Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
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Synopsis:
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 takes a step of faith, puts her old life in the rearview mirror, and leases an apartment in Chicago, the city that has always had her heart. This one step sends Claire on a journey of self-discovery, giving her the courage to conquer her fears, one checklist item at a time, and showing her that life can be a whole lot brighter than she imagined.
She 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.
Between late-night journaling, disastrous first dates, great big lessons and priceless small victories, 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?
As old expectations loosen their grip, Claire discovers that belonging isn't a place you're invited to--it's a life you build one brave choice at a time. And the sweetest things often show up when you finally get out of your own way.
Review:
Brighter than Before was a beautiful journey about discovering yourself and creating your own happily ever after. With a found family that was everything, a journey that will tug at your heart, and a romance that will make you smile and cry, this story had the perfect amount of joy and heartache. If you’re looking for a contemporary romance with older adult characters, I can’t recommend this one enough!
Claire was so flawed and relatable. She definitely made decisions that had me wanting to shake her or talk some sense into her in the beginning lol, but as we got to know her…..oh my heart did it all make sense. Her whole world exploded. She was on a new path to finding herself and her happiness. I loved her adventurous heart and I loved how brave and filled with hope she was. I was cheering her on every step of the way.
With her move to Chicago, there were so many changes surrounding Claire’s life. Her neighbors, new friends, and her daughter played such a prominent role in her life. And then there was Miles. His sarcastic humor and kind heart had me falling for him hard. He will always be one of my top favorite book boyfriends and I loved watching his friendship with Claire bloom. But I kept my fingers crossed for more!
The ending for Brighter than Before was so beautiful and seeing things come together for Claire made me cry all the happy tears. This was such a heartwarming and uplifting story! Even though it was filled with a fair share of struggle, all the hope was there. I loved watching Claire build her new family and work towards her happily ever after! This was such a huge win!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
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