The book premise provokes some interesting questions. When given a life altering situation, how would you look at where you are (culmination of your decisions)…how would you answer, “is it worth it?” Do you have regrets? Would you have said more “YES” than no in the past? In the present? As the author says, “as an adult, you get to decide what kind of life you want to live (Chapter 5).”

This enjoyable, humorous read introduces you to a couple of workaholics taking a summer to say more YES than they would normally. This adventure holds new friendships, reunions, sacrifices, new discoveries, chasing dreams and some romance! In the end, would you say more YES to things that scare you?

Thank you to Courtney Walsh, Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!

📚ARC Review📚

The Summer of Yes⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Kelsey wakes up in the hospital after a near-death experience, she realizes that she needs to embrace life more. Always saying “No” to everything and putting work first, she needs to live more in the moment and find the best things in her life. Georgina, her hospital roommate who is older, feels the same way. She has built her cosmetics company from the ground up and hasn’t focused on her family as much as she should have. Wishing she could have more time, that is not the case due to kidney failure. But with the persuasion from Kelsey, she decides to make the most of the time she does have. They both are going to have a Summer of Yes!

This was such a heartwarming story. It’s a quick, easy read that is focused on family, friendships, grace and forgiveness. I loved the dual POVs of the two women and how they are the same in some ways but also different. Georgina is older and has the wisdom from valuable life lessons that Kelsey can learn from. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a great summer read!

This book will publish July 2, 2024. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for my advance readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

This was my first Courtney Walsh book and I already have two more on my kindle ready to go. At first I was with Georgina and Kelsey got on my nerves but I came around. I loved both of the male main characters. I really enjoyed the story and made me think how often I say yes.
A quick loving but heavy women’s fiction/ romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

This book is so much fun!!! I love Courtney Walsh's writing and the characters she creates. This book was a huge hug to me. You know the ones... the ones that fully envelop you and hold you close for more than a few seconds; that squeeze you a little and let you know you're loved. I loved the premise of this book and the references to so many great movies. I loved the characters and the relationships formed and reformed.

Thank you, NetGalley, for my eARC.

Such a sweet story! I loved the relationship between Georgina and Kelsey. I struggled a little with how “neatly” the story wrapped up. It felt a little fast and perfect. Overall it was a fun read I couldn’t put down.

This is the perfect book to add to your summer reading list! It’s a lighthearted women’s fiction book from two POV’s—a woman in her thirties and a woman in her sixties with a little romance sprinkled in.

I loved the two perspectives and what they brought to the story. You’ll be reminded of valuable life lessons from their own experiences alongside their mini road-trip together. You’ll have fun being a side-car observer to their hilarious banter and sass, along with both finding their own love story.

"Because Times Change. People Change. Life moves pretty fast. And if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it "


One word could change the course of your life, three letters (YES).
Have you ever wondered if you had said yes more what could have changed?

That's what happened with our heroine Kelsey. She is 32 living in New York and working as an assistant editor. She long settled for the life she has until she gets hit by a car and suffers from head trauma leaving her unconscious for 2 days.

Waking up she starts to contemplate her life and the long list of things she never did which is everything. The near-death experience leaves her wishing she could have said YES more and realising that the story of her life needs to be rewritten which lets her come up with a plan (The Summer Of Yes).

Georgina Tate is ' a notoriously private cosmetic mogul' successful and wealthy but she is dying and she has a long list full of regrets.
When her path crosses with Kelsey they embark on a journey of saying YES to everything they've said no to.

A very beautiful and passionate story about two women of different ages and backgrounds thrown together on a journey full of hope, new beginnings and saying no to worry and fear.

I loved it so much. I can't remember a character that resonated more with me than Kelsey did she is me in every single way. Controlled by her fear and anxiety and not living the life she was supposed to live, but the way she was strong and fearless made all the difference and she was courageous.
Her relationship with Georgina was sweet and funny and they made a great duo despite the age difference.
The story was told from two POVs which made it all the more interesting and of course there was an amazing love story that had all my heart.

Thank you so to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #TheSummerOfYes in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo💋

This book is heartwarming, wholesome and refreshing. It's a clean romance with authentic characters, subtle humor and a thought-provoking plot. I really enjoyed the banter between Kelsey and Georgina and the growth both women experienced during their Summer of Yes, as well as how Walsh approached the topics of forgiveness and grace. So beautifully done! A huge thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was adorable and such an easy, entertaining, charming summer read. While it does include some deeper topics (anxiety, broken families and kidney transplant), Walsh approaches them in a gentle way that provides so much hope. Insta-love is one of my least favorite tropes, but the characters acknowledge that their quick and deep feelings for each other are surprising and unexpected, which made it feel more authentic. I loved the banter between Georgina and Kelsey, and enjoyed seeing how they both grew throughout their summer together. What a sweet story that will definitely be added to my list of summer favorites!

I love all of Courtney Walsh’s books and her newest one was just as heartwarming and insightful as her others. No spice, just wholesome romance and a reminder to love with your whole heart even when it’s scary and difficult. This is a crowd-pleaser summer read that is enjoyable for all readers.

The Summer of Yes
☀️🤕⛵️🍨🏡🌙

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and the author for this digital ARC! As always, my recommendation comes with my honest review and touchy topics listed below to help you make an informed decision.

This was my first Courtney Walsh read and I’m grateful for the opportunity! I’ve heard a lot of good things about her and this book had so many important themes I wasn’t expecting. They went above and beyond what is typical for summer romcoms.

Kelsey Worthington is a young woman who gets hit by a car (yes, literally) and ends up in a shared hospital room due to overcrowding. Her roomie is none other than Georgina Tate, businesswoman extraordinaire and Kelsey’s personal idol.

Kelsey must sign an NDA when she discovers the reason Georgina is hospitalized, and soon learns something that is debatably more important: Georgina regrets spending her life as a workaholic. She pretty much abandoned her husband and son in the name of her cosmetics company, but she is set in her ways and will not let anyone -especially young, naive little Kelsey Worthington -have a say in how she lives her life.

The car accident and subsequent discoveries spur Kelsey to make changes in her own life, and she starts what she calls “the Summer of Yes”. She recruits Georgina, believing they were in that same hospital room for a reason.

And maybe they were.

This book explores authenticity, accountability, forgiveness, and grace in a way that is absolutely beautiful. We see characters exemplify what it means to love like Christ (hopefully like us), and we see characters extend grace upon grace to people (definitely like us) who don’t deserve it.

If you’re looking for a substance-filled book that still has the sweet and funny vibes of a quick-read summer romcom, you may have found your next read!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Content: 🍓🍓🍓

Disclaimer: The reason for this star rating is that I didn’t LOVE the writing in this book, but the overall wisdom and plot were wonderful.

Touchy Topics: Kidney failure, car accident, parental abandonment, workaholic parent, separation, shame, selfishness, organ transplant, lying, allusions to drinking, kissing/thoughts of more.

#bookreview #bookstagram #arcreview #releaseday #pubday #courtneywalsh #thesummerofyes #romcom #romance #romancebooks

Rating Scale:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: PERFECT. Probably cried
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: Wonderful, just not top 10
⭐️⭐️⭐️: Good! Most books fit here
⭐️⭐️: Not really my cup of tea
⭐️: Basically DNF

Content Scale:

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓: Squeaky clean!
🍓🍓🍓🍓: Appropriate for most readers
🍓🍓🍓: Heavy topics, likely 18+
🍓🍓: Intense scenes about heavy topics
🍓: Tread lightly

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

A fun read, that gave me all the feels! This story had me chuckling out loud, but also had deeper moments of reflection. I went into this story expecting a lighthearted summer read, however it does touch on more thought-provoking topics.

Kelsey Worthington wakes up in a hospital room, after getting hit by a car that jumped the curb while getting coffee for her boss. She finds herself sharing a hospital room with Georgina Tate, a famous NYC businesswoman who is not pleased to be sharing a hospital room. After her close call with death, Kelsey begins to think about the current direction of her life. Georgina begins to realize she too has regrets as she deals with her failing kidneys. After wearing her down, Kelsey convinces Georgina to join her on a road trip in a “Summer of yes” to change the trajectory of their lives.

I’ve read a few stories by Courtney Walsh, and like the others, I thoroughly enjoyed The Summer of Yes.


Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun one! I loved the idea of saying yes to things you normally wouldn’t because you thought it was holding you back. It’s such a great way to get out of your comfort zone but also start living if you think you’ve been stuck!

Kelsey was pretty self deprecating and a bit whiny so I wasn’t a fan of that even though I loved her idea. On the other hand, I loved Georgina! So spunky!!! Reminded me of Miranda Preasly! Proud business woman with some family regrets.

The zoo part was of course one of my favorite parts! the penguins 🥰

This wasn’t my favorite by Courtney but I would still totally recommend for a good summer read!

Thank you to Netgalley for the gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review!!

I loved the concept of this story; a young woman wakes up in the hospital after being hit by a car and meets an older woman who's her "ghost of the future" in a way, showing her what her life could end up like if she continues on the path she's on.

These two women embark on a journey of saying "yes" to things they'd previously said "no" to: carbs, walking around the city, taking vacation days...and ultimately it leads to bigger things, like reconciling with estranged family members. I loved the whole stepping out of your comfort zone aspect, as it's something I've been working towards for myself as well this year, and the unlikely friendship these two women form was lovely.

Georgina reminded me a bit of Meryl Streep's character in The Devil Wears Prada, but with a softer, gooey middle; she's accomplished incredible things for her business but her personal life is a bit of a mess.

There are two love stories as well in the novel, but they're almost second fiddle to the women's journeys, and while I enjoyed them, what I loved best was the growth these women experienced.

All in all, a lovely story, one that would make for great pool-side reading this summer. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

An absolute delight! The perfect summer audio to listen to on a road trip with my teenage daughter. I LOVE Walsh's clean storylines that provide humor, romance, struggle, and redemption. We need more clean, hope-filled fiction like this in our world. Great job, Courtney! Highly recommend!

I am fairly new to this author, but I've learned that I can count on Courtney Walsh for squeaky clean romance books. This is not my favorite genre, but I love to use her books as a palate cleanser between heavier books.

The grumpy sunshine trope was cute and there was plenty of witty banter. If you like rom-coms that also explore deeper topics like forgiveness and intentional living, give this book a try!

A highly anticipated new novel from Courtney Walsh! It’s a Clean Fiction book that falls into the category of Women Fiction with a thick thread of romance weaved throughout.
Courtney Walsh has a way of writing characters that feel very authentic and relatable; characters that are layered, showcasing strengths but also depicting their weaknesses and struggles. This book definitely has those! Kelsey and Georgina take the lead roles, and though opposites to each other in some ways, they come to find they’re actually very similar in their fears, regrets, and desires to be truly loved. Kelsey is impulsive, forthcoming, and endearing; Georgina is perceptive, honest, and reminds me a bit of Miranda Pressely. The book even got me thinking about deeper concepts like how crippling it is when you let fear and anxiety reign, and how freeing and healing it is when you experience undeserved forgiveness and grace.

At the beginning, events felt a bit rushed and I struggled to connect with the characters because I felt I didn’t know them. But by the halfway mark, it really ramped up and I found myself not wanting to put it down!
It’s published under a Christian publishing house, so I expected a bit more open faith in the characters. I also was disappointed to read of multiple mentions of “fate” working instead of the sovereignty of God.

Courtney Walsh can be depended upon to write clean fiction with sweet romance, authentic characters that display growth, and the right amount of humor and wit to keep it fun! I recommend this book and her others to anyone looking to “read for joy” and wrap themselves in a good story.

😇: Christian publisher (Thomas Nelson); Gospel themes like grace & forgiveness, but no clear statements on the Biblical faith that these stem from.
💋: a very sweet kisses, not steamy or descriptive
🤐: no language!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This is my second CW book, my first being The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley, which I ADORED. So I was eager to try another book by the author.

The Summer of Yes is a good book that’s hard (for me) to review. The story is a little…not necessarily heavy, but thought provoking. With the main character seriously questioning everything about her life after an accident, and the other having serious regrets about her life as she nears the end of it, it’s not the story to pick up if you’re looking for light and fluffy. However, I enjoyed having something DIFFERENT for a plot, and seeing the acquaintance between the younger Kelsey and older Georgina turn into a tentative friendship was enjoyable. It’s about way more than just the romance that develops later in the story.

However I still found myself enjoying the story more after the romance started. 😂 And while I very much dislike the insta-love trope, I applaud the author for making insta-attraction work really well in story. It wasn’t “I love this person even though a barely know them” but more of, “I think I COULD love this person because of the good qualities I’m seeing.” It felt more authentic.

There was once scene where I got a little choked up (not overly sad, just moving) which I take as a sign of good writing from any author. 👍🏻

And while not a LOL funny book, the author does incorporate subtle humor into the story. One of my highlights that made me chuckle: ‘“Have you made any progress with the spicy food?” “I sometimes put pepper on my noodles.” He just looks at me. “We’ll keep working on that.”’ 🤭

Story was clean, no sex or profanity. Even with the “Christian fiction” label, it wasn’t really religious, though Kelsey wonders a few times if the events she’s going through are happening for a reason/fate. I got a little tired of that personally, but others may not mind it.

Bottom line: If you’re in the right headspace for this kind of plot, it’s a well written book with thoughtful themes, clean romance, and an entertaining/endearing age gap friendship. If you’re looking for something light and fluffy or a romance focused story, it may not be for you.

4 stars for quality, 3.5 stars for personal enjoyment.

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

One last thing—from the start we know that Georgina is seriously ill and basically waiting to die. For anyone who wants to know if this is a sad or happy ending book, I’ll tell you. Not sure if it’s considered a SPOILER, but if you don’t want to know, consider yourself warned.——————————-It does have a good ending. :)

This book is about second chances after an improbable meet between a wannabe writer and a she-billionaire. I have trouble getting engaged in a novel when a plot feels forced to me and unfortunately this is what the story felt like from the very start. I know this will thrill Walsh fans but I just couldn't get into this conveniently everything falls into place novel.

You know how this book ends, sure. The journey to that end is entirely worth reading.

I'm a big fan of saying "No!" It makes life easier than getting out of my comfort zone. After reading this book, I wonder about everything I've missed.

The author did a great job telling a predictable story. It could've been boring, and worthless, but it was neither of those things.

It was special, thought-provoking, and funny. I'd recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.