This book centers around the journey of self-discovery steering away from the usual romantic tropes. This focus on self-love might leave some readers expecting a more traditional romance feeling somewhat underwhelmed. However, for those interested in narratives that explore personal growth and a little bit of magic, this book is for you.

Loved this book - it was very BIG but very relatable as a young woman & i remember feeling lost and like all my friends were ahead of me. It was a fun read & how hilarious she was with the kids. How her son knew she wasn't the same mommy. Great book, would recommend

Wow! This was an excellent book! The character development was superb- I really felt like these were real people who I could relate to. The story was perfectly paced and although I was rooting for a different ending, I was left satisfied with the conclusion. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and checking out the author’s backlist!

I have loved everything I’ve read by this author and this book is no exception!

Lucy is stuck in a seemingly dead-end job, sharing a flat with deadbeat flat mates and meeting deadbeat guys. When she stumbles upon a wishing machine, she wishes she could just fast forward to the point in her life whereas has it all figured out. The next she wakes up in a strange house, with a stranger sleeping beside her and two kids that need attention. As she looks at herself in the mirror, she’s startled to see that she’s aged 16 years!

As she desperately tries to not only get back to her own life but also not screw up the one she’s living now, she starts to wonder if she even really wants to return. Even though she’s missed 16 years of her life, she finds that her new life is pretty awesome too.

I’ve always been fascinated with movies that involve a time jump or time loop and this book did not disappoint! It’s a wonderful and emotional story!

This book definitely makes you think. This was a clever concept about would you just want to get to the good part of your life and miss the earlier years. I enjoyed it and I would like to read more by this author!

As soon as I saw the title of this book - I immediately had the TikTok sound “can we skip to the good part” playing in my head LOL. But honestly the reference isn’t far off because what if you could fast forward to the Good Part of your life?

Lucy Young is unhappy with her life and so sick of dating. She sick of catering to her boss, terrible dates with men on dating app and she’s done with her tiny apartment where the ceiling leaks. She stumbles upon a wishing machine and “wishes” to skip ahead in her life to the “good part.”

The author does a fantastic job job with the magical realism of this story. Lucy is a relatable character both in her present and future lives. The dual time line enhances the story and is done well. And watching Lucy learn how to navigate through her “good part” life was well written.

One of the most endearing parts is the time with Felix and Amy, her kids. Felix is an adorable, smart. Child and the relationship they share its so special.

My favorite part of this book was the time with her kids, Felix and Amy. I adored Felix’s character so much. He was a smart child, and I loved how intuitive he was. The moments where he showed affection towards Lucy were so sweet especially since he thought the aliens had taken his real mom! I highly recommend this one (and on audiobook) especially if you enjoy magical realism with some time travel elements.

Sophie Cousens is quickly becoming my new favorite British writer BFF who I want to take out for a pub night and gossip about poo culture. This book was a delightful take on old ‘90s classics like ‘Big’ and ‘13 Going on 30’ - except this was ‘quarterlife crisis vs midlife crisis’ - and I loved ever minute of it. If Felix doesn’t make you laugh and the depiction of Sam doesn’t make you think of Chris Helmsworth, seek another tale.

I have loved every book I've read by Sophie Cousens and this one might be my favorite! It's a such a beautiful take on life and the "grass is always greener" mentality. I've been recommending this to EVERYONE

Sophie Cousens always knows how to pull at the heartstrings! She knows how to write real life and that means all the facets of life. The love and happiness and the pain and sadness, all of it. Loved this!!!

This book was super fun and enjoyable! It was my first Sophie Cousens book and not my last. Definitely recommend if your just looking for a cute romance read!

What would you do if you suddenly woke up 16 years in the future? After making a wish to get to “the good part” of her life, Lucy wakes up one morning and realizes she is married, has 2 kids, and is 42. Last thing she remembers is being 26 after a crappy night and crappy date. She made a wish at a machine in a shop with a mysterious woman. Could this all be real? Did she really miss 16 years of her life, or does she just have amnesia like the doctor thinks? This is such a heartwarming story about life and love and what we would do if we really could skip the mundane, young years of life before we got to the “good” stuff. Lucy, Sam, her children, and her friends are a wonderful, likable cast of characters. This was a fun, thoughtful book to end the year with!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Sophie Cousins is fast approaching the top of my favorites list and this gem did not disappoint! I whole heartedly recommend especially if you like fun, laughter, love and a little bit of spice!

The book The Good Part was an enjoyable read. I would recommend any book written by Sophie Cousens. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

I have absolutely loved some of Sophie Cousens’ past novels, but “The Good Part” is one that I just liked. Perhaps it is because of the time travel aspect, which I don’t tend to love. There were the common humor parts that I typically find in Cousens’ books, which cause me to laugh out loud. There were some thoughtful moments about life and death and how relationships can shift, but this story failed to pop for me like some of her other works. Accordingly, this one is 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.

Ironically, I thought the beginning of this book was a little slow, but once I got to the “good part” I was fully hooked! Lucy’s adjustment to her life, 16 years in the future, was both heartwarming and hilarious. I really enjoyed seeing her relationship with her children and her husband develop. My only complaint is that while I loved the ending message, I wished we got a little more information in the epilogue. 4.5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Good Part
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Sophie Cousens

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Penguin Group and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Is living the life you’ve wished for really a dream come true?

Lucy Young is twenty-six and tired. Tired of fetching coffees for senior TV producers, sick of going on disastrous dates, and done with living in a damp flat with roommates who never buy toilet paper. After another disappointing date, Lucy stumbles upon a wishing machine. Pushing a coin into the slot, Lucy closes her eyes and wishes with all her might: Please, let me skip to the good part of my life.

When she wakes the next morning to a handsome man, a ring on her finger, a high-powered job, and two storybook-perfect children, Lucy can’t believe this is real—especially when she looks in the mirror, and staring back is her own forty-something face. Has she really skipped ahead like she’s always wanted, or has she simply forgotten a huge chunk of her life? As Lucy begins to embrace new relationships and the perks of maturity, she’ll have to ask herself: Can she go back to her previous life, and if so, can she stand to leave the good part behind?

My Thoughts: This is the perfect blend of women’s literary fiction and fantasy with romance sprinkled in. This has to be a contender for the top book in 2023. I enjoyed this one more than her last one. This was heartwarming, funny, entertaining, and just beautifully written. Lucy is tired of dating men with disastrous results, she is tired of being the gopher at work, she is stuck in a job she despises, all of her friends are moving on to great jobs and beautiful relationships, and she is tired of living with many roommates just to make ends meet. After the most recent dating disaster, she goes into a convenience store and runs across a “wishing machine.” Just as any person would do, she pushes the coin into the slot and wishes that she could skip to the good part of her life. Then poof when she wakes up, she has a lovely husband, two kids, and a successful career. Her son, Felix, believes that his mother has been abducted by aliens and sent this replacement. Lucy has been propelled 16 years in the future with no memories of how she got here. Will she continue to live as an imposter? Or will she find a way back to her old life?

The story is narrated by Lucy Young in a third person POV. Lucy is independent, intelligent, and has a vigor for life. I love how the love story between Lucy and Sam is told in reverse. Then there is the supporting character, Felix, her son. He was probably my favorite character in his attempts to get Lucy to this “wishing machine” aka alien ship to get his “mother” back. I loved how the relationship blossomed between them. The characters were well developed, with depth, witty banter, emotion, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, funny, thought-provoking, heartwarming, engaging, a touch of melancholy, and beautiful. The characters were built up throughout the story, the plot was explored gloriously, pacing and flow were perfect. and the ending wrapped up things nicely. The only thing I would have like to seen more of is the relationship between Sam and Lucy and the ending a bit more expanded, it did feel a little rushed.

This is more of a contemporary literary read with some romance sprinkled in, so no spice. This book really touched my heart. It produced a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, and I hoped along with Lucy. I really enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover. This would be the perfect book for a book club chat. If you loved Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella, or The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk, this would right up your alley. As a warning, this book will produce spontaneous laughing out loud while reading this beautifully masterpiece. I highly recommend this book!

Sophie Cousens is my favorite author and even though this is her first Fantasy novel, she didn’t disappoint at all! As usual I could follow the story easily and got to know the characters very well. Lucy is a perfect heroine and also her son adds a funny part to the story. Also the idea of the book is awesome, who wouldn’t want to have a peak into one‘s future? However this book reveals the difficulties it can bring.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the read and can highly recommend it!

🧡 The Good Part 🧡

“We chat for awhile about nothing of consequence, which is everything to me.”

What would you do if you could skip to the good part? That’s what Lucy wishes for. Down in a rut, she wants to skip to the “good part” where she is settled and successful. Lucy wakes up the next day, 16 years older with a husband, two kids, a job and a life she doesn’t remember.

A heartfelt exploration about what defines the “good parts”, finding the small joys and soaking in both the ups and the downs. I loved Lucy’s journey and how she took back her life. I absolutely loved this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for this ARC!

Sophie Cousens never fails to write charming characters. I love her ability to sweep me away into the story. The Good Part is not my favorite of hers (that would be This Time Next Year) but I’ll continue to pick up her books!

Thank you so much to Putnam Books and Netgalley for a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you could skip ahead in your lifetime, would you?

Endearing is my best word to describe this book. Wish I could hug my 26 year old self.