Book Review of
The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley

Lynn's Review

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh was published in 2023. 

I picked this up because I needed a light fun read. I had read multiple reviews on it saying that it was a good clean romance read. I even paid full price for the Kindle version which is something that I rarely do. 

This book was not what I expected, but I am so glad that I read it. 

Isadora is a university researcher who keeps to herself. She thinks it is better that way because then you can’t get hurt. 

On her thirtieth birthday though she takes a challenge called Thrity One Ways To Be Happy. She is out to prove the challenge wrong, instead, she learns something that she did not know. Happiness is a choice. 

I thought this was going to be a light fun read and for the most part, it was and I think for most people it will be. What I did not expect was that I would relate to Isadora so much. 

Several times reading this book I was in tears. I can’t relate to all of Isadora’s life, but some of the childhood loneliness and stories of mean kids are something I remember well.

I was that kid. I was the odd one. The one with very few friends. The unpopular one. 

Reading how mean kids can be brought back memories that I had not thought of in a long time. 

Thankfully now I have friends, but if I am honest, I still often don’t fit in. 

I don’t care if my clothes are trendy. I rarely wear make-up. I am a jeans and T-shirt girl. I hate large crowds. I would often rather stay home and read a book than be with friends. 

But like Isadora, I have learned that I need people. I need friends. I just need the right ones for me. Life is better with the community and people. 

But have to be a good friend if you want good friends. 

And happiness really is a choice. 

This book was a five-star read for me. It was a five-star clean fun romance read, great for summer. But it was also a five-star read because it was a good reminder of the importance of friends. Friendships take work, but they are worth it.