I had not previously read anything by Sophie Cousens but I was immediately pulled in when I read the premise of The Good Part. This books is laugh out loud funny and so warm and lovely. Felix was too cute, and it was so fun seeing as he tried to help his mother find her way back to where she was meant to be. Also, Sam and Lucy's chemistry was fantastic and seeing their love story form in reverse such a fun way to see them grow into each other.
I've been in a bit of a book slump lately, and this delightful read pulled me right out of it. I will definitely going back and reading Sophie's other works.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons ofr providing me with an digital ARC of The Good Part in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I loved this book so, so much. Sophie Cousens can do no wrong for me. Her books always resonate with me. This one now ranks as my co-favorite of hers along with This Time Next Year.

Lucy is a struggling 26 year old with an unfulfilling job, a cringey love life, and an empty bank account. When she stumbles upon a wishing machine after a rough night, she makes a wish to skip to the good part of life. She wakes up married to a hottie with two cute kids and her dream job. But she quickly realizes life isn't perfect and that she doesn't want to miss all the things that created this life. Can she get back to her 26 year old self? Or is she stuck here forever?

There was just so much to love about this book. First, the message that life is never perfect. It will always have some hard parts, and there's no true "best years of your life". I loved watching Lucy discover this as she navigates this journey. I enjoyed how Lucy fell in love with her husband. It was such a unique way to tell a love story. Lucy's friends and family

This book is perfect for all of you 13 Going On 30 fans. It has a message that will resonate well with all ages. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam and Sons for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! Give me all the Sophie Cousens books! I love them! They are truly everything I want in a rom com. And this one might be my favorite. Lucy is at a low point in her life when she finds herself standing in front of a wishing machine. She wishes to "skip to skip to the good part.."

4.25/5 stars

I absolutely loved The Good Part! I devoured this in a day. Being a 23-year-old who feels like I don't have everything figured out (and wish I could skip to the part of life where I seem like I do), this book was perfect for me to read. I honestly found the time travel aspect to be intriguing and Lucy was definitely a relatable character and I liked watching her mature and grow throughout the novel. I would recommend this book to anyone in their twenties or thirties who needs a reminder that the best is yet to come!

I usually love a Sophie Cousens book, but I just couldn't get into this one. I am going to try and pick it back up later.
Thanks for the ARC!

The Good Part was the perfect read. I love magical realism and enjoyed this book so much! I’ve always been a fan of Sophie Cousens. The Good Part may be my favorites of her books! There were some heavy parts of this story that had me feeling very emotional, but also some light and humorous moments that had me feeling happy and laughing out loud. The Good Part is a great story and will charm anyone in my honest opinion!

Lucy is a struggling twenty-something living and working in London. She’s struggling to be taken seriously in her job at a TV station, she’s broke, and the flat she shares with three other people is less than ideal (i.e., it’s a dump). All she wants is to fast-forward to the good part of her life where she’s successful, married to the love of her life, and happy. After a particularly bad day followed by a particularly bad night, she comes upon a novelty wishing machine and wishes for just that. The following morning, she wakes up in an unfamiliar house, next to an unfamiliar man, in an unfamiliar life, and realizes that she’s skipped sixteen years of her life.

This was such a fun, heartwarming read, and I loved the characters in this book! Lucy was easy to identify/empathize with, and it was entertaining to watch her navigate through her “new” life. I also loved the character of Sam, Lucy’s husband, and her children Felix and Amy (Felix may have stolen the show in a few places). All the main characters were well developed and many of the secondary characters had interesting backstories that added to the entertainment value of this book.

Yes, this theme has been done in books and movies before (Big, 13 Going on 30), but I felt that this book was original in that it perfectly captured the feelings we all have of wanting to fast-forward through the difficult stages of our lives to get to the “good parts”, only to realize that the real “good parts” are all the experiences that led us to that point. I know I’ve done this – I couldn’t wait to get out of college to get a job and be on my own, and then I couldn’t wait to get married, buy a house, and start a family. Now that my “babies” are longer babies, I wish I could go back and relive some of those experiences which I probably wanted to skip over at the time.

In summary, I loved this book and gave it 5/5 stars. This may be my new favorite Sophie Cousens novel!
Thank you to Putnam Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC!

I honestly haven't loved a book this much in a while. I didn't have many expectations coming into it but it absolutely wowed me! Lucy was such a fun character, and I loved seeing her trying to navigate the life she always was meant to have. There was heartbreak, questions, so much love and so much laughter and I smiled the entire time I was reading

The Good Part was SO MUCH FUN! While it wasn’t anything super original (think Big, 13 Going On 30 etc) this was a super cute take on the premise of wishing you were in a different point in your life and then having it come true.

Lucy wishes to skip to “the good part” of her life when things aren’t so hard after a particularly hard day in her 20’s. She then wakes up 16 years in the future with everything she imagines makes up a good life.

This was just so cute and enjoyable to read. It was especially hilarious as a woman in her 40’s to read about Lucy looking at her newly 42 year old body after going to bed as a 26 year old. I found myself relating a lot to this book and things that happen in your 40’s. It was also really fun that the author put in some futuristic elements like drones that deliver your packages.

If you enjoy the premise of this book, it was done really well and I’d for sure recommend it! Thanks netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy has it rough — inconsiderate flatmates (I mean, stewing bones in the bathtub for broth??), water soaking her bed every time the upstairs neighbor takes a bath, a job that seems to be taking her backwards, and the only flatmate she does like is moving out.

Wouldn’t you want to skip to the part where life gets good?

“Be careful what you wish for; life is never quite sorted whatever stage you’re at.”

I had all the warm fuzzy feelings while reading this one — it’s an ode to friendship, falling in love, and discovering what really matters. Prepare your heart for more general fiction than straight up romance; I was definitely misty-eyed alongside Lucy as she dealt with loss and learned to value each moment.

I think this will end up being a favorite this year. 🫶🏼

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the e-arc!

I genuinely enjoyed this one! I rated it lower because of a slow start and I personally was getting sick of Lucy for a minute.

But things quickly turned out. I love a book with magical realism. This had big 13 going on 30 vibes but it’s 26 going on 42. Lucy grows on you as the story progresses and she steps in her new role and new life. I don’t want to give too many spoilers but I love the way the author unfolded what Lucy’s life looked like 16 years later and how she must come to terms with those things.

I love the side characters so much.
This is a cozy, closed door/minimal spice romance , but it’s more a journey of self discovery and the story is heavily focused on Lucy and her life and choices. Sophie Cousens has some very sweet and heartwarming stories.

Check this one out officially next week!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

What if you had the chance to skip the low parts of your life and just get to the good parts? Lucy Young is having a rough go at life, trying to make it in TV producing but failing at love. After one disastrous date, she stumbles upon a wishing machine where she wishes she can just get to the good parts of her life. When she wakes up the next morning, she discovers she has fast forwarded sixteen years into her future. She's a wife, a mom, and a top TV producer. Did she time travel or just forget the last sixteen years?

Sophie Cousens has another winner with this funny, romantic time jump of a novel. The reader falls in love with Lucy and her future family as well as her past friends. The kids are quirky and adorable, and past and present friends and foes will have you laughing out loud. Eventually, you find yourself in a dilemma much the same as Lucy: should she go along with her future self and let the memories catch up, or should she find the wishing machine and return to her life sixteen years ago?

I loved this story! This is exactly the type of tale I needed to fall into and float around in a bit. The perfect make believe to lose yourself into for the short period it took me to devour this book.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnman and NetGalley for the digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Sophie Cousens, NetGalley, and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this digital ARC. I really enjoyed it! I loved watching 13 going on 30 years ago and I’m obsessed with Freaky Friday so this magic realism / time-traveling vibe was right up my ally. It was a super easy read and also easy to pick up right from where I left off from my previous reading. Will highly suggest for my other readers!

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens is the feel-good, time-jumping, tear-inducing romance I needed at the moment. It’s refreshingly original despite also being familiar—especially if you’re a fan of films like Big, which I watched on repeat as a child. I wanted only the best for Lucy and everyone she loved.

At twenty-six, Lucy feels stuck. Stuck in a job where she is unappreciated, stuck in a leaky flat, stuck in her dating life, so when she stumbles across a mysterious wishing machine, of course she wishes to fast forward to the good part of her life.

Cousens is wonderful at creating empathetic characters, and I felt for Lucy from the start. She’s trying her best, but seems to be unfairly bombarded by life at every turn, although, with hilarious results. I definitely laughed out loud throughout this one.

While I adored the romance—Sam is a beautifully imperfect man, and I was even wishing for chapters from his point of view, although I knew that would ruin some of the plot—the heart of this story for me was Lucy’s relationship with her future son Felix. Their interactions stole every scene, and I wasn’t surprised to read in the afterword that the author’s own children inspired Felix.

And while it might have seemed obvious in the beginning how this story would play out and end, I found myself unsure about the direction the story was going at several turns, which was a pleasant surprise. In fact, I felt sure I knew the twist it would take, only to discover I was wrong—and not upset about it at all.

Besides the romance and Felix, much of the story is dedicated to Lucy’s career and friendships, and Cousens succeeds at showing how important both of these aspects are to Lucy, how they define who she is just as much as her family, making her a much fuller character.

The Good Part left me with a warm, gooey feeling in the center of my chest, that I found myself thinking about for days, returning to the feeling like a touch-stone. I feel confident it will be among my favorite books for the year!

I adore Sophie Cousens' writing and this book was hilarious, nostalgic, and sweet while also touching on some deeper themes such as grief and loss. If you love movies like "Big" and "13 Going on 30" - you will love this book! Highly Recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley & Penguin Group Putnam for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I adored this book! Although the scenario wasn't realistic, Sophie Cousens has a way of writing that makes the story seem believable. I loved the character of Lucy, and the relationship between her and Sam was also written in a way that made it seem authentic.
I raced through this book in less than two days! It was a page turner and will likely be on my list of favorites from this year.

The Good Part

Well, say hello to what will most likely be my favorite read of 2023.

I started this one a few months ago, when I received the ARC on NetGalley, and then put it down about 20% in, because I wasn’t quite in the mood for it. I picked it back up yesterday afternoon and finished it this morning. Books like these remind me why I love reading. This book was full of every emotion possible, and soaking up each one was effortless. Sophie Cousens is a marvel. Sometimes I forget that the written word can be so powerful. I wanted to hug each of these characters, especially Lucy. I also proceeded to give big, tight hugs to my husband and daughters.

This book is beautifully-written with lots of heart, humor, and thought-provoking moments.

What happens when accomplished author Sophie Cousens takes on time travel? The marvelous, riveting THE GOOD PART, the story of Lucy who makes a heartfelt wish at 26 years old and wakes up 42 years old in a life she has no memory of creating, the life of her dreams including her ultimate job, husband, and beautiful home with a family who loves her. Instead of living in a perpetual state of being broke, underestimated, desperate in falling behind the status and settled lives of her best friends, Lucy is in charge, having skipped all the years and the agony to arrive at the good part. Throughout the realistic ups and downs of realizing you've missed 16 years of your life, Lucy must decide whether she wants to remain in the good part with its own challenges, tragedies, and triumphs or return to her own 26 year old self, not knowing if she will ever life the life of her dreams, but live the life that she makes. Classic Cousens, frank and honest and the best written children and others we often overlook -- and ultimate escape. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I loved this book so much! I am a Sophie Cousens fan but I did think this title sounded a bit far-fetched and was wondering how it would work but she made it work brilliantly. I can totally relate to Lucy's frustration with her life. At that age it can sometimes seem as if you will never get ahead both in career and in your happy-ever-after. The Wishing Machine concept was similar to the movie Big but with it's own twist. I highly recommend this book!

Well... Sophie Cousens has done it again! I've read a few books with the similar theme of wishing for a better life, waking up in it, and then realizing you took all of the past moments (even the bad ones) for granted - but this one stood above the rest for me. Although the outcome always ends up the same, it was really the in between story that had my attention. I absolutely loved Felix's character and the relationship between him and Lucy. I also adored Sam and his story line, especially watching their relationship almost play out in reverse since Lucy had zero memories from the last 16 years. Mr. Finkley and Felix also warmed my heart!

This story made me feel good, it made me slightly emotional, and made me think about my life as well. I will always read anything that Sophie Cousens writes and am looking forward to everyone loving this book as much as I did!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.