A solid 3.5 stars from Sophie Cousens. This is a pleasant, if uneven, romance about Anna, a recently divorced woman who is getting back into the dating world. But only because she pitched the idea to her magazine editor in an attempt to secure her job from her work rival, the very delicious and annoying Will. She will go on seven dates with suitors specifically chosen by her children, while he will go on dates with similar people but on the apps. Digital vs. Analog dating? While the concept was cute, I was a little bored by her dates, and the characters did not feel fully formed.

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

4.75⭐️ This was my first book I’ve read by Sophie Cousen’s and it definitely will not be my last. I absolutely loved this!

Anna is a journalist and single mother. She ends up having her kids pick her dates and writes about them in her column. I truly could not stop reading this! I laughed, I cried, I was giggling and kicking my feet over the banter. I could not get enough of this book. The rivalry between Will and Anna was giving me little flashbacks to Iris and Roman in Divine Rivals and I was eating up every second of it!

If you’re looking for a heartfelt romance that will make you laugh and possibly cry definitely check this out.

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam for the ARC.

I really love this new wave of romance books involving people in their 30s. Sophie Cousens doesn't always follow a strict formula in her books which I appreciate, and this was no exception. Although I knew where the story would end up, I didn't necessarily know how we would get to that point. Overall, this was really heartwarming and fun!

this was a sweet read! a roller coaster of emotions (in a good way!) and I had a lot of fun seeing this journey

i really loved seeing how much Anna grew during her journey back to love. I knew from the beginning Will would be it for her. Their love story is adorable. I really enjoyed all of the side characters, especially learning a little about her children.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC (:

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

My sister recommended this book to me and boy am I so glad she did!! This is my first Sophie Cousens book and I can’t wait to get to the bookstore and pick up some of her other books! I could not put this one down! I absolutely devoured this book, I got so absorbed. I cannot remember the last time I got sucked into a book like this.
It has everything. A great plot, witty characters, banter, a genuine but also hot love story. I can’t find a single thing I didn’t enjoy. I really loved how everyone had normal and not over the top reactions and there wasn’t really unnecessary drama.
I also really loved how Anna found herself again, slowly throughout the book. Will Havers is definitely my new literary crush.

Another amazing sweet read by the one and only Sophie Cousens.

Enemies to lovers? Maybe?
Friendship goals? Yes
Grouchy neighbor? Yes
Unique story? ABSOLUTELY YES
Family life? Yes

This book has all of that and so much more.

Could you imagine being a Mom, newly single (divorced), and letting your kids pick who you go on dates with? This novel just goes to show that the grass isn't really greener on the other side.

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishing for my ARC.

Love, love, love Sophie Cousens writing. She's back with another story from overseas, this time a middle-aged journalist stuck in a rut. Anna is a divorced mother of two, who feels a fellow journalist is trying to horn in on her job, and possibly edge her out. She raises the stakes at work and ends up agreeing to write a dating column, where her children pick her suiters - what could possibly go wrong?

With some definite rom-com energy, her colleague Will begins to appear as a possible suiter as well, but can she get out of her own way to let a new life begin? Can he work out his personal drama to admit what he really wants? It's a story that isn't resolved until the last few pages and no matter what happens, will leave the reader satisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
I have to admit, I picked up this book solely because of the title, and I'm so glad I did! I’ve never come across a story where the plot revolves around letting your kids choose your dates, but I had an absolute blast reading it. The book is incredibly British and a bit choppy at times, but overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience!
Anna is such a relatable main character—her journey toward embracing her life and relationship status felt very authentic. The dates she went on were entertaining, and I found myself loving several of the men she encountered. Noah, for instance, is the sweetest, grumpiest man, and I adore him! Will, on the other hand, was a bit of an enigma for me. I think his character would have been more understandable if we’d gotten his perspective in the story. I needed more insight into why he was interested in Anna from the start. Their first hookup felt a bit rushed, and I think it could’ve benefited from a bit more buildup or dialogue.
And as for Sylvie, I would’ve lost it if she kept insisting the kids had two moms and then named her child after my boyfriend! But that’s just me.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this author because the story was so easy to read. I could see myself bumping this rating up to a four by the end of the month!

Sophie Cousens has done it again! I absolutely loved it! The characters were so likable, the banter was top notch, the plot was sweet and fun.

It was a mix of “The 12 dates of Christmas”, “The Hating Game”, and “How to lose a guy in 10 Days.” I laughed and smiled the whole way through. A perfect feel good book with plenty of depth.

Content warnings: divorce, mild language, moderate spice (two open door scenes).

This is my second book that I’ve read by Sophie Cousens and it was really great! This book is about Anna who is recently divorced going on dates picked by her children for her work column! I loved the characters and how different each of her dates were. It seems like she learned a different lesson for each of them. Will was just the best! I loved how he was her co worker, how they would bicker and fight, but how their attraction grew within each other. Definitely recommend this book and a great 5 star read! Thank You NetGalley, Putnam Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! Publishing date of November 19, 2024.

Thank you to @putnambooks for the ARC which I had zero chill in reading immediately. Thank you to @sophie for the witty winner of a book and for getting Joe Jackson’s title song stuck in my head. I’m not mad about either of them.
 
I’ve read and enjoyed all of Sophie Cousen’s novels and her upcoming release is no exception. She continually delivers a heartfelt rom-com with sharp writing, well-defined characters and a compelling story. The trifecta for a perfect pick-me-up.

There were 3 stand out elements that hooked me:
* Anna is a divorced Mom in her late 30’s.
* Will Havers is impossible to cut up. He’s a keeper.
* Anna's two kids go old school (offline) to pick seven dates for her to go on with little-to-no veto power.  

It's one of those books that blends levity and humor with heft. The characters are endearing & authentic. Equally appealing are the people Anna meets along the way as she expands her community.  I loved the banter, the authentic familial relationships and kids who act their ages. I would categorize this as 'romance adjacent". Light on the steam.

I have so many feelings, but if you kept up with my status updates for this one, you'll know I mean that in the best way. The amount of times I kicked my feet, slammed my hand on my desk, and wanted to SCREAMMM into my pillow was insane. I must ask the author, how did you come up with this man? Is he real? Does he exist somewhere? Because we need more men like Will freaking HAVERS.

This story starts out introducing you to our fmc, Anna. She is 38, divorced, with two of the cutest kids. She has become quite cynical, and believes she is "completely and totally happy on her own", and has no interest in dating. That is until her career is about to take a turn for the worst if she doesn't start writing more vulnerable and relatable column pieces. The newspaper company she works for is tanking, and they need a new and fresh take to gain a younger audience, and that's where the idea of going on dates her children pick for her begins.

I personally really grew to love Anna. At first I thought "wow, she is just so skeptical of anyone and everything". I wanted her to let loose, I wanted her to stop believing the worst in people, and oh my goodness how that changes for her throughout this book. She grows, she makes new friends, she finds HERSELF. It was a wonderful journey of watching her blossom, and truly finding who she is, because her whole life up to this point was her prioritizing her children, and never taking a second for herself.

And you might be wondering who is Will Havers? How does he play into this story? LET ME TELL YOU. I would say Anna has a one sided rivalry against him, so I can't really call them work rivals, especially when all he wants is just Anna's attention. But somehow they end up having a competitive relationship, and the rest unfolds from there. He is literally the sweetest man. He pays attention to when she speaks, makes her know her worth when she can't, and FREAKING SPENDS TIME WITH HER CHILDREN. *punches the air*

I am a big mood reader, and I haven't been in a contemporary romance mood for a minute now, and I just want to say that I am so glad that this was the book that I decided to read. I loved, loved, loved all the new friends Anna makes along the way, her growth, and her freaking relationship with Will. AND I really hope we will see a certain someone's story from this book written soon, because he truly deserves it *cough* the neighbor *cough*.

Thank you netgalley and Putnam books for this e-arc!!!

Wow, just wow.

I loved how many different directions this went. I was there for each and every relationship! Every character was special in their own way and I love all of them.
I loved how organic everything was and how each character pushed when needed but also knew when the other needed space.

This book gave me nothing but happy feels and genuine smiles. Props to Sophie for being able to write an amazing story with the perfect ending.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Sophie Cousens for accepting my request for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I fell in love with these characters. It was also so fun having the kids pick the dates for Anna. Even though it seemed like there were a lot of characters introduced it didn’t seem confusing at all and they all served their part to make this such a wholesome book.

Another rom com winner from Sophie Cousens which I devoured in one sitting. Columnist Anna Appleby finds herself competing to save her column for a Bristol magazine from her younger rival Will.

Having eschewed any sort of romance after her divorce, Anna agrees to go on dates set up by her young children and write about them. All while finding herself verbally sparing with Will, whom she makes many assumptions, sometimes hurtful ones about.

Anna's dates were hilarious to sweet, sometimes within the same date, like her kid's classmate's dad. I loved that slowly Anna grows and re-discovers aspects of her dormant personality.

Sophie Cousens writes well-rounded characters. I adored Will and all the side characters, such as her sister. Anna's relationship and banter with her kids, who were written exactly as their ages, was also a highlight. I also appreciated the tightrope Anna has to walk co-parenting with her ex-husband, who, surprise surprise was such a walking middle aged stereotype and ends up in a life he walked away from (suck shit!).

With its sharp writing and characters I become deeply invested in, I hope someone turns this into a movie like her first book.

Thanks to Putnam/Penguin Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

Sophie Cousens, the author you are. I was a bit nervous because I LOVE her other stories, and I was worried about trying to relate to a character with a completely different life experience to mine. However there are many parts of Anna that I connected with. I also loved all the small characters, and literally small characters in her children. Just a feel good book about picking yourself up after heartache, and making unexpected connections with the people around you.

If Andie Anderson was a British single mom whose kids chose her dates. I laughed out loud so many times and loved the chemistry between Anna and her love interest. My favorite rom-com of the year so far — Sophie Cousens is fabulous.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I have loved all previous Sophie Cousins books and this one was not an exception! I love when we get older women trying to find love while balancing a family and a job. Despite the lull in the middle of the books, I was drawn to Anna and Will's rivalry but also drawn to the side characters. I have a misunderstanding that is easily avoidable but that was my only complaint with the book. Overall 4 stars!

I LOVED this one. I adore Sophie Cousens so I was super excited to find this here and even more excited to get approved! It was obvious from the very beginning that the two main characters would get together by the end but that didn't stop me from devouring this book to see exactly how they got there. I couldn't totally relate to Anna since I don't have kids, but I definitely related to her quest for love and all her dating foibles. This was a five star read for me.