The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh
My local library just added Hoopla to their ebooks offerings, so of course I had to check out what new books were available. It had been a while since I’d read romance, so I thought I’d give this a try.
Description
Isadora Bentley works best alone, but it doesn’t make for a great birthday party. She believes in data, not emotions, yet she can’t help feeling drawn to the junk food aisle and its seemingly magical ability to drown out loneliness. While avoiding small talk with the cashier, a tabloid article catches her attention: 31 Ways to Be Happy.
As if that’s rigorous science. Isadora sets out to prove the article wrong, but as she follows each step, she opens herself up to a whole new world of emotions—maybe even love.
Characters
As an academically minded introvert, I identified with Isadora a lot. Insecure, anxious, and above all, lonely, she could stand in for many millennials who are hitting the quarter- or mid-life crisis. Her overzealous internal monologue provides ample depth to her character, and her gradually opening herself to more human connection feels satisfying.
The other characters, though charming, are nowhere near realistic. Though the elderly Marty and the zany mom Darby captured my heart, they paint an unrealistic picture of human relationships. It might be every introvert’s dream to have friends pursue them with such benevolent persistence, but real relationships are two-way streets. Yes, opening yourself up to new experiences—and people—takes guts, but it isn’t enough. Isadora was simply too passive for these friendships to have really formed.
Don’t even get me started on the leading man. Like the men in most romances, Cal is disgustingly perfect. Even his big secret makes him look even more perfect.
Plot
More character-driven than plot-driven, the plot follows Isadora as she tackles the steps to happiness and confronts her past hurts. The book could have ended much sooner, but it didn’t drag on too long.
Writing Style
Walsh’s style is well-suited to her introspective and anxious character. She adds great details in Isadora’s internal monologue which allow the reader to see even simple daily tasks, like smiling, from a new perspective.
Conclusion
Overall, The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley is a charming romance with a protagonist who speaks to the growing trend of loneliness in modern society. The story details a heart-warming transformation from prickly loner to loyal friend. Though Isadora’s passivity and her overly perfect love interest annoyed me by the end, I still enjoyed reading it.
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The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley
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C.C. The Word Nerd 