Isadora Bentley is socially awkward, reclusive, and an anxiety-driven thirty-year-old academic researcher. She deals better with data than people and wants nothing to do with anything remotely human.
While shopping for birthday treats she notices an article listing 31 steps to happiness. She sets out to try the steps herself and prove the author wrong. As Isadora tries each new step more people come alongside to try them with her.
As Isadora works through the list themes like friendship and forgiveness are explored.

This was such a sweet book! An awkward, introverted woman, determined to be happier in her life. She encounters an unexpected octogenarian friend that she meets with daily. Learning more about him and getting words of wisdom. A neighbor family that forces her to join them. A handsome professor that is more than happy to show her happiness. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I would give this book ten stars if I could!!!! I did not expect to laugh and cry and be moved and even question things about my own life! This book had it all! It was like a rom com self help book and I will definitely be reading it again!

Thanks to #netgalley and #thomasnelson for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Omg this book was just perfection for me. Heartwarming, funny, with some poignant touching moments, and very loveable characters. The story is about confronting your past, dealing with loneliness, knowing your worth and choosing happiness everyday. Once I started reading it was hard to put this one down, it was one of those books, you never want to end.
Isadora is extremely intelligent, socially awkward and is a research scientist. Growing up Isadora never had friends or the support from her family as a result, she works better alone and has chosen to close off her broken heart to others. While standing in line to check out at the store she comes across a magazine article of "Thirty-one ways to be Happy". Isadora does not believe happiness is a choice nor is it in the cards for her life. Therefore, she decides to perform her own experiment to prove the author wrong. Will she be able to prove the article wrong? What Isadora does not expect or factor into her project is the amazing friends she meets and the feelings she develops for them. I loved the character development Isadora goes through. This was a hug in a book, a perfect feel good read. I cannot express how much I adored it and wanted to stay in Isadora's world. #Courtneywalsh #netgalley #thomasnelson #goodreads #tea_sipping_bookworm #thestorygraph #getlitsy #kindle #bookqueen #bookstagram #chicklit #perfectread

This was a feel-good summer read with a quirky and likeable main character. Her ventures to find happiness were both amusing and enlightening, and I enjoyed the friendships she formed along the way. Excellent read for those looking for something lighthearted yet inspirational.

Isadora was very relatable and sweet. I enjoyed the side characters and how more people joined her on each item on the list. A true feel good book!

If you have not got your hands on a copy of this book yet, I highly recommend you do - perfect for fans of stories with soulful, adorable, humorous personal growth and sweet romance. I enjoyed the pacing, the character growth and development, the balance of heart and humour, and really just everything awkward about Isadora. I could find small glimmers of myself in the character struggles and even when Isadora didnt have it all together, she was perfectly imperfect. I will be welcoming The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley to join my bookshelves permanently so we can visit through the years.

Such a cute story. Great cast of characters and story of personal growth. I enjoyed it all, the simple romance, the grump, the old man.

4/5 stars.

This book is hilarious! If you're looking for a light-hearted, entertaining, humorous read that will make you laugh on nearly every page--this is absolutely it. Courtney Walsh is near the top of her author game here.

A few off notes for me:
- I noticed a couple references to "your truth" and "honoring your feelings" (the former, a pet peeve of mine, and the latter, one I'm still working out in my head).
- Faith doesn't make an appearance at all (surprising, for a Thomas Nelson book--but a trend with this publisher I've noticed more and more of late, unfortunately).
- In that vein, there was a lot of talk about how happiness is dependent on each of us. I definitely agree with this to a point; we each choose how we react, our attitudes, (not) to hold grudges based on the events of our lives, etc.: "Doing the work" is up to each of us. And temporal happiness/fulfillment can and does look different for each of us; a career (for example) that enthralls one person may be quite the opposite for someone else. On the same token, eternal joy/peace/fulfillment are sourced in Christ, and I would have loved to see that represented on the page in this read, a preference largely stemming from prior experience with both the author and publisher (see previous bullet).

Still--that aside, the book is entirely wonderful, and I did come away challenged in many of the same ways as Isadora (and Delilah, for that matter--a ten-year-old secondary character who nearly steals the show several times!). I would definitely read it again!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I don't think I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I picked this one up, but I am so glad that I did!

This book is all about a quest for happiness and in this novel it's through the main female character, Isadora Bentley. You get to know a lot about Isadora right from the beginning...

'I'm being dramatic. Turning thirty isn't The End. At least not of my actual life. Just of my hopes and dreams. I'm pretty sure I saw them swirling down the drain last week along with my dignity.'

If you've ever felt like an introvert, the kid who didn't fit in or any level of social awkwardness...this is the book for you. And let's be honest, who hasn't ever felt like they fit into at least one of those categories at one time or another in their life?

Isadora comes face to face with every instance that made her build her walls, brick by brick. This book starts out with more of a women's fiction and a coming of age book, but I felt that necessary to get the full picture of what we are dealing with when it comes to this character and why she acts the way she does.

"I wasn't the girl with shiny, happy memories of good times with friends or family vacations or anything like that. I was a lonely kid, and it seemed like every time I put myself out there, I got burned."

The character arc in this is mind blowing. I absolutely loved the dialogue. Isadora just says the first thing that pops into her mind at the beginning and I was here for it. The friendships in this are #friendshipgoals and there are so many beautiful aspects to this book that I don't want to give away. There were several times I became teary throughout this book because there is a lot that is relatable (...even if it's to your past middle school self), a lot to unpack, and a lot to love. And who doesn't want to be happy? What if this book gives you something to think about that could deepen your happiness level? It might be worth the read.

'If happiness is a state of being, how does a person continue to exist in that state? How do I hold on to it when it seems so fleeting?'

'Being alone isn't a bad thing when it's your choice. But a lonely life, chosen or not, really isn't living. And frankly, I'm tired of my own company.

If you have ever read Wonder (which I highly recommend for everyone, especially kids going into upper elementary and middle school grades) I think this book is the female companion to that book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Content/Trigger: Flashbacks to unhappy childhood through bullying and narcissistic parenting, being used through a past relationship, introverted character with social walls built into a fortress, a handful of religious exclamations (no OMG's), minimal-mild innuendo, kisses, deep friendships, trust building situations and forgiveness.

Loved this cute and delightful book. That maonchatacter was easy to falll in love with as I love all the characters!!!

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley was unconventional and fun! Author Courtney Walsh takes readers on an insightful, hilarious journey into the mind of a young woman who’s quirky, single and highly analytical. As researcher Isadora Bentley finds herself attempting 31 ways to be happy, purely for research and the sake of disproving the magazine article’s author, embarking on a journey that leads her to self-discovery, newfound friendships and love.

This book was well written, often causing me to smile and laugh out loud at the innermost thoughts Isadora has. She’s a truly relatable, memorable character who is introverted, outspoken and often comes across as socially awkward. Her character’s growth in this story is very rewarding as she is forced to confront her feelings over past heartbreak, self-worth and struggles with inadequacy. Through that, readers will find threads of self-assurance, the idea of choosing happiness daily and stepping outside of one’s comfort zone.

I loved the secondary characters in this story as much as I loved Isadora (sometimes more!), and thought this to be a creative, imaginative storyline. About 2/3 of the way through the story, I started to lose interest, but pushed through. The dark moment happened and the events following led to a good, albeit predictable ending (though I seriously struggled with Isadora’s actions). Some sweet and tender thoughts and words were shared at the end that perfectly tied up the story, and Isadora’s quest, so I was glad I saw the story through.

Overall, a lighthearted, funny read that’s great for a quiet afternoon or a mood booster. The story will appeal to a wide variety of readers including secular readers and YA. It is clean, wholesome and G rated.

Note: NetGalley had this book classified under the genre of Christian Women's Fiction, but there are no faith-based elements, only elements of personal growth and no mention of the role that God/Faith/Religion plays into life or happiness.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

I loved this book! This character driven book left me with a smile on my face. Each one of the unique characters were superbly written and so much fun to get to know.

Isadora focuses on her academic research and stays away from relationships after a bad relationship experience until she finds an article about 30 ways to find happiness. This article gives her the confidence to step out of her comfort zone. She puts her guard down and finds some fantastic people that add happiness to her life each in their own unique way.

Isadora is a very likeable and quirky character that I was rooting for throughout the book to find her happiness. This is truly a wonderful feel good book that I fully recommend reading.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this exquisitely delightful book in exchange for a honest review.

Oh, Isadora!! I can relate so well to her. I wish there were more fun books such as The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley to give a voice to introverts like myself. We can be fun, we are happy just because we dont like being around a ton of people. She had me laughing at loud. I love Courtney's writing and I'm already looking forward to her next book!

A great read, the story of Isadora, who is a researcher. Alone on her birthday she starts her own research project, but will it have the results she expected.

Happiness is a choice. There are so many gems and highlights in this book. Isadora is a thoughtful, relatable main character. She has qualities that every person has-insecurities, inner monologue, trauma-to name a few. The way she overcomes it, and allows her walls to crumble is inspirational. Yes, she's a fictional character, but she has definitely inspired me to choose happiness, to find happiness. The author did an amazing job at showing that there are many different ways to find your happy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book may be my favorite of the year so far. That is possibly because I relate to the main character in some ways, but overall I just found the book to be inspiring, thought-provoking, and enjoyable. I couldn't put it down. Isadora's journey filled me with joy. Best Courtney Walsh book I have read.

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley was an easy and enjoyable read. I had seen several glowing reviews for this book and was very excited at the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I really liked the main character and honestly related to her in many ways but I found her quite naive and self-deprecating at times. I understand the author was trying to paint a very accurate picture of her, the lived experiences that formed her and her inner thoughts but for me, it almost seemed she was giving up on happiness before she really got started.

The book was slow to grab my attention but I am glad I stuck with it. There are many sweet moments between Isadora and the other characters, I especially loved her time with Marty. I have a major soft spot for the elderly and I loved to see their friendship grow and found the contrast and comparison between their ages and how your priorities change enlightening.

Dr. Cal was the perfect love interest for Isadora. He was kind and patient, he understood she needed to figure things out for herself and didn't try to fix her but rather encouraged her to come to her own conclusions.

Not for me when trying to find happiness . true happiness comes from God. so disappointed. feels very "new-age" ish to me and I am disappointed in the missed opportunities for Christian faith content.

Isadora thinks that the list in the magazine of ways to be happier can’t be right. And so, as a researcher at a university, she decides to prove it wrong. Awkward and insulating herself from others, Isadora tries out the steps and adds much more to her life that she anticipates.

Isadora was a fun character and while there are some rom-com cliches and you’re rooting for the romantic relationship, the book focuses on different kinds of friendships, relationships, and need for community.

The path to the resolution felt a little long from the main climax. There were some great moments of character growth in that time, but I think because it took a little while, there were some intermediary revelations that I didn’t quite agree with and needed the further development at the end of the book.

And yet, for all the difficulties our heroine faces, we get our happy ending.

Thanks for @netgalley and @thomasnelson for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.