[REVIEW: The Good Part by Sophie Cousens]

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sophie’s books are a such a warm hug/hot cup of tea/cozy bubble bath/fuzzy socks for the soul. And this one was no different!

While I’m not the biggest fantasy/magic realism reader, I was able to suspend disbelief and buy into our main character Lucy’s story. After running herself ragged as an errand girl for the TV producers at her dead end job, she stumbles upon a wishing machine in a convenient shop. She closes her eyes and as you guessed it…wishes to skip to the good part of her life.

When she wakes up the next morning as a 40-something, married mum of two she grapples with the weight of said wish. Can she lean into this life? Can she go back if she even wants to? Can she accept perfectly imperfect or will she try rolling the dice to change her life’s trajectory?

The ending didn’t *exactly* leave me swooning, but I appreciated that it wasn’t cookie cutter or predictable and will still highly recommend to the rom com lovers in my bookclub. All the strong lead female vibes! ✨

This book has been on my Netgalley for a bit and I haven’t picked it up. I haven’t been into romance in a minute, so I’m not the right person to review it anymore.

I love books by this author and for good reason! A fun story that was very engaging

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this review copy and the opportunity !

I loved this one! Cute and easy read but not just a love story! I feel like I’m at the point in my life the character was, so it really makes you think!!

Adorable! I wasn't sure how I would feel about the time loop, but I really enjoyed this one. Sophie Cousens is an auto read for me.

I have a some mixed feelings on this one. I'm right in the middle of the two age groups Lucy goes through in this novel, so I have an idea of what each side of her experience is like. I feel for her on the idea of working your butt off only to not be where you want, but also as a married mother in living the so called suburban hell I found myself rolling my eyes. I understand how the whole loss of sixteen years is incredibly disorientating, but it felt like she wasn't giving it a chance. Lucy had such a negative outlook on both sides of her amnesia. This book made it seem like electing to get married and have children is the end of the world, so much so i was questioning the point of the plot. I'm absolutely in support of those who don't want to get married and/or settle down, but Lucy's situation seemed to take it to the extreme. The only aspect that boosted this froma 2-star to 3-star for me was how I could relate to her younger self. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this advanced reader's edition. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give it the time required to write a thorough review and will be unable to read it for this purpose.

Lucy is tired of struggling. She wishes to skip all the worst parts and just go to the good part. I really liked the premise. And enjoyed watching Lucy in the "good part." I did take off half a stat because I'm not sure how I feel about the ending.

A "what if" premise if you could just skip all the trials and tribulations life throws at you to skip to the "good part." A cute read kept me guessing who it was going to end!

Loved, loved, loved. Highly recommend thisnfeel good story. Would recommend to others. Good good good

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens is an absolute gem. The mix of magic, reflection, and romance kept me hooked and I couldn't help but adore Lucy's character as she navigates this complex, altered life.

Sophie Cousens is an auto-buy author for me, and The Good Part solidified that. If you’re looking for a book that’s a perfect balance of charm, warmth, and deeper meaning, this is one you’ll love. I couldn’t put it down and I know I’ll revisit it again!

The Good Part is a novel about a twenty-six-year-old woman who wishes on an arcade machine to skip the part of her life where she’s broke, dating terrible men, and unappreciated at work—and go straight to the “good part.” But when she wakes up fifteen years later with a husband, two kids, and an important job in television, she realizes that the “good part” has its own challenges.

This is a thoughtful novel about embracing everything in life, both good and bad. Lucy thought that putting the hard part behind her was the key to happiness, but she discovers there is sweetness hidden within even the hardest times and that our past shapes us into who we are. I loved the beautiful love story between Lucy and her future husband and how much he adored her, despite the fact that she couldn’t remember the last fifteen years of their life together.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction with romance, family, friends, and a hint of magic.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC that I got awhile ago but didn't pick up until recently and wow! I am so glad I did!
First, I love me a good time traveling story...they are probably my favorite so that instantly gives it at least a star or 2. Second, I loved the character of Lucy so much...I can only imagine running through the rain in flats that fell apart! So many fun details that I identified w/ from my early 20's.
There were a few parts that reminded me of some of the movies I've seen but I really enjoyed how it all was tied together into it's own unique story. I especially liked the character of Felix and his friendship that blossomed later in the book. I need more of this family!! Would be a great movie.

Took me a while to get through this one, 5+ couch lounges. It’s classic sliding doors, liked the main character. It’s fade to black for those who like to leave stuff to the imagination. Dragged toward the end - wouldn’t recommend but didn’t regret it either.

When life is tough, we always want to get to the “good part” of life. But if that always happened, we’d miss out on the journey to the good part, which is arguably the best part.

I really enjoyed myself with this book. It was sweet reading how Lucy fell “back” in love with her husband. And her children, too.

I’m a sucker for these books by Sophie.

Sophie Cousens never disappoints! She takes an idea and delivers exactly what you want from it. Lucy was a character that I wanted everything for through the whole book and felt all the emotions for. She painted her love interest in the perfect light. Her other relationships were realistic and lovable. All in all this was an enjoyable book that I can’t wait to discuss with my book club.

Sophie Cousens has done it again - tugged at my heart strings and made me feel so deeply for characters to the point that I couldn’t put the book down! Excellent writing as always and such a unique concept.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Well this book was great... I thought it was just going to be a fluffy rom com and it ended up being so much more. I'm literally drying my tears as I write this review.

A 26 year old Lucy is feeling over it. All parts of her life are just not what she wants, she makes a wish when day and wakes up in her 40s with a family. This book is about love, loss, relationships, friendship...it just has everything. I was so moved and found myself rooting for Lucy and those around her by the end of the book.

I really fell in love with these characters and love that Sophie Cousens is so great at mixing fun with sadness and it never feels over the top in either direction.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been trying to read this book for over a year. I keep picking it up and never get far. I think it’s time to call it quits and DNF. I think this author is not for me