Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This was such a clever and fun read, and a great twist on the traditional rom com. Love the story line where the main characters’ kids could set her up. Even though the plot was obvious, it was a very fun read.

You know a book is good when you finish it in a day and immediately want to reread it—which is exactly what I did with this book.

Sophie Cousens just keeps getting better and better. Her writing is hilarious, relatable, charming, and thoughtful. (Sometimes I wonder if she’s writing her books for me, specifically?)

In this story, Cousens’s heroine is a late thirties divorcee who finds herself writing a dating column about getting back out there. It’s a classic rom com setup, but it’s the way Cousens uses this vehicle that makes this book really special. In each of her dates, Anna learns a little about herself, about what she wants out of life and out of a relationship. You can feel Anna reconnecting with her personhood and her womanhood in this story in such a powerful way.

And of course, because it’s a Sophie Cousens romcom, there’s a swoony hero there to help Anna along the way. (Can I order one Will Havers, please?)

Seriously, I loved this book. Low spice, but high romance.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an eARC to read and review!

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC of this delightful and fun novel. I loved the depth of the characters, the humorous banter and the main premise of dating for an article. 4/5 stars, would definitely recommend for a fun summer read. (Mostly closed door.)

Invested in Anna's journey from page 1!

•Mum of 2 navigating life post divorce
•Journalist trying to stay relevant turns to a 'friendly' workplace competition
•Competition with rival coworker, Will
•Dating again, the old fashioned way, the kids pick the dates!
•Will is giving “Mr. Napkinhead” (iykyk)
•Build Me up, Buttercup 🎶

Thank you Sophie cousins, Putnam Books, and NetGalley for the eARC!

Stop what you are doing and read this book! Sophie Cousens just keeps getting better and better! She creates characters that are easy to love with witty banter that makes me laugh out loud. This one is a tale of two journalists and it is so much more than just the enemies to lovers trope. Cousens does a fabulous job of creating vulnerable, raw, genuine characters that readers feel invested in. I want to be friends with everyone in this story. I am going to have a book hangover after this. I am already ready for her next book!

Sophie Cousens books just get better and better! I adored The Good Part and this one was even better. I like reading about female main characters who are not twenty something’s. I loved Anna. She was so relatable. And Will.. sweet, hot, capable Will. This was a great read all around.

3.5 ⭐️

This one was fun and really showed some growth by Anna, our FMC. After a divorce that left her empty, the story follows Anna as she starts getting herself back out there by going on dates picked by her children!!! These dates ranged from weird to funny and I felt like I could see Anna coming out of her shell throughout the book.

And her relationship with Will, I’m obsessed. While he started as her rival in the office, we knew this was going to take a (one sided) enemies to lovers turn and I just loved it!!!!!

Thanks NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for an ARC!!!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I just love Sophie Cousens. She writes the most fun characters and her stories always leave me feeling so warm and fuzzy after the fact. I thought that this was actually a great read. I felt like I was watching an early 2000's rom-com and swooning yet laughing the whole way through. The original concept of her children choosing these dates for her felt refreshing, and I always enjoy a recently divorced trope because it is so relatable to so many people and it is real life. I really enjoyed this read and will definitely be recommending on my instagram account closer to publishing day!

This was my first Sophie Cousens book and it won't be the last. I have to say that I loved everything about this novel. I loved the setting of Bath and its Jane Austen connections. I loved the main characters and the secondary characters (can I be friends with Loretta too?). I loved the premise of the divorced heroine's children picking dates for her as a gimmick for her magazine article, and the Fleetwood Mac analogy that helps the heroine see things more clearly. It was just the mood adjustment I needed for these tumultuous times.

I loved this story from the very beginning. Anna is a journalist going through a divorce while taking care of her two kids. Her job is the only stable thing right now, except for now that’s on the rocks too. Her rival, Will, is gunning for her column so Anna devises a plan to make sure she doesn’t become redundant and lose her job. She pitches going on dates, all found offline by her children, to help build the magazine audience. Will pitches a mirror column of finding online dates of the same theme. Of the course of writing the columns, Will and Anna are forced to work together (and we know what happens next).
I was a little bit scared about me being able to relate to Anna as I am the furthest thing from a divorced mother of two, but her personality is so well written and developed outside of that role that relatability wasn’t really an issue. I loved the premise of the book. Following along on all the different dates, meeting the different personalities while still exploring the main side characters (and Will) kept the book interesting and the reader hooked. Chapter 15 was so rude, but I think Chapter 23 made up for it. I will be recommending this to everyone.

The only thing I was alittle bummed about was the closed door intimate scenes. There was a great deal of tension and slow burn built up, and when it finally happened, I felt slightly cheated having it all implied and not seen on the page. Even with that minor glitch, I truly loved this story. I highly recommend this book; all of Sophie’s catalog is excellent if you haven’t picked up one of her works yet. Add this to your shelf in November; I know I will be!

I loved this book, I felt very identified with the main character. This book is much more than a love story, it is a story of reconciliation, self-love, empowerment, acceptance and new beginnings, as the author says "there is a whole new chapter waiting for you, all you need to do is keep turning you pages". The writing is so engaging, witty and easy to read, it is full of phrases to mark and treasure forever.
And it also has many of everyone's favorite clichés, you will surely love it, highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for a digital ARC.

Cousens is one of a gem. The writing is engaging and witty, effortlessly blending humor with moments that tug at your heartstrings. The characters are refreshingly real and endearing, making this book a joyful and sometimes emotional ride. Perfect for anyone looking for a fun, relatable romcom with a touch of sentiment!

Sophie Cousens is an insta buy for me. I don’t know how to possibly convey the way her stories and her words make me feel, but oh my god she’s amazing. This one is, obviously, no different. I thought it would be had to love this as much, coming off the completely perfect The Good Part, but it’s just so lovely and all around beautiful and messy. It’s a love story in many forms and I adored it. Can’t wait to add a physical copy to my shelf with all her other books!

This was my first Sophie Cousens book, but I’ve heard plenty of good things about her last book, The Good Part, so I was excited for the chance to read this one! The main character is a divorced mom of two kids, who starts going on dates chosen by her children, for the sake of a magazine column she’s writing. So a pretty fun premise, with plenty of bad date stories along the way!

It’s not the most fast paced read. There’s not really a lot of excitement and the romance is pretty slow to come about. I was a pretty good ways in before I was even certain I knew who the main love interest was going to be. I still enjoyed it quite a bit, though!

It’s a pretty realistic viewpoint on being divorced, having kids, and dating again in your late thirties. It has bits of humor and several awkward dates, but overall, it focuses a lot more on the journey of enjoying being single than on the romance aspect. Although the main couple is sweet when they finally do get together!

Two other things to note, just in case you’re specifically looking to read or avoid these types of books. It’s based in England, and the writing is very reflective of that, which took me a bit to get used to. And it’s a closed door romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of this book!

I loved this book so much; I didn’t want it to end! Will and Anna are my new favorite characters. I loved their relationship and the character development. Is it too soon to re-read?!

Sophie Cousens ' latest book, Is She Really Going Out with Him?, is a pleasing story of a 38-year-old woman's attempt to pull herself out of the doldrums after she and her husband have divorced, and he is now living with a much younger woman. Anna is also trying to save her job as a lifestyle magazine writer/columnist by meeting the new owner's demand for articles that skew younger and more vulnerable. She and Will, her handsome but pesky rival, come up with the idea of connected columns investigating very different ways to find new love. In Anna's column, she analyzes each of seven dates with men suggested by her children--aged 12 and 7--rather than relying on dating websites.

It's fun to see Anna asking a series of diverse men out on some interesting dates, and the relationships she develops with a few of them. Along the way, of course, it becomes obvious that there is also a spark between Anna and Will, although he is younger and apparently has very different life goals.

I found both protagonists appealing and relatable, although there were the usual communication issues. Anna's children are adorable--Jess going through typical tween angst at school and Ethan just being a happy 7-year-old who takes in stride the changes in his life after the divorce. And supporting characters such as an ebullient woman who has survived a deadly disease and becomes a new friend are delightful. The ending is satisfying, even though it might not be exactly the one you might expect.

My thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of the book.

***Book Review for ‘Is She Really Going Out With Him?’ by Sophie Cousens***

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Would you ever let your kids pick your dates? Probably not, but if you want a really great laugh and a heart warming love story and the outcome of kids picking dates for their Mother; than this is the book for you!

This was my first Sophie Cousens book, and boy oh boy.. I really really loved this book!! It was undeniably sweet and hilarious! I would recommend this book till the end of time.

She almost makes me want to let my kids pick my dates, if I end up with a love story like this one!

*DISCLAIMER* This is NOT a paid review. This was a voluntary early access read made possible by NetGalley the Publisher and Author Sophie Cousens. I want to extend a huge thank you for allowing me access to this E-Arc! I hope my review provides helpful insight.

*PLATFORMS* This review is available on Barnes & Nobles (if applicable), Amazon, Walmart, NetGalley, GoodReads & Facebook.

Anna's brave. She is getting back into dating... but plot twist, her kids are picking out her dates.. not sure I would ever let my kids pick out my dates. There were a lot of different dating tropes so I do think this will appeal to most readers who enjoy romance books. It has a lot of your favorite rom com moments and overall was a cute story. This is not my first novel by the author and certainly will not be my last! Can't wait to discuss this book with my friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for a digital ARC of Is She Really Going Out with Him?

This was my first Sophie Cousens book, and now I'll be going back and reading her others. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and this one delivered! The pacing was perfect, the characters were fleshed out. Subplots were on point. Writing was great. Tension was top-notch. I appreciated that the spice was closed door. This was a great read, 10 out of 10!