Sunny Cooper still hasn’t quite gotten over her horrible childhood. Along with her brother and sister, she was raised in a commune. Her mother never taught them the basic principles of social life – in school, Sunny was always the “smelly kid” because she was never informed about the necessity of showering on a regular basis. She hated the commune and her mother, especially after a tragic accident that changed Sunny’s life forever. As soon as she graduated from high school, Sunny left the commune and never looked back.

Now, years later, Sunny is in a relationship with Michael, who has been acting strangely. When Sunny gets the news that Michael has been killed in a car accident, she’s left to settle his affairs. Looking through the information he left behind, she finds inconsistencies, strange things that don’t seem to add up. Sunny realizes that she is in over her head and turns back to her roots in order to cope with what’s going on around her.

The Laws of Harmony is a heartwarming read about a broken woman who doesn’t even know how to begin to heal when the novel starts, so consumed by resentment at her childhood that she doesn’t know how to move forward with her life. It’s really rewarding to follow Sunny and watch her come to terms with her past. Her mother says to her at one point in the novel, “The world is going to cut you only so much slack because you think you had a lousy childhood.” It’s a thought-provoking statement that underscores the message of this novel – letting go of past hurts and moving forward in your life.

The mystery behind Michael’s strange behavior and death, while interesting, isn’t really a central plot in The Laws of Harmony. It’s enough to hook the reader and keep them engaged at the beginning of the novel, but it’s much more of a catalyst for a change in Sunny’s life. This novel is about her change and growth, rather than Michael’s affairs.

The open-ended conclusion of The Laws of Harmony doesn’t provide much closure. It’s clear that this might be because there is a sequel in the works, which would be wonderful. Sunny is a well-written, engaging character, and the town of Harmony is a great place with a lot of fun characters. However, it would have been nice to have a little more finality at the end of the novel. It’s too ambiguous to be satisfying, even with the knowledge that another book about Sunny is probably coming.

Judith Ryan Hendricks’ writing style flows naturally, making this novel light and easy to read. The Laws of Harmony is fun and rewarding for fans of women’s fiction, who will love getting to know Sunny and the other quirky characters living in Harmony.