Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for sending me this ARC to read and review!

Lucy is stuck with a less-than glamorous job and a meager paycheck. This means that all she can afford is a leaky flat with inconsiderate roommates. After a particularly horrible date, Lucy makes a wish to skip to the good part of her life. She soon wakes up in a beautiful home with a great family and her dream job. Could this be real? And will Lucy stay in this ideal life, or go back to the one she knows?

I found this story to be so entertaining to read.I literally laughed out loud multiple times (not ideal when reading late at night with your husband in bed, but it was worth it!) I loved the characters of Lucy’s husband and her son, Felix. This was a relatable story to anyone who has gone through the struggle of learning to adult. While I couldn’t understand a lot of the decisions Lucy made in her future life, they certainly made for a great story to read!

If you enjoyed the movies “13 Going on 30” and/or “Freaky Friday”, I think you will enjoy this one!

Lucy's in her late 20's and is feeling like she's falling behind in achieving what her friends all have done. She comes upon a "wish machine" where she wishes to skip the the "good part" of life. She wakes up the next morning 16 years in the future. This is where the story got so interesting for me. Future Lucy is successful in her career, married to a great guy, Sam, and has two children. Now how to get back to younger Lucy or adjust to living in the present with no recollection of the past 16 years. 4 1/2 stars!

I was so excited for this book. I love Sophie Cousens. The whole beginning of this book was really really slow. I couldn't get into it like I was hoping. I ended up not finishing the book because I couldn't connect with the characters or with the story. I hope others continue to enjoy it and I'm excited to still see what else Sophie will release in the future. My review will not be posted anywhere else and it will just stay on Netgalley.

Who loves 13 going on 30, 50 First Dates, Sliding Doors?

Then this book will be a delight for you. I was excited to get this book and it did not disappoint. I found myself relating to Lucy. I was so ready in my twenties to jump forward so when she makes the wish it was so exciting to read, I couldn’t put it down.

Without giving any spoilers you will find this book to be a fun read. You will enjoy all the characters and the kids steal the show. This book was also a nice departure from some of the great smut I love to read. Even as a clean romance I could not put it down. I am running to get more Sophie Cousen’s books.

Thank you NetGalley and G. P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Good Part starts out with 26 year old Lucy, who is tired of her life. She makes a wish in a machine to skip ahead to the Good Part and wakes up 16 years older, married with two kids. Problem is, she has no memories of anything except what happened 16 years ago.

I enjoyed this book, although it was much sadder than I anticipated. I also really disagreed with Lucy's choice at the end, so I took a star off my rating for that.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the parts about being a parent and how we see ourselves as kids and then as adults with responsibilities all of the sudden.

3.5 stars rounded up.

If I said to Google...."Give me a 13 Going On 30 book with the tiniest sprinkle of the movie Big, but make it depressing." this would probably show up in a top list somewhere.

It was good, but there were plenty of times I found myself wishing that things would just speed up. It would have held my attention better if there were more new things/discoveries taking place in the story. Felix was adorable and I really enjoyed the relationship development with the husband...but the ending. Ugh. As a 40 something married mother of two, I was internally screaming at her to stop.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this advanced copy so that I may give my honest feedback and review.

⏱️THE GOOD PART by Sophie Cousens⏱️

📆PUB DATE: 11/7/23
➡️Swipe for synopsis
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: E-book
Read if you like:
🎥Movies like 13 Going on 30 or 17 Again
🪄Magical Realism
😆 Books with humor

The Good Part starts out with Lucy being a 26 year old, bottom of the food chain TV runner who lives in a dingy flat with weird roommates and a leaky ceiling. After a particularly bad night, Lucy walks into a shop and wishes for her life to skip the the “good part” where she is fully settled in life and has everything she wants. The next morning, she wakes up 16 years in the future with her dream job, a husband, and two kids. Unfortunately, she has no memory of those years she skipped.

If you’ve seen the movie 13 Going on 30, you can probably guess how the story plays out and the general themes of living in the present and not wishing your life away. Although the themes are not unique, I loved this story, the characters, and the witty, funny writing. You’re not completely sure if Lucy is going to choose to stay in her future dream life or go back to actually love the 16 years she lost, so you’re compelled to keep reading quickly until the end. Reading about Lucy and her husband’s love story in reverse was fun because you know they end up married, but Lucy and the reader isn’t sure how they ended up together.

Thank you @putnambooks for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I highly recommend this gets put on your reading list!

What a sweet story, Sophie Cousens is a must read author for me. She absolutely never disappoints. This is an emotional novel that really has some great messages about what it’s like to really live your life.

Is living the life you've wished for really a dream come true?

Meet Lucy Young: she's 26 and sick of bad dates, demanding bosses, and barely making ends meet. At the end of a long night, Lucy comes upon a wishing machine. Her wish? To skip to the good part.

Waking up the next day, Lucy finds herself in a plush home, next to a handsome husband, and 16 years in the future. Think 13 going on 30 shifts to 26 going on 40.

This was a really fun rom com. I loved Lucy and how she developed with her supporting characters. This story had me laughing out loud multiple times. The storyline moved just a little slower than I like, but overall I'd recommend this book and am so glad I read it!

rating: 4/5⭐️
genre: romance
pages: 368
pub date: Nov 7th, 2023

This is the first book I have read by Sophie Cousins and have heard a lot about her lately so I was psyched to receive this copy as a NetGalley ARC reader.. As I started this book it was sort of like a deja vu reading it and I was worried that It might be too cliche. Someone makes a wish and then all of a sudden it’s like the movie 13 going on 30.
This was so much better than I thought after reading the first couple of chapters. As soon as she gets her wish this book just gets amazing. I absolutely fell in love with all the characters and loved the rest of the book. I don’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Cousins books! Perfect for a beach\ vacation read.

Ahhh I loved this novel! It was so wholesome with such a good message about living in the present and being grateful for what you have in the here and now. The characters were precious. I especially loved Felix and the random upstairs neighbor. The main character was charming and relatable. She didn't have her life together and therefore it made me feel better about not having mine fully together either. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend!

This was a feel good British time loop/sliding doors romcom perfect for Sophie Kinsella and Josie Silver fans. Tired of being a poor millennial, Lucy makes a wish that she could just skip to the "good part" in life and then finds herself jumped ahead 16 years where she's married with two children.

Adjusting to this new to her life is not easy but slowly Lucy starts to fall in love with her family and when she finally does get the chance to return to her old life, she's not sure if she wants to stay or go back so she can re-live all the good bits for the first time.

Great on audio, this was such an enjoyable read and just might be my new favorite from this author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

I have been a fan of Sophie's writing for a few years now, so I was extremely excited when I was chosen to read an ARC of this book. It did not disappoint.

A fun fact about me is that I love a good, cathartic cry. This book gave me that, big time.

I loved Lucy as a bumbling, awkward 26-year-old who couldn't seem to get it right, and I loved her even more as she navigated waking up at 42 with a loving family and no memory of the past 16 years. Her inner dialogue was funny and relatable (in as much as it can be given the time travel/jump/glitch storyline) and I loved Sam and Felix - I felt like they were really dynamic as side characters.

I think I read this book at the perfect time (having just turned 28 in a new job) and the themes of identity and self-worth tied into memory struck a chord with me. <spoiler> When Lucy mid-panic about having no memory and her big pitch coming up asks, "Do you think memories make us who we are, Michael?" I felt my breath catch in my throat.

I found myself debating (like Lucy) whether or not I actually wanted her to return to being 26 or to stay in her life and enjoy having her memories return to her. I think she chose correctly. </spoiler> Having the book end the way it did made me sigh and cry at how beautiful life can be and how it is something to be cherished.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fiction, wistfulness, and a little cheeky sci-fi/fantasy tie-in.

The Good Part

4.25

I dragged my heels kicking and screaming with this one…but just at the beginning. I agreed to read the advance copy of this book, one of my first, quickly after seeing the author and the cover. When I actually went to start it though, I felt “buyer's” remorse. That seems to be a thing with me though. I jump right into books in a series, but for some reason, I completely stall against reading other books that I don’t know what I’m in for, even when they are by authors I love. Most of the time, l love them and, in the case of library books, my time runs out and I have to wait weeks before I get to finish them.

I went back to read the summary and I balked. Not another flash-forward story! Don’t get me wrong, I loved “Big” which was kind of the original, and I love “Thirteen Going on 30” because, I mean Mark Ruffalo (and Jennifer Garner). But others like books or Hallmark movies, I get a little annoyed when they wake up married and I don’t get to go through the whole will-they-won’t-they scenario because they’re locked in. What’s the fun in that?

Then, when time was running out and I really needed to read this I balked again because it was agony living through Lucy‘s life as a 26-year-old with her. Being that poor and frustrated with opportunity, or lack thereof, is a trigger and I just prayed there wouldn’t be too much of that. Spoiler Kinda: there isn’t.

So, if those are your concerns, forget about it. The concerns, not the book. This book is charming! I laughed, I cried,… Well, I always cry but this was sweet. Of course, she is understatedly beautiful and even as a 16-year-older self. And Sam. Bestill my heart. But Lucy and Felix were a whole other level, especially towards the end. That’s where a lot of the tears came, and some are a little sad, but most are happy… and a little sad. As Sophie Cousens said in her acknowledgments, she could’ve written 50 more pages of Lucy and Felix chatter.

Anyway, as time goes on you really don’t know what’s going to happen, what you want to happen, or what could happen. Is this time travel? Is it memory loss? Is it better to relive trauma knowing it’s coming or skip to “the good parts”? I can say that if it was me and I was that lucky, I’d want to relive my 31st birthday in a gold dress singing karaoke again and again! Though, maybe dad Sam is hotter than 30-something Sam. You tell me!

I absolutely adored this book!! It was a warm cozy hug. I loved experiencing a romcom where you already get to catch a glimpse into the future and see the nitty gritty of their life instead of a vague happily ever after. The romance in this book didn't steal the show for me... it was the family life. Watching Lucy get thrust into motherhood was so comedic and endearing while also brutally honest about the hardships of family life. Felix has a very real place in my heart. This book gave me "About Time" movie vibes and made me feel grateful my life, relationship and family... despite the constant disasters. Happy Pocket Day forever and ever. HIGHLY recommend.

I was a bit hesitant to read this as I thought it would be too cliched, but it's the perfect way of reiterating the "13 Going on 30" storyline in a more adult way. I really enjoyed the story and will be looking for more by this author

Sophie Cousens is an auto-buy for me after Just Haven’t Met You Met, and with its 13 Going on 30 premise, The Good Part was one of my most anticipated reads for 2023. Twenty-six-year-old Lucy is tired of the grind, so when she finds a wishing machine, she wishes to skip to the good part--only to wake up next to a man, a ring on her finger, two children, and her dream job, but the more she’s in this new life, the more she wishes for the ups and downs of life. I adored Lucy, she is vulnerable and delightful, and her son Felix is just the cutest thing. He is just the heart of this novel. And Lucy’s husband is so charming and sweet. This 13 Going on 30 type story is just so endearing. The friendships just shine and Lucy’s growth is really wonderful. This book is heartwarming—I laughed and cried and it’s just another win for Sophie Cousens. The Good Part is lighthearted and full of such lovable characters and I highly recommend this one!

4.5/5

This book was soooooo sweet and definitely made me tear up. I loved the lessons it had and I appreciated how relatable the MFC was. The story made me think about how important it is to live in the now and not always think about the future. I absolutely loved it!! Thank you to NetGalley for my digital ARC!

This gave me all the feels. I felt everything. I loved how feminist this work was because it shows that yes you can want to skip to the good part of your life but there is beauty in being single and enjoying time with your friends!