I loved that this book is both heartwarming and funny, while also being realistic and not shying away.

Anna is a single mom post divorce, she pitches a series of columns that is based on dates that her kids get to choose offline. This book is not only hilarious as it takes us through the events that the columns set in place but it also takes us through Anna’s growth throughout the experience.

The chemistry between Anna and Will is definitely not going away, I absolutely loved this book!

Really cute, I loved this! Enemies to lovers is my bread and butter, and overall I thought this was really well done with lots of laugh-out-loud funny moments (I'm a sucker for British dry humor). I also like a romance with a "more seasoned" heroine, as Publisher's Weekly put it, and this will be one I would recommend to anyone looking for that in a romance protagonist.

👉🏻 For my friends who want a unique story with heart and humor, even those who “don’t like rom-coms.”

IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM? By Sophie Cousens (Kerry Gilbert, Narrator) @sophie_cousens

🎧Thanks, @putnambooks, for the advanced review copy via #NetGalley and @PRHAudio, for the #gifted audiobook. #PRHAudioPartner #sponsored (Available 19 Nov 24) 11 hours 43 minutes

Anna has recently divorced and has two young children. Unlike the filtered women she sees on Instagram, she hasn’t yet risen from the ashes of her relationship. “I am not a phoenix. I am a dazed pigeon looking for crumbs. But I am fine with that; being a phoenix looks exhausting.” Pushed to both write an engaging column and appease her sister’s encouragement to start dating again, she elects to go on ten dates with men her children select and write about the experiences.

I loved everything about this second-chance romance. The characters (including the quirky and brilliant supporting staff) were mature, interesting, and multi-layered. The banter between Anna and her officemate, Will, made me laugh, as did her private musings. (Will rolls up his shirt sleeves, and she catches herself admiring his forearms. “I was daydreaming about watching him open pickle jars. I don’t even like pickles.”) The “grand declaration” at the end even made me tear up!

This was an exceptional and entertaining story with heart and intelligence, making Sophie an #autobuyauthor for me. After two solid wins (I also loved THE GOOD PART), she is officially an author I will read without even checking out the blurb.

🧽🧽🧽🧽🧽Another #FiveSpongeAudiobook (a book so great you’re willing to clean to keep listening)! I read the whole book in one day.

“Maybe you’re worth a little indulgence.”

Sophie Cousens just DOES NOT MISS.

This was exactly the book I needed. It’s heartwarming and funny, while also being really vulnerable and honest. The way Sophie Cousens writes is like a big hug. The Good Part was my first five-star read of this year, and I’m not surprised that this was a five-star read as well.

Anna is an incredible protagonist. She’s still figuring out her life post-divorce and doesn’t have any interest in dating. In an effort to save her column from her work rival, Will, she pitches a series of columns based on dates that her kids will choose. Not only does this prove to be hilarious, it also becomes a great outlet for Anna and helps her find what she really wants. It's such a relatable journey for anyone feeling uncertain.

The chemistry between Anna and Will is so good. It’s clear he’s a bit jealous as she continues to go on all of these dates. I love that while this book is truly so funny, it manages to still get you right in the feels. The balance is done brilliantly, and I don't think there are many authors that can do that. The supporting characters are excellent, from Anna’s kids Jess and Ethan, to the unexpected friendship with Michael the mailman. They’re all well-developed and relatable, which is something I think she does so well in all of her books.

It was easy to fall in love with these characters, but also with the overall story. The audiobook is also phenomenal and Kerry Gilbert does such a great job with the narration. It’s a perfect rom com and I honestly can’t wait for whatever Sophie Cousens writes next.

Every time I read a Sophie Cousens book I’m convinced they just can’t get any better, and every time I’m wrong. Is She Really Going Out With Him? has to be my new favorite.

There’s a certain type of book that from the first page you know you’re going to love, and do your best to savor despite wanting to race through it because you don’t want to leave these characters behind, and Sophie Cousens writes those books. I always find myself absolutely absorbed in them, the plot, the characters, the setting, all of it.
As a 30+ divorced (remarried) mom, Anna really was relatable to me. Her need to be okay on her own and be happy alone with her kids was something I prioritized for myself following my divorce and so many of her situations I found myself with vivid similar memories. Sophie has a particular knack for writing standout, hilarious FMCs, but Anna was really something special.
All the dates Anna finds herself on were so entertaining, even if some were unfortunate, and I love that although none were a love match, she did make genuine connections in other ways and ended up with an amazing group of friends.
The first time Will was mentioned I had a feeling he would end up being the love interest, although I did doubt myself after meeting him the first time. I am so glad I was right however, because I fell for him just as hard as Anna and her family did.

I wanted this book to never end and I absolutely will be purchasing a shelf trophy copy to covet and reread, it was so good.

Thank you so much Putnam for the advanced copy via NetGalley!
Publication date 11/19/24

My new favorite Sophie Cousens!! Every single thing about this book was utter perfection. The FMC was perfectly relatable, despite having nearly nothing in common with me, and the MMC was delightful and complicated and totally into her!! I adore Sophie’s writing because she gives her characters such “normal” personalities and situations. Not everything has to be so unbelievably dramatic to be a delicious romantic read! She knocked this one completely out of the park!

Thanks Putnam and PRH Audio for the gifted copies!

I’m not sure any of Sophie’s books will ever top The Good Part for me, but this one gets very close. It’s definitely more fun than her previous books and had me laughing out loud multiple times!

In Is She Really Going Out With Him, 38-year-old divorcee and single mum Anna Appleby pulls a page right out of Andie Anderson’s playbook (IYKYK) and offers up her love life for the pages of a magazine. In an effort to save her job, she agrees to write a series of articles about offline dating, while her co-worker and nemesis Willwahtever writes a complementary column about his online dating adventures. The twist is that Anna will let her KIDS decide who she goes out with! The dates she goes on are wildly chaotic and ridiculous and absolutely hilarious.

The most compelling part of this story to me wasn’t Anna’s journey to find love, but her opening up to the possibility that she even wants to love again and that she’ll actually do something about it. It’s wonderful to watch her fall in love with one of her dates (I won’t say which!) but when she actually decides to act on her feelings rather than sidelining herself, I was absolutely beside myself with joy for her.

This story has plenty of laughs, a lot of heart, and a strong message about second chances. It’s a wonderful story that I would unequivocally recommend to all readers!

Audio: Brilliant and emotional performance by Kerry Gilbert, the same narrator for The Good Part. I find some British accents challenging to listen to, especially at 2.0 speed, but had no problem with Kerry’s clarity and intonation. A++ performance, highly recommend!

Overall ratings
Exact star rating: 4.56
5-pt star rating: 5

Attribute ratings
Characters: 4.5
Atmosphere/Setting: 4.5
Writing Style: 4.5
Plot/Pacing: 5
Intrigue: 4
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 4.5

Anna is divorced, but has to go out with a bunch of different men to juice up her writers column to prove a point to her new boss 😸 Disastrous dates, enemies to lovers, & lots of fun 🫶🏼

I am so thankful for the day I discovered Sophie Cousens. Her romances are unique, sometimes unconventional, but always heartwarming and full of optimism. Her newest book Is She Really Going Out with Him? is no exception.

Anna Appleby is a newly divorced journalist, nearing 40 and with two young children. She’s convinced herself that she’s no longer interested in love or marriage, but when her job at a floundering magazine is suddenly on the line and Will, age 30 and her workplace nemesis, seems to be gunning for her job and impressing both the previous and new owners, she realizes she needs to step up her game and find a way to make her column more enticing to younger readers. Yet, she never expects that she will be forced into a competition where she agrees to ten dates suggested by her children and Will arranges similar dates using an online app, both sharing back page column space. In the process, Anna not only rediscovers her vitality and self-worth but also learns that her misconceptions about Will are unfounded.

The setting for this novel is Bath, UK, and Cousens highlights many of the places and events that make this gorgeous city so memorable, including Bath Abbey, the Roman baths, and the Jane Austen Centre and annual ball. I appreciate her depiction of divorce and how it doesn’t have to be a romance death sentence for middle-aged women, and that everyone, no matter their interests, appearance, idiosyncrasies, or stage in life, can find a love match. I also liked how she juxtaposed Anna’s ex with his much younger girlfriend against Will and his defiance of the sexist stereotypes that seem to define modern dating. Cousens has such a talent for bringing her characters to life, including secondary ones like Anna’s children, many of her unconventional dates, and the colorful character of Loretta.

Fans of Jill Mansell, Debbie Johnson, Abby Jimenez, Katherine Center, and Emily Henry will adore this novel. Highly recommended.

Another cute love story from Sophie Cousens. I love that she tells a good story with a love story thrown in. The idea of someone's kids picking dates for their mom is hilarious. I could only imagine what kind of dates my kids would ever pick for me. What really made this book great were the characters. The main character's friends were all so lovely and sometimes the best family is found family.

My Heart! <3

I am officially a Sophie Cousens fan. This was such a sweet, funny and fun read! The characters are all developed so perfectly, and the story is laid out where relationships and other events are not rushed. It's a realistic romance (in the bookish world) and definitely a slow burn. There are a few spicy scenes with minimal details, but it doesn't take away from them at all.
Full of loveable and relatable characters and plenty of laugh out loud moments, Cousens brought a beautiful story of rediscovering yourself and finding love after heartbreak and divorce. This one is definitely worthy of being at the top of the TBR!

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Oh my gosh, I love this book!!!! It made me feel all of the emotions and I love when a book can do that! When you laugh, when you cry… so good!!! The characters were great and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the online dating parts🤣 I am now going to put Sophie on my auto by author list and I need to read everything she’s written so far!!!!

4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the E-ARC. I truly enjoyed this story. I loved everything about it and connected with the MFC so much I like Anna am a single mother to a 9 year old boy and thats about it lol. But I do have the thoughts that she has about dating or not dating. Anna goes on a series of dates that her kids choose the person she goes out with because she is writing a column for the paper she writes for. It is really funny and also along the way Anna goes discovering herself and who she is as a journalist. Of course there has to be a MMC Will who also writes a column like Anna but different. This was super good I could not put it down

Google search: what’s the next book you should add to your TBR?

I’ll tell ya, this one!

This book comes out on Tuesday and you should immediately add to your cart.

I’m a huge Sophie Cousens fan. The Good Part was on my favorites list last year and Is She Really Going Out With Him will be on my favorites list this year.

This story had How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days vibes with cute kids, a leading lady you are going to love, and a competitive coworker that you is going to melt your heart!

I am getting pickier and pickier about my rom-coms. I love a good love story but also need something other than the love part and this story had that. There’s deep character development and secondary characters that will make you laugh.

Each chapter begins with some hilarious Google searches that will make you feel so seen! I Google some of the most random/down a rabbit hole stuff sometimes and I loved that little detail so much!

This is my favorite of Cousens and I can’t wait for you to read it!

Such a great, warm book! I absolutely loved the characters and their dynamics, especially that of Anna and her children. I really felt as though the author captured co-parenting well. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Anna and WIll develop as she dated an incredibly rich, hilarious group of men throughout the book.

4.5 stars!!! WOW WOW WOW this is the first book I have read from Sophie Cousins and NOW I want to read her entire backlog! This book is the perfect amount of workplace enemies to lovers, hilarious romcom, single mom, dating catastrophes AND there is the single bed trope!! Columnist Anna Appleby has survived a painful divorce, but can she survive being made redundant at work? Her column-“ According to Anna” isn’t attracting the younger demographic that the new boss is looking for.

Since her divorce she has learned that she DOESN’T need a man, and that she quite likes the life she has made with her two kids, her cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote?

Yet, somehow she finds herself pitching a new “dating column” because she DOES need this job!

Online dating feels too much like a job interview, so she agrees to go on seven dates-NOT found online. And, these dates will be with people chosen by her children.

These dates end up being hilarious but I won’t spoil the fun of these dates for you!

Her competition will be a column written by her colleague, Will, about a man only dating people found on dating APPs-with the two columns sharing a common theme each week.

But, will there be room at “Bath Living” for both columns at the end of the seven dates? And, can her kids actually choose someone for her that just might make her change her mind about the joys of being single?

Anna is one of the most likable and relatable characters that I have come across in a long time and I was rooting for her all the way!

Also each chapter opens with a list of the HILARIOUS Google searches that she made each day!

The banter in this book between Anna and Will is absolutely hilarious and it had me giggling out loud! There is also an insane level of chemistry between them as well. For a book that’s primarily closed door, there are some real steamy scenes involving very little description. I don't know how Cousens pulls off these scenes with soooo much tension, while still maintaining a high level of subtlety, it honestly is a mystery wrapped inside of an enigma.

I’m absolutely head over heels for Sophie Cousens—everything she writes is pure gold, and this book is no exception! Here’s the scoop: Anna and Will are rival (well, kind of) columnists at a local magazine, both on thin ice at work. To save their jobs, they agree to write a side-by-side series on dating. But there's a twist: Will dives into the chaotic world of online dating, while Anna leaves her romantic fate in the hands of her children.

Things get really spicy when they both end up at a "get-to-know-you" getaway resort for one of their articles. Cue the romantic tension! Suddenly, the simmering chemistry between them boils over, and they find themselves swept up in a whirlwind of connection and excitement. But here’s the real question: can this vacation romance survive once they're back in the messy reality of kids, ex-husbands, career changes, and the everyday grind? Are they truly meant to be, or was it just a dreamy holiday fling?

I think this book quickly made its way to my top favorites books of all time. I started reading Sophie Cousens with The Good Part so when I saw this book on NetGalley I knew I had to request it. This book is the perfect closed door romance book! I laughed, I cried, I giggled and kicked my feet and my heart swooned. Im a sucker for enemies to lovers so I knew I was done for but it also had very real topics. I especially LOVED how the topic of divorce was written and the process of coming out the other end of it. This book reminds you of all the forms of love there is, wether that be a partner, a sibling, a child or parent, a friend or a neighbor.

*thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book for review*

Sophie Cousens has done it AGAIN!!! Somehow, every time I read one of her books, I am giggling and crying often within moments of each other.

I adored the premise of this book, with Anna and Will being rivals at work, and Anna’s kids picking her dates. It was genius. There was so much charm, wit, and fun packed into this book - along with incredibly heart wrenching moments.

I loved watching Anna grow and learn about herself and what she wants, needs, and deserves. I was obviously rooting for Will the whole time, and was pleasantly charmed by almost all of her dates (minus the turd!!!). I LOVED their chemistry, their flirty banter, their super sexy first kiss, and I absolutely adored how real and big the stakes felt. Each character had a lovely backstory and you could see the challenges. The ending was WONDERFUL AND I LOVE A GRAND GESTURE. Will 🫡🫡.

In conclusion, it’s an enthusiastic hell yes from me. I preordered a signed copy from The Ripped Bodice and I’m so excited to get it. @sophie_cousens you are magic!!! (Out Tuesday 11/19!!!)

This was so stinking CUTE 🤭 I was kicking my feet and laughing at most of it! Anna is such a lovable FMC who is in her late 30s, navigating a recent divorce and trying to spice up her writing column at work. In effort to do so, she lets her children become her match makers! They pick suitors for her to date, offline - and she can’t say no. In the midst of this, her office rival, Will continues to annoy her life and try to steal her thunder.

I want you all to read this book + thank me later! I loved the middle aged characters and unique/raw plot. This is more than a cutesy romance. Anna navigates grief, relationships, parenting and intense emotional moments throughout. Sophie’s writing does it again!!!! 🥲