The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh: Book Review

 **I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

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

This wasn’t how Kelsey Worthington’s day was supposed to go. She wasn’t supposed to be picking up Starbucks for her smarmy boss. She wasn’t supposed to get hit by a car that jumped the curb. And she certainly wasn’t supposed to wake up in a hospital room next to Georgina Tate—the legendary matriarch of New York City businesswomen.

Kelsey and Georgina couldn’t be more opposite. Kelsey’s a dreamer, a writer who questions her own skill. 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.

But now, when Georgina’s failing kidneys force her to face some big regrets about the way she’s lived her life, the two women recognize they share a common thread. Maybe it’s time to confront a few things. They must ask themselves: What if I said yes to everything I’ve always said no to?

With Georgina as her companion, Kelsey soon finds herself doing things she’s never done before. Eating street food. Swimming in the ocean. Matchmaking for Georgina with the help of Georgina’s handsome son. And writing her own romance—both in book form and in real life.

So begins the Summer of Yes.

The Author

Courtney Walsh is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of sixteen novels. She writes small town romance and women's fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. Courtney is a Carol award winner and Christy Award finalist who has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.

Connect with Courtney online at her website (courtneywalshwrites.com) or on any of these social media platforms:

Facebook.com/courtneywalshwrites

Instagram.com/courtneywalsh

Twitter.com/courtney_walsh

Book Review

Right from the start, this one drew me in... what could be a better incentive to start looking at the way you are living your life than getting hit by a car!? That is exactly what happens to Kelsey, finding herself waking up in a hospital room, lucky to be alive. She finds herself sharing a room with Georgina Tate--- a successful and well-known older businesswoman who has made many sacrifices to reach her success. When Kelsey sees the similarities in their lives, she decides to embark on a summer of yes... and to take Georgina along for the ride. 

Courtney Walsh is best known for her romance stories, and while there is definitely romance in this story too (with two love stories in fact!), it definitely feels more like a women's fiction read than your typical romance. For starters, the romance threads don't pick up until maybe a quarter of the way or more through the story and focused more on this unlikely friendship between the two women. I loved seeing the banter between the two of them, and while Georgina is a little rough to like upon meeting, she certainly grows on you throughout, especially as we get to see more of her POV. I adored both of these characters and found myself very much rooting for both. But when we get to that romance? Oh yes, I adored that too. There was so much to love about this story... and I absolutely couldn't get enough. If you're looking for a book to say yes to, this is it! 

You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3W6JW2W