So cute! This book gave me total vibes of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and I legit was having images of Lucy Hale in my head while reading this - although I felt like this story added a fun and twist to The Hating Game story! I really enjoyed the mix of adding the children and having them pick out dates for their mom. This story was super wholesome and honestly so cute and such a fun and cozy read. There were moments where I got exhausted of Anna as it felt like she was her own demise buuuuuut you can’t help but root for her happiness! Check this out if you want a fun pick-me-up with sweet banter and a sprinkle of love and spice!

▫️what I liked:
-kids picking out dates for their mom
-banter
-very much a 2000s romcom and I ate it up
-Will

▫️what I didn’t like:
-VERY predictable lol
-Dan and sometimes Anna

This book is so incredibly adorable and relatable. To have a FMC who is late thirties was really refreshing. But then to have her divorce situation and emotions and the dating column— chefs kiss 💋

So good! Highly recommend! 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Sophie Cousens for the advanced reader copy.

Anna is no longer married, and while she is not exactly sad about that, she didn't really want to be *divorced* either. Her job is not bad, but print magazines are going bankrupt more often, and Anna knows she needs to find a way to stay relevant. Especially with Will, the new guy in the office, obviously out to get her column, her position and maybe even take over the magazine. Under the inept leadership of the magazine's editor in chief, and being eyed to be bought out by a larger media organization and restructured, Anna and Will write dueling columns about dating in adulthood: Will's from the perspective of online dating, and Anna's from the perspective of meeting people IRL. Anna's side upped the ante by allowing her children to pick her dates for her.

Cute and lighthearted, it is an easy read. I think the ending is somewhat implausible, but honestly, it could also work for some couples. Recommend this to people looking for beach or travel reads.

Wow, I loved this. This is my second Sophie Cousens book and I feel the need to dive into her whole backlist now to see what else I’ve missed. Finally an author who knows how to write romance and self discovery for women over the age of 24!

Anna, being 38 with 2 school aged kids and a divorcee, is exactly the hero I needed. And Will, just knowing what he wants and being willing to go for it… I am going to be swooning for weeks thinking back on this book. It’s the perfect amount of anticipation, beautiful chemistry, and the ever looming realistic mix of challenges moms go through while still trying to be actual people themselves. I loved the side characters and the unlikely friendships she makes along the way. I just keep gushing, I just loved this whole book.

I really enjoyed last year's The Good Part, but this one didn't work quite as well for me. Still an enjoyable read, but not my favorite from the author.

"A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker."

Funny and heartfelt... As all Sophie Cousens books

This time Sophie Cousens puts a 38yo divorced mother of two, Anna, in the front and center. And I am here for it!

The love interest, Will, is a few years younger. They have great chemistry. Aside from the fact that romance was well done, I liked Cousens's realistic portrayal of motherhood. Anna's kids act and talk like kids. They have age appropriate problems that Anna has to deal with.

Anna's children's matchmaking attempts and their selection criteria for date prospects were funny. But while I enjoyed reading about Anna's dates and had a good laugh or two, I wanted more of Anna and Will.

At the start I wasn't really crazy about the situation Anna and Will were put in, being pitted against each other, writing about their own dating life. Workplace enemies to lovers is not my favorite trope but once I moved past that Cousens's effortless writing and loveble characters won me over.

I especially liked the realistic ending to their story.

When Anna Appleby's job as a magazine columnist is threatened, she starts dating. Not that she's looking for a man, but because she needs to get more readers, so Anna pitches an unique angle where she will write about her dates in her column. Then comes Will Havers, up & coming columnist who wants her column.

Anna is a likeable & relatable character and I loved how she put herself out there for everyone to read about. I enjoyed this book immensely, it did not seem like the typical enemies to lovers trope. While this is the first book I've read by this author, it will not be the last.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

When divorcee Anna Appleby’s job is on the line because the magazine she writes for is about to go under, she agrees to do something drastic: go on blind dates with men her children pick for her and write about her experiences. It doesn’t help that her office rival is writing a companion column at the same time. What happens as they join forces to save their little publication is just plain fun! This is a book that has stuck with me after reading it. I read a lot of rom-coms that become forgettable after a while. Like many of Sophie Cousens’ books, this one was not so easily forgotten. She’s a master at character and plot and this newest book does not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam and Sons for my eARC. #netgalley

I'll read and enjoy even a grocery list by Sophie Cousens! Without sounding too baised, I'd like to say this book was perfect.

Columnist Anna has left her love life behind after a painful divorced. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

First, I'd like to say how this blurb does an amazing job of not revealing too much. You can only make out some basics, but trust me, there's so much to unravel. Second, this was the most boldest/hottest book by Sophie yet. I loved the sizzling chemistry, banter, & angst between Anna & the love interest.

The will-they, won't-they aspect kept me on my toes till the end. I really enjoyed Anna's journey throughout. The 3rd act tension was too heartbreaking because i could feel how devastating it was for both the characters to face this situation.

I can't wait for what's next to come by Sophie!!

<i>Thank you Netgalley & publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

I really enjoyed this book! Seeing Anna find her way as a mother after divorce was so interesting! I really liked seeing her character growth as well as see her experiences. Anna’s process of writing a column about dating as a single mom was so fun!! I loved the premise and seeing it all pan out. The book is full of heart, witty banter, romance and growth. I loved every page!

Thank you Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC. 4.25 stars. I absolutely adored this book! The characters were so unique and likable. I especially related to the main character, Anna, and her struggles and triumphs as a mother. I loved the setting in Bath, England as well. It took me back to the time I spent in Bath ten years ago. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a cute, funny romance novel with lots of depth and a beautiful English setting.

Very enjoyable romance! Sophie has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I love that she has told stories more focused on “older women” who aren’t really that old, and also don’t have it figured out. Despite the characters age, I felt like I could easily relate. Some of the date structure felt a little repetitive but I liked that it introduced a bunch of fun side characters

There's something about the way Sophie Cousens portrays motherhood that is truly both uplifting and wildly honest. Is She Really Going Out with Him was a refreshing take on a workplace romance - while the story and basis of the plot may sound familiar, Cousens always delivers it in a new and exciting vein! I will read absolutely anything and everything she writes!!!

Thank you Putnam Books and NetGalley for approving me for this arc!! I’m a sucker for hallmark romances and couldn’t wait to add this one to my list!!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s

I love the premise of this book! The idea of going on dates chosen by your kids is such a cute and funny idea!! I also love second love books, idk why but someone finding love after a divorce is my one of my favorite tropes. Through this book you get to see Ana grow into a more confident person after losing her husband to a younger woman. It’s basically a twist on 10 ways to lose a guy.

The dates Ana goes on help cement her in the community and establish friendships even if there isn’t any romance. I wasn’t on board with the main love interest to begin with, I found myself saying, “god is it really him?!” But after a few chapters I was cheering them both on hoping it’d work out in the end, it always does.

Even after my 5 star review, I’m not a massive fan of the ending and i feel like a few loose ties were left behind. For example, I think she should’ve left her job and gotten a better one given that she wanted to pursue a different form of journalism before having kids, this would’ve been her chance to embrace that and apply to jobs outside of her comfort zone like Will was. And, we never found out if she moves to Paris or if Will stays in Bath after wanting to move out since forever. Yes they end up together but will they ever live together? Anyways, this was a great romance book for the holidays and I loved the British twist on it!!

the cutest arc i’ve read so far! i love love love will and anna. their banter was to die for and at times a little heart wrenching.

read if you like

- rivals to friends to lovers
- age gap romance • she’s 38 and he’s 30
- one bed
- forced proximity
- HEA

i’m not one to read romances like these but they’re nice every once in awhile. this will have you rooting for our two mcs consistently throughout. the writing had an easy flow to it and the side characters were great, really added to the whole story. i won’t say much else besides the above tropes because this feels like one to just go ahead and read.

thankful as always for the arc ~

This was a really fun and funny story, while also tackling hard things like starting over and grieving loss. I definitely recommend it.

VERY cute little book. I love Sophie cousens and she’s starting to remind me of Sophie kinsella, funny cute little rom coms! The Google searches at the top of each chapter were making me CACKLE! (Although they were hard to see on my kindle lol). It did feel a bit long or dragging at times but I still had a great time reading! Looking forward to her next book!!

Sophie Cousens does not miss, my friends.

This book was so sweet, so fun, and it was over far, far too soon. Sophie's writing is so easy to read and the way she describes things and emotions and scenarios is utterly delightful.

There is heartache and healing and real, raw feelings that made you empathize so deeply with Anna and everything she was going through.

I think this one is best read going into it without too much information, but I loved it, and I hope you will too.

Sophie has expertly crafted lovely, real, relatable characters and a romance you'll be cheering for from early on.

Content: More detailed fade-to-black, f-words

As a divorcee that did the internet dating go-round, I loved this sweet and wonderful little book! Anna's struggles at work and home in trying to be a mom, repair her soul after divorce, and then inject some freshness into her magazine column are universally relatable. I loved the idea of letting your kids pick your dates for research and writing purposes. I also greatly enjoyed the growth and confrontation of self and could relate to the real world parallel of changing your life, one healing moment at a time.

Sophie Cousens’ Is She Really Going Out With Him? is a heartfelt exploration of dating after divorce, motherhood, and self-discovery.

At age 38, disillusioned journalist Anna Appleby has reluctantly gotten back into the dating game, one year after her divorce, all under the premise of writing a captivating dating column for a dying magazine company. Unfortunately she is partnered with her work nemesis, Will Havers, in order to bring two different perspectives to this dating column. Although they are supposed to be dating other people, sparks start to fly between the two of them and Anna starts to wonder if maybe she actually doesn’t hate him after all?

Anna was incredibly relatable. There were times her sass and wit had me cackling! I loved the little details at the beginning of each chapter, overhead would be a “Google search bar” with search history of things Anna was meant to have searched since the last chapter, and it was a fun little reveal further into Anna’s character.

Although I liked the book, I’m giving it 3.75 stars because there were parts that got my anxiety going (miscommunication with her ex, her struggling with his new gorgeous girlfriend, the struggles of motherhood and single parenting, dating again after divorce, daughter being bullied at school, etc.) that made it hard for me to read. Overall I absolutely love how it ends and how Anna and her ex-husband grow to be better co-parents and she finally gets her happily ever after!

For fans of workplace romances, rivals to lovers, the MMC falling first, and stories involving self discovery and healing, then this one is for you!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Putnam books in exchange for my honest review.