Adorable. It’s a heart eye yes from me! I love Sophie Cousens! Now we if could just her her to open up that closed door a little 🌶️ 🌶️, come on now, girl!

I first fell for Sophie Cousens when I randomly picked up Just Haven’t Met You Yet at Target after being sold by the synopsis. But this one? It made me fall even harder for her writing. Is She Really Going Out with Him? is packed with Cousens' trademark charm, wit, and emotional depth, but this time with an extra spark that really hit home. The chemistry between the leads is so delightfully sparky that I found myself wishing it leaned a little more open door—because wow, the tension between them deserved to be turned up to 11. Much like the fictional Anne Applesby, I couldn’t help but fall head over heels for Will Havens (someone tell me where to find one in real life, thanks).

This book is ridiculously relatable in the best way—a beautiful reminder that we’re all just out here, healing, trying, and doing our best. It also makes a compelling case for openness as the ultimate key to connection. The dates were so fun to read—equal parts laugh-out-loud awkward and heart-meltingly sweet—and their eventual coming together was absolutely worth the ride. Cousens proves once again why she’s an auto-buy author for me.

4.75 ⭐
Certainly wasn't expecting to love this book so much. The basic set-up is definitely intriguing...divorced woman gets assigned (volunteers?) to write to write a series of articles on getting back out there. After one failed foray into dating apps, there's a new rule. Her children get to choose who she dates each week. And the dates are hilarious! But the heart of the story is learning to find herself again and how to find joy again. Heartfelt and poignant, I had tears in my eyes at several points. And the final article she published is just amazing.

I absolutely loved this!!! Women beginning again mid-way through their lives and discovering their spark are some of my favorite stories to read, and this one was so sexy and fun! The chemistry between Will and Anna was amazing, and I loved the community that formed throughout the story. Such a swoony, wonderful story!

Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Journalist Anna Appleby is navigating her messy life after a divorce. She is struggling to keep her magazine column relevant and feels constantly challenged by her young(er) colleague Will Havers.

I really enjoyed the cute banter and odd dates, I thought it was a wonderful enemies to lovers trope

Sophie Cousens knows how to write the perfect heartfelt, laugh out loud funny romances! I was SO excited to receive this eARC from NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam. This book follows Anna Appleby a journalist who is trying to bounce back after her divorce. She's a mom of two kids, her ex husband has moved on with a young, could-be-model named Sylvie, and her job is at risk for becoming redundant after her magazine company was bought out by a bigger firm. Not only is she dealing with all of this, she has to go to work each day to see her work enemy Will Havers. In order to save her job she and Will work on a column about going on dates that Anna's kids choose, and the forced proximity starts to change things for them. I love an enemies to lovers trope and both Will and Anna are intelligent (mostly) rational adults! I had so much fun reading this and looked forward to all of her Google Searches at the start of each chapter. HIGHLY recommend this! 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an early copy of this book 😊. I really enjoyed this one. It was delightfully British and the dry, witty, and sarcastic humor made me laugh out loud. I loved Will and Anna. Having her kids pick the people she dates, and what they do was a refreshing take on a RomCom I hadn’t seen before. I loved the enemies to lovers/rival journalists trope in this as well. This had a lot of heart to it and wasn’t all romance all the time, which is something I like in romance books. Overall I enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend to romance readers 😊💕.

“Is She Really Going Out with Him” is another captivating love story from Sophie Cousens. I love that the story is about a divorced mom dating again. This is something that a lot of women can relate to nowadays. I also loved the way that the author navigates the enemies-to-lovers plot with humor and insight.

I highly recommend this one.

Slowly but surely, Sophie Cousens has become a must read author for me because her stories are consistently witty, endearing and entertaining. “Is She Really Going Out with Him” was no different, another charming read that did not disappoint.

There are a few things that I really appreciated about this book. First, its not often that you read romances with slightly older lead females, and while this isn’t a big deal for most stories, it’s pleasant change to hear about love in someone with more lived experiences.

Second, the storytelling is fun and unexpected at times. There are scenes that make you swoon but also make you cringe. One particular scene (at the part with Caleb), I literally had to put the book down and walk away because of second hand embarrassment for Anna. I love books that make you feel connect to the characters on that kind of level.

Third, I felt the chemistry pretty early on. So many times there are romances where you know who is supposed to end up together, but as the reader I’m not really invested in what is going to happen. There was a point in reading this book that I didn’t know how things were going to end, and I knew if it wasn’t what I wanted I was going to throw the book across the room, that’s how invested I was.

While some of the conflicts were resolved a bit messily, I don’t think it took away from the overall story. I thoroughly enjoyed Anna and Will’s story and will miss seeing more of their lives.

**Thank you to Penguin-Putnam and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I truly appreciate the opportunity!**

📰 Book Review 📰

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: November 19, 2024

Rating: I really enjoyed it!

This is my second book by Cousens and there is something about her writing that warms my soul. This book came at the perfect time for the beginning of November. I was feeling pretty slump-ish and her book felt like a warm hug.

For fans of:
🗞️ First person POV
❤️ Singular POV
🗞️ Older FMC (late 30’s)
❤️ Workplace romance
🗞️ Divorced mom
❤️ Enemies to lovers
🗞️ Workplace competition
❤️ Dates picked by her kids 😂
🗞️ Slow burn
❤️ Only one cabin (🫣🤭)
🗞️ Closed door/very mild spice

I loved this book so much! I loved the characters and the story. It made me laugh out loud multiple times. It’s fun to see someone who isn’t twenty and childless have a romantic plot line . I’m not a huge romance fan but Sophie Cousens books always hit the spot for me!

Obsessed. Letting your children, your youngish children to boot, pick your dates for you while also lowkey falling in love with your competition at work? Absolutely loved

Anna Appleby, a columnist and divorced mom of two, has sworn off dating after a bitter divorce with ex Dan. When her job suddenly hangs in the balance, and she is asked to step up her emotional and relatable column game, she lets her kids pick seven offline dates for her. Each date leads to hilarious and awkward encounters. From the mailman to her celebrity crush, to her next door neighbor who despises Anna, she reluctantly re-enters the dating world. With humor and heart, Anna learns that starting over might be messier than she imagined, but it could also lead to something truly wonderful.

Pub Date: November 19, 2024

5 stars!!

YES, SOPHIE! Obsessed with this book. This is my romcom perfection. Anna is going through some dramatic life changes and kids are involved which always heightens the difficulty level. She includes the kids in her dating-for-the-column experience and their selections are unintentionally ruthless. The mailman is a Jane Austen mega fan, the neighbor wants to take her to mediation to discuss hedge heights and her celebrity crush is straight up slimy. Even the dad from school is questionable, at best. However, despite some truly horrible dates, Anna develops extraordinarily sweet friendships with two of the men, bonds deeply with an older woman she met while on one of the dates. and finds fantastic fun and banter with her colleague Will. Do not sleep on the Google Searches at the start to each chapter - they are a must read portion of the novel. An added humorous bonus I think we can all relate to (Google rabbit holes, anyone?). This story is chock full of fun and discomfort and fire (closed door, but still spicy adjacent) and warmth (oh, my heart!!) - it is so easy to fall in love with.

Thank you so much to G.P. Putnam's Sons, Sophie Cousens and NetGalley for this gifted ARC! It was an honor and a pleasure to read it.

Despite personal grievances against the title of this contemporary romance novel, Is She Really Going Out With Him cannot be further faulted. This is my third Sophie Cousens read and the first that has pushed itself into five-star territory (for me). She seems to have a penchant for high concepts, and the same is true here, but this time the romance of it really outshined the cheesiness.

Anna is a thirty-eight year old divorcee with two children and a job as a columnist at a failing magazine. In a desperate attempt to bring some much needed readership into the audience, the team comes up with the idea for her to go on a series of dates her children choose for her and writing about them. Will, a colleague who seems to be gunning for her column, is tasked with writing a complementary piece for each column that will help theme the issue. Anna is still struggling to adjust to her life as a single mom and having to work with Will is the last thing she needs. What she does need, though, is a friend, and when she needs one, he always seems to be there. Most of the dates turn into quite a fiasco, but they each teach Anna a little something more about herself.

This is a feel-good book. A girl power book. An utterly romantic book. Anna is the every woman with problems and insecurities and doubts, but the way she doesn't shy away from any of it is inspiring. I really enjoyed the personal growth elements, and there were a few.

The romance, though, is what shines. For me the balance between the two was done very well. There were no long breaks from the romance plotline for her to go off and work on herself, the learning was integrated in to everything else and that's why it worked so well for me.

Will is a winner. He's everything you could want in your leading man. He's a cinnamon roll. A golden retriever. An emotional, sensitive, tall, strong, thoughtful, and romantic man. We love to love him.

The story also doesn't end in quite the way you might expect, which I can appreciate.

Sophie Cousens is going on my list of authors to watch!

This book was so cute. I'm a sucker for a work rivalry (or rivalry in general...) so this one was right up my alley. There's no spice, everything is fade to black, but the plot and banter makes up for anything I was slightly missing (what can I say I love a little spice)

This was such a cute, funny read! I enjoyed it. I can really identify with being a divorced, single Mom and what it is like trying to get back out there. So many disasters I could relate with.

I loved the enemies to lovers dynamic & relationship! Overall, a really good read!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review.

#NetGalley #PenguinGroup #SophieCousens

Sophie Cousens truly never lets me down, and this book is no exception! My favorite of hers has been "Before I Do" but this one is up there with it! It has such a unique concept, literally laugh out loud humor, and got me in the heart quite a lot (the recipe to all of Sophie's books). I just had so much fun with this one, and it was reminiscent of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days" and also kindof reminded me of the movie "Love Hard", both of which I love. This book just checked all the boxes for me, and I definitely recommend it (as well as her other books). And if you haven't read any of her books yet, what are you doing with your life? I cant wait for the next one! :)

Loved!!!! And will definitely be reading more from this author! I thought the concept was unique for a romance book and I was hooked from the start. Incorporating the main characters children into the storyline was done in such a seamless way and really made my reading experience more enjoyable. While there were some deeper themes of self discovery and mourning past relationships with oneself and others, this was overall a very fun read! The story flowed nicely, where I didn’t feel as though the plot was rushed, but there was still enough detail to keep me engaged and connected to the characters. I will definitely be recommending this one!

It’s been about a year and a half since Anna’s divorce, and while her ex is back on the dating scene she has avoided like the plague. When her job is suddenly in jeopardy, she agrees to do a column with her arch nemesis. They will each go on ten dates and write about their experiences. The catch? His will come from online, and her dates will be decided by her children.as bad as online dating can be though, in person isn’t much better…

This book was just so adorable! I mean, would I ever let anyone in my life pick out dates for me? Well, maybe a select few, but I mean insanely few people. I did love the crazy dates Anna ended up on…well one made me insanely furious IYKYK, but there were some great blips along the way! I really needed a light read that was a bit more closed door right now, and this book perfectly fit the bill! I always love Sophie Cousens and this one was no exception!

Thank you to @putnambooks for my gifted copy of this book!

Wow I did not expect to like this book so much but here we are, 360+ pages after and I'm absolutely in love with it. This was a fun and light romcom that had me in all of my feels. Anna, a divorced mom of 2 kids, is struggling to get back into her old groove of being happy and in love. Understandbly so, Anna is reluctant to start dating until she had no choice but to do it for the sake of her work. What ensues is a string of bad and good dates but so very enlightening every time for Anna. I love the self-realizations she makes after every date and little by little, Anna is learning to love and trust herself again. Her love story with Will was something I did not forsee to love but I do. They are just so good together. I can feel the tension and the chemistry through these pages and the way Sophie has written them. In the end, it was hard not to root for them, especially Anna. She deserves her happily ever after. And don't even get me started on that grand gesture at the end. This is a top read for me for this year. I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley, the publishers and Sophie for the opportunity to have an early copy of this amazing book.