Courtney Walsh never fails to make me smile! The characters, the humor, and the joy were so delightful! This book had such a sweet romance, too, and would be good for readers who prefer closed-door romance. I received an e-arc via Netgalley and all opinions are my own. My thanks to the publisher for this copy.

What a great heart warming and tender read! I listened to this one on audio and flew through it in one day. Great characters, awesome supporting characters, and characters I wanted to root for and hug. Such a great read!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I did not get to this title, so I don't feel comfortable rating it fully, hoping to get to it at some point soon!

What a fabulous and uplifting clean romance!!! Courtney Walsh truly NEVER disappoints!! I absolutely ADORED Isadora & Cal’s love story🥰

I really enjoyed the concept of Isadora setting out to invalidate the claims of a magazine article professing ways to become HAPPY!! It made for some pretty fantastic dates with Cal & some super fun chocolate eating binges🤣😍😍😍

What I loved so much about this story were the CHARACTERS!! I truly feel like Courtney captured Isadora’s persona really well on-page!! Her introverted ways & hesitance to let people in made her & Cal’s romance all the sweeter🥹🥰 And I can’t neglect to talk about MARTY!!!!! What a treasure he was!! Truly one of the sweetest souls I’ve ever read in a book😭🩷 PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS!!!!!

Overall, I HIGHLY enjoyed this clean romance & would definitely recommend it to others😍😍😍 P.S. the audiobook narrators were FANTASTIC!!! They captured the characters SO WELL🤩

Read if you enjoy…
💛 Workplace romances
💛 Forced proximity
💛 Introverted FMCs
💛 Single POV
💛 Sweet & wise elderly folks!!

I don't know if it was the author's intention, but Isadora is a great representation of a person with ASD. Having several family members on the spectrum, I recognize so many of the struggles and gifts that they have in her character and it is beautiful!

I loved everything about this story, from the plot to the characters. It was such a fun read, while also giving a good depth for the MC to grow into.

As a closed door- clean women’s fiction/romance this is a wonderful book. Lovable characters, laugh out loud moments, and just wholesome fun.

But as a Christian fiction book (publisher is Thomas Nelson) it is really disappointing because there is such a missed opportunity to share the true meaning of happiness in the Christian faith. I was also really disappointed in some of the focuses of this book- there was more new age principles than Christian.

I understand authors and publishers trying to appeal to more audiences but if I read something published by a Christian publishing house I expected more. If this had been published anywhere else I wouldn’t care as much, but it is almost like Christian fiction doesn’t exist anymore and instead Christian publishing houses are just the places that have more ”clean” stories than non-Christian publishing groups. I know this author is moving more toward being marketed as a closed door author than Christian author so she can appeal to more people and has been publishing a lot more in the kindle unlimited space, but it’s sad to see the missed opportunity here to share about God in a fiction book.

Will I still recommend this book as a wholesome book- yes, but I’m sad it missed the mark for Christian fiction.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to review this book. Thank you Thomas Nelson for improving the formatting of the ARCS from others I’ve read, I appreciated not having the logo on almost every page in this arc. Spacing was still odd at times but I’m so thankful for the improvement.

I could not have loved this book more! Isadora is a character I could identify with in some ways, and felt so much empathy for. I enjoyed her search for happy...or her search to prove happiness couldn't be found by a 30 step list. :) The characters in this book were so wonderful- it made me want to try to smile at people more, find a friend to do yoga with, and friends to have lunch with. I think it so wonderfully tells the story about how we need other people- despite the hurt that can come from letting people in. It's always worth it to forgive, to try again. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time, and I would recommend this to anyone and everyone.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a super sweet story! I loved how Isadora went on a journey to prove that you can’t find happiness and the complete opposite happened. Her little community that she discovered was just perfect! I did feel like the last portion of the book dragged a bit, but I still enjoyed the book!!

I wanted to read this arc so bad because I enjoy Courtney Walsh so much. Unfortunately, the e-copy I downloaded to my kindle wouldn’t load correctly, so I was unable to read it. Hopefully I’ll be able to read it soon since it’s now published!
(Only choosing three stars since I didn’t actually read it and that’s a middle ground for my rating!)

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this eARC of Tbe Happy Life of Isadora Bentley.

This was my favourite read of July. I don't know why I did not get to it sooner.
I love found familes and this was such a cute read. I could relate with Isadora on so many levels.
I wish I could give this book n number of stars🥺

i absolutely loved this! i HIGHLY RECOMMEND listening to this on audio as it’s probably one of the best narrated books i’ve ever listened to. the romance was oh so sweet, but it’s the character growth and friendships that really shined in this story! marty, darby, and delilah were the bestest friends and side characters. i love how they showed that age doesn’t matter when it comes to friendship — anyone can enrich your life and make it better! and Cal was such a sweet hero. i love how he saw through isadora and never gave up on her even when she gave him every reason to! this was such a satisfying book from beginning to end!

thank you to thomas nelson for an advanced copy. my thoughts are my own.

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley first grabbed me with the title. Then the back cover copy. Courtney Walsh is a go to writer for me and this looked to be a doozy. It was.

The basic premise is a solitary academic researcher takes on thirty one challenges to disprove that the activities will make her happier. Gosh this was a fun yet deep story, and that’s not an easy skill to master. Walsh played my emotions like a marionette – one moment I was chuckling and the next feeling Isadora’s hurt in my chest.

As Isadora works through the different recommendations, she accrues new people in her life, and there’s nothing I love more than a story with ensemble art members who worm right into the heart. I instantly warmed to each of them, and probably warmed to Cal a little more than a married woman should. Such is Walsh’s skill.

My favorite thing about The Secret Life of Isadora Bentley is watching the different relationships blossom, just as Isadora did. I cheered when she smiled and sighed when she hurt. This is definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys contemporary romance, clever plot and a side order of rom com. Bravo.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley but the enjoyment was all my own.

Thank you @netgalley and @thomasnelson for a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.

What a beautiful and heartwarming story! Isadora turns 30 and her life is not where she expected it to be. She discovers an article listing 31 ways to make you happier. She decides to try out all 31 items to disprove the author of the article. I loved being on this journey with Isadora. My 30th birthday had also found me sad and thinking this is not where I want to be in life. A month later I met my husband. It’s crazy how the universe works.
I liked the romance but more than anything I loved the found friends and family. The crew of friends she accumulated were funny and sweet.
I am here for anything that Courtney Walsh writes and can’t wait to share this book with friends!

This is a sweet read. While the banter is witty and the plot moves along quickly, the characters are what make this book great. Isadora is a unique character. Courtney Walsh created a character who is somewhat frustrating but mostly endearing at the same time, and the secondary characters are so wonderful.

I was a little surprised by the lack of a faith element from this publisher and author, but it's a sweet romance that will inspire the reader to let go of the past and look forward to the fun ahead.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

This is my first book by this author, I think, though several friends have highly recommended her Christmas book. This book sounded a bit like a few of my favourites, and a person's quest for happiness is always attractive to me in a plotline so I was happy to give this one a chance. I'd say this falls firmly into the liked but didn't 100% love category for me although I did really truly love a few of the characters and a few themes and moments.
Isadora was a fascinating character to me and I enjoyed her path to finding happiness throughout this book's storyline. I enjoyed all of the side characters even more and a book about a big cast of characters who don't know each other and become a bit of a found family is always good.
The audiobook narration was well done but there are parts that are in Isodora's head that I was grateful to reference in the ebook.
I'd recommend this one for fans of Abbi Waxman or Amy Poeppel!

Isadora is a university researcher who keeps to herself as much as possible. On her 30th birthday, she impulsively buys a magazine detailing "Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy." She has also vowed not to fall in love again and much less with anyone in academia. When the new professor who needs her help with his research starts giving her more attention, Isadora's life is turned upside down, but is she making a mistake trusting him? This was a fun, entertaining, clean romance.

Isadora Bentley is perfectly happy to hide behind her research and out of sight. And she will never, ever, get involved in a romantic relationship again. But on the day of her thirtieth birthday, she buys an article called “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy”. Isadora sets out to conduct her own research-proving the article’s author wrong. When a handsome professor crosses her path, will Isadora discover what it truly means to be happy?

Is it possible to rate a book unlimited stars? Because I’m still not over this one 🥹 Y’all if you haven’t read a book by Courtney Walsh, I can promise you that you’re missing out. When I tell y’all she doesn’t miss, I mean it with my whole heart! I absolutely adored Isadora and saw so much of myself in her. I found myself cheering her on from the first page to the last! And this cast of characters was pure perfection. If you’re looking for a book that will make you smile and swoon, look no further. The biggest thank you to Courtney Walsh and Thomas Nelson for my gifted copy!

THIS BOOK. If you want a cute, wholesome, feel-good book, this is it! I had a smile on my face almost the whole time reading it. Isadora is hilariously awkward and endearing. She’s spent most of her life alone and unhappy. But when she meets the right people, she starts learning what happiness truly is. There are such good life lessons throughout the whole book and I loved it so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC of The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Isadora Bentley is standing in the checkout with her loot of junk food, specifically candy from Aisle 8, to celebrate her 30th birthday alone when she sees a woman's magazine offering 31 tips for happiness and she impulsively grabs it, determined to use her science and research background to prove the author of the listicle wrong. Of course, as she begins to implement the tips in her life she begins to notice her happiness increase as more people come into her solitary life.

This was a perfectly enjoyable novel. While predictable, it was like a warm hug. I did get a little tired of the platitudes and motivational posterish quotes.

This was so heartwarming!! I was not excepting to laugh, tear up, and just feel so moved by this story. It was such a refreshing book about a researcher who is on her own quest to find happiness!!