In this book we will meet Kelsey & Georgina, who are both dealing with a sudden change in life and being forced to take a new look at their life. I loved the back & forth of the dual point of views. Wealthy Georgina & Scraping by Kelsey are put into the same hospital room and that's when we will start to watch, as they both have to make some serious decisions. Kelsey is the younger of the pair & she is learning from the accident and also Georgina, to consider what is important in life. Georgina has months to live & regrets in her past that she is afraid to face. The summer of yes comes from Kelsey's plan to stop putting off things & starting to say yes to things that she normally wouldn't, she finds the world opening up to her. After a few Yes' instead of her normal no, Kelsey also pulls Georgina into her Summer of Yes. This simple switch of having to try and say yes, instead of no leads them both on some eye opening and even funny & serious decisions. They both will be changed but will this Summer of Yes be a positive change for them both? It's a very thought provoking idea. If you had to say yes, unless it was morally wrong, would you be changed, too? What would you learn? Join Kelsey and Georgina on this interesting adventure and see what happens to them!

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

I wasn't able to listen to this one before it was archived. I do plan on reading it in the future and once I do I will come back and update my review.

Such a good listen! I hope there is a second book that continues this story. This book had love, loss and and adventure all wrapped up in a quippy telling from multiple POV’s.

This was fun, light summer listen about a woman who experiences a near-death experience. The main characters were refreshing and endearing and this was a great listen for the beach or pool! Would definitely recommend!

This was an interesting book—rather preachy in many ways, but ultimately engaging. When Kelsey wakes up in the hospital after being hit by a car she is forced to reexamine her workaholic lifestyle, and she embarks on a summer of saying “yes” to things she previously would not have done and not focusing solely on her job. I found it a bit difficult to understand the things she had ignored and how quickly she changed, but the part that was even tougher to grasp was how she managed to ensnare a perfect stranger—CEO Georgina—into her plan. While not entirely plausible, the story did get better after the two women get to know each other better and the events progress, and it was entertaining. The audiobook is wonderfully narrated by two distinctive voices in alternating chapters. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

4.5⭐️

The Summer of Yes is a fun and life-affirming road trip buddy adventure between Kelsey, a young woman struggling to get started in her life and career, and Georgina Tate, an older, ailing, successful businesswoman who’s isolated herself. Their banter is delightful, and as they spend more time together, they both learn and grow in unexpected ways. This is a great beach read, as well as highly relatable for anyone who is struggling to find their footing.

Tanya Eby and Cathi Colas did an excellent job narrating the audiobook, and I appreciated their distinctive voices.

Thank you Courtney Walsh, Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and inspiring summer read. I really loved how Kelsea wanted to change her entire life with this summer of saying yes to things she would have normally avoided or said no to. This book is an eye opener to taking chances and doing the things that put us out of our comfort zone and to stay present in the world. This was all around a fun read.

☀️The Summer of Yes☀️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A near death experience changes Kelsey’s life. She is a workaholic who dreams of being a writer and is currently a junior editor. While in the hospital she meets Georgina Tate, who is a famous and successful businesswomen. Georgina has always put work first…even before family. These two become connected and Georgina gets Kelsey to say yes to more in life so she does not miss opportunities….including love! This was definitely so cute! I absolutely loved how Kelsey and Georgina’s friendship begins and transpires into so much more. Two love stories, friendships, regret and romance…this was such a heartwarming book!! I love Courtney Walsh books!! They make my heart happy! I will say you should read the physical as I didn’t care for audiobook narrators, it felt robotic.

Thank you @netgalley @thomasnelson and @harperaudio for the eARC and ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When twenty-something workaholic Kelsey has a near-death experience going to get coffee before work, her life changes forever. An unexpected encounter with the wildly successful businesswomen and icon Georgina pushes both women outside their comfort zones as they embark on an adventure of a lifetime to say yes and truly discover what's important to them.

This book was longer than I initially expected for a women's fiction/romance, coming in at almost 400 pages or 11 1/2 hours, but I loved listening to every minute of it. I found Kelsey and her workaholic tendencies super relatable, and I loved the intergenerational relationship between Kelsey and Georgina. Their banter is so entertaining, and I enjoyed seeing how they pushed each other throughout the story. All the secondary characters were great, too (JP!!!!). Both of the narrators for the audiobook did a great job and really made the characters come to life.

The romance plot was not super strong and definitely erred more toward women's fiction. While the premise is not necessarily unique (near-death experience leading to FMC wanting to "live life to the fullest"), the book was done in a unique way. There were a couple of details that I thought were going to play a larger role (ex: the police interrogating Kelsey at the beginning), but I honestly forgot about those storylines once the main idea of the book was developed further.

I thought the book concluded well and felt like the storylines wrapped up strongly, without rushing their relationships. This was my first Courtney Walsh and I would definitely read more in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great summer read but when I started this book I didn't think I'd finish it. Reading about Kelsey helping Georgia to have a Summer of Yes took a turn a few chapters in and was a fun right to the end. Despite Georgia being a grouchy person she ends up having fun and finding the 2 biggest things she was missing in her life. Kelsey in return finds a place she loves and a welcome addition to her life. I really enjoyed this book and especially loved the ending.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

The Summer of Yes
By @courtneywalsh
Rating: 4 stars

You’ll love this book if you like:
Multi generational friendship
Road trips
Second chance romance
Smart independent women

Favorite parts:
Kelsey explaining the synopsis of her boat restoration romcom 🤣🤣🤣
Kelsey and JPs texts
Hayden and Kelsey’s “official” meet cute starting at The Grotto

Courtney Walsh books are some of my favorites and The Summer of Yes is another to add to that pile!

Kelsey is an assistant editor that ends up in the hospital after a car hits her. It’s after this time in the hospital, where she shares a room with Georgina Tate, a famous business woman, that she realizes she isn’t happy with her life. So she decides to have a summer of yes and say yes to things she normally wouldn’t.

Both Kelsey and Georgina set off on a road trip and their lives intertwine in ways they never could have expected and find happiness in the humblest of places.

This book, while it has elements of two love stories, isn’t a heavy romance. If you’ve read Courtney’s The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley, it has a similar feel. (I personally would rate The Happy Life slightly higher Summer of Yes but both are great books in my opinion!)

Also, I thought the road trip would be a bigger part of the story but it’s not. So if you’re expecting it to be about how the women’s lives change through the course of a trip across the US (like I thought), it isn’t really like that! 😁

Lastly, received a copy of the audiobook and ebook through NetGalley so I was able to listen as I read along (which was fantastic!) and thought the narration for both Kelsey and Georgina was spot on. I loved the narrator for Georgina especially! She had just the right amount of righteous indignation needed for the role. If you like light romcom audiobooks, I’d highly recommend picking this one up! 👍🏻

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

#thesummerofyes #courtneywalsh #courtneywalshbooks #closeddoorromance #roadtrip

This is only the second book I have read of Courtney Walsh, but both have proved to be testimonies of her creative ability. This book, like Walsh’s other book”The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley” was an inspirational story about what your life can be if you let go of fear and/or bitterness, stop saying no to new things and instead make your life meaningful in a career you love and with people you care about. The main character is also a writer/ editor, which made it an even better and more personal reading experience for me.

One element of the story also reminded me of the Bible story of Hosea and Gomer. This part of the plot line was my favorite, because it speaks so loudly of the power of forgiveness, grace, and second chances.

The main character Kelsey was immature at times. Also the romance felt rushed, in that they’d only known each other for about a week before the relationship started. If it weren’t for this, my rating would have been a straight four star.

There is clean humor throughout; I was laughing several times. This would make a great movie, I think. Will definitely be reading more of Courtney Walsh’s books.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book before its publication date.


“Life is good. And wonderful. And horrible and beautiful and messy, and everything all at once. And that’s the beauty of it. It’s overwhelming, but it’s never boring. And it should be lived to the fullest. And no, that doesn’t mean the biggest car or the biggest condo…It means filling your life with the people you love, doing the things that make you feel the most alive.”

“ The world is going to tell you all kinds of things about yourself. You’re not good enough or smart enough or strong enough or thin enough or rich enough or talented enough. They’ll come up with a million different reasons why you can’t do the thing you want to do. The thing you were born to do. They’ll tell you “No Kelsey or not at this time, Kelsey or You’re not good enough.” So what do you do?” You tell them yes.”

After a near-death experience, workaholic Kelsey decides to make some changes, starting with the decision to say yes more. Soon, she and new friend Georgina Tate, a successful older woman facing her own health crisis, depart on a road trip determined to have the Summer of a lifetime.

Courtney Walsh must put a little magic in each of the books she writes. They are always filled with joy and hope, and are charming to boot. The Summer of Yes encapsulates all of that “magic” and more. Although there are a few emotional moments, this book is not only uplifting, it is inspirational. If I take nothing from Kelsey and Georgina’s story, it will be to take the risk and have fun more.

Read if you like:
• strong MCs
• older characters
• female friendships
• road trips
• clean romance

Thank you Thomas Nelson and Harper Christian for the gifted copies.

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || SUMMER OF YES [thank you to @thomasnelson and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: Summer of Yes by @courtneywalsh
Genre: Romance
Format: Digital
Star Rating: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
Kelsey Worthington, a junior editor living a safe, predictable life, meets Georgina Tate, a trailblazing businesswoman facing her final months, in the hospital. Inspired by Georgina's regrets, Kelsey creates "The Yes Plan," vowing to embrace life fully. Convincing Georgina to join her, they embark on a transformative summer adventure, saying yes to new experiences—from city tours to convertible rides. Their journey takes a deeper turn with an impromptu visit to Georgina's estranged family. As they navigate love, forgiveness, and second chances, these two women discover the power of saying yes to life.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
If you’re into books about people taking life into their own hands and making changes, then you’re in for a treat! I loved seeing both Kelsey and Georgina take a hard look at their life and where they ended up…and realizing that what they thought they wanted wasn’t actually making them happy. Plus - I am a sucker for cranky senior citizens in my romance novels…and let me tell you, even a happy Georgina is still SNIPPY and I am HERE FOR IT.

I laughed, I cried, I was inspired, I wanted to hop in a canoe - this was a perfect summer read and I highly recommend it if you’re just looking for an uplifting and fun romance!

The audiobook did not work for me, but I know many other people loved it! So I'd give it a shot if that's your preferred format.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Second Chance Romance
Closed Door Romance
Road Trips
Unlikely Duos
Cranky Old People
Bucket Lists

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 4.14 ⭐️
# of Pages: 384
Pub Date: July 2, 2024

I love a story of unexpected friendship. It's one of my favorites! And the friendship of Kelsey and Georgina in this book was one I enjoyed. Two workaholics coming together for a summer of saying YES to all the things they typically say no to was a good, light hearted experience.

Courtney Walsh is an auto-read author for me. I wanted to LOVE this one especially after seeing so many rave reviews but it honestly fell a little short for me and I think a good deal of my feelings have to do with my audiobook experience. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and rarely find a narration that grates on me, but this book took me weeks to get through. The first third of the book was very slow and I really wasn't a fan of either narration (dual POV story with 2 narrators). I finally got used to the narration and kept going. Overall, I enjoyed this read and would recommend it but I'd definitely pick up the print version rather than listening to the audio.

Read if you enjoy stories of unlikely or multi-generational friendships, dual POVs, second chances, and/or closed door/feel good romance stories. While this book is classified as Christian Fiction, I'd say it's general fiction There is a “Jesus-level forgiveness” reference and it is a clean romance but that's about it.

Book THE SUMMER OF YES
Author COURTNEY WALSH
Narrators TANYA EBY & CATHI COLAS
Publisher THOMAS NELSON
Date July 2, 2024
Length 384 pages or 11 hours and 29 minutes

I truly LOVED this book. The author did an amazing job with character development. Kelsey Worthington could probably be anyone reading the book. A workaholic whose life is passing her by because she is determined to be the best employee and people pleaser she can be. Life happens and her path crosses with Georgina Tate and let the sarcastic humor begin. The narrators do an amazing job with their characters and truly make you feel like you are right there with them. There is a little bit of clean romanced mixed in which makes this a book you can truly recommend to anyone! I can honestly say this book changed me and I am so grateful. It opened my mind to the life I have lived and was currently living and really made me think about what I can do to improve myself all while making me laugh out loud in my car while people at stoplights stared at me.

This book truly has something for everyone! Witty banter, laugh out loud moments, relatable characters, sweet romance (kisses only) friendships, complicated family dynamics and a valuable message!

I listened to this book on audio and have already ordered two copies as gifts for friends.

You will want to say YES to this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book. My review of this book is purely based on my opinions.

This was a heartwarming and inspirational book. It took a little while to get into it, but please persevere. It’s totally worth it.

I really enjoyed how this was a dual POV. Each character was so unique, but so much the same. Kelsey was at the beginning of her career and Georgina was at the end of hers.

Kelsey had what her mom calls a “life interrupter” when she gets hit by a car and ends up in the hospital. She’s an assistant editor at a publishing company, even though she really wanted to be a writer. She’s let her fears keep her from doing things and at 32 she lives a pretty lonely life.

Her hospital roommate is Georgina, a powerful self made businesswoman, who’s the epitome of success. She achieved her success though at the expense of her family. She also ended up alone. She’s a very opinionated and grumpy person.

I enjoyed how the two women decided to say yes to those things they had been saying no to. They end up going on a road trip and having some new adventures. Along the way they learn a lot about themselves and what they have really been missing out on.

This is a delightful story of regrets, change, love and forgiveness. I really liked how the author compared the lives of the two women and the exploration of what brought them to that point in their lives. Change is never easy. Pride can get in the way of mending relationships. Fear can be overcome. We all need to examine our lives to find out what can happen if we just say yes!

I really enjoyed the audiobook! The narrators were perfect!

Courtney Walsh never disappoints. Kelsey has a horrible day ending up in a hospital rom with Georgina. Georgina is a older businesswoman who let her job rule her life and has a few regrets. Georgina's kidneys are failing and she realizes maybe she should make some things right. Kelsey sets out to help Georgina fix things with their summer of saying yes to things.

This audiobook was the perfect summer book for a road trip. I loved it and the narrator was amazing. I would highly recommend!

3.5⭐ ARC from NetGalley, thanks for the advanced copy!

This was a cute listen! I don't think it was exactly what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it. The FMC Kelsey is struggling to get recognition in her position in publishing. In a freak accident, she ends up hospitalized with none other than Georginia Tate, a wildly successful businesswoman. In her efforts to make a name for herself, she approaches Georginia about writing her memoir. When she's told no, she convinces Georginia to have a summer of Yeses to experience life in a way she hasn't been able to while working to build her business. This book is cute & full of quirks and a romance subplot, a perfect poolside read.
Narration: I think they did a great job & portrayed the characters well!