Sometimes what you think you want and what you actually want turn out to be different things…

Rosie Waterman has one to become a working actor. But lately, that hasn’t been working out. When she loses her apartment and her job on the same day, she does what she always does–puts herself out there, ready to find the next big thing. But a trip home makes her realize that while she’s been struggling to make this dream come true, all her friends have become real adults with careers and weddings and babies on the way. Rosie’s been at this for years, and she has nothing to show for it. But how does she simply let go of her dream?

When she’s offered a job as the director of a regional theatre’s production of Cinderella, she jumps at the chance–even though she’s only directed in college and the job is in Door County, Wisconsin, and not in New York. She has no other offers, and at least she’ll be getting paid to do something theatrical. But when she arrives, she quickly realizes that the “regional theatre” is actually in a retirement community, and the “actors” are actually senior citizens with no acting experience whatsoever.

Working on the show presents new challenges, forcing Rosie to learn how to step up and be the leader this fledgling theatre troupe needs. The more time she spends with her new cast, the more she begins to rethink what it means to dream big, especially when that big dream hasn’t turned out to be at all what she thought it would be. It’s not at all what she expected, but could it be exactly what she needs?

Courtney Walsh is one of my all-time favorite clean, closed-door romance authors. She is an auto-read author for me, and I genuinely love everything she writes. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed Jorjeana Marie’s narration. She brought the characters to life beautifully and made the story even more engaging. As always with Courtney Walsh’s books, readers can expect no language and no spice.

Going into this story, I’ll admit I was a little hesitant because I’m not really a theatre person, and I knew the heroine was an actress. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed that aspect of the book. I actually learned quite a bit about theatre productions, Broadway performers, and the behind-the-scenes realities of life on the stage. It added an interesting layer to the story without ever feeling overwhelming.

I absolutely loved Rosie. She was sweet, quirky, charming, and incredibly easy to root for. More than that, she felt very relatable. So many of her thoughts and emotions resonated with me. Rosie struggles with insecurity and has a tendency to make herself small rather than openly share how she’s feeling. While she courageously pursued her dream of becoming an actress, past disappointments have left her afraid of failure and reluctant to let others see her struggles. Watching her compare herself to family and friends who seem to have everything figured out was heartbreaking because it felt so realistic. Her journey toward believing in herself was one of my favorite parts of the story.

One of the biggest surprises was discovering that Rosie would be working with residents at a retirement community. I loved that twist. The side characters completely stole my heart. Each resident had their own unique personality, quirks, and wisdom that made them memorable. The found family element was especially strong in this story, and some of the retirement community residents truly elevated the book to another level. I loved getting to know them and watching the relationships develop.

Booker, the retirement community’s physical therapist, was such a wonderful love interest. He was the definition of a cinnamon-roll hero: kind, patient, supportive, and genuinely caring. I loved how he encouraged Rosie as she worked through her insecurities and never tried to push her beyond what she was ready for. Their relationship developed slowly and naturally, which I appreciated. It felt like a true friends-to-lovers romance, with a solid foundation of friendship before romantic feelings fully blossomed. Their banter was sweet, their chemistry was undeniable, and their relationship felt refreshingly mature. There was very little unnecessary drama or miscommunication, which was a nice change of pace.

That said, the romance definitely takes a backseat to Rosie’s personal growth. While this is marketed as a romance, it leans heavily into women’s fiction as well. I would have loved a little more focus on the romance, but honestly, I enjoyed Rosie’s journey so much that it didn’t bother me too much. Her story was inspiring, relatable, and full of meaningful messages about trusting yourself, letting go of fear, and understanding that dreams can evolve over time.

Since the story takes place during the summer, it makes a perfect warm-weather read. Even though much of it is set in a retirement community, it somehow gave me summer camp vibes, which I absolutely loved. There was a sense of community, fun, and personal discovery woven throughout the entire book.

It took me until about the 25% mark to become fully invested in the story and its characters, but once I was, I didn’t want to leave. This was a lighthearted, charming, uplifting, and inspiring read that left me smiling.

If you enjoy stories about theatre and acting, lovable elderly characters, found family, meaningful personal growth, and a couple that is easy to root for, I think you’ll really enjoy this book. It’s a heartwarming summer read filled with humor, hope, and plenty of charm. Definitely recommend!