Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ (5/5)

I absolutely loved this book! It’s such an easy read, with banter that keeps things light, even when dealing with heavier topics.

This is my first time reading a divorcee romance, and I found it incredibly relatable. Sophie Cousens does a great job of capturing that journey of rediscovering yourself after being part of a "we" for so long. From learning not to compromise who you are anymore to navigating the tricky waters of co-parenting and new relationships, the book hits so many authentic moments.

One unique twist I enjoyed was the kids having a say in their parent's dating life. It added a fun and dynamic element, making for some eccentric but lovable characters who form this quirky group of friends.

For those interested in the romance, expect a closed-door enemies-to-lovers story with an age gap where the woman is older. It’s a romcom at heart, keeping me thoroughly entertained throughout.

Highly recommend if you're looking for a fun, heartfelt read! 🌟

Sophie Cousens is always a delight! Maybe it is my age (mid40s) and many of my friends are going through similar relationship changes (divorce with kids, etc) or maybe the charge between the main characters is compelling but I couldn't put this book down. Anna Appleby has two kids and an ex-husband who has gone through a midlife crisis and found his salvation in cycling and a young Swede. Her character is so very relatable, losing sight of herself in her duties as a mom, a wife, and a (quite good) journalist. There is a shake up at work and she is thrust into dating for the sake of her column. Online dating immediately sucks so she ends up dating whomever her kids pick out for her and writing about the ups and downs of dating in a non-digital way. Her counterpart coworker manages to swing a parallel assignment to do digital dating and tries to find ways to mirror or compliment her dating activities. She sees him as a threat - competition for work at a downsizing company - but Will Havers may not see it that way at all. He respects her. He encourages her. He actually has his sights on something different professionally. By doing this together they find out that sometimes there is a way for things to work out when all the options look like a dead end.
This was a great book with fully developed characters. No one is one dimensional (even the ex-husband's new girlfriend).
Loved it. (Will probably be rereading this when it comes out).
Thanks so much for the ARC!

5 stars
Honestly I'm not surprised that this was another 5-star banger from Sophie Cousens. I love all her books so much and she's most definitely and autobuy author for me.

I really enjoyed this book, Is She Really Going Out With Him, by Sophie Cousens. The beginning was a little slow, as It did take me a few chapters to really get into the book and kind of adjust to the brit lit vibe and get into the story. But I really, really enjoyed it once it took off.

I liked the characters a lot, though sometimes I found them hard to follow. I kept forgetting who Michael or Noah or Jonathan was and found some characters hard to track. I loved Anna from the beginning, I thought her thoughts as a mid/late 30's mom were totally relatable. I sympathized with her disposition in life and found her fun but appropriately guarded. I think the way she embraced her job situation was fun to read and might have been my favorite part.

I liked Will enough, but wanted him to be a bit more determined. Like, fight for her, man. If he's had a crush on her for that long I wanted to feel it a bit more and root for him, but I didn't really. And I HATED Sylvie. She is the step-mom/ex husband's partner worst case scenario. I hated how she overstepped into a motherly role and called her 'twist' from the beginning. Honestly, this book would have been an easy 4.5 or even a 5 but I just freaking HATE her.

Overall, I liked this book once I got into it. The flow was good and the story was mostly easy to follow. It gave great 00's movie romcom vibes and was just predictable enough. It is closed door, which is not my preference in novels, and I wanted to feel more connection between the characters. But, I really did like the plot a lot and found the whole premise endearing.

I adored this book! This was a workplace romantic comedy, and the humor and romance absolutely delivered! I found myself laughing out loud, I loved the relationship between they characters, it felt so real! I also enjoyed getting to know the secondary characters in the story as well. Everything was so well written. The storyline was unique, but really believable.
I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

This might be my favorite Sophie Cousens book!! The different characters, the banter, the work rivals to lovers, all of it!! I had such a fun time with these people and I can't wait to read what Sophie writes next!! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for my digital ARC!!

Sophie Cousens never disappoints me. This book was so great. I really enjoyed Anna's growth after her divorce and seeing her find herself outside of being a mom.

I also loved that the banter between her and Will didn't feel cheesy but genuine.

Another favorite thing for me were all the side characters. I really enjoyed reading about all the dates and how her friendships grew.

I loved this book! When I finished, I started again! Sophie Cousens is a must-read for me, and this one definitely fits that category.

Is Noah's story next, Sophie??

Thank you, NetGalley and Putnam Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've enjoyed all of Sophie Cousens' novels, so I was excited when I heard a new one was coming out - and I was particularly drawn to the premise of Is She Really Going Out with Him. The main character, Anna, is a divorced mother in her late 30s (it is, sadly, unusual for a romance heroine to be much over 30). In order to save her job and generate material for a magazine column, she agrees to date a series of men picked out by her children - while her (hot, charming) work rival Will writes a corresponding column about his online dating adventures.

Is She Really Going Out with Him is like its main love interest - smart, funny, easy on the (reading) eyes. Some readers found its series-of-random-dates format a bit slow, but I thought it was well-executed and showcased different aspects of Anna's life. I enjoyed meeting each of these quirky characters and watching Anna slowly open her life up to these different people. Anna's slow-burn romance with Will was the weak part of the story for me; I enjoyed watching their chemistry develop but didn't find their happy ending terribly plausible. Despite that, reading about their journey was delightful.

This was such a cute book! Anna is beginning to move on following a challenging divorce. Her own kids would be the ideal candidates to choose those new matches! Seeing a divorcee rom-com where the kids are the main characters was a welcome change of pace. Rom-coms frequently skimp on detail and don't concentrate on the children of divorcees. The kids were a really fantastic addition. This is a story about love—not just romantic love, but love of life, love of our neighbors, and love of development as well. In some way, every match gave Anna a new perspective. I believe this beautiful book about self-discovery is appropriate for a wide range of readers.

Sophie Cousens has done it again with another delightful and heartwarming romance novel. "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" is a charming story about a divorced columnist, Anna Appleby, who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.

The enemies-to-lovers chemistry between Anna and Will is both believable and steamy, and Cousens does a fantastic job of playing with rom-com tropes while crafting a journey of self-discovery in the wake of divorce.

The book is a perfect second chance rom-com that will leave you laughing out loud and feeling like there is hope after heartbreak. With a hilarious and satisfying happily ever after, "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" is a must-read for fans of the genre.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

Ever since I read her first book, Sophie Cousens has secured her spot on my Must-Read authors list ten times over. Each and every book she writes has an abundance of humor, heart, and, of course, romance.

IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM? is no different. Within the first few chapters, I had highlighted so many lines and situations that made me laugh that I knew it was going to be a novel I think about long after I completed it.

I really loved getting to “watch” as our main character, Anna, a journalist at her local magazine and recently divorced mother of two, was tasked with penning articles about the…interesting dates she went on with men her children picked out for her, including a waiter in his young twenties, their neighbor, their mailman, and Anna’s celebrity crush. She’s also battling with her annoyingly handsome work nemesis, Will, at every turn (I would recommend ISRGOWH? for the chair battle alone!) and dealing with an ex-husband who she no longer recognizes while trying to parent her kids.

There are also a ton of tropes that will appeal to a broad range of readers like reverse age gap, enemies to lovers, and only one bed, along with a ton of fun side characters who only make the story more complex and relatable.

Though I wouldn’t necessarily say this book has that perfect happily ever after wrapped up in a neat little bow ending that I usually crave in my books, I definitely wasn’t left wanting more than I got.

I’m already counting down the days until Sophie Cousens’s next book!

Our FMC Anna is dating again after divorce and her two children are picking the dates. the idea of this is so cute and I LOVE a second chance romance. I also have been enjoying closed door romances with a little less spice, especially if the Main. Characters are divorced and looking for new love. I enjoyed it!

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I picked up this ARC on NetGalley.

Anna‘s character really spoke to me… The way she was clearly struggling to find a way forward after her divorce, watching her ex move on quite quickly was almost heartbreaking at times.

It was clear to me early on in Anna’s interactions with Will, that he wanted there to be something there. As his character was built out, and I learned more about him, I grew quite fond of him as well.

I appreciate the slow burn of this book, go through a number of awkward and comical dates, and interactions… And thought the retreat scenes hit just right

If you are looking for a less spicy book that still is considered a Romance, add this to your TBR today.

Sophie Cousens does it again. Warm and delighting!

On a personal note: I don't care for "divorcee books," but Sophie Cousens is an auto-buy author for me and proof that fun, warm, and delightful writing--no matter the topic--can be enjoyed by all.

Another enjoyable read by Sophie Cousens. Didn't see ahead of time how to would all resolve. Very fun. Highly recommend!

This was an adorable read with a wonderful story about the FMC learning how to go from just surviving to thriving after some heartbreak and life changes. I really enjoyed the characters and their chemistry. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author!

I love Sophie Cousens! She is one of my favorite romance authors. This was a cute story. I did think her and Will didn’t have enough chemistry before they first became an item, they just went from annoyance to the hotel scene? Still a good read.

Absolutely loved it! It was real and raw and so romantic and I did not think I was going to like who the main character ended up with, but she very quickly changed my mind. So good.

I love Sophie cousens - she has an auto buy author for me! Her characters are always quirky and fun. I enjoyed this story and watching Anna grow and learn about herself while dating! The tension was building with Will but then it felt a little rushed to me once they finally gave into their feelings. I loved the kids and the resolution with her ex at the end. Overall a feel good story but nothing that’s gonna stick with me.