I was initially drawn to this book for the cover, and ended up really enjoying it! I didn't read the description, so this was such a nice surprise that it was more a women's fiction vibe than a full on romance. I loved the friendship between Kelsey and Georgina and all of their adventures together. The writing was fun and light, but also sweet and endearring. You go through all of the emotions in this book. I would definitely recommend this to a friend looking for a summer contemporary read!

Kelsey and Georgina meet by chance , thy both end in the same hospital room . Kelsey just had been hit by a car while she was walking in the sidewalk and Georgina is there because of failure of her kidneys . Kelsey realises that she could have been dead and she her have some much regrets from her life . While growning she was always saying no so no is going to be the Summer of Yes . Because she feels there is a reason that she met Georgina she asking her to spent their summer saying yes to everything that they usually they will say no . They eat at street vendors , see NY like tourists . When Kelsey learns about Georgina's bad relationship with her son she arrange for them a road trip so they could meet after all these years . Will their summer of yer bring her closer to their happiness ?
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Pub Date: July 2, 2024

Synopsis
Sometimes you’re too busy with work and you realize that you’ve missed out on your life. This is the realization Kelsey Worthington has after she is sitting in a hospital bed because she got hit by a car. After waking up next to Georgina Tate, a legendary business woman in NYC, she realizes that things need to change. Even though her and Georgina are very different, they are met with the same regret: they have said “no” to too many things in their life, and it’s time to start saying “yes.” Kelsey coaxes Georgina into a taking an adventure with her, to catch up on all the things they have said “no” to in their life.

My Thoughts
This was such a cute, feel good story, one that I really needed to listen to. I myself fall into the trap of saying no to everything because my priority is work. This story was so sweet and heartwarming, and I just loved that Kelsey and Georgina were so different because it made their banter was adorable. There’s a couple of love stories woven into it, which I won’t spoil for you, but were fun and cute to read.

Final Thoughts
You will fall in love with each of the characters and cheer them on throughout the book. Overall, this is a fun summer read and great for a day at the beach!

❗️Of Note
🏥 Illness/Death

Themes:
🎶 Friendship
🚗 Road Trip

Ratings
Characters: 5 ⭐️
Pace: 3 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 4 ⭐️

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction | Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

"The world is going to tel you all kinds of things about yourself. You're not good enough or smart enough or strong enough or thin enough or rich enough or talented enough. They'll come up with a million reasons you can't do the thing you want to do. The thing you were born to do."

I loved the relationship between Kelsey and Georgina! They played off of each other really nicely with their quick wit and ways they showed they cared about each other. I enjoyed that the romance(s) took a backseat to the themes of friendship and second chances. I can always count on Courtney Walsh for a clean and sweet read. I truly enjoyed the story!

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Courtney Walsh for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh is not only a perfect Summer read but also, an inspo-novel for year round

Kelsey wakes up in hospital and finds out she has been hit by a car and sustained a non-life threatening but quite painful head injury. She is a workaholic, always doing everything she thinks is right to stay under the radar, work hard, get a promotion. Saying no to the majority of social events in her private life, work work work. But when the glamorous and very well known Georgina Tate is wheeled in to share her hospital room, life begins to turn in the direction that she chooses for herself

Georgina Tate is hugely successful as a businesswoman, a mogul of the cosmetics world, but like Kelsey, she is alone, a little bitter, and with kidney failure. Incensed at having to share a hospital room with someone who is as headstrong as she is, yet, this woman, kelsy, Calli, Kaley, whatever, has an idea. What if we start saying yes to everythig, what if we stop denying ourselves everything we want in life You know what? Road Trip!

I absolutely adore this book and it translates so well as an audiobook too thanks to Tana Eby and Cathi Colas' outstanding narrating. Bright, driven, dynamic and touching, this is probably one of my favourite Summer reads this year. Bloody wonderful

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Courtney Walsh For this ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Thank you @netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC.

“I wish I’d said yes more.”

What simple words, but hard to put into action at times. Always putting something else over the fun. This resonated with me.

I appreciated how this book started off quick and the momentum continued throughout the entire story. The characters were well developed and I loved the relationship that Kelsey and Georgina built. Their wit and humorous back and forths. I love what they did for each other.

This story was heartbreaking and healing. I loved every second of it.

“It’s a wild and precious life, Kelsey. If you have something that sets your soul on fire, you have a responsibility to chase that thing.”

I discovered Courtney Walsh with "The Happy Life of Isadora Duncan" which I really really loved. So I was happy to read her latest book, "The Summer of Yes", trusting her delicacy in portraing smart and witty characters. I did enjoy Kelsey and Georgina, but their story did not work for me as stunningly well as Isadora's.

The Summer of Yes is the story of Kelsey Worthington, a young woman, self-sufficient and reliable, who meets Georgina Tate, a famous and successful entrepreneuse, as they share a hospital room. Kelsey is recovering from an accident, Georgina is sick and accustomed to being hospitalized, though always in a single room, without having to deal with nosy and curious patients sharing her space.

Kelsey and Georgina seem to be each other's alter ego: Kelsey seems to be a younger version of Georgina (if Georgina would have chosen a quieter less assertive life) and Georgina seems to be one of the Kelseys that could have been (if Kelsey started to trust more her instincts and dreams and stopped worrying about what others think and expect of her).
This mirroring each other allows Kelsey to almost ask her older self (through Georgina): "Do you regret anything?". And both of them are hooked into a spiral of what-ifs: "What if I had chosen / will choose differently? Would / Will I regret more what I didn't do or what I left / will leave behind?".

There is never an easy answer to such a complex question, so how about playing it out? What if we said yes to things we would normally say no to? How about we embark on a Summer of Yes and see where this leads us to?
And that's how Kelsey and Georgina become road trip partners: what do they have to lose after all, if they give it a try for just a little while?

I really liked the idea of these two women sharing a journey of self exploration together: I was very intrigued by the possibilities of a young enthusiast partnering with an old talent.
I trusted that Courtney Walsh would have depicted realistic characters, who were not going to be boring, without indulging in easy coup de theatre or unbelievable character flaws.
And from this point of view, The Summer of Yes did not disappoint.

I also loved some plot twists: at times Kelsey or Georgina were cornering themselves into a tight spot and had me wondering "How will they sort themselves out?". And I really loved how Courtney Walsh developed the story from there: it gave an extra layer to the characters, without needing to exceed on the drama.

What did not fully work for me were two things.
The first is about the backstory. The book starts with Kelsey's accident and there are few stories from their past: I was struggling to make sense of how Georgina and especially Kelsey came to be. It was obviously a big deal to indulge in a Summer of Yes for both of them, but as I did not manage to clearly picture Kelsey and Georgina before they met, I had a hard time understanding what was so grand about it.
The second is The Summer of Yes concept: at times it was phrased in such a way that any event could be interpreted like a "say yes" moment. I did get the feeling that they were trying to do things they would have normally refused to do. But other times it felt as if Kelsey and Georgina were doing something out of pure reasoning and evaluating options and then justifying that it was falling within the boundaries of their "Yes" project, by saying "oh! I said Yes to this, so I am still exploring my Summer of Yes project and learning new things from my challenge". Yes and No are kind of Yin and Yang: if you say Yes to something, you are probably saying No to something else. So, while certain things were clearly an effort to get out of their comfort zones, other things felt more like "let me twist the Yin/Yang medal and let me tell myself that this is a Yes". It felt a bit generic and forced. Everything becomes valid, if you phrase it nicely!

So, all in all, it has been an enjoyable read, I really loved the idea of the characters: I wish I had read more about their personalities and their stories and less about the Yeses they said (maybe less, but more meaningful, that is).

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

Another 5 star read from Courtney Walsh! She seriously writes the BEST feel good books!

I absolutely loved it. Loved the banter, the humor, the cranky old lady, the adoring husband & son - and even the sweet & sassy assistant. Nothing is better than reading a book where you can love all of the characters.

Inspiring, heartwarming, overall just an incredible book.

If Courtney Walsh writes it, I’m going to read it. The Summer of Yes was an absolute delight to read. It had a slow start but once I got into the story I loved it. It got me thinking about life and the things I say no to. Also, I loved the message about second chances. I loved this book and will be thinking about it for a long time to come.

It is a captivating tale that intertwines the lives of two seemingly disparate women, Kelsey Worthington and Georgina Tate, in a way that redefines the concept of personal growth and self-discovery. At its core, this novel explores the profound changes that can occur when one dares to step outside their comfort zone, making it a timely and compelling read for anyone grappling with fear of change or the pressures of societal expectations. The story begins with Kelsey, a dreamer and aspiring writer, whose mundane routine takes a shocking turn when an errant car sends her to the hospital. This unexpected encounter leads her to Georgina, a powerful and unapologetically outspoken matriarch of New York City’s elite businesswomen. Kelsey, who often questions her own abilities and feels overshadowed by the bravado of others, finds herself in stark contrast to Georgina, whose decades of experience in a cutthroat world have shaped her into a figure of authority and resolve. What unfolds in the hospital room is not just a physical recovery but an emotional awakening for both women. Georgina, facing her own mortality with failing kidneys, begins to reflect on a life filled with regrets and unfulfilled dreams. This moment of vulnerability leads her to question her past choices, creating an opportunity for growth not only for herself but also for Kelsey. Their relationship becomes a catalyst for transformation as they embark on a journey of "yes." The question hanging in the air—“What if I said yes to everything I’ve always said no to?”—invites readers to ponder their own lives and the limits they impose upon themselves. As the narrative progresses, Kelsey is encouraged by Georgina to step out of her shell in vibrant and adventurous ways. From indulging in street food to diving into the ocean, Kelsey’s experiences serve as a testament to the joy and liberation that can come from embracing the unexpected. Through their escapades, including matchmaking Georgina with her handsome son, Kelsey not only discovers the beauty of spontaneity but also finds the courage to pen her own romance, both in fiction and in her personal life. Walsh beautifully intertwines humor and heart in this exploration of friendship, courage, and the power of connection. The evolving dynamic between Kelsey and Georgina is both inspiring and relatable, as readers witness their growth and the dismantling of the barriers they have built around their hearts. Walsh illuminates the importance of mentorship and the impact that one strong connection can have on personal development. In conclusion, *The Summer of Yes* is a delightful and thought-provoking read that encourages readers to reevaluate their own lives and the opportunities they might be passing by. It serves as a reminder that it’s never too late to embrace change, confront fears, and say yes to the adventures that life has to offer. Whether you’re a dreamer like Kelsey or a go-getter like Georgina, this novel will resonate with you on many levels. So grab a copy and prepare to be inspired to live your own summer of yes!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson fiction for this Arc Copy! I loved the idea of the book and how disruptors should be looked at as positive not negative at times. They are meant for a purpose. The relationship between Kelsey and Georgina was fun to watch as it evolved. Well done!

I absolutely adored this book. Between all of the main characters and their development throughout the story, Walsh’s storytelling abilities, and the lighthearted fun intertwined within the heavier parts, this book seemed to have it all.

(4.5 stars rounded up)

🩷 WHAT I LOVED: The writing! I have said it before and I will say it again, Courtney Walsh is a brilliant storyteller. She is a master at weaving witty banter, heavy sarcasm, and tender moments into a story that will have you laughing out loud one moment and releasing tears the next.

I also loved the characters! Together (and separately) Kelsey and Georginia are a hoot! And I just adored the romance between Kelsey and Hayden and Georginia and Dylan!

💛 WHAT I WOULD HAVE LOVED MORE OF: Faith content. As Christian Fiction, the faith content was light and being that there were strong themes of mercy, grace, forgiveness, sacrifice, and restoration, I would have enjoyed seeing God’s love and sovereignty woven in a bit more and clearly.

💙 OVERALL THOUGHTS: This was a story that I knew I would enjoy but not one that I knew I needed. I enjoyed the humor, but more so, I enjoyed the moments of emotional depth with which Walsh wrote Kelsey and Georgina and how these two women unexpectedly inspired me and encouraged me to reflect not only on my relationships, but how I spend my time—my yeses and my nos.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I adored this book! Both our main characters are not living their best lives...Georgina, a senior citizen who is beyond prickly, living with regrets and guilty for choices she made in order to follow her dreams. Kelsey, (31) has dreams, but she doesn't believe in herself enough to reach them. She is living a stagnant, safe life until an accident puts her in the same hospital room as Georgina. Oh, these two women! On the surface they are night and day, but down deep they have a connection. While there is a lot of witty banter, push and pull, funny and sweet moments, there is a layer of deeper issues that tug at the heartstrings. The road trip is a catalyst to opening doors and hearts. This book has new romance and old love. It is a book of healing, forgiveness, and taking chances. While you can see many of the plot devices coming, it is still a treat in getting there!

4 stars

THE SUMMER OF YES, by Courtney Walsh, should be required reading for every woman, especially those who are wives and mothers. What an inspiring book, full of life and laughter, with a deep current to self-reflection running just below the surface.
Kelsey Worthington always wanted to be an author, but she settled, accepting a career path in which she helps other people write their stories. Kelsey is like so many of us, inclined to play it safe and follow life’s expected course for us. Her job is fine; her relationships are fine; in fact, everything in her life is fine, fine but humdrum.
A near-fatal accident, a chance meeting at the hospital, and Kelsey is ready for a change in her life, a change from ‘no’ to ‘yes.’ Kelsey and Georgina hit the road in a blue convertible for a girls’ trip that is more about the heart than the destination. This dual POV is a delightful and entertaining read.

Are you like me, and often ‘no’ is the first answer because it’s the safe one?

This is the fifth book by author Courtney Walsh and is another easy summer romance book. It is a good beach read, which is where I read it.
The story takes place in New York and North Carolina and highlights the lifestyle differences between these two areas of the country.
Kelsey and Georgina couldn't be more opposite. Kelsey's a dreamer and a writer who questions her skill. And Georgina is a confident businesswoman whose years of shouldering her way into boardrooms and making her voice heard have made her far too outspoken for the faint of heart. But now, when Georgina's failing kidneys force her to face some big regrets about the way she's lived her life, the two women recognize they share a common thread. Maybe it's time to confront a few things. They must ask themselves: What if I said yes to everything they have always said no to?
This is a coming-of-age story and an end-of-life reckoning story. Two women at very different times in their lives find that they are dealing with life decisions in much the same way. It is an easy read with a romance as well. This book was just ok for me honestly. I need something deeper. I need more drama, more chaos, more love, just more. There are so many books that have the same premise with a bit of a different storyline. I need in depth emotional connection and a plot to knock my socks off. This was not it. I gave this 3 stars.

I loved this book. It's really special. It will make you rethink things in your own life. It made me want to hug my family a little closer and appreciate the gift that they are. It's a story of love and forgiveness and second chances. It's a story of doing the things you wouldn't normally do, of saying "yes."

Georgina Tate is a strong, crusty old woman. When Kelsey gets thrown into her life, sparks fly but Kelsey is drawn to her. Their relationship is fun and full of teasing insults. Yet there's a love that grows. Dylan and Hayden are amazing. They have managed to keep their hearts soft even though they've gone through incredibly difficult times. I loved the people in this book.

This is a great read. I'd highly recommend it. Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Really lovely story about taking chances in life. Sometimes, all you need to do to get your dreams is to say yes. This story follows two lovely women while they both figure this out, each in their own way. The characters have depth, and their stories are so nice. I would have liked to know more about Kelseys backstory, but i loved it anyway!


Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

Courtney's books always make me so happy. I loved the premise of this one! Can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

<i>The Summer of Yes</i> follows two people, Kelsey and Georgina. One is at the beginning of her career, trying to make her mark, while the other has accomplished everything there is to achieve. However, both have regrets about how they approached their personal lives.

To be honest, I expected this to be more about Kelsey and Georgina. The first part of the book of the two of them didn't lead anywhere for the two of them, and I was hoping this would be the kind of empowering book about women bonding. Instead, it focused too much on romance.

Georgina struggled to balance her family and her huge cosmetics empire, so, in the end, she just gave up on her family. Kelsey wanted to focus on her career so much that she ignored everything that wasn't related to it. Once they realize they must change something in their life, everything goes smoothly.

I would've liked more fire between the two couples, as there was basically no chemistry, build-up, or anything. For a book about two grown women, sharing some kisses here and there that led nowhere is just unrealistic.

Also, what was the passage about judging women who have one-night stands and then coming up with "morals" to judge them? It was so preachy it made me roll my eyes soooo much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.