i'm LOVING that middle aged (and younger!) divorcees are having their moment in romance right now! very honest representations helping to shed the "dried up, tossed aside" narrative we've been fed for decades.

anna appleby is thirty eight, recently divorced, raising two children, and trying to keep her career afloat in the struggling magazine industry. extremely leery of the online dating world, anna is not interested in meeting potential partners in this way. continuously independent and stubborn, she's working on her run of the mill dating column when her children spark an idea...they have to choose the people she goes on dates with! her boss couples her up with (no pun intended), her handsome yet seemingly pompous colleague, will, to expand the column to be a side-by-side approach. anna will write about each in-person set-up for the column while will will explore online dating and share his experiences alongside anna's. will these colleagues hit a homerun with their explorations of the dating world or will the publication shut down before they can find love?

the two main characters - anna and will - were FUN. i enjoyed their banter and their intermittent bouts of honesty with each other. diving deeper into both of their backgrounds made for a more robust story. they are more than just surface level colleagues who despise each other for no apparent reason. the secondary characters - anna's children, anna's sister, will's brother, loretta, and more - all add something amusing to the story. at the end of the book, i felt like they were a cast of characters i'd love to know in real life. to me, a sign of a delightful book and time well spent hanging out with them. sophie cousens' latest work is a true delight!

thank you to penguin group putnam for providing this book for review consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own.

4.25 stars

This was a really fun book about a woman discovering herself again after divorce, and falling in love. Anna is a columnist for a dying magazine who decides that her new column will be about letting her children choose men for her to go on dates with. This was such a fun premise and I really enjoyed all the different dates she went on as well as all the mishaps she encountered. Through all her dates Anna rediscovers herself and her hobbies. She learns to prioritize herself and do what makes her happy, and she makes a whole new group of friends in the process.
Throughout all of this Anna is in a workplace rivals situation with her colleague Will, who is also writing a column about dating. Will is the wild card who antagonizes her at work, keeps showing up at her work events, and seems unphased by her chaotic life.
Even though it was pretty clear from the beginning how this story was going to go, I enjoyed watching it play out. This book was a lot of fun and was filled with some really sweet moments between Anna and her family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!

A fun storyline, personal growth for the main character, a MMC worth rooting for, & good banter. Pretty much everything I want in a book like this.

The characters were fleshed out and believable and the relationship felt real and reasonable while still being all types of swoony.

This book was truly hilarious. The situations she ends up in via the dates chosen by her children are so funny. I could definitely see myself reading the magazine articles and waiting impatiently for the next one to come out. Sure makes me glad I am not in the dating scene! Recommended to those looking for a laugh!

In this romcom, we follow Anna who is a recently divorced, late thirties journalist with two kids. In fear of her rival, Will, taking her column at work, she pitches the idea for a dating column where her kids choose men for her to date that they know in real life. She isn’t looking for a real relationship, but these dates are for work so whats the worst that could happen?

This book had me laughing out loud but also tearing up multiple times. It was about Anna finding herself again after her divorce, letting people into her life, and allowing herself to be vulnerable and take risks. I loved seeing her journey and growth and loved all the characters!

This is an ARC review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first read by Sophie Cousens and I will 100% be reading more from her.

This book was adorable! It was such a different and unique story than your typical romance book. It was also riddled with such fun humor and banter that I found myself laughing out loud at parts.

While most books you immediately know who the HEA will be, it kept me guessing a little bit through the beginning, which was fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC! 🥰

This book disappointed me because normally I love Sophie Cousens's writing. I loved The Good Part and This Time Next Year both by her and yet this one just didn't mesh with me and that truly makes me sad.

Sophie Cousens, you never fail! This was such a sweet and funny book. I generally don’t love the enemies to lovers trope but it worked for me here. I love that this story focused on an older woman with kids, a population generally left out of the dating scene. I loved the characters.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I have already bought myself a physical copy 🩷

The right book at the right time! I’m a big Sophie Cousens fan, so I was extremely thrilled to get an arc of this book. I love books with an older MC, and this book did not disappoint. I was smiling from the first chapter. Anna is a recently divorced mom with two kids. She works for Bath Living magazine and in an effort to keep her job, she starts dating for content for her column. She allows her children to pick her dates…

Highlights |
💛Google searches (my fave)
💛Age gap/enemies to lovers tropes
💛Awkward & funny dates
💛Connecting sans cell phones
💛Great Chemistry

This is a rom-com with depth and I really loved it. It was sweet, fun, and emotional. It will be among my favorites of her books!
Rating | 4.5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam books for the advanced electronic copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ Heads up for some instances of strong profanity, not frequent. It also has a few fade to black love scenes.

I received an ARC of *Is She Really Going Out With Him?* in exchange for my honest opinion, and I couldn’t put down this novel by Sophia Cousens. The story follows Anna Appleby, a divorced single mother of two, who is struggling to keep her job at a magazine. She is tasked with writing a dating column with her work rival, Will Havers, in an effort to save the magazine. After her first column receives negative feedback, Anna gets the idea to let her kids choose her dates. Her dating experiences are a mix of adorable, cringy, and funny moments that lead her to unexpected places.

I loved the love-hate dynamic between Anna and Will, making this enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity story both sweet and hilarious. I couldn’t stop reading! This was my first book by Sophia Cousens, and I am now a lifelong fan.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Penguin Books Putnam for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC of Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens.

I’ll start by saying, another win for Sophie Cousens! I feel like she is such an under hyped author. Her books don’t disappoint in the rom-com genre. All the feels with some good humor in there. I love that the main characters are relatable. In this book Anna and Will are co-workers and Anna believes they may be vying for the same job as the potential for job cuts are becoming evident. This coming in the heels of her divorce. On top of that it seems that Will is trying to take her column. Somehow, they end up writing a dueling column about dating…online vs offline, what it’s like and can you find love. They sure do, but in the most unexpected places, and Anna finds much more than just love. A really good feel-good book about moving on and that life does continue after rough times.

This was SO cute!! It’s also very British, just FYI, there may be some phrases/slang that you’ll want to google.

Anna could be a dear friend: she’s got an ex who’s dating a much younger girl and parading her about on socials, her job is “restructuring”, and she’s feeling pressured from all sides to begin dating again, a prospect she’s dreading, insisting she doesn’t need a man. (which tbh, she doesn’t, but I digress…)

Enter her delightful children and their scheme to select her prospective dates for her. Of course hilarity ensues, as does some truly awkward moments, but Anna’s reactions and her wacky friend Lottie is all of us, offering her encouragement and filthy advice.

I enjoyed the heck out of the journey the author takes us on, and I heartily recommend this book.

I was generously furnished an advance reader copy from the author and NetGalley, and I’m pleased to share my enthusiastic and honest review.

I absolutely adore Sophie Cousens!!! It could not be more clear that she is a mom writing for moms. Some of the lines in this book literally stole my breath with their poignancy, and others with their humor.

The journey we go on with Anna is just so dang relatable. How many of us who met our partners very early in life have looked upon the dystopian reality that is online dating in horror? This girl certainly has!

The one thing holding me back from 5 stars is ending the romance in a long-distance relationship. In no world would I be trustful of my much younger, comparatively untethered boyfriend working in another country, where he has semi-celebrity status and a loyal fanbase. Good for Anna with that confidence, but it couldn't be me.

Anna doesn't need no man. Her ex-husband has left her and it's probably good riddance. She doesn't need to find a replacement but she does need to survive the day-to-day shenanigans of being a full-time mom and journalist. Her job is somewhat on the line, however, when a frustrating coworker is trying to take over her column. She pitches a different spin that she may regret when she suggests getting back out in the dating game as a recent divorcee.
Sophie is one of those authors that just really works for me. I love the way she creates a character that doesn't have life all figured out and gives her a lovely and hopeful character arc. I thought this book was so funny in unexpected ways, particularly with the Google searches that felt relatable and had me cracking up. And the romance! So sweet and perfect and delightful. This book is relatable in the best of ways and I'm so chuffed to have loved it just as much as her previous releases.
Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Well written, entertaining and the perfect read for women who are starting over- pick this one up, you won’t be sorry!

My new favorite Sophie Cousens book by far!! Based somewhat on the film, How to lose a guy in 10 days, Cousens's latest romcom features Anna, a divorced single mom of two who pitches a series of print articles about going on seven dates that her kids choose for her from among men they know and/or meet in real life.

There's also a fun workplace rivalry with Will, a younger male reporter playing up the online dating angle and who always seems keen to one up her . The more time Anna and Will spend together though, the more she comes to realize she's misunderstood Will and there's a deeper layer to him than she knew.

Great on audio narrated by Kerry Gilbert, this was equally hilarious and heartfelt and was a great example of taking a chance on love after divorce plus learning how to co-parent amicably. Highly recommended for fans of books like Just my type by Falon Ballard or Not the girl you marry by Andie J. Christopher.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! Readers of authors like Beth O'Leary, Sophie Kinsella and Josie Silver don't want to miss this one!

Steam level: closed door/fade to black

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this ARC!

By now, Sophie Cousens is one of my favorite authors and I can always expect amazing storytelling with her -- Is She Really Going Out with Him? blew away those normal expectations and pushed itself to my favorite by Cousens. The story follows Anna, a newly single mom and recent divorcee, navigating work and social life the best she can. She thought she was doing an okay job, until work intervenes, threatening her career and ultimately pushing her back out into the world. Anna begins dating again (for work), but not without the help from her children, who have to choose her dates and sometimes what they do. The family dynamic is so cute and represents divorce parenting so well, with Anna having to deal with her ex's new girlfriend. The kids were so funny with Anna and her dating, being typical children, and entertaining us with their humor. As you go on these dates with Anna, some bad and some good, you're laughing and cringing with her, feeling like you're on the date.

As if juggling work and dating wasn't bad enough, enter Will, Anna's nemesis coworker, or so she thinks. From the beginning, you can feel the tension between Will and Anna, with her thinking he hates her and just wants her job, but really, he's a golden retriever in love. Will gave me major Jude Law from The Holiday vibes, with his love for his family and witty humor, secretly cheering on Anna. I don't want to give too much of their story away, but you're cheering for them the whole time and go along with their relationship as they grow.

One of the major things I love about Cousens' books is that they read like a movie and are so easy to imagine while you're reading them. From the entertaining families, to the crazy dates and Anna's personal journey, I could rewatch this movie over and over again, and that's what the books bring - comfort. This is easily a comfort read for anyone trying to find their confidence again or just navigating adult life. I highly recommend all of her books, but this one was special and I loved every minute!

Is She Really Going Out With Him by Sophie Cousens
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 11/19

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Putnam Books for my complimentary copy!

This story follows Anna Appleby, a 38-year-old columnist and single mom who’s sworn off dating after a rough divorce. Anna’s perfectly happy with her routine—spending time with her two kids, chilling with her cat, and owning the remote control. But when she’s told that her work rival, Will, is going to be taking over her column, she pitches an idea for her own column, where she lets her kids pick her dates. Hopefully it’s enough to keep her job.

Anna’s dating adventures are both hilarious and heartwarming as she braves everything from asking out the local mailman to trying her luck with a celebrity crush. Watching her slowly open up to dating again and stepping out of her comfort zone is relatable and sweet.

While I liked Will, the chemistry with him and Anna just wasn’t there for me. This felt more like women’s fiction, and the resolution after their third act conflict and the ending were a little far fetched.

I still really enjoyed Anna’s story and found this to be a light and funny read! Cousens nails the humor and captures the ups and downs of dating as a single mom.

If you’re looking for a charming, easygoing read with a little love and a lot of laughs, Is She Really Going Out with Him? is worth checking out.

Read if you like:
*divorced parent
*workplace romance
*rivals to lovers
*forced proximity
*closed door spice
*single POV

I've enjoyed Sophie Cousens and her works for some time. This one is fine. I'm a little let down by it. The third act felt quick and forced. I really liked the story and how her writing immersed you in story and characters. Maybe it's the oversaturation of older woman, younger man trope that I've been seeing more and more lately. Will is a hunk, and I had fun with Anna's development throughout. Their banter and "enemies to lovers" energy hit the mark.

Overall, I liked this book but didn't love it like Cousens past works. But I'd recommend this one to a friend who wants a nice, light, fresh read to the enemies to lovers trope.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review!

It took me a good 20% to get into this book. I couldn’t figure out Will’s angle at the beginning and I was afraid I wouldn’t grow to like him as our romantic interest. Luckily, as his story fleshed out and as Anna’s hilarious dates came to fruition, I found myself devouring this book.

It was refreshing to have the protagonist of a romance novel be a late 30s divorcee with two kids, a career, and a younger love interest. Anna was incredibly real and relatable being both the mature adult and ocasional hot mess that we all are. This ended up being my favorite type of romance with the perfect blend of humor, depth, and a little bit of enemies-to-lovers.