Did I like the book?

Love would be a better word for it.

Did I enjoy reading it?

Yes. A million times.

Was it an easy read?

My go-to genre is crime fiction, but I enjoy venturing out and once in a while, the non-romantic I am picks a romance/contemporary book for a lighter read. Just Haven’t Met You Yet is an easy read, but not essentially a light one. No murders, of course, but enough consistency so that it never became “too easy” Reality checks and layers made sure I never got bored!

What about the characters?

I was surprised to relate to the main character Laura so much. 30, never having had that “meet-cute” that makes your heart grow butterflies, and a hard worker in a nice little life. We don’t share that faith serendipity she holds dear throughout the book, though. But… But she’s adorable, fun, lost, loyal, true, looking for herself, that you can’t not get swept away and follow her crazy suitcase idea…

A mention is required here: most characters will leave their mark on you, whether it’s an old man, a rough on the outside cab driver, or a crazy boss… Sophie Cousens made sure Laura is surrounded by a nice crazy bunch of people you could actually meet or think “wait a second, I’ve got one of those in my life!”

What about the plot?

I love airports. I love watching people, trying to figure out where they are going, why, and what’s on their minds (also, what kind of passenger they are!) so I couldn’t help feeling excited when Laura picked the wrong suitcase upon arriving at the Channel Islands. A new place (kind of! Read the book to know more!) mysterious luggage, a work mission that can’t fail. What’s not to love?

If Laura thinks she knows what she’s doing on those islands, she’s far from realising how much The Unexpected is waiting for her and how life’s plans are much much better than what she has in mind. Her knack for awkward situations, her blind search for what she believes to be the man of her dreams, and her personality made me follow her through it all, catching here and there beautiful quotes about life, relationships, and what reality has to offer, without the glitter.

How is the writing?

I picked a quote from this book as my social media bio, that tells you everything you need to know!

How would I describe it?

Warm, wise, fun.

I loved Sophie Cousens’ last book, This Time Next Year so I jumped at the chance to read and review an advance copy of her next book.

In Just Haven’t Met You Yet we follow Laura as she travels to Jersey to write the story of her parents for a “How Did You Meet” feature for online lifestyle site Love Life.

This book was really easy to read and the story flowed really well. I would definitely recommend!

Just Haven’t Met You Yet was a complete joy to read! There was this wonderful thread of nostalgia running throughout that created something so engaging. As Laura learned about her family along with discovering new things about the past. I loved these moments of discovery which combined so well with a heartwarming, slow burn romance that easily captured my attention.

For me the setting of Jersey came as such a pleasant surprise. I have connections to Jersey on my mother’s side and as a family we travelled there when I was 17. This book reminded me of how much I enjoyed the time we spent there and I’m even more eager to return. This meant that so many moments in the book rang true for me. Along with helping me to connect so easily with both the story and the characters.

Just Haven’t Met You Yet is filled with so many fun and heartwarming moments. It’s safe to say that Laura’s character goes on quite a journey and not just in the romantic sense. There was a great cast of characters that all brought something to the story. I loved the different connections and surprises that revealed themselves along the way. Just Haven’t Met You Yet was the perfect escape from everyday life. I spent my time smiling, laughing and was thoroughly charmed from first page to last!

Even though journalist Laura has built a career sharing real life love stories, for an online lifestyle magazine, she has yet to discover her own Mr Right. That she hasn't met the right person is the focus for much of Laura's thoughts but so far she has been unsuccessful in love. Using her own parent's story as the basis for a magazine assignment, Laura heads to the Channel Islands where she hopes that learning more about the way her parents met may help in her own personal search for love and happiness.

Laura's sojourn on the island of Jersey gets off to a difficult start when she inadvertently grabs the wrong suitcase, only to find that every item in the suitcase is something that Laura can relate to and therein lies the tale - is there a possibility that in searching for the owner of the suitcase Laura may find what she has been searching for for so long?

This imaginative story is wonderfully described and the beautiful island of Jersey comes alive in the descriptions of the place, and its people. The story is beautifully written , it makes you smile in the all the funny parts, and yet, there is also a poignancy to the story which I won't spoil by explaining but which adds a very different dimension to the story. The characterisation is excellent, I loved Ted, Gerry and Sandy, they added such delightful detail. However, it is Laura, with her quirky personality, who really shines and who makes the story her own. I especially enjoyed how Laura's character progressed over the course of the novel and as we get further into her personal search, so she starts to learn more about herself and what she wants in the future.

Just Haven't Met You Yet is delightful rom-com which touches on both comedy, and heartbreak, and does so with a lovely infusion of will they, won't they romance.

Intimate, poignant, and romantic!

Just Haven’t Met You Yet is an addictive, uplifting, slow-burning tale that takes you into the life of Laura Le Quesne, a young woman who, after heading to the Channel Islands to investigate and write the story of her late parent’s epic love affair, also finds herself on the hunt to identify and meet, with the help of a broody cabbie, the one she has been waiting for her whole life after she picks up the wrong suitcase of a man who seems, based on his possessions, to be her fated soul mate.

The writing is warm and sweet. The characterization is spot on with a delightful cast of characters that are endearing, genuine, and kind. And the plot is a charming tale full of hope, heart, and humour.

Just Haven’t Met You Yet is, ultimately, a story about love, loss, life, trust, family, friendship, community, ageing, self-discovery, happiness, and fate. It is a sentimental, absorbing, compelling novel by Cousens that does an exceptional job of highlighting that true love is not just roses, chocolates, and grand gestures but all the tender, touching, supportive moments in between. I absolutely adored this novel and look forward to reading all of this author’s previous novels as soon as I possibly can.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The second book from Sophie and it didn’t disappoint.

Laura is a writer for a ‘Love life’ magazine in London who takes a trip to the Channel Island Jersey on a mission to find out the back story of her mom and dads love story. On arriving in Jersey she picks up a suitcase but realises once she arrives at her hotel that it is not hers. She opens the suitcase and just from the contents feels that she has met the love of her life. On her journey to find the owner of the suitcase and the love of life she finds out things were not all as they appeared to be in her mom and dads love story, Will the owner of the suitcase turn out to be the love of her life?

I read, loved and reviewed Sophie’s previous book ‘This Time Next Year’. So when I heard that she was due to release another book, I knew that I just had to read it as soon as I could. Well ladies and gents, the wait is over as ‘Just Haven’t Met You Yet’ was released in e-book format on 1st September 2021 and it is due for release in paperback on 11th November 2021. It’s another cracker of a read, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more about that in a bit.
It took me no time at all to get into ‘Just Haven’t Met You Yet’. In fact by the time that I got to the end of the synopsis, I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to put the book down for any length of time. I was spot on too. I started reading and I found I couldn’t stop. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of this delightful story. I was so taken with the lead character of Laura and I was desperate to find out how the story panned out for her. She is a lovely young lady, who deserves a ‘happy ever after ending’. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the story. I found myself chuckling away throughout the book as I could just picture Laura and the shenanigans that she got up. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘Just Haven’t Met You Yet’ and I had to say goodbye to Laura. . ‘Just Haven’t Met You Yet’ proved to be the tonic I needed and it did more to cheer me up in one afternoon than medication could have done.
‘Just Haven’t Met You Yet’ is extremely well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention and entice you into what proves to be a compelling read. Sophie has one of those easy going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. I love the very vivid way in which Sophie describes her characters as she makes them seem just as real as you and I. It’s obvious that she cares about her characters and what happens to them, which shines through in her work. I love the way in which Sophie makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the centre of all the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Just Haven’t Met You Yet’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Sophie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This is a silly romance and as such I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it that much. It was contrived there's no doubt, but there is a good streak of humour all the way through which helps. To add to my own personal enjoyment a lot of it is set in Jersey where I spent many holidays visiting my brother, so it was lovely to think 'Ooh I've been there, and there...' even if neither my brother nor I had come across Jersey Wonders or black butter!

Laura has made a career out of asking couples how they met and seeking the most epic love story for her relationship segment.

The only problem is Laura is still waiting for her own meet-cute. Thirty, single and beginning to wonder if she’ll ever get her moment, she heads on a work trip to her past. But when she picks up the wrong suitcase at the Channel Islands airport, she is certain this is the sign she’s been waiting for.

The case contains evidence of every quality Laura has ever hoped for in a man, and she is determined to return it to its rightful owner and hopefully meet the man of her dreams.

But sometimes Fate has other ideas for your happy ending…


This is the first book I have read by Cousens and I have to say it wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought this would be a light-hearted romcom, but it was actually far more centred on self-discovery and held a lot of poignant moments. Therefore, the synopsis, which speaks completely of romance, could be a little misleading.

I liked Laura, but at times I thought her actions and notions really didn’t reflect her age. At thirty-two I’m only a little older than this character myself, and I was often rolling my eyes when faced with her reactions and outlook, which I felt were befitting of a much younger, more naïve person.

That aside, I found the wider cast to be full of realistic and relatable personalities. I loved the developmental arcs they experienced and the real sense of community spirit on small pockets of this island. There was also some class-A banter to be found here.

I have never considered the Channel Islands as a holiday destination, but this book has given me a real hankering to pay Jersey a visit and experience some island life for myself. I would recommend this book if you like your romance to take a more secondary role in the plot, with a few laugh out loud moments along the way!

Laura's off to Jersey for work.

Just Haven't Met You Yet is a brilliant escapist read with a wonderful balance of romance and humour to lift the spirits and entertain thoroughly. I really enjoyed it.

The Jersey setting is wonderful. Without getting bogged down in extraneous detail, Sophie Cousens brings the island to life to the extent that, having visited the island over 70 times already, she had made me want to return immediately. The references to weird spellings and pronunciations, the glorious bays and fabulous food, the intimacy of everyone knowing everyone else, the country lanes and the driving etiquette are perfectly conveyed, bringing the setting to glorious life.

And it's a smashing story with all the elements a reader hopes for in a rom-com. Moments of physical humour are balanced against witty dialogue and emotional intensity so that the narrative has the ability to make the reader laugh and find a tear in their eye. As a result I found Just Haven't Met You Yet totally engaging. It's one of those stories where I find myself wondering how the characters are doing now I've finished reading.

It's Laura who is the lynchpin of the action. She's a wonderful creation. Romantic, with unrealistic attitudes to life, accident prone and liable to find herself in awkward situations, she embodies warmth, vivacity, and the basic human desire to love and be loved in return. I was desperate for her to have her happy every after ending, but you'll need to read Just Haven't Met You Yet to see if she does! The more minor characters add depth and texture and Gerry in particular takes Just Haven't Met You Yet beyond the expectations of this genre. The changes in his life are those many of us, or those we love, are facing so that he truly tugs at the heartstrings.

Underneath the witty story and engaging people, however, are themes that impact on the reader more profoundly than might at first be realised. The ways in which we allow ourselves to be defined by our past, by our professions, by others and by habit is woven throughout the narrative so that I finished reading Just Haven't Met You Yet determined to take greater control over my own life. I hadn't expected quite such a profound response to what is, essentially a light and entertaining book. I think this illustrates enormous skill from Sophie Cousens.

I loved Just Haven't Met You Yet because it allowed me to travel and meet new people from the comfort of my own home. Sophie Cousens made me care about every one of the people I met along the way, even Suki. Even better, Just Haven't Met You Yet is a perfect example of the rom-com genre that brings a smile to the face and leaves the reader feeling happier than when they started reading. What could be better than that?

This is a lively and engaging, light hearted read, set mainly on the beautiful island of Jersey in the Channel Islands. The reader is taken on a journey of discovery alongside the main character Laura, a hopeless romantic who has set her own personal relationship goal as high as that of her parents impossibly romantic, engaging but tragic love story.

Laura works for a cloyingly twee online publication, Love Life, reporting on how couples met their partners, made more challenging by her own history of romantic failures. Her dreadful and intimidating boss Suki, a real tour-de-force is a character who keeps cropping up throughout the book, making demands on Laura.

The story has a variety of interesting and quirky characters: Vanya and Dee, two excellent best friends, both great foils for Laura, one completely logical and mathematical, the other an outgoing, live in the minute, hopeless romantic but both caring and supportive of Laura. The there is the enigma that is Ted, the taxi-driver aka Hotty McFace alongside his adorable, wise father the elderly and increasingly frail Gerry, whose life philosophies we could all do with adopting.

The story is told from Laura’s point of view, but interspersed cleverly with newspapers clips and letters which all draw you into discovering the true back story to this journey, alongside extracts from a self-help book ‘Tiger Woman’.

We watch as Laura confronts grief at the recent loss of her mother and never really knowing her father. We learn how people cling to ‘things’ as portals to memories whilst also realising how to find ‘who’ and ‘what’ really matters in life - is it the impossible dream we have been chasing? The importance of family and knowing who we are is something we may take for granted but is written about with great empathy and understanding.

Jersey is beautifully described and I think all readers will be planning a trip to experience the magical people and places (& especially the foods)

Overall, despite its predictable conclusion, the ride to get there will have you laughing, caring, frustrated but always engaged, rooting for Laura. This is a thoroughly enjoyable, uplifting, easy read, with poignant moments of self discovery and serious themes of memory and loss.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

A sweet and surprisingly moving story. Laura who’s a journalist, is longing to meet her ‘the one’. She loved the way her parents met and is using that benchmark of her parents own story as her aim.

Laura is on route to the Channel Island, a business trip she’s covering her parents love story, how they met on this same island.

She meets a handsome man, on her flight. When she picks up her suitcase on arrival, she finds it’s not hers. But is now hoping that the person is her ‘the one’. Opening the case, it has things,which makes Laura feel that they have things in common, there’s one of her favorite books, piano music, and a fisherman's bulky sweater.

Ted, her cab driver, is also her tour guide, along with helping her find the suitcase man. The message in the story is how hard life can be and how you overcome difficulty.

The story did have emotional parts, when Laura looks at what she is looking for in love and then finding out things about her parents lives, things which is knew nothing about or was told untruths.

Finding Mr Right while also finding love for the island and for her parents' past will touch your heart.

It’s a sweet read. .

Set in Jersey, a gorgeous place, loved reading about all the places and see the island brought to life.

Recommend this book.

I read Sophie Cousens previous novel and absolutely loved it, this one was certainly for me was on the same level.
Laura works as a journalist for ‘Love Life’, an internet lifestyle webpage and has a knack for drawing people out with her segment of ‘How Did You Met?’ She’s been a bit lost since her Mum died and she’s caught up in the love story between her parents, one her Mum has told her over the years since her Dad died when she was three years old. She pitches the story of her parents to her boss Suki and jumps at the chance to head to Jersey in the Channel Islands where her Mum met her Dad when she was working there. Unfortunate circumstances has her experiencing an embarrassing event at the airport, then she accidentally picks up the wrong suitcase on arrival. But this suitcase looks like it belongs to her soul mate…..a copy of her favourite book, piano music to her favourite singer and a jumper smelling so wonderful, so starts a quest to find the mystery owner helped by a seemingly grumpy taxi driver called Ted.
This was just a wonderful feel good story. Not just about finding love but also questioning everything you had believed growing up. It’s of finding yourself and what is important to you. I loved all the characters and the setting and there were many laugh out moments for me. But what topped it off were a few of life nuggets that resonated with me.
It was the perfect book for me at the time and sometimes that’s all you need.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read,

This is Sophie’s second book and I am so happy to say she’s delivered a brilliant novel once again which has been well worth waiting for!
Her writing is wonderfully uplifting and funny, even when at times more serious issues are woven into the story somehow you are still smiling.
We all love a good “love story” and this book is hilarious as we get to know Laura who is holding out for the ultimate love story of her own but finds herself stumbling along the somewhat bumpy path of true love.
Sophie Cousens is such a natural storyteller - the story moves at a good pace, keeping me turning the pages and rooting for all the characters who feel like friends. The descriptions of Jersey island are wonderful and it has been added to my holiday wish list!
I rated this 5 stars - definitely one I would highly recommend, it’s funny and pulls you straight in from the start.

Laura loves telling the tales of how people met and has made it her job and very good she is to.
However, her own love life leaves a lot to be desired.
In search of a story she flies to Jersey, only when she leaves the airport she realises she has picked up the wrong bag.
Could this be her chance for love, a romantic encounter, a happily ever after?
Or will fate step in?

Sophie Cousens is a new author for me and I really enjoyed Just Haven’t Met You Yet. Laura is on a business trip to Jersey, however after picking up the wrong suitcase at the airport her trip hasn’t got off to the best start. After examining the contents of the case, Laura realises the owner could be her dream man but does the path of true love ever run smoothly?This novel is well written with some great characters and I was eager to see how the story unfolded. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and the author for the advanced review copy.

Sophie cousens has done it again!

I adored this book! It is the perfect mix of heart-warming and laugh out loud funny. The character of Laura is amazing, so relatable and with just enough flaws to make her totally loveable.

I love all the characters, from the formidable Suki to the world-weary Ted. Everyone is so real they jump off the page and tug on your emotions.

I didn’t want the story to end, but love the way it did. A good reminder to always pick kitchens over the law!

Sophie Cousens, what are you doing to my book expectations?!?!? I absolutely loved this story! It is full of twists and turns, unrealistic expectations, love in surprising places, and meet cutes! Oh how I would have loved to be at Gerry’s party, just hanging with everyone, munching away on delicious eats!

I appreciate this story as I sometimes think my own expectations of love and how I “should” feel are right up there with Laura. It’s so easy to get caught up in the meet cutes, the grand gestures, the romance and forget that sometimes what we want is right in front of our face. I feel that Laura is a very likeable character and I would want to hang out with her. I think her journey has made her feel lost, but boy does she find her way! I also love her love interest. He is quite sweet and obviously handsome!!! Hello book boyfriend!!!!!

The genuine feel of this story just hit me in all the feels. I would absolutely revisit these characters and go on Laura’s journey to find the truth (and love) with her again and again. It is my suggestion that you take this journey yourself and if you do, please let me know what you think!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Sophie Cousens, and Random House UK/Arrow for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

A refreshing read which was just what I needed right now and the second one from Sophie Cousens which did not disappoint.

A good level of romance, mixed with good humour and some classic banter. Although it’s your ‘almost’ typical girl meets boy book, there are some very poignant moments and some very key themes that run throughout the book that add an extra level of depth.

I can picture this as good movie but for now I’d say it’s the perfect beach read… if it ever stops raining!

A lovely, fun, easy to read page turner.

The characters are all likeable, the kind of people you can see as friends as they’re so relatable.

The story and the writing style draws you in and before you know it you’re flying through the pages!

Laura goes to Jersey to follow the love story of her parents and finds herself with a man’s suitcase at the airport and she decides to track him down with the help of Ted.

Heartwarming, hopeful, family and friendship….a little hug in a book.

Thank you to Random House Uk, Cornerstone for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.