The Sun in Her Eyes

I am a huge huge fan of Paige Toon and have been ever since I picked up her first book 'Lucy In The Sky'. I always ensure that I know exactly when a new book is being released so that I can have it to read as soon as possible and every time I get a new book of Paige's I always expect to not like it as much as the others. I always think its never going to be as good as the previous ones I have read but with every new book but love for her stories continues to grow! With each and every book I have read I have fallen in love with the story and the characters and the magic that Paige creates and The Sun In Her Eyes was no different!! When I first picked it up I was really happy to see it was based mainly in Australia. I haven't ever been there myself but it was actually Paige's books, particularly Lucy In The Sky, that has made me fall in love with the idea of Australia with the images she creates through her writing and it is definitely a place I would now like to visit! This book was the same as all of Paige's others - addictive! As soon as I picked it up I couldn't put it down again, I spent the entire day reading and managed to finish in that one day! I have nothing to criticise about this book at all, however I wouldn't say it was my favourite, or in my top 3 but that is in no way a criticism! There was a moment when at one point the book wasn't going the way I thought it was going to or the way I was hoping for at one stage but as I continued to read I was glad It didn't go that way - I wont say no more as I don't want to ruin it but once you read for yourself you'll know which part I am referring too! Another great aspect of this book was finding my name within the first few pages! Paige asked all of her fans to email her a couple of months ago with a short description of what we think of her books and she would go on to select some to feature in this book and mine was one of them so that was a huge moment for me to see that! I could go on and on with praise for Paige and her stories because I absolutely adore each and every one of them! I get completely lost in her words and feel every emotion and moment that each character comes across! I hope that Paige continue's to write for many many years to come!

An enjoyable, well written read, although not as memorable as some of the other Paige Toon books I have read. Amber, a native Australian, married to Ned, lives in London. News of her father's stroke sees her leaving the UK to spend some time helping his recovery with his partner Liz. Although Amber is unhappy to be away from Ned, fearing he is having an affair with his boss, her father needs her and so reluctantly, she returns to Adelaide. As she settles into life there, she meets up with old friends, and her worries concerning Ned take a new turn when she discovers Ethan, someone she grew up with, and had a crush on from the age of 8, has split from his wife. After meeting up, they begin to spend time together, and Amber is pulled into something new and potentially dangerous. Although the book was narrated from Amber's viewpoint, it opened with another voice - that of Doris, who was at the scene of the car accident that killed Amber's mother when she was small. She promised the dying woman that she would relay a message to Amber. However, the years have passed and Doris, now elderly, needs to find Amber to tell her. I felt this part of the story gave the impression that the message was of some importance, but when the two women were reunited in the last chapters, it felt like a bit of a anti-climax. That apart, the rest of the story worked well. Amber's friends provided interesting sub-plots and her father's post op recovery brought them, and partner Liz (with whom Amber had a difficult relationship) much closer.

I'm going to start with saying that despite this book reducing me to tears, I absolutely loved it! I'm aware that Paige Toon has a few novels out there, I first became aware of her when I read Thirteen Weddings last year. I love Paige Toons writing style, The Sun In Her Eyes is set between rainy London and sunny Oz... having done some research on the author I discovered that most, if not all, of her books are based in these two countries and that stems from her personal up bringing. I've also discovered that within Paige Toons books some of her characters cross reference. .. for example, in this book, Neds colleague, Zara, also features in Thirteen Weddings -based on this alone I've vowed to revisit all of her books to see how other characters make cameos! Very clever and something I've not known other authors to achieve. The first half of The Sun In Her Eyes was an easy read... Amber is married to Ned, she left her job as a teacher for something with higher pay but is soon made redundant. Their marriage is rocky, Amber is convinced that Zara is after her hubby and if you've read the previous book with this character you can understand why! No sooner as she loses her job, her father has a stroke... perfect timing but thats the beauty of the book world eh?! Amber flies to Australia to help care for her dad and help with his recovery, despite the lack of bond she has with his partner. To escape Liz's ways, Amber relies on her fiends and drunken nights out... its almost as if she is reliving her youth now she's home. Then Ethan arrives. Amber last saw him at her wedding and even though she committed to Ned, Ethan always has a piece of her heart and when she accidentally let's slip she loves him they become close... too close! Neither Amber's relationship with her husband or her lover are easy ones and each have their problems but then Amber gets another distraction when a letter comes from the lady who was there when her mother died in a car accident. Doris claims to have a message from Amber's mum and they arrange to meet up... that's not all that Amber has on her mind though. The second half of the book for me was much harder to read. This has nothing to do with the way it's written but more with the fact that Amber reveals her and Ned had a miscarriage the year before and Amber partly blames herself for this as she had a fall shortly before her loss - Paige Toon wrote this storyline tastefully however, personally I related to Amber on another level as I've been in this situation. For a couple of chapters I picked the book up and put it's down again numerous times and eventually got past that section and continued with the story... which I have to say had a fab ending. Amber received her mother's dying message via Doris and got her marriage back on track. .. she even started to make amends with Liz who was about to become a permanent fixture in her fathers life. Many reviews on The Sun In Her Eyes I've seen state how Amber came across as someone proud of her affair and relished in her childish ways with her step mum, in my view I just saw a woman that had something missing in her life. She never really knew what it was, never really knew what path to take. But that letter changed everything and although a simple message, one that you'd expect from a dying parent, was given, I felt it made Amber the character she was. Despite my personal difficulties with this story, I wouldn't hesitate to pass the boon on to my friends as I'd thoroughly recommend it. I'm off to find my next Paige Toon book ;)

A good enough holiday read, but I didn't really care for the main characters or enjoy the romance element. I bought this on that back of reading another one of Paige's novels and this isn't as good, the place and character building didn't seem as well finished or described. An enjoyable enough read.

What a fantastic read as always couldn’t put the book down , I love every one of these books *****

I've been looking forward to reading 'The Sun In Her Eyes' for a while now, and read it in 3 evenings. It wasn't a let down and I found myself not being able to put it down. Which in honestly is the same with all her books. At first I warmed to all the characters, Amber with her auburn hair and Ned with his hazel eyes. Then Ethan turns up, and wam - I'm gunning for him. But as the story unfolds I was left disappointed in both Amber and Ethan, Which surprised me, I think there was much more to Ethan than perhaps we saw, although the story worked well, and I was addicted to know what was going to happen. Without giving too much away, this story is realistic and heartbreakingly true, it touched on areas of love, lost and complications that can arise in any family/relationship. Looking forward to Paige's next work, thank god for her YA collection and The Hidden Paige, as one book a year never feels enough!

I am a MASSIVE PT fan and have been looking forward to this release for the last year. Amber is married to Ned and when her father is taken sick in Australia, Amber immediately flies back to nurse him. Amber's life in London hasn't been going so well - her marriage needs work and she has been made redundant. Back in her old home town she comes across her unrequited teenage love, Ethan and old feelings resurface. The book then follows Amber and the decisions she makes about her marriage and Ethan. I really like that PT has created a love story out of a less than perfect situation. In the last year or so, I have lost my interest in "chick-lit", struggling to identify with 20 something protagonists (I'm mid 30s) who have great careers, great clothes and are just missing the perfect man in their life, only to get him, lose him temporarily and then get him back. With The Sun In Her Eyes, PT has shown what happens at the end of that fairytale, that your life doesn't stay perfect just because you bagged the man of your dreams. It shows that actually, circumstances do take a toll on relationships and that yes, you will still find other people attractive and examines the choices Amber makes. It wasn't the story I was expecting, Ethan certainly wasn't a stereotypical love interest but PT managed to make me fall in love with him (and out) just as Amber did. I loved that the ending wasn't "clean" and really want a sequel to find out what happens a few years down the line. I think PT has an incredible skill in her writing - her books are easy to read and the prose is by no means heavy, but what is there packs a punch. I have read all of her books and have felt everything that is being described as it if is happening to me. I genuinely felt Amber's panic when she received her test results, I felt her distress when Ned told her about Zara, I felt her confliction over feeling jealous and righteous but also wanting Ethan too...I could go on and on. In case that leaves you in any doubt, I highly recommend this and any of PT's other books. If you haven't read any before then you are in for a treat, for all the rest of us we now have another year to wait...(thank goodness it is nearly Jessie Jefferson time!)

I first read one of Paige's books around this time last year when my friend bought me Thirteen Weddings for my birthday. I assumed it would be just another one of many chick lit stories I'd read but I was wrong. I read the book from cover to cover that day, so completely absorbed in the story and the characters that I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. Then I bought every one of Paige's books and read her whole back catalogue in less than 3 weeks (lots of late nights!) every book completely drew me in just as Thirteen Weddings did, there's something very addictive about Paige Toon's writing! Three weeks ago I bought The Sun In Her Eyes and knowing that I wouldn't be able to put it down if I started reading, I resisted as I had a busy few weeks ahead. So on Saturday evening I decided it was time to get stuck in, I read three chapters and reluctantly put it down to go to bed. Sunday morning I got back to it and then I didn't stop reading until it was finished, I pretty much devoured this one in a few hours but now I'm sad that I've finished it! As usual I loved the characters and I loved the story, would highly recommend any of the books as I've loved them all equally, I really can't pick out a favourite! I also love how Australia is incorporated into every story and that some of the characters from different books are given little updates in another book further down the line. I actually went on to read The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson from start to finish on the same day after remembering it was the only one I hadn't read yet (young adult but just as addictive!) and I loved it too. Already looking forward to the next books, luckily one is due out next month.

Paige Toon knows how to create sexual tension like no other author I've read. She doesn't disappoint in this book. Before you know it the main characters are literally getting hot and heavy during a bush fire and we all shout thank god for that! But then, she throws a spanner in the works. Without giving the story away, Paige adds a twist to the storyline which, we as her readers, are not used to. A Paige Toon novel generally leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy at the end. This is a change to her usual style and is slightly more serious. However, Paige Toon still does more for relationships than any other romantic fiction novelist and she will have a girl jumping on her man at the end of every chapter!

Il y a quelque chose de spécial avec les livres de Paige. Ce sentiment que j'ai ressenti, quand j'ai lu pour la 1ère fois "Thirteen Weddings", le tout premier livre que j'ai lu d'elle, a été le même pour tous les autres livres, et il est encore là pour "The Sun In Her Eyes" : je ne peux pas m'arrêter de lire, il faut absolument que je sache ce qu'il se passe après, et je suis tellement absorbée par l'histoire que tout autour de moi disparaît pour ne laisser plus que l'histoire et moi, dans notre petite bulle... Encore une fois, avec The Sun In Her Eyes, Paige Toon me fait rêver et me transporte loin pour l'espace de quelques heures... L'histoire est tout sauf prévisible, et j'étais absorbée par l'histoire jusqu'à la dernière page, me demandant ce que Paige allait encore réserver à ses personnages... Amber est une jeune Londonienne qui vient de se faire renvoyer d'un travail qui ne la passionnait pas tant que ça, son mari Ned semble plus absorbé par son travail et par faire des heures supplémentaires avec son patron, qui est une patronne, Zara, (qui selon lui, n'est pas attirée par lui, contrairement à ce que pense Amber), quand elle reçoit un coup de téléphone de la compagne de son père, Liz, pour lui dire que Len a eu une attaque, et qu'il est à l'hôpital. Elle prend alors l'avion direction l'Australie, son pays natal, celui de son premier amour, Ethan, qui n'en a jamais rien su et qui est aux yeux de tous son meilleur ami d'enfance... Sa relation avec Ned est compliquée, après avoir perdu sa mère dans un accident de voiture quand elle était petite, elle a failli perdre son père, et ses retrouvailles avec Ethan sont différentes de ce qu'elle avait espéré... Au fil des pages, on en apprend plus sur l'histoire d'Amber et Ned, sur ce qu'il les a fait passer de couple très amoureux à ce qu'il en sont maintenant, sur l'histoire d'Amber et cet accident qui a bouleversé sa vie... Ce livre est incroyable. J'ai ri, j'ai retenu mon souffle bien trop de fois, j'ai parlé à mon application Kindle comme si ça pouvait changer quelque chose à l'histoire (on ne peut pas me reprocher d'avoir essayé, il fallait que je fasse quelque chose!), je suis tombée amoureuse des personnages toujours si attachants de Paige, de l'histoire à partir du premier chapitre, je me suis surprise encore une fois à imaginer tous ces magnifiques moments dans ma tête, avec des images de vignobles australiens, de collines à perte de vue, et ce que j'aime avec les livres de Paige, j'ai retrouvé des personnages familiers (Zara, je la déteste toujours autant, et le beau Leo, oh Leo...). La fin m'a prise par surprise et je n'ai pas pu empêcher quelques larmes d'envahir mes yeux... C'est un livre qui, dans les 4 heures qu'il m'a fallu pour le lire (quand j'ai dit que je n'ai pas pu m'arrêter, ce n'était pas une blague), m'a fait me sentir comme si je n'étais pas seule dans ma chambre à lire, mais plutôt dans les rues de Londres et dans les paysages magnifiques de l'Australie, qui m'a fait rêver de baisers romantiques sous la pluie et de diners dans de magnifiques vignobles... Pour moi, c'était une évidence que si ce livre était aussi bon que les précédents, j'allais l'aimer tout autant. Paige Toon n'a pas échoué, The Sun In Her Eyes est magnifique, et il mérite amplement ces 5 étoiles.

Another fantastic book from Paige Toon. Another book that i read in a few hours, because i really hoped to get the end i was hoping for - and yes i got it! I read all the previous books and it's always funny to find out which characters are part of the new books but also meet new characters. And to my surprise it was the first time that i really couldn't stand one certain character in a Paige Toon book and it was Ethan. Yes it was Ambers first crush, yes probably most of us would have felt the same as Amber as we were younger but the "older" Ethan was horrible. Sometimes i talked to myself how stupid Amber must have been to love this guy - but i was Team Ned from the beginning and till the End!! And i think most of us could compare to Amber because didn't we all had this "one" guy we loved even if we knew that he is definitely not the one? Don't want to spoil to much - but for everyone who didn't read the book till yet: Read it! Really! It's amazing! Paige Toon is my favourite author and she really really deserves that everyone (and i mean EVERYONE) knows her books! Absolute must-read and if i would be able to give more than 5 stars she would get it!

Paige Toon is a great author and i have loved all her books and this one is no exception. She is able to grab your attention within the first few paragraphs every time. I love how the characters turn up again in her other books so you can keep up with what they are up to after their story finishes in their book. The sun in her eyes is a great book highly recommend it. You won't be able to put it down once you start it

Inhalt Als Amber drei Jahre alt war, starb ihre Mutter bei einem Autounfall. Sie erinnert sich nicht mehr an das Unglück, doch eine Fremde am Umfallort konnte ihn nie zu vergessen. Nach fast 30 Jahren versucht diese nun Amber zu finden. Unterdessen lebt Amber verheiratet mit Ned auf der anderen Seite der Welt in London. Doch als ihr Vater einen Schlaganfall erleidet, fliegt sie geradewegs heim nach Australien. Es werden ungeahnt emotionale Wochen für Amber. Denn in Australien wartet neben anderen alten Freunden ihr ältester Freund Ethan, für den sie schon immer mehr als platonische Gefühle hatte. Während die Wochen verstreichen, kommen Amber und Ethan sich immer näher und das verheiratete Leben in London fühlt sich für Amber immer weiter entfernt an. Spätestens als ein Brief von einer Unbekannten eintrifft, verändert sich ihr Leben für immer ' Meinung In Deutschland erscheinen die englischen Ausgaben von Paige Toon gern mal paar Wochen vor den eigentlichen Veröffentlichungsdatum und so konnte ich dieses Buch in meinem Urlaub Anfang Mai mitnehmen. Als ich an einem Tag wegen Krankheit auf dem Zimmer bleiben musste, habe ich mich mit diesem Buch getröstet und es in einem Rutsch durchgelesen. Ich habe alle bisher veröffentlichten Bücher von Paige Toon gelesen und so war es einmal mehr wie nach Hause kommen: Eine junge Frau in ihren Zwanzigern in einer Beziehung zwischen England und Australien (da ließ 'Lucy in the Sky' zunächst stark grüßen) und eine nie erloschene Jugendliebe (ebenfalls kein unbekanntes Motiv). Auch wenn ich unmittelbar nach dem Lesen die starke Ähnlichkeit zu den Vorgängern bemängelte, fallen mir jetzt beim Nachdenken doch einige Unterschiede ein: So bekleckert sich dieses Mal vor allem die Protagonistin nicht mit Ruhm und auch die Sache mit der Jugendliebe entwickelt sich anders als erwartet. Überhaupt gefiel mir bei diesem Buch gut, dass sich das Bild, was der Leser sich von den Charakteren macht, starken Wandlungen unterworfen ist. Im Mittelpunkt steht natürlich Amber, welche sofort mit einer derben Ausdrucksweise auffällt. Während sie zu Beginn doch recht großes Selbstbewusstsein zu besitzen scheint, erhält der Leser nach und nach Einblick in tiefgehende Verletzungen. Ehemann Ned wirkt zunächst eher unsympathisch, doch das hält nur bis zu den Rückblicken an. Im Laufe der Handlung verändert sich Ambers Blick auf Ethan total, auch das war gut gemacht. Mir gefiel zudem gut die sich verändernde Sicht auf Ambers Vater und seine neue Liebe Liz. Das Ende ist einerseits sehr gelungen, aber anderseits weiß ich nicht, ob ich die Lösung mag. Überhaupt ist ist die Liebesgeschichte in diesem Buch als kompliziert anzusehen, besitzt jedoch Romantik. Besonders glänzt dieses Buch jedoch mit der Reise der Protagonistin zu sich selbst. Insgesamt versuchte Paige Toon wohl mit diesem Buch neue Wege zu beschreiten und es gelingt ihr auch weitestgehend. Eingefleischten Kennern wird die ein oder andere Parallele zu vorangegangenen Büchern auffallen, aber es ist genug Neues vorhanden. Neulingen kann ich das Buch sowieso empfehlen. Ein netter Bonus ist der Abdruck der zuerst bei The Hidden Paige veröffentlichte Kurzgeschichte 'When Lily Met Alice', welche zeitlich während 'Thirteen Weddings' spielt. Fazit Überzeugt vor allem mit der Entwicklung der Protagonistin und der nicht ganz so typischen Liebesgeschichte 4,5 Sterne