Thank you Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Anna is a divorced single mom of two and journalist who can’t stand Will her handsome younger colleague. When the two are paired to write collaborating columns, hers on dating offline and his online she begins to see the other side of him. Through her dating adventures she makes great friends and forms a community of her own.

Is she really going out with him is a sweet romance that explores dating after divorces and a classic enemies to lovers trope.

Predictable? Yes. But I enjoyed the main character and she felt like a real person, which is always nice.

Sophie Cousens is an adorable romantic comedy! This British novel has a couple of main characters to swoon over from their enemies to lovers plot. Cousens writes flawed but likeable characters who remind the reader of people you know in real life. Anna is starting over after her divorce and her magazine column is in danger of being cut with downsizing at work. Unless she can spice it up, Anna will be out of a job. Her boss wants her to write a dating column and her wacky idea is to allow her kids to choose the men she dates. This romance is a slow burn, with witty banter between Will and Anna, who go from competitive co-workers to lovers. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I firmly pledge my allegiance to Sophie Cousens and her brilliant, heartwarming, and charming storytelling. I have yet to read a book of hers and feel anything other than delighted and touched.

Anna is a recently divorced mom of 2 who writes a column for a local publication. Will is her 30 year old office rival who also happens to be good looking, ambitious, and gunning for Anna’s job.

When the publication is bought by new investors, Anna finds her job on the line. She pitches the idea of going on a series of dates but rather relying on apps Anna’s children will pick her dates. Will suggests he writes a parallel column from a “man around town” perspective and so begins the work relationship Anna did not want.

As she navigates dating again, dealing with her ex and his new 25 year old girlfriend, and parenting her kids through their own struggles, Anna slowly comes back to life and remembers how good it feels to be connected to others.

Is She Really Going Out with Him is a great enemies to lovers story with some forced proximity and only one bed sprinkled in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Thanks for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Great dialogue and storyline. Funny and kept me intrigued the whole time. Dating is an adventure and loved the kids picking her dates for the column. Tension between the two was great and loved watching it play out. Highly recommend!

Another lovely romance by Sophie Cousens! This one was so much fun and as a mom I enjoyed how much the children were a part of the story and helping our main characters find love and happiness. Beautiful!

I have to admit I’m fairly new to Sophie Cousens books. I read “The Good Part”earlier this year and really enjoyed it. So when I saw “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” available to request for review I knew I had to jump on the opportunity. And I’m so thankful for NetGalley and Penguin Books Putnam for providing me an e-arc to read in exchange for my honest review.

Anywho back to our book. The story follows Anna a newly divorced mom in her her late thirties who works as a journalist. All was going fine until Will, her new work rival, that is also 8 years younger than her, shakes things up at the office. They get assigned a joint column centered on dating where they go on fake dates but with not each other.

Now right off the bat let me tell you this book took a bit for me to get into. But, overall I’m really glad I stuck with it. My main struggles fall with Anna. I had a really hard time relating to her. Anna is a 38 year old divorced mom. I am none of those things so trying to get into her mindset and connect to her was difficult at times. But once we got into Anna’s dating adventures I was all here for it. Because let me tell you some of those dating adventures were hilarious and pull at your heart strings sweet.

Another thing I struggled with at times was Will. Like I know he’s supposed to be our love interest. But at times he was a brat especially in the beginning. Don’t worry eventually he won me over but it was not a fast process.

Also last but not least, I feel like I should mention the romance in this book. Because I know BookTok and I can already tell this book will probably not be for 50% of BookTok because it’s not “smutty” enough. This is a closed-door romance folks! Which means slow pacing and things happening behind the scene. So if you aren’t looking for PG romance this isn’t for you.

Even though I had my ups and downs with this book. I still real enjoyed this sweet romance with a new twist on the fake dating trope. And I recommend you checking it out when it releases November 2024!

Ok this might be my favorite Sophie Cousens yet! Never thought I’d say this but I’m really warming up to this whole idea of divorced moms finding love again. It was a little bit sexier than I’m used to but still not explicit (openly talks about sex though). It’s a rivals-ish to lovers and their tension filled banter got me good. I laughed out loud several times while reading this. The ending/resolution was a bit ‘meh’ but overall still loved it!
*comes out in November. Got an ARC from NetGalley
*open door with a handful of F words

5 big fat stars ⭐️
The first thing I did after reading this book, was preorder a hard copy. Thank you @netgalley for sending me one of my top reads of the year. This book was so much fun. I love me a character with inner monologue, two main character with hysterical banter, and the over all storyline was just wonderful. The main character Anna, who’s a recently divorced mother for two, gets into a heated battle with a handsome rival writer for their local magazine. As they battle to keep their jobs as the magazine switches ownership, Anna suggest revitalizing her column by going on one date a week of her children’s choosing which leads to chaotic, comical, and heartfelt adventures. Also, each chapter starts with a quick google search of Anna’s thoughts that are equally as laugh at loud funny, but as the battle wages on with her coworker Will, who is also on the task of dating to counter her column, the two grow closer…
I seriously want everyone I know to read this and I’d easily read any @Sophie Cousens book in a heart beat. I adored her writing style and how the storyline progressed so naturally.

wow… just WOW!! This is one of those books that you will wish you could read again for the first time. All of the characters were so relatable, it felt like i was reading real life events! The author doesn’t leave a stone untouched when it comes to descriptions and the relationships throughout the book. The author knows how to pull emotions from the reader and she does it every time! Will be recommending on my tiktok account.

This book has quickly become one of my top reads this year, especially in the "friends to lovers" genre. The story delves into the complexities of dating, where the characters face obstacles not entirely of their making. This challenge adds a layer of authenticity and depth to their journey, making their transition from friends to lovers all the more compelling.

The narrative's exploration of second chances is masterful. It vividly portrays how closing one chapter can lead to unexpected new beginnings, and this theme resonates deeply. The characters' struggles and triumphs are depicted with emotional richness, offering a profound reflection on the nature of timing and opportunity.

Each character is intricately developed, and their growth throughout the story feels genuine and heartfelt. The romance unfolds with a combination of humor and poignancy, creating a connection that is both realistic and touching. This book not only explores love and personal growth but also captures the beauty of embracing new possibilities despite life's uncertainties.

Special thanks to Penguin Books Putnam for this ARC.

I wish I could erase this book from my memory so I could read it again for the first time! This book reeled me in immediately with the title name. Like, this book was giving 90s/2000s rom com vibes in every aspect. If how to lose a guy in 10 days and the hating game had a baby, this would be it. I literally want to be friends with most of the people in this book. Anna, Will, the kids, Lottie, Michael, Noah, and obviously my girl LORETTA ended up all being such likable characters. The way the author writes is so descriptive and makes you fall in love with not only Will, but all of the friendships made in the process too. I also enjoyed (and chuckled) reading all of the google searches like she was real for that. I too have googled is The Spanish Love Deception turning into a movie. Ha!

I just really found myself smiling while turning the pages and giggling with my feet up not wanting to put it down. That’s a five star read in my book.

Unfortunately I really struggled with this one. I didn’t sense any chemistry between the main characters and all the characters felt very one-dimensional. Anna came off as a bit of a sad sack.

Sophie Cousens never fails to make me laugh, swoon, and occasionally cry with her books! I love when the main character is a little older than the typical romcom lead, and one that was a mom was a fun bonus. The chemistry between the two characters was so feisty and fun, and the enemies to lovers trope just works so well in this story. Another great book by Sophie!

Sophie Cousens always comes through with winning characters and storylines. This was charming—and also hot!

Really enjoyed this book by Sophie Cousens! Like her previous books, I loved the premise of this one. It was a mix of both age gap and enemies to lovers. I enjoyed seeing Anna embrace the new chapter in her life.

My only confusion was I mixed up Lottie and Loretta at one point and couldn't figure out when the plot changed! Once I went back, it made so much more sense.

Overall, this is a great read that is both romance and women's fiction. Definitely would recommend it.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the arc of this book.
I love Sophie Cousens. This rom-com was so sweet and perfect- I was hesitant about the post-divorce narrative, but she totally sticks the landing. Main characters have sweet perfect chemistry. Read it in 24 hours. Closed door.

IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. A really fun, cute read! Anna is recently divorced, and a mother of 2. With her ex husband shacking up with a 25 year old, she is focused on her children. When her journalism career is in jeopardy, she pitches a column of her meeting men in real life to date (no apps needed) to write about. This book was super quick to read, I loved many of the characters. As a married 30something mom, I really related to parts of Anna (sans the divorce). It was cute, hallmark, fluff read. Themes of love, self discovery, friendship, disconnection from social media. I really enjoyed it! Just not a 5⭐️ read because I can’t get over how I sobbed from her last release, The Good Part.

Oh my, this book was absolutely everything I want in a book! It was laugh out loud funny, charming, relatable, memorable, thoughtful, and quite romantic. Sophie Cousens creates the best characters, engaging dialogue, and I absolutely love the humor in her books. While I’ve loved them all, this one may be my favorite yet! This would be the perfect book to binge read on a rainy day or a long day at the beach, as it’s even more entertaining when read quickly. I can’t recommend this lovable story enough- I’m already looking forward to her next!

Anna is freshly divorced and works as a local journalist. Her new article series is centered around her kids picking out dates for her, and her coworker Will going on dates to have the other POV. Overall, a really cute story and I enjoyed it!