Isadora is a book-smart woman who has just turned 30. She spends her days as a university researcher, immersed in data and scientific thinking, which leads to a fairly sheltered and introverted way of life. To celebrate her 30th birthday, Isadora treats herself to junk food at the grocery story, and on a whim, throws in a magazine featuring an article about 31 Ways to be Happy. Isadora is immediately sure that she can prove this article wrong with her own research and experiences.

As Isadora begins her own happiness study, new people begin to enter her life, whether she likes it or not. She is pushed way outside of her comfort zones, but it may not all be a bad thing. This book is refreshing and entertaining. Isadora's quirky behavior and train of thought kept me entertained.

ARC BOOK REVIEW 🖤

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The good thing is that’s part of life, right? Unfortunately, hearts break. Fortunately, they mend.”

- found family
- Coming of age
- Women’s fiction
- Top notch chemistry in a friends to lovers type of way.

Isadora, a professional researcher, sees an article in a magazine which claims “31 steps to happiness”. Isadora - being the researcher that she is- goes on a journey to disprove the theory but as she completes each step, she finds herself feeling lighter and lighter. And also more confused than ever. Growth never comes without pain, and Isadora has so much to learn.

My thoughts:

This book is golden. The characters are so lovable and relatable - even in their flaws. I found myself relating to Isadora in so many ways - in many ways that I’m not proud of, per se.

This book needs to become a movie, because the premise is just that good. It was so well done. Courtney Walsh pulls you into Isadora’s journey and almost pushes you, the reader, onto a journey yourself. It was touching, hilarious, adorable, and heartwarming. I came away with so much joy and an even deeper understanding of human connection. This one feels very women’s fiction/coming-of-age, but the romance is SO there. It honestly has everything a book should have. It’s rare that I read a book and there’s absolutely nothing I would adjust or change- but this one hits that standard and beyond.

Just add it to the TBR immediately. Releases June 13.

Thank you so much to Courtney Walsh, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a gem of a book. If you loved Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and/or The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, you will love the quirky brainiac and The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley. A wonderful cast of characters comes together to make this book shine. (I am shocked that there aren't more reviews for this book.)

Isadora isn't happy with her life and happens to see an article about 31 things to do for a happy life, so she sets out to prove/disprove the article. Step 1 of smiling is a challenge, but that leads to her first friendship.

You just never know what is going to come out of Isadora's mouth, there isn't really a filter.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley for (once again) introducing me to a "new-to-me" author, Courtney Walsh. Thank you to Courtney Walsh and Thomas Nelson-Fiction (publisher) for approving my advance read request. Publication date is June 13, 2023.

In the same vein as The Rosie Project and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, this has a quirky heroine who sees the world slightly differently from many other people. Lonely and frustrated by her life , Isadora spends her 30th birthday debating the merits of junk food while stuffing her face with them. But an article (31 ways to become happier) in a supermarket magazine may well save her from herself. She decides to disprove the author by doing those 31 steps and showing that she was no happier at the end than she was to begin with. What she doesn’t anticipate is meeting people along the way that will drag the happiness out of her. They can see what she cannot. She isn’t broken and unlovable at all.
A treat of a book, Isadora is a wonderful character and the friends she picks up on her journey are joyous, endearing and the sort of people we all hope to meet in our life.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I have read books by Courtney Walsh for many years, however, this time she really hit it out of the park. Just reading the first few pages, I was totally immersed in the life of Isadora Bentley. It begins on her 30th birthday at the grocery store buying a cart full of junk food to celebrate her birthday, alone. Isadora has perfected the art of avoiding people and being alone. Whether or not you have ever experienced any of the things Isadora has, I think this book will grab your heart right from the beginning.
While standing in line to pay for her purchases, a tabloid article of “31 Ways to Be Happy (Today!)” catches her attention. She thinks there might be something there she never considered so she buys the magazine. Upon reading the article, Isadora is on a mission to prove none of the suggestions work. To prove her position, she is determined to try them all.
Isadora works in the world of academia as a researcher – a brilliant, gifted researcher. After assisting a professor get published by mostly writing his entire article and him taking full credit for it, the personal consequences to Isadora went much farther than having her name left off the manuscript, it also left her with a broken heart. After such a dreadful experience for her personally, her boss assigns another research project to her assisting another profession who is writing a book. If she wants to keep her job, she has no choice but to accept the assignment.
This is a fascinating story that I could not put down. I read is straight through in one day. As Isadora sets out to disprove how to be happy, she ends up making unexpected friends including a 70 year old man who is a widower that she eats lunch with each day, neighbors she had skillfully avoided, now feel like family and what a surprise that the professor she is partnering with to help with his research offers to help her research the 31 ways to be happy. As each item is checked off, Isadora’s life changes.
Although the last page has been turned, this story will stay with me for a while.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book had me laughing out loud at various spots. Isadora is quite a character and has shut herself off from everyone until she tries an experiment. Her people that came alongside of her are my favorites--Marty, Cal, Darby and Delilah.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Isadora’s story. She’s quirky, and awkward, and sometimes frustrating, but so lovable. I was rooting for her the whole time! The entire cast of characters is wonderful.

I've heard such great things about this author and was so excited to be able to read her new title! After reading the synopsis of this story, I was sold! I could see myself so clearly in Isadora and loved getting to read her love story. Cal was the perfect book boyfriend and I loved their love. This has me so excited to read more from Courtney Walsh!

“Happiness isn’t that hard to find, you know. It’s everywhere. It’s all around us. But it’s not something that happens to us. It’s something we seek. It’s something we pursue. And you’ll never find it if you never let anyone in.”

-Isadora will prove that happiness is not for everyone, or is it? It’ll only take 31 ways to find out 😊⛅️🪁🐶
-Cal Baxter throws her research off course
-such a light hearted and wholesome book
-cute characters and overall fun read
-I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC 🙌🏻

This was a perfect book! I loved every page of it. It was s9 good. I think it needs to be on everyone's book shelf.
I just reviewed The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh. #TheHappyLifeofIsadoraBentley #NetGalley
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Isadora Bentley’s voice captivated me from the first page. This book is so fun and charming. Isadora is delightfully awkward, yet internally honest and it is refreshing. I rooted for her the entire time.

There was just something about this story and the characters that I really enjoyed and it was a good read.

This book follows Isadora who at the beginning of the book had just turned 30 and was unhappy in life. She didn’t have friends, she worked alone, didn’t really talk to people and was lonely. She finds and article about 31 steps to happiness and because she’s a researcher decides to test them out and see if it would lead her to happiness.

We see her go on this journey towards self love, self discovery and happiness which was so refreshing and emotional at times. I really liked the lessons and how she found friendships in the most unlikely places with people that became her family. There was a part towards the end of the book where she had to confront things people in her life had done to her and free herself and it was a great moment in the book.

There’s also a nice romance plot in this book, Isadora meets a psychologist named Cal who needs help with book he’s writing and along the way they build their relationship and start doing some of the 31 steps together. Cal and Isadora were adorable and I really enjoyed seeing them develop and seeing Isadora learn to trust and see the best in him.

This was a really good book, with great characters, found family, fun and heartfelt moments. If you love women fiction and clean heartwarming romance this is a good one to pick up.

Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley for this arc. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh is a book I believe everyone can relate to. Simply put, Isadora is all of us. Courtney has woven together a story of self-discovery story filled with humor, heartbreak, and frustration. As Isadora sets out to disprove an article on happiness, she experiences a whole new world of people and connections. Watching her struggle to grow, mature, take ownership of her life, choose happiness, make friends, and possibly even love is a journey not to be missed.

4/5 stars! I am not a fan of a lot of Christian fiction. I have no judgment regarding anyone's beliefs or choice to be Christian. But in my experience, a great deal of Christian writing has tones of its own judgment towards the readers. That wasn't the case in this book. Author Courtney Walsh does an excellent job of sharing a heartwarming story through the lens of her faith, without imposing it upon the readers. Really enjoyed the story and would definitely read more by this author.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

when I read the description of the book and I saw the author, I knew I'd love it but not to this level. its going into my favorite books of all time and I will be buying myself a physical copy when it releases. this book made me laugh, smile and most of all it made me sob. I related so much to Isadora's inner thoughts and self hatred and her inability to open up and trust, I dont think ive ever seen myself so much in a female character before. I also adored the found family in this book, and especially Cal. He is the sweetest love interest i've read about in a long time. I don't really have the right words to describe this book but it's so beautiful and I recommend it to everyone. PLEASE read it when it comes out on June 13th.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC.

Such a cute and light-hearted read! I loved the colorful supporting characters maybe more than Isadora, but it was really easy to root for her. The story was fresh and fun.

I love a sweet uplifting story and The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley is just that. I hope to read more by this author.

A fantastic read from Courtney Walsh! Isodora is a researcher and does her best work alone, diving deep into data. However, one day she decides to conduct her own research project based on the bold claim of a magazine article: “31 Ways to be Happy.” The biggest question.. is what will be Isadora’s findings at the end of the experiment?

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I loved how this book read and I thoroughly enjoyed the stream of consciousness writing style. It was like I was a fly on the wall of Isadora’s clever and hilarious thought process. Watching her grow over the course of the book was a gift!

This book! *chef's kiss* I do not have enough words to describe how much I loved this book!!! I laughed and I cried. Isadora was just such a wonderful heroine and the entire cast of characters were a delight.

THLoIB was my first book by Courtney Walsh and it's not going to be my last. I will be purchasing this book. As an aside, I just bought and read My Phony Valentine which was also a five star read.

One comment I wanted to make is I saw in the description that this is billed as "contemporary Christian romance" but I think this book would appeal to anyone who loves a great story regardless of their faith.

Wonderful romance. No sex.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Thomas Nelson!

HE HAPPY LIFE OF ISADORA BENTLEY by COURTNEY WALSH is a combination of hilarious laugh out loud moments and the seriousness of Isadora Bentley’s sad life. She does not know how to be happy or how to interact with peoplr until she strikes up a friendship with the elderly Marty during her lunch break. She lets him into her secret research into an article called 31 Ways to be Happy (Today) by Dr Grace Monroe, and, as she puts this into practice, she finds she has accumulated a small group of friends, including the charming Dr Cal Baxter. Being an analyst at the Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Lab at Chicago universary, she feels she is more than qualified to prove that Dr Monroe is wrong in thinking her 31 steps can lead to happiness…..
I really enjoyed The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good romance novel with really lovable characters.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.