The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh Book Review

The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh

Sometimes you’re so busy writing other people’s stories that you can lose the plot of your own.

This wasn’t how Kelsey Worthington’s day was supposed to go. She wasn’t supposed to be picking up Starbucks for her smarmy boss. She wasn’t supposed to get hit by a car that jumped the curb. And she certainly wasn’t supposed to wake up in a hospital room next to Georgina Tate—the legendary matriarch of New York City businesswomen.

Kelsey and Georgina couldn’t be more opposite. Kelsey’s a dreamer, a writer who questions her own skill. And Georgina is a confident businesswoman whose years of shouldering her way into boardrooms and making her voice heard have made her far too outspoken for the faint of heart.

But now, when Georgina’s failing kidneys force her to face some big regrets about the way she’s lived her life, the two women recognize they share a common thread. Maybe it’s time to confront a few things. They must ask themselves: What if I said yes to everything I’ve always said no to?

With Georgina as her companion, Kelsey soon finds herself doing things she’s never done before. Eating street food. Swimming in the ocean. Matchmaking for Georgina with the help of Georgina’s handsome son. And writing her own romance—both in book form and in real life.

So begins the Summer of Yes.

I enjoyed this book but it maybe wasn't my favorite by Courtney Walsh. I thought the idea was fun and the characters were mediocre. It was an okay read. Not too deep. I was engaged enough to want to keep reading and see how it was going to end but I also wasn't anxious to get back to it. 

One of the things I really enjoy about Courtney Walsh's writing is that her stories are typically so realistic and relatable. And while there were a lot of realistic and relatable moments, there was also some areas that were a little far-fetched.  

I did have a bit of a hard time with the characters in this story. I found Georgina to be so unlikable it almost took away from the story. I can appreciate a grumpy older person but Georgina kept boarding on mean and never really changed even at the end of the book. And Kelsey was kind of contradicting. On one had she comes across as work-a-holic push-over, but then she is very assertive and pushy with Georgina. Pushy to the point of being forceful. I feel like if Georgina had been a little less stand-offish and rude then Kelsey's pushiness wouldn't have come across as so aggressive. 

It also seemed like it took a while to really get into the story or for it to really go anywhere. There were some really nice moments but also a lot of repetition. I liked the idea of the plot but just kept wishing it had been done a little differently. I wish there would have been more adventure or spontaneity. 

I think the overall message of the story is great as far as being more open to saying yes and while I appreciate a fun, light-hearted read, I wish this would have had a little more depth. If you're looking for a very light read without any expectations then it's fine, but overall this was just an okay read for me. I just finished My Lucky Charm (also by Courney Walsh) and felt like that was a much better story with better developed characters and story depth.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh Book Review

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh

She’s out to prove that there’s no such thing as choosing happiness.

Isadora Bentley follows the rules. Isadora Bentley likes things just so. Isadora Bentley believes that happiness is something that flat-out doesn’t exist in her life—and never will.

As a university researcher, Isadora keeps to herself as much as possible. She avoids the students she’s supposed to befriend and mentor. She stays away from her neighbors and lives her own quiet, organized life in her own quiet, organized apartment. And she will never get involved in a romantic relationship again—especially with another academic. It will be just Isadora and her research. Forever.

But on her thirtieth birthday, Isadora does something completely out of character. The young woman who never does anything “on a whim” makes an impulse purchase of a magazine featuring a silly article detailing “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy”—which includes everything from smiling at strangers to exercising for endorphins to giving in to your chocolate cravings. Isadora decides to create her own secret research project—proving the writer of the ridiculous piece wrong.

As Isadora gets deeper into her research—and meets a handsome professor along the way—she’s stunned to discover that maybe, just maybe, she’s proving herself wrong. Perhaps there’s actually something to this happiness concept, and possibly there’s something to be said for loosening up and letting life take you somewhere . . . happy.

I think I've read every book by Courtney Walsh and while there are some I've really liked and some not as much (they definitely weren't bad books by any means, just maybe didn't connect with the story line or characters.) but this book has a noticeably different feel to it. With saying that, I liked this book so much!

Right from the start Isadora is someone I think we can all connect with on some level. I could really relate to Isadora and how she thinks and especially her view on happiness. I did think that Isadora at the very beginning was a little mean but that is just part of the story and the journey she goes on to find (or try not to find in her case!) happiness.

I so enjoyed all of the characters. Marty, Cal, Darby, and Delilah were all so well written, believable, and enjoyable.

For some reason this book has been a really hard one to write a review on. I really liked it but it's just hard to put into words how I felt about it. This story is really for anyone who has ever felt like they don't fit in, are introverted, awkward, have past hurts, struggle with happiness, or just have ever felt like they don't belong.

It's definitely not a book that is going to be for everyone, but it's going to feel so relatable to others! It's also maybe not the most exciting or suspenseful, but if you enjoy a good character/emotional journey than this just may be the book for you! 

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley releases on June 13, 2023

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese Book Review

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese

From back cover:

As a senior acquisitions editor for Fog Harbor Books in San Francisco, Ingrid Erikson has rejected many a manuscript for lack of defined conflict and dramatic irony - two elements her current life possesses in spades. In the months following the death of her childhood best friend and international bestselling author Cecelia Campbell, Ingrid has not only lost her ability to escape into fiction due to a rare trauma response, but she's also desperate to find the closure she's convinced will come with Cecelia's missing final manuscript.

After Ingrid jeopardizes her career, she fears her future will remain irrevocably broken. But then Joel Campbell - the man who shattered her belief in happily-ever-afters - offers her a sealed envelope from his late cousin, Cecelia, asking Joel and to put their differences aside and retrieve a mysterious package in their coastal Washington hometown.

Honoring Cecelia's last request will challenge their convictions and test their loyalties, but through it all, will Ingrid and Joel be brave enough to uncover a twice-in-a-lifetime love?

I enjoyed this book although it was a little slow to start. Having read several other books by this author I knew I would be invested but it just took a little while for me to get into it and warm up to Ingrid. 

I'll start off with what I didn't like as I had a couple of things I didn't care for with this book. There were so many things going on it was a lot to keep up with. Throw in all the jumping around with the story flash-backs and it really messed up the flow and made it feel way longer than it needed to be. 

I also had a little bit of an issue with Ingrid's trauma response. I could have understood being unable to work due to grief, but the problem itself just didn't make sense to me (maybe it just wasn't described well enough?) it didn't feel necessary to the story and seemed like more one more detail bogging down the story.

And while Ingrid was the main protagonist, it seemed like more effort was put into bringing Cece to life. I felt more of her character and there was so much more depth to her that Ingrid was almost secondary. Which I think made it a bit harder for me to connect with her. 

This book is packed with emotion, most prominent being grief. Grief is such a complex, tricky topic I think I personally just didn't feel it from the story as much as I would have liked. I think it was because there were several different plot points that each had a grief angle, so it you really didn't get to feel the depth of Ingrid's grief and how it truely impacted her because there was so much going on.

With the negative out of the way I did enjoy this book. Having grown up in Washington state and having visited Port Townsend, I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the area. Even if you had never visited the Northwest it's described so well you can easily imagine the setting. 

Cece had an almost child-like innocence about her that made her enjoyable to read about. She was just fun and lively and I think we can all think of someone like her in our lives. 

I typically like to read mystery/suspense type books so I appreciated the twist towards the end. While I did have some suspicions throughout the book (that ended up being correct) it didn't deter from the plot itself and I felt satisfied that it turned out how I was expecting and hoping.

So while this maybe wasn't my favorite book by this author, it was just one that I liked but maybe didn't love. Probably a 3.5/5 star read. Better than "just okay" but not quite memorable enough for a 4 star.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 

The Words We Lost releases on April 11, 2023.

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin Book Review

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

From back cover:

When the German march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden. American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research - her life's dream - and makes the dangerous decision to print resistance newspapers.

As Else hears rumors of the movement's legendary Havmand - the merman - she also becomes intrigued by the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse. Henrik makes every effort to conceal his noble upbringing, but he is torn between the facade he must maintain and the woman he is beginning to fall in love with.

When the occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech...or in silence.

I was honestly a little disappointed with this book. I was really looking forward to this story because I really enjoyed the previous two books (When Twilight Breaks and Until Leaves Fall In Paris. Just a note, these books can all be read as stand-alone.) and I had never read a WWII book set in Denmark. I think my biggest issue was I just couldn't connect with the characters. 

Else was just so nice and came across as too perfect. Her biggest "flaw" in the story was the fact that she didn't know how to stand up for herself. And that was only because she was being treated unfairly by one person. Else's job as a physicist was hard to relate to. I mean, I liked and appreciated that she was such an intelligent physicist and I would have liked to learn more about her job and what she was doing, but it was all very vague and hard to understand.

And then with Henrik (who goes by multiple names throughout the book which can be a tad confusing) who is described as being a playboy before the war and then makes a dramatic transformation with very little explanation. I really could have done with a some more backstory or something. We see him struggling with different concepts and he's had some things happen in his past that are said to have changed him but we don't get to see any of that growth. It was like "this happened, then this happened." and that was it.

Mostly I found the character development to be lacking, the romance was just way too easy without any tension or anything. I wasn't rooting for them or wondering if they were going to end up together. It was basically just a matter of that they they like each other and that's it.

Another issue I had was how hard the Danish language was to understand. There was a pronunciation guide at the back of the book but it really just frustrated me more than helped. I would have been fine with it had it just been locations, but it went beyond that and really hindered the progress of story for me. 

I did like that the story was set in Denmark as I was very interested in reading about what went on there during the war. While I have never been to Denmark it was described well enough where you could easily imagine the setting. 

Unfortunately this could have been a great story but it just felt like it was missing something. While I was invested in the book and wanted to know what was going to happen, it just didn't have that don't-want-to-put-it-down quality that some of Sarah Sundin's other books have for me.

I received a complementary copy of this book from Revell. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Heirlooms by Sandra Byrd Book Review

Heirlooms by Sandra Byrd

Description from Amazon:

Answering a woman’s desperate call for help, young Navy widow Helen Devries opens her Whidbey Island home as a refuge to Choi Eunhee. As they bond over common losses and a delicate, potentially devastating secret, their friendship spans the remainder of their lives.

After losing her mother, Cassidy Quinn spent her childhood summers with her gran, Helen, at her farmhouse. Nourished by her grandmother’s love and encouragement, Cassidy discovers a passion that she hopes will bloom into a career. But after Helen passes, Cassidy learns that her home and garden have fallen into serious disrepair. Worse, a looming tax debt threatens her inheritance. Facing the loss of her legacy and in need of allies and ideas, Cassidy reaches out to Nick, her former love, despite the complicated emotions brought by having him back in her life.

Cassidy inherits not only the family home but a task, spoken with her grandmother’s final breaths: ask Grace Kim―Eunhee’s granddaughter―to help sort through the contents of the locked hope chest in the attic. As she and Grace dig into the past, they unearth their grandmothers’ long-held secret and more. Each startling revelation reshapes their understanding of their grandmothers and ultimately inspires the courage to take risks and make changes to own their lives.

Set in both modern-day and midcentury Whidbey Island, Washington, this dual-narrative story of four women―grandmothers and granddaughters―intertwines across generations to explore the secrets we keep, the love we pass down, and the heirlooms we inherit from a well-lived life.

I pretty quickly got pulled into this story and came to really like the characters. I was really into Helen and Eunhee's story and was a bit disappointed when the story shifted focus to Cassidy's timeline. I've gotten really tired of these dual-timeline stories as they can be really annoying to keep straight with their many characters; but fortunately that wasn't the case with this one! 

Both characters were so expertly written that I found myself feeling a little sad (but also excited) when the story switched back to the other. I definitely preferred Helen and Eunhee's story, but Cassidy's flowed well throughout.

Having grown up in Washington state (not too far away from where the book was set!) I was extremely familiar with the setting and it was very nostalgic for me. I could easily imagine everything going on what things looked like or how things were. This is also a testament to how well the book was written; even if you've never visited Washington the story is so well described (without being over the top) that it's easy to imagine it like a movie in your mind. 

And not only is the book well written setting-wise, it's well written period-wise as well. I enjoyed all the descriptions and nods to life during the 50's. Rotary phones and party lines, Elvis on TV, learning to cook from cookbooks and gardening from Better Homes & Gardens books. It all really helped to set the scene!

I appreciated the mentions of the Korean war and the role it played in Eunhee's life. There is unfortunately a reason why it is called The Forgotten War and I always wonder why books (even ones written during the 50's) completely ignore it. Life for the Korean people before, during, and after the Korean war was very difficult. There is a huge gap in the market for stories like this. 

Eunhee coming to America with her Navy husband and then trying to make a life here, while also trying to keep in touch with her family in Korea, leads to some struggles and heartbreak (I don't want to give any of the plot away!).

I enjoyed learning about the Korean culture and the role it played in the story. Especially son-mat, which means "hand taste or the taste-from-one's-hands". What a sweet way of passing on family traditions/recipes to the next generation! 

This was a beautiful story about family, friendship, community, culture, and heartbreak. This story touched on some tough topics but there were so many wonderful, tender moments that made this a truly enjoyable story to read. I read a lot of books and while there aren't many that I would say truly stick with me, this was one I will continue to think about for a long time.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 

Heirlooms releases on July 5, 2022.

Long Way Home by Lynn Austin Book Review

Long Way Home by Lynn Austin

Description from Amazon:

Peggy Serrano couldn’t wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience as a medic in Europe that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable, his parents check him into the VA hospital. Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge. She starts by contacting Jimmy’s war buddies, trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy’s belongings.

Seven years earlier, sensing the rising tide against her people, Gisela Wolff and her family flee Germany aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana, Cuba. Gisela meets Sam Shapiro on board and the two fall quickly in love. But the ship is denied safe harbor and sent back to Europe. Thus begins Gisela’s perilous journey of exile and survival, made possible only by the kindness and courage of a series of strangers she meets along the way, including one man who will change the course of her life.

I was quite disappointed by this book and found it to be pretty boring. The whole story was just so slow! It wasn't until maybe the last 1/4 of the book where it seemed to pick up speed and the plot finally moved forward. So much of the book was just repeating the same things. 

Most of Gisela's storyline was just one bad thing after another. I mean, I know there was a lot of bad happening (Obviously! It was war!) but typically you'll at least have a few small good moments. It just got to be depressing. I already knew what had happened with the St. Louis, but too much time was spent telling the facts about what happened without really adding any story to it. 

I would have much preferred this story to have focused solely on Peggy instead of the dual-storyline. I think that really detracted from both characters as we don't really get to know either of them very well or understand their motivations. 

I didn't care for Gisela at all really. She was kind of irrational with how she reacted to people helping her and the way she rushed into her romance with Sam made her (and their relationship) feel unnatural to me. I found Peggy to be more personable and relatable.

I did really like the relationship between Peggy and Jimmy's parents. I think we can all relate to feeling like we don't fit in at times, even within our own families, so I really liked how Peggy found acceptance with Jimmy's parents. 

For most of the book I was confused by Peggy and Jimmy's relationship. They're friends, but there is a mention that she has a crush on him, but she also doesn't find it weird that the guy she has a crush on is carrying the picture of another girl with him? And then later she says he's like a brother to her? It was just confusing to me and didn't fully make sense until the very end.

I've read several of this author's books and have enjoyed them (In fact, I included If I Were You as one of my favorite reads from 2020!) but this one just didn't have the same feel to it that the others have. I don't really know what it was about this one, but it just fell flat for me.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 

Long Way Home releases on June 21, 2022.

All That It Takes by Nicole Deese Book Review

All That It Takes by Nicole Deese:

From back cover:

When the ever-cautious Val Locklier moves cross-country with her son for a secure job, everything she'd planned unravels within the first week. After Val reluctantly agrees to rent an apartment from her best friend's brother, an unexpected chance at an elite filmmakers' mentorship ignites fresh hope for a dream career. But as Val's community begins to expand, so do her insecurities, especially those heightened by her growing attraction to a certain friendly landlord. 

Pastor Miles McKenzie returns home from a short-term mission trip to discover that not only does he have an intriguing new tenant living upstairs, he's also been reassigned to a local ministry on life support. Disillusioned and restless, he distracts himself by throwing his energy into a host of new projects--not the least of which is pursuing Val--without stopping to consider the future. 

As Val struggles to stop hiding behind the camera and Miles wrestles with shattered expectations, they'll find that authentic love and sacrifice must go hand in hand.

I really enjoyed this book! I included the first book, All That Really Matters, in my list of favorite reads from 2021, so I was really glad that I liked this book just as much as the first! Although I maybe liked this one slightly better only because I related to Val a little more. 

The characters in this story are so likable. They're relatable, flawed and well rounded; they just felt so real! Even the secondary and minor characters take on a life of their own and come across as very genuine. Miles is just so kind and I love his relationship with Tucker, Val is easy to relate to with her personality and insecurities, and Tucker (Val's son) is so fun and lovable. And the way Val and Miles re-meet really had me laughing. I won't ruin it but it's pretty hilarious and involves a lightsaber. 

Miles and Val both struggle when their life plans get disrupted and they're left trying to figure out what to do next. They're forced to stop and reevaluate who they are and what direction they want to go in. With the help of some wise and some unexpected characters throughout the story we see them on their journey to overcoming their struggles. 

There are some hard topics and lessons that are dealt with throughout the book that I thought were handled well. It's a good reminder that even when things are hard or a circumstance seems hopeless that God can redeem the situation.

I found the faith component to be very well done. It's SO rare to read a Christian book that doesn't come across as preachy. Especially with Miles being a pastor you would expect some preachiness, but it doesn't come across that way at all. Miles isn't perfect and still has struggles and issues relating to church and church politics.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really can't think of anything I didn't like about it! The characters, the scene/setting, the romance, faith aspect, the struggles, etc. were so honest, raw, and real that it made the story feel like a movie in your mind. I'm looking forward to whatever comes next from this author!

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.