ARC Review

Story: 3.5/5 ⭐

---

After a really shitty day followed by an awful date, Sophie finds herself in front of a strange wishing machine and ends up wishing to skip to the good part of her life. Lo and behold, she wakes up the next morning in a strange bed with a handsome man and a wedding ring. If that's not strange enough, she looks in the mirror and is OLD(er)! She finds out she's all but skipped 16 years of her life. She's has a high powered job, and even 2 kids! But has she skipped to the good part of her life or simply forgotten a huge chunk of her memories? And if given the opportunity, will she go back or stay in this strange new life?

---

This reads like 13 going on 30 vibes, but instead it's 26 going on 42. While the concept is not really new, it's relatable. Sophie is very relatable, a young 20 something in the prime of her life who's just living her dream (even though the pay is shit) and life on a whim. Once she's transported to the future, her confusion is relatable even to those of us who HAVE gone through the bad points of our lives. She finds herself living through a whirlwind of emotions that we have all felt. The plot drags on during some points of her transition which is why I docked a 0.5 star, but overall the book was enjoyable. Towards the latter half of the book I became more invested in the characters and really enjoyed the book. Definitely a solid book about self-discovery!

***I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to the author/publishing company and netgalley for this opportunity!

I really enjoyed this book! It was not groundbreaking, but it made me nostalgic for early 2000’s movies, like 13 Going on 30, that I loved. This was my second Sophie Cousens book and like the first, I found it to be so endearing. I laughed a lot while reading and surprisingly, it was equally thought-provoking as it was light-hearted and fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

Okay FINE! This book was absolutely adorable. There! I said it!

The Good Part follows Lucy Young, a 26-year-old TV runner who just wants to skip to the "good part" of her life. Well...readers quickly find out that you should always be careful with what you wish for, especially when wishing at a wishing machine.

Was this book groundbreaking or entirely unique? No, but it didn't need to be. This book felt like a warm hug and (while the pacing was sometimes a bit rushed/slow in some places) I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I fell in love with Sam, Felix, and Amy and thought that their familial relationships felt very genuine and relatable.

I wasn't expecting just how thought-provoking this book would be. The book truly makes readers consider what's more important: the hard journey or the happy destination.

This book was the perfect summer read, and I'd definitely recommend it!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

26 going on 40... I was immediately interested in this book after reading about the plot and I think this is now my favorite novel from Sophie Cousens! This story had me both laughing out loud and on the verge of tears. I truly enjoyed every moment of it and at one point I put it aside for a few hours because I just wasn't ready for it to end. If you enjoy wholesome, heart warming, and relatable stories about navigating through the hardships in life, do yourself a favor and read this one.

Sophie Cousens was already an "auto-buy" author for me, but she just solidified her spot in my list of authors whose books I will immediately purchase upon release.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is for fans of 13 going on 30. The main character wishes to skip “to the good part” of her life and when she wakes up the next day, she’s in her future. A cute concept that makes you think, how would I feel if I skipped a decade of my life? I wasn’t sure I would get the closure I was looking for but the last few chapters were imperative. It was a great buddy read because it stemmed a lot of questions and conversations to discuss. Thank you Netgalley for this eArc in return for an honest review.

5/5 Stars

I was at a loss for words with this one. This book brought back so much nostalgia reminding me of movies such as The Vow and 13 Going on 30 and many more trendy early 2000’s movies. This book is just a chefs kiss of literary storytelling. Leaving you with a very needed lesson of not taking your life for granted.

I loved this book. Sophie Cousens is a wonderful writer. She makes characters that you want to root for and you fall in love with.

4/5 stars.
Really enjoyed this well-written modern day update of the movie BIG. It was sweet and funny, and at times emotionally moving. Recommend for anyone who loved 13 Going on 30.

Can we skip to the good part? How many times have you asked yourself just this? What if you didn't have to go through the bad things in life and could instead just skip to all the good stuff? Would you do it? This book tackles this question and was such a fun feel-good read. It gave me a similar vibes to the classic moving 13 going on 30 where all the main character wants to do is grow up thinking that getting older is where all the fun is.

As a 20 something year old, I really enjoyed reading this book and it definitely had me reflecting about my own life and journey. All the characters were well developed and Felix was my absolute favorite. I also absolutely love a good time travel book and executed that trope very well.

This is a perfect beach read!

Thank you Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book will be published on November 7, 2023.

Sophie Cousens has become an instabuy, and this keeps the tradition alive. She writes the wittiest heartfelt stories that will have you laughing and crying within one page. If you are a fan of Mhairi McFarlane and Josie Silver, and Cousens books to your wishlist!

Lucy, a 26 year old, is having a hard time & stumbles upon a wishing machine & makes a wish to skip to the good part. And she does - 16 years into the future where she has a house, a family & a job she doesn't remember. Will she get back to 26 or will she fall in love with her "new life"?

Finished this one in two days & I couldn't put it down! It gave me 13 Going on 30 vibes, but a bit more emotional but in good ways. I adored so many parts of this story & it is an interesting take on what would you do if you could skip all the hard parts & just end up when life is good & happy. Pick this one up if you like the not knowing what's going on for a while feeling, a sweet family (Felix is the dearest & don't even get me started on Sam) & a woman learning what is most important in her life.

Oh my gosh, I absolutely loved this book!! It took me by surprise with how much I loved it! I am a big fan of Sophie Cousens, so when I saw she had a new book coming out, I had to read it. Right from the start I was hooked, and didn’t want to put this book down! I loved all the characters in this book, especially Felix. There were so many emotions in this book. I found my self laughing out loud one second and then being sad the next. I really enjoyed the time travel aspect of it as well. I could totally see this book being made into a movie. I highly recommend checking it out!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Net Galley for the ARC of this book!

I've read Sophie Cousens books before and this one was such a fun one! If you're looking for a feel good book that also makes you think about the meaning of life, this is it. I loved following Lucy, a twenty something who wishes to be transported to the "good part" of her life and wakes up in her forties with a husband and kids. Following her as she navigates what she knows about herself I'm her twenties and how her life and personality has shifted with age. I enjoyed watching her fall in love again with her husband. Seeing her come to the conclusion that life is about the messy parts and the good parts and that all of those things make you who you are was intriguing.
It reminded me a little bit of In Five Years by Rebecca Serle which is also a good book! Would recommend for sure!

I can’t say that I’m typically a fan of the time travel aspect but Sophie nailed it. I truly and absolutely adored all the characters and was routing for them! Overall I feel this was just a wholesome read and just a great story!

After coming across a wishing machine, Lucy Young wishes to skip to the good part in life. The one where she is not broke, starving or dating terrible men. However, when her wish takes her 16 years ahead into the future, Lucy has to decide if this life is worth staying in

There wasn’t anything unique about this story (think 13 Going on 30, Freaky Friday, 17 Again), but I loved how 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. There were times when I felt the plot dragged a bit after Lucy jumped into the future, and I kept hoping there was something that would make it feel different than all the movies with a similar concept. 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 kids (seriously her son was the best part of the book) but also how to be successful/confident at her job.

Read if you like:
-Sliding doors stories
-Time travel
-Self-discovery
-Kids as supporting characters
-13 Going on 30/ Freaky Friday

Thank you Putnam for the ARC! Pub date 11/7

I was thrilled to be provided a copy of this book for my honest review - thanks so much, Penguin Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley!

I LOVED this story so much! I greatly enjoy Sophie’s style of writing, it’s so engaging and sparkling. “Just Haven’t Met You Yet” was one of my favorite books of 2022 but I think “The Good Part” has edged ahead of it on my list! It’s at turns sweet, funny and sad, and thoroughly romantic and thought-provoking. Without getting too spoilery, I will say that I just loved so many of these characters! And the message of the story - about truly inhabiting and being grateful for each day - was deeply moving.

Time travel is a genre I adore, and “13 Going on 30” is one of my top comfort films, so this novel grabbed me quite quickly. I flew through the pages!

Lucy is in her early 20s and is struggling with work, lives in a crappy apartment, and has had tough luck with dating. She comes across a wishing well and dreams she wants to skip to the good part of her life. This transports her 16 years into the future where she has a husband, kids, and successful career. However she must piece together what she missed in her life as well. This felt a bit like Back to the Future with the fun technological advances 16 years from now.
I found Lucy to be relatable in that you wish life is easier financially and professionally in your 20s but you also don't want to miss those life moments of falling in love, having children, seeing your friendships deepen. I loved some of the messaging in here - there are no shortcuts in life, live all the moments of you life - it makes you who you are. I loved seeing her relationship and connections unfold with Sam and the kids. However, the ending was a huge disappointment for me and needed a bit more after all her adventures.

Recommend if you enjoy
Books with time travel 
Kids with personality!!
The movie Big or 13 Going on 30

This book was phenomenal!! I absolutely adored every single character, truly fell in love with all of them. Especially Felix and the fact that the author mentions in her acknowledgments that Pocket Day is a real celebration made up by her kids makes me love it even more. You know a book is amazing when you find yourself reading even the acknowledgments! This book was deeper than I expected, made me laugh out loud, made me tear up.. It was my first book by Sophia Cousens but definitely won't be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this wonderful book! I absolutely adored it! It was positive but also had thoughtful sad aspects. It made the book well rounded and inspiring. I loved the main character Lucy. She was relatable, funny, and lively. Sam is extremely charming and sweet. Felix was adorable and funny!
The book made me both miss my 20s and look forward to my 40s. After a magic wish Lucy jumps 16 years into the future. She has to try and adapt to married life, being a mother, and having a successful career with a company she helped create.
I loved this book so much! It was a fast and easy read. Very joyful and a great story on the ups and downs of life and how they work together to create a beautiful life. I can't wait to read more by this author!

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and how certain elements of it were carried out, but I found it hard to relate to Lucy. We get a great glimpse at her personality in her 26 yo body, but when we flash forward 16 years we lose a lot of her personality. Every time we would get glimpses at who she became I started to warm towards her more, but there were just some pieces missing, but I understand why the storyline is structure the way that it is.

Sam may be my favorite character in the book, even though we really don't get a lot of time getting to know him. The way he handles the circumstances is beautiful, and we still get to see the human side of him when he gets frustrated or isn't sure what he should be doing for Lucy.

I also have to throw in, while I normally do not enjoy kids that play a strong role in books, I have to say, Felix was adorable and I appreciated that he was written as a child and his dialogue and thought process was realistic.

This book discusses some very tough topics, and while it ended with me smiling, it was sometimes...just sad.