Lucy Young is twenty-six years old and stuck in what is starting to seem like a dead end job. She is tired of everything and wants to get to the good part of her life. Enter a bad night, a wish machine and an eccentric old woman and Lucy wakes up sixteen years later in the ‘good part’ of her life. Waking up with an amazing husband, two kids and her dream job, Lucy is disoriented as can be. Has she time traveled or simply forgotten the last sixteen years? As she muddled her way through her new situation, Lucy learns about herself and life, giving her a whole new perspective. The big question is, will Lucy he able to go back to the life she knows or is she stuck in the future with no way back?

I was hooked from the moment I read the description of this book! This was one of those books that I found impossible to put down. I was so invested in Lucy’s story, past and present, that it was so easy to lose myself in it. The characters in this are amazing and the writing is captivating. I loved the dynamics between Lucy and her family. Seeing her fall in love all over again with her husband and kids was heart melting. I think we all wonder what it would be like to see our future selves at some point in our lives and this author did an amazing job of protesting how that happened for Lucy. This book also has the great message that nothing is ever going to be perfect in life, even that good part of life is a chaotic mess most of the time, but that’s what makes it worth it. I definitely recommend reading this book! It will get you thinking and pull you in all at the same time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I always love a Sophie Cousens book so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I really related to Lucy -- I too daydream about skipping to the good part -- so I really enjoyed this read. I laughed and cried and really understood her journey.

Sophie Cousen's The Good Part is beautifully written, emotionally evocative read much like every book by this author. The premise follows Lucy, a woman in her mid-twenties who is struggling with certain parts of her life (bad dates, leaky roofs), so in an attempt to skip to the good part, she makes a wish on a Wishing Machine and is thrust into the life of her future self, something that comes with it's own set of struggles.

The book focuses on how Lucy navigates sudden marriage, motherhood, and a huge break in her career, all while trying to reconcile the person she was with the person she is in her new life. Lucy's journey is a wonder to follow and each side character adds to the richness of the story. An amazing read that I would highly recommend to any reader of fiction, particularly those who enjoy women-centered stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

As always Sophie Cousens books alway leave you thinking and this one is like no other.

This books helps you to think about how to enjoy minute of your life and make the most of everything.
I highly recommend this book.

I could not put this book away even if someone tried to pry it off my hands. If you enjoy reading books that don’t feel like you’re reading, this is it. The time travel arc is so good. The characters, Felix is a page stealer love him I don’t want to give spoilers, but if you’ve watched Back to the future part 1 and enjoyed it then this book is for you.

THE GOOD PART - SOPHIE COUSENS

4⭐

PLOT -Lucy Young is 26 and tired and fed up at work , with her housemates at her shared apartment and even her life. After yet another disastrous date Lucy Stumbles upon a wishing machine and closes her eyes and wishes of she could skip to the good part of her life
She wakes up to find herself in a house next to her husband, 2 beautiful children and a high powered job. Can she go back to her previous life leaving behind the good part?

MY THOUGHTS -
13 going to 30 movie by Jennifer Garner was one of my favourites growing up and The Good part reminded me of it and so much more. It was a quick and delightful read and I esp enjoyed the relationship between Lucy and Felix. Felix for me was the star of the book. If I would have been in Lucy's place I would have done it differently but I get u the author did otherwise and her justification for the same. Still I absolutely devoured the book.
Fans of 13 going to 30 check this out!

Lucy Young wakes up decades into her future after making a wish to “skip to the good part” of her life. While she appears to have everything she could have ever wanted, one important person from her past is missing.

The Good Part is a contemporary, stand-alone novel. While there is a time travel aspect, Lucy’s journey (both romantic and personal) is the main focus.

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions. The Good Part is a unique twist on a “careful what you wish for” trope. The ending is so bittersweet. The author really could have gone either way with the story and I’m satisfied with the direction she went. Her usage of time is an ever present theme in all of her novels.

I am consistently impressed with Sophie Cousens’ work and I look forward to reading whatever she writes next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)!

Oh wow did I ADORE this one!

I have been a big Sophie Cousens fan for a while and was thrilled to get an Advanced Copy of her latest book. The Good Part hits bookshelves next Tues, Nov 7. Big thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Publishers for this early copy to read and review.

This is a beautiful, whimsical story of wanting to get to the good part of life - where we have it all figured out.

Lucy is a mid-20s gal trying to figure it out - her career, dating, balancing her friendships and just trying to make ends meet. And she feels like she isn't doing any of it well, and she is TIRED. Talk about relatable.

After one particularly rough night during which she fights with her best friend, realizes she doesn't have enough money for a taxi home, ends up on a terrible date, and with a dead phone, she finds a wishing machine. Thinking it can't possibly be real, she wishes that she could just get on with her life and get to the good part.

When she wakes up the next morning she is beyond confused - she's in a beautiful home in the suburbs, with two kids calling her Mummy and a very. handsome husband. She slowly tries to piece together this new life.

Books with fantasy elements like this don't always work for me - but this one NAILED it. I was captivated by Lucy and her journey. I wasn't sure where it was going, and honestly wasn't even sure how I wanted it all to end. I just loved it.

Will post this review on Goodreads, retail sites, and my bookstagram @scottonreads.

This book made my heart hurt, in the best way possible. I loved being inside Lucy's brain, I loved seeing her wrestle with the fact that she missed out on her life but truly did wake up at the good part. It was a mix of Freaky Friday with the Time Traveler's Wife because Lucy didn't recognize herself and no one else did either. It was very interesting and I imagine challenging to write.

How do you write a main character that feels like a stranger to themself? It was insanely good.

I so enjoyed seeing Lucy develop a relationship with her son, Felix and reading how she truly grew to love the little boy even if she didn't remember him. Watching her fall in love with Sam was beautiful; it really was a love story in reverse which I think is so interesting and fun.

When you're reading from Lucy's perspective you are very wrapped up in the fact that she doesn't remember her life but then you're hit with the idea that her family doesn't realize that. To them, she is the same Lucy she was before she went to sleep, and now she's acting as if she doesn't know them. That must've been so difficult for them to grapple with but eventually everything fell into place.

As Lucy finds her footing in motherhood, in being a wife, and in her career (which is kind of what she always wanted), you start to root for her to stay where she is. But then the secrets start to unravel, the reason that Sam doesn't write music anymore, the mystery of Lucy's friends. That's where the message of not taking life for granted comes into play.

The hardships we experience, alongside the people we love, shape our lives and without those memories, you aren't the person you were meant to be. That message is so clearly underlined in every word of this novel and it really makes you think.

I think the 2nd half of the book, and especially the ending, was my favorite. The way everything came together (I don't want to give too much away) was so beautiful it made me cry.

If you liked books like In Five Years, One Night on the Island, and Meant to Be Mine, I think you will fall in love with The Good Part!

While I really enjoyed the premise of "The Good Part", I found the story itself to be a bit underwhelming.

As a mother in her late 30s with two younger children myself, Lucy was relatable as a mother and wife and friend. I felt like there were so many aspects of the story that could've been more developed (experiencing both losses, the relationship between her & her husband, the landlord's metamorphosis) and it all seemed disconnected at the end.

The machine, the reasoning behind why she could go back but not maintain her life, how it all tied up with a bow in the end - it didn't track well, even for being considered "magical realism". The genre of "rom com" is certainly not what I would label this story - as it had almost no comedy and minimal romance. I think Contemporary Fiction with a bit of Far Fetch would be more appropriate.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Lucy is 26 years old and is tired of struggling through like and just wants to skip to the good part of her life.
To her surprise her wish comes true when after a really horrible day she stumbles upon a wish machine in a run down store.
When she wakes up next morning, her life has fastforwarded to 16 years and everything has changed. How she copes with everything is very entertaining to read.

I enjoyed reading this one. Thank you @putnambooks and @netgalley for the eARC.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Penguin Random House; Putnam & Sons. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Women's Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism
Spice Level: High (but they are married since she's jumped to the good part)
Representation: Side characters as lesbians and BIPOC.

I love the premise of THE GOOD PART. There are moments that made me laugh too. And I adored Lucy's sweet husband. (Very cinnamon roll sexy—practically perfect because he has to be for the book to work.) I feel like it leans more toward women's fiction because the core of the story is about her personal development and journey. It reminds me of BIG, the old movie with Tom Hanks.

Even though there were great moments, I had a hard time getting through the middle. I think because our main character was depressed, it transferred to me. I wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and enjoy this wonderful part of her life, but how could she when she didn't remember all the experiences that got her there? you can see how it's a bit of a catch 22. Here's an example of great things in this book: *Tiny spoiler: When her husband tells their kid, "Don't call your mom an alien." I could totally see him struggling. It's tender sweet with some bitter in it too because she doesn't fit in their lives.* END OF SPOILER.

There are definite romantic elements in this book, but I'm hard pressed to call it a straight-up romance. I'm looking forward to see what other people think on this matter.

By the end, I was on the fence if I wanted her to go back to being 26ish or just stay in her good life in her forties. And I'm not going to tell you how it ends.

Happy reading!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Putnam for this advance copy of The Good Part in exchange for my honest review. This new work from Sophie Cousens is out 11/7/23, next week!

I love these contemporary works that have a bit of magical realism where the main character travels through time and has a conundrum of staying in her old life or staying in her future life. I’m a mom, and when Lucy finds herself as a mom of toddlers with no memory, this one absolutely hit close to home, as it’s my everyday life. This one was so fast to read and might be one of my favorite Cousens works yet. It wrapped up a little bit too quickly for me, this is one instance when I wanted an epilogue a few years later!

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. The Good Part is available next week 11/7/23 to pick up!

After coming across a wishing machine, Lucy Young wishes to skip to the good part in life. However, when her wish takes her 16 years ahead into the future, Lucy has to decide if this life is worth staying in.

Sophie made the writing relatable to anyone who lived through their 20s, impactful with the life lessons, humorous with all the family shenanigans and still equal parts emotional. The book falls flat in some areas after she moves forward. However, the way the story started to come together at the end made the read worth it! I loved how Lucy got to fall in love with husband all over again and learn not only how to be a mother to two amazing kid but also how to be confident at her job.

Read if you like:
-Time travel
-Self-discovery
-13 Going on 30

Thank you Putnam for the ARC!

This was just okay for me . . . it felt a bit too derivative of movies like Big and, given it was supposed to be set 16 years in the future, I don't feel like it was well intentioned in trying to accurately describe the future. I just found the MC a bit over the top as well. It had some sweet moments but I just found myself wanting it to end despite liking other works by this author. I'm sure it will be brilliant for others, just not me. Hope you have better luck!

The Good Part comes out next week on November 7, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.

I wish ... I wish I could skip to the good part, where my life is sorted. I'm so tired of being broke and single and stuck. I wish I could fast-forward to when I know what I'm doing, when I have some semblance of a career, when I've met my person and I don't need to go on any more soul-crushing dates. I just want to live somewhere nice, with a sturdy ceiling and a shower with no bones in it. If the love of my life is out there, I want to get to the part that he's in. I just want to get to the good part of my life.

Amazing. Incredible. No notes. Just ordered my physical copy from Aardvark. Thank you SO MUCH for this ARC!! Perfect blend of magic/whimsy with contemporary romance — plus Cousens’s signature dose of comedy. Such an enjoyable lighthearted read. Highly recommend!!

This book gave me all the 13 going on 30 vibes and I loved it! I laughed and cried and smiled a lot while reading it. There is a great cast of characters and it’s not common for a kid to be my favorite character but Felix really stole my heart. Lots of laugh out loud moments with him.
I loved seeing the romantic relationship between Sam and Lucy bloom in reverse and the genuine moments they shared.
If you liked the “time travel” storyline or just want a funny and heartwarming story with all the feels, pick this one up, you won’t be disappointed!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review.

This book was so damn cute. I loved that it was a spin on the movies Big and 13 Going on 30- which are 2 of my faves. It was SO funny, like laugh out loud funny. Every character was well written and quirky and made Lucy’s jump from age 26 to 42 more believable. The journey she ends up going on to get back to age 26 is both beautiful and heartbreaking. And her relationship with her best friends had me tearing up, so get your tissues. So glad I was able to read an arc of this book!

3.5 rounded up. The Good Part was such a fun, quick read. Lucy was a bit insufferable at times, but she had more good than bad moments. This time traveling rom-com had twists and turns and towards the end had me wondering what was going to happen. Overall, cute book that I recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel. As someone who is 26 and currently in the middle of several life events, I can really appreciate the lesson this novel is trying to teach. The main character is spunky and delightful, as well as the supporting cast being very fleshed out. Although I didn't quite agree with the main character's decision at the end of the novel, I can see why she chose what she did. I would love to read more novels by Sophie Cousens in the future, her voice was very prominent in the novel and so, so fun too!