I love, love her books. Humorous and feel good. No stress. Big, big fan. This was a sweet story. A little tiny bit drawn out but that’s ok, extra entertainment. Just an adorable story. Can’t wait to read more of her books! Thanks NetGalley for the advance audio copy to review.

Another hit by Courtney Walsh. This up beat rom com was a sweet quick read.

Rosie Waterman has one to become a working actor. But lately, that hasn't been working out. When she loses her apartment and her job on the same day, she does what she always does--puts herself out there, ready to find the next big thing. But a trip home makes her realize that while she's been struggling to make this dream come true, all her friends have become real adults with careers and weddings and babies on the way. Rosie's been at this for years, and she has nothing to show for it. But how does she simply let go of her dream?

When she's offered a job as the director of a regional theatre's production of Cinderella, she jumps at the chance--even though she's only directed in college and the job is in Door County, Wisconsin, and not in New York. She has no other offers, and at least she'll be getting paid to do something theatrical. But when she arrives, she quickly realizes that the "regional theatre" is actually in a retirement community, and the "actors" are actually senior citizens with no acting experience whatsoever.

Working on the show presents new challenges, forcing Rosie to learn how to step up and be the leader this fledgling theatre troupe needs. The more time she spends with her new cast, the more she begins to rethink what it means to dream big, especially when that big dream hasn't turned out to be at all what she thought it would be. It's not at all what she expected, but could it be exactly what she needs?

Everything’s Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh is a sweet, slow burn romance.

Rosie Waterman has been working to make a name for herself in NYC for years as an actress, but despite what she tells everyone, she has not been successful. To avoid having to come clean to her closest friends and family, she hastily accepts a summer position on the creative team for a community theater production of Cinderella in Wisconsin. She is shocked to learn, after arriving, that she has signed up for work at a senior living community. What ensues is a sweet and charming story where Rosie learns how to open up and tell the truth about herself. We meet an amazing ‘cast of characters’ in the senior community, with Birdie and Arthur being my favorites! She also meets Booker; a physical therapist who is determined to help her find her true self and passion. Overall, I thought this was a really great story. It was a little slow at first, but once she arrived at the senior community, I was hooked. I was a little fearful she would not get her HEA, but thank goodness I did not give up! Single narration was performed by Jorjeana Marie, and she did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. While this is a romance, that is not the main storyline. The focus of the book is Rosie and her path of self-discovery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Audio, and the author for this audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Thomas Nelson for the gifted ebook and audiobook.

Thinking of this book as a romance, I’d give it 2.5-3 stars. As women’s fiction, though, it’s more of a 4 or 4.25. The cutesy illustrated cover and Courtney Walsh’s name had me expecting more of a romcom, but that’s not quite what this is — and that’s okay. Overall, I'm giving it a 3.5.

The heart of the story is Rosie’s personal journey, and that part really shines. She works through her self-doubt, reconnects with best friends, and learns to let go of all the “shoulds” she’s been carrying. The community around Rosie, especially the quirky old folks, is charming, and I especially loved the special bond between Rosie and one elderly gentleman who both save each other, in a way.

The romance between Rosie and Booker, on the other hand, felt like more of a side note. They have a few meaningful moments, including a surprise date his grandma orchestrates, but overall their relationship didn’t feel well developed and lacked all trace of chemistry.

This is a great pick for readers who enjoy women’s fiction with light romance — heartfelt and full of growth but not heavy on the love story.

Audio: The audiobook is narrated by Jorjeana Marie who you might recognize from The Lost Story, Practice Makes Perfect, or The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living. Her cadence and intonation, plus the emotion she brings, adds depth and richness to the listening experience.

4.5 Stars! A sweet, tender closed-door story!!

Thank you Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for my #gifted ALC. All opinions are my own.

Rosie lost her job and her career on the same day. Coming to the end of one acting disappointment after another, she leaves New York City and heads back home to regroup. Seeing that her friends have their lives together, she doesn't feel like she can be honest with them about the state of her life or how things have been, so she keeps up her "act" that everything is fine.

When she gets a job offer to direct a play in Wisconsin, she immediately jumps on it and heads out. Little does she know the play isn't in the theatre she was thinking, it's actually in a retirement community and the actors are members of the community with little to no acting experience.

The setting of the retirement community and Rosie's newly formed friendship with their resident physical therapist begin a journey of growth for her. She realizes she's been chasing a dream based on a comment made to her during a traumatic time as a child. Her job as director pushes her to find more of her potential and the supportive community she becomes a part of help her determine what she wants her future to look like.

It's a heartfelt story with struggles, growth and newly found family. The romance is tender and built around a newly formed friendship.

I love that Courtney Walsh showed the behind-the-scenes experience of putting on a play production from their years of owning a performing arts studio.

Romance content: Closed-door, just kissing!

I ADORE Courtney Walsh's books and this one may have come out to be a top favorite so far. This was full of heartwarming moments, many laughs, and lots of happy tears.

Rosie and Booker were adorable and I love how he brought out the positive side in her. Rosie has been struggling and feeling like a failure so when she takes a job she knows nothing about, she's even more defeated to learn it is a retirement center. But the younger staff quickly become friends with her and show her what a great place it is to work. I loved the feisty senior citizens in the story and how they proved they are capable of putting on a show and deserving of the community support. Rosie and Booker were just too adorable and I was crying happy tears at their ending. All of the side characters had me cracking up. But Rosie's awkward moments really had me giggling.

Jorjeana Marie did a great job narrating this story. She truly brought the emotions of Rosie to life. I've never listened to her before but after this story she is definitely someone I will look for in future stories.

I can't wait for everyone to read this story, it will definitely be a top favorite this year!

Thank you Netgalley and Courtney Walsh for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!!

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This is a sweet and fun story with a lot of heart and a quirky cast of characters! Jorjeana Marie's narration added a lot to the story with her performance of southern drawls and different voices for different characters, as well as her portrayal of awkward and funny moments.

When struggling actress Rosie is kicked out of her New York City apartment after missing one too many rent payments, she panics and applies for every job remotely related to the theatre and sends in self-tapes for every role she can find. In her desperation, Rosie accepts a job as a member of the creative team for a regional theatre company called the Sunset Playhouse without reading too many details. When she arrives in Door County, Wisconsin to start her new job, she is shocked to find out that she is not working for the Sunset Playhouse, but the Sunset Players, the theatre program at a retirement community. And, she is not just a member of the creative team, but the director. Between overly-opinionated seniors, an attractive physical therapist, and her first time directing since college, Rosie has her work cut out for her.

Rosie wrestles with what it means when life doesn't turn out how she imagined it would while she works hard to produce a gray-haired version of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

I absolutely recommend Everything's Coming Up Rosie!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction, Zondervan Fiction Audio, and Netgalley for the free audio and ebook copies of this book!

This romance was sweet and funny. Loved the inter generational characters and the found family. I love audiobooks, but unfortunately didn’t really connect with this narrator. I still enjoyed the story though.

As always Courtney never fails to give an amazing story. Love how you can connect with the characters feelings and relate. This book definitely leaves you wanting more. Can't get enough of the love from all characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this arc!

Everything's Coming Up Rosie is a chick-lit centered around a senior citizen community theater. I find Courtney Walsh's writing style easy to read and enjoyed many of the side characters. However, I did not like some of the main character's decisions/personality traits and was unable to connect to the romance portion. Overall, I still recommend this book to fans of Courtney Walsh or fans of theater.

I enjoyed narration performed by Jorjeana Marie.

I received an ARC and ALC from Thomas Nelson Fiction | Thomas Nelson and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so I picked up Everything’s Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh because the synopsis sounded like a rom com wrapped up in a feel good life lesson, and it delivered exactly that! The story is about Rosie Waterman, who’s this relatable mess of a human being. She’s been chasing her dream of being an actor for years, but life keeps throwing her curveballs. She heads back home and gets hit with the reality that all her friends are thriving as adults while she’s still out here hustling with nothing to show for it. Then the opportunity to direct a Cinderella play lands in her lap. Except when she gets there, it’s not a real theatre, but a retirement community, and her actors are all senior citizens. It’s basically her worst nightmare, but also kind of hilarious! Rosie starts to rethink her dreams, priorities, and what “making it” even means. Overall, it’s funny, heartfelt, and super sweet journey! I really enjoyed the audiobook version. Jorjeana Marie’s narration was fantastic!

Everything’s Coming Up Rosie was such a sweet and heartwarming read! Rosie is a lovable main character, and I really enjoyed watching her grow throughout the story. There were moments where I really felt for her, my heart ached but also understood what it meant for her to feel like she couldn’t be as honest with those closest to her.. Her personal growth in this story was top tier and I enjoyed the theme around taking risks and living in the moment instead of always stressing about what’s next. I loved how Rosie found herself and built new friendships that feel like they’ll last a lifetime with people who she never thought could become the type friends she needed.

I enjoyed watching her relationship with Booker bloom into what it was. I really liked Booker because he was supportive and let Rosie make her own choices and encouraged her to do what would make her happy even if it meant something would change for them— that as big of him! Oh and the reason he lived where he lived— so sweet!

Overall, it’s a charming, feel-good book about self-discovery, friendship, following your heart and being honest and vulnerable no matter what others think. Definitely worth the read! 🥹🫶🏾

I have to start out by saying the narrator was fantastic! We all know that sometimes a narrator can make or break a book for us and she was fantastic
!! The emotion and the ability to be in the story while reading was truly amazing 10/10! Now down to the book , let’s start with the cover it was beautiful and really had me excited to listen and read this book. Now the story was light and fun from start to finish. I genuinely laughed out loud through this book, understand and felt the embarrassment of Rosie throughout the book and pushed for her to reach her dreams and succeed! I was riding the Rosie train from start to finish AND the added romance with Booker was just the icing on the cake for this book! Then the perfect ending…..with Booker and Rosie ending together and her being a successful actor.
, surrounded by loved ones…Perfect!!!! Truly 5/5 stars from start to finish!! Can’t wait to hear and read more books from the author !!

This was such a fun and quick read that would absolutely be great pool/beachside. I enjoyed the characters and their journey towards discovering their own selves while they fell in love with each other. It was full of sweet and funny moments and the cast of characters surrounding the two leads were just delightful.

This was such a great listen. This book was such a cute romance. Actress turned director in a surprise setting. I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. Friends to lovers, banter, was all there. This story was about a women trying to find her passion again. I think we all struggle with pretending in life or thinking we should be at a certain place in life just because the people around us are there. Arthur was by far my favorite. I hope we get a Daisy story! Overall a great listen.

Rosie is a struggling actress. After not finding much success, she accepts a job directing a production of Cinderella at what she believes to be a regional theater. However, she soon discovers that the theater is actually located within a retirement community, and her cast consists entirely of senior citizens with no prior acting experience. She embraces the challenge and reevaluates her definition of success.

This one’s for you if...
🎭 You’re a theater kid at heart
💖 The "Found Family" trope makes your heart happy
😊 You could use a story that feels like a warm hug
🧍‍♂️ Side characters are your jam
🤔 You like to reflect on your life choices
💝 Sweet and emotionally rewarding books are your cup of tea

Some of my favorite quotes:
“Quitting something that isn't working for you isn't a bad thing.”
“Nobody needs to go through the hard stuff alone.”
“It’s the hard stuff that makes the good stuff so much sweeter.”
“Things are never easy. Not the things worth it anyway.”

📚 QOTD: “I have a Friday question - What is your favorite show or musical?”

Thank you, @netgalley and @tnzfiction for the #arc and #gifted (free) copy of the audiobook. The publication date is June 10th, 2025.

Courtney Walsh is one of my favorite feel-good authors. She writes (in her own words) low spice, cozy romance novels. While I think this book is more of a feel-good inspiring novel about remembering your dreams and finding your voice in a sea of self-doubt, I think the touch of romance within this book can qualify it for the love category. This one on audiobook is just so good. I read the e-book and audiobook together and found the audiobook added that extra "oomph" that the narrator could bring to all the characters. Especially the octogenarians. There are so many touching moments and personalities and she really brings home the idea of being your authentic self. That's such a valuable lesson to take from any story because I think woman especially tend to be people pleasers and this can lead us to do things for others without thinking about what we really want. I loved the message and the love letter to theatre that I know is a vital part of Courtney's world personally. This is such a cute one! I would say this would make a great pallet cleanser between books that might have difficult themes or sad stories as this one feels bright and full of joy. It really put me in such a great mood!

Everything's Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh is a heartwarming, witty, and uplifting read that blends romance, growth, and second chances in the most charming way. I truly enjoyed Rosie's journey—she’s quirky, relatable, and so easy to root for. Her blend of vulnerability and determination gives this story real emotional weight.

The chemistry between the characters was written with tenderness and just the right amount of tension. The dialogue sparkled with humour, and the emotional moments were handled with a light but honest touch. One quote that really stood out to me was: “Sometimes life has to fall apart so the right pieces can come together.” That line perfectly captures the theme of the story.

Courtney Walsh has a lovely writing style—easy to fall into, but filled with warmth and depth. While a couple of plot points felt slightly predictable, the emotional payoff and overall message made it worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early—Everything’s Coming Up Rosie is a delightful, feel-good romance that left me smiling and just a little bit more hopeful.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Courtney Walsh is an auto read for me so when I saw this ARC I had to read it!!! Ugh I loved it so much like I still have tears in my eyes as I write this. I love her writing and how she always manages to suck you in ASAP!

In this book we have Rosie and Booker. Rosie is a theatre girl and is not doing so hot in NYC as far as her career goes. She decides to come back and in the process she gets a job offer and being down her luck she takes it…except she doesn’t know what the job is! Then Booker comes in…oh booker 🥰 Rosie quickly finds out she’s been hired at a retirement home in WI to save the theatre program. In the process she finds herself and lets go of some big emotional baggage. Along the way she meets people who end up changing her life.

It’s a very cozy and sweet story! Can’t wait to buy my physical copy as a trophy.

Thank you Zondervan and Netgally for the audio ARC

Audiobook Review

I also got the chance to listen early and it did not disappoint!!!! The narrator was great! It flowed nicely! And it was so fun to listen to one of my favorite reads of the year come to life through audio!!!