The Summer of Yes is the first book I’ve read in a long time that I finished then immediately re-read (okay, so I started from around a third of the way through the second time, but still.)
The story starts in New York City, where assistant editor Kelsey has woken up in hospital two days after being hit by a car. She’s immediately worried that she’s missing an important meeting at work …
Her hospital roommate is Georgina Tate, a famous businesswoman and founder of a cosmetics empire.
The entire story is told in first person point of view–Kelsey’s story and Georgina’s story.
I found that a little confusing at first, because I missed the first time the story switched from Kelsey to Georgian (despite the big chapter heading). But once I got used to the two points of view, it wasn’t an issue.
The first part of the story had a women’s fiction feel, given Kelsey’s career revelation, the two female points of view, and the use of first person. The second half had more of a romance feel, thanks to the introduction of a single man who was simultaneously every Hallmark cliche and a unique and well-rounded character.
While the story isn’t overtly Christian (there are a handful of mentions of God), it’s an inspiring call to reconsider our priorities, and to not say “no” (or “yes”) to everything.
Recommended for contemporary Christian romance readers, especially those who can’t say no.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About the Author
Courtney Walsh is a novelist, theatre director, and playwright. She writes small town romance and women’s fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns with her husband. She is the author of thirteen novels. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist. Her novel Just Let Go won the Carol in 2019, and three of her novels have also been Christy-award finalists. A creative at heart, Courtney has also written three craft books and several musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children.
Find Courtney Walsh online at …
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About The Summer of Yes
Sometimes you’re so busy writing other people’s stories that you can 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.
Kelsey and Georgina couldn’t be more opposite. Kelsey’s a dreamer, a writer who questions her own skill. And Georgina is a confident businesswoman whose years of shouldering her way into boardrooms and making her voice heard have made her far too outspoken for the faint of heart.
But now, when Georgina’s failing kidneys force her to face some big regrets about the way she’s lived her life, the two women recognize they share a common thread. Maybe it’s time to confront a few things. They must ask themselves: What if I said yes to everything I’ve always said no to?
With Georgina as her companion, Kelsey soon finds herself doing things she’s never done before. Eating street food. Swimming in the ocean. Matchmaking for Georgina with the help of Georgina’s handsome son. And writing her own romance—both in book form and in real life.
So begins the Summer of Yes.
