Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Fiction + Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Courtney Walsh
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: June 13th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s out to prove that there’s no such thing as choosing happiness.

Isadora Bentley follows the rules. Isadora Bentley likes things just so. Isadora Bentley believes that happiness is something that flat-out doesn’t exist in her life—and never will.

As a university researcher, Isadora keeps to herself as much as possible. She avoids the students she’s supposed to befriend and mentor. She stays away from her neighbors and lives her own quiet, organized life in her own quiet, organized apartment. And she will never get involved in a romantic relationship again—especially with another academic. It will be just Isadora and her research. Forever.

But on her thirtieth birthday, Isadora does something completely out of character. The young woman who never does anything “on a whim” makes an impulse purchase of a magazine featuring a silly article detailing “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy”—which includes everything from smiling at strangers to exercising for endorphins to giving in to your chocolate cravings. Isadora decides to create her own secret research project—proving the writer of the ridiculous piece wrong.

As Isadora gets deeper into her research—and meets a handsome professor along the way—she’s stunned to discover that maybe, just maybe, she’s proving herself wrong. Perhaps there’s actually something to this happiness concept, and possibly there’s something to be said for loosening up and letting life take you somewhere . . . happy.

Thank you LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

HIT ME IN THE FEELS.

I wasn’t expecting this book to hit on so many personal things in my own soul. As someone who’s always struggled to connect and make lasting friendships, I could not get enough of Isadora’s journey and loved seeing her grow and struggle and ultimately find the happiness she had been searching for.

It’s not heavy on the romance, but it is there, and it is SWEET. I adored the relationship and even with the third act break-up, it worked. I loved all of the sweet, soft moments and how they learned to be there for each other.

And I LOVED all of Isadora’s new friends, young and old. It was absolutely heart-warming and made me misty eyed over and over again.

The audiobook was stellar and I’m so grateful I got to listen to that option.

Overall audience notes:

• Contemporary Fiction + Romance
• Language: none
• Romance: kisses
• Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of loss of a loved one (side character), an emotionally manipulative/gaslighting ex, strained parental relationship

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