A heart-warming twist on answering the question, what would life look like if you could skip to the good part?
The story follows a 20-something woman who wishes she had a better life, with more funds, a better job and a roof that doesn't leak. At the end of another terrible date, walking home in the rain with shoes that are falling apart, Lucy finds herself at a newsstand, with the opportunity to make a wish. She thinks nothing of the phrase "Your wish has been granted" until she wakes up the next morning, 16 years in the future.
As she navigates her new reality, being a mom, a network TV executive, and married, Lucy can't help but think this is only temporary. But, is it?

I so enjoy books by Sophie Cousens! This one was one of them. :) So well written and a fun read!

Thank you NetGalley and Sophie Cousens!

I adore this book! I don't want to share too much because I think you should just dive in and see where the story takes you! It's funny, it's heartwarming, and it's a must read!

Immediate 5 stars! It was so good. So good i had to take my glasses off because i was crying so much because it's over.

It's books like this one that remind me why I love reading. It was so well-written, funny, and clever. The main character was flawed, but in an endearing way. She made mistakes, but not in an annoying way. Felix was an absolute star and I loved him. Sam was just perfect, loving, and kind.

I just really loved it and as someone who is 26, it's such a nice reminder that my life is good. It's so easy to want to skip ahead to the 'good parts' of life, but what I'm doing right now is good. It's not always easy or fun, but it's good because it's what's building the foundation for my future. And I'm so glad I have my family, friends, and husband along the way to build these memories with now.

The book has got me feeling so many things haha. But in a good way. Totally recommend!

**This book is out now!!**
I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

WOW! I was immediately sucked into this book from the first chapter. The author really grabbed my attention and didn't let it go throughout the story at all! I was fully invested and trying to find time to read so I could see what was going to happen next!

Is it really best to wish our lives away, hoping to skip all the bad just to get to the "good part"? Lucy unknowingly did just that when she stumbled upon a silly Wishing Machine in a tiny shop after an interesting night out. When she wakes up the next morning, she has no idea where she is and after looking in the mirror, she doesn't look the same! She eventually finds out that she is now 42 with a handsome husband, two sweet children, and her dream job. The problem? She doesn't remember anything from the last 16 years, which poses as a huge issue in her marriage, family, and job. Is it worth it to get to the good part in life if you can't remember what happened to get you there? If given the opportunity, will Lucy go back to her dingy, wet apartment with her less than impressive roommates? You'll have to read this book to find out!!

If you love books that take us through time and have a lot of emotion, this one is for you. Sophie Cousens had me laughing out loud and crying all throughout the story!

This book explores a question I feel as if we've all pondered at some point, especially when going through a hard time..."Can't I just skip to the good part of my life?" Because, truly, wouldn't life be better if we could skip the hard parts and get to the parts we've always dreamed of (good job, spouse, children, etc.)? The answer is just what Lucy gets to explore when she stumbles upon a magic wishing machine in the midst of the worst night of her life. Lucy quickly (and mostly jokingly) wishes to skip to the "good part" of her life and, shockingly, she wakes up to find that her wish has come true. Lucy has skipped 16 years into the future with no memory of those years and no idea how she's gotten here or how to get back. I thought this book was hilarious and heartwarming and such a wonderful reminder that no hardship lasts forever, you can find joy in the little things, and the hardships you experience will make the later joys so much more wonderful. I loved this book so much and appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing and advance copy to read and review.

This was a cute read! Very 13 going on 30, but with more of an adult experience. I read this in one day and would recommend.

This book had everything! It had humor, sadness, happiness, and most importantly, it had connection to its readers—in more ways than one.

The Good Part had, to me at least, has several underlining real life lessons and a sense of self acceptance. This story shows us that we shouldn’t rush life-even with all its complication and crappy things that are thrown our way; because life does that ALWAYS. Even with the hardships, the things one thinks will pass once you reach a certain age-a certain financial stability, or life long goal, there will always be something else than can be thrown your way. There will always be another chance to do something right or better. The Good Part shows us that we can still learn to live in the moment and that those moments go by fast. Sophie does an excellent job of showing us that we should appreciate and enjoy all the messy and wonderful things we have when we have them through her characters. But again, that is what I felt when I read this book.

Another reason why this book resonated with me was because it was just so REAL. Aside from having realistic characters, a real plot, real settings, it reminded of moments when I was younger, of where I am now, and where I could possibly be in the far, far, far future. This story has elements and these real life feelings that can draw anyone in. Whether they are just starting out in life, I’m their mid twenties, or even have a family and are settled down with a house and mortgage. We change and evolve. We don’t want the same things when we are at different ages. And that is okay. We are allowed to change and not feel guilty or bad about it. That right there, is something that was portrayed so well throughout Sophie Cousens story.

Overall, this book had everything! It had humor and it had grief. It had strong characters and soft realistic romance. The story had good movement to get you from beginning to end. It was my first Sophie book and I can’t wait to read more of her work!

Thank you Sophie Cousens for such a heartfelt story that connected with me in more ways than one! And thank you to @netgalley for allowing me this opportunity to read this HEARTWARMING piece of work before it officially came out on November 7, 2023!

This book was everything I love about Sophie Cousens and her writing; it had heart and wit and the perfect balance of sad and light-hearted moments.

26 years old and fed up with her life at the bottom of the television production ladder, dealing with disgusting men and living in a less than ideal flat-share Lucy Young stumbles upon an old wishing machine. Frustrated after a long day Lucy deposits coins into the old arcade novelty and wishes to be at the good part of her life where everything is sorted. Lucy then wakes up somewhere quite different in a beautiful home with a beautiful man and children she doesn’t recognize or remember.

Lucy has to balance things she’s never experienced including motherhood, marriage and being a successful executive in her career, all of which are new to Lucy and present their own unique challenges. She also learns of a few major life traumas and learns of them not being able to remember them causing further internal conflict.

The writing was sharp and emotionally provoking. If you’re a fan of women’s fiction I truly think you’ll really enjoy this book.

4 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank You to NetGalley and GP Putnam Sons for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book early and have been talking it up and asking opinions for it. I still don't know what I'd do in the situation, but really enjoyed the writing, storytelling, and thinking it brought on.

Lucy feels like she's stuck and getting nowhere. Going nowhere in her job, broke, can't afford a better apartment, meeting dead-end men. On a particularly bad day, she finds a wishing machine and wishes she can skip to the good part and wakes up the next day 16 years older with a husband, son, and dream. She's skipped to the good part with no memory of how she got there or how to either get back to the life she knows or not ruin the one she's in.

I'll admit I didn't like Lucy. She seemed shallow and whiny. Fast forward to the good parts and the decisions of returning to the past knowing you could change - and not get - the future, or stay in the present and have missed out on getting there.

I think this is my first Sophie Cousens' read, but I loved her handling of Lucy's husband and the things they're unable to talk about, the way we love and how the memories being us together. I loved Felix and his perception that this person was different from his real mom. And I loved Lucy's growth and understanding. While I wasn't sure I'd like the book and was slow to get into it, I'm definitely happy I got.to the good part.

Highly recommend as much for those or us in our 50s as those in their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond who are willing to look at what was, what is, and what can be and how we become who we are.

I loved this book! And honestly I’m shocked by that as I am usually not a fan of the time travel premise. It was still super unique and all the characters were super likable. I was unsure how I’d feel about the end, because even I was having a hard time deciding what the main character should do, but I thought the ending was perfect.

This one hit me right in the feels and had me feeling pretty emotional at times. I think we all can related to wanting to skip ahead to the “good part” at some point in our lives.

I highly highly recommend this beauty of a book and I strongly suggest going in blind, as well as avoiding reviews that give a little too many details prior to reading.

I can’t wait to gobble up whatever Cousens whips up next!

Charming, cutesie and just a pure joy to read! I honestly wasn’t expecting much from this book but I think I’ve found a new comfort read and author

4.5 stars!

I simply adored "The Good Part" by Sophie Cousens. I think this is my favorite book by her. It's like an even more magical "13 Going on 30" with a British sense of humor. This book tickled me from start to finish. I was invested in the life of Lucy, who is a down-on-her-luck late 20-something who hasn't quite found her place in the world yet. She wishes on a wishing machine and wakes up the next morning with a doting musician husband, two wonderful kids, and a rock-solid career that she loves... but is she happier in the future than she was in the past? Skipping out on over a decade of time means Lucy must now come to terms with being a parent, being stretched thin at work and losing sight of what really matters at her job, having an aging body, and not necessarily being as solid in her marriage as she thought she might be when she was a youthful 26-year-old. In cutting to "the good part" of her life, Lucy has to realize that her actions in trying to find happiness and solidity also come with a heavy price. I think Sophie Cousens is very good at creating these little worlds her readers can relish in while also teaching them a life lesson on the way. I was along for the ride every step of the journey. This is a delightful, hilarious, heartbreaking, deceptively heavy book that is one heck of a pleasant surprise. I laughed, I cried, and I hugged my dogs and my husband when it was over. I loved Lucy, I loved Sam (her husband), I loved her interactions with her friends and coworkers, I loved every part of this book. So good! Please read it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Cousens, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I just always enjoy Sophie Cousens' novels. I think she is a spectacular writer and The Good Part was so intriguing with this idea of waking up in your body, 20 years into the future. This novel made me think and feel things I'm not sure I've ever thought or felt. Another hit by Sophie Cousens. Cannot wait to read more from her.

Think movie "Big", 13 going on 30" and add some magic and you have this sweet story of love, family and what is important in life, including all the messy bits.

I love all of Cousens books, so I was so happy I got approved to review this book. It was such a fun read with relatable characters. You will definitely want to pick up this book, it is funny, sad and magical.

Lucy is twenty-six years old and tired of life of fetching coffee and going on horrible dates. One day she stumbles upon a wishing machine and with one in the slot she makes a wish to fast forward her life to the good part. The next morning, she wakes up to guy in her bed and kids. The handsome man is her husband, and the kids are her children, and she realizes she jumped into the future, and she is forty something. OMG!

Just when she starts to to embrace this new life, she starts to wonder if she can ever go back or does, she even want to?

Loved this story and so much fun to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for copy of this book for my honest review,

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam for this advanced copy!

What a delight! I had such a lovely time reading the story of Lucy who's a bit hard on her luck in work, love, and life at 26 years old. After a pretty terrible day and date, she pops into a bodega to shelter from rain and finds a wishing machine where she wishes to skip ahead to the "good part" of her life. She wakes up the next day, married, with 2 children, and an incredible job. I laughed out loud reading parts of this book especially her first day as a 42 year old and conversations with her son. There is romance in the book but so much more to Lucy's story of self-discovery, friendship, and enjoying life for the highs and lows that it brings. This is my favorite Sophie Cousens book yet!

This was fantastic. 👏

I tend to cringe pretty hard with time travelling books because the idea of being plucked out of one timeline and catapulted into another is horrifying to me. Add to it the idea of changing from your 20s to your 40s is just too much. (Of course, given my age, going back to my 20s would be simply awful. I'll take the wrinkles, the gray hairs, and the battle scars over being broke and completely untethered.) However, Sophie Cousens really created such a difficult choice for Lucy between these two incredibly significant phases of her life. I honestly don't know which I would have chosen. Life is hard in every phase and it never gets sorted out.

This is my first novel by Sophie Cousens and I really enjoyed her writing and her characters. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Special thanks to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam's Sons for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the eARC! What a delightful, heartwarming and humorous novel! I absolutely adored the premise, a woman wishes to “skip to the good part” of her life, aka skip over her challenging twenties and have her love life and career figured out. This novel is full of wit and humor while exploring what it means to build a life and how who we are impacts who we become while simultaneously driving home that it’s our relationships and trials that enhance our life and nothing is ever truly figured out. I particularly loved the children, and our main character’s relationship with her seemingly curmudgeonly neighbor. This is well worth the read!

This book is about an existential life leap and it was fun! It is just as charming as the previous Sophie Cousens books. The premise is brilliant. Lucy is finally living the life she dreamed of but she could not remember the last 16years. At all. She cannot remember how she met her husband, what she does at work, and the most challenging one, in my opinion, she doesn't know how to be a parent to her firecracker of a son Felix and her baby girl. The conversations between Lucy and Felix about her timetravel keeps the tone of the book light. Lucy has had great loses in those years she cannot remember but Sophie Cousens balances out the sad parts of Lucy's story with funny moments. Lucy's husband Sam is a great partner, patient and supportive. Noone can blame her for falling in love with him for the second time.