An interesting take on the Big/13 Going on 30 plot! We’ve all wanted to know if the struggles we currently face end up being worth it in the end.. and this story takes you through that possibility.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I've read other books by this author and enjoy their writing style.

I think one think that always makes uncomfortable is when a white author writes a book with all white characters and one person of color and the person of color is the one that dies. It just feels very reckless and insensitive.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick and easy, light hearted read about time travel/what could be. I fell in love with all of these characters. This is a great book to read in the fall.

This was an absolutely delightful book with fantastic characters, a fun plot, and a great lesson that was delivered in a non-preachy manner. Thank you so much to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced copy!

Lucy is struggling with life. She's in her mid-twenties but still has to share a gross apartment with three other people, she loves the industry she works in but is having a hard time advancing in her career, her best friend is moving out of the apartment and making progress with her career, and lastly, Lucy's just been on a terrible date. Seeking refuge from a rainstorm, she pops into a small shop and makes a wish on a wishing machine that she could just skip to the "good part" of life.

Lucy wakes up the next morning and quickly discovers that she has indeed somehow skipped to the "good" part: she has a handsome and loving husband, two children, and runs a successful television studio.

But no one's life is perfect. Over the course of the book she learns that the sixteen years that she skipped were filled with many great times, but many heartbreaks as well. Being a parent is definitely hard work and even though she is finally the boss at her company, that also comes with responsibility that she doesn't feel entirely ready for.

The longer she stays in the new life, the more she begins to "remember" from the time she skipped over, and the less sure she is that she wants to go back to her old life. But even though she has these memories, it's still not the same as actually living them. The book wraps up the story so well, with her finding the same wishing machine and going back to her twenties. Even though she doesn't remember her time in the future, she comes back with a sense of peace about her current life. The story ends with her going to a karaoke bar where we have already learned she met her husband, so even though it's not explicitly stated, we know that she got her happy ending after all.

The Good
I loved this plot and the somewhat different approach to time travel. Most books I've read don't involve kids, so I liked seeing Lucy navigate being immediately thrown into being a mom of two. Felix, her son, was one of my favorite characters. He believed her when she said she was from the past and it was sweet watching their relationship basically develop from scratch.

The Bad
Nothing.

Overall Takeaway
This was a great book and I highly recommend. It was sweet, funny, and left me guessing until the end as to exactly how the author would bring the story to a close. The message was also great: there isn't a "good" part of life, there is just life. Some parts are filled with joy and some parts are filled with heartache, but they all combine to make us who we are in the present. This may be cheesy, but life is about the journey, not the destination, and this book does a great job of showing us that. I give it an A+.

4.5 🌟

Me: I don't really care for time travel books.
Sophie Cousens: Are you sure about that?!

.... did I just fall in love with another Cousens' time travel books?! Yes, yes I did.

When Lucy, who is in her early 20s, happens upon a time machine after another terrible date, she wishes to skip to the good part of her life. When she awakes the next day, she's 16 years older and she remembers nothing about the previous 16 years.

This book provides such a good perspective on what constitutes the good parts of life. The beauty that exists in every stage, even the difficult ones. I loved watching Lucy fall in love with her husband, again. Her friends are the best and her son is hilarious. This book is filled with feel good moments and moments that make you want to cry.

The ending was heartbreak and perfect all at the same time.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Lucy is a lady, who like a lot of us, wants it all.. or at least not to be falling apart all the time. Lucy is in her mid twenties and her life seems to not so glamorous. She makes a wish to fast-forward to the good years of her life and, surprise, she does!

Cousens did a great job of keeping us just as confused and flustered as Lucy. I will admit that I may have even been more upset than Lucy at some points. Some things she took in stride and I couldn't understand how, while other things I like to think I would have caught onto quicker, she did not.

I LOVED her husband and the rest of her family. I wasn't expecting this book to be so much about adulthood/motherhood hardships, but it was there and it was written well. I could have used less hardships and more of the romance, but that's my preference :) Because while I would still call this book a romance, it wasn't the only big part of this book.

One thing that still guts me is how Lucy chose to end her journey. Without giving away any spoilers, let me just say she didn't pick what I would have and I am salty about it!

Overall, a good read and one I would definitely recommend to people who love In Five Years. For some reasons these two books give me the same vibe!

A thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my copy of The Good Part by Sophie Cousens in exchange for an honest review. It publishes November 7, 2023.
This might by Sophie's best book so far! This one had me thinking, this one had me having conversations regarding this topic. I loved how this common theme, seen in movies like 13 Going on 30, played out in less of a slapstick, silly way, and in a more plausible way. I really wasn't sure what to think, and I loved the element of mystery. This one is definitely not one to sleep on!

26-year-old Lucy Young is tired of being single and broke. After a night out and a rough first date, Lucy finds herself at a wishing machine where she wishes to skip to the good part. Suddenly she wakes up at 42 next to a handsome man with no memory of the in between.

I loved every second of this. It reminded me a lot of the movie Big, which I later learned was one of the author’s inspirations. Following Lucy as she learned about her new life, I found myself rooting for her. All of the characters are so lovable.

Title: The Good Part
Author: Sophie Cousens
Pub Date: November 7, 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book! I absolutely adored this book! It was so thought provoking while at the same time heartwarming and humorous. This is a must read for anyone who loves women’s fiction/romance and magical realism!

Lucy has about had it with her current life. She is overworked, living in a flat with messy roommates, and has a horrible love life. After one terrible date, she finds herself in a tiny shop with a wishing machine. Pushing her last coin into the slot, Lucy wishes that she can skip to the good part of her life. The next morning, she wakes to find herself next to a very attractive man with a ring on her finger. On top of that, she has two children and a life she knows nothing about. While those around her think she has some form of memory loss, she knows the wishing machine is what brought her to this new life. While she has an amazing husband and a great job in this new life, she also missed out on a lot in her late 20’s and 30’s. Is this new life what she wanted? Or can she go back to her old life?

The Good Part:
✨Magical Realism/Time Travel
✨Self-Discovery
✨Amazing Characters
✨Thought-Provoking
✨13 Going on 30 Vibes

I alternated between a physical copy and the audiobook. The audiobook, narrated by Kerry Gilbert and she was just perfect! I loved how the narrator brought me right along and was so captivating. I thought the pacing was perfect and I definitely recommend either a physical copy or audiobook! No matter the format, this one is a MUST READ!

Thank you Putnam and Sophie Cousens for a #gifted copy of The Good Part!

“Life is never quite sorted whatever stage you’re at”

Lucy Young is a 26 year old trying to wade her way through adulthood (who isn’t), managing great friends, terrible dates, a dead end job, and a less than ideal flatshare situation. After a day where just about everything that could go wrong does, Lucy stumbles on a wishing machine. She wishes to skip ahead to “the good part” of her life, finding herself in Future Lucy’s life with no memory of the last 16 years or how she ended up married with 2 kids and her dream job. Lucy quickly learns the journey is half the thrill and you have to experience the tough stages to appreciate The Good Part.

I loved this book, all of the characters (Felix was my favorite), and the epilogue was perfect. With strong friendships, love, loss, and a 13 Going on 30-esque life leap, this book has it all! I’ll be thinking about this one for a while 🧡

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I’ve liked every Sophie Cousens book that I’ve read so far, but I think this one is my favorite. I couldn’t put it down.

Instead of 13 Going on 30, it’s 26 Going on 42. Tired of struggling in her messy 20s, Lucy wishes to skip to “the good part” of life and wakes up married with two kids.

This story is just SO good. Following along as she struggles to find her place in the future and as she slowly falls in love with her family gave me all the feels. And the epilogue (5 years later) was perfect. I’m feeling emotional just reading it back as I write this review.

This is one of my favorite books so far this year. Sophie Cousens is definitely an auto-read for me after this book. Highly recommend!

"Remembering is not the same as living."

I loved this book. It was charming, heartwarming, and thought-provoking. It was like an Ed Sheeran song. Romantic, maybe a little bit sad at times, and full of self-love and growth.

Summary
If 13 Going on 30 was a book, except that our main character is 26 going on 42. Lucy is struggling at life - no money, horrible love life, employers that don't respect her, etc. After a particularly bad night, she stumbles upon an old wishing machine and wishes that she could jump to the "good part" when she has an established career, has found the love of her life, and has everything sorted. You can guess what happens next...

Thoughts
Do you think memories make us who we are? You can still be you, the same sense of humor, habits, values, and the way you think. But your memories and experiences change you so much, too. This book really made me think and it tugged at my heartstrings.

The highlight was seeing Lucy fall in love with these characters she knew nothing about. It is so charming when she is with her husband, how they connect even though he is a stranger to her. Imagining them being flirty and things feeling new in their 40s and after many years of marriage made me smile. I adored Sam and Felix, they were the best part of this story. As heartwarming as this was, it also made me very sad at times. Seeing Sam miss his wife, and Felix miss his mom. I found myself begging the book that it would have a happy ending, knowing full well that it was already written. At the end, Lucy has a choice. An impossible one, and I was filled with so much angst at not wanting her to choose wrong.

Overall, I can't stop thinking about this book. This is a fun, feel-good coming of age story that I took a lot away from. I wholeheartedly recommend The Good Part by Sophie Cousens.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

This review was posted on 10/12/23 to Goodreads, Instagram, and Barnes & Noble. I will post this review to Amazon on release (Nov 7th). I will also be making a second post on Instagram on release day to recommend this book.

The Good Part
By: Sophie Cousens
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints

-This book takes a little bit to get into, but once it started going, I was hooked.

-It was really entertaining to see the future through Lucy’s eyes.

-There are definitely some moments that will pull at your heartstrings.

-This story really makes you think about your own life, and how you spend your time.

——

The Good Part was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: 11/7/23

The Good Part is such a great book. We Meet Lucy, who, at 26, is struggling to figure out when her life is going to get better. After a rough day at work, and an even weirder night, so makes a wish to get to the “good part” of life. The next morning, she wakes up and is married with children, and she doesn’t exactly know how she gets there, and doesn’t understand how this is the “good part” of her life.

What follows next is an amazing story about life, love, loss, and making the most of your time here on earth. There are definitely some sad parts to this book, but it feeds into the overall story that life will be a mix of good and bad, highs and lows, happy and sad. And that you often have to experience the hard parts to get to the good parts.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very thought provoking, with some funny parts mixed in too.

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #fiction #arcreview #netgalley #penguinrandomhouseaudio #PRHAInfluencer #sponsored #boogiesbulletpoints #thegoodpart #sophiecousens #kerrygilbert #penguingroupputnam

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons publishing for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I have always been a fan of 13 Going on 30 and this book sharing Lucy's experience jumping from 26 to 42 will be a new favorite. As a struggling TV employee in her mid 20s in London, Lucy is eager to get to the "good part" of her life. Little does she know, that wish becomes her reality as she wakes up in her 42 year old body with a family, gorgeous husband, her dream career and life she doesn't recognize - and no memory of the last 16 years it took to get to that point. As she learns the ropes of this new life, she is forced to ask herself, was it worth skipping all of those years to get here?

I really loved this book and reading this while pregnant had me especially in my feels at the ending. Lucy's interactions with her family and colleagues, especially with her funny little boy Felix, were entertaining throughout, and I felt drawn to her story throughout the book. This was my first book by Sophie Cousens but it certainly won't be my last. The witty banter, the character development, and the unique perspective really pulled me in and I can't wait to read some of her other works.

While books involving TV shows are not my thing, this author is, so I knew I would enjoy this. And really, her job isn't the forerunner of the story, so I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would. Especially when it hit me that this is a Big retelling, and I screeched like an owl, much to the displeasure of my cat. It also gave off 13 Going on 30 Vibes, which you learn in the author's note are amongst Cousens's inspiration.

Poor Lucy does not have her life together, at all. And I agree with Zoya that Lucy spends a lot of time lamenting her income issues rather than doing something about it. But then, when she gets plopped head first into her future, things click into place, sort of. Even though she didn't want parenthood and the white picket fence, that's what she got, and she handles it about as well as a new mother.

We could all use a Sam in our lives. He knocked his role out of the park. This was a quick read that's funny, swoony, and endearing.

As a huge fan of movies like "Big" and "13 Going on 30", this book provided an excellent journey through the highs and lows of adulthood. Lucy who is a struggling 26 year old wishes to fast forward to the "good part" of her life. The next morning she wakes up in a strange home, with a strange family only to learn she has jumped 16 years into the future. I loved how rather than going from adolescence to adulthood, we are getting two stages of adulthood. It is a look into how our lives can change so much even when we are already "grown". This book provided several laughs, as well as incredibly deep emotions. Lucy is not only fighting to figure out why she was not living in the future, but also how to care for her family and navigate her career. I was either laughing or crying the whole way through this book. I also loved how the husband was absolutely perfect and understanding. It wasn't over the top, just a solid story that many can relate to when wishing to be at a stable point in their life, along with the lesson that life just isn't always stable.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read "The Good Part" by Sophie Cousens before its publish date. Years ago, I was a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella and loved the feeling I had when I read her books. Lately, I haven't been able to find anything in a similar vein, but after reading my first book of Sophie Cousens, I will definitely be reading more. Sophie has taken a popular trope (traveling through time) and has reimagined it in a light-hearted and fun way.

One of my favourite movies is "The Family Man" and when I read her acknowledgements, I was glad to see that she referenced it, as there are a lot of similarities with the character Annie and Cousens' character Felix. If I could change anything about the novel, it would be those very similar references (i.e. the aliens taking you back). It was a little too familiar for me.

All in all, I really enjoyed the novel and will be reading more of her books in the future.

This is such an enjoyable, fun read. Had lots of laugh out loud moments, as well as some serious ones. While I didn't always agree with Lucy's choices, I truly loved reading her story. The plot was similar in many ways to others that have already been written, but had some fun characters, interesting situations, and great moments. A truly good book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
Such an adorable and fun read with heavier moments

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Magical realism
13 Going on 30 vibes
Laugh out loud moments
Wholesome and heartwarming reads
Lovable characters
Self discovery
Be careful what you wish for trope

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Felix and Mr.Finkley!
The romance!

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I didnt love the ending

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “Be careful what you wish for, life is never quite sorted whatever stage you’re at.”

OH MY GOODNESS could I have loved this more?? I think not. I BLEW through this in under 5 hours because I was having such a blast I just couldn’t put it down. Then of course I was disappointed it was over and wanted to start again!

The premise wasn’t new, but it was enjoyable. The writing was excellent, making me laugh audibly more times than I could count, and deeper emotions were explored as well. The characters, though, were the true stars. I felt like I was following real (albeit very likable) people through these experiences! Even second tier supporting characters were genuinely identifiable and had clearly defined personalities. Lucy was SO relatable, I felt. I just thought the way she handled things was funny and imperfect and I found her very sympathetic as a character. Everyone was just so likable and I was rooting for their happiness!

I’m not sure I would’ve made the same choice as her, in the end. If her memories fill in, then won’t it be the same as if she’d experienced it herself? Is the difference that meaningful? I guess yes, but she revitalized her role as a mother and came up with this incredible idea for work as her current self, so if she lives her life again then she may become the same mom/wife who was more checked out (not visiting Sam in his studio and helping him unpack why he stopped writing songs that were meaningful to him, not playing special floor-is-lava type games with Felix, etc). I just feel like maybe it was a mistake to abandon all that. Idk. Hard to say, as of course I understand the pull to live your life forwards, however imperfect it may be. I guess that’s the point - there’s no perfect answer. But I did love the nod to her meeting Sam in the same way as the first time on the last page.

So much to love about this! Pre-ordering now because I’ve gotta own it!

5/5 stars, thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.