longtime friends that ultimately plant the seeds of a friendship breakup. Readers will root for Sunny as she has raw confrontations with these so-called friends and have her back as she navigates the grief and acceptance that comes with those endings.
“Sunny” is a gift to those who have struggled with insecurity, validating the messy, painful, and beautiful parts of navigating loneliness and growth. Readers will feel like they are having a one-on-one conversation with Sunny, whose flawed yet wholeheartedly lovable character is made even more relatable by Ojla’s tempered blend of humor and heartache.
April 4, 2022
There was something entirely enjoyable about this book. The point of view is not one I am familiar with or at least the few I have had the opportunity to read did not agree with me. This was not the case here. If anything, I would say only the incessant reference to her own physical appearance was the thing that got a little tiring (the number of times could have been fewer). I got that point out of the way in the very beginning to get a better grip on my review.
Sunny is dissatisfied with where she is in her life. She is living with her parents (to save on rent) and working in a job that she does not have a passion for. Being highly empathetic, she lets people's comfort supersede her own when situations arise. When the book begins, it is an especially tiring time as her closest friend is getting married. This is to be an Indian wedding (one of the best conversations I found was the discussion between this and what it would mean to call it Indian Themed instead)
The author walks a line when it comes close to stereotyping the people in her community by adding enough information regarding daily life (both personal and as a group) to provide an extensive view of what it means to belong to such a community. The narrative did not just pick at a few points and harp on them, which was refreshing and informative.
These varying colours are shown in many of her relationships as well. Each person is not just as they appear at first glance, making some family moments extremely heartfelt. I shed a few tears over a few scenes (quite wholeheartedly).
Sunny is the coming of age story with the growth arc of not just one individual but many of the people and the bonds they share with our protagonist. The writing is smooth, and the author's personal experiences seem to have influenced the stark reality of some interactions featured here.
I would definitely pick another book by the author and recommend this to others who find the blurb interesting.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Sunny is dissatisfied with where she is in her life. She is living with her parents (to save on rent) and working in a job that she does not have a passion for. Being highly empathetic, she lets people's comfort supersede her own when situations arise. When the book begins, it is an especially tiring time as her closest friend is getting married. This is to be an Indian wedding (one of the best conversations I found was the discussion between this and what it would mean to call it Indian Themed instead)
The author walks a line when it comes close to stereotyping the people in her community by adding enough information regarding daily life (both personal and as a group) to provide an extensive view of what it means to belong to such a community. The narrative did not just pick at a few points and harp on them, which was refreshing and informative.
These varying colours are shown in many of her relationships as well. Each person is not just as they appear at first glance, making some family moments extremely heartfelt. I shed a few tears over a few scenes (quite wholeheartedly).
Sunny is the coming of age story with the growth arc of not just one individual but many of the people and the bonds they share with our protagonist. The writing is smooth, and the author's personal experiences seem to have influenced the stark reality of some interactions featured here.
I would definitely pick another book by the author and recommend this to others who find the blurb interesting.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
July 28, 2023
4/5 ⭐️
What a refreshing and totally relatable read! This was a book club pick, something completely different to what I would usually read and I’m so glad it was chosen!
There was several moments throughout this book where I kept finding myself laughing out loud. The perfect blend of humour, heartbreak and everything in between. No matter who you are, I feel like we can all relate to Sunny in some way. The novel also provides some very important life lessons regarding friendships, family and work!
'You've gotta make sure your choices are your own. Even if you think they're your choices, there's no harm in questioning them. You know what's right for you, it's just whether you're ready to acknowledge it.'
My highlights throughout the book were Sunny & Dean always looking forward to KFC Fridays and how Sunny’s mum said Twindles instead of Tinder. It’s a book I truly didn’t want to end. It was almost like reading someone’s diary and being inside their head!
'Look, puth. It's like this turning.' She gestures at the junction coming up. 'Somebody goes this way, somebody goes the other way; nobody is wrong.
What a refreshing and totally relatable read! This was a book club pick, something completely different to what I would usually read and I’m so glad it was chosen!
There was several moments throughout this book where I kept finding myself laughing out loud. The perfect blend of humour, heartbreak and everything in between. No matter who you are, I feel like we can all relate to Sunny in some way. The novel also provides some very important life lessons regarding friendships, family and work!
'You've gotta make sure your choices are your own. Even if you think they're your choices, there's no harm in questioning them. You know what's right for you, it's just whether you're ready to acknowledge it.'
My highlights throughout the book were Sunny & Dean always looking forward to KFC Fridays and how Sunny’s mum said Twindles instead of Tinder. It’s a book I truly didn’t want to end. It was almost like reading someone’s diary and being inside their head!
'Look, puth. It's like this turning.' She gestures at the junction coming up. 'Somebody goes this way, somebody goes the other way; nobody is wrong.
April 28, 2022
When I started reading 'Sunny', my first thought was "Here we go again. Not another funny fat girl in search of love' story. But this book shrugged off that initial label and developed into so much more although it did have to pass through "Funny fat girl hiding her identity from her Sikh parents' and 'Funny fat girl not respecting herself enough to expect more than a one night stand' until eventually turning into '30 year old finally realises you don't have to be what you always were for the people you were always performing for'.
It's not bad at all.
If you have Sikh friends, you'll spot ALL the many and varied cliches about family and community but just because they're cliches. doesn't mean they aren't true.
My favourite character is Sunny's mother and Sunny's friend Natalie - both of whom are great people for showing a strong character who is having a gigantic wobble that she doesn't need to keep playing other people's games.
Good stuff!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
It's not bad at all.
If you have Sikh friends, you'll spot ALL the many and varied cliches about family and community but just because they're cliches. doesn't mean they aren't true.
My favourite character is Sunny's mother and Sunny's friend Natalie - both of whom are great people for showing a strong character who is having a gigantic wobble that she doesn't need to keep playing other people's games.
Good stuff!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
June 16, 2024
Sunny is the most real protagonist I’ve read in a very long time. We get to see all of her inner life, including the way she shrinks herself to fit the boxes in which people see her, and the sort of thoughts and feelings I try to pretend aren’t there in my mind (envy, bitterness, etc.). For me, the latter served to make her a more sympathetic character than she could have been otherwise.
Another standout aspect of the book for me was the insight into the lives of Punjabi Sikhs in Britain. When I was growing up, a lot of my friends and neighbours were Punjabi Sikhs, and while a lot of details in the book rang bells with me, I got more of an idea of how much I didn’t previously know or understand about their culture. I enjoyed having to stop reading every so often to look up a term I didn’t know and end up learning about stuff.
The only real shortcomings were the small quantity of typos and similar errors that seemed mostly to cluster in a few pages fairly near the end, almost as if a chapter hadn’t been proofread. Thankfully they didn’t detract too much from the whole thing.
Another standout aspect of the book for me was the insight into the lives of Punjabi Sikhs in Britain. When I was growing up, a lot of my friends and neighbours were Punjabi Sikhs, and while a lot of details in the book rang bells with me, I got more of an idea of how much I didn’t previously know or understand about their culture. I enjoyed having to stop reading every so often to look up a term I didn’t know and end up learning about stuff.
The only real shortcomings were the small quantity of typos and similar errors that seemed mostly to cluster in a few pages fairly near the end, almost as if a chapter hadn’t been proofread. Thankfully they didn’t detract too much from the whole thing.
March 2, 2022
Actual rating 4.5 stars
Sunny has recently moved back in with her parents. Thirty, single and hating her job, she is feeling directionless and unsure of what her future holds. We follow Sunny as she tries to figure it all out, balancing her disastrous dating life with her parents traditional views and expectations.
Sunny is such a amazing character. She’s funny and kind and a great friend. But she’s taken advantage of by some of her friends and clings to relationships that no longer serve her. Along with that her dating life consists of a string of men who fail to appreciate how absolutely fantastic and feisty Sunny is.
This book was such a delight to read. Sunny has some great one liners, her witty come backs on dates had me laughing out loud. But my favourite part of the story was the development of her relationship with her mother, it felt so authentic. I know this is a standalone novel but I absolutely would love to read a second instalment to Sunny’s story. A funny and heartwarming book that I throughly enjoyed.
Thanks to Hodder Studio for the review copy
Sunny has recently moved back in with her parents. Thirty, single and hating her job, she is feeling directionless and unsure of what her future holds. We follow Sunny as she tries to figure it all out, balancing her disastrous dating life with her parents traditional views and expectations.
Sunny is such a amazing character. She’s funny and kind and a great friend. But she’s taken advantage of by some of her friends and clings to relationships that no longer serve her. Along with that her dating life consists of a string of men who fail to appreciate how absolutely fantastic and feisty Sunny is.
This book was such a delight to read. Sunny has some great one liners, her witty come backs on dates had me laughing out loud. But my favourite part of the story was the development of her relationship with her mother, it felt so authentic. I know this is a standalone novel but I absolutely would love to read a second instalment to Sunny’s story. A funny and heartwarming book that I throughly enjoyed.
Thanks to Hodder Studio for the review copy
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