Cannot properly express how much I loved this book/audio production. But I’ll try my best!

The writing was witty, engaging and so beautifully insightful. The cast of characters were relatable and endearing and I would happily read a spin off for each of them.
The friendships made my heart warm, and felt so real.
And Rosie, oh my goodness I love her and was so invested in that quirky, adorable weirdo. As a fellow theatre kid, this book flew straight into my soul and I barely had a break in listening.

The narrator with this story and character are a complete love match, she IS Rosie, and she gave the character all the personality from the page!

Yep, it’s an obvious rave review from me. This has been one of my favourite listens to date, for both story and narration.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. As always. (This book will be released June 10, 2025.)

Yes!!! Another win from Courtney Walsh. Another joyful and heartbreaking, relatable and imaginative jump into a story I want to live in again and again. Here are people with past hurts, present possibilities, future dreams, *fantastic senses of humor,* failures, successes, love, friendship, and general awesomeness.

Is what you’re doing what you dreamed of doing? Could it be fun? Is it time to let that dream get some updating or a twist? Rosie’s not sure.

She’s always dreamed of being an actor, but small (and I means small) jobs and life in New York don’t look like the success she thought it would eventually be. She’s not ready to admit to anyone the reality of where she is, because everyone else seems to be living amazing adult lives of success.

When offered a job at the *exact* moment she needs to assure her friends she’s fine, she grabs it and runs—straight into the most adorable and hilarious comedy of sweet successful errors and hope she didn’t know she could needed.

What I loved:

Courtney takes time to introduce her readers to her cast of characters. This is not a book two main characters and a shadowy round of supporting side characters. Nope.

This is a full blown cast of crotchety and lovely seniors, a teen who lives with her grandparents, and loyal friends—all with personalities, goals, drama, and heartache of their own. And everyone, I mean everyone, has something to say about Rosie’s love life, her past life, and what she can do with the job she’s accepted in their community. Some of those ideas are not so friendly others hilarious.

Community. People who love you. People who doubt you. People who are cheering for you. And the power inside you that everyone needs to make their world a better place—including you. These are elements of what I have loved about other Courtney Walsh books and what I love here.

The audio performance was so well done (same narrator as The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley). I was completely immersed in the cozy Sunset Hills setting. I mean, can I get a promotional pamphlet for this place? I think I want to prepay to live there when I retire.

.

I seriously love this book. I was in such a bad place mentally and this cheered me right up! I love all the pop culture and theater references and the story was so cute but also captivating.
On the audio aspect of things, I really enjoyed the narrator. She was entertaining and showed the right amount of emotion.
I would consider this a 5star rom com, but i tend to rate my books on an overall scale.
All in all, I loved this book and will definitely keep my eye out for things from the same author!

🎧3.75⭐️

Read if you love:
🎭Musical theatre
✨Quirky characters
💕Clean romance
🏡Retirement community
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found Family
☝️Single POV
🏘Small-town feel
🌸Blossoming friendships
😎Summer vibes

This was a sweet and heartwarming story! I loved the retirement community setting, quirky characters, and slow friends-to-more romance. Rosie has a sad (not overly tragic) backstory and struggles a lot with self-doubt, being a failure, and life not going in the direction she envisioned, something I think many readers will relate to.

I found the beginning of the story to be a bit slow and focused a little too much on Rosie’s insecure internal dialogue at times. At first, I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to like the direction of the story, but Courtney has a way of bringing the lighthearted, funny, make-you-smile moments with depth that I love, and this book was no exception. I will read anything she writes! This book definitely grew on me, and I ended up really enjoying it. I loved the author’s note at the end✨

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it! This is a great one to read/listen to this summer☀️

Content to consider: Parental abandonment (recounted), remembering death of a loved one, kissing and some mild innuendo, 1 H word, 1 Lord's name in vain, some sexual joking (not graphic)

Thank you, @thomasnelson and @netgalley, for a complimentary audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book was wholesome and sweet in all the best ways. The strong, supportive friend group felt like a warm hug, and the found family theme gave it so much heart. It’s a beautiful coming-of-age story with just the right touch of romance.

Out of all characters I especially loved Arthur—his character was so grumpy and sweet and I loved the friendship and his moments with Rosie near the end were tender and emotional, and honestly, they made me tear up. A comforting, feel-good read that stays with you. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishing and Zondervan Fiction Audio for my audio ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published June 10, 2025.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a cute rom-com with some funny lines. Themes include career expectations, chasing dreams, taking chances and unexpected friendships. A quick and easy read.

I enjoyed the narrator Jorjeana Marie.

You will especially enjoy the book if you are interested in acting or musical theater!

Everything’s Coming Up Rosie is a charming, heartfelt story about rediscovering yourself, chasing your passion, and the powerful bonds of friendship and love. Set against the vibrant backdrop of a community theater, the novel brings together a colorful and diverse cast of characters—from different generations and walks of life—united by a common goal: saving the theater they all hold dear.

What makes this book so special is the depth of its characters. Each one feels fully realized, with their own struggles, dreams, and transformations. As the story unfolds, we see these characters grow, not just individually, but together—facing personal and collective challenges that lead to beautiful, often unexpected, revelations about life and love.

The theme of finding purpose later in life is especially poignant, and it’s refreshing to see a story where characters of all ages are celebrated and given space to shine. The theater becomes more than just a setting; it’s a symbol of hope, creativity, and community.

The narrator of the audiobook version deserves special praise—bringing warmth, personality, and nuance to each role, making the experience even more immersive and enjoyable.

This book is heartwarming, inspiring, and often laugh-out-loud funny. It has all the makings of a great film, and I sincerely hope to see it adapted for the screen one day. Everything’s Coming Up Rosie is a delightful celebration of second chances, found family, and the magic of storytelling.

This was a cute journey into adulthood story. It was a bit slow in some parts but I really enjoyed the story that was being built. The entire retirement community left me smiling. I really enjoyed all of the dynamics. I was surprised by the choice Rosie made in the end but I think everything ended perfectly.

I also really enjoyed the narration!

Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas Nelson Audio for the ALC!

ALC Review - Releasing June 10, 2025

Everything's Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh
4 Stars

🎭When your Broadway dreams lead you to.....a retirement community? This is a story about losing it all and finding something even better. 💫

⭐Read This If You Love:⭐

🎭🎶🎬Books about Theatre & Music Production
💕💌🌸Clean Romance
🏡🧓🪴Retirement Community
🤗🏠🍲 Found Family
☀️🍉🕶️A Good Summer Read

Rosie's journey is funny, real and inspiring. We follow a heartwarming and humorous story where she rediscovers her purpose after her dreams have shifted. Rosie has been wanting to be on Broadway and continues to strike out on her big dreams as a working actor. She goes home and is offered a job as the director of a regional theatre production of Cinderella - the catch? The job is in Wisconsin, not New York. She goes to take this job and realizes the job she accepted is actually in a retirement community and the "actors" are actually senior citizens.

We see Rosie really experience growth here from as what starts as a detour becomes a journey of self-discovery, joy and surprises. She meets Booker, who is a cinnamon roll type guy that helps her work through her feelings. He also was very patient with her, which I appreciated. She struggles with so much that I find relatable and I think others will too. It just took me quite some time to get connected to her personally (a lot of internal dialogue that was hard to digest), so I would say around 40% I was more connected to the story.

The side Senior characters really made this story too, so iconic!

Overall, a good book that I think would be a fun, easy recommendation for a contemporary women's fiction with a little romance to read during the summer or on a beach trip! (Romance could have been a bit more developed, but still cute!)

Oh, and READ THE AUTHOR’S NOTE! Loved that.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for a copy of the audiobook and e-book to honestly listen to and read for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content: Clean romance, no language, a mention of "oh dear Lord in heaven" in a moment that would be considered shock, parent abandonment mentioned, mentions of death of a loved one, some inuendo jokes but nothing explicit. overall clean contemporary women's fiction.

Everything's Comping Up Rosie was everything that I was looking for when I requested this book. since I read it on audio, it was an wholesome experience. I loved the found family aspect of it. I truly enjoyed the romance as well.

The narrator and the pacing of the audiobook was perfect!

I wish I loved this! It seemed right up my alley, since I’m such a broadway and musical theatre fan. Overall, this was cute, but lacking in depth. The romance was lacklustre, I truly felt nothing between Rosie and the mmc. It was instalove, which isn’t my favourite, but every interaction between them was just fine, nothing that got my heart beating.

I found Rosie to be and acted extremely juvenile. I would believe it more if she was in her early 20s but she’s almost 30, and I found myself rolling my eyes at her attitude and “quirkiness.” A lot of references felt forced, because I’ve never seen musical theatre people act the way she does. I did enjoy her growth, and her interactions with the charismatic residents of the retirement home.

I also found the humour, and Rosie’s friend group, to be incredibly juvenile as well. It truly didn’t read like women in their late 20s. Arthur was the best character in the book, and I loved seeing his interactions and growth with Rosie.

I received an advance audio copy of this novel, and the narrator does a fantastic job!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I won't lie, I did not enjoy the first quarter of the book. I found Rosie insufferable and annoying, but as the story progressed I began to understand her a bit better. As a fellow theatre kid/adult, I understood this book on a visceral level. It's paced SO well and the concept is very cute. I enjoyed the retirement facility setting and the band of hilarious characters living and working there.

It's a great book to listen to when you're in need of something light and funny with low stakes. Jorjeana Marie read Everything's Coming Up Rosie SO well. The story flowed beautifully and her interpretations of the other characters didn't take me out of the story as they so often do.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5 ⭐️

I really just enjoyed this so much. The narration was really well done and I was kept engaged and into the story the entire time.

I think this is a story line that most people can relate to. Our FMC is really doubting herself and what she’s always wanted from life throughout the whole story. She is going through a rougher season and things really aren’t going her way and she feels like all her friends are moving forward but she’s staying the same or even moving backward.

I really loved all the side characters at her new job. IYKYK. I was laughing out loud at some of their wit but also really enjoyed how they each had their own impact on our FMC and her growth by the end of the book.

The Vibes You’ll Find:
-Found Family
-Girl Friend Group
-Grumpy / Sunshine
-Small Town Feel

I would definitely recommend this for a lighter, quick read.

This was such a cute, feel good story.
I had listened to audiobook version of it and I think it helped a lot. The narrator had a veru calming voice and I could do things around home withot it being distracting.
The book is perfect for a cozy evening or as a beach read, maybe even as a background story for doing work.
Nothing too dramatic.
The senior centre was such a lovely place for story to happen. So many great characters from there!
I feel similar to the main protagonist- she was very relatable. We all feel lost sometimes. And it's so hard to share how you feel with others, especially when you are struggling. I am glad she found some missing pieces. I hope I will, too.
Maybe I wish there was tiny bit more romance, but hey, not all books need it. This one was balanced well.
Prepare, that it's slow paced one. I didn't mind, though.
Overall it was nice, cozy, feel good book. Highly reccomend the audio version of it.

I am so glad I came across this book! Lately I have been encouraging a lot of my friends to get into reading. Many of them have agreed to give romance a shot with the stipulation that it is free of spice so I have been on the lookout for cute, clean romances that I can recommend. This is most definitely one I will be adding to my list of recommendations. Rosie’s personality was so quirky and funny. I will say, I had several minutes of secondhand embarrassment but that didn’t stop me from still laughing out loud at the sheer silliness of the scenes. The romance seemed to take a bit of a backseat in the storyline, I would have loved to see more of her and Booker’s love story but it’s ok because I appreciated the character development that took place with Rosie’s character. I also really enjoyed the theater aspect. I have yet to read a theater themed romance/contemporary read so I felt like that kept this fresh and new for me. I so thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to all of my friends looking for a clean romance.

I read this in tandem with the audio. I think Jorjeana was the perfect fit for Rosie’s voice although I don’t love her “male” voice.

Everything's Coming Up Rosie is a cute rom com about a dejected actress in NYC who accepts a job directing a musical at what she thinks is a regional theatre in Wisconsin, only to discover the production is at a retirement community and she is the sole member of the creative team. Rosie struggles with the fear of giving up her dreams and who better to give her life-affirming advice than a bunch of senior citizens? The requisite handsome physical therapist is thoughtful and kind while helping Rosie learn to be real in her personal life instead of constantly performing, and the grumpy old man who acts as her mentor is a sweet addition. At the start of the audiobook I did not love Rosie's frantic people-pleaser vibe, but the narrator did a great job of showing the character's growth via her delivery, transitioning from a clumsy theater nerd to a more self assured woman who is willing to put in the necessary emotional labor. The author thankfully avoids a predictable ending for an overall enjoyable, if not ground breaking, story.

This started off cheesy, but ended up being so cute, wholesome and relatable in so many ways.

This story was a lighthearted and fun read about a struggling actress in New York City, but the banter, layers of depth and the characters relatable emotional development and sharing her feats and perceived failures with her friends was so sweet! Definitely worth the read (or listen!) Thankyou Net Galley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ALC

Everything’s Coming Up Rosie follows struggling actress Rosie Waterman as she navigates a life in New York that is less than successful. The constant rejection is wearing on her just as she is heading home to see her friends and family. All of whom believe she is living her dream in New York City. Everyone else in her life seems to be checking boxes and living out their dreams, Rosie just…isn’t. When she receives a job offer for the summer in Door County Wisconsin to direct a production of Cinderella, Rosie eagerly accepts. Once she arrives it becomes clear that “skimming” the job description may not have been sufficient. She is directing a musical but it’s at a small theater in a retirement community and everyone auditioning will be residents….. meaning they are old. Initially, Rosie is horrified and convinced she cannot do what she was hired to do but as she starts to open herself up to this place and these people, something amazing takes place inside her. Sometimes we are so blinded by what we have always wanted and we just cannot see that it isn’t serving us anymore. That maybe it’s time to consider letting go… or at least reframing our narrative. Now the questions is, who is she holding on to this dream for? It doesn’t hurt that the very cute physical therapist living onsite is single…

Well if that wasn’t the cutest thing I have read in a good long while… the narrator was good and I enjoyed her voices and accents. The reading was a little slower than I prefer so I turned the speed up to 1.25 which was perfect. This book made me feel literally all the things. I truly cannot say enough good things about the story and the writing. I adored all of the quirky characters. And will hear nothing against any of them, ever.

I laughed out loud, I teared up, and a smiled so much it was actually I little absurd. Just an all-around sweet, feel-good story. If you are looking for all the cozy, fuzzy, happy feelings, this book is for you. I am now convinced that I must read everything else I can by this author as soon as humanly possible.

Huge thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for offering this audiobook for advanced review via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

“This is what’s holding you back, Rosie.”

There’s nothing better than reading a book with a very relatable main character. Rosie has big hopes and dreams, yet life has a way of creating hardships and detours on her way to achieving them, and admitting failure isn’t on her list of things to do. So…she pretends. Even with her closest friends. And in a moment of desperation, accepts a job for a Cinderella production without reading the fine lines and finds herself learning, stretching, growing, discovering her true self, and experiencing true friendship, trust, and love in the process. Who can relate to this?? I sure can and that made this insight all the sweeter.

Rosie’s character is so pliable and resilient. I adored her journey and admired her personality, but I especially loved watching her with this community. With all the feels of an incredible women’s fiction, mixed in with a gentle romance, and liberally sprinkled with the most magnificent group of friends, I devoured this story. Booker is a charming and winsome man who truly believes in Rosie and urges her, supports her, and cherishes her to fulfill her potential.

I loved everything about this book and it’s one I will ponder on frequently. The narrator is amazing and vividly portrayed this story. I loved her voice and presentation.

Content: mild romance

Everything’s NOT coming up rosie as our female main character realizes she’s stepped into a retirement community to host a version of Cinderella for…. ‘Old people’.
But wait what, Rosie cant do this, she’s an actor with a professional list of jobs under her belt.
Ok, maybe just some tv and some commercials but it WAS law and order, ok?!

But now she’s accepted a job as director in a retirement community that she doesn’t even remember applying for.

Cue: hot handyman. Also known as the physical therapist for the community. And the guy who seems to be able to keep up with the comebacks .

Rosie is in trouble. She has no interest in romance and she certainly doesn’t want to direct the “older thespians” in a play. But she can’t help thinking that the money pays too well and a certain side character may just turn into the main character of her life.

CUTEEEEEE.
Book cleanser
Easy read
Could be a YA romance but also for readers who like the curtains drawn on their 🌶️

Fav character: Arthur
Fav quote: “… I understand how being a part of something can change a person’s direction. It can change their life”

And yes, the narrator was perfect for this book