Every once in a while you come across a book that just makes you happy to read the book. The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley is one of those books, even though, when we meet Isadora, a University researcher, she is pretty miserable. She is isolated, and believes that this is what she wants. If nothing else, it keeps her insulated from pain. On her birthday, she goes to the store to get all of her junk food treats. In general, she does not let herself eat any of the things she is purchasing but on this one day, when she is alone on her birthday, she makes an exception. She makes another exception and purchases a tabloid magazine with an article entitled, "31 Ways To Be Happy." Isadora thinks the article is a crock, and so is the "doctor" that wrote it, and so begins her experiment to prove this doctor wrong. She is determined to try these different ways to be happy and show how none of them work. It certainly begins that way.... but Isadora may find some surprises on this journey, and maybe she will be the one to be proven wrong.

I loved this book. I smiled, laughed and cringed, as I read. I loved the characters I met, the quirky way that Isadora conducted herself and the ways she was able to learn something new... about happiness, other people and about herself. In a world where so many things bring pain, and dark and challenges, it is so refreshing to read a story that brings light and joy to the reader. Read this book. I promise you will not be disappointed.

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley is a sweet, charming look at life and what makes you happy. I really enjoy stories of found family, and this was a great mix of that with coming out of your shell themes and a slow burn romance. All of the side characters really made this book for me.
Thank you Thomas Nelson for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

My friends and I interviewed Courtney Walsh about this title at StoryChats podcast here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ohS9-aJyxo

Isadora Bently is DELIGHTFUL! I loved this book SO much! As a fellow rule follower I could totally relate to Isadora Bentley. She is a rule follower and likes things done the right way. But she doesn't believe happiness is meant for her, so when events come into her life that begin to change that perspective, she is out of her element!
Courtney Walsh is an auto buy author for me!

This was a fun book! I really liked Isadora. She was a unique, slightly quirky character. It was fun reading about the way she saw the world. I also liked the way parts were narrated as if she were an observation of an animal in the wild. That may sound a bit odd, but when you think about it, I think we all feel like animals in the wild from time to time when we find ourselves in unfamiliar situations. This is a unique book for the inspy market and I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I love Courtney Walsh's The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley! The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley tells the story of how Isadora Bentley, a college researcher, decides to disprove an article called “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy” step-by-step. With each step, Isadora finds out more about herself and others around her, coming to terms that things aren't as bad as they seem. I felt like while reading that Isadora was me. I often gushed about the relationship between Isadora and Cal. I believe we all need a Cal and a Isadora in our lives and I'm glad I found them in The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley! I enjoyed The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh from beginning to end and I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

Good book that had a solid story in it. I liked the main character and how well the author laid out the book for the reader.

The main character of this book, Isadora, is a researcher at a university and starts out a very closed off, isolated person. When on her birthday she sees a magazine article about 31 ways to be happy, she decides to try them out - in an effort to prove the article is wrong. But before she knows it, much to her surprise, her life starts to change for the better.

This was definitely a sweet and uplifting story - part quirky character comes out of their shell, part found family, part slow burn romance. Think books like The Rosie Project or The Collected Regrets of Clover.

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley was such a wonderful story. Isadora is an introvert. She is fine being alone, is a smart, hardworking researcher. She recently was involved with a professor who used her to do his research, organize his paper and then dumped her without giving her any credit for her work. On her 30th birthday she bought a magazine with an article entitled, “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy”. Isadora doesn't believe you can learn to be happy, nor that the suggestions would be able to make her happy. She decides to work her way through the list to prove the author/sociologist wrong. When her boss assigns her to work on another project with a handsome professor, she is not happy. As Isadora and Dr. Cal Baxter work together, he decides to help her with her project and takes on some of the items on the list. Can you learn to be happy?

I loved how Isadora changes in this story. She stays true to herself, but has so much personal growth. She makes friends with some different people like 70-year-old Marty who she eats lunch with everyday, and 10-year-old Delilah, the neighbour's daughter. Cal was wonderful. He was a loving son and brother, a great friend, smart, humble and a great person to work with. I loved some of the items on the list such as eat chocolate, smile more, and forgive others. This story had a lot of humor throughout and the characters were very real and relatable. I highly recommend this book.

I've really enjoyed Courtney Walsh's books before, but for some reason this one just didn't hit the same. Maybe it was me? I am a mood reader. But I didn't connect to Isadora at all and I wasn't feeling it. :(
I will still happily be reading more from Courtney Walsh!

Isadora is a research scientist and boy, did God make her for just that! Not naturally adept at social interactions, she has unfortunately learned over time and many disappointments that it is safest to avoid others and truly believes she is best off this way. On her 30th birthday, she impulsively grabs a magazine with the “ridiculous” article “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy” and a new research project is born! Will Isadora prove herself wrong and discover that she can be happy?

Such a fun romcom with heart! Courtney Walsh absolutely outdoes herself with found family supporting characters like seventy year Marty and ten year old Delilah and her mother. Filled with endearing and eclectic supporting characters and a protagonist you’ll want to hug and befriend, this is one that will have you tearing up at points and laughing at others and isn’t that the mark of a good book? I also loved seeing Isadora’s faith portrayed and found it to be such an encouragement. I look forward to many more heartfelt stories from Walsh!

Walsh is an auto-buy author for me but I was a little hesitant with this one because it felt different from her other books. Boy, was I happily surprised! THLIB might be my favorite yet! Isadora was such a relatable character and I loved watching her transformation from beginning to end! This book had me laughing and crying at the same time. Highly recommend!

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley was my first book by Courtney Walsh but it will not be my last! It was such a fun book and I really enjoyed every moment of it. The side characters were just great and added to much to Isadora's life as she goes through her list of 31 steps for a happy life.

The narrator, Jorjeana Marie, did a wonderful job. She made this book extra fun to listen to!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 13 June 2023

I enjoyed this book. I loved Isadora’s view of everything in her life. Isadora decides to take on a magazine challenge. She’s determined to prove it wrong. But suddenly her life is completely different. Oh how I loved the characters in the story. It was heartwarming and fun.

It took me a little bit to get into this story. Wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. As the story went on I found myself liking the quirky cast of characters and rooting for Isabella.

**I was given an early copy of this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity. The opinions in this review are mine.

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed it. It was also a quick read.

With a fun premise and a stellar cast of engaging, delightful characters, talented author Courtney Walsh has penned an entertaining and witty tale. The main character, Isadora, sets out to disprove an article about thirty-one ways to be happy. As a rather lonely university researcher, she doesn’t think she can be happy. As she works through the 31 steps, things begin to change for her.

This is a beautiful, delicious story of forgiveness, friendship, healing, and hope filled with lessons that Isadora learns and that everyone can embrace. I loved the personalities of the different friends of all ages that Isadora meets, and I found myself wanting to also be friends with them. 4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3 ⭐️

Review of "The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley" by Courtney Walsh. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an E-ARC in exchange for a review 💘

This book was really a charming, mature story, and it made me feel so wholesome. Isadora is a very lovable FMC and I really liked most of the side characters as well. It just all felt very pure and that’s something that just fits the vibe of the story.

It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but I had a good time listening. One of the book's strengths lies in the likable characters. Isadora and the side-characters (I loved Darby!) are well-written, and their interactions absolutely added part of the warmth to the story. Courtney Walsh really skillfully captured the essence of human relationships, making it easy for me to connect with the characters on a personal level. The storyline felt a bit predictable at points, but that totally wasn’t annoying or anything.

Also, I loved the little parts where Isadora’s inner monologue were showed. Even though Isadora Bentley refers to David Attenborough as narrator, I couldn’t help but hear Julie Andrews as Lady Wistledown narrating Isadora’s life, haha. Cute and fluffy.

I enjoyed this book very much. I really liked Isadora Bentley, even though she was a bit curmudgeonly. I Can relate to her thought that happiness is elusive, but her somewhat scientific approach to it was funny. I think many readers will relate to Isadora.