I had seen so many good reviews for this book. I knew I wanted to read it also. But alas this book failed to woo me. I found the characters annoying and the book difficult to read. This book just didn't work for me.

I started off listening to this as an audiobook. And I almost didn’t continue. I kept questioning whether one of the voices was AI. But rather than give up, I switched to the written version and liked it better. Although, for me, it was a very slow start to a pretty simple story.

It was the story of a young woman, Kelsey and an older woman, Georgina (cranky, successful business woman) who met in the hospital after Kelsey’s accident. Kelsey is an editor but aspiring writer who has given up her dream of writing and is living a “safe life” by saying no to anything out of her comfort zone. Georgina has a serious health condition and has made her own choices that she regrets. The story focuses on Kelsey getting Georgina to go along with her on a summer of saying “Yes”. There’s more to this story and of course relationships, choices and regrets that get explored. And multiple opportunities to say yes or have a chance to make a change to your life.

This book was cute but really took too long to get going for me, and then the end, felt rushed. I’m probably in the minority in not loving this, but I felt it was a bit repetitive and in places things just happened too quickly in terms of the romance. I did enjoy the second half of the book much more than the first. This would probably make a fun beach read and perhaps I wasn’t in the right mood for that.
#TheSummerofYes #netgalley

The bright cover art completely pulled me in immediately. I thought, instant beach read, which is what this ended up being, but not a GREAT one. I just wish it was a bit more engaging. I found myself able to put it down and walk away from the characters and storyline.

The beginning and up until about 40% was pretty slow and I almost did not finish, having some other ARCs I would rather read. I am glad I stuck with it. The underlying message of embracing things in life both big and small and taking chances by saying yes was one that felt a little inspirational by the end.

I found both the lead female main characters to be somewhat annoying. Kelsey seemed a bit too timid and aloof. She forgot her supposed best friend, Ravi’s birthday until it had already past and she was supposed to bring the cake. Ravi just nonchalantly mentioned this like no hard feelings being forgotten by his best friend and completely welcomes her back into his everyday life now that Kelsey has more time having quit her job to say yes to living a more free life.

Georgina’s character was obnoxiously headstrong and self-centered especially in the beginning but also throughout the story. It also seemed unlikely that her husband, Dylan and son, Hayden welcomed her back into their lives with no issue after years of Georgina choosing her career over her family.

There were a handful of one-liners Kelsey had that made me laugh out loud and I did like the chemistry between Kelsey and Hayden.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The epitome of a summer read. Warm, thoughtful, fun. The two main characters are both relatable in different ways. What feels like an easy read ends up giving you pause to take a look at your life, the people in it, and the things that drive you and to re-evaluate; is this really where you want to be and how you want to be living? Likeable characters, beautifully written, and the perfect read for a warm beachy day.

DNFed @ 22%. My rating is based on what I read until that point!
I've been feeling like I'm DNFing all of my NetGalley books lately, and I've been trying to like this one, but I just can't. I was bored to death, and the characters were so unsympathetic to me that I just couldn't enjoy it.
I've been wanting to read Courtney Walsh for a long time, as I love Hallmark movies and I've read that she has similar books. That's why I requested this book. To be honest, I read the synopsis, but I didn't even realize that it wasn't a romantic book, it was more about finding ourselves as women in society. I don't like this topic, even in Hallmark movies. Although Sarah Morgan (my fav chick lit author) also has such subplots in her books and it doesn't bother me there, that's why I wanted to give it a chance.
I didn't like the characters. This "just work" American way of life is completely foreign to me, and I don't see any point in it. I just can't like a character who forgets her best friend's birthday where she was in charge of the cake and then doesn't even remember until the friend brings it up a few months later. I tried to love it, I tried to read at least 20%, so I read it, but why? I didn't enjoy it at all so I DNFed it

fun and interesting novel that's about taking risks sometimes and a fun friendship dynamic between the maiin protagonist.

Kelsey Worthington has settled into a routine. She's existing as a junior editor in NYC but not actually living. Until her accident. While recovering in the hospital, she meets Georgina Tate, a cosmetics mogul. Kelsey decides to use this disruptor as an invitation to truly live and asks her new "friend" to join her. They embark on an adventure of saying yes to all kinds of new adventures as they step outside of their comfort zones.
I like the theme. Saying yes opens Kelsey and Georgina to a bigger, more fulfilling life. But they also face their shadow side and regrets as they try new things and explore why they've become stuck over the years. As one of the characters days, "Sometimes you gotta wade through uncomfortable things to get to the payoff.”
I also like the wit. I laughed out loud a few times while reading.
The present tense also keeps me in the action. I felt like I was experiencing "Yes" with the characters rather than watching them from afar.
The romance part of the book annoyed me in places. The conversations and internal dialogue can be cheesy and unrealistic.
The end is neat and tidy. I usually dislike that kind of resolution becuase it's not reality. But since this book is a feel-good rom-com, it makes sense that the ending resembles a fairy tale.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“I like that I don’t have to guess what you’re thinking. I also like that you’re not afraid to say what you want. It’s refreshing . Most of the people I work with are either sucking up or shutting up.”
"I was worried what others would think so I walked faster. I have a real hard time occupying my own space. I don’t want to do that anymore."
"I know that every choice I’ve made up until this point— every single one in my adult life —has been out of fear.”
"It’s time for me to say no. To the things that are keeping me from feeling alive."
"[L]ife is good. And wonderful. And horrible, and beautiful, and messy, and everything all at once. And that is the beauty of it. It’s overwhelming , but it’s never boring. And it should be lived to the fullest...filling your life with the people you love doing the things that make you feel the most alive.”

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I really enjoyed this book. Kelsey wakes up in a hospital but she does not remember what happened. She just knows she does not have time to be in the hospital. While in the hospital she has a roommate named Georgina. Georgina has no interest in Kelsey, but Kelsey sees that they are so much alike. Now Georginia is facing the possible end of her life. Kelsey makes it her mission to change how she is living so she does not end up questioning her life purpose. Kelsey now had a goal to start living her life differently and saying yes to things she had been missing out on. She makes it her and Georgina's mission to start saying YES!

light hearted easy summer read. The first 40% felt really slow then it picked up. I enjoyed both of the characters but the plot line didnt sink in for me. Love story didn't feel believable. Easy read and I think certain people will enjoy reading- just not for me

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a reivew. Book released July 1, 2024

I really enjoyed reading this!

It was such a fun and sweet read!

The start was pretty slow but the characters really kept the story going and the whole idea of saying YES when you normally wouldnt really appeals to me!

The Summer of Yes
by Courtney Walsh
Pub DateJul 02 2024
Thomas Nelson Fiction |Thomas Nelson
Christian| General Fiction \(Adult\)| Women's Fiction



Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley provided me with a copy of The Summer of Yes for review:



Sometimes you’re so busy writing other people’s stories that you lose the plot of your own.


Kelsey Worthington expected her day to go differently. She wasn't supposed to pick up Starbucks for her snarky boss. She wasn't supposed to wake up in a hospital room next to Georgina Tate, the legendary matriarch of New York City businesswoman!


Georgina and Kelsey couldn't be more different. Kelsey is a dreamer and a writer who is skeptical of her own abilities. 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. Georgina is a confident businesswoman who has stepped into boardrooms for many years and made her voice heard, so she is too outspoken for those who lack courage to handle. In boardrooms, she has been making her voice heard for many years, making her far too outspoken for those lacking courage.


As Georgina struggles with her failing kidneys, she realizes she has a lot of regrets about the way she lived her life. Maybe it's time to face a few things. They must ask themselves: *What if I said yes to everything I’ve always said no to?*


Having Georgina as a companion, Kelsey soon finds herself doing things she has never done before. Trying street food. Ocean swimming. Matchmaking for Georgina with the help of Georgina’s handsome son. .As well as writing her own romances, both in books and in real life.


I Give The Summer of Yes five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This may be my favorite book I read this summer. It was so fun! And thought provoking. And funny. And has a rather swoony hero. My list could go on! Perfect for “summer” or any time reading.
I loved the premise of the book. What if you just say “yes”? To fun things. To hard things. To the things that make life worth living. I loved the questions this book posed to me, encouraging me to rethink my quick “no” and to try saying “yes” more often . . even when saying “yes” means I have to work harder or plan longer. “No” can be so easy, but “yes” can be ever so much fun.
When the book started, I wasn’t too sure of the relationship between Kelsey and Georgina. Georgina is definitely hard to love, at first. But I think that’s the point. It makes her “yes” that much more satisfying. I adored Kelsey’s character and her desire to jump in, to say “yes” even when it involves hard things. Ms. Walsh does this wonderful thing with her writing, where she draws me into the story and makes me love the characters. Even the ones I’m convinced might be an ogre in disguise. She slowly unveils their hearts and guides me into their story until I have to remind myself they’re fictional, rather than real people.
So, please consider saying “yes!” to this book and enjoy a sweet, thoughtful, funny, encouraging book!

*My thanks to the author and publisher for my copy of this book! I received a copy through NetGalley and was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise. All opinions expressed are my own.

A story of an unlikely friendship and learning not to regret life. This story was beautiful and I loved every moment of it.

This is the first time I read a book by this author, and to be honest I loved it! This was a very lighthearted and refreshing read. Kelsey's idea of "Summer of Yes" was very inspiring.
There is a huge character development in Kelsey and Georgina. I'm impressed by it.
The engagement ring scene tore me apart. There were certain raw moments between the couples that were so cute to be left unnoticed.
Overall, I loved this clean romance. The author portrayed the romance between the couples so beautifully that the mention of physical touch was not needed. This book is about a fresh start, and if you're up for a cute read, this one's for you.

⭐️Dual POV
⭐️ Funny
⭐️ Reminder of life priorities

This book is such a good reminder that if you start letting work consume you and personal relationships take the back burn that you will miss out on so much. I love the unlikely relationship between Georgina and Kelsey and provide each other life advice and help each with what they have been longing for. There is also some romance but this isn’t the main plot of the book.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction in exchange for an honest review.

Kelsey and Georgina make a delightful pair to read about, not because they are always delightful, but because their banter and the way the play off each other was honest and real. For Kelsey, a "summer of yes" is an inticing possibility, not so much doing every crazy thing that comes her way, but finally saying yes to the little things like having dinner with her best friend's large and loud family and starting to write again. I enjoyed the romantic relationships, both new and rekindled. I was disappointed that there was very little interaction between Kelsey and her family, especially after her mom sort of gave her the push to change her life. If there would've been more in that area, this would have been a solid 4 stars for me.

You CAN NOT go wrong with Walsh. You want a cute summer romance well look no further. She gives you all the feels and leaves your heart filled with happiness and joy!

"The Summer of Yes" is a new favorite for me. I loved Kelsey and Georgina's friendship and how they challenged one another to do new things.

There's an old saying that "Everything you've ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear." And Kelsey after a traumatic accident, she realizes she's not living the life she wants to live. But the problem is, she doesn't really know what she wants out of life.

It just so happens that her roommate in the hospital is the famous business mogul, Georgina Tate, and Kelsey thinks perhaps she can learn something from such a successful woman. The problem is, the cost of success has been high for Georgina, and if she had it all do to all over again, she's not certain she would make the same choices. But rather than admit that, as she's nearing the end of her life, she shuts people out and pushes them away. So, she has absolutely no interest in baring her soul to Kelsey.

But Kelsey has come to realize that the life she's created for herself has been the outcome of all the times she's said "no" to something. No, she doesn't want to go out after work. No, she doesn't want to go on that vacation. No, she doesn't have time to visit her parents. No, no, no. So, she determines that this summer will be the summer of "yes." And since she thinks Georgina will benefit from some of the same medicine, she drags her along for the experience.

What neither of them realize at the start though is that they are exactly what the other needed in their life.

The story is just so powerful, all while being realistic and funny, that I just couldn't put it down!

Thank you to Courtney Walsh, Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for an advance review copy. I absolutely loved reading it!

Read this if you love
- Feel good stories
- Unlikely friendships
- Cozy small towns
- Roadtrips
- Books that give you hope
- Rethinking your “busyness”

The characters in this book are so easy to fall in love with and the story is such a unique and fun idea! If you’re looking for one last summer-ish book or just something to brighten your spirts, this is it!!

WOW that was such a good book. I loved the storyline so much!

It was so much more than just a romance, it was about friendship, family, forgiveness, regret, finding yourself and the things you actually want to be doing with your life and of course love.

Loved the dual pov from Kelsey and Georgina, they were so different and had such unique voices and personalities that I got so excited to read from each pov. Georgina's pov was so funny though.

Also loved (lol can I say love one more time?) that we got to see two love stories, one from a younger couple and one from an older couple and one that was beginning and one that was rekindling.

I think this would be amazing in the big screen!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!