Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh

Hi friends!  I got home early Sunday morning after 17 days in Europe.  Since then I’ve basically been napping and going to bed early.  But, I’m desperately trying to get back into a groove.  Well, sort of.  I’ve always been someone who sees the good, can find joy in the simplest things, and wants to suck the marrow out life.  Being in Italy and living La Dolce Vita further reminded me to slow down, smile at people, be kind, eat good food, soak up the sunshine, treat my body well, do the things you love, etc. etc.  And you know what felt like all this?

BRIGHTER THAN BEFORE BY COURTNEY WALSH . . .

What you can expect:

-A main characters in her forties (love that!)

-Takes place in Chicago

-Online dating

-Second chance at life & love

-Finding yourself & taking risks

“What do you really want?”

-Fantastic secondary characters

-Neighbor, to friend, to lover

-You’ll be hungry for a trip to a bakery!

After a painfully public discovery shatters her marriage, along with her picture-perfect, country club life, Claire finds herself suddenly single and faced with a blank page for a future. On that page she writes a simple list that reads like equal parts dare and daydream--Move to a new city. Make a real friend. Get a job I love--and she vows to accomplish every single one.

Before she can talk herself out of it, she leases an apartment in Chicago—a city she’s always wanted to live in.  Rediscovers a love for baking, stumbles into new friendships, and even allows her daughter, Minnie, to create a dating profile and choose her dates for her. Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, is Miles, the charming, off-limits neighbor whose kindness makes it hard to remember why he's off-limits at all.

Claire learns to quiet the voice telling her she wasn't enough and listens to the one that asks the harder question . . . What do I really want?

Heartwarming, Hopeful. Full of joy.

Going on my favorites shelf, but then again all of Courtney’s books are!  I love these characters, I loved the journaling, and the notion of someone in their forties finding themselves again.  A must read!  Thank you @uplitreads @thomasnelsonbooks @netgalley for my gifted copy.  The audiobook is narrated by the lovely Patti Murin who is amazing! OUT NOW