Clever & imaginative! A delightful read.

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Group for sending this book for review consideration.

In this contemporary romance by author Sophie Cousens, readers are introduced to Lucy Young, a twenty-six-year old junior researcher, working tirelessly in a role where she’s constantly underappreciated and undervalued and living in a flat outside of London with three roommates, broke and contemplating her life choices after poor dating app encounters.

After one such swipe and meet-up, Lucy finds herself stranded at a convenience store with an elderly Scottish lady who encourages her to “make a wish” on an old-time arcade game machine.

Reminiscent of 13 Going On 30, Lucy wakes up 16 years into the future, with a house, husband, and two young children in tow. Now working as a co-founder to a new independent production company, Lucy grapples with her new reality as she strives to make sense of what happened - did she time travel to the “good part” of her life? Or has she experienced a bout of amnesia that has her forgetting an entire chunk of her adult life?

Having no memories of the last sixteen years, Lucy struggles to find her place in her life as a forty-two year old career woman. Thrown into motherhood and marriage, Lucy discovers the joys and heartbreak in both as she begins to assume her role in this new reality. In scenes that reminded me of The Vow, Lucy begins to fall in love with her husband again and had me clutching my heart strings. Lucy’s interactions with her children were endearing and made me cheer for her, as she both struggled and succeeded in the feats of motherhood (something my mom heart could totally relate to). (The scene where she helps a fellow mom in need had me in tears because as a mother, I’ve been there - motherhood is HARD.)

In the end, Lucy has a choice - remain in the present and remember or get sent back to the past (to her 26-year-old self) and forget. Her choice is everything!

If you enjoyed movies like 13 Going On 30 or The Vow, you will definitely appreciate Sophie Cousens’ latest.

RATING: 4.5/5

[Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of The Good Part by Sophie Cousens in exchange for my honest review.]

Have you ever just wished you could skip to the good part? In this emotional, funny, and lighthearted novel, one woman gets the opportunity to do just that.

“The Good Part” is the story of Lucy Young, a 26-year-old junior TV researcher who lives in London with her three flatmates. Lucy is single, broke, and her career seems to be going nowhere. She is tired of fetching coffees for senior TV producers, disastrous dates, and flatmates who never buy toilet paper. After another terrible date, Lucy finds herself in a downpour with no money for transportation and seeks shelter in a tiny shop. There, she stumbles upon a wishing machine. Sliding her last coin into the slot, Lucy closes her eyes and wishes to skip to the good part of her life. When she wakes up the next morning, she is 42 years old, a wife, a mother, and a high-powered TV producer. As she embraces her new life and relationships, Lucy will have to ask herself: Can she go back, and if so, does she want to?

This book was fabulous and I am so sad it is over. I absolutely devoured this book, it tackles some tough questions but also there is so much emotion in the book. So much joy and yes. Also sadness. Because what would one be without the other?!

The dedication reads, “To my twenty-six-year-old self. Hang in there, hun.” ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What is the worst that can happen if you could skip all the struggles in your life right now and jump ahead to The Good Part? That’s what Lucy Young wishes for one night after a disastrous first day in a new role at the office, a horrible row with her best friends at girls’ night out, and an even worse first date with a guy from a dating app. When she gets caught in the middle of a downpour on the way home in the dark, she stumbles into a neighborhood market to seek shelter, and finds a wishing machine. Lucy makes her wish, but nothing happens…until she wakes up the next day, with a strange man next to her in bed, kids calling her Mommy, and a high-power job needing her creativity.

Sophie Cousens is known for her quirky, contemporary love stories like Just Haven’t Met You Yet and This Time Next Year – her latest release fits that category well! Part 13 Going On 30, part Freaky Friday, part Quantum Leap, this book gives a humorous look at the question so many of us have asked when life gets tough – what would happen if I could skip ahead and miss all the struggles. Cousens draws on her own personal history in the television production industry to develop the backstory of Lucy and her workplace. She masterfully mixes the personal development of the characters with stunning love stories, loss, and suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout The Good Part.

I give The Good Part 5 out of 5 stars. A hopeless romantic at heart, I enjoyed this novel as I have Cousens’ other works. I did disagree with the final big decision Lucy makes in the book but was glad to see it come full circle by the end of the novel. I also appreciated the way Cousens developed the relationship between Lucy and Sam as well as Lucy and the kids, given the obvious difficulties they faced – it was soft and caring, but realistic and challenging.

I recommend this book to readers looking for a quick and fun distraction book – I read this in one sitting of about 4 hours. This book would also be a great choice for a moms’ book club – the reminiscing about the past and the honest look at being a working parent with two small kids is very relatable. Given the discussion of sex, I would recommend this for more mature audiences over 16.

When I saw The Good Part on NetGalley, I opted for it quickly. Cousens’ writing always leaves me laughing till my sides hurt. Each of her books I’ve read thus far could easily be made into a fil or television project and I always walk away from the final pages invested in the characters and wanting a sequel! This book has made my list of Most Anticipated Releases of 2023, coming in Fall 2023 – pre-order your copy today!

Every time I read a new Sophie Cousens book, I'm like, oh this is my new favourite, and this one was no exception 😭 istg, she started out with an amazing book and kept getting better and better. This book was such literal perfection? The humor was so good, I was actually laughing out loud for so many of the scenes. And the absolute wholesomeness?? This book was so heartwarming and lovely, I need everyone to read it and smile 😭 the only complaint I have if any is that I would have liked an even longer epilogue, I want to absorb more wholesomeness 🥲🥲

If you need to be cheered up with a lovely, wholesome book, pick this one up!

TWs - sudden death of a close friend due to a brain aneurysm (lightly on page), cheating and divorce experienced by a secondary character, memory loss and how it affects close family, loss of a child due to an undetected health condition very soon after birth (lightly on page)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC of “The Good Part” by Sophie Cousens. I thoroughly enjoyed this book that used time travel and magical realism to move the plot forward. The story is about 26 year old Lucy who struggles with her job, finding a partner, having any money at all in London. On a rainy night, when she has had the worst night, she stumbles upon a wishing machine and makes a wish to get to the good part of her life. She wakes up a 42 year old sleeping next to a man she doesn’t know with two children she can’t remember. This story was filled with the humor of marriage and motherhood and the chaos that fills both. It is an uplifting story about leaning into the moments of life and not skipping the bad stuff as that changes us, too. How would we appreciate the good parts without the bad? A great story and I highly recommend it.

My first Sophie Cousens book & it definitely won't be the last! The Good Part is a cute story of a 26 yr old who overnight finds herself living 16 yrs in the future of her own life.
I'm only giving this book 4/5 stars cause it was a bit slow to get into the story, however once you're about 1/3 of the way through, you pretty want to just keep reading cause it's such a great story.
Sophie Cousens really does a fantastic job developing these characters & I look forward to reading more of her stories soon.
Shout out & big Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow. I devoured this book!
I would describe this as if 13 going on 30 met Mindy Kaling’s witty internal dialogue.
I laughed, I cried, I thought to myself what would I do if I woke up my future self?
I thoroughly enjoyed this charming book. I want another book about Lucy and Sam and their dating story. Please?!?!
Excuse me while I go read another book from Sophie Cousens …

Thank you NetGalley and GP Putnam’s sons for the ARC!

why do i wanna cry right now… kinda not even kidding. i adored this book, enough to finish it in a matter of hours. the plot was interesting and i got really invested in the characters. and just.. the end :’) goodbye

thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC!

While this book did deal with some tough topics, it also had a lot of funny aspects throughout. I absolutely loved the characters, there was great development and they were very relatable. Overall, this was a feel-good book and an enjoyable read.

4.5/5 stars

I liked this book, and it definitely reminded me of the 1980’s movies, Big and Freaky Friday. Lucy’s growing relationship with her family had some really sweet moments, and I especially enjoyed the parts about her getting to know her husband again. This book helps you appreciate your life, no matter which stage you’re in right now.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Have you ever just wished you could skip to the good part? In this emotional, funny, and lighthearted novel, one woman gets the opportunity to do just that.

“The Good Part” is the story of Lucy Young, a 26-year-old junior TV researcher who lives in London with her three flatmates. Lucy is single, broke, and her career seems to be going nowhere. She is tired of fetching coffees for senior TV producers, disastrous dates, and flatmates who never buy toilet paper. After another terrible date, Lucy finds herself in a downpour with no money for transportation and seeks shelter in a tiny shop. There, she stumbles upon a wishing machine. Sliding her last coin into the slot, Lucy closes her eyes and wishes to skip to the good part of her life.  When she wakes up the next morning, she is 42 years old, a wife, a mother, and a high-powered TV producer. As she embraces her new life and relationships, Lucy will have to ask herself: Can she go back, and if so, does she want to?

🥲 I am not well. This book was ✨perfection✨ and I am so sad it is over. I absolutely devoured this book, reading it in one sitting. Lucy’s story will have you laughing out loud on one page and wiping away tears on the next. While this is a book about time travel, it is so much more than that. I loved every single minute of it.

The dedication reads, “To my twenty-six-year-old self. Hang in there, hun.” Same, girl. Same. ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for providing me with an ARC.

I had pretty high hopes for this book, but the storyline was just okay. I would give it 2.5 stars.

Based on the blurb, I was under the impression that the plot would be similar to the premise of "13 Going on 30," but I don't think the story was described in the best way in the blurb. In my opinion, the fantasy aspect could have played a much larger role in the story.

The first several chapters of the book are just Lucy going through her day, and I could see how that would lose a lot of readers' interests. Personally, I don't think she is made out to be the most likable character.

In general, the characters in the book don't have very interesting personalities. Lucy's voice is very monotone, even when the most exciting parts of the story were happening.

Overall, this book was just not for me.

Let’s skip to the good part! That songs comes to my mind right away! This book gave me all the vibes for jumping to the future to where life is everything that you want it to be.

Lucy is in a point in her life where things are not working out for her. No good men, living situation isn’t the best and she feels undervalued in her career. But one night can change that all!

Following the journey with Lucy was fun and there were moments that I wanted her to connect to dots more but I still loved the whole process of her realization.

The ending and her decision was a perfect way to end the book. I did get a little nervous. Now, I don’t want to spoil too much but I definitely recommend that you go buy this book! It’s a must have.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced reader copy! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts.

Review is posted to my goodreads and I will share to my personal Facebook, Instagram and blog.

I really, really enjoyed this book!! It was my first book from Sophie Cousens and I liked her writing style a lot!

It's not often that a book that I actually laugh that much while I'm reading a book, but The Good Part had me chuckling quite a bit throughout.

Lucy is 26 and generally unhappy with her life. She makes a wish to skip to "The Good Part" and finds herself in the middle of life 16 years later. We make the journey with her as she tries to figure out if her wish really did come true and what she does now?

I thought it was a really fun and cute time-travel story but it was also very heartfelt. I thought the balance was really good.

I loved all the characters. It was a quick read. I never felt like it lulled or got boring. I enjoyed it all the way through.

I hate to tell too much because I don't want to spoil anything, but if you enjoy funny, heartfelt stories that include time jumps while the main character tries to figure out how to navigate it, you will probably enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for providing me with an eARC.

Oh. My. Gosh!!!! This was so so good!!! This is my favorite Sophie Cousens novel so far! The very beginning of this story didn’t really grab me but just a few pages later I was totally hooked! I do love a time travel story and this scratched that itch! I adored all the characters but especially loved Felix! I could absolutely see this being adapted into a movie! Five star read!!! Thanks Net Galley for the early copy!!!

Based on the description I was expecting a silly little rom-com full of goofy hijinks and humorous takes on "omg I woke up and now I'm an adult."

And yes, there is an element of that but there's also some truly heartfelt (and heartbreaking) moments. There's exploration of the serious aspect of having 16 years of your life gone. You're living with strangers. You don't know how to drive your car, work the washing machine, let alone how to do your job. How do you be a wife and mum to a family you didn't have the day before?

Frankly, I don't know if I would have loved the book as much as I did if it went straight down the comedy route. It feels more real the way it's written. I won't spoil the ending but I will say that I didn't know how I wanted it to end. And to me, that's a mark of some good storytelling.

3.5 rounded up.

I was hesitant to dive into The Good Part because time travel premises make me a little itchy. I'm fine with a 13 Going on 30, and a Big, but then something like The Family Man (which involves kids) doesn't settle great with me.

The premise of The Good Part is Lucy Young is 26 and not where she thought she would be at 26. She lives in a small flat with three roommates that have their own messes and idiosyncrasies. The neighbor upstairs keeps taking baths and the water seeps through the floor and onto her bed. Her job is a disaster with no hope for promotions. She can't find meaningful relationships on the apps. So, one night she stumbles home, broke, lost, and encounters an arcade game that grants wishes. She goes with it and basically says take me to the part of my life that is good.

We know where this is going. She wakes up the next day in an unfamiliar bed with luxurious sheets, next to a very handsome stranger. She wakes up 42, married, with two kids, and a very successful job in TV production.

She has no idea what happened the last 16 years. But her wish came true, because she is at the good part.

Or is she?

This book wasn't super sci-fi or romance, though there are romantic parts. It's about self-discovery and reflection.

I love the author's note at the beginning of the book. "To my twenty-six-year-old self. Hang in there hon."

Because, girl, same. Twenty six was a long time ago, but I can remember frustrations of job, relationships, housing situations. You feel hopeless that the good part is so out of reach, that it will never happen. But the truth is in life there will always be good parts, and bad parts, and good parts again and all of these experiences help change you and help you grow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC for my honest review.

In "The Good Part," Sophie Cousens weaves a delightful tale that takes readers on an enchanting journey through the complexities of life and the power of wishes. This five-star novel effortlessly captures the essence of human desires and the bittersweet longing for a life filled with joy.

Lucy Young, the relatable and endearing protagonist, finds herself at a crossroads, yearning for something more in life. Cousens masterfully introduces a unique twist when Lucy stumbles upon a wishing machine, setting the stage for a her adventure. Through Lucy's transformation from a young woman to a mature and fulfilled version of herself, Cousens skillfully explores themes of self-discovery and the pursuit of happiness.

With its engaging storyline, relatable characters, and thought-provoking themes, "The Good Part" is a must-read for anyone seeking a book that will captivate their heart and inspire them to cherish every moment. Sophie Cousens has once again proven herself as a master storyteller, deserving of the highest praise.

thank you to netgalley for the ARC! i loved this book. as a mom, reading about how hard motherhood is from the outside looking in and then watching her fall in love with her kids, it really hit home. it was such a sweet story, and i’ll definitely be reading more of sophie’s books as they come out.