I'm stopping this one at 30%. I just can't with Kelsey anymore. She feels to me like the author was trying too hard to create a quirky character. She is just so annoying. She feels like a manic pixie dream girl. I just couldn't stand her inner monologue or when she was talking.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

This was such a fun and endearing story with a little bit of romance. The character development was excellent. I love how Courtney Walsh has used multiple generations in this book and her previous book.

Courtney is the queen of heart-warming reads and The Summer of Yes is no exception! From the characters to the romance to the plot development - I adored this story! I truly fell in love with these characters and their journeys. I laughed, I cried — this was such a sweet story and full of good reminders to live life to the fullest.

How would you change your life if given a chance? The last thing Kelsey Worthington remembers is picking up coffee for her boss. She wakes up in a hospital a couple of days later after being hit by a car, desperate to get back to work before she loses a big client. Sharing the hospital room with her is grumpy Georgina Tate, a cosmetics mogul who has done amazing things to achieve her success, at a huge personal cost.

The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh is a story of two women who embark on a journey to see what could be. Inspired by her near-death experience, Kelsey convinces Georgina to try new things and pursue reconciliation in her broken relationships. Georgina resists but also challenges her younger friend to consider some changes in her own life The point of view alternates between the two women, though we get more of Kelsey’s side of the story since this “saying yes” was her idea. Be ready to laugh and swoon a little as you enjoy a sweet romance and an inspiring story which may lead you to consider saying yes more often.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the chance to read an advanced release copy of this book. I found this to be a simple read and a great beach read.

Thank you to the incredible @courtneywalsh @netgalley and @thomasnelson for my #gifted ARC of The Summer of Yes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"It's a wild and precious life ... If you have something that sets your soul on fire, you have a responsibility to chase that thing."

"Yes, it's risky to feel things.
And it's risky to hope for good.
And it's hard to say yes to the unknown.
And it doesn't always result in wonderful memories.
But that's what it means to be alive."

Cheers to another heartwarming 5-star read from Courtney Walsh! While a lot of Courtney's books are sweet romances, The Summer of Yes was more in the vein of The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley, and I absolutely adored it! This dual-perspective, multi-generational story is all about saying yes, to yourself, to opportunities, to love, to passion, to forgiveness, to new paths, to the unknown, to living your best life and realizing that you only have that one life to live.

My heart and soul needed this book more than I knew, as I prepare to return to the workforce and take on teaching K-fourth grade as a permanent substitute teacher. Am I scared? Yes! But I'm also excited, hopeful, and eager to bond with kids, offer them a gentle, encouraging hand, and help them navigate the beginning of their learning journey. I want to support the teachers who work hard and dedicate so much of themselves to these children, and I can't wait to see what this journey has in store for me!

I may not be a millionaire businesswoman, or a published, bestselling writer (yet! But I truly hope to be one day!), but the journey I'm on is just as important and impactful, and I want to grab hold of it and live each day with all of my heart and soul. I want to be the best I can be, and I found so much inspiration, hope and gumption in both Georgina and Kelsey.

Courtney, thank you so much for this vulnerable, heartwarming, and truly inspirational slice of life! Absolutely add this one to your TBR because you don't want to miss this warm, cozy, sunshiny hug of a book! I cannot wait to read more from you, Courtney! I'll be waiting with bated breath!

The Summer of Yes is a cute romance that's perfect for summer reading. Kelsey Worthington has a dead-end job as an editor for a publishing company. Her life is pretty mundane, too. If that weren't bad enough, she wakes up in a hospital bed, unsure of how she got there. She shares a hospital room with a famous cosmetics company founder, Georgina Tate. Georgina's days are numbered due to illness. Kelsey's accident has made her realize that she needs a little change and adventure in her life. She's sure that Georgina could use a little excitement, too. It takes a lot of persuading, but Kelsey convinces Georgina to go on a road trip. The caveat is that they have to say yes to everything! Along the way, they both try things they've never done and find romance, too. This is a really fun, light read. The audiobook narration is well done also.

Thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and NetGalley for a review copy of this book and audiobook.

When Kelsey wakes up in a hospital room after being hit by a car, she finds out her roommate is none other than Georgina Tate. Georgina is a very successful women who is the CEO of her own company and the subject of many business courses. However, she has sacrificed the most important things in her life to get where she is today. After talking to Georgina, Kelsey notices the similarities in her life and wants to make a change. She cashes out her vacation time and decides to do a summer of yes. Kelsey is determined to also help Georgina in her journey to help Georgina fix the regrets in her life before it is too late. The summer of yes starts a journey for both Kelsey and Georgina to figure what they truly want out of life.

This book was a lot of fun. I loved Kelsey and Georgina for the main characters. Their banter was entertaining, and I felt that Georgina was the perfect mentor for Kelsey, while Kelsey was the push Georgina needed to realize what aspect of her life was more important. The romance between Kelsey and Hayden added another aspect of this book that I loved. I feel in love with this book and at the end it made me think what is truly important in my life.

Audiobook: I would highly recommend the audiobook for The Summer of Yes. There is a narrator for both Georgina and Kelsey's point of view and felt that both narrators did an excellent job for their characters.

The Summer of Yes is out now!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Haper Collins Christian Publishing for the advance copy of The Summer of Yes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I can appreciate what Courtney Walsh tried to do with this story, and overall I obviously enjoyed it. But let me start with the one thing that kind of niggled at me.

Kelsey is in her 30s. When I first met her in the story, I felt that to be believable, but the further along I got in the story, the less mature she seemed to get. However, I really didn't think it took away from the overall plot. It just kind of annoyed me.

When Kelsey encounters an accident which changes her perspective on life, she decides to drag an ill, older woman on a road trip for a summer of "yes."

While the story did take a bit to get going, I really enjoyed it once it did. Georgina was so much more relatable than Kelsey and I couldn't get enough of her story. I honestly loved the brash way in which she handled Kelsey.

Overall this was a really fun summer read that was filled with forgiveness, redemption and second chances, and I was here for it.

What a cute summer story! I love the cover and this author was new for me. It was such a blow me away cute story! I kept smiling the whole time! I loved the character development and the banter so much!! A must read for summer!

What a fun summer read! I love reading a Courtney Walsh book because I know I will never be met with smut or vulgar language. Loved this one!

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.