This is definitely my favorite Sophie Cousens book! I loved the banter, humor, and dynamics of this one! The google searches at the top of each chapter made me laugh so much, I Google a lot and would imagine my search history would look similar if I were her haha.

It was such a fun concept of Anna's kids picking out who she should date for her column. The dates were much more interesting and funny because of that and it had me in laughing tears so much! The post-divorce look at life felt so realistic too (from what I can imagine) and that it shows it's not always easy to get back out there after losing who you thought was meant for you and having to see he's already moved on. Heart wrenching and heartwarming at the same time.

What to expect:

💖 Single Mom
✍🏻 Workplace Romance
💖 Rivals/Enemies to Lovers
✍🏻 Journalists
💖 Hilariously Awkward Dates
✍🏻 Age Gap

Is She Really Going Out with Him? is my third read by Sophie Cousens after enjoying Just Haven’t Met You Yet and The Good Part. Anna Appleby is now divorced at 38 with two kids and works as a columnist. She ends up pitching a story where she will write seven columns that feature seven dates chosen for her by her children. She needs this column to be a success as her rival Will Havers may be taking over. As co-workers, the two spend time together and slowly get to know each other. The story follows Anna’s journey as she attempts to go on all seven dates.

The story is sweet and had some nice realism as Anna is divorced and just trying to take care of her kids. Her relationship with her ex is not the best and her job is at risk. There are a lot of stakes in this story as Anna has a lot going on from start to finish. Sophie created a great character to root for as she starts with her life in a rocky place and then goes through an unexpected journey to find some happiness in different places. Her romance in this story needed a little more exploration as the story read more as a women’s fiction than a romance, but it was still enjoyable. Overall, this was a great story and I look forward to Cousens’s next novel.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Content Warning: sexual harassment

I’ve read two books from this author and really enjoyed them so I was excited to see a new book from her! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Once I started reading, I got hooked into the story. I also like that this MC is 38 years old and divorced with two kids. She’s going through some things like being independent, taking care of her kids and navigating co-parenting and now trying to date again, even if it’s for her job. I like that Anna didn’t let things get her too down especially when things got tough as she juggles her life.

+ This is a workplace, rivals to lovers, slow burn romance. Anna is writing a column and takes on the challenge of dating again, but her kids have to pick her dates. I actually enjoyed her dates with these random men all the while growing a crush on her rival at work Will. Will’s a little bit younger than her, and their rivalry brought the chemistry which I loved. I enjoyed their romance!

+ I liked watching Anna grow. She dates, she starts to flirt with Will, makes new friends and then starts to remember that maybe she deserves some good things – just for herself. I even liked how she navigates the co-parenting with her ex-husband and their journey to communicating better.

Dislikes:

~ I wish this wasn’t close door because it was such a slow burn, I wanted a little more details and spice!

Final Thoughts:

While reading this one, I felt like this would make a really cute rom-com movie on Netflix or something. I really enjoyed this one and maybe this author is becoming a must-read for me! I look forward to reading more books from her.

First of all, thank you to Penguin Group Putnam & G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this e-ARC through NetGalley <3 This is my honest review!

THIS BOOK. I’ve read quite a few of Sophie Cousens books now and this one has easily easily easily been my favorite. Anna Appleby is a divorced mom of 2, and a badass journalist at the same time. I loved her reading her grow back into herself and find her confidence again. I loved that her kids picked put these dates for her to go on and that she just threw herself into the ring every time they picked someone. Dating in this day and age is god awful and her ability to force herself to just ask out these strangers was inspiring!

I also loved loved loved the workplace romance & rivals to lovers trope that Sophie just executed so perfectly. I don’t usually lean towards age gap romances but I think she also did this one tastefully and realistically! Truly this book was perfect and I wish Anna and Will’s columns were real and that I could read them all, especially their dating series!!! Can you imagine 😭 Anyways, 5 stars. Highly recommend <3

A superior romcom from one of my favorite authors, though I didn’t quite believe in the ending (even given general genre incredulity).

Anna Appleby is not a wholly typical romcom lead character: she’s 37 and a divorcee with 2 children (but don’t worry, Anna’s sister can conveniently look after the children at the drop of a hat, so they never get in the way). She does have a typical romcom job, however, as she’s a journalist who now writes a column for Bath Living, a lifestyle magazine for the lovely Regency town of Bath. Unfortunately Bath Living is going through hard times and young whippersnapper Will Havers seems to be trying to muscle in on Anna’s territory, threatening her job.

In order to zhuzh up her column, Anna starts going on dates suggested by her children and Will does a complementary one where he goes on dates that are somehow similar in theme to Anna’s but sourced through the Internet.

There’s definitely lots of fun to be had with Anna’s dates: her son’s friend’s Dad, the waiter at a local restaurant, a visiting actor, the parcel delivery man, and the grumpy next door neighbor. But it’s only when (view spoiler)

The author does a lovely job of showing Anna working through her post-divorce blues and coming out on the other side with renewed confidence. However, the resolution, while genre-required, just didn’t really make sense to me and I feel maybe a more ambiguous one would have fitted better.

This is still a top-shelf romcom with charm and warm humor, as well as the requisite travelog descriptions of Bath and Hay on Wye.

Two rival writers are tasked with taking different approaches in their dating lives in hopes of keeping the top spot at their failing magazine, only to find love where they least expect it.

I had a hard time getting into this one. I think it's just because it starts kind of negatively and hits some of my insecurities about dating and marriage. However, after I got past that, this book became very unputdownable. The rivalry was very relatable and distinct. Will is a bit of a teacher's pet and Anna thinks he is going for her job in the restructuring. The progression of Anna and Will's relationship didn't feel forced or pushed too fast. They go from enemies to allies then allies to friends with benefits, and so on and so forth. There are some fun side characters here as well, in Anna's kids and her sister. Some of the men Anna's kids set up for her are well-rounded characters and provide great comedy. Overall this was an enjoyable read and I definitely recommend it!

Read if you like an enemies to lovers, age gap, workplace romance. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases on 11/19.

(4.5 Stars)

Anna is a single mom just out here trying to make it! She is funny and relatable and watching her not only find love but also find herself and happiness again after heart break was wonderful.

The many first dates aspect of this read was refreshing and hysterical. All of the zany side characters add to the story immensely, including Anna’s opinionated children.

And yes, the romance! Even if Will & Anna’s relationship isn’t the main focus throughout the read, it is given enough space and time and I totally bought into it. Will is perfection.

Only hang up was the ex husband/young girlfriend storyline - something about it rubbed me the wrong way even if the FMC handled it perfectly!

Thank you Netgalley and PRHaudio for my gifted ebook and audiobook.

I mostly listened to this one and absolutely loved the narration! This was cute and I enjoyed getting to know the main characters and the kids. I thought maybe the kids would be a little more involved with the dates, but it was funny who they chose! I wish some of the articles were featured throughout the chapters and the male pov! Overall I really enjoyed listening to this!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for giving an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this novel! I'm always a huge fan of Cousens' works but I was a little nervous about a dating book. I've read stories with similar plots and honestly ten dates with over the top characters or disasters can sometimes be a bit much. That was not the case with this book. I read it one day! The dates were funny and I loved that Anna learned from each experience and formed relationships with so many of these secondary characters. The secondary characters weren't just there for plot fillers and decoration but were actually vital to the story. Characters were well developed and I really like how the reader's opinion of Will changed as Anna started to get to know him better. It was also refreshing to see how a character could rebuild her own life while simultaneously falling in love.

It was sweet and funny, sometimes sad, and very satisfying, I loved it!

Anna Appleby is just fine on her own after her divorce. It’s fine that her ex is dating someone, it’s fine that she doesn’t believe in love anymore, and it’s definitely fine that the person she hates in the office is trying to steal her column. To try to keep her column, Anne decides to write about 7 first dates and her journey of dating post divorce.

I absolutely adored this book. I resonated with the feeling of having to put yourself out there after getting stuck in your fear. Will helps to challenge her, and even though she is initially scared to take risks and be vulnerable, she eventually learns to choose herself despite her fear. What if the one thing you’re terrified of is the one thing you need?

Thank you to the author, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for the book for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my second book by Sophie Cousens and I can confidently say she is one of my new favorite authors. I read The Good Part in January fell so head over heels in love with it that it’s still holding its #1 spot of everything I’ve read in 2024. This was yet another 5 star read and now I immediately need to read her entire backlist!

Here are some of the things I loved about this one:
- Setting: Bath was such a great setting. I was just there last year during the Jane Austen festival (though not as an attendee, just coincidentally) and it was extra fun to be able to picture everything so clearly.
- Writing: I just love her writing style and how it can manage to be SO funny and so poignant at the same time. The characters and situations are specific yet somehow so relatable and accessible.
- Enemies to lovers: If you’ve been around here a minute, you know this is my favorite romance trope, and I loved the fresh way it was approached here (and like, I really did hate him for a while yet the turnaround was v. successful!)

Overall, I loved it so much and couldn't recommend more.

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I always enjoy books by Sophie Cousens, but this one may be my favorite. Anna and Will's story was multi-faceted with a lot of depth. I felt all the emotions while reading. I particularly liked Anna's search histories at the beginning of each chapter. I don't always pay attention to those additions in books, but these made me laugh out loud each time. The development of relationships in this book made me give it five stars. Not just Anna and Will's relationships, but her relationship with herself, her children, her ex-husband, and new friends.

After Anna Appleby's divorce, she swears she is doing just fine; her job as a magazine columnist and her kids keep her too busy to date, thank you. But when Will Havers, a fellow journalist, starts subtly trying to take over her column, Anna is incensed. Will is young, cocky, and irritatingly good looking. To keep her column, Anna proposes a new series of articles: she will go on a series of dates with men chosen by her children (ages 8 and 12). But when Will is assigned to write a companion column about online dating, Anna ends up spending more time with him than she wanted. As she is going on dates and writing her articles, Anna finds herself falling for someone unexpected. Will she be brave enough to open her heart to love a second time?

This was a delightfully fun, feel-good rom-com. I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope, and the tension, banter, and chemistry between Anna and Will was very well done. It was refreshing to read about a slightly older heroine (Anna is 38) who already has an established career and family. This book was as much about Anna rediscovering herself after her divorce as it was about her romance with Will, and I felt like the two aspects were really well balanced. Anna meets lots of fun characters during her dates and there are a lot of genuinely funny moments in the book. My only criticism is that it felt like the wrap-up at the end was a bit abrupt and I didn't feel like the author really adequately addressed all the issues that were keeping them apart in the first place--felt very much like a happy-for-now rather than a more settled happily-ever-after situation. But overall a charming, funny book perfect for fans of contemporary romance.

Note that all the spicy scenes happen off page (fade to black).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For starters, a character my age for the win, though she’s in a much different place in life having two kids and a divorce under her belt. Regardless, I do always enjoy reading about a character who has years close to mine of life experience even if the experience isn’t necessarily similar.

Anna is trying to keep her head above water as a single mom facing new ownership at her workplace. Much like other areas of life, they want to go a younger “fresh” direction, so she has to get creative and go outside her comfort zone to make herself stand out. Enter jumping back into the dating pool with her kids choosing the candidates in person for a series of dates she can write about. Oh, but she’s also got a younger male rival coworker who’s edging in on her column space and assigned to be the online dating counterpart to her in-person dates.

It’s pretty clear from the outset that there is a flirtatious edge to Anna and Will’s barbs back and forth. Will has a little bit of schoolyard crush idea of flirting in “let me get her attention any way I can” mindset. To me, it seems like everyone else besides Anna can see it. It’s cute and also slight immature, but once it is revealed it feels more like sweet puppy than annoying gnat.

Anna and Will both have their own responsibilities and complications in life to work through separately, and it ultimately has a cause and effect impact on their fledging relationship. It’s definitely more of a “happy for now” than a “happily ever after” ending, but I feel hopeful for their future.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Humorous and charming rom/com with a plot you don't see often enough- adults struggling with dating again after major life changes and stumbling through the dating scene which has changed significantly since their last dip in that pool. But now with children.

Good for those readers looking for "something nice and happy that will give me a break from reality". I can see this not sitting on the "New Book Shelf" for long.

4.5 rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnams’s Sons for the DRC of this book I’ve been looking forward to. After reading The Good Part last year, I was so excited to see a new book by Sophie Cousens coming out! I loved this delightful romantic comedy. It isn’t too often that I find books of this genre with a 38-year-old, divorcée with children as the FMC. Anna Appleby is a strong character who is no longer broken, but hasn’t quite come out of hibernation after her divorce a year ago. The magazine where she works in Bath, England is pivoting to reach a wider audience, and the new boss is asking her to put more of “herself” into her work, perhaps even in a dating column. The problem is, who is she after all these years giving herself to her husband and children? Her work rival, Will Havers, a too-handsome, seemingly full of himself 30-year-old who has only been working for Bath Living for six months seems to have no trouble delivering exactly what their editor wants. It’s infuriating. He knows how to ask for what he wants for (raises, ergonomic chairs, etc.) while Anna is overlooked. He also infuriatingly points out her every grammatical error. Anna begins writing a column where her kids set her up on dates with people she meets in real life, while Will writes a “competing” column whilst online dating. Of course, you know where this is going.

I was completely charmed by this. And the humor hit better in this one for me than it did in The Good Part. I loved Anna and her relationship with her sister. I felt the complicated relationship Anna has with her ex-husband and his new girlfriend was realistic and didn’t resolve in a contrived way. The dates Anna goes on, leading her to friendships and community connections she wasn’t expecting, were fun. Anna’s kids brought necessary depth to her character, as did Will’s extended family. I loved the appearance of Janeite Regency fanatics, references to Anna coming into her Fleetwood Mac rock era and more. My only hesitation in giving this 5 stars is that Will comes off as a bit pompous at times and so I needed a little convincing that he’d been attracted to Anna from his start-date at the magazine. Otherwise, I loved this low-conflict post-divorce coming of middle age story for Anna.

As a huge fan of Sophie Cousen's previous novels, I couldn't wait to ready Is She Really Going Out with Him?. This book is a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming journey through the unpredictable world of modern dating, and Cousens nailed the perfect mix of humor, charm, and real-life awkwardness.

Anna, recently divorced and navigating the dating scene at 38, is hilariously relatable. Her idea of letting her kids pick her dates for her dating column brings a fresh twist, and when her colleague Will joins in with his own dating column, their chemistry and banter add so much fun to the story. Cousens does a fantastic job of making Anna’s journey feel both uplifting and real, especially with moments that will have anyone cringing and laughing as she stumbles through the dating world.

The side characters add depth and warmth, making this feel like a cozy, lovable cast I'd love to meet in real life. While the ending felt a little rushed, it didn’t take away from the rest of the story. This was the perfect feel-good rom-com with plenty of laughs and endearing characters!

Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens
Format: audio/ebook hybrid
Release Date: 11/19/24
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sophie Cousens has done it again! This book is a warm hug I desperately needed. I finished this book a couple of days ago and find myself missing these characters as if they were my real life friends and wondering what they are up to. I was utterly charmed with just about every single character.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book so much. Anna Appleby is a recently divorced columnist and finds herself needing to prove herself to her employer through a lifestyle column where her kids picking 10 dates for her to go on. The catch? She’s writing against her work nemesis Will who is only finding his dates online. I’m sure you can guess the ultimate outcome here, but the journey is hilarious, tender, and honestly just beautiful in a way only Cousens can pull off.

Narrator Kerry Gilbert does a phenomenal job of bringing this story to life and she makes you feel like your best friend is just chatting with you. You feel part of the story between her narration and Cousens story. I simply cannot recommend this story enough.

Big thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of this highly anticipated book in exchange for my honest opinion! And to PRH Audio for the free audiobook!

Gosh, this upcoming release was adorable! 

It was a practically perfect lighthearted romance. The characters were realistically endearing, and the chemistry was incredible (but not too spicy, which is my preference). The plot conflicts felt legitimate, and I was so happy reading the epilogue. And, truly, my ratings are unashamedly biased by happily ever after epilogues. I love them. In this case, I intended to take off half a star for a couple date scenes that felt *too* awkward and cringey, but the ending more than made up for them.

columnist Anna Appleby has sworn off love since her painful divorce. who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and full control of the TV remote? besides, she’d rather stay single than plunge into the horrors of online dating. but when her office rival starts gunning for her column, Anna’s job (and main income) is suddenly on the line. In a moment of desperation, she pitches a quirky angle: seven dates, all found offline, handpicked by her kids. cue the chaos!

my thoughts:
this book is a heartwarming, laugh-out-loud reminder that love can show up when (and where!) you least expect it. Sophie Cousens weaves a rom-com adventure that’s packed with charm, quirky twists, oh so loveable characters, and moments that had me grinning from ear to ear. From the first cringe-worthy date, I knew I was in for a treat!

by the time we meet Will, I was completely and totally hooked-I could NOT put this book down!! Their chemistry is everything 🔥🔥🔥 plus the Google searches at the start of each chapter were hilarious, adding even more charm to Anna’s story. and let’s talk about her dates—SO many laugh-out-loud moments that brought back memories of those cringe-worthy dating stories we all try to forget. I found myself empathizing with Anna at every turn.

while the ending felt a bit rushed and slightly unrealistic, it didn’t take away from my overall love for this book. Is She Really Going Out With Him is a delightful escape, perfect for anyone craving a feel-good romance with a dash of humor. I highly recommend it!

read if you like:
🫶enemies to lovers
👩‍💻workplace romance
😆divorcee dating life woes
💁‍♀️age gap romance
🍿BANTER

Kate’s rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!