Sunkissed by Jenny McLachlan
Series: Ladybirds #3
Also in this series: Flirty Dancing, Love Bomb, Star Struck

Published by Bloomsbury on August 13th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Girls & Women, Love & Romance, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 302
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Goodreads


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Following on from Flirty Dancing and Love Bomb, Jenny McLachlan's next book is perfect summer holiday reading for fans of Geek Girl and Louise Rennison. Kat can't believe her family are sending her to Sweden for the summer. But without her friends, or even a phone signal, can Kat make it on her own? In a land of saunas, nudity and summer sun, Kat soon realises she has nowhere to hide. It's time to embrace who she really is, underneath what she's been thinking people want her to be. Especially if she's going to win the heart of mega fit Swede Leo! Can Kat find her inner strength and prove she's got what it takes? Kat soon finds that when you're surrounded by phosphorescence and wonder it's easy to sparkle. Or maybe that's what happens when you fall in love . Or maybe you only shine when you're true to yourself.

Spending the summer in Sweden would be a lot of people’s idea of a dream vacation. But not for Kat. After she is caught in a compromising position her parents decide the best punishment is to send her to stay with her auntie for a few months. And to make things worse, not only is Kat being exiled from England but she will be spending the summer on an island in the middle of nowhere without the luxuries of home. No phone reception, internet or electricity in her new island home Kat is forced to get back to nature and see who she really is beneath the manicured surface.

Sunkissed is one of those perfect holiday reads which makes you want to be there with the characters under summer sun. Kat is very much a girly girl who indulges her love of fashion and makeup. When she is removed from all that is familiar to spend some time with her part-time nudist jewellery designing aunt in a cabin with no outlet for her hair-straightener, Kat has to look beneath the surface. Not only of those around her but also herself to work out who she is when she’s not surrounded by her friends and family.

I’ve really enjoyed the books from Jenny McLachlan’s Ladybird series and Sunkissed is no exception. These books are clean reads yet still contain lovely romance and tackle issues which many readers may be dealing with. Kat feels like an outsider within her own family and it’s only by finding herself does she find her place within her family. There are cameos from other characters from the Ladybird series and a lovely romance complete with misunderstandings and drama for Kat to deal with. Kat grows over the course of the novel and whilst at first she may seem shallow, she is revealed to have some hidden depths. Her relationship with Leo is fun to read but for me the friendship side of this story was much more enjoyable than the romance.

Sunkissed is a great addition to the Ladybirds series. If you are looking for an entertaining series for young teen girls – look no further than these books by Jenny McLachlan. Clean stories about relationships with more depth than you might expect.

Sunkissed in ten words or less: Fun flirty summer read with some surprises along the way.