4.25rounded down

An interesting, fast paced family drama that was interesting to read.

Celine is troubled. Her horse farm, her marriage and her son. All are important but all are out of her control. Then, the cancer diagnosis comes and everything cracks wide open.

Overall, I was enthralled with the story, though it was fairly predictable. The plot was overall enjoyable, however, Celine’s ending did not feel remotely right or believable.

Advanced reader copy provided by Lake Union but all opinions are my own.

The Sun’s Shadow is a heartbreaking story of betrayal, childhood cancer, loss of self, and destructive secrets, but it also offers hope in the messy struggle that is life. Celine is starting to question her husband Eric’s distant behavior, she is in danger of losing the equestrian farm she has loved since childhood, and now her 12 year old son is facing a cancer diagnosis. In light of Brian’s diagnosis, a secret family that her husband has hidden for the past 17 years, is now revealed in the hope that there is a chance that Brian’s half brother can save his life.

This is a deeply emotional book, that covers a wide range of heavy topics. Celine was abandoned by her father at the age of 6 years old and has struggled with reconciling that abandonment throughout her whole life. Felicity has also dealt with issues of striving to be the perfect daughter to please her father and had a strained relationship with her mother. You can definitely see how Badani builds these two characters adult lives, based on their pasts.

The relationship that develops between Brian and Justin is heartwarming and makes the reader feel the loss of time that the two of them have missed out on, all of these years. The story is a roller coaster of emotion as the secrets of Eric’s hidden life are revealed, and it is easy for the reader to play the blame game, but then ask the same questions as the characters…if things had been different, where would that have led the characters and who they are now. (But with all that said, I do really blame Eric for the whole situation).

I did find some of the pacing during the story to be a bit off. Some parts of the story were a bit slower and others happened at a faster past. I also felt like there might have been too many issues covered in the story, and that if some of those were left out, the story would have still been complete and concise.

If you are looking for a story that is grounded in real life, pulls on your emotions, and challenges your views on growth and forgiveness, then I would highly recommend The Sun’s Shadow.

The Sun’s Shadow is at once both predictable and surprising. The story moves slowly with several churning reveals as each character comes into the realization that reality may not be what it seems. Multiple plot lines play forward as the situations are uncovered.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I’m kind of a blubbering mess over here and I need to get a grip so I can write this review. If you need a story that will give you a good emotional release, this could be it. So many themes to this story……the love of family, the despair of betrayals, redemption and personal growth, the toll of childhood cancer and so much more.

Celine, Eric and their 12-year old son Brian are living a busy life of work, school and sports typical to many families. But what is not typical are the secrets and lies that have built their marriage. When Brian receives a cancer diagnosis, the truths are revealed and the worlds of two families collide. With great emotional depth, the story is told through the voices of two mothers, Celine and Felicity, both of whom have a profound and deep love for their sons.

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Sejal Bandani for the emotional and wonderful digital reading experience in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: January 28, 2025

As always Sejal Badani this at my heart strings. I love the emotion she conveys in her wording and characters. The rawness of the pain I can sometimes place myself in that. The beauty of the love that can be had allows me to end feeling good. I'll read ANYTHING she writes!!!

In Another Life is an emotional and poignant story about Celine, who is struggling to save her farm and cope with her son’s cancer diagnosis, and Felicity, who has been hiding the truth about her affair with Celine’s husband. Their lives collide when Felicity’s son, Justin, becomes the key to saving Brian’s life. The novel explores themes of betrayal, sacrifice, and unlikely alliances, with a focus on the complex dynamics between the two women.

While the pacing can feel slow at times, the character development and emotional depth make this a rewarding read. The story’s message of forgiveness and redemption is both powerful and uplifting.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I was a sucker for the rocking horse. The second was the blurb. It was so enticing. The book succeeded in keeping me invested the whole way through. This was a very plot and character driven book. It was emotionally charged and with lyrical prose that really resonated within me. This book
Is one of those books that will stay with me.

4.25⭐️. “I glance toward the sky, at the sun that peeks out from behind the clouds, and wonder if I’ll ever again see its light or be forever cast in shadows.”

This book gripped me from the beginning and I found it very bingeable. It follows the POVs of two women - Celine and Felicity. 17 years ago, when Celine was engaged to Eric, he and Felicity had a one-night stand that led to their son, Justin, being born. In the present day, Celine and Eric now have their own 12 year old son, Brian, and neither Justin, Celine or Brian are aware of the double life that Eric is leading. When Brian receives a life threatening diagnosis, secrets are shattered.

This book covers some heavy topics, with childhood illness and betrayal, and Celine is a character who is easy to relate to and feel empathy for.

“It isn’t supposed to be like this, I think. The pain should have ended years ago. At some point, I am sure, happiness was meant for me.”

Both she and Felicity have been shaped by their childhoods and their relationships with their fathers, leaving Felicity a woman striving for success and Celine a woman trying not to rock the boat but to “Keep things steady and safe.”

As a horse person, the ranch setting and Celine’s career as a horse trainer made this book even better (although I would’ve liked even more of this!)

Despite the horrendous circumstances that Celine finds herself in, there are still moments of lightness and levity. However, I really struggled with Felicity’s inner monologue at the times (as I think you’re meant to), where she’s painting herself as the victim, yet she’s the only one of the two women whose had all of the facts known to her throughout the past 17 years.

My only critique is that, for me, the ending wrapped up a little too nicely, too quickly. While I love that she put Brian first and kept her issues with Eric and Felicity separate, I think Celine is a much more forgiving woman than I would have been in those circumstances!

A emotional and heartbreaking story of family, illness and betrayal. I instantly felt connected to the characters and their complexity through the plot I cried and felt tremendous anger on the characters behalf. When I started reading I didn't want to stop and even when I did I was still thinking about it and itching to get back to read more. Such a powerful and well written book!

The Sun’s Shadow is a beautifully written, emotional journey through family secrets, betrayal, and sacrifice. Sejal Badani masterfully captures the complexity of her characters and their relationships, keeping me hooked from start to finish. The themes of love, forgiveness, and personal growth are so impactful. A must-read for anyone who loves deep, emotional family dramas. Highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley and @wundrbookspr for the opportunity to read this advanced copy!

Easy writing, emotional story though I couldn't connect to the characters. Pacing felt a little uneven towards the end.

This book was an emotional story that tugged at the heartstrings. I enjoyed it. It was a palate cleanser after reading a lot of thrillers lately. I didn't connect to the characters as much as I had hoped, though. I will have to be sure to try to read the author's other novels. 3.5 stars

I'll admit that maybe I wasn't in the right mood for a book like this - or maybe simply Badani's writing is not for my taste.
I can't pinpoint anything essentially wrong with this book. It just did not work for me. At first I was curious about the characters. but then I realised I didn't connect or relate to any of them, so it was a little difficult to care about them.
I'm sure other readers will enjoy this book more than I did.

Celine's family is what she wished her family had been growing up, with a sweet and kind-hearted son in Brian, and a loving husband in Eric. Despite his attention and affection however, Eric is often absent, missing key moments of Brian's childhood due to his work trips.

What Celine doesn't know is that the work trips are actually a cover for Eric to visit his other, older son, Justin and the teenager's mother, Felicity.

When Brian is diagnosed with cancer and Justin seems to be his only hope at surviving, secrets and old pains are brought to the surface.

This dual POV novel follows Celine and Felicity as they grapple with those events and learn to re-build their life, identities and families.

The Sun's Shadow is a really touching novel and brings the readers to think about the humanity of people who, on first instinct, we'd prefer to hate instead of relate to or empathize with.

One of my favorite things about this book was the way in which it beautifully showcased how the family can be extended to welcome new bonds and new forms of love.

The characters all felt very human, though sometimes a bit two-dimensional. Regardless, this book was a beautiful lesson on learning to communicate and open up to people especially in difficult times.

This is the kind of book that I would be very likely to recommend to someone who is just getting back into reading as the writing flows easily. It reads a bit like a movie script at times, which is not exactly my personal preference, but I think that kind of writing lends itself to the style of the book.

However, the pacing felt a bit strange towards the end because it felt as though many things were happening so fast in order to wrap up the book.

Still though, it was a good read and I'd recommend it if you're interested in themes of love, family and forgiveness.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC, all opinions are my own.

This was a pretty good read. I enjoyed it as it was definitely heartfelt with Celine's story. I felt a range of emotions reading this!

The Sun’s Shadow is a heart-wrenching novel that follows a mother’s journey as she discovers the only hope for her son with cancer lies in his half-brother—the result of her husband’s infidelity. The way the mothers come together, along with the two boys who are just learning they’re brothers, creates a truly beautiful and emotional reading experience. Five stars!

The Suns Shadow by Sejal Badani was a phenomenal read. It was a page turning story about betrayal, forgiveness, and second chances. Read this book!

This book is a beautifully written, heartfelt exploration of how even the deepest wounds can lead to unexpected healing and connections.