Secrets.Everyone has one.Some are bigger than others.And when secrets are revealed,Some will heal you …And some will end you.Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s … and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.
They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.
Note from the author: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is recommended for mature audiences.
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What would you do if you found it that you had only six months to live ?
Would you clean out your account and go about doing things on your bucket list. Would you throw a pity party and expect all of your near and dear ones to come be with you as you spend at precious moments on this earth. Would you leave quietly and hide out so you don’t see sadness in the eyes of your beloved people and it’ll break your heart?. What will you do in the last month…week…day…hours ?
Or would you touch all the people’s lives with fun and humour and kindness and love.open heated , all encompassing love
Kate sedgwick took the choice to #DoEpic.
that’s what kim created. A masterpiece, a story so intense that it shames you for being petty and whiny when your car breaks down or you miss out on a sale or you fight with your family or you yell at your kids or when you’re stuck in traffic…
life is all about Sunsets and people ! Time to be with people you love and share beautiful moments with them like sunsets , or coffee, or books or music or just tShirts.
This book made me bawl hard…and I mean HARD ! It reminded me today to smile at strangers a little more widely , love my husband a little more intensely , hug my son a little more tightly . I never know whose life I may be touching today, making it a teeny bit better . I wanna be Kate now, today , tomorrow . Shes an intensely powerful, brave strong girl who captures everyone’s heart , her purity of soul and generous spirit spellbinds everyone who she touches. Kim has created the perfect girl warrior. Some kind of a hero , who I aspire to be .
Kim writes –
” don’t forsake the present for the unknowns of the future. A lot of happiness is bypassed, overlooked, postponed to a time years from now that may never come. Don’t bide your time and miss out on this moment for a tomorrow with no guarantee.”
I promise to #DoEpic
sunsets and people, thats what its all about
This book was just fantastic! I have really held off because I knew it was going to be sad. It was so sad but so beautiful I loved the whole book so much. Kim has such a way with wolds she weaves the best tale. It was good and at times I was smiling so much and then I cried a lot….
Kate is the person every one wants to be happy all the time even when life craps in your face she laughs it off. She’s definitely living up to her nick name Bright Side. She decides to move across the country to peruse her college degree she meets so many people on the way and makes life long friendships. She has a secret that she refuses to tell anyone.
Her best friend Gus has hit it big and is living the dream of being a rock star. Kate wonlt let anyone or anything stand in his way so she keeps her secret.
Keller the sexy boy at the coffee shop just will not leave her alone he has his secrets but some how she has mesmerized him. Both don’t “do relationships” but when it comes to each other they can’t stop the attraction and the love forming.
When she finally breaks down and tells him her secret it guts him but he is unwilling to walk away.
Kate teaches everyone to live like it’s your last day because you never know when you are going to have your last day. Love everyone Do Epic and watch the sun sets.
I loved this book so much it was just so good. Everyone can learn from Kate and Do Epic!!
A must read!!
Okay, so I gave into all the hype surrounding this book and decided to give it a go. I’d heard enough about the story to know it was sad and I’d heard enough to know it wasn’t my usual preferred read of hot and sexy necessarily.
Still, I jumped in and started to read it. I kind of figured there weren’t going to be a lot of the warm and fuzzies with the story given it was broken down by dates, which clearly indicated it was set over just a few short months.
I loved Kate, or Bright Side as her best friend Gus called her. She was everyone’s champion, doing all she could to help them, support them, be an amazing friend to them. She defended them, protected and loved them. She was talented, incredibly talented, yet modest and not one for bringing attention to herself. She really did see the bright side in everything and everyone, despite her less than happy childhood.
All the way through the book as she built up friendships and helped those around her, I knew the story was building to something heartbreaking and devastating. I felt like the crowd who can’t turn away from an accident and have to look. I knew the bad stuff was coming and yet I couldn’t put this book down. I mean, literally, I couldn’t put it down. I read all day, until late into the evening and I started up again early the next morning and I didn’t stop until I finished this book. I’m not one who is normally driven to displays of emotion. I hear of this so called ‘ugly cry’ but personally have never experienced it over a book. Although I didn’t cry, I did tear up. I don’t normally like sad books but this one I couldn’t put down. I loved it although it was heartbreaking. Of course, there was only one thing I could do after reading Bright Side, I had to immediately purchase Gus, so I can read his story and find out how he moves on now, without his Bright Side.
This book. This fucking book. A book has never made me feel so alive. So glad for each and every day and cherish the people in it. But I also have never read a book that literally made me feel like I was dying on the inside. I cried like I lost the most important person in my life.
Bright Side is the most beautiful book I have ever read. I can find no flaw with this book. It has everything.
Kate is the my ideal female heroine. She is true to herself. Confident and positive. She never lets anything get to her. Her coined nickname Bright Side is so fitting because she’s always smiling and making the lives of those around her better. She’s caring and loyal. Kate is best friend everyone wish they had. Hell, I wish she was my best friend. I think everyone could use a Kate in their lives. I could kiss Kim Holden for making such a perfect person in Kate. I absolutely loved her down to her very soul. Kate’s story is very realistic and one that was filled with enough heartache to make anyone give up on life. But it never breaks her. She makes some wonderful friends in Pete, Clay and Shelley, Duncan, and Keller. They helped to make this book so wonderful.
I adored this book and it hits close to the heart. It will completely wreck you, but it is so so beautiful. I encourage everyone to read this book because it is just that good.
I loved this book so much. It was steamy but had so much more to it than just the romantic part. The characters all had depth to them. The streamy scenes were hot and perfect.
So far I’m loving the humor. LMAO. It’s written well. I feel a friendship forming with Kim. If Kim writes the same way she communicates then I’m loving her. She’s an author who likes a little mystery I’m up for the challenge. I’m ready to search for clues to figure out Kate’s secret. Kim your dialogue is clever, witty, and clever. It’s refreshing to read. Kim is one of those great storytellers that has everyone’s undivided attention. You know the one that tells great campfire stories where everyone is laughing so hard they pee their pants and your eyes start watering. Yeah! That’s Kim.
Another thing is Kate is one of those characters that everyone flocks to. You want her as your friend because she is fun and energetic. Kate is living life in the moment. Kate is leaving her mark on people. Kate is impressionable. Kate is one of those people who you will remember for life. Kate builds lasting impressions upon people. People in life want to be remembered or feel as if you can make a difference in someone else’s life and that is Kate. Kate is a selfless character who makes you want to achieve great things in life and make her proud. This story makes me want to strive to be like Kate.
I love the encounter ships of people that come into Kate’s life. I’m envious. I’m around people enough and rarely meet genuine people.
Bright side is an inspiring story. It’s a story that is going to live inside my mind forever. It’s rooted deep in my heart and soul. I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s almost as if Kate is a real person and I’m living life alongside her. It’s written in a fashion that moves you with her words. I’m wrapped up tight embracing each word.
The impact from this story has certainly left its mark. Every character touched my heart all at the hands of Katie. Kim you created the most amazing character I have ever read. Your story hit my heart hard and brought forth many emotions. This story is ingrained in my brain. You will fall in love with each character. Each character held a significant place in the story and I relish each one of their stories.
I’m so glad Kim transitions the story the way she does because I need the story to change topics after that super emotional moment. I’m ugly crying right now and can barely see the words to continue reading but I will persevere.
Thank you for that epic story Kim. I’m now going to be brave and start reading Gus.
This one was a hard one to rate and I was quite on the fence about it. I’ve been on a quest for tears lately and this book was recommended to me by tons of people. However I loathe sicklit it very rarely ever comes across as anything other than trite and ambulance chasey. I went into this book blind because nowhere in the blurb does it say anything about this plot line. I figured it out about 6% in and kept going purely because I wanted the tears. So I’ll get into what I liked about the book
Kate is very funny and the banter was enjoyable. Her positivity had me smiling and simultaneously rolling my eyes at times because the sick girl being the sunshine character is not realistic in real life we all have moments of doubt and anger. I was very relieved when it finally happened and that was quite relatable. While at the same time it’s oddly inspiring for someone to be so positive. I liked her conversations with god and while I’m not personally religious it was very well done. I loved Gus as a character and was really rooting for him. All of the musical tidbits in the book were great. It did have me dropping a few tears simply because some of the subject matter was quite close to my own experiences. So that is why I rated it as a three star.
Here’s my negatives the book has a single dad who exposes his kid after all of this to a close relationship with someone he’s just started a relationship with and barely knows that is dying very soon. While I like that Kate inspired him to take a more active role in his parenting and follow his dreams I don’t enjoy children being used as plot devices. Also was not a fan of the blurb in no way clueing you into this plot line of terminal illness it felt at times a bit manipulative. I wanted Kate to have more flaws than she did she was almost too perfect and it made her hard to relate to at times.
Overall if you enjoy stories with tragic endings and like Uber positivity I’d say give this one a go. I am very much in the minority in not absolutely loving it. It’s a solid book with good writing and rarely can a book bring me tears so I will give the author kudos for that.
This book was equal parts romantic, gut-wrenching, and inspiring, with one of the strongest, most likeable female protagonists of any book I’ve read in recent years. Make sure to keep the tissues handy.
What a great book. I read this a while ago but remember it well. The characters and the story stay with you.
This. Book. Gutted. Me. And it will filet you too. The end. #checkmate
one of the best books I’ve ever read.
One of my most favorite books…a must read
First I will warn you, THIS BOOK WILL BREAK YOU. That being said, it is a must read. Kate is the kind of person everyone needs to know and hopefully try to be. She is absolutely amazing. Each character in this book is incredible in their own way. There are few characters you can’t help but hate, but I think any good book needs at least one of those. These characters crawled into my heart and will never leave. This will be one of those books that I read over an over again, even though I know it will break me. There were so many times I had to put it down and walk away. I was either so upset/mad at something that had just happened, or I didn’t want to know what was going to happen. This is an absolute must read.
Really smart book, it is worth to read.
I usually have conflicting feelings over books that make me cry, but I was okay with this one. This story did more than set out a primary purpose of making the reader shed tears. Instead, it let you see three-dimensional characters, get to know them, and it let empathy grow in a natural way. I won’t give spoilers, but I’ll tell you it had me going right to the second book in the series, Gus, after I was finished.
I started this book blind. Didn’t read other reviews didn’t even read the blurb. At about 38% I read the blurb cause I was worried the ending would not be to my liking but I was so so wrong. The ending was NOT what I originally thought it’d be but it was AMAZING!
I’m at a loss for words yet full of emotions for what I just read.
Quote ~ And your courage has proven to me time and time again that life isn’t easy for anyone. We all have to fight to make the most of the life we’re given
~ Just don’t forsake the present for the unknowns of the future. A lot of happiness is bypassed, overlooked, postponed to a time years from now that may never come. Don’t bide your time and miss out on this moment for a tomorrow with no guarantee
~ Just when you think you know someone, they change. Or you change. Or maybe you both change. And that changes everything
Bright Side was beautiful, simply put. She was testimony of everything good in life and that we should never take anything or anyone for granted. Bright Side floated through her life like an inspirational sermon, a love poem or a ballad. For a young girl of nineteen, she sure had seen her share of tragedy. But this book isn’t about her misfortunes. No, this feels like a modern day religious scripture because there are very few people in this world who take the time out to really care, I mean REALLY care and help those around us find a better way, without passing judgement, to get through some of the bad things (no matter how big or small) that life throws in our face. Bright Side reminded me of a disciple but in the form of a female surfer (dude) from California with a foul mouth and a courageous heart. Gus, her best friend, named Kate Bright Side because of well, the obvious. Gus was present though out this whole story and rightly so, as he is a huge force in her life. Every character that you’ll meet will have had their life positively impacted and changed because of her. This story will tear you apart but it’ll also make you want to be a better person ~ do epic … have tissues …
This book is just… everything. I can honestly say that becoming Kate for a little while changed my outlook, changed my perspective on life and taught me so so much. Everyone needs a little bit of Kate in their life.
Tragic. Heartbreaking. But yet oh so beautiful.
It took me a few chapters to get into this book but after that I could not put it down.
How one person can go through so much pain and tragedy but is still happy and positive amazes me. I adored this book and I loved every single character as well.
This is the first book I have read from this author and I don’t think it will be my last! It was flawless and beautifly written.
I definitely recommend this book. Just make sure you have the tissues ready as you will need them!!
I’ve had this book for some time and put it off because I knew it would be a hard one to read. To be somewhat prepared but are we ever really? Just like life, you never know what will happen from one day to the next. The one thing I do enjoy about reading books similar to this is it reminds us of how precious life is. To spend another day with the people you love is a blessing.
I fell in love with Kate, Gus and Keller and how they connected and supported each other.
If you’re waiting to read this one, don’t. There are so many different walks of life in this book everyone can relate to.
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t pursue dreams and goals. Just don’t forsake the present for the unknowns of the future. A lot of happiness is bypassed, overlooked, postponed to a time years from now that may never come. Don’t bide your time and miss out on this moment for a tomorrow with no guarantee.”