I absolutely LOVE Courtney Walsh's writing! This story was really deep and I found my heart caring for the main character so so much and was rooting for her during the whole book. This story line was completely different for Courtney and I think she did it justice!

Favourite quote:
" What is we are supposed to be the light? what if I am supposed to be the light?"
"I would never think his kindness was a small thing. By living his life and being himself, he opened up a whole world for me, reminded me that I'm alive."

Truly meaningful and such a powerful story!

This was an enjoyable book about found family and searching to know yourself better. I flew through it and while it's not my absolute favourite, it was an enjoyable read.

Review: The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh

Publish date: June 13 2023

I am determined Courtney Walsh can do no wrong. This book was so good! This is also my first book of hers that wasn’t a holiday story and I am here for it!

First impression is- why am I on the cover of this book and secondly this book is beyond relatable.

I haven’t felt a connection with a character like I did with Isadora. Buried under trauma and unsure if life at one point was ever meant to be happy.
Isadora is smart and quirky and real. But when she turns 30 she finds herself loading up on snacks in aisle 8 and grabbing a magazine with the article of “31 ways to be happy” as an academic researcher Isadora set out to disprove this article but what she didn’t expect to happen was the life hiding in plain sight.

Watching Isadora break out of her constant comfort zones made you feel a roller coaster of emotions. At times I felt myself smiling uncontrollably, laughing out loud and even finding myself tearing up. I just understood the connections she was having and how she was able to break herself from those traumas.

The relationships that Isadora builds throughout the story are beautiful and unexpected. From her loud outgoing neighbor with 4 kids to the old man in the quad at the university to her swoon worthy love interest.

I am looking forward to sharing this book with my friends when this book comes out in June.

Thank you so much @netgalley @thomasnelson and @courtneywalsh for allowing me the opportunity to review this book. I received this complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are entirely of my own.

I first fell in love with Courtney Walsh's holiday books--Merry Ex-Mas, A Cross-Country Christmas, and My Phony Valentine. When I saw The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley I knew that I had to read it. It had all of the same heart, fun, vulnerability, and self-discovery that run through her holiday-themed books, but I may have loved it even more.

In the beginning, I felt like I knew exactly where the book was going. Simple, quiet, routine-loving university researcher, Isadora, embarks on a research project to disprove an article she reads about 31 ways to be happy. As Isadora uncovers what, exactly, being happy means to her and what's been standing in her way, it helped me reframe some beliefs that I held about happiness, too. The book was so clever, well thought out, and enjoyable!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. It was an absolute treat!

I enjoyed The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley, but it wasn't a book that I couldn't put down. Started slow for me. I could have used a little more about Isadora - is she autistic? She seemed neurotypical to me, but I wasn't sure. I enjoyed the cast of characters, and the hint of love story.

Isadora could be maddening, but I stuck with her seeing her through the eyes of her lunch crew. I didn't care for the frequent Sir David Attenborough inner monologue at the beginning of the book, and was glad it died down and let the story unfold. The relationships she makes with varied side characters (aka: the lunch crew-I loved them all) is was brings a unique depth to the story of Isadora's happiness experiment. I loved that the relationships were mutually beneficial. The story brings home the importance and blessing of meaningful human connections.

Thanks #NetGalley and #ThomasNelsonPublishing for the ARC e-book.

I won’t lie. It took me almost the first third of the book to get into the story, mostly because I didn’t identify with the main female character, Isadora, at all. She was so miserable and so focused on her own problems, and her brand of humor didn’t resonate with me at all. Thankfully, the story got better and I got hooked, and had a hard time putting it down! Isadora learns a lot and ends up being the kind of person I wouldn’t mind being friends with.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." #TheHappyLifeofIsadoraBentley #NetGalley

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.


Sheldon's Amy meets Eleanor Oliphant in this heartfelt and hilarious romantic comedy of Courtney Walsh.
After reading her previous books I already expected the author's laugh out loud sense of humour and I can tell you...this story delivered!
Isadora is such a loveable character and I loved her banter. The one thing I didn't appreciate was the delivery of some funny scenes. I wish there were less funny scenes!!!! I hope this makes sense LOL...after I while you just dont find the situations funny anymore because there is no pause in them...it becomes overwhelming after a while. Like eating to much chocolate! If you overeat you are not enjoying it anymore!

#netgalley #arcreview

As an single introvert who spends a lot of time alone and turns 30 this year, Isadora resonated with me from the jump.

I have read a lot of “lonely person meets someone new and comes out of their shell” books, and it’s a genre that I generally like. And I did like this book, but for the first half, it didn’t quite click for me. I felt the whole time like something was just on the verge of happening, without it actually happening (like that really uncomfortable moment when you’re about to sneeze but can’t— I just wanted the satisfaction of the sneeze).

However, by the second half, I felt the gears catch, and it became sweeter, more poignant, and harder to put down. In the end, it had me confronting some of the same issues as Isadora, which was uncomfortable but good for me.

Overall, a sweet book but it took me longer to get through that most because I just wasn’t dying to keep reading, but it ended on a strong note.

A very good surprise !
This book keeps getting better with each new page ! Even though Isadora is funny and witty from the start, I found it difficult to enter in the book because of her inside voice who speaks like a documentary and his very present at the beginning of the book .
But once she starts to meet our found family/friends the book really takes a turn for the best. I found it so relatable, I too feel the pressure of doing something impactful, I too sometimes wonders if it's better to be alone than to be heart broken ... This book gives hopes and some precious reminder on happiness !
A very happy read thanks to netgalley who provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: June 13, 2023

Courtney Walsh hits it out of the park again! I loved hearing Isadora’s thoughts throughout the story. She’s quirky and relatable, and really overcomes some challenges. This is a story of self-love, friendship, and romance all rolled into one. This is a fun, uplifting read, and will be a great one to take with you on vacation this summer!

You’ll enjoy this story if you like:
📝quirky main character
📝friendship with unlikely people
📝a little bit of romance
📝self-discovery
📝College campus setting
📝Chicago

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Watching a character who is so much like me learn the secret to happiness was quite an eye-opening adventure. I loved getting to know Isadora's quirky nature, loved her inner monologue, and loved learning through her that I don't have to change who I am for other people to like me. Just be me. But also that we can choose our happiness. I laughed and I cried (literally) and loved every moment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’ve read 3 books by Courtney Walsh so far. My most recent read was My Phony Valentine and it was so good that when I saw her post about her new book, I was super excited to check it out. I was even more excited to see it on NetGalley and to see that my request was approved. I didn’t see that this was listed as a contemporary Christian romance before I requested it. If I’m being honest, had I noticed that before I requested it, I probably wouldn’t have requested it. And even more likely, would’ve never read it at all. I’ll be the first to say that I am not the target audience for Christian romance. Not by a long shot. I’m glad I didn’t see that little tidbit before requesting this book because I would’ve missed out on an incredible read.

This book follows Isadora Bentley, an academic researcher. She keeps to herself and lives life by the book, nothing more and nothing less. On her 30th birthday, buying junk food she rarely allows herself, Isadora spies a magazine boasting a list of 31 ways to be happy. Isadora thinks the author (despite being a Dr.) is full of it and sets out on a personal project to disprove the author. Of course, Isadora actually ends up discovering her own happiness along the way. For the first two chapters of this book, I was pretty unsure about it. Isadora and her inner monologue are A LOT. Her journey in the grocery store was very stressful for me. I’m glad I pushed through because the rest of the book was not nearly as stressful. I found myself tearing up more than once. I found myself relating to Isadora and I feel like a lot of people will feel the same way. We all want to be happy. We all find happiness in different things. For Isadora, she didn’t think happiness existed for her and that’s really sad. I enjoyed reading about her happiness journey and watching her make friends and open herself up for the world.

As for the Christian aspect of this book, actual praying is only done once in this book. And there’s only a handful of other prayer/God mentions that run along the lines of “I prayed for a friend like this when I was kid.” I’m glad the faith aspect of this Christian romance was not any more prevalent than it was. As I said before, had I known this was a Christian romance, I wouldn’t have picked up this book. But I’m glad I did pick up this book, and to me, it does not read like a Christian romance at all.

Cal is someone that I would probably classify as a cinnamon roll hero. He was EVERYTHING. He was so sweet to Isadora, despite how prickly she was. He was patient and kind and just an all around good guy. And instead of expecting her to change or being explicit in saying “I love all your quirks”, it seemed like he just liked her. All of her. Not because of her quirks. Not in spite of them. Just all around, really liked Isadora’s company and her brain and just everything about her. Midway through this book, I was fully expecting a third act breakup, but I’m happy to report that didn’t really happen. The conflict, while annoying, was very realistic and expected coming from Isadora. By the end of this book, I felt inspired to view my own life with a different lens. I really enjoyed reading about Isadora, her rag tag group of friends, and the happiness journey she took with all of them. Overall, I really did enjoy this book. It was a romance novel, but truly it was that and so much more. I found myself getting emotional more than once. I was very proud of Isadora by the end of it. While I did love Isadora and Cal and how good Cal was to her, I think the happiness message from this book is what is truly going to stick with me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.

Isadora Bentley is a research assistant whose life has not followed her plan. She thought she was in a great relationship with Alex, but he threw her under the bus after she had done massive research for his publication. She is now looking down the barrel of her thirtieth birthday and decides to visit Aisle 8 (the candy/junk food aisle) for her celebratory snacks. What she was truly planning to do was to eat herself into a sugar coma. At the checkout, she sees one of the women's magazines with an article about 31 ways to find happiness. Isadora cannot say she is happy by any stretch of the imagination. She wants more of her life and finds this article offensive. As a researcher, she knows the best ways to test hypotheses. She decides to test this one out with the goal in mind to prove the author wrong. Along the way, she makes some new friends, she climbs out of her little shell, and she rails at the injustices of her life.

The society we live in today has created people who are so blind to their own faults but are so willing to pick at the faults of others without looking to see if they are even accurate. These people tear others down in order to build themselves up, and, in the meantime, create chaos and havoc wherever they go. There are a couple of characters like that in this book. But every book needs its dastardly villain.

Courtney Walsh has basically thrown herself into Isadora's character and made her so realistic and believable. Some of the other characters were not as likable, some were endearing, some were clueless. One thing I absolutely loved was the David Attenborough narration of her life. I have a friend who says that if someone were going to narrate her life, it would have to be Samuel L. Jackson, because she needs the swear words thrown in for good measure. This was a great addition to the book. There were some parts of the plot that moved slower than others, but overall, this was a great read. Four Stars.

Thomas Nelson provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I’m in love with Isadora. I thoroughly enjoyed her journey to happiness. I know where she has been and had to learn the same things she did around the same age, except I was married with 3 under 3. And now 8 yrs later with 4 kids, I am telling them the exact same things.

I fell instantly in love with all the characters. I want my own Marty, and I’m pleased that have I have several Darby’s in my life. (Now) I’m not sure if there is a swoonier man than Cal. He is the absolutely best person for Isadora.

Thank you Courtney Walsh, NetGalley, and Thomas Nelson for this ARC. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

Courtney Walsh is a storyteller. I loved how she wrote this book. The character development was beautiful and I didn't want to put the book down. I loved the romance that went along with the self-improvement was just perfect. I will recommend this book to anyone.

“The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.”

Zinger! This book was another perfect zinger from Walsh.  “It comes out of nowhere and hits you like lightning.  And when it does, you’re never, ever the same.”

It starts off with Isadora freaking out about turning 30 and celebrating by visiting the forbidden Aisle 8, the junk food aisle.  While checking out, a tabloid touting ’31 Ways to be Happy (Today!)’ catches her eye and starts her down a path of proving the author and article wrong.  After all, she is a researcher, so this should be an easy experiment to conduct to collect the necessary data to disprove this theory.  What she doesn’t expect to happen is that her little experiment will start to slowly change her and her views on happiness.  And while it might not always be easy, it may just be worth it.

I LOVED this book!  Isadora and all the side characters are just wonderful.  She was so relatable that I couldn’t help but want to cheer her on or feel completely devastated when she felt crushed.  This story held so many touching and adorable and hilarious and heartwarming moments throughout.  I love when a book makes me laugh out loud one minute and then makes my heart just ache the next.  I loved the important messages about found or made family, self-growth, the depth and importance of human connection, and how true happiness looks different for everyone and only you can choose to be happy.  But when you do, it can be truly amazing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  Thank you again to Thomas Nelson Fiction, Courtney Walsh, and NetGalley for this wonderful e-arc.

Pub Date: June 13, 2023

Isadora Bentley, a university researcher, has kept herself safe from heartbreak and pain by keeping people at a distance—or so she thinks. After beginning an experiment on happiness, she meets an electric group who challenge her ideas about what makes a person truly happy.

This is my second book by Courtney Walsh. Overall, I enjoyed this lighthearted read about the power of friendships and community.

When I saw Courtney Walsh had a new book coming out, I requested to read it immediately! I started reading it the day I was approved and finished it in two days. It was such a cute book!

I thought it was a sweet book that was based on self love, self discovery and finding happiness in your life. I found Isadora to be so realistic and relatable. I enjoyed her character and I loved the side characters as well. There is some romance in this book, but it’s more a side plot in this book. If you’re a fan of clean romance, great characters, family, and heartfelt moments, then I recommend checking this book out!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story about Isadora Bentley and her desire for happiness. She is so relatable and loveable. My heart hurt for her that she always felt so rejected. I loved her relationships that she built and formed.

Great read! Thanks NetGalley!