Everything's Coming Up Rosie turned out to be more than I expected. I laughed out loud so many times. Rosie was relatable. I initially didnt think she would be, bc of her background, but as she worked through her problems, there was a connection. And the retirement community? Perfection.
Courtney Waslh does a fabulous job of giving you a romance book but also makes sure there is a deeper story & plot woven throughout. Great story. Great job. I cried at the end.

I don’t know how she does it, but Courtney Walsh continues to write comforting, joyful reads that just make me happy! Rosie, of course, is no exception!!!

I cracked up when Rosie realized she had taken a job directing a musical for elderly, retirement community residents! And they were the best! Booker was such a great love interest, supportive, kind - a dream! I really found myself craving more of their love story. I especially loved watching Rosie’s journey to figure out what she wants and open up to her loved ones - she didn’t take the easy path in the end and I just loved how everything wrapped up!!!

“Because if I only get you for the summer, I want to be fully present for all of it.”

This book was phenomenal! In true Courtney fashion, she dives into a story that is relatable, heartfelt and full of laughs. Rosie’s faking her way through life, until she takes a new job producing Cinderella. Booker is happy as a PT and living near his grandma. He loves the community he lives in and the people, but is instantly intrigued by Rosie.

“And for the record there's nothing casual about the way I feel about you Rosie.”

There are so many fun surprises, (I really won’t ruin it) but you can’t go wrong with Courtney’s books. There are many self discoveries, growth, rebranding and changing course for characters in this book and I loved it. It was touching and meaningful to me in a way that I needed, while still making me laugh until I cried. It was an inspiring journey that ends the way it should, even if not all readers agree. I love that about Courtney’s books. She doesn’t just write them all with easy HEA, there is always something to learn. I adored all the side characters so much!

“Sometimes dreams shift and change and grow, and changing along with them isn’t failing. Pivoting isn’t quitting. Happiness isn’t linear, and seeking it isn’t selfish.”

Thoughts:
Meet Cute…ah he’s so nice
Tampon List-LOL
It’s a Cult…how did she not figure it out yet?
Newsies-Seize the Day girl, the theater is amazing!
Arthur and Birdie are the best humans and polar opposites
The feeling of being honest.
Truth and a Truth Fridays
Dylan-she’s a goth teen who is hiding something.
NO…not water…why?!?
Dylan is the best…I love her!
Follow your dreams, but don’t leave!!
Learning to believe in yourself.
All the theater references!

“It’s you Rosie, you’re the new dream.”

Sidenote: The audio is also wonderful! The narrator was amazing and I have added a new one to my list. She did all of the characters justice . I Loved it! She truly conveyed the emotions and voices so well!

I absolutely loved this inspiring novel!

Rosie Waterman wants to be a theatre actor. However, she loses her apartment and job all in the same day, so she heads back home. She decides to apply to any and all theatre positions anywhere she can. She doesn’t even bother to read any of the descriptions. Finally, she gets a call to work at Sunset Hills for a directing position in Door County, Wisconsin. 

Once she arrives at Sunset Hills, she is greeted by a handsome man named Booker Hayes, who also works in the community. He shows her around the area, and Rosie can’t seem to shake the idea that the area is gorgeous but seems odd. She finally realizes the theatre position is for directing Cinderella at a senior citizen community. 

Every character in this book is excellent, from the stubborn Arthur, who works in the theatre, to Dylan, a teenager living in the community with her grandmother. They become the perfect found family. 

Watching the play hit the ground from auditions, to the theatre flooding, to opening night. You will wish you could see the play in person. I would especially love to see the transformation dress. 

I also adored the love aspect between Booker and Rosie. Seeing them living in the moment and falling in love with one another will have you rooting for them in the end. 

I never highlighted so many wonderful quotes in a book before. It will really have you thinking about how everything happens for a reason and to never give up on your dreams.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. This is such a unique read! I haven't read a book like this! Rosie is struggling to find her place in the world when she loses her apartment and job on the same day. She ends up landing a job helping with theatre work, but finds out it is a way different job than what she thought. It is a retirement community theatre group. Working with the elderly, shows her that there is more to life than what she was doing previously and providing her guidance and wisdom that has come with their years of experience. They help her re-evaluate her goals in life and what is truly important.

This sweet, no spice romance was an enjoyable read. Rosie, a young actor, has been trying to work her way up in the business. Things don’t go well, and eventually she gets kicked out of her New York apartment. She heads back to her hometown and meets up with some of her longtime friends that she hasn’t seen in a long time. Rosie hasn’t been honest with her friends and family about her career and life, and so when she gets a job offer of directing Cinderella for a theatre company that looks great after a night of binge applying she accepts the job right away. What Rosie doesn’t know is that the job is at a retirement home and the actors will be the seniors who live there.

The cast of characters in this story really shine as they come together to put on the production of Cinderella. Although Rosie doesn’t open up well to those around her, the people in her life begin to impact her idea of herself and where she wants to end up in her life. Many of the seniors that she works with (particularly Arthur) help her to grow confident in her abilities, and show her that directing can be adventurous and rewarding. I loved the impact that she had on Dylan (a young teenager living with her grandparents) and the beautiful redemption character arc she had. I was invested in the sweet love story between Rosie and Booker and their banter was spot on.

As Rosie takes on the director position she is forced out of her comfort zone, and forced to look at where she wants to go in life. Rosie grows in her understanding of what she wants, and realizes that her expectations of her life might not be realistic. By learning to trust and open up to the staff and theatre crew at the retirement home, Rosie is able to grow as a person and finally choose what she wants for her life instead of what she thinks others will tell her to do.

Everything’s Coming Up Rosie delivers romance without the spice, a look behind the curtain of theatre, true friendship and relationships, honesty, and the value of chasing after your dreams and not giving up. If you like sweet romance, this book is definitely a great read!

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I picked this up expecting a lighthearted rom-com—and while it is funny and romantic, it’s also so much more. We follow Rosie, an aspiring actress whose NYC dreams haven’t quite come true. She returns home feeling like a failure, keeping her struggles close to the chest. But everything changes when she’s offered a directing job… at a retirement community

What unfolds is a story full of heart, laughter, vulnerability, and growth. Rosie’s journey is messy and honest, and I found myself cheering her on as she slowly let down her walls. The romance with Booker is sweet and refreshingly real—but what truly stole my heart? The ensemble cast.

The ensemble cast truly shines, from her ride-or-die best friends to the hilarious seniors she works with, this group brought so much life to the page The standout for me was Arthur. Grumpy, wise, unexpectedly kind, was the grounding presence Rosie didn’t know she needed and gave the story so much heart. I’d happily read more books about this group!

Heartwarming, funny, and sincere—Courtney Walsh, you knocked it out of the park.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the eArc!!

I loved this book. I was laughing, smiling, and feeling all the feels. I loved all the characters. It was a sweet story filled with joy and hope.

This was very entertaining. The secondary characters make the book because they are so funny. Rosie is a good character, but she makes the same discovery multiple times. That makes the book drag in places. The plot is unique, though, and I was glad to get to the HEA.

I enjoyed this story very much Rosie has given up on her dream to be an actor. she accepts a job to direct Cinderella not realizing it is for a retirement community. Follow Rosie on her journey as she does this . The friends she makes , people she brings out the best in and see if she actually reaches her dream of becoming an actor.

This was a great novel with great characters. A group of 4 girlfriends all in completely different stages of life. A retirement community full of quirky seniors. A theatre program on the brink of failure. And, of course, a man.

Good, clean romance. No language. Unique and entertaining plot.

Courtney Walsh is one of my favorite authors so I’m always quick to grab her newest release and was thrilled to get to read an ARC of this one.

One thing for sure about Walsh‘s books is she doesn’t rehash the same story over and over. Each one is unique and original. This one definitely is.both! While it’s certainly a romance there’s more to it than that. I’m not sure you could call it a coming of age story because the characters are older adults, but it is a coming into herself story for Rosie. It’s stopping and looking at your life and determining why you’re doing what you’re doing and if it’s the best course of action for you… Is this your dream… should you be pursuing it or even if you should, is this the right way to pursue it. So many questions!

Don't worry though... romance is definitely included in the midst! I had such fun with the comments some of the more mature ladies made about Booker. Spicy gals for sure! LOL! Nothing inappropriate or graphic.. Courtney definitely writes clean romance, but that doesn't mean her characters are dead! Plus many of these are theatre folks who have a flair for the dramatic.

I love the setting of the story, I loved the sweet tender moments as well as the hilarious ones (and there are some hilarious scenes!). And I absolutely adored the “extra” characters. This truly is one of those books where you love more than just the main couple. I felt very invested in the other lives also. I loved the entire community and would love to visit them again!

I have to add this one had a personal connection for me as I met my husband one summer working with our local theatre group. He volunteered the stage manager and I was the assistant director for the summer stock production while home from college. Theatre has always held a special spot in our hearts. Made this one a bit more special to me as I felt we were a bit like Rosie and Booker.

Well done Courtney!

Courtney Walsh is quickly becoming one of my "must read" authors and "Everything's Coming Up Rosie" will be a book I recommend to all my friends! One thing I love most about Courtney's writing is that she includes all of the plot, deep emotions/connections and fun characters without all of the graphic language and sexual content. I will happily recommend this novel to my daughter to read! While I went into the book excited for the romance (and the MMC was wonderful!), probably my favorite connection was the Rosie and her mentor Arthur. I had the pleasure of having both a print ARC and audio ARC--I absolutely ADORED the audio! The narrator was perfect, bringing the characters to life off the page. 4.5 stars for me! *I received a complimentary e-ARC and audio ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

When one of Rosie's best friends invites her to a baby shower, of course she's going. It feels so good for the young actress to reunite with them – her best friends have always been her biggest cheerleaders, accepting Rosie's quirky character, “weirdness and all”. Despite that clear support, Rosie can't bring herself to tell them the truth: her acting career is a complete failure and she's homeless to boot. The only thing that's she's successful at, is drunkenly sending job applications, desperately hoping for any acting gig. Right as she's about to tell her full-on grown-up friends the truth, an email comes in offering her a job to be the director of a regional theatre's production of Cinderella. OK, she has no real experience as a director, but this is a prospect, a proper paying job! Asking no questions, she hops on the bus to Wisconsin... Only to find herself at a retirement community with an acting “troupe” consisting of mostly inexperienced senior citizens. Welp.

Oh, Rosie. I can't help but to find our lead character and narrator utterly endearing. She is self-deprecating to a fault, while at other times she randomly bursts into song or an accented monologue. I wanted to hug her, boost up her confidence, while at other moments I sank into the couch and just legit cringed at the Theatre Kid of it all. Rosie is perfectly written: she clearly has the passion and the skill, but something is blocking her from achieving what she wants. It's not a straightforward journey for Rosie: identifying what holds you back is not an easy feat. But boy, she tries with all her might, and that's admirable.

A protagonist to genuinely root for is key for my reading enjoyment, but the feelgood factor is upped several notches by Everything's Coming Up Rosie's cast of lovable side characters. It is clear that the retirement community actually starts to feel like a home to our Rosie and it's largely due to the new people surrounding her: her found family.

Most notably, we meet cynical teenager Dylan, a young Aubrey Plaza type girl who is stuck living at the community. And there's Arthur, an even more cynical elderly man who knows the theatre building inside and out. His grumpily doled out wisdom gives Rosie the tough love shove she needs to move forward. Her connection with Arthur is reminiscent of the film The Holiday, particularly of Iris (Kate Winslet) and her bond with Arthur (Eli Wallach) – they even share the same name. Rosie's connection with Arthur is the heart of this story, and it deeply moved me. Other notable side characters include cottage roommate Daisy and Bertie, Booker's grandmother.

Ah yes. Let's talk about Booker. Booker Hayes. While Everything's Coming Up Rosie is definitely Women's Fiction, there is a truly charming romance subplot involving Rosie and the retirement community's resident Physical Therapist. Everything's Coming Up Rosie contains no spice, but is a perfect example of how a slow build-up and solid foundation (a deeper connection) is where the swoon is. Rosie herself even mentions the value of this at one point in the book. The romance story line co-exists beautifully next to Rosie's career plot line; Rosie's individual development keeps shining with the support of a good man. And Booker Hayes is the very definition of “one of the good ones”, a truly kind male romantic lead who deserves the world. Bonus points for his quick-on-the-draw banter. Rosie and the other characters are all hilarious in their own right, and I thoroughly enjoyed a bunch of lines in this book, so much so that I wrote them down for posterity.

Everything's Coming Up Rosie is a light-hearted, introspective book which I think will resonate with anyone who has a dream but feels blocked in some way. I found myself very much inspired when I finished it, the book's message hitting home with me. And it may have also made me feel just a little bit mushy in the BEST way. 

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.

4.5/5⭐️
Rosie is a struggling actress and in a twist of events she somehow ends up as creative director at the Sunset Hills retirement community. She meets Booker, a physical therapist, who works at the same place too.

While Booker uses humor to deflect from deep questions, Rosie uses her acting skills to hide her true self. As they spent more and more time together, I enjoyed their gradual friendship and the slow unraveling of something more between them. I truly enjoyed their nonfiction Fridays!

Above and beyond the romance, I enjoyed Rosie’s journey towards discovering her next step in life…and oh how beautiful it can be when we choose to embrace what life gives us and pivot, when required.

I have been a long-time fan of Courtney Walsh, and I love this new direction her books are going in. I am a mostly romance reader, but I love how the main focus of the book wasn't romance but rather on life lessons and the art of achieving your dreams. Even though this job was not what she expected, Rosie ended up learning more about herself and even fell in love!

Courtney Walsh was able to weave a strong romance novel in this book, it was everything that I was looking for and thought had a great concept. The characters were so well written and worked with how I expected the storyline to go. I was engaged and enjoyed the overall feel of this book.

I love Courtney Walsh and her amazing writing.
Everything's Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh
I found this book to be compelling and heartwarming as well as humorous.
The characters are delightful. It is a book that immerses you and makes you think of the relationships in your life. So fun.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Courtney Walsh for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I started this book I wasn’t sure if it was a match for me but ended up really liking it.

Rosie, one FMC, is an actress in NYC and is dealing with some disappointment in her career, finances/living situation and overall life - especially when compared to her best friends from back home. Feeling insecure, she has kept the reality of her situation and how she feels about it to herself.

Desperate for a paying job she applies to anything remotely related to acting and is thrilled when she gets a generous creative team position for the summer in Door County, Wisconsin.

When Rosie shows up she quickly realizes she signed up for more than she realized. Not only is she the entire creative team but her actors and volunteers are all residents at a retirement community.

This story is very sweet and while there is romance it really highlights Rosie accepting where she is in life and what she wants to do with it. She learns a lot from the people she meets in the community and forms some really meaningful connections with a few.

From what I remember there is essentially zero spice (kisses only) or language so would be a great book for teens but I still enjoyed it.

This book is about a gal named Rosie. Her dream is to make it make it big and become an actor. So she moves from a small town in the Midwest to New York in hopes of landing a big role on Broadway. Life doesn’t go her way, so she moves back home broke and contemplating giving up on her dreams altogether. She keeps her failures a secrete from her friends and family, while applying for another job. She gets a job in Wisconsin as the one in charge of a playhouse, which seems ideal but she quickly learns its at a retirement community.

I enjoy Courtney Walsh’s books and I appreciated the setting of the retirement home and introducing elderly characters. There is something sweet and endearing to read stories with elderly people included in the plot, it makes me smile and I like the dynamic between the elderly and the young kids in their 20’s. with elderly people included in the plot, it makes me smile and I like the dynamic between the elderly and the young kids in their 20’s.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. One struggle with this genre (rom com) is that a lot of the conflict the character needs to overcome is mental and inward, rather than outward. The biggest obstacle Rosie had in her own life was her own mind. This conflict led the plot in a spiral of introspection. Every chapter Rosie was questioning and dwelling on her inward thoughts, while outwardly not much was occurring to move the plot along. The constant self-pity inward navel gazing was a bit too much for me.