Sunburn

De: Chloe Michelle Howarth

Narrado por: Toni O'Rourke

Shortlisted for the 2024 Book of the Year: Discover Award by the British Book Awards

It's the early 1990s, and in the Irish village of Crossmore, Lucy feels out of place. Despite her fierce friendships, she's always felt this way, and the conventional path of marriage and motherhood doesn't appeal to her at all. Not even with handsome and doting Martin, her closest childhood friend.

Lucy begins to make sense of herself during a long hot summer, when a spark with her school friend Susannah escalates to an all-consuming infatuation, and, very quickly, to a desperate and devastating love.

Fearful of rejection from her small and conservative community, Lucy begins living a double life, hiding the most honest parts of herself in stolen moments with Susannah.

But with the end of school and the opportunity to leave Crossmore looming, Lucy must choose between two places, two people and two futures, each as terrifying as the other. But only one can offer her real happiness.

Sunburn is an astute and tender portrayal of first love, adolescent anxiety and the realities of growing up in a small town where tradition holds people tightly in its grasp.

©2023 Chloe Michelle Howarth (P)2025 Tantor Media

Amazing Story

I loved this story. One of my favorite sapphic novels ever. I adored this entire book from start to finish and became obsessed with it.

Reader is great

I like the reader. She makes the protagonist alive. Make Subtle thoughts of teenage girl so vivid.

This is by far one of my favorite sapphic novels and I’m so happy that it’s on Audible now!

It talks about comphet and young love/infatuation, religion and family pressure… it’s beautiful and heartbreaking in the best way. Highly recommend

Gorgeous writing..

This one is more than worth your time. Highly recommend. Certain emotional truths laid bare in a way that both hurts and heals.

Just listen to Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan

I found this book from a TikTok. I’m sorry I just could not stand the main character. Maybe it’s because I’m butch and I don’t have the privilege of hiding who I am because of my appearance but Lucy just carried around so much shame and guilt that I felt so bad for Susanna the entire time. And poor Martin was genuinely a good guy that just got wrapped up in Lucy’s whole mess. And don’t get me started on the ending. I was just like “really girl 🙄” I have just never cared enough about other’s opinions about MY life because it’s MY LIFE. We only get one life in this body so just live your truth by any means necessary because you owe it yourself. The parts before it all went to 💩 were super cute though. I just wish Lucy could’ve found the courage sooner💔