I love books that have time travel or what if scenarios and this book filled that space in my heart. I loved the story, and I think that it definitely has 13 going on 30 vibes. If you like that movie, you will definitely like this book. Lucy goes through such a journey of self-discovery, and I rooted for her throughout.

I think that we have all wondered about what life would be like if we could just skip to the good part- just get through all of the tough parts and find the silver lining at the end. Lucy gets to experience this, and she learns so much about herself along the way.

This is such a fun story, and I plan to read other books by Sophie Cousens soon.

What would it be like to skip to the good part of life? Would you jump past your awkward late twenties and right to the heart of your career and family life? After a particularly hard day, Lucy does just that,
I loved this novel. Lucy and her family and friends are beyond charming. Cousens really pulls off the yearning and nostalgia that is central to the set up of Lucy’s time travel in a way that had me unsure if I wanted Lucy to stay in the good part or go back to live her life. What a charming reminder that life is so good, even with all the mess and heartbreak along the way.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I wish more than five stars was an option. This is my favorite Sophie Cousens to date. I was in tears when Felix was meeting his new mummy, and cried at the end when the decision was made. I had so many thoughts and reflections while reading this book that at times I had to put it down and pick up something a bit lighter. Lucy was great, and ultimately I think she made the right choice, but wow. What an emotional ride.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

What a wonderful book! This one gave me 13 going on 30 vibes and it was so much fun! I loved the relationship between Sam and Lucy and Lucy and Felix. This is definitely one of those books where you need to just let go and enjoy the ride and I definitely enjoyed every second. Thank you so much for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

26 year old Lucy makes a wish one night after a disaster date to skip to the good part in life - the part in her life where her life is sorted and she is not single, broke, and at the bottom rung in her career. And that is exactly what happens the next morning when she wakes up 16 years in the future - she has a hot husband & two cute kids, a house, and a killer job.

Seems like a dream come true, right? As Lucy begins to embrace her new life, new responsibilities, and new relationships, she's forced to ask herself, even if she could go back... does she want to?
Looking for something entirely different to get me out of my book hangover, I started The Good Part expecting some fluffy, quick read story, but instead I got an entertaining & very heartwarming story that had me pausing and self reflecting many times while reading it.

A charming, cozy read that will remind you to appreciate every phase of your life. What ifs/time travel is not my favorite trope but I enjoyed the story anyway and plan on reading more Sophie Cousens books in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for the ARC!

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!