What do you get when you let your kids pick your dates instead of the apps? You get this charming story.

Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

Dates that can be described as Awkward! Hilarious! Cringey! Borderline Assaulty! But eventually, they might just get it right.

Sophie Cousens always hits just the right note. Great plot, great characters, all the feels. This one had top-tier banter, a May-December romance (older woman, younger man), and hot enemies-to-lovers chemistry. I loved how she opened each chapter with a hilarious list of Google searches.

Add this to your TBR. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

What do you get when you let your kids pick seven dates for you…this book, you get this book and this book was SO GOOD.

The banter, the laughs, the swoons this story had it all and I urge you to pick up a copy on November 19th because I know I am.

Sometimes life can be messy and sometimes it’s okay to laugh about it and the laughs are plenty with this book.

We follow Anna as she tries to find love again after her recent divorce and her journey to get there is such a fun ride. And don’t even get me started on Will. He is THE ideal book boyfriend we all crave and if you read this book for any reason-do it for Will!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

If there's something Anna’s unpredictable seven dates made me aware of is that there's always hope.
And I know hoping is one of the scariest thing a person can do, but what is the point of going through life imposing yourselves not to do it in case you’ll fail?

I'm in a mood, and that's all SC fault.
The giggles, the blushing, the kicking my feet were nothing compared to the awareness of wanting to be in a relationship I've felt. Sure, maybe that's the power of a great love story, but we both know that’s not something we find in every romance book we read.
That sparkle, that seed of hope that you feel blossoming, is what SC is great at, and that's all I need to affirm that SC is a great writer.

Thanks to Penguin Group PUTNAM and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I really, really loved this book, and I love Sophie Cousens even more for writing it!!

"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" follows Anna, a single mom and writer fresh out of a rough divorce, who’s determined to keep things stable and stay “happy on her own” for the sake of her kids—and her career. But then Will enters the picture, and while he’s annoyingly charming, he is also an ambitious writer who is not-so-secretly after her column.

In a desperate move to keep her job, Anna lets her kids take the reins and set her up on ten dates with people from “real life” to write a column on offline dating culture—shared, of course, with none other than Will himself.

I had so much fun reading this book, and Cousens did a phenomenal job with Anna’s journey! It was so raw and relatable, and Anna was so easy to root for. Watching Anna’s skepticism slowly transform as she opens herself to love and dating after a painful split was so beautiful to read, especially as her rivalry with Will blossomed into something much deeper and sweeter.

Cousens perfectly captures the awkward, sometimes painful, but ultimately beautiful experience of rediscovering yourself and finding love after a rough patch. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" comes out this November, and I highly recommend checking it out! A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The setup for the plot felt like a 2000s rom-com and the book fulfilled all I was hoping for. All the men that Anna went on a date with were so interesting & flushed-out. The way Anna learned and grew a little more with each date was beautiful, and all the friends she makes along the way is very fun. My favorite of her dates were Caleb & Noah. And how she ends up with who she ends up with at the end, perfectly written!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📰♥️😽 Anna Appleby is a columnist in middle age, she is a great mom and no time for dating. After being married for 17 years, ex husband Dan became depressed and unwilling to work on things. He is remarried to a younger woman, Sylvie, who fancies herself a “mother figure” to the kids. So Anna takes it as a challenge to let her kids set her up on dates with 7 men, all met “offline.”

Hence begins a journey of exploration, self-discovery, and of knowing how to reconcile becoming someone who goes on dates. Along the way she is sharing and being helped by office rival-maybe-friend Will, who she can’t stop thinking about.

Funky and fresh British humor, likeable kids and her cat (Katniss), over the course of the book I very much related to Anna, it’s nice to have a female main character who isn’t self-deprecating, who alternates between confidence and insecurity. Her internal dialogue is believable and calming. Great anticipation built up over the book.

Thanks to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the ARC. Book to be published November 19, 2024.

I was so happy to receive an advanced copy of Sophie Cousens' latest via NetGalley. Her books are always the perfect balance of romance, comedy and intelligent characters - my favorite combo. Is She Really Going Out with Him? is no different, and may actually be in my top 2 of her books. Workplace romance, forced proximity, enemies to lovers...all in one perfect package.

Sophie Cousens maintains her status as an auto-buy author with this one! Books featuring divorce aren’t my favorite but this so well done.

FMC Anna is juggling a job as a journalist with a struggling publication and her role as a single mother following her fairly recent divorce. After deciding the online dating scene isn’t for her, she allows her kids to choose who she goes out with as the premise for her column. The dates are hilarious, the supporting characters are well-developed and lovable, and the chemistry between the MCs is perfection. This was a book I didn’t want to end!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such a cute and wholesome book! I loved the Banter between the two MCs (Anna and Will) and how their relationship shifted. I loved the aspect of Anna re-discovering herself after a divorce and finding what she really wants in life/advocating for herself. Will Havers is the perfect love interest! He is so swoon worthy but also has some beautiful quirks and hidden traits. It was also interesting to read about family dynamics after divorce and the messy bits that come with it but also the problem solving.

I recommend this book if you enjoy:
- sexy book boyfriends
- dating problems
- enemies to lovers
- work rivals
- get away trips

Big thank you to NetGalley & G. P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC copy! I put off reading this book as I had such high hopes and didn’t want to be let down BUT I truly enjoyed this book so much! It was giving How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes if Andie Anderson was a divorced mom of two. Definitely add this one to your TBR🩷

Thank you to NetGalley & PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC! *Is She Really Going Out with Him* by Sophie Cousens is a delightful romantic comedy that explores the complexities of relationships and self-discovery. The story centers on protagonist, Gemma, who is reeling from a break-up and finds herself unexpectedly thrust into a reality TV show that revolves around dating. Cousens' witty dialogue and charming characters bring humor and heart to the narrative, making readers root for Gemma as she navigates the absurdity of reality TV and her own emotional growth. The novel is lighthearted yet poignant, touching on themes of self-worth, love, and the sometimes awkward journey of finding "the one." Fans of romantic comedies with quirky twists will find this book a refreshing and engaging read.

I have enjoyed Sophie Cousens books and this was no exception. Not my favorite but a cute fun read none the less.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC.

Anna, recently divorced, is happy being alone and is closed off from the dating world. Due to work duties, Anna starts exploring dating life again; dating men chosen by her children. On this journey Anna finds love where she least expects it.

This was a cute and fun book to get lost in. I appreciated the humor in the book, and I had many laugh out loud moments.

After loving many of Sophie Cousens’s previous books, I was very excited to get an arc of her latest.

It did not disappoint! I just love the author’s writing style, she really pulls me in from the start. I quickly got attached to the characters and was really rooting for Anna to find an identity outside of being just a mother. It was fun to watch her journey of learning to love herself after a divorce and how she healed. The love story was also super sweet and it was nice to see an age reversal with Anna being 8 years older than Will.

I really enjoyed this one and had a hard time putting it down! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

I’ve loved Sophie Cousens for so long now, and this book is no exception. It paints an honest picture of motherhood, divorce, rediscovery of yourself, and discovery of what’s been in front of you the entire time. Will was EVERYTHING, and his backstory only made me fall harder for him. Anna was so gritty when necessary, and I loved watching her develop her backbone.

Overall, another amazing book from Sophie.

The beauty of ‘Is She Really Going Out With Him?’ lives within its perfect balance of realistic and heightened romance. Anna’s a recently divorced mom of two reluctantly reentering the dating scene and, in a fun turn of events, her kids pick out seven dates for her dating column. It’s the perfect twist on the ‘getting back out there’ mentality and also allows the reader to get emotionally invested in her kids when that’s definitely not always the case in romance books. After her divorce, Anna’s lost her sense of self, having devolved into a people pleasing palatable version of herself, so as her story progresses she comes into her own once more. Her vibrancy returns, her passion sparks, and her sense of desire not just for love but for her own life is renewed. It’s as much of a story about healing and self worth as it is a romance. Opposite Anna is Will, a man with such rich emotional depth, thoughtfulness, and heart, that you’ll be wanting scenes from his point of view just to get a peek inside of his endearingly cocky brain. Their dynamic is banter filled electricity and tender warmth. I truly could not get enough of them!

I loved Is She Really Going Out with Him?. My favorite part of this story was Anna's journey. I enjoyed watching her character growth. I liked how confident and assertive she became. I was happy when she stood up for herself with Dan and Crispin. I thought the writing plotline was fun. The dates Anna went on were hilarious. Anna's character was a hoot! It was nice seeing Anna became more comfortable with herself and making friends with the dates. I adored Anna and Will's relationship. Their chemistry and banter were off the charts. I thought Cousens did a fantastic job with the development of their relationship. Anna and Will had a lot of cute scenes together. The hotel room scene was 😝. Will had all of the qualities I like to see in book boyfriends: he was sensitive, romantic, and funny. If I had to critique anything, it would be the articles. I wanted more of an update on how the public was reacting to the articles. I also would have enjoyed some samples of the columns. Overall, this was a fun and endearing book. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC.

I loved this book! Two rival coworkers have to collaborate to write corresponding articles at their publication. Feelings develop. I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend.

⚠️ Warning-reading this book may cause you to binge read her entire backlist!

This was my first book by Sophie Cousens and obviously-I LOVED it! ❤️
I laughed and I cried-it delivered ALL THE FEELS!

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.

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.

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!

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

The title of the book also gave me an ear worm, for the great Joe Jackson song released in 1978 with the same title-and Sophie Cousens gave us a great quote to go along with that song in my head: “some things in life you can’t choose, like the plot-but you CAN choose the soundtrack”!

Bravo to that!
And, bravo to this book which will be make my 2024 FAVORITES list in the romance category!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The only negative-her cat Katniss, passes away from old age. 😿

Expected Publication date: November 19, 2024

Thank You to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

Anna Appleby is a divorced mom of two and a local journalist whose work nemesis Will is trying to steal her column. The new publisher says she needs to open herself up more in her column so rather than go down without a fight Anna decides to write a dating column - she agrees to date whomever her children pick for her and then write about the experience (no matter what). Can Anna find love through her dating escapades or is it waiting for her in a more unexpected place?

I thought this one was absolutely adorable and fun and loved all of the characters and their interactions. I could not put this one down and just wanted to see where the two romantic leads would end up. I’m always up for a great love story where the female lead is a mom with kids, and the relationship between her and kids was written well in this one (not too gushy). This one has platonic, romantic and familial love and it all just worked so well. This is my favorite Sophie Cousens book yet.

4.25 stars