Katie Sturino Pens 'Carrie Bradshaw for the Next Generation' in Debut NovelSunny Side Up— See the Cover! (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Katie Sturino and the cover of ‘Sunny Side Up’.Photo:Kelsey Cherry; Celadon Books

Kelsey Cherry; Celadon Books

Katie Sturinohas an empowering new novel on the way.PEOPLE can exclusively share the cover of the author and body positivity advocate’s debut novel,Sunny Side Up, which hits shelves this summer from Celadon Books.The novel follows Sunny Greene, the leader of a New York PR empire who is reeling from a recent divorce. Ready to banish the negativity, Sunny, described in the book’s synopsis as “Carrie Bradshaw for the next generation,” decides to throw herself back into dating.

As she navigates new relationships, including with a charming mailman and an ambitious business mogul, things get complicated for Sunny when her ex unexpectedly enters her life once again.

Celadon Books

Since 2015, Sturino, the founder of the inclusive body care brandMegababe, has used social media to promote body positivity and self-confidence across industries. Her fans include celebrities likeBlake Lively,Oprah WinfreyandDrew Barrymore. But that doesn’t mean it’s always been easy — or that her efforts are over.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!“We have taken one step forward and 12 steps back when it comes to body image work in the media and on social media,” Sturinotold PEOPLE in 2024. “The conversation was going in an amazing direction and then it took a hard left turn.”

The writer hopes to take her message of body positivity to the page withSunny Side Up, she tells PEOPLE, especially for readers who may need it.“I wroteSunny Side Upfor every woman who’s ever felt discarded, who’s looked in the mirror and struggled to love what she sees, or who’s wondered if her best days are behind her,” Sturino says. “Sunny is the hero we need right now — a bold reminder that thriving doesn’t have a size limit, and love is always within reach.”

“My hope is that readers see themselves in Sunny, laugh along the way, and feel empowered to chase joy on their own terms," the author adds.

See Sunny in action in an exclusive excerpt fromSunny Side Up,below.

Katie Sturino.Kelsey Cherry

Kelsey Cherry

Wiping the inevitable tears from my face, I flashed back to the countless dressing rooms that had  become battlegrounds in my life. There was the time my mom yelled, “It’s too short in the crotch!” across Abercrombie as I struggled to jam my adult-sized body into jean shorts seemingly designed for dolls. Or the middle school dances where I opted for “business casual” capris because nothing else fit. Dressing rooms became places where dreams went to die.Even as an adult, when I’d built a career I was proud of — running my own PR firm, earning awards likeEntrepreneur’s 35 under 35 — that voice in my head was still loud. It whispered that I didn’t belong, that I wasn’t enough. And today, that voice was practically screaming.But I wasn’t going to let it win. Not this time. This trip to Bergdorf Goodman wasn’t just about buying a swimsuit. It was about stepping into the next chapter of my life — a fresh start. After my divorce, I promised myself I’d stop letting anyone — my ex, society, or even me — make me feel small. That wasn’t easy, especially not here, with the unholy trifecta of fluorescent lighting, too-small clothes, and a sales associate who handed me a size 14 swimsuit that fit like an 8.

source: people.com