The Summer of Yes

This sweet, slice-of-life romance from Walsh (The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley) kicks off when overworked associate book editor Kelsey Worthington is hit by a curb-hopping car and taken to the hospital, where she meets Georgina Tate, the formidable owner of Tate Cosmetics. Kelsey sees herself in Georgina, a fellow workaholic who’s isolated herself from the people she loves. After a day spent sharing a hospital room, she asks Georgina to consider whether her life choices were “worth it.” Georgina, whose failing kidneys force her to confront her mortality, is shaken. The women agree to spend the summer reversing their regrets, returning to opportunities they’ve said no to and this time saying yes. A road trip to North Carolina, where Georgina’s estranged husband and handsome adult son reside, reignites both women’s lust for life—and may lead to love. Walsh delivers just enough introspection to make her heroines’ journeys believable without slowing the pace. The romance, when it comes, is gentle and sincere rather than steamy. Readers looking for G-rated love stories will want to snap this up. Agent: Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary. (July)