What would you consider to be the "good part" of your life? Have you lived it yet, or does it lie somewhere in your future? That's the brilliant idea behind Sophie Cousens' new novel, The Good Part, which follows a down-on-her-luck twenty-six year old Lucy Young as she wishes away her youth in exchange for the "good part" of her life. Lucy wakes up sixteen years later at age 42 to discover that she has a husband, kids, and high profile job ... but at what cost? What happened in those sixteen years that she cannot remember?

As Lucy sets out on a journey of (past) self-discovery, she learns how she came to be her future self. Some parts of her life she loves - her job, her husband, her home ... maybe her kids? - but as she discovers some of the darker things that have happened to her between now and then, she grieves the years, and people, she lost. As Lucy becomes more accustomed to her future life, she has to decide ... does she stay here in the now, or does she try to find her way back to the past?

The Good Part is a fun and fanciful book that manages to also be profound and thought-provoking all at the same time. This novel is an utter delight to read, positing a question that is intriguing to ask - "If the 'good part' of your life was waiting for you in the future, would you skip ahead to it?" I personally would not want to time travel myself, but it makes for a rather enjoyable "no-risk" read.

While much of The Good Part is light-hearted and funny, it also deals with some heavy topics, and relies heavily on self-reflection, as Lucy, who begins the novel as an immature and naïve twenty-something, grows into the woman she was always meant to be. I loved how Cousen used Lucy's "memory loss" as a plot device, revealing "secrets" about Lucy's past to both the reader and Lucy herself at the same time. I found this to be an utterly compelling and page-turning plot device!

On the other hand, Lucy could be a bit insufferable at times, and her son Felix must be some sort of prodigy in the making because he was well-advanced for his age ... I had to suspend disbelief every time he entered a scene because he had the brain and vocabulary of someone much beyond his years.

Recommended to lovers of Melissa Wiesner's The Second Chance Year.

"Be careful what you wish for, life is never quite sorted whatever stage you're at."
Loved this one! It’s a lighthearted, sweet, funny, yet reflective, rom-com type of book had me actually laughing out loud!!
Lucy Young is in her mid twenties living with roommates in a run down London flat.
Despite her new promotion she is feeling a bit under appreciated and stalled out at work. After a couple of really bad days and a sudden downpour, she seeks solace in a quirky shop with an even quirkier shopkeeper who loans her a coin for the store's wishing machine. With nothing to lose, Lucy pops the coin in and wishes for a ceiling that doesn't leak...respect at her job... and to just skip to the good part of life already.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Love! This was such a sweet story. It does feel a little familiar, like maybe something I have read before. With that in mind the characters are lovable and watching the relationships develop is so sweet. There are some heavier themes mixed in which aids in the storytelling. I haven't read Sophie Cousens before but this makes me want to add to my TBR.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy is 26 years old and over her seemingly dead-end job, her dating life, her roommates and crappy apartment, and never having enough money to just enjoy life. After a particularly terrible day and night, she half limps into a shop and finds an antique wishing machine. The elderly owner convinces her to try it and Lucy wishes for "the good part" of her life to begin.

The next day she wakes up next to a strange "older" man and realizes that she woke up 16 years into the future. She's married, has 2 kids, and is running a television production company. Lucy has to learn to navigate this new life and relationships with her husband, kids, and friends. She can't decide if she wants to stay in "the good part" with memories starting to fill-in the blank spots or try to go back, deal with her messy life and experience the 16 years she is missing.

This book was so good. I think the majority of people question life in their 20s and wonder when "the good part" will happen. And then to move into the future with a marriage, kids, house, and career... I'm also in my early 40s with a husband, kids, house, and career and sometimes it was hard to get here but I also appreciated what it takes to experience this life. I loved that Lucy was set in one way but after being around her kids and husband in the future, she realized that life is to be experienced - both the good and bad parts. I loved her growth as a person and navigating grief and loss. My only criticism is that the ending seemed a bit rushed - I would have loved to read what happens during that last scene.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC. The Good Part is out now.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for The Good Part by Sophie Cousens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am a huge Sophie Cousens fan, and this book was one of my favorites so far.

Lucy Young is 26 and works in TV. She is sick of doing grunt tasks, barely making ends meet, and going on bad dates. One night, she chanced upon a wishing machine in a convenience store and wishes she could get to the “good part” of her life. She wakes up a 40-something wife and mother with no clue what happened in the missing years… while her life seems really, really good, she can’t help wonder what she missed…

I love, love, love this book.

Thank you to the author, Penguin Group/GP Putnam’s Sons, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my opinions.

Lucy is tired of her life—tired of struggling with money, love, and her foundering professional life. And after a particularly disastrous evening she finds a wishing machine—and she asks to skip to the “good part” of her life. When she wakes up to herself in the future, with a good job, great kids and hot, kind husband, she thinks it is wonderful, if terrifying. But was it worth missing out on those struggle 16 years of her life?

I really enjoyed this book. It was really easy to identify with the feeling of being a young professional starting out in an expensive city at the bottom rung of her profession, with too many roommates and too little money. And easy to identify with Lucy’s desire to fast forward this part of her life. Even thought the premise was extremely high-concept it ended up being a really thoughtful study on what is important in life, and what makes you ready for the “good part” of your life.

I love a good Freaky Friday moment! I thought the characters and the plot were fleshed out so well, in fact I wanted even more. This is a quick read with a big message packed in, and lots of deep issues. I loved Lucy, and thought her reaction to waking up in an alternate reality and her feelings and experiences were very realistic. Felix was the best character! I loved that little cheeky guy! The message throughout the story is one everyone should be reminded of: Every breath is the good part, every day is a gift. Once again, Sophie Cousens knocks it out of the park. 4/5

I absolutely LOVED this book and the only reason it is not getting 5 stars is because the ending felt so incredibly rushed that it broke my heart a bit. I would have rather read another 50 pages than to get such a rushed ending that just left me wanting and needing more.

Overall though this was incredible - heartfelt, witty, full of comebacks and drama and the banter was divine.

26 year old Lucy is going through it - just like all 20-somethings do. However after a particularly rough night she comes across a wishing machine and decides to wish for it all to become good. She wishes to skip the bad parts and just get to where it's good. But is that really a dream come true?

The 20's are rough and I think 90% of us (if not more!) can agree, but is skipping it all the way you get the goodness?

The author does a fantastic job at throwing Lucy into the deep end of motherhood, of a relationship, of life - the details are not skimped on and the author goes above and beyond to showcase this life. Absolutely hilarious book, and the details are just what makes it even better. The author does a fine job at highlighting that sometimes you need the trials in life in order to appreciate the good moments moreso. Super quick read and was an utter blast.

Sophie Cousens is becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books just always make me happy. Lucy Young, is 26 and overwhelmed. She isn’t where she thought she would be in life, her career or love life. She is a runner for her TV career and she lives in a crowded apartment with a leaky ceiling.
One night on her way home, she heads into a store and finds a wishing machine. She can’t help but put money in and wish to get to the good part of her life.
She wakes up the next morning, in a bed with a handsome man and a wedding ring. She apparently has an awesome job in TV and two beautiful children. She is freaking out because what is going on? How could this be real. She tries to fake it in this life but she can’t keep up. She decides to tell her husband that something is wrong and he takes her to the doctor. All kinds of things come up with the visit to the doctor. Slowly her husband, her best friend and her parents help to keep her up to date. She is in such a confusing place. She likes this new life but she thinks she would have liked living the old life, to get here. Can Lucy make peace with the here and now, will she decide to go back? It is so sweet how her son helps her and how her dad knows how she feels? Does she have amnesia or has she lost her mind? This story was so sweet. It had such endearing moments and characters. I am so glad I was able to read this book. I can’t wait to read the next book by Cousens.
I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this one.
Overall Rating: 4

Down on her luck Sophie wishes to "get to the good part" and fast forwards her life and wakes up in her 40s. She doesn't know anything about her current life but finds out she is married has two kids a big house and her dream job. She is faced with the opportunity to stay in her 40s or go back to her 20s where she was taken advantage of at work, living in a run down apartment, and broke. While slow at parts this book was so unique and left me thinking about it long after I read it. If given the opportunity would you skip ahead to the good part. Really enjoyed the read however it is not my favorite Sophie Cousens book.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

Is living the life you’ve wished for really a dream come true?

What a charming book! Lucy finds herself in a slump and stumbles upon a wishing machine. She wishes to skip to the “good part” and ends up at a different point of her life when she wakes up the next day. I enjoyed this one.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This is another solid book by the author of This Time Next Year which I truly enjoyed. This book was funny and sweet and I'll definitely read more by Sophie Cousens in the future!

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
.
Lucy is tired of not being taken seriously at work, and living in a crummy flatshare. She makes a wish to skip this part of her life and get to “the good part”, and wakes up to a completely different life.
.
What I liked:
-To start with I did the audio and the narrator does such a fun accent for one of the characters. I really enjoyed the audio.
-I love anything that smacks of time travel, and this one was a fun premise.
-There is great humor throughout the book but the first third had me really laughing out loud.
-The emotional parts of the story got me seriously teary eyed and I know this will be a story that sticks with me.
.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Witty and emotional, I enjoyed every moment.

Felix and Sam stole my heart!
I love books that explore time travel. I love the inspiration of the 13 Going on 30. Highly recommend.

Absolutely loved this story and every thing about it. Sophie has quickly become one of my auto buy authors and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I only made it about 15 % through. It didn’t catch my attention, and it may have just been the wrong book at the wrong time, because I’ve enjoyed Sophie Cousen’s previous books a lot. But I also am realizing that magical realism is not my favorite genre. I may still give it another try down the road, but it just wasn’t for me right now

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens kept me hooked from the very beginning and I could barely put it down to the end. It is the story of Lucy Young, age 26 living a broke life, not meeting quality men, and working a job where she's not using her full potential. One evening after yet another disastrous date, she ends up in a little shop finding a wishing machine. Her wish is to 'skip to the good part' of her life. She wakes up 16 years later in 'the good part', but she suddenly realizes that maybe she didn't want to pass by those years, not even remembering what happened during that time and how she ended up in the life she's living. I loved this book, it was fun, sweet, poignant, and felt like a nice cuddle.

At 26, Lucy is fed up with her life. A dead-end job, irresponsible roommates and men who aren’t even worth a second date. As she is headed home after a frustrating day, she stops in a shop where she finds an antique wishing machine. The elderly shop owner encourages her to try it, giving her a coin to use. She wishes for the “good part” of her life to begin. Next thing Lucy knows, she is waking up in a beautiful room with a strange man in the bed. The strange man seems to know her and expects her to take care of the children’s morning needs. When Lucy looks in the mirror, she seems to be sixteen years older! She has a beautiful home, clothes and a successful career. She’s not sure if she has skipped sixteen years or has forgotten them. She attempts to go along with her new life and not mess things up, but also wants to know how she got to this point in life. She’s very conflicted about going back to her old life but is getting attached to everyone and everything in her new one. I found this a very entertaining book!

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

Funny and entertaining. I loved it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

First thought: I always love this genre of time travel, I think it’s fun to see characters in situations that they’re forced to reflect and make big decisions. I loved this book up until the end, this may be unpopular opinion but I hated the last 10-15min of this book. I would have made a different choice than this character. I still highly recommend though, it’s an amazing read.

Lucy is 26yrs old and she not where she wants to be in life. She’s at the bottom of the food chain at work, she’s living in a flat where her ceiling may cave in and her 3 best friends are farther ahead in life than her. After a night out with the girls and a horrible date she wanders into a convince store and finds a wishing machine. The lady at the store counter gives her the coins she needs and she makes a wish to SKIP TO THE GOOD PART OF HER LIFE.

Lucy wakes up the next day 16yrs in the future. She married, has 2 kids and is running her own business. What the hell happened, she has no memory of the last 16yrs and all she wants is to find a way back to her old life.

Lucy will have to learn to navigate what it means to be a wife, mother, daughter and boss at this new stage in her life. It won’t be easy and she missed a lot in those 16yrs. Sometimes skipping to the good part isn’t what you expect.

Read this amazing story to find out how Lucy’s story unfolds.

Themes you’ll find:
* Time Travel
* Falling in Love
* Parenthood
* Friendships
* Navigating Loss
* Work Life Balance
* “What If Life”

✨⏰✨⏰✨⏰✨⏰✨⏰✨⏰✨⏰✨