Isadora Bentley follows the rules. Isadora Bentley likes things just so. Isadora Bentley believes that happiness is something that flat-out doesn’t exist in her life—and never will.
As a university researcher, Isadora keeps to herself as much as possible. She avoids the students she’s supposed to befriend and mentor. She stays away from her neighbors and lives her own quiet, organized life in her own quiet, organized apartment. And she will never get involved in a romantic relationship again—especially with another academic. It will be just Isadora and her research. Forever.
But on her thirtieth birthday, Isadora does something completely out of character. The young woman who never does anything “on a whim” makes an impulse purchase of a magazine featuring a silly article detailing “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy”—which includes everything from smiling at strangers to exercising for endorphins to giving in to your chocolate cravings. Isadora decides to create her own secret research project—proving the writer of the ridiculous piece wrong.
As Isadora gets deeper into her research—and meets a handsome professor along the way—she’s stunned to discover that maybe, just maybe, she’s proving herself wrong. Perhaps there’s actually something to this happiness concept, and possibly there’s something to be said for loosening up and letting life take you somewhere . . . happy.
The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley is a fun and heartwarming contemporary romance. The story follows 30-year-old introvert Isadora, an academic researcher at a Chicago university, who sees a magazine article proclaiming “31 Ways to Be Happy (Today!)” and is determined to debunk the article. Isadora begins trying the article’s suggestions in the name of science, with the help of a new colleague assigned to help her, Dr. Cal Baxter. As Isadora is forced to open up to others, she begins to find her life changing, and a mutual attraction develops between Isadora and Cal.
The story is character-driven, and the main characters are rich and likable. Isadora is socially awkward with low self-esteem and has always felt like an outsider. She’s never been supported by her family, and she’s had some traumatizing experiences in her childhood that have stuck with her. Some of the flashback scenes are very memorable, and many readers will be able to relate to her experiences if they’ve had similar ones themselves. Despite all this, she’s not afraid to speak her mind—she has a witty and sarcastic tongue that makes for some very entertaining dialogue, especially when she converses with her boss and Cal. Because she was used and hurt in her last relationship, she became guarded with few friends and no romantic relationship.
Once Isadora begins to try some of the things mentioned in the article, she is surprised to meet like-minded people and starts to find joy in new experiences. The supporting characters that Isadora meets on her journey are all interesting with compelling backstories. The most notable is Marty, the widowed father-like figure who confides in Isadora over his loss and heartache. In return, Isadora opens herself up and confides in him about her past hurts and the experiment she’s running. Their heartfelt conversations provide an additional layer of depth and warmth to the story, and their friendship is quite special. By the end of the story, the found family trope is strongly pronounced, and Isadora’s life is largely transformed!
Although there is a sweet and engaging romance in this book, it’s not the main focus of this story. Instead, this is a women’s story of self-discovery, learning self-worth, breaking unhealthy patterns, and finding forgiveness and letting go—a beautiful adult coming-of-age tale that will have readers smiling throughout and feeling inspired by the end!
Overall, The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley is more than just a feel-good romance—it’s a story about vulnerability, the beauty of being seen, and the power of taking risks with your heart. Fans of authors like Emily Henry or Katherine Center, or those who enjoy uplifting character-driven romcoms with depth and emotional intensity, will love this book!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of The Happy Life Of Isadora Bentley is a heartwarming and engaging listen narrated by the immensely Jorjeana Marie! From the very first chapter, Marie brings Isadora Bentley vividly to life, with all her quirks, insecurities, logical reasoning, and overactive thinking—you’ll have a smile on your face right away! Marie breathes life into every character of the story, making the audiobook feel like a romcom movie in your mind. Her narration of the dialogue between Isadora and Cal is perfect, with just the right balance of sarcasm, witty banter, and seriousness to make their chemistry palpable and connection believable.
From Isadora’s anger towards her ex-boyfriend to her fun yoga adventures with new friends to her heartfelt conversations with widower Marty, Marie delivers an impressive variety of emotions and vocal range that makes her performance very enjoyable! By the end of the audiobook, you’ll feel like you’ve gone on a journey of self-discovery with Isadora and will feel uplifted! Marie also provides distinct voices for the characters, including some very realistic voices for the male characters, giving the book more of a “multi-cast” feel to it and enhancing the listening experience.
Overall, the author’s engaging and relatable writing coupled with Marie’s entertaining narration will keep listeners fully captivated throughout the 10-hour runtime. Readers who enjoy heartwarming modern romance, character-driven stories of self-discovery, and animated, lovable characters will love this audiobook!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of The Happy Life Of Isadora Bentley is a heartwarming and engaging listen narrated by the immensely Jorjeana Marie! From the very first chapter, Marie brings Isadora Bentley vividly to life, with all her quirks, insecurities, logical reasoning, and overactive thinking—you’ll have a smile on your face right away! Marie breathes life into every character of the story, making the audiobook feel like a romcom movie in your mind. Her narration of the dialogue between Isadora and Cal is perfect, with just the right balance of sarcasm, witty banter, and seriousness to make their chemistry palpable and connection believable.
From Isadora’s anger towards her ex-boyfriend to her fun yoga adventures with new friends to her heartfelt conversations with widower Marty, Marie delivers an impressive variety of emotions and vocal range that makes her performance very enjoyable! By the end of the audiobook, you’ll feel like you’ve gone on a journey of self-discovery with Isadora and will feel uplifted! Marie also provides distinct voices for the characters, including some very realistic voices for the male characters, giving the book more of a “multi-cast” feel to it and enhancing the listening experience.
Overall, the author’s engaging and relatable writing coupled with Marie’s entertaining narration will keep listeners fully captivated throughout the 10-hour runtime. Readers who enjoy heartwarming modern romance, character-driven stories of self-discovery, and animated, lovable characters will love this audiobook!
The audiobook of The Happy Life Of Isadora Bentley is a heartwarming and engaging listen narrated by the immensely Jorjeana Marie! From the very first chapter, Marie brings Isadora Bentley vividly to life, with all her quirks, insecurities, logical reasoning, and overactive thinking—you’ll have a smile on your face right away! Marie breathes life into every character of the story, making the audiobook feel like a romcom movie in your mind. Her narration of the dialogue between Isadora and Cal is perfect, with just the right balance of sarcasm, witty banter, and seriousness to make their chemistry palpable and connection believable.
From Isadora’s anger towards her ex-boyfriend to her fun yoga adventures with new friends to her heartfelt conversations with widower Marty, Marie delivers an impressive variety of emotions and vocal range that makes her performance very enjoyable! By the end of the audiobook, you’ll feel like you’ve gone on a journey of self-discovery with Isadora and will feel uplifted! Marie also provides distinct voices for the characters, including some very realistic voices for the male characters, giving the book more of a “multi-cast” feel to it and enhancing the listening experience.
Overall, the author’s engaging and relatable writing coupled with Marie’s entertaining narration will keep listeners fully captivated throughout the 10-hour runtime. Readers who enjoy heartwarming modern romance, character-driven stories of self-discovery, and animated, lovable characters will love this audiobook!
