Sophie Cousins does it again! I loved this book because I felt it was so much in line with my own life. Stuck in a job that feels like it’s going no where, friends moving on and reaching life milestones. Feeling left behind is the worst! I enjoy Sophie’s writing style as well, it feels like having a conversation with a good friend about what is going on in their life. I felt like the characters were part of my own life as well. I highly recommend this novel AND author. I will be getting this book for my bookclub friends for the holidays!

Lucy is in that rough part of your twenties when you are still paying your dues at work and it’s really hard to make ends meet. It’s also hard to see your friends have major success when it feels like you are just stuck. One night, in a really low moment, Lucy finds an old game machine that offers to grant a wish for only 11 pence. She tries it out and wishes for her life skip to the good part.

She wakes up the next day in a posh house she doesn’t recognize with two young kids and a handsome husband. She has no idea what happened, but she seems to have skipped 16 years in the future. She has her own television production company and loads of fancy clothes and technology products. But she hasn’t any idea how to live this life. She has to fake it until she makes it or at least can figure out how to go back to her old life.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Lucy’s son Felix was the stand out character to me. He helps her really understand what why she wished to go forward with her life. He was also hilarious and precocious. Not all parts are good; she learns things that happened while she was gone that really affect her. She remains close to her good group of girlfriends despite being in very different places in life. And her job is awesome, but comes with a whole new set of problems. Her husband Sam is so kind and patient; it’s a no brainer to see why she feel in love with him.

This is definitely a must read for me. All of Sophie’s books are a must read. Thank you @putnambooks and @sophie_cousens for the gifted copy. The Good Part is on sale today.

4.5*

Possible spoilers
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One of the things I like about the time travel trope is the various ways authors manipulate it. Will choices the character makes rewrite history? Will travel back and forth through time land you in the same place and time when you return? Will you remember your past or future life after you move between times? In The Good Part, Cousen’s female lead, Lucy Young, is a 26-year-old living in a cramped and damp flatshare in south London who has been struggling to gain a foothold in the competitive television industry all while watching her 3 best friends find success. In addition to her frustrating employment, she’s fed up with the dreadful dating scene and dealing with thoughtless roommates. So, after one especially difficult day when she wakes up to water dripping from the upstairs flat, is relegated to gopher duty by her boss despite her new promotion, gets into an argument with her best friend, and then encounters a flasher, she enters a shop to escape the rain and finds a vintage wishing machine. Her wish? To skip over all the messy, dissatisfying bits of her life so she can just get to the “good part.” Of course, it’s another case of being careful what you wish for.

When she wakes up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed with a gorgeous man who seems to know her, she has no idea how she got there. All of a sudden, she’s 16 years older with two kids and no memories of the time she’s missed. Her precocious son, 7-year-old Felix, thinks she’s an alien and encourages her to find the portal so she can leave and he can get his real mummy back. Her wonderful, loving husband Sam thinks she had temporary amnesia and makes it his mission to fill in her lost memories (both good and bad) and, in the process, she easily understands what made her fall in love with him in the first place. She also realizes that she’s become a very successful producer, but without her memory, doesn’t feel equipped to navigate the demands of the job.

So, if there is a chance to find the portal that will transport her back in time, will she take it and risk losing the family she’s come to love or will she give up trying to get those sixteen lost years back?

Cousens writes lovely stories with likable, fallible characters. This is one of her best. I found this story totally captivating and fell a little bit in love with Sam and the kids. I was going to give it 5* but I didn’t like the choice the FMC made in the end. Like her, as a reader, I’m hopeful it will all work out in the end, but I guess I’m just more risk-averse. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

🪄🪄🪄BOOK REVIEW 🪄🪄🪄

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.75 stars

Synopsis: Lucy is a 26 year old trying to make it in London in tv production. However she is really struggling climbing the ladder at work, her flat share is horrible and after a disastrous night out, she wishes to skip ahead to the good part. Is the good part all she expected?

What I liked: Lucy is a fun character. She is young and flawed but really likable. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I really like the chemistry she had with others especially her significant others. She really embraced the situation when she needed to and went with the flow. I like how the author kept reminding you that some many things have changed and really tugged at your heart strings several times. She went really deep in certain areas to give you a view of what Lucy was going through. Overall I would recommend this book because it has the right blend of light and heavy along with romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and putnum for an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

The is my first time reading a book by Ms. Cousens and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Lucy is much younger than me and the difficulties of being a twenty-something and struggling in a career isn’t always the best time in anyone’s life. But after a crazy night and using a wishing machine, Lucy woke up 16 years in the future. Not only from being older, married and having children but to find out she made it to ‘the good part’ and not sure she wants it! I was laughing as she tried to figure out how to talk to co-workers, husband, children and others and not let on that she didn’t know what was going on and didn’t have any answers.

I loved Sam, he is so kind and loving and struggling to help Lucy. Felix is the star to me as he says what he thinks, and he knows somethings not right with his Mummy. He’s very smart and seems to think they can find a ‘portal’ and all will be well. Also, the magical car and ordering groceries was a bit like watching the cartoon show, The Jetson’s many years ago.

It was poignant at times for Lucy to learn things that she had not experienced, and the emotions involved. She was finding her way a bit in this new life but for some reason, she wants to go back to that damp, crowded flat and live out her life and yet, she is beginning to love her new life. As she spends more time with Sam, the children and work, I can see her wavering on the best plan.

When I read the end of the book, I can’t tell you if I were more happy, sad or scared on how things would end up. It goes to show you that wishing for time to speed up and wanting change in your life, doesn’t always end up like you thought.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. Sophie Cousens' The Good Part is a true delight. Although the premise will be familiar to anyone who has seen movies like Big of Thirteen Going On Thirty, the book itself is unique. I will say it took through the first quarter to third to get hooked on this for me -as in the beginning it does go through the predictable moments of winding up in a life you don't recognize, but the payoff was worth it. I really enjoyed the way this novel nails the feeling of being in your 40s versus your 20s. I also very much enjoyed the development of Felix (Lucy's son) and the narrative around those two characters relationships. This was my first Sophie Cousens book, but I will definitely check out her earlier works.

I have adored all of Sophie Cousens' books and this one was no exception. This one was delightful and I loved the movie 13 Going On Movie and Big so this was a fun trip down memory lane.

I loved Lucy and her growing relationship with Felix. Recommend if you love rom=coms, and time slips!

Thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was truly a delightful story. I adored every single character, especially Felix who was just so cute and wholesome. But I also loved how each character was very important to the story, and no one felt superfluous. I loved how tight and well thought out the time travel mechanics were (while still being time travel so not too realistic of course). And I loved the relationship between Lucy and Sam, and how it portrays how people actually fall in love and grow and change with time.

I thought it was a wholly relatable book because who hasn’t wanted to skip ahead to when life is figured out and settled, and this shows what you could be missing if it was possible to do that. It’s a genuinely lovely story filled with poignancy, hilarity, and a lot of heart. Definitely check it out!

Thank you to Putnam Books and Netgalley for the ARC. The Good Part is out today!

4.5/5

I want to start out by thanking Netgalley, Penguin GROUP Putnman, G.P. Putnam ‘s Sons, and Sophie Cousens for this digital ARC. I have received a copy of The Good Part in return for an honest review. Everything I write in this review is completely my own thoughts and opinions.

This is my first ever Sophie Cousens book and I am very happy to say it will not be my last. I found the story to be completely captivating and I was a bit sad when it was over. I have never read a book like it before and I very much enjoyed it. If you love Hallmark-type movies, female lead characters, books about friendship, and discovering yourself then I think you will really enjoy this story. I know I did.

In the story, we are following a young woman named Lucy. She desperately wants to make it in the world of TV production however at the moment she has an entry-level position and even with a promotion she still sees no perks. Lucy works hard but is barely scraping by and feels frustrated with her life. She lives in a flat with her best friend and a couple of roommates. Lucy’s room happens to be one of the nastiest, dampest, and smelliest rooms in the flat. She often wakes in the morning with water in her bed from the bathroom flat above with no hopes of that ending anytime soon. This is how the book starts and we follow Lucy throughout her day. The day goes completely terrible for her and by the end of the night, she finds herself a bit lost and making a wish on an old wishing machine. She desperately wants to jump to the good parts of her life so that is what she wishes for and let us be real readers haven’t we all wished for the good parts in life rather than all the crappy bits along the way.

Lucy’s wish comes true and she wakes sixteen years into the future in a bed with a man she has never met before. Lucy can not remember anything which becomes completely clear when she looks in the mirror to see her forty-two-year-old self staring back at her and not the twenty-six-year-old she was the night before. Seriously can you even imagine the shock she must have felt in that moment? This is where the story gets really good. You follow Lucy as she tries to figure out what has happened and how she can get back to her life before. You like Lucy will discover the things that have happened to her over the past sixteen years and how she reacts to this new life she has found herself in. Will Lucy be able to find her way back to that old wishing machine? Will she even want to go back to that difficult time in her life?

If you are looking for a page-turning read without all the stress of say a thriller then maybe give this one a go. Like I said above I really enjoyed the story and Lucy’s character. I also enjoyed the side characters and getting to know her relationship with each one of them. This is not just a story about a struggling twenty-six-year-old but it is also a wonderful story about love, friendship, and motherhood. It is a story that I absolutely recommend to anyone who is looking for a feel-good type of story.

Trigger Warnings:

Infant Loss
Memory Loss
Death of a Friend

This book is the delightful read! The characters all well suited & the inner monologue of Lucy is hilarious almost the entire book - not to mention Felix - child just tell it exactly as it is no matter what (or where!). Cousins has written about hope, love, loss, grief and rediscovery in this novel. It all works so perfectly together and is a lovely read!

This is a delightful, fun little novel!! I really enjoyed the characters and the writing style. I'm American and this is set in the UK and I had no trouble understanding the dialect and slang. Sam was delightful and I really emphasized with her struggle of feeling stuck while all her friend's lives moved forward. Super cute and I feel like this would be a great beach read!

Thanks to Sophie Cousens, Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

“Plants don’t mind who you are, what you’ve done, or what you’ve forgotten. If you visit them frequently and look at them properly, you’ll sense what they need. People are the same—you don’t need to know someone’s entire history to know when they need a hug.”

If you could, would you choose to fast forward to the “good part” of your life..even if that means you would skip over the path that gets you there? For me that is a hard NO. But that is what Lucy Young is dealing with when she wishes for just that and, much like Tom Hanks in BIG, she is catapulted into her future.

Ahhhh I LOVED this book! It was full of family, love, and emotion and also laugh out loud funny. I did not want it to end. The audiobook was absolutely fantastic!! The narrator, #kerrygilbert, has a beautiful accent and did SUCH a good job capturing Lucy and all of her emotions, both in her tumultuous twenties and then when she is more settled in the future. This book was light hearted but also made me think. And it made me appreciate my life, even the tough parts. Because those times are the ones that shape who you become and, despite what society may tell you, there is something to be said for aging and the wisdom that comes with that process. Highly recommend!

Thanks for the free #audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to Netgalley, Putnam Books, and the author for the ARC.

4.5 stars

𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵?

Lucy Young is 26-years-old and unhappy with her life. Getting coffee for her boss, meeting awful men through a dating app, and living in a cramped apartment where her ceiling constantly leaks. When she finds a wishing machine she wishes to skip ahead to the good part of life where she’s got everything together.

Magical realism isn’t always my thing, but Sophie Cousens has a way of making me like it, and I really enjoyed this story. I thought that Lucy was a relatable character in both the present day and the future. I loved the dual timelines especially when she woke up 16 years later. The future storyline was done so well, and I loved reading about Lucy learning how to navigate a life so different than the one she was used to.

My favorite part of this book was the time with her kids, Felix and Amy. I adored Felix’s character so much. He was a smart child, and I loved how intuitive he was. The moments where he showed affection towards Lucy were so sweet especially since he thought the aliens had taken his real mom!

I think at one time in all of our lives, we’ve wished to get to the good part, and I loved the way Cousens showed what could happen when you get there and how you can miss out on things if you skip ahead. I highly recommend this one especially if you enjoy magical realism with some time travel elements.

Thank you G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I recently dove into the pages of "The Good Part," and let me tell you, it's like a fresh take on beloved classics like "Big" and "13 Going on 30," with a unique Sophie Cousens twist!

The premise had me hooked from the get-go. A story about second chances and rediscovering the joy of life is always a winner in my book.

Sam and Felix were standout characters – their unwavering support for Lucy made my heart swell. It's the kind of love we all need in our lives.

As I followed Lucy's journey, I honestly had no idea where the story would take us, and that element of surprise made it even more exciting. The path we traveled was filled with heartwarming moments.
And the ending? It gave us a glimpse of what the future held, but I'll admit, I wanted more. Sophie Cousens left me craving just a little extra.

In a nutshell, "The Good Part" is a delightful read that reminds us of the magic of second chances and the beauty of life's unexpected turns.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I can't tell you how much I loved this book! I cried and had so many laugh out loud moments. The book reminded me a lot of 13 Going to 30 and Freaky Friday but Sophie Cousens did an amazing job on making this book relatable to someone to anyone who's lived their through 20's or to anyone that has wished to get to the good part of their life.

I have read all of Sophie cousens books, and I have loved all of them. This might be my favorite now! They are always so heartfelt, funny and entertaining. I love this one because it immediately reminded me of the movie Big. I loved that movie growing up and had some similarities. I had the feeling like I was there with the characters and that I was living in the story. I really felt like I had to make the hard decisions like the main character Lucy. I love Lucy and how much she grew throughout the story. And without spoilers I could totally relate to all the crazy mom moments! I enjoyed all the characters in this book especially Felix 🥰 This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry. I loved it so much and I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a fun and heartwarming book.

It’s natural to want to skip over the unpleasant parts of life, wishing that we could jump ahead to a time when everything has settled down. But when one young woman magically gets her wish in The Good Part by Sophie Cousens, she finds herself unsure of where she’d rather be.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery

Summary: Lucy Young is twenty-six and tired. Tired of fetching coffees for senior TV producers, sick of going on disastrous dates, and done with living in a damp flat with roommates who never buy toilet paper. After another disappointing date, Lucy stumbles upon a wishing machine. Pushing a coin into the slot, Lucy closes her eyes and wishes with all her might: Please, let me skip to the good part of my life.

When she wakes the next morning to a handsome man, a ring on her finger, a high-powered job, and two storybook-perfect children, Lucy can’t believe this is real—especially when she looks in the mirror, and staring back is her own fortysomething face. Has she really skipped ahead like she’s always wanted, or has she simply forgotten a huge chunk of her life? As Lucy begins to embrace new relationships and the perks of maturity, she’ll have to ask herself: Can she go back to her previous life, and if so, can she stand to leave the good part behind?
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts: this was such a dreamy and sweet romance ! I throughly enjoyed this one, I love a good time traveling book! This one had a lovable main character and a swoon worthy lead! It was sweet, fluffy, and all the things you want in a light easy breezy romance! Overall a fun quick popcorn read romance! Thank you so much @putnambooks and @netgalley !
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Blimey! This was so different & unlike any other books of Sophie's. Do keep in mind before reading this that it's more of a women's fiction than a romance (again, unlike her previous books) & the cover could be quite a bit deceiving!

That being said, I absolutely enjoyed this. The writing was fun & confusing at the same time. Lucy was a complete mess but then I was thrown into the mix like her, I'd be too. But I think some of her dialogues were awkward & can be triggering for someone.

I liked how this book was a combination of some famous movies & plot, yet highly different from them. I genuinely loved Lucy's now-family, especially Felix. He was bright of his age & ever ready for an adventure!
I'd say the thing that bothered me was how Lucy took her much wanted job for granted. I mean, you wanted this position back in the day & now when you have it, you're clueless?

Overall, the plot was definitely not what I had expected, but I was glad the way everything fell into place, especially the storyline with Zoya.

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book more than I anticipated. I’m not a huge fan of magical realism or time travel but I really got invested in Lucy’s story. It did start a bit slow for me but once Lucy skipped to “the good part”, I couldn’t put it down. The motherhood storylines really got to me. I think we’ve all had that feeling of wondering if this is all our lives are destined for so seeing Lucy work through those feelings felt familiar and genuine. The romance was done well and I really loved Sam. I’m really not sure how I feel about the ending and Lucy’s decision. I can’t say too much without giving it away but man did it bring some teary eyes…especially with the final scenes of Lucy and Felix’s interactions. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and loved the message of growing up and self discovery.

Read if you like:
▫️13 Going On 30
▫️self discovery
▫️motherhood storylines

Thanks to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book releases today!