Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I was not a big fan of this book and I feel it could be because I am her 42 year old self with kids and a job and responsibilities. The end of her going back to her 26 year old life and having events play out pretty closely to her 42 year old life was lovely but for most of the book, I was annoyed with Lucy and wanting her to stop acting like an idiot. I do like Cousens's work and this one was just a blip for me. 2 stars.

THE GOOD PART - Sophie Cousens

UNIQUE and FUN! - 5 stars

Plot - 5 stars - After a bad date lands Lucy in a sudden storm with no money for bus fare home, she seeks shelter in a tiny shop where she stumbles upon a curious wishing machine. Pushing her last coin into the slot, Lucy closes her eyes and wishes with everything she's got: Please, let me skip to the good part of my life.

Writing - 5 stars - I was caught up in the story right from the first page. This is a new-to-me author, and Cousens grabbed my attention with the entertaining characters and fascinating situation. She writes in an easy-to-read manner that fits my casual style.

Characters - 5 stars - Lucy is a great main character. She's a hard worker with a goal for her life, but she's worn out with trying so hard to get there. She sees her friends succeeding, but her chosen field is holding her back, and she's having bad luck all around. But I liked her determination and the fact that she kept trying to look on the bright side. As we meet her older self, we discover that she's also creative and crafty and lots of fun. But I also liked her stability and sense of purpose. I would definitely love to hang out with her. Sam is an excellent secondary character, and I especially loved Felix. He's so clever and interesting, while still maintaining his childhood wonder.

Title - 5 stars - Lucy is anxious to get past the beginning stages of life so she can start enjoying the fruits of her labors and relax a bit--the "good part."

Cover - 5 stars - A neon color that definitely draws the eye. Then it has a simple design showing a clock, which is (of course) representative of the whole gist of the book.

Overall - 5 stars - I had no expectations since this is a new-to-me author, but the premise sounded interesting. As it turns out, I absolutely loved it. The story line is unique, and Cousens handled it well. She writes with a hopeful outlook, even when things were tough for Lucy, which made the reader able to enjoy the positive vibe. I was worried that the story would simply turn out as a simple happily-ever-after, but Cousens did a good job of making the final decision to be meaningful and the ending to be open-ended enough that the reader could believe whatever he/she wanted.

What a sweet and warm and fuzzy feeling book! The characters were all adorable- and their relationships were great. I did not want the story to end! I loved how Lucy made a wish as a young twenty something and woke up in her 40s with a husband, kids and high powered job. And no recollection of what happened during the years in between. Her acceptance and adjustment to this new life was awe inspiring. I just overall loved how this was just a happy book and a sweet marriage and life.
Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

This book was wonderful! I’m not sure if it just hit at the right time for me, or was truly that good but I really enjoyed the story. The main character was well defined (even with “memory issues”) and the side characters felt realistic.

Big thank you to the author and publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Sophie Cousens has been hit or miss for me in the past...and this is 150% a HIT. Once I started I could not put it down. I could not read it fast enough to find out what magic was happening and if Lucy would make it back home.

rating: 4.5 STARS
genre: romance, magical
release date: 11.7.2023 (OUT NOW)

This book gave me all "The Family Man" meets a new age - down to the kid who thinks that the "new parent" is an alien. That kid - honestly!

This book truly embodies what it means to love and enjoy every moment of your life. Even if they're not all perfect, even if you're not quite where you wanted to be - everything is leading you to where you're meant to be. And trying to skip all the "bad" parts just leaves you feeling lost and like you missed the best parts of your life. Could Lucy have used a sage old friend who told her that even the hard parts of life are worth it? Yes. But then we would have missed this wild ride as Lucy tries to figure out what's going on in "The Good Part" of her life.

Things I Loved:
The Humor. I laughed out loud SO OFTEN.
The kids. Honestly, kids in novels are somewhat my kryptonite.
Being seen as a parent
The magical realism bit really worked for me

Just do yourself a favor and read this book! You won't regret it.

“Life is never quite sorted whatever stage you’re at.”

This book was a back-burner book for me. I had so many other books I was reading that this one kept getting pushed aside. It didn't hook me like other books have, but it came through in the end.

The story itself was full of charm and humor. It was a delightful read with many sweet and tender moments. And I loved the overarching theme - that life is never what we thought it would look like, and no matter the stage of life, nothing is ever really figured out.

Lucy wasn’t my favorite character, but she wasn’t the worst either. As the story progressed, I grew more fond of her, but what drew me in was Lucy’s journey in this new life she finds herself in. Watching her coming to know and love Sam was both moving and poignant. I absolutely adored Sam and Lucy and their gentle banter and familiarity. Felix was the star of the story for me. I loved every interaction with Felix - what a brilliant, spunky kid. And I loved his optimism and faith in the seemingly impossible.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

✨mini playlist✨
skip this part by Kelly Clarkson
Hero by Alan Walker & Sasha Sloan
See You Soon by Mimi Webb

I loved the premise of this book, what if you could skip the difficult and draining parts of your life and jump to “the good part “? What’s forgotten is that the journey is as important as the destination.

Lucy Young is tired. She works for a TV station where she’s the general gofer, fetching coffee and more. She hates her leaky apartment and dating is an exercise in frustration. Most of all she hates being one paycheck from disaster.

One night after another horrible date, she finds shelter from the rain in a tiny store with an old arcade wishing machine. She wishes to get to the good part of her life, and wakes up in a beautiful bedroom next to a handsome husband, with her kids jumping on the bed.

Lucy is shocked. She has no clue how to be a mother, much less the high powered TV producer she’s apparently become.

That should enough story to convince you to read this book! I highly recommend it, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Lucy is not happy how her life has turned out so far. From a flat with a leaky roof to going on horrible dates and a pitiful entry level job at a tv production company, Lucy is ready to be the woman she was meant to be. When she happens to walk into a shop with an old wishing machine Lucy wishes to fast forward time to ‘the good part’. When she wakes up to a husband and two kids Lucy realizes her wish has come true. But being a wife, mother and producer has its challenges. Will Lucy choose to stay in this future or go back to the arduous beginning? With the help of her intelligent son and sweet husband Lucy begins to find answers about herself and what she truly wants for the future.

This story was both deep and humorous just like you would expect from a Sophie Cousins novel. The reader has to ask the burning question if the tough times are worth the personal growth. How much are we willing to adapt or change to meet our goals? What pleasant and thought provoking book!

A fun and light read with a little bit of fantasy thrown in. Brings you back to your younger days when you’re struggling to make ends meet. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

As a loyal reader of Sophie Cousens, I was thrilled to receive the ARC for THE GOOD PART from NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, in exchange for my honest review!

THE GOOD PART is part time-travel, part family drama, part love story, part ode to friendship and life itself. I LOVED this book and didn't want it to end. Lucy is twenty-six and she is ready to skip to the good part of her life - when things are settled at work and in love - but when a wishing machine grants her just that wish, things aren't how she expected. Her new life is almost too good to be true - but Lucy isn't prepared for what's waiting for her in her forties.

This story was lovely - the characters so compelling and charming, the love story tender and sweet, the plot kooky and fun, and the message so life-affirming and heartfelt. I will return to this story again and highly recommend it to Cousens fans, fans of romance and women's fiction, and fans of any sort of time-travel story! A true delight.

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC and was able to get an ALC from @prhaudio - I ended up listening to the audio.

First, the narrator was fantastic! I loved the 13 going on 30 aspects of time travel of the book. However, this is more of a 23 going on 46. (Don’t quote me on the ages because I’m not exactly sure but I know it’s close to that lol)

You know how in your early twenties life just seems so hard and stressful. Well, Lucy is tired of waiting for her career to take off, to have enough money to afford to eat, and to meet guys that are better than getting naked on the first date while you use the bathroom. Lucy makes a wish to get to the good part of her life and boy does she hit the jackpot. But with any story like this, you always should be careful what you wish for. 20 some years is a long time to skip over and not everything in her life is exactly how it used to be.

I loved the concept of the story. I loved the characters and the heart behind it all. I was sobbing listening to parts and swooning at others. I truly enjoyed the entire story.

This is such a cute and heartfelt romance. I recommend for any romance lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.

I love Sophie Cousens books. They are so fun and I truly enjoyed this. Although I did shed some tears by the end. What a great read.

Okay Sophie Cousens!! Nobody told me I would be crying at the end of this one...This is quite possibly my favorite book of hers and I would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat.

Okay, how fun was this book! I was hooked and fell in love with the characters and the tropes. The time travel and magical realism were all so perfectly done. This is the first novel by Sophie Cousens that I've read and it won't be the last. She had me laughing out loud at so many parts. The witty banter and character development were top-notch. I also loved that the story revolved around friendship and family more than the physical relationship, which was very refreshing.
If you loved 13 going on 30 and 17 Again, you'll love this book! I went into this mostly blind, I scanned the description but that was about it and I'm so glad I did - it made for such a fun adventure!

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for allowing me to honestly review this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Somewhat of a mash up of Freaky Friday and 13 Going on 30 this was a super cute book about wanting to skip to The Good Part of life. Sometimes it's not all it's cracked up to be.

I really enjoyed this book. Lucy Young is a burnt out 26 year old who is tired of the daily slog and wants to keep reaching for the stars but also wants to start making money and move out of the shared apartment she rents. When she wakes up one morning she realizes she's skipped ahead in life and has a husband and two kids. As Lucy slowly remembers who everyone is and how she got to where she did she realizes skipping ahead might not be the best idea.

I thought Lucy's future family was adorable. Her husband was too good to be true and I wanted more interactions with her son. Lucy's realizing that while life turned out great for herself, not remembering how it got there was a bit of a downer. This was a super cute, light hearted read and I would recommend it.

For this review, I am sharing the note I sent to the author after this read. I absolutely loved this book, it meant so much to me.

I just want to say this book may just be my favorite book I’ve ever read. I have never had a book resonate with me in the way this one has. I cried, laughed, smiled and cried more for Lucy, but as I did, I realized I was also crying a bit for myself. As a 22 year old, all I can think about is having a house with my boyfriend and dogs, getting married, having kids, I want all of these things so badly that I realize I am trying to rush into them. I am trying to skip over the days where I cry because working so much gets me down, or thinking I’m not making enough money to move out. This book really made me take a step back and think of all that I might miss if I skipped to those parts in life. I am at where I am at now because life is a journey. “Maybe bones need to be broken for you to suck out the marrow of life. We are lucky, we are here, when others are not.”

I want to cherish every single second of where I am at in life now. I don’t need to “skip to the good part,” I am at the good part because I am breathing. And I want to remind myself and everyone I can of this every single day. Thank you for this story. I have never felt so moved by a book. This message is lengthy than I intended, but I felt as thought I had to share and sincerely thank you.

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

This was the first title I've read by Sophie Cousens and I really enjoyed it! It's definitely more women's fiction with a lick of romance than a contemporary romance, so I'd make sure to market it as such (especially since romance girlies can be feral about the genre). I thought Sophie did a great job of exploring this theme of 'what if I skipped to the good part of my life' and it made me think of all the times I wished to be at a different place in my life, making the story so relatable even with its magic and time travel elements.

I would definitely recommend this title and I look forward to reading more by this author!

If you could magically skip ahead to the good part of your life, would you? Would you bypass the messiness we all have to go through to get there?

This is the question posited by Sophie Cousens’ newest book The Good Part. Lucy is 26 years old and full of creative ideas, working for a TV production studio where none of them are asked for or appreciated. Her best friend and roommate Zoya has just told her that she’s planning to move out of their rather sad London flatshare in search of greener pastures, and Lucy’s latest disastrous date has only furthered her belief that there aren’t any good guys out there to find.

Disillusioned and a little bit drunk one night, she escapes the rain and enters a small shop where a mysterious kindly old woman with a Scottish lilt sees Lucy eyeing the arcade style wishing machine at the back. Seeing Lucy’s state of discouragement, she offers her the penny and ten-pence piece she needs to make a wish.

Lucy’s wish? I wish I could skip to the good part, where my life is sorted. There’s a bit more to her wish, but that’s the gist. A few clinks of the machine and one pressed coin later that says YOUR WISH IS GRANTED, and Lucy wakes up to a whole new life - only she’s bypassed sixteen years of it!

I don’t want to say too much about the new life she wakes up to and the havoc it wreaks for her and those around her to be missing sixteen years of memories, but I will say that it’s a fun, bittersweet and fascinating journey to experience with her! The most touching and sweet parts are watching her learn to interact with and fall in love with a husband and children she’s never known. I particularly adored her relationship with her son, Felix, whose lines are some of the best in the book, but her relationship with her husband Sam stole my heart too!

So here’s the conundrum, if one is inclined to be philosophical for a moment: you’ve now seen “the good part” you wanted. Do you give up the sixteen years you missed and continue in this new reality, hoping the memories you’ve missed come back, or do you go back and live the life you’ve missed, hoping it leads you back to this same place?

My honest answer: I have no idea. I’m just glad I don’t have to make that decision! What does Lucy choose? You’ll have to read and find out - I can only say it’s worth it to do so! My one and only minor complaint is that I feel a little conflicted about the ending, but it was still good.

I adore Sophie Cousens’ writing, and this story embodies everything I love about it. There’s warmth and humor, but there are also moments of true melancholy, and I appreciate that I can experience a whole range of emotions in her books.

The author’s note mentions the classic movies Big, The Family Man, 13 Going on 30, and Freaky Friday as inspirations for this book, and while you’ll certainly find the time switch elements of those, this is a story whose charms stand solely on their own. I highly recommend it!

★★★★ ½

I really enjoyed this book! I read it in one sitting. I connected with the characters and was cheering them on. I would definitely recommend this book!

I loved everything about this book. Truly, everything. It made me cry at multiple points and I loved that it was a romance but it was also focused on friendships and how important every moment of life is. As someone who is sometimes wishing she could get to the "good parts" of life, this was a really important reminder that every moment can be the good part.

I felt that this was very relatable, and I loved the way that Lucy reacted to the sudden changes in her life, because it felt realistic. Who wouldn't freak out if they suddenly went from 26 to 42 and didn't recognize their life? I know I would.

I loved Sam as her romantic partner, and how it was obvious they loved each other even through the hard times. Everyone needs a Sam in their lives.

Everyone should give this book a try, even if you aren't a fan of the time travel trope. I think this one nails it.

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