I absolutely love Sophie Cousens. When I first read one of her books, I binged read her entire back list within a week. These books are easy to read and they hook you! The Good Part is no different. I absolutely loved this one as well and can't wait to read more of her books!

I loved this book! I thought it was so well written and heartfelt. I really connected with the characters, though I have to say little Felix was my favorite! If you’re looking for just a solid read from start to finish I highly recommend this book!

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens is absolutely adorable! The story had me sucked in from page one.

Lucy is twenty-six and struggling. She feels stuck and wishes she had a better job and dating prospects. After a night out to celebrate her promotion she comes across a wishing machine where she wishes to get to “the good part of her life”.

In true thirteen going on thirty fashion I was immediately invested in Lucy’s life. Her character was so well written and likable. Sophie Cousens is a must read author for me and The Good Part is not to be missed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I don’t know if I’ve ever resonated with a book as much as I did this one. The way Lucy was feeling at 26 is how I think a lot of us feel in our twenties and sometimes we wish we could just jump to the good part of our lives where we’re not dating and feel settled. This book feels like a good reminder that everything will happen eventually and don’t wish away your life.

Definitely recommend!

This book was soooo good with nostalgic reminders of the movies “Big” and “13 Going On 30”. So relatable and really speaks to the question of one’s life experience, the good, the bad and the ugly, and if we could skip the bad/ugly, should we and what would we be giving up?

Lucy Young as a 26-year-old is tired of being overlooked for promotions, she’s tired of terrible dates and she’s tired of her living arrangements. So following another disastrous date, she comes across a wishing machine in a local store and longs to be able to skip over her current circumstances and get to the good part. She wakes up to a 40-something face, a husband and two kids and working a high-powered job. Did she actually skip ahead or has she just forgotten a large piece of her life? As she begins to settle into her bizarre new life, she finds herself having to make a heart wrenching decision, can/should she go back to her previous life, and if so, can she give up THIS good part.

A wonderful array of characters, and a surprisingly personal look into how we view our circumstances in life at various stages, and how we struggle/adapt to various scenarios…leading to the question, WHICH part is the good part and what makes one part better than the others.

Also, it must be said, a great ending.

Recommended whole-heartedly.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for providing the free early arc of The Good Part for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This story follows 26 year old Lucy, who is down on her luck and wishes to skip to the "good part" of her life. When she wakes up the next day, she's 42 and quickly realizes that this part of her life may not have everything she dreamed it would have.

I found this super interesting because it's such a natural thing to sometimes wish you were at a different stage of your life, but if you truly were able to skip to the "good part" of your future, then you would miss all the good, bad, and ugly in between. These are all the things that make life so chaotic and special. I enjoyed following Lucy as she tried to navigate the future that she hastily wished for.

As with Sophie Cousens' other books, this one is funny and a clean romance. It does feel more contemporary fiction than her others, and I don't think there is as much focus on the romance.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an arc in exchange for a review!

This book. I finished it a week ago and I'm still thinking about it. That's always the mark of a 5 star read for me.

When the book opens, Lucy is 26 and tired of her current circumstances. She's not progressing in her career, going on lots of bad dates, and totally broke. On one supremely bad day, she stumbles upon a "wishing machine" and wishes to skip ahead to the good part. The part where she's found the man of her dreams, has a successful career, and everything is figured out. Or sorted, as she says, since it's a British novel.

Lucy wakes up the next morning and her wish has been granted. She's experienced a time leap, she's 42, and has everything she wished for. The only problem is that she can't remember anything from the past 16 years. As she gets to know her husband and learns how to parent on the fly there are a lot of hilarious and also heartwarming moments.

But as her memories start to fill in she realizes that, of course, not everything has been perfect over the past 16 years. There have been a lot of hard times too. When Lucy finds out that there is a way to go back to her 26 year old life, she is faced with the decision of staying at 42 or going back and living those.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved the characters and I loved the theme of embracing life in all its messiness. While it could have been done in a super silly and light-hearted way, Cousens took the plot snf turned it into something surprisingly profound. I have read all four of Cousens books and I think they just keep getting better! This one is easily my favorite of hers. I highly recommend it!

This book was fantastic. I loved all of the characters, I loved the concept, and I'm a sucker for a good time travel plot. I really liked all of the elements of the future that were incorporated and I thought it was funny that any cultural references Lucy made were super outdated lol! I thought that Sam and Felix were depicted really well, their reaction to Lucy's situation felt spot on!

It did stress me out reading about Lucy just trying to get on with her life without telling anyone, especially at her work. The plot felt a little loose in the middle and slightly rushed at the end, but overall this book was super heartfelt and entertaining!

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens confused me a little. I did really enjoy the whole premise of the novel. I mean, It sounded interesting. As the story progressed and the main twist (sorta like a plot changer?) occurred, then I felt like the plot had also disappeared.

This novel follows an unsuccessful girl, who sleeps in a bed right under a yellow crack in the ceiling that drips water whenever her upstairs neighbor decides to take a bath. One day, she wakes up to find that she's 16 years older than she was when she fell asleep - and she's in bed with a handsome man who keeps calling her his wife. She realizes that she is in her future, and she will be a lot more successful in her future.

This was the first quarter of the book, and I was really enjoying it. It just almost felt as if there were no more ideas for this novel after that twist, which seemed like the main plot point that the book was going to be centered around. Maybe some will like this novel, but for me, seeing a middle-aged woman figure out who she is after getting a total brain wipe was sort of boring.

Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for an e-galley for this title. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyed the book and would give it 3.5 stars. I didn't love it as much as the author's previous books. It was a cute and fun read. Lucy doesn't always make the best choices in life. Dale, the naked face sucker was one of her worst. I can't believe she went to his apartment alone after just meeting him. I'm not sure what was worse, naked Dale or the dead cow in the bathtub!!! Both were nasty. I would have never wanted to live in her apartment. Between the ceiling falling down, her roommates and her roommates' guests, I would have found a way to move out as soon as possible. It wasn't hard for me to believe Lucy actually time traveled into the future. The part I really couldn't believe was that Felix was only seven. Lucy missed out on so many things by jumping to the "good part" of her life. Everyone wishes to change stuff in their life or have do-overs. All our experiences shape our lives. Maybe you might want to forget a few, but not twenty years worth.

Definitely recommend the book. Enjoyed the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

FIVE STARS!

Lucy is 26 and fed up with her life. She's underpaid, living in an broken down flat and down on her luck with men. After a series of horrible events, she ends up making a wish on a magical wishing machine that she could "skip to the good part" of her life. When she wakes up, she finds her self 16 years in the future, with a fancy job, handsome husband, beautiful house and two kids. She has to search deep and find out if the grass is truly greener on the other side or if the shop lady was right and life is truly never sorted.

Absolutely loved this book. I devoured it in one sitting and couldn't put it down. If you're a fan of time travel and romance, this book is for you. I loved seeing Lucy in her 20s and 40s and the ups and downs of both. It's one of those reads that you can easily lose yourself in and feel everything the main character is feeling. It was hilarious to see her find her bearings in the future and as a mother, This book takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, just like life and reminds you that there will always be good and bad times. Life is truly never sorted, which is kind of freeing. It reminds you that even the nitty gritty terrible times are important and without them, life would be meaningless. The good just isn't good without the bad.

The ending was beautifully written and balanced. Overall, I loved everything about this book and especially watching Lucy fall in love with Sam in reverse. Felix was the cutest side character and really brought everything together.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC and opportunity to review.

This was a lot of fun— although body-swap type novels are not typically my favorite. It was interesting that Lucy (the MC) basically swapped herself though!

A frustrated 26yo Lucy makes a wish to fast-forward to the “good part” of her life, and time-travels 16 years ahead. She is then completely freaked out by her new body/husband/job/etc, and has to figure out if she’s going to stay there, or try to get back to her original life.

Hands-down, Felix, future Lucy’s son, was the best part of the story. 😍

When, at a low point, both personally and professionally, Lucy finds herself in an odd little store facing a wishing machine, she makes a simple wish to "skip to the good part" of her life. The following day, she wakes up to find herself 16 years in the future, a successful businesswoman with a handsome husband and two great kids. But wishes are never that simple.

This book took me entirely by surprise in the very best way. Although categorized as a romance, and it is in part, it is much more a thoughtful book of fiction/magical realism. It was charming and funny while digging into life's complex nature. Lucy grapples with what "the good part" means and if you can recognize the good part without going through the bad parts. Seeing her learn to become her older self and fall in love anew with her husband and children while struggling with all of her life that has been lost was an emotional roller coaster that felt heavy while also having a light-hearted humor.

Thanks to @PRHAudio for the free audiobook and @NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review of this fantastic book, which is out on November 7, 2023.

This read was perfect for anyone who feels stuck or who has felt that they wanted to skip the phase of life they're in. I resigned so much with the FMC Lucy, I definitely remember vividly being 21 and just being fed up with where my life was at and wanting to just fast forward.

I loved Lucy's overall personal development through this read, and while there was definitely some romance thrown in I feel like the main plot was her development. It was such a fun read and such an interesting concept!

This is my absolute favorite tale by Sophie Cousens. It is filled with so much heart and insights on life.
Lucy is 26 and slogging through adulthood wondering when all her efforts will lead to something more meaningful and if she can just skip to the easier part of life. When she stumbles upon a wishing machine and wakes up in her forties she isn’t sure what happened.
I love the way Cousens sprinkled magical realism while infusing humor and heart throughout. This story has so many layers and examines many facets of adulthood including friendships, parenthood, love and loss. At its heart this story explores the impact of our lived experiences, and how they shape who we become.
These well developed characters worked their way into my heart and they will remain there for quite some time.

26 year old Lucy Young hates her job and crappy apartment. She makes a wish on a wishing machine to skip to the “Good Part” of her life. She wakes up the next morning to a handsome husband and two kids, as well as the fancy job of her dreams... but she’s now in her 40's! This must be the “good part” but where is her best friend?? She falls in love with her new life, but has to decide if she can even go back to before- would she??

This book was easily my favorite of all of Sophie Cousens’ titles. The Good part is a magical mix of The family man, 13 going on 30 and one of my favorite sophie Kinsella books, remember me.


Thank you to the penguin group/putnam for the advanced reader copy and for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful story.

«Is that what life is — missing out in your twenties because you have no money, then missing out in your forties because you have no time?»

Of all the great quotes in this book I choose this one in particular because it hides a big truth under the sarcasm: no matter your age, you’ll always feel in the wrong.
I could tell you there’s no such thing as the right time to do something and, ideally, it's true. But we also know that life is not ideal.
In your twenties, you go out and have fun, but also you don't have enough money to treat yourself and no time if you want a career; in your thirties, you're settling down for the first or second time, working and planning a future, but still having fun and maybe push the bar higher sometimes; in your forties, it's more difficult to start a family, to start a career from the scratch, or to have the money and time and energy to go and have fun like you used to - just think about the next morning hungover and you'll give up the second glass of wine.
Does it mean you can't do these things when you feel more ready? Absolutely not.

“The Good Part” is way more than a sweet story with a nice cover.
The whole concept is extremely terrifying - and my therapist will definitely heart it too -, waking up sixteen years in the future, with no knowledge of what had happened in those years, not only in your personal life but also in the world.
What drove me off at first was the fact that she didn't remember anything, but she still lived those years. That, and the fact that Felix is only seven when he doesn't sound, act or think like a kid at that age at all.
Also, I love the way she makes us believe we're in the future - with smarter cars and smarter technology in general, and political correctness won't be a thing because we're all more attentive -, without actually saying anything about that. The world has not collapsed yet, oceans are still there, and politics is still the mess it has always been, a man and a woman went to Mars. But nothing too crazy that twenty years from now, reading this book someone will laugh at what we thought could be possibly achieved in twenty years.

Now, I can explain to you - normal people on the other side of the screen - the anxiety and hopelessness I felt during most of this. If you follow me, you already know my phobia of ageing and - eventually - dying, which labels this book as a huge trigger warning for me.
I could say it healed me, it made me realize that all those cliches people love to say to explain the unexplainable parts of their lives finally have a meaning to me, I can finally look at the future with a new spirit and ready to wake up one day and laugh about the twenty-something version of me… but it’d be a lie.
And it's fine. You know, at first, I really could understand why she woke up in the future without any memory; but then, when *everything* happened, I realized that if she’d come back with her memories too, her life would have been so much worse.
I'm both very happy and very sad about what is waiting for her but, even if I'd love to know what to expect, then what would be the point of living?

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

At 26 years old, Lucy is tired of her job, her roommates, her flat, and her dating life. After a disastrous, but hilarious date, Lucy stumbles upon a wishing machine in a small shop. The shop's owner gives Lucy the penny and 10 pence to use the machine and she wishes that she could just get to the 'good part' of her life and skip past all the crap in her life. When she wakes up the next morning, it is 16 years in the future and Lucy is married with kids, and no memory of how she got there. A seemingly perfect life but all the memories and experiences that got her there are missing.

As Lucy struggles with this 'new' life, she discovers the beauty in creating new memories with everyone. She is also eventually reminded of some horrible tragedies in her life that she missed in the jump to her future.

I absolutely loved her son Felix who believes Lucy is an alien imposter that took over his mum's body. He was so funny and so loveable. Her husband Sam was perfect and had such unconditional love for Lucy. There were so many great characters in this book.

Although the main concept of this book isn't that new, I thought Sophie Cousens did a great job creating a story that readers could fall in love with. It was a light, fun book to read; one I really enjoyed.

This was a middle of the road book for me. I did enjoy reading it, I really enjoyed the characters, and even found it a little though provoking. I just don't think this book will be one to sit with me of be very memorable. I went into this one expecting a cute romcom, and while there was a tiny bit of romance it really focused more on Lucy's overall character and personal growth. A huge focus of the book is that she travels forward in time after making a wish to get to the "good part" of her life. Landing her 16 years in the future as a 40-something mother, wife and successful TV producer. The magical realism wasn't anything too over the top and crazy, just enough to be able to suspend reality and go with it. The characters were all fantastic, especially the side characters. Felix was THE CUTEST kid! Everything wrapped up nicely and easily made you think - what would I do if I were in Lucy's shoes? Stay in this future, or try to go back and appreciate life in your twenties for what it is. Overall it was enjoyable and a quick read. I don't know that I would recommend putting this at the top of your TBR, but a good one to pick up if you need a palate cleanser while you wait for other new releases or library holds to come through.

4.5 stars
I have adored every book that I have read by Sophie Cousens. Her writing is so witty and heartfelt. She pulls so many emotions out of me and I find myself laughing uncontrollably one moment and then tearing up the next. The Good Part was wonderfully quirky, but also so tender and sweet. There are some heavier plot points (please see CW's), but I felt they were balanced well in the story. I would classify The Good Part as women's fiction with romance (closed door), since Lucy's journey is the focus of the novel. The story does conclude on a happy and hopeful note, but not what I would consider a romantic HEA.

Things to look forward to:
- An incredible friend group. I loved Zoya, Roisin, and Faye so much! They were supportive, loyal, and hilarious. Their friendship and love were the heart of this story.
- Sam. Just like Lucy, I fell head over heels for this ooey gooey cinnamon roll. He was such a loving and supportive partner and father. His love for Lucy jumped off the pages and I loved seeing them fall in love all over again.
- Felix and Amy. These two were so adorable! I laughed every single time Felix was on the page. He also had some of the most endearing and earnest lines in the book. I loved how his relationship with Lucy evolved and my heart was so full by the end of the book.
- Hilarious commentary about aging, parenthood, and marriage. I loved Lucy's inner dialogue and comments as she navigated this new world. It was all very, very relatable and had me laughing so hard.
- The overall message to value every day. I thought Sophie Cousens did a wonderful job getting this point across in varying ways. Each one hit a bit differently, but they all worked together to drive the point home.
- Magical realism. If you enjoyed movies like 13 Going on 30 or Big, you'll love this one too.
- A wonderful cast of secondary characters. They brought so much to the story and were the perfect compliment to Lucy's journey. Besides those characters already mentioned above, Mr. Finkley, Lucy's team at Badger TV, and Lucy's parents were all so delightful.
- I listened to a majority of the book and definitely recommend it! The narration by Kerry Gilbert was fabulous. The casting couldn't have been more perfect and she nailed it as Lucy. I also loved all the different voices she employed to bring the characters to life, regardless of age or gender.

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

CW (possible spoilers): death of loved one (past), memory loss, death of child (past), grief

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*