Sophie Cousens is always good for a quick, fun read. Her latest is no exception - had some cute tropes and likeable characters for me. Our patrons always enjoy her books, so we will be sure to purchase a couple copies for the collection. Thanks!

This book is one where all the characters leapt right out of the page fully formed. I was swept by Anna’s story from the beginning; her struggles, goals, and the tiny changes in her life that coalesced to her happier self were perfectly crafted. Each of Anna’s dates - awkward, funny, awful - pushed her forward.

The primary romantic relationship was one between two confident characters who cared for each other, but who still had their own goals and struggles. I appreciated how real it was, rather than a perfect happy ending that merged the two characters into one amorphous being.

Anna Appleby has had a lot of upheaval in her life lately. She got divorced about a year ago, and her ex has moved in with a beautiful 20-year-old Swedish girl. She’s been focusing on her kids and her job, but now her job as a columnist may be in jeopardy as her hot younger coworker is vying for her column space. In a desperate bid to keep her job, Anna pitches a new angle for her column: she’ll let her kids play matchmaker and pick her dating partners.

Anna’s dates run the gamut from her mailman, a handsome young waiter, and her grouchy neighbor. She even plucks up the courage to ask out a celebrity – and he says yes! Her experiences are awkward, cringey, and frequently hilarious (the fishing date, the special brownies, etc). But is her love connection closer to home than she expected?

Sophie Cousens has such a knack for writing authentic, relatable female main characters! Anna is plucky and brave but also vulnerable, and I loved her character arc as she discovers herself and discovers love again. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud funny moments but also some emotional and poignant ones. Anna’s relationship with her kids is darling, and just like in The Good Part, the author does a fantastic job of writing realistic and endearing young characters! And of course, there’s the romance, full of chemistry and witty banter between our enemies-to-lovers. This is the kind of book that makes you feel warm all the way down to your toes, and I couldn’t love it more!

Did I request this book because I like the song this title references? Yes. Did I fall in love with Sophie Cousens's writing and will be going through her backlist to read more? Absolutely.

This story follows Anna, a divorced mom of 2 who get back into the dating world to write something more flashy for a column at work.

Enter Will. A younger hotshot who is moving his way up at work, even though he's only been there 6 months. And he is the BEST FLIRT EVER. I could go on and on about him... but no spoliers.

The cast of characters in this is fabulous. The dates Anna goes on are so much fun and her journey of discovering herself through them is perfection

Sophie Cousens always gets it right. This book is no exception. It’s a feel-good rom-com that is also deep. I love Sophie’s books and her wit.
I loved Anna’s story and the ups and downs of navigating life post-divorce. I did want more of Anna and Will but it was a great enemies to lovers story.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC

3.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed the reading experience, but it didn't wow me. It felt all too familiar. A little too close to How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, even down to the alliteration for the main characters name (Anna Appleby v. Andie Anderson), so the story never really sucked me in because it didn't feel new and exciting. The third act breakup has a trope that rubs me the wrong way, where the main character lies about their feelings and hurts the other under the impression that it's all okay because it's for the other person's benefit. All around, I wanted more depth and more emotional connection from the story. I like the evolution of Anna throughout the story, especially the transformation related to speaking up like a man would in her career. Overall, this was an enjoyable, cute, and comforting read, and I'll continue to pick up Sophie Cousens' books!

The main character of this novel, Anna, is a relatively newly divorced mom and magazine columnist in Bath, England. Worried about her job after the magazine is under new ownership, and spurred on by competition with an annoying colleague, she ends up agreeing to write a series of columns for the magazine not just about dating, but about going on dates chosen by her kids. And maybe she’ll find love where she least expects it, all while juggling her career, parenthood, and more.

This book was just so adorable, I didn’t want to put it down and read it in about 24 hours. Like a cross between Sophie Kinsella and Annabel Monaghan. Funny but also heartfelt and really cute. This was just my second Sophie Cousens book, but I definitely need to read her backlist!

I wasn't really sure I enjoyed the story at first. Anna seemed rather plain and stuck in her ways. However, as the story moved on, I quite enjoyed her growth and her ability to let loose in ways she never had before (but one part had me a bit taken aback because I just couldn't and still don't see her doing that lol). She learned to be a bit more spontaneous and to perhaps see more than the surface of others and of her own life. The ending was enjoyable and in the end, the story went from a 3 to a 4 because it did draw me in.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The premise of this book is not unique; it’s loosely based upon the movie How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days but skewed older. Anna is 38 and lives in the city of Bath, working at a magazine. She’s got two kids and has been divorced from her husband for about a year. There are all sorts of upheavals in her life because new owners have come in and want to shake up the publication, including her column. At home, her ex is dating a practically perfect 20-something who has moved into his house and is ingratiating herself with the kids.

In an effort to retool her magazine column, Anna proposes she go out on a number of dates with men that her kids select, without the aid of dating apps. Hovering around is Will, the food columnist who wants to expand his portfolio and proposes hopping on to her column and writing one from a man’s point of view. There’s a lot of tension between the two columnists, and sparks start flying.

This was a great and quick read, with lots of depth to the characters of Anna and Will. The supporting characters were helpful to the plot and moved the story along. The seven dates that Anna has agreed to go on are oftentimes hilarious and sometimes infuriating with what she has to put up with. The opportunities to collab with Will for the columns reveal that there’s a lot more to him than what he projects at the office.

This is the perfect type of book for fans of Julia Whelan or Emily Henry or Beth O ‘Leary. It’s closed door/fade to black if you’re wondering about spice. Would definitely recommend!

Sophie Cousens just keeps getting better and better. This was such a fun, sweet read that had me swooning, laughing out loud, and turning the pages late into the night.

Anna is a 38 year old, recently divorced, mom of 2. Her life looks much different than she expected it to at this point. When her journalist job falls at risk, she realizes she has to make some changes and spice things up. First up, dating. Her children (ages 12 and 7) will choose her dates and she will write a column about them. Her infuriating coworker, Will, is also writing a dating column, but they soon find that sparks are flying between the two of them. Can they make it work?

This was just adorable. I loved everything about it. The dates were outrageous and funny. Anna's animosity and then attraction towards Will was perfect. Her kids were realistic but not annoying. The situation with her ex and his new girlfriend will have you rolling your eyes. This book just hit all the right notes for me.

I've loved all Sophie Cousens books. I think I say every one is my new favorite. This one is no exception. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam and Sons for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Sophie Cousens can do no wrong for me. She is an auto read author and I was so excited to get this ARC. I love Sophie's books for their wit, relatable characters, humor, and emotional range and this novel did not disappoint. I was obsessed with the google searches at the start of the new chapters. I adored the concept of her children picking out her dates. She needed a little push to get back out there and that was exactly what she got. I was really rooting for our FMC and loved watching her relationship develop with our MMC. I can't wait to read what Sophie writes next!

Sophie Cousens always gets it right. Her newest book is no exception. This is a feel-good rom-com that is also deep and emotional. It will hit you in all the feels. I loved it!

I absolutely enjoyed this book. So so much!

Anna being a journalist and letting her kids choose her dates was hilarious. While she got into a bit of a pickle at one point, I loved the dates where she did make friends. It was so sweet!

I loved that this book is a romance but also shows you the different kinds of love that there are. 🥹 I did want a little bit more of a romance with Will but I’m so happy Anna found herself again after her divorce. Her growth was beautiful.

While this has some tension, it is very much a closed door kind of book.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

My first Sophie Cousens book and I LOVED IT!! This will give you all the FEELS you are looking for in a rom-com book!

Read if you like:
▪️ single parent troupes
▪️ rivals to lovers
▪️ laugh out loud witty banter

Anna, FMC, is a single mom and journalist just coming out of a divorce, who’s only focus are her children and her career. A year after creating her new “norm”, her work is bought out by a new owner who challenges her to push her writing in a different direction. Now toss in a hot coworker, Will, who is her competition and talks his way into writing the same column Anna pitched but with a twist. What’s the twist? They both go on dates, and they write about them BUT Anna must let her children pick out her dates which leads to very funny moments. While working closely with Will, the story takes off with hilariously disastrous dates, a tattoo, and Will and Anna finding their relationship is more than just “co-workers”.

This story wonderfully described the ebbs and flows of getting back into dating after a divorce, co-parenting, the beauty of rediscovering yourself, and allowing yourself to love again.

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Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Columnist Anna Appleby is recently divorced and very happily not looking for love. A corporate take over at work and pressure from her office rival means she’s got a new assignment to turn her column into a series on dating with a twist: all the dates will be chosen offline by her two children. Bring on the mailman, swim teacher, and fellow divorced school parent! If she’s not really looking for love, what might she find instead?

If Sophie Cousens writes it, I’m going to read it. All her books excel at mixing humor with emotional depth and Is She Really Going Out With Him? is no exception. In fact, it might be her best yet! My favorite thing about Cousens’s books is that while they’re definitely romances with happily ever afters, she puts most of the focus on the female characters falling in love with themselves first before falling for the guy.

As a fellow 38 year old single cat lady who abhors online dating, I really related to Anna. It’s just too bad I don’t have a work rival to fall in love with! Just like in The Good Part, the children and other side characters are hilarious and well developed helping to paint the true picture of a divorcée learning to love again.

Fans of Emily Henry and Annabel Monaghan will love this! Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens is out 11/19/2024!

Thanks to the publisher, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and NetGalley for sending an eARC copy for review. All opinions are my own.

#IsSheReallyGoingOutWithHim #NetGalley

I was so surprised and impressed by this book. I haven’t read anything from Sophie in the past, but I am looking forward to exploring more of her work after this.

I thought this book was a refreshing mix of growth with development as the main character moves through the experiences of her divorce, and the excitement of exploring independence and a new romance. This went from a read I was excited to dive into, to one that I stayed up late reading because I couldn’t put it down. I would absolutely recommend this comfortable, enjoyable read!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons, Sophie Cousens, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You want to have a smile plastered on your face all day, then definitely pick up Is She Really Going Out with Him?

Anna Appleby, a divorced mom
of two and journalist, has given up on love. Anna is now asking her kids to pick dates with eligible men for her column. Will Havers, her younger rival is trying to take her position or is he?

Absolutely loved this romcom! Anna is so relatable as a mom, sister, ex-wife and love interest. I love how she grows as a person and opens herself up to new friends, experiences and love!

Great banter between Anna and Will! So many touching moments and the Google searches…hilarious!

Thanks to Netgalley, Putnam Books and Sophie Cousens for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this! It had me kicking my feet and squealing which is always fun. This was my first book of Sophie’s and I will absolutely read more of her work.

I loved all of these characters, even the ones I’m not meant to love. She made everyone relatable and just… human. The MCs have great chemistry and banter, the side characters are great (I’m looking at you, Loretta!) and her kids are so funny.

This was a closed door RomCom and I loved every second of it. I laughed, I cried, and had the best time with it all.

Anna Appleby is recently divorced so she has been trying to navigate this change in her life. She works as a columnist for Bath, which was recently bought out. She feels her job is in jeopardy so she tries to switch her column to be something the new owners would enjoy.

Anna is not ready to date and has no desire to meet someone new. However, her column takes her on a whole new journey. She lets her two kids choose who she can go on a date with, she then writes about the experience in her column. In the middle of all this, her work rival Will is trying to get her column.

The dates she goes on are all so different, with everything from fishing to a college party. There are some funny moments throughout the number of dates. This book drew me in very easily because I couldn’t wait to see how each date went. This was a very different story that leaves you with hope in the end and I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this. It was funny and the characters were lovable. The lice part was relatable and funny. I didn’t want it to end.