Operation Sunshine by Jenny Colgan - Book Review

I enjoy reading, I always have, and I always will. But I will tell you how I personally felt about this book right from the start of this review. It was not my favourite and nor would I read it again. The book is about Evie, a receptionist to a high-class plastic surgeon in London. She’s been dying for a holiday but has only bad memories; either she’s ended up having arguments with her three brothers, gotten sunburnt, projectile vomiting or ended up experiencing all. So, when she’s then invited to a holiday work trip with her company to the south of France, she’s more than happy and is looking forward to a bit of relaxation in the sun, and maybe… just maybe some sex. But of course, this holiday turned out to be a bit more interesting and exciting than she thought it would be.

Before I get into why I didn’t really enjoy this book, there is one element that I do believe Colgan did well. I was pulled into the novel from the first page; it had a good hook. On top of that, no matter how crazy the plot of this story is, Jenny Colgan has written this story in a way that makes you not be able to put the book down. 

However, as much as I wish I didn’t have to say this, even though I believe the book had a good hook, there is one big area that made me not enjoy this novel. For starters, the cover of this novel is bright blue, with beach scenery and yellow writing. With this look and the blurb, I imagined this novel to be a romance/drama novel. However, the more I read, the more I realised this book was slightly different from how they marketed it. 

I have no idea where Jenny Colgan came up with this idea. When I started to read it, I pictured that this novel would have our protagonist go on holiday with her work and bump into an ex or two. However, this novel was much more complicated and became quite thriller-like. 

I wouldn’t mind the storyline if I knew it was more mysterious and thriller. Yet, I believed it was actually a romance, which in some ways it is because Evie and a work colleague kissed and decided to meet up with each other when they went back home. (The main element of a romance is the main character and love interest getting together). Not even that, but in my eyes, it kind of came out of the blue; from the start, Evie did find him attractive, but nothing really happened between them until the last few pages.

If I knew, from the start, that this novel had elements of a thriller, I wouldn’t have minded because I knew what to expect, but I didn’t know, so I didn’t find a love for this book. 

Not only that, but I was extremely confused as to why Evie’s ‘best friend’ was actually cruel to her throughout the book. I put ‘best friend’ in quotes because she didn’t really act like one, even though she was in the first scene of the novel, where she came across as nice and kind. Next thing you know, she wasn’t that nice in all of the other scenes, and it didn’t make sense. 

Saying all of that, I do know that people like this author but didn’t really like this novel and to be honest, I understand why. Therefore, I wouldn’t put it behind me to read another book by her.

Yet, I would have to give this book 2/5 stars.