Courtney Walsh

“Sometimes dreams shift and change and grow, and changing along with them isn’t failing.”

All the love for Everything’s Coming Up Rosie! Courtney Walsh brilliantly delivers a beautiful love letter to the theater & acting in this heartfelt, inspirational romance. Having been on the stage a time or two, I eagerly devoured every page of this book. From all the plays & musical references, to the witty banter, ups & downs of putting on a show, & the sweet, slow burn, friends to more show more romance, I loved every moment.

Rosie Waterman’s dream is to make it big as an actor. She’s lived in New York, auditioned, & put herself out there, without much success. When she returns home after losing her job, she feels like everyone’s grown up, having babies, getting married, getting their dream job except her. After submitting several resumes, she lands a job in Wisconsin directing Cinderella for a recreational theater. Though it’s not her dream, it’s a theater job & she leaps. What she doesn’t realize is that the theater is in a retirement community & all the actors are senior citizens. But, Rosie decides to give it a go & it doesn’t hurt that there’s a handsome, young physical therapist on staff. As she interacts with these wise, delightful new friends, she learns dreams can be reimagined.

I absolutely adored this book! Rosie’s & Booker’s romance was so achingly beautiful. I loved the sizzling attraction between them, their witty banter, & Nonfiction Fridays. Then there’s all the endearing residents of Sunset Hills. I especially loved the gruff Arthur & the special connection he has with Rosie.

This book was such a delight & a favorite of this year. Rosie’s dream & the way she learned & grew will stay with me. I only wished I could have seen the Cinderella production for real. The author captured all those highs & lows of performing & leaving the deepest parts of yourself on stage. It’s a not to miss read especially for anyone who loves the theater.

The audiobook was fantastic! I loved the narrator & the way she voiced all these endearing characters. She put just the right amount of emotion into her performance & it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Highly recommend to inspirational romance fans! I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. My opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily. show less

“Live like it matters.”

I absolutely loved My Merry Mistake! Picking up a Courtney Walsh book is like eating a warm, delicious chocolate chip cookie. It just makes you feel so good! This delightful reverse grumpy sunshine romcom is the perfect Christmas read with inspiring wisdom to slow down & enjoy life. Raya’s need to keep busy & remain firmly in control really struck a cord & I loved seeing her find the perfect man even though he’s her complete opposite.

Raya made a terrible show more mistake seven years ago which was witnessed by a handsome bartender. Hoping to forget that night forever, she’s shocked when years later he’s the host of a Halloween party she attends & on the same pro hockey team her sisters’ fiancées play for. The flirtatious Finn is absolutely off limits, even though there’s a strong attraction between them. Raya’s determined her next relationship will be more professional & not based on feelings. But, her plans all go awry when a medical emergency forces her to take a long needed break. With nothing to do & the Christmas holiday approaching, Finn shows up to chase away her boredom & give her new, exciting experiences. But, they can only be friends, right?

Though Finn Holbrook appears to be a carefree, go with the flow kind of guy, he’s learned the hard way to appreciate every moment. After tragically losing his brother as a young teen, he’s determined to live life to the fullest & be the professional hockey player his brother dreamed of becoming. Finn fell hard & fast for Raya seven years ago, & even though she dismisses him at every turn, he wants to show her there’s more to him than she supposes. But can he convince the independent, stubborn woman that sometimes it’s nice to lean on someone else for a change?

I absolutely adored Finn! He’s such a genuinely good guy. I loved his charitable work & all the things he does behind the scenes to help. His charming, flirty self completely endeared him to me & I kept cheering for Raya to give him a chance. Raya’s scared, & I loved seeing Finn break down her walls. In turn, Raya helps him with his anger over his brother’s death. It’s a sweet, heartwarming holiday romcom that’ll give you all the Christmas feels.

Highly recommend! Though part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone, but now I need to read the previous books. I received an advanced copy from the author, but also purchase a copy in Kindle Unlimited. All opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily. show less

Another amazing magical adventure in the Only Magic In the Building Series! I loved this enemies to friends to more, grumpy/sunshine romance. Courtney Walsh blends a touch of magical whimsy with humor & a tug on your heartstrings romance in The Cupid Chronicles.

Iris Ellington’s a talented art teacher longing for a new start & a place to belong. She tends to fall head over heels for the wrong men & determines next time, she’ll guard her heart. But, her new apartment building, The show more Serendipity has other plans. When a newspaper arrives on her doorstep belonging to the handsome chef down the hall, she decides to just deliver it. But, the grumpy, taciturn man leaves her fuming. When his newspapers keep arriving on her doorstep, she finds herself caught up in a magical adventure.

Matteo Morgan fell in love once & never wants to again. But, for the last three years the Serendipity’s mysterious newspaper likes to play Cupid & Matteo finds himself an unwitting matchmaker, fulfilling the paper’s wishes. When the newspaper starts involving his beautiful new neighbor Iris, he’s at risk of losing his heart again as they work together to make dreams come true.

I loved this story! Matteo is an amazing chef & I loved all the amazing dishes he makes. (So far, this series is designed to make me hungry!) The reason for his grumpiness is slowly teased out through the book & when you finally find out, it’s heartbreaking. Beneath his surly exterior, is a kindhearted softy who secretly enjoys serving others. I loved his restaurant family & the relationship they have. They openly welcome Iris & add so much to this sweet story.

Iris is such a fun bubbly character who can’t help her enthusiasm for her students & fulfilling the newspaper’s wishes. She has some deep hurts from her childhood & hesitates to give her heart to someone who won’t love her back. I love the way she blurts out her thoughts & finds such joy in helping others.

The whimsical magic was light & fun. Like the Serendipity itself, the newspaper has a personality all its own I loved the funny way it got these two opposites’ attention.

Highly recommended this book & the whole series! Can’t wait for the next book! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author but also purchased a copy through Kindle Unlimited. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided. show less

"Just because I wouldn't have chosen this outcome for my life doesn't mean my life can't become something beautiful."

Claire's first-person voice is powerful, emotional, raw, and thought-provoking. I think every woman in her 40s can relate to feeling like she's lost a piece of herself through the busy years and not quite sure who she is and what she wants. Her divorce was heart-breaking and it amazed me how Claire grew in the few months in Chicago to be able to see beyond the anger, hurt, and show more bitterness. Her self-awareness, loyalty, kindness, tender heart and ability to rediscover herself and dream again made her an unforgettable heroine. Miles was a sweetheart; he, too, had baggage from a divorce but discovered how to help others out of that pain. I savored their delightful banter and the laugh-out-loud moments in the book. I loved sampling Claire's baked goods with Miles. The secondary characters like Zoey, Ava, Minnie, Lennon and Lorraine were superb; I want friends and neighbors like them!

If you enjoy well-written, heart-warming women's fiction with a tasty side of romcom, this book is perfect for you. It should be in everyone's beach bag this summer.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own. show less