-Synopsis-

Life has a way of changing your path–and Claire Karadec certainly didn’t plan on a fork in the road in her forties. From New York Times bestselling author Courtney Walsh comes a witty, warm, and uplifting novel about second chances, found family, and the courage it takes to become yourself–perfect for fans of Annabel Monaghan and Sarah Adams.

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-

*Thank you to Courtney Walsh, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for offering up this book to readers (like myself) for honest reviews!*

To preface, Courtney Walsh has been recommended countless times for her low spice, contemporary romance books. I finally had the perfect opportunity to finally jump into one of her worlds when I saw Brighter Than Before available as an audiobook on NetGalley. Needless to say, she now takes up multiple spots on my TBR!

Brighter Than Before follows the perspective of Claire Karadec as she proceeds to take over the reigns of her life after her decades long marriage comes to a screeching halt. She tasks herself with discovering who she truly is, while figuring out who to share her new life with.

This is a great book for anybody who enjoys an honest and yet, picturesque story full of self discovery later on in life. I think this book is a great reminder that you are never too old to embark on the journey of rebranding yourself. This overarching theme is what I enjoyed most of this book.

The audiobook version read by Patti Murin was lovely to listen to. I thought she did a great job using different voices for the many characters and the emotions were coming off clearly and concisely. Regarding the text messages back and forth between Claire and Minnie, those parts were a bit difficult to listen to. The constant going from Claire to Minnie, Claire to Minnie was a bit grating but these conversations do not last too long. That being said, this was overall a lovely audiobook to sink 11 hours into.

Chicago, Illinois is the main backdrop of this book. While I am a country girl at heart, I enjoy experiencing the hustle and bustle of large cities through books like this. Outside of the apartment complex, we get to experience various venues including a food tour, a farmer’s market, trivia night at a bar, a gym hosting pickleball, and even a comic convention and amusement park. Courtney did a wonderful job at making the world feel busy with loads to do at any given moment. It was exciting to see what was next on the agenda.

As far as the characters are concerned, I struggled to connect with Claire the most. On multiple occasions, her behaviors were that associated with teens and young adults. Particularly with the ex husband and her assumptions she makes of Miles. While I can understand the pain and trauma she has been through, it was difficult to read about an older adult not thinking before they act. Needless to say, I was not the biggest fan of her at the beginning but she did grow on me as she does have noteworthy character development by the end.

Something else that I struggled with was how Claire did not put her foot down when it came to Minnie and Miles going behind her back and setting up all these blind dates for her. One of the bigger issues she had with her ex was how she did not feel free to discover things herself. Her husband was pretty much making decisions for her. Now she is allowing her daughter to discuss and commandeer her dating life with her neighbor she barely knows? It did not make a whole lot of sense to me but it did work out for the better since these dates gave Claire more confidence in herself. After all, this story was about her pushing herself way past her comfort zone which I did thoroughly enjoy and appreciate.

Miles is the attractive neighbor who lives in the same apartment complex as Claire. He was a funny and welcoming guy from the very beginning. Like Claire, he went through a rough previous relationship, to the point of making him uneager to enter into another one. He is a typical seemingly “perfect” male love interest that was completely supportive and willing to lend a helping hand anywhere it was needed. Due to his friendly personality, he is rather popular amongst most that meet him. It was enjoyable to see him still have such a positive spirit even after what happened to him.

The romance between Claire and Miles was slow paced, understandable and felt very realistic for an older couple. This is one of only a couple stories I have read with middle aged love interests so I enjoyed the change of perspective and life experience. There are some deeper yearning moments that made me anxious to read more and I thought they played into each other’s quirks very well. An overall very innocent and endearing couple for sure.

All in all, I am very glad I found Brighter Than Before. I am excited to explore more of Courtney’s books since she comes highly regarded and I can see why. This story just felt very real and honest, while not shying away from the darker elements of regret and heartbreak. If nothing else, this books teaches you to keep moving forward even when life feels like it is throwing everything at you.

Once again, thank you to Courtney Walsh, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for allowing us to pre-listen to this book before release!

-About the Author-

Courtney Walsh is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several low spice romance and contemporary women’s fiction novels. She is a Carol-award winner, Christy award finalist and seeker of happy endings.
More than anything, Courtney feels compelled to spread joy by writing light-hearted but poignant, character driven stories that provide a sweet, safe escape when life gets a little too heavy.
In addition to writing novels, she has written two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives in Illinois with her husband and three children, where she co-owns a performing arts studio and youth theatre with her business partner and best friend—her husband.