A Little Ray of Sunshine (Paperback)

by Lani Diane Rich (Author) "The night the angel found me was pretty much like every other night at the Quik 'n Go..." (more)
Key Phrases: thingy museum, Colorado Springs, Lilly Lorraine, Danny Greene (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Rich takes a turn toward the serious in a romance primarily focused on a mother-daughter relationship. For six years, Emmy James has lived out of her Airstream, working odd jobs until she gets the urge to move on. Then she meets Jess, a young woman who declares herself Emmy's angel, sent to help her with her problems. At the same time, Digs, who would be her brother-in-law if Emmy hadn't left his brother Luke, shows up, bearing disturbing news: his father, Danny, and Emmy's mother, Lilly, are getting married. Lilly is vain, cruel, narcissistic and destructive-all the things Danny is not. Emmy is determined to stay away, but her angel knows best, and soon the Airsteam is headed home. While the story of Emmy's lost love is engaging, the heart of the story has to do with the transformation Emmy sees-but doesn't trust-in her mother. The process is painful and sometimes funny, and though the characters skate right to the edge of believability, the romance is very real. A thoughtful, well told story with an unusual twist.
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Product Description
Emmy James is not the kind of girl who attracts angels. In fact, after she sent her life into a nosedive six years ago, she's tried to attract as little as possible -attention, people, or responsibility. She skips from town to town in an Airstream trailer, working odd jobs and keeping to herself until a sudden whim lets her know it's time to move again.

And this works just fine, until the day two unexpected visitors show up at the New Jersey trailer park she calls home. One is a childhood friend with news: her mother and his father are getting married, and they want EJ to be there. The other is a sweet but odd woman named Jess, who says she's an angel specializing in cosmic relationship mending...and blueberry pancakes. Jess doesn't think it's any coincidence that this is all happening at once, but EJ would rather run herself over with her own Airstream before reconnecting with her neglectful, self-absorbed mother. When she wakes up to find her trailer cruising down the highway with a determined angel at the wheel, however, EJ realizes that sometimes what you want and what the Universe intends for you can be two very different things...

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (February 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451222962
• ISBN-13: 978-0451222961
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #528,092 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect!, March 27, 2008

By	Anne G (East Hartford, CT) - See all my reviews

Ever since I had my first baby I've been reading nothing but fun, easy, chick-lit. Unfortunately, even though it's all my tired brain can handle, it always seems to leave me only half-satisfied. I expected that same lukewarm satisfaction from this book. Imagine my shock when my expectations were shattered. Chick-lit? Yes. Easy read? Yes. Trite? Heck No! I laughed out loud and cried too! I liked this book so much that the day after I finished it, I started it all over again. I am truly impressed, and will pass this book around to my friends and relatives. This, in my world, is the best compliment I can give a book. Enjoy!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, March 10, 2008

By	Meredith (California) - See all my reviews

This book is an absolutely wonderful page turner. It touches every emotion humanly possible..and in the end- you love yourself and the book for taking the journey!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amusing and poignant read, December 24, 2008

By	M. Snider "writemeg" (Maryland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Former child star Lilly Lorraine spent most of her life ignoring and mocking her only daughter Emmy James, a young woman who has grown up to doubt her ability to love and be loved by someone else. As EJ leaves her small Oregon town with a big, burdensome secret on her back, she begins to heal with the help of an angel, Jess, who magically drops into her life at a gas station. Jess convinces EJ it's time to return home and deal with news brought to her by a childhood friend -- and begin to understand, and possibly forgive, her estranged mother.

A fun and poignant read, I really enjoyed this book -- it was full of plenty of twists to keep me moving quickly through the plot. There were huge unanswered questions looming over most of the novel, and I'm happy to say Rich effectively resolved the loose ends by the conclusion. Full of humorous scenes and colorful imagery, it was hard to put this one down. I loved watching EJ reconcile with the people who used to love her most in the entire world -- and still do.