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.

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!

"Yes. It's risky to feel things. And it's risky to hope for good. And it's hard to say yes to the unknown. And it doesn't always result in wonderful memories. But that's what it means to be alive."

A beautiful story about what matters most in life & to learning to say YES!

The narration was 10/10

The Summer of Yes would be a good read for any time of year, but reading it at the tail end of my vacation just added to the experience.

The pairing of Georgina and Kelsey was done so well & I enjoyed seeing how they went from two ladies randomly meeting in a hospital to women on taking a chance-reflecting on their life & saying yes. While I do appreciate the "yes" of it all and think there were worthwhile reflections and realizations made throughout, I anticipated more of an adventure or more "yes" moments. With that said, the ones they did experience had depth and importance to them and were no small thing. For that I appreciate what Courtney did- it manages to be both a light read yet one that goes a little bit deeper.

I enjoyed all the characters, from Georgina and Kelsey who were both intelligent and strong women to the side characters in here and thought everyone worked together really well - the chemistry all around was enjoyable to read.

I was graciously given an advanced listening copy thanks to netgalley/the publisher and I would love to mention that the narrator of this did a great job in bringing the story to life and I do recommend the audio version without a doubt.

Overall it lands at somewhere around a 3.75-4 for me. I do recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Courtney Walsh for the digital ALC of The Summer of Yes.

Kelsey Worthington and Georgina Tate meet through an unfortunate situation and form an unlikely friendship. They are placed in each others path and Kelsey makes it her mission to turn their summer into a summer of YES! They depart on a road trip that is destined to change both of their lives.

This book has everything I could want in a summer read. It was light-hearted, and fun while also looking at topics such as regret and second chances.

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.

Sometimes your life just needs a little shake up, and this accident makes Kelsey realize that she's not living her life to the fullest. She also sees that Georgina has some life left to live too. She makes it her mission to start saying yes to everything that she normally wouldn't and somehow convinces Georgina to embark on this adventure with her. I love a great intergenerational relationship in a book, and this one ended up being so fun. Both of these ladies learn how to live life again and realize what's really important. Definitely a grumpy/sunshine vibe going on also. Loved seeing both of them figure out what they've been missing out on and how to be truly happy. Overall a great feel good story. The audiobook was really well done too.

Thank you to @harpercollins and @netgally for this advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kelsey Worthington, an aspiring writer living in NYC, experiences a dangerous car crash and ends up in the hospital. During her stay, she meets the infamous Georgina Tate, a world-renowned cosmetics businesswoman. Inspired by Georgina and all that she's accomplished and her devastating kidney diagnosis, Kelsey decides to say yes more often to life experiences. Kelsey creates The Yes Plan, a summer vacation to experience new things. After learning more about Georgina and all that she missed in exchange for her career, Kelsey convinces a begrudging Georgina along for the ride. Can these two mismatched women learn from one another? Can they both open their hearts and minds to new experiences? The story explores this theme along the Atlantic seaside, a place that symbolizes new beginnings and the beauty of life, where Kelsey finds Georgina's estranged family and is determined to reunite them. The story is sweet and has all the warm and fuzzy feelings. If readers need a pick-me-up and are okay with a lighter read, I recommend The Summer of Yes. I listened on audio, and the book was well narrated with only a couple of inconsistencies with the characters' voices.
I noticed that the book was categorized as Christian Fiction; there are no religious overtones in the book if that is a deterrent to readers.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to my partners, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson, and the author. I appreciate the gifted ALC. I am leaving this review voluntarily!

1. 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 - Kelsey may be one of the funniest characters I’ve met in a long time! But Georgina surely doesn’t lack in the humor department. Her responses are equally hilarious. Her wit in her monotone voice makes it all the more humorous!

2. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 - Do the things. Eat the ice cream. Take the trips. The lessons these two learn together are absolutely fundamental to having a full and happy life.

3. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐬 - Don’t get stuck. It doesn’t matter if that’s just what you know because you’ve been doing it so long. If you feel it isn’t right, change it. Quit your job. Find what makes you happy!

4. 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 - Two love stories wrapped into one beautiful romcom. Derek and Georgina. Kelsey and Hayden. Trust me when I tell you this: you will root for them and you will feel all of the feels.

5. 𝐁𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 - I will warn you now: put away time to finish this in one fell swoop. I caught the fever at the get-go and couldn’t stop until the last word was spoken. I loved everything about it!

This is my second book by Courtney Walsh. The first one was a fall book in an author anthology.
This book was super cute, quirky and sweet! Courtney tells the story of two polar opposite traveling companions and
how they each are able to teach each something about allowing themselves to put themselves first, fall in love and say Yes!

Welp this tugged on my heart strings. I will say normally I’m not for closed door romances but this was so much more than a romance. Honestly I wouldn’t even call this a romance. It was more of a story of learning to over come your regrets and move forward. Trying to change the outcome of the path you’ve been on and it just had me in my feels. The unlikely friendship between Georgina and Kelsey is just so pure and authentic. The little sprinkle of romance amongst everything is adorable and I loved every second of it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Courtney Walsh for the digital ALC of The Summer of Yes. Tanya Eby and Cathi Colas on narration made the characters easy to decipher. I felt the emotion come through for both characters with the audiobook.

Do you like books with unlikely friendships? If so, this is the one for you! Kelsey Worthington and Georgina Tate meet through an unfortunate situation. They are placed in each others path and Kelsey makes it her mission to turn their summer into a summer of YES! Both women have worked hard at their careers, and need to take a break and experience a summer of living and not working. They escape the hustle and bustle of NYC, and find themselves in an unlikely place. The events that unfold will change both their lives.

This was my first book by Courtney Walsh, and it was simply delightful. Everything I could want in a summer read. It was a clean romance, light-hearted, and fun. I really enjoyed the dual point of view, and I love a grumpy character. I got just that in Georgina Tate! The Summer of Yes will expose you to love, forgiveness, and regret. If you love this one, Walsh has many other books out there, and they all have such charming book covers. I look forward to reading more from her!

This book was sweet and safe. While I don’t typically enjoy books such as this, I would 100% recommend it to most readers of contemporary romance.

I’m glad there were dual POV because while I didn’t care much for Kelsey’s side of things, Georgina was sassy and fun so having her POV to read from was nice.

Besides Georgina, the other thing I enjoyed was the overall message of this book: start saying yes to things that bring joy and substance to your life and start saying no to things that bog down your soul.

A light read with a lot of heart!

A touching story about regret, forgiveness, and learning to let go of inhibitions and say yes. I loved getting to know Georgina and Kelsey and the friendship they forged, as well as the romances they find along the way. It’s about changing your perspective and changing your life to be truer to yourself. Recommended for those who like second chances and life-affirming reads.