As a big 13 going on 30 fan, I adored this! It was so good as a more mature version of that same plot line. And as someone in their mid 40s I can attest to being smack dab in the GOOD PART. One of my favorites by Cousens!

This Time Next Year was one of my favorite books and I was so excited to receive an ARC of The Good Part! This was a feel good British 13 going on 30/Freaky Friday situation that did NOT disappoint. With this type of story the main character always has a hard time adjusting to the new life they are given but this sweet story reminds us all to appreciate what we have and that no decision is ever easy.

This was such an enjoyable read and was a delight! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

The Good Part was the book I needed to read in my twenties! This book was so good and had such a great message about not rushing through the hard parts. Lucy is 26 and frustrated with her life feels like her job is going nowhere and she's been on too many bad dates to count. Her friends are all progressing in ways she isn't yet and is afraid of being left behind. One night she stumbles into a store after a night out with friends and uses a wishing machine asking it to skip her ahead to the "good part" of her life when she's met who she's supposed to be with and her career is figured out. The next day she wakes up 16 years in the future married with 2 kids and running her own company with no memories of how her life got there. Of course nothing is as settled as it seems and while she likes the life she's found herself in she's realizing that missing the journey to get there takes away from the enjoyment and it just doesn't feel like her life. She has to decide if she wants to find a way back or stay where she is with the life she always wanted. I enjoy Sophie Cousens's writing so much and really loved this book and was really close to giving it a 5 star review but just a few small things prevented me from doing that. I would for sure recommend this book and will continue to read whatever she writes. I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

📚📚Book Review📚📚

> The Good Part by Sophie Cousens is absolute perfection. I read this book a while ago, but did not want to do a review until closer to its publication date (November 7,2023). I love, love, love this book. All of it- I love Lucy, her husband, her friends, and her child. I love how sweet, funny, relatable, and charming the story was. I love the unique take on Big, Thirteen Going on Thirty, Freaky Friday, 17 Again and the like. I even loved the heartbreaking choice Lucy had to make toward the end of the book, which absolutely gutted me. Buy this book (or add it to your library holds!) and read it. You won’t regret it. This is absolutely one of my favorite books this year!!

The highest compliment I can give a book is that it was there when I needed it. The Good Part was the exact book I needed at the exact moment I needed it ❤️ It was such a wonderful reminder about life & what “the good part” really is… I am not ashamed to say that I was openly weeping at my son’s soccer practice as I finished it earlier this evening. It is entertaining, fun, & like all of Sophie Cousens’ books, the secondary characters burst off the page. All of that, and it was deeply meaningful & moving. This one has secured a spot on my top books of the year for sure. Thank you @putnambooks for allowing me to read an ARC!

Lucy Young is a 26-year old woman who feels frustrated with her life. She is tired of her job. She is sick of going on bad dates. She is fed up with living with roommates who cannot buy basic supplies!

Lucy goes on another disastrous date. She passes a wishing machine. Lucy inserts a coin and wishes to "skip to the good part of my life."

When she wakes up, she is next to a handsome man. She is married. She has a successful career. She has two children.

When she looks in the mirror, Lucy is 40 years old! She cannot believe she has skipped through all of these years.

After navigating new relationships and life, Lucy needs to decide if she wants to return to being 26 or staying at 40.

This was an enjoyable, heartwarming book. Although I do not like time travel books, we all wonder about the what-ifs.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review.

This was a cute book. It’s about a girl that’s just having it rough with dating and life is just kicking her ass you know? She comes across a wish machine and wishes to skip to the good part. And she does. But she has to figure out how to get back or if she even wants to go back. It made me laugh and was cute little romcom

Thank you, GP Putnam Sons and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of The Good Part.

This was my first Sophie Cousens novel, but I'll definitely be reading more! All of the parts of The Good Part were good. It gave me total Big (1988 Tom Hanks film - gee, I'm showing my age, although I was just a little tike at the time!) vibes. I was rooting for our MC, Lucy, to get everything she wanted and more. I was rooting for her future family to keep the mom and wife that had just landed in their world. I was rooting for Lucy to stay in this future of hers, but at the same time, I was rooting for Lucy to find her way back to being 26 so she could live through all the incredible moments that she fast-forwarded through. The Good Part is the feel-good novel of the season that needs to be in everyone's shopping cart.

Lucy Young is 26 and not living her best life. She has a job with potential growth as a production runner, a room in an apartment that leaks, an always empty toilet paper roll, and no joy in the romance department. After a horrifyingly disastrous date, Lucy finds herself taking shelter from the rain at a newsstand shop. When making a wish to skip to the good part of her life in a wishing machine at the newsstand, Lucy awakens next to a super hot man in a luxurious house. Confusion sets in when he asks her to step in and take care of their kids until the nanny gets there. Lucy eventually tells those closest to her what has happened and is faced with the option of returning to 26 or staying in the good part. I think she makes the right decision as difficult as it may have been. I hope you pick this novel up and get all the same feelings that it made me feel. I didn't want this one to end.

"The Good Part" by Sophie Cousens is a delightful and heartwarming romantic novel that earns a solid four-star rating. This book combines humor, emotion, and charming characters to create an engaging and enjoyable reading experience. If you're a fan of contemporary romance with a touch of humor and a lot of heart, this book is definitely worth a read. It's a solid four-star recommendation for those looking for a feel-good and enjoyable story.

Thank you to NetGalley for introducing me to Sophie Cousens and for the opportunity to read The Good Part.

I am so intriqued by time travel and love reading books with this premise. So, needless to say I have read many books that deal with the concept and I loved the way Cousens handled it. I found Lucy, the main character, to be very relatable as a twenty-something woman, tired of the struggles of her life. When she wishes to skip to the good part, she is transported into her life 16 years later, in a beautiful house, with a handsome, loving husband and two small children. As she settles into this life she learns that she has succeed professionally and has maintained relationships with her best friends. However, she does learn of a couple of very sad things that happened in her life, and I think these were handled beautifully.

I loved seeing Lucy fall in love with her husband all over again and learning how to be a parent. Her relationship with her son, Felix, was endearing and funny. Additionally, Lucy's relationship with her friends and co-workers were all very well portrayed and I absolutely loved the ending!

Because time travel is such a foreign concept it's hard to read about it without thinking "but what if" or "that wouldn't happen". Putting all of that aside, the book was enjoyable, hilarious and heartwarming. I will definitely read another book by this author!

#thegoodpart by @sophie_cousens
This books dedication is “To my 26 year old self. Hang in there, hun”
This book is about 26 year old Lucy just trying to get ahead with her life, job and living situation. Her friends are finding their place in the world and she feels frustrated and let down by how things are going.
After a particularly “par the course” night for her, she finds an arcade game to make a wish. She wishes to be at “the good part” of her life. Just like movies that have these wishes to be “big” or “older”, Lucy wakes up 16 years in the future.
Does she choose to stay, or will she be able to go back and continue from 26 forward? Read and find out.
I was lucky to get this advanced copy from @netgalley . I really enjoyed it and look forward to getting to other books written by the author.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! Solid 4.5 stars. I loved the storyline of jumping from mid-twenties to early forties, with a husband and 2 kids. I could picture myself in her position, and I loved reading about her adapting to parenthood. I had no idea how it would all resolve, and I was pleased with the ending.

I don’t even know how to fully process this book yet! It got me thinking so much and took me on such a journey with the main character, Lucy. It made me actually laugh out loud along with tear up! I didn’t like Lucy at the beginning, but by the end I was rooting for her and couldn’t stand the thought she might not end up happily ever after! Everyone needs to read this book! Big lessons for all to learn!

"can we skip to the good part!" overall, this was a cute and sweet story. it had very likeable characters, I loved their friendships. It was a fairly quick read as well, easily can be read in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley, G.P.Putnam’s Sons and Sophie Cousens for the ARC copy of the book.

Lucy is a 26 year old barely scraping by in her career and work life, and she's ready to skip ahead...to the good part. She gets that wish granted when she stumbles upon a wishing machine that pushes her 16 years into the future.

I loved the premise of this book, how many of us wish we could skip through the tough parts and see the part where it gets really good? I really enjoyed the dynamic between Felix and Lucy as she is learning to navigate through this new life. I also enjoyed the complexity of Sam's character and his conflicting feelings for Lucy.
I struggled with the ending, I see why it ended the way that it did, but I did find myself racing through the last chapters to find out Lucy's decision only to be a bit disappointed.

Overall, I would recommend this book, especially if you're a fan of time-travel and magical realism.

This was precious!

Oh the struggle of being a young adult…being a new grad in a crappy rental and living off cereal…I’ve been there!

The main character Lucy is there too. She has hit rock bottom at age 26 when she considers digging pastries out of the garbage at work for breakfast and ends up on the worst date ever….she makes a wish to skip the struggle and head straight to the good part of life. She ends up with no memory of the last sixteen years and now has her dream job, a handsome husband, and two kids…should she stay and enjoy the ride or risk going back to her old life and losing it all?

This was so good!!! I totally recommend! Thank you to the author and NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC!

This book was amazing! I always love Ms. Cousens’ books. This book was such a great read. Lucy’s frustration at life has her wishing to skip the struggles of your twenties and head right into having your stuff together. It takes those struggles to make you appreciate how you get there. Life no matter what age , you’ll never have your stuff all together. I loved Sam being the understanding husband. Felix , the son was a grown man in a 7/8 year olds body. The group of girlfriends that we all hope to have that stay through all life’s changes good and bad. I can’t tell you enough this was another hit for Sophie in my opinion. Thank you NetGalley for my free advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

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

This book couldn't have arrived at a better time. At 25, I constantly find myself juggling the uncertainties of my career, friendships, and relationships, etc. Sophie Cousens beautifully captures this experience throughout this book.

Readers follow Lucy Young as she stumbles through her personal relationships and career. Everything takes a turn when she discovers a magical wishing machine. With a wish to fast forward to good parts of her life, Lucy is left astounded as she is instantly transported fifteen years into the future.

While at some points I found Lucy to be unlikeable, this book truly made me take a step back and question myself. If I was Lucy, how would I react to being thrown fifteen years in the future? Would I embrace it all and adapt? Accept the change, absorb everything I can, and move forward with life. Would I reject the possibilities and insist on pursuing the years I've missed?
Honestly no idea.

I really loved this book because not only did it make me question how it would end, but about my own choices if I were thrown into the same situation.

Some of the most endearing moments was Lucy rediscovering things she had missed. Whether it be tragic or finding love, these moments were an emotional rollercoaster. And Felix! I absolutely loved the banter and relationships Felix had with most characters, it really brought a comedic element to the book.

A captivating mix of fantasy and romance, this pseudo-realism romance gave me a similar feeling as In Five Years!

Thank you, Putnam Books, for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

What an amazing book! I cried—this book made me cry, twice! Not the bad ugly cry but the quickly-swipe-a-tear-and-keep-going kind of cry. And my heart stopped when she made her decision (at the end). It is such a great read that I refuse to give spoilers because you just need to go in blind and accept the story as it all plays out. Would I make the same choice as Lucy? I don’t know, but I guess that’s what makes the story so captivating. This book is PERFECT for a book club that likes lighthearted fiction because now all I want to do is talk with a gaggle of women, all holding wine glasses, about this book.

The writing was well done, easy to read, funny, and hard to put down. I love all of the characters, especially Lucy and Sam and I absolutely adored Felix. Sam may be one of favorite books husbands yet! Not to mention the inner monologue when Lucy sees herself for the first time at 42! Being 42 with young kids, I completely related. It’s not often a romance genre book loops us 40-something’s in for the fun, but I related to this book on so many levels and loved it completely. Thank you Sophie Cousens for seeing us and writing for us too!

If you are a person of a certain age, the plot for Sophie Cousen’s upcoming release will probably be pretty familiar to you . . .

But rather than requesting to be “big,” when 26-year old Lucy finds herself fed up with a leaky ceiling in her flatshare, what appears to be a dead-end job despite having just earned a promotion and dodging a rainstorm after an unfortunate dating app connection with a disgusting tongue-sucker, she puts (a borrowed) eleven pence into the Wishing Machine and asks simply to “Skip to the Good Part.” You can probably figure out what happens next..

It’s 16 years later and Lucy has to figure out how to navigate marriage, motherhood and being a successful television producer – all while trying to get back to her old self.

Yep, this was the bees knees for me. Give me allllllll the 13 Going on 30, The Family Man, Big, 17 Again, Never Been Kissed, etc., etc., etc. I love this trope unapologetically and this needs to be made into a streaming movie so I can watch it on a loop until my husband threatens to murder show me.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!