This was such a wonderful, happy, and feel-good book! I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the plot, but most of all the message. Rosie, the protagonist, goes through a journey of accidental self discovery, by giving things and people chances, and giving herself permission to realise her dreams, and find new ones. The supporting cast is just as charming, and the community vibe in the story adds so much comfort and joy, and there was romance there too. I loved it, and can't wait to explore more of the author's books!

This was just what I needed at the time that I read it! The book pulled me in very quickly with the FMCs quirky personality complete with theatre quips. It is an awesome book for anyone who has participated in theatre throughout their life.

I actually got curious when I saw a few lower starred ratings and needed to take a peek as it baffled me. After reading them I’m convinced we read different books?? Or maybe it is because I consumed the audiobook which gave a different impact? The first part of the book was a “page turner” or in audio terms, couldn’t press pause in order to eat dinner so you sat at the dining table with head phones on.

I thoroughly enjoyed the theatre references and the FMCs using showtune excerpts in appropriate settings. The FMC is a 29 year old who hasn’t achieved stability in her adult life, yet. It’s very reminiscent of many working theatrical actors who are doing everything they can to make ends meet and have as much of a connection to the theatre in NYC. Also the banter between her and the MMC is great!

My biggest criticism is that there was a bit of a lull as it slows down a bit. However, it does pick back up again for the last 25% of the book. There are a few plot things that I personally wish were in the book but that does not and never show impact a review or rating because for starters.. it’s not my book and secondly, it’s well written, thought out, and executed beautifully.

The book was narrated by Jorjeana Marie who did a fantastic job with her recitation. She really seemed to connect to the FMC and I loved all the voices and accents she voices for the other characters. She did it all with such ease that it made it easy to create the world in your mind.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

This title comes out on June 10, 2025 so get onto your TBR!
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Audiobook Review of Everything’s Coming Up Rosie

Jorjeana Marie does such a great job with the narration. She gives each character their own voice, and the way she adds emotion and little cues really brings the story to life.
The best word I can use to describe this book is cute. From the cover to the characters to the story itself, it’s full of charm and sweetness. That said, the pacing felt a little slow at times, and there were moments where I found myself waiting for something more to happen. Still, the characters were kind and likable, and the ending wrapped up in a really satisfying, heartwarming way. If you're in the mood for a clean, wholesome romance, this one's a lovely pick.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

*Contains an audiobook review.

This is a standalone, kisses only contemporary romcom.

The story we have here is of following your dreams and learning where those dreams can take us. The book has elements of women's fiction in it, but there are also themes of romance and friendship. I was more invested in the second half of the book when the action and romance seemed to pick up for me.

The cast of characters adds many humorous and sometimes poignant moments. I personally don't know a lot about acting and theater work, but I know that this author has that in her background. The connection she has really lends weight to the story. The reader can tell that the story comes from her heart and not from research.

I think that many will be able to relate to Rosie and the inner conflicts she deals with personally and professionally. She has many supportive people in her life, if she can only recognize that fact. Perhaps that's a big lesson for all of us to take to heart.

One thing that I appreciated was that the author's note was included in the audiobook. That is always a huge win for me as mainly an audiobook reader. I was a little disappointed that the acknowledgments were not included though.

The narrator did a nice job of reading the story. I personally think I would have enjoyed it more if this was the first book I had her narrate. She also read The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley, that Courtney Walsh also wrote. Even though it's been quite awhile since I had listened to that book, I definitely connected Rosie to Isadora in my mind because of the same narrator.

I did receive an advanced e-book and audiobook from Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio and Netgalley. I am happily leaving an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up

I am a huge fan of Courtney Walsh. I was so excited to get my first audiobook of hers! Everything’s Coming Up Rosie is absolutely adorable and charming. The story of Rosie and her adventures leading the theatre at the Senior Center was so enjoyable. The characters were all so entertaining, especially the love interest Booker. Highly recommend!

Jorjeana Marie does a great job narrating.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for an early copy. All opinions are my own.

Rosie has also dreamed of being an actress but instead has ended up jobless and homeless. She ends up getting offered a job as a director of a play outside of New York. She isn't aware that the play is actually set at a retirement home with senior citizens as actors. This is a sweet story with some funny moments tied throughout. The love interest was a nice subplot which could have benefited from being more flushed out.
The audiobook narrators voice was not quite what i was picturing when I thought of rosie and made ot difficult.yo get immersed in the story.

3.5 ⭐

A cute, quirky rom-com perfect for lovers musicals and the theater! The characters are endearing, the romance is sweet and supportive, and the journey to believing in yourself was heartwarming.

I love audiobooks but couldn't quite connect with the narrator but that didn't keep me from enjoying the book.

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 !!