Sophie Cousens did it again! What a wonderful book that is easy to devour. It was a fun story and very How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days-esque at the beginning, but really stood out on its own with how it developed. I loved the family aspect of dating and was a huge fan of Will and the depth behind him.

Anna Appleby is a divorced mom and columnist, and suddenly competing with a coworker for her own dating column. So she pitches a fresh idea: her children pick men from real life for her to date.
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I loved 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩 earlier this year so I was excited going into this new book but was not expecting to love it as much as I did. I actually stayed up past midnight to finish it one night and I don't think I've ever done that for a romance. I loved both main characters and the fact that they're 30+. I still read and enjoy rom-coms about 20 somethings but it is nice and more relatable to read about characters your own age sometimes. FMC Anna is trying to navigate work + mom life post-divorce and I really enjoyed her development throughout the book. Sometimes I leave a book wishing it had been dual perspective but in this case, I felt it was perfect through Anna's eyes because as she gets to know (and fall for) MMC Will, so do we.

This is so minuscule but I think my favorite thing about the whole book were Anna's Google searches at the beginning of each chapter. They were hilarious and I found myself guessing while reading what she would be searching for next.

Lastly, there's not many books that literally make me laugh at loud but the fishing date gone wrong was so funny. It's exactly the kind of thing that would have happened to me during my horrible dating life.

Tropes, etc: Women's Fiction, Romance, Single POV, Closed Door, Slow Burn, Workplace, Rivals to Lovers, Age Gap, Single Mother, Love After Divorce, Found Family, Finding Yourself.


Anna Appleby is a 38 Year old recently divorced mom of 2 and a journalist for a local lifestyle magazine. Everyone in her life is pushing her to start dating, and when there's a shake-up at the magazine, she's forced to step out of her comfort zone for a new assignment.
The assignment: go out on 10 dates with men she meets in real life and her children pick out for her!

Anna must dig deep and put herself out there if she wants to keep her job and outshine her infuriatingly good looking coworker, Will, who will be coordinaring with her to write a similar artible about dates with women he meets online.


Each date (some young, some old, some eccentric,) while perhaps not a love match, teaches Anna something about herself and what she wants. She's also making a menagerie of unexpected friends along the way!


And *maybe* collaborating with Will isn't really so bad once they get to know each other better and stop competing. In fact, part-way through this dating assignment, they find themselves growing quite close indeed!


But Will and Anna both have plans and lives that don't quite match up at this point in time. Will is several years younger than Anna, with ambitions that may take him away from this small town that Anna is rooted to for the foreseeable future due to her children.


Maybe it'll be enough that Anna had found her new self, friends, and happiness post-divorce. Love and relationships aren't everything, after all.


Anna's journey is emotional, heartwarming, and liberating. She finds her way back to her self, not just Anna the mother or (ex)wife, but who she really is and what she wants in life.


As a woman and mother around Anna's age, there were parts of the story that really resonated with me. The self-doubt, the low self-esteem, the loss of identity that somehow happens as your life slowly starts to revolve around everyone's needs but your own. I found myself very invested in Anna finding her happiness.

5⭐️ .5🌶


I read an advanced copy of this book, and these are my honest opinions. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.

👩🏻‍💻Book Review 👩🏻‍💻

Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens
👩🏻‍💻
I absolutely devoured this book. I was laughing out loud through most of it, and swooning through the rest. Anna is such a relatable protagonist. She’s a single mom who is trying to find herself again after a brutal divorce. She’s a journalist, and to save her column, she has to begin dating again and write about her experiences. The catch is, her kids get to pick the men she goes out with and the activity that they do. The situations that she finds herself in are absolutely hilarious. And don’t even get me started on her Google searches at the beginning of every chapter; they were ridiculous, and completely accurate. When I wasn’t commiserating with Anna, I was busy falling in love with Will, her work nemesis. She thinks he’s trying to take her job, and that he’s also a snobby, conceited player, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s kind, caring, sensitive, and sweet, and he would do anything for his family. He was perfect. This book will tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh, and help you believe in love again. I adored it!
👩🏻‍💻
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Spice level: 🌶️
👩🏻‍💻
Read if you like:
▫️single mom
▫️work rivals to lovers
▫️great banter
▫️one bed
▫️he falls first and harder
👩🏻‍💻
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons, Penguin Random House, NetGalley, and Sophie Cousens for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
368 pages
Publishing today November 19th, 2024

A disillussioned divorcee who agrees to let her children play matchmaker. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna agrees to write an online dating column featuring seven dates, all found online, chosen by her kids. In comes her workplace enemy, Will, who is also wanting to keep his job & write an amazing column. When a romantic connection appears when she least expects it, where will this book lead to?

I ADORED this book! The FMC was so relatable & easy to understand. I honestly loved Will from the beginning, I knew he had potential to become a great MMC. The humor and the banter in this book was top notch, & of course the ONE BED TROPE 😝 This is my first Sophie Cousens book & it will not be my last! A must read!!!

Read if you like:
✨Workplace enemies to lovers
✨Only one bed
✨Age gap
✨Single parent

Thank you @putnambooks @sophie_cousens @netgalley for an eARC of this amazing release!

#putnambooks #sophiecousens #netgalley #romance #workplaceromance

After her divorce, Anna Appleby has no desire to date and is perfectly happy being single. But in an effort to remain relevant and fresh to her new boss and her magazine readers, she agrees to take on a dating column which then takes a unique twist. She’ll go on seven dates with people met in real life, not online, and chosen by her children. As Anna puts herself out there she remembers what it feels like to make meaningful connections with people, romantic and platonic.

I’ve enjoyed all of Sophie Cousins books and this one was no different. It was a really cute and quick read, I even chuckled several times while reading it. I loved the variety of the dating scenes and Anna’s willingness to embrace the awkward. I also loved the growth of her character throughout the story. Cousens does a great job of writing relatable and lovable characters. I loved the title and couldn’t stop singing the song in my head every time I picked up the book.
Rating: Liked

Happy Release Day to 'Is She Really Going Out with Him'!

I usually don't gravitate stories with a single parent, but my tastes have been changing lately and wanted to give this a try especially with Sophie Cousens's heartfelt and funny writing. This story also came at a great time when I was looking to read more books with FMCs in their mid/late-30s.

The story starts with Columnist Anna Appleby who is cynical and rundown from life plans a hail mary effort to pitch a new series in her column in order to preserve her job - she will allow her kids to select seven dates to attract new audience to bring in a fresh perspective. The romance in this book comes to life from an unsuspecting coworker, a rival-to-lovers of some sort. And Will the man that you are. I'm a sucker for anyone who pays attention to detail and he is your man!!! UGH. Everything about him had my heart melting into a pool of rose colored goo.

There was one bed, spicy coworker tension, fun banter between the two characters = it's follows a great romcom story and I loved it! I can't wait to dive into Sophie Cousens entire backlog very soon!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group PUTNAM books for this e-arc.

🌟 Book Review: Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens 🌟

Sophie Cousens strikes gold again with Is She Really Going Out With Him?, a rom-com that feels like it was tailor-made for late 30-somethings navigating the hilarious, messy, and tender realities of midlife. This book isn’t just a romance—it’s a relatable, laugh-out-loud exploration of self-discovery and second chances.

Cousens masterfully captures the nuances of life in the middle, blending humor and heart in a way that feels authentic and refreshing. The protagonist’s journey is a mirror for those of us grappling with shifting priorities, unexpected detours, and the occasional existential crisis—without skimping on the swoon-worthy moments we crave in a rom-com.

With clever dialogue, quirky characters, and a story that resonates, Is She Really Going Out With Him? is the kind of book that wraps you up in its charm and doesn’t let go. Whether you’re looking for a heartfelt escape or a good laugh, this book is an absolute romp and a must-read.

✨ Highly recommended for anyone seeking a relatable and thoroughly entertaining read! ✨

I’ve been humming the Sugar Ray version of the song title in my head for days and I’m okay with it because each time I do I can’t stop smiling about this book. It was sooo good!

Anna Appleby is a newly divorced mom who is finding her footing again, and when the one thing in her life that she can depend on and is good at – her magazine writing job – is in jeopardy, she decides to shake things up to make herself more relevant. The only problem? She’ll have to put herself out there on dates chosen by her children. What could go wrong?! And when she feels herself having to compete with her work nemesis and the office “golden boy,” Will, things get extra complicated and delicious in the best way possible.

I adored this book so much. Anna’s children were so charming and the dates they picked for her were so thoughtful and sweet. The situations she found herself in were hysterical and had me laughing out loud. While they were meant to be entertaining, they were still so relatable and reminded me of some of the crazy things my sister tells me from her dating adventures.

I was so captivated by Anna and her vulnerability. It was so refreshing to watch Anna really find true joy again and grow to know herself as a person. It gave me a lot of things to reflect on and I feel like it will really resonate with so many women no matter the stage of life they’re in.

Thank you to Sophie Cousens, Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of the book for an honest review.

Deeply emotional and reflective, while also being funny! I loved the concept behind all of the dates that Anna was going on, and everything was beautifully wrapped together at the end with significant and meaningful messages. Another great Cousens book :)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a DRC in exchange for my honest review!

In Is She Really Going Out With Him we meet Anna, a single mom desperately trying to hold on to her job and her column while a rival journalist, Will, tries to snatch it right out from under her. In a last ditch effort to impress her editor, Anna agrees to let her children play matchmaker and set her up on seven dates. Their picks include everyone from a random waiter to the postman and even a celebrity crush but it is the feelings that Anna is developing for an unexpected foe that throws her for the biggest loop of all. I’m a fan of Sophie Cousens books and this one was no exception. It was funny, sweet, cute, everything you want in a romantic comedy.

WOW WOW WOW where do I begin?!? 🥹 Let’s start with the fact that as soon as I finished this book I went straight to my NetGalley profile and added Sophie Cousens to my favorite authors list! 💃🏻
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There are so many reasons I loved this book, but I’m going to give you three because if I don’t limit myself I may go on forever. 🤣 To set the scene, Anna is a divorced columnist who agrees to go on a series of dates chosen by her children and write about it. Ok here we go, my three reasons..
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Reason 1: It’s hilarious! The dating snafus. The GOOGLE SEARCHES. The banter. Comedy gold. 😂😂😂
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Reason 2: It’s relatable. As a mom of a thirteen year old girl, I related so much to Anna and Jess. The phone struggles, the moodiness, the first period, all of it was spot on. I’m 42, and it’s such a joy to see my age group represented in books. 🙌
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Reason 3: It’s emotional. The relationships are treated with such tender care. Not just the romantic relationship. The one between Anna and ex husband Dan, who have such a moving conversation near the end that I found myself choked up. 😭 Will and Anna’s relationships with their siblings. Anna and her children. The dates that turned into friendships, especially Michael and Noah. The journey Anna takes with herself. 🥹🤌
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ANYWHO, in case you can’t tell I’m a Sophie Cousens super fan. 🤣🤣 She joins the ranks of those special authors that make me glad to be a reader—Katherine Center, Abby Jimenez, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Fredrik Backman. I can’t wait to see what she does next. Five shining stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the arc!

This was the sweetest story! Anna is officially one of my favorite female main characters. Her google searches at the beginning of every chapter killed me - they’re hysterical and so relatable. I loved how we got to watch her slowly find herself again following her divorce, as she adjusts to being a single mom / navigates dating.

While none of Anna’s dates work out romantically, she still walks away from a handful of them with a new friend instead. I feel like this touches on such an important topic - that while you may not feel that “spark” with someone, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not compatible in other ways. Friendships are as (if not more) valuable than romantic relationships.

And Will… what a guy 🥹 He encourages her to stand up for herself & makes sure she knows her hobbies / interests are just as important as her children’s and aren’t “indulgent” (swooooon). There’s also an abundance of colorful and extremely lovable side characters that make the story that much better!

Just absolutely loved everything about this book. I’m obsessed & now I can’t wait to work my way through the rest of the authors backlist. Highly recommend going to grab a copy at your local bookstore asap! Thank you so much to NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC.

Read if you like:
▫️age gap romance
▫️30+ / single mom FMC’s 👑
▫️rivals-to-lovers
▫️workplace romance
▫️he falls first

Is She Really Going Out With Him is a really cute read! Both parts funny and sweet moments. The awkwardness post divorce and Anna finding herself felt very relatable for anyone going through a big breakup. Very cute heart warming story with a great premise!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Son for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I first began reading romantic comedies, I wasn’t sure who to read or what to like. I recall picking up "Just Haven’t Met You Yet" and instantly falling in love with Sophie Cousens' charm, wit, and female protagonists. She writes women any reader can relate to - they are vulnerable but strong, smart but self-aware, with an inner monologue that keeps you giggling. In "Is She Really Going Out With Him," everything we've come to love about Sophie Cousens shines bright. Eight books in, and she still knows how to captivate her audience and make us swoon over a male protagonist we love to hate, then can’t help but love. Most importantly, in "Is She Really Going Out With Him," she focuses on the hearts of every woman who needs a kindred spirit as they navigate dating, either post-divorce or in their late thirties or early forties. For those who are ready to be inspired, to find their inner Phoenix, to enter their rock era, this one is for you.

Anna Appleby never imagined that sixteen years after meeting Dan and twelve years after saying "I do," she would be staring at an email confirming the dissolution of her marriage. The promises, the memories - all over with the touch of a send button. One year later, Anna is convinced that her life is as it should be, and her singlehood is a choice (one she is not willing to relinquish without a fight!). She is happy; she has her kids, her house, her job, her sister, and doesn’t need a man in her life to make her whole. Despite the efforts of her kids and her sister, she doesn’t need to meet someone new to prove she is over her ex-husband, who is apparently playing house with a twenty-five-year-old Swedish bombshell. All she needs is her job and for one annoying coworker named Will Havers to magically disappear. Not only has he become the bane of her existence, but it turns out he is trying to take her column! This means war! As the company she works for is taken over by new owners, Anna finds herself fighting to remain relevant and appealing, which means stepping out of her comfort zone and doing the one thing she swore off - putting herself back out there and creating content for a new dating column. The twist? She has to write about each of her dates, chosen by her children, to prove her value and save her job. Easy enough until Will decides to weasel his way in. If it’s a fight he wants, it’s a fight he will get, but remember: All is fair in love and war, but neither love nor war is ever fair.

As I said before, I have always loved Sophie’s writing. She knows how to write a female main character you just get! It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you are in life; you can relate to who she is, what she is going through, and how she feels. You may be in your twenties but have still experienced disappointment and heartbreak - whether it is from a friendship lost, a family withdrawn, a career that is letting you down, or a love that came to an end. You may even be in your sixties and look back and relate to the rollercoaster that Anna has been through, reflecting on your own wins and losses, triumphs and tragedies, and admiring where you have landed in life or feeling inspired to not give up just yet. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, Anna carries a piece of you as she picks up the pieces of the shattered life she thought she would live and uses them to rebuild a life she would never have imagined.

To be honest, out of all the things I enjoyed about this book, the Google searches were the best! If I was really into the book and realized I had moved on to another chapter without reading them, I would go back! I have never seen anything like that in a book, and it was an excellent touch. Each chapter (if relevant to what was happening in her life) had new ones, and they cracked me up every single time. Sophie also has a talent for creating a community of characters that breathe huge life into the story.

Speaking of secondary characters, I can't forget to mention the dates - the first few were absolutely hilarious! Each date cracked Anna open more and more. She was forced out of her comfort zone to write the column, and the eccentric dates and even more hilarious characters started poking holes in her facade. Slowly, we got to see the real Anna seep out - her confidence, her sass, her strength, her voice, her belief in herself, her talent, and most of all - her true self. Seeing all the gifts the column brought her by the end reminds the reader that going for it, despite the consequences, doubts, and what-ifs, can be worth it. Even if it’s not, as Jonathan taught us, at least you tried and gave it your everything.

The book was definitely a closed-door, fade-to-black romance, but the moments before the curtains closed were just as enticing and spicy. Each feeling, each moment was constantly downplayed and justified as something other than what it was because she was determined to protect herself from getting hurt again. It was lust, not love - a need for distraction, not growing infatuation. The worst part was that her efforts to protect her heart made it easier to keep the peace with everyone and everything around her rather than stand her ground. She didn’t want to deal with another relationship and a potential fallout. She didn't want to stir the pot at work, push back against Dan, or intrude on her children - she just wanted to survive each day. She hadn't lost her power, she gave it up willingly.

Sophie addresses a number of points in this book - how she managed to cram all of them in without pulling away from the overall story is beyond me. Again, this book speaks volumes to older women, no matter what phase they are in their lives. It reflects on seasoned women in their careers attempting to stay relevant and hip in a trending world, women rediscovering themselves after divorce and revisiting a dating scene that has greatly shifted, single moms doing it all while holding it together, and women dealing with the significant other of an ex who wants the title of mom but not the responsibility that goes with it - all fun and fab, but never grim and dull. She also addresses bullying and the impact it can have on young women, how easily it can go unnoticed, and the damage it can cause. She sprinkles in the concept of rebirth as we see Loretta take on a second chance in life with no apologies, like a force of nature. Sophie illustrates our evolution as women, our waxes, wanes, and phases. We are constantly growing and shrinking, consistently changing, and while it can be scary, it is part of the journey and essence that makes us who we are.

I never know what journey Sophie is going to take me on when I open her books, and just like the ones before this, I am never disappointed. "Is She Really Going Out With Him" will make you feel less alone, no matter where you are in life. It will make you feel seen, validated, and, if you need it, provide that little push forward to stop being afraid and take a risk. We may find comfort and solace where we are, but life lasts only so long, and some opportunities happen only once in a lifetime. Stop making excuses and take a chance. Even if it doesn’t work out, the memory, the effort, the experience will still be a consolation prize worth having.

This is a delightful read for fans of lighthearted, feel-good romance, particularly those who enjoy stories about single mothers, workplace romance, and the humorous journey of finding love in unexpected places.

Easily one of my favorite RomComs of the year, Is She Really Going Out With Him? is the perfect blend of heartfelt and hilarious.

Anna Appleby is a 38-year-old mother of two and newly divorced. In a last-ditch effort to hang onto her job as a magazine columnist at a struggling publication, Anna takes on a project that will see her going on dates with men selected by her children — a task made all the more complicated when her workplace rival, Will Havers, partners up with her.

This book was everything I want in a romantic comedy. I loved reading a romance that centered a slightly older protagonist and I found Anna so charming and real. I also thought the discussions around divorce, grief, and loss were beautifully done.

I was laughing out loud, I was crying (the last several chapters took me out, ya’ll!), and I was giggling and kicking my feet in the air so much I risked injury… (Will Havers, the flirt that you are!)

Big thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Is She Really Going Out With Him by Sophie Cousens

I absolutely adore this book. It’s right up there with The Good Part and now I need to go read her entire backlist.

Anna, a 38 year old single mom, is worried about becoming redundant at Bath Living the magazine she’s worked at for years. She has her own column but as ownership of the magazine changes, Anna finds herself writing about a series of dates found offline, all chosen by her children.

There is heartache, there is realness, and some raw tender moments. Navigating through life is hard enough when you know what you want but what happens you shut that part of yourself down?

This story is so bingeable. I went from 20% to 60% to finished in the blink of an eye. It’s one of those stories that makes you forget you’re reading and I delighted in every moment.

There are so many things about this book I want to shout about but I’ll let you find those out for yourself. 😉

Content: a few f-words, fade to black and talk of s^x, unwanted advances, death of an animal

If you like The Spanish Love Deception and Divine Rivals, this book will be right up your alley! It is a cute slow burn workplace romance where the FMC and MMC write a joint dating column. My favorite part of the book was that it had the FMC’s google searches at the top of each chapter. It’s the small details that authors do that I truly love.

Thank you net galley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @prhaudio @putnambooks for a copy of this book.

This story just hits all the right buttons to make it a fantastic read. It's about Anna, a divorced mom, that is on her journey to date again for a work assignment. The catch is that her kids pick the dates.

What I loved about this book was Anna's journey and her commitment to her children. I love that Cousens wrote a realistic single mom with ups and downs. There's so much humor and heart in the story. Add in the tension between Anna and her office rival, it was perfect!

Kerry Gilbert did a fantastic job with the narration and bringing all the characters to life.