I loved the characters in this book. The writer really helped you connect with Lucy and her relationships and it made you feel like apart of the story. You were absolutely rooting for Lucy the whole time. Also it was very relatable. I really liked this story. It does come with trigger warnings so be aware. I’d highly recommend this to friends as a cute read.

After a devastating day at work and a horrible blind date, Lucy decides she would rather skip her current circumstances and get to "the good part" of her life early. Not so coincidentally, she steps into a small shop to get out of the rain and notices a machine in the corner that purports to fulfill any wish for a small donation. So, as one does, she makes her wish and hurries home.

The next day, she wakes up a bedroom that is much nicer than the one in her dingy flat, with a hunky husband, a toddler, and a 7-year-old son, not to mention a high-level job, none of which she remembers. Lucy is also shocked--not in a good way--to see her reflection in a mirror. After all, she is 42 now, not 26. And it seems that technology has advanced far more than she had expected.

The rest of the book focuses on how Lucy adjusts to her new life, how she explains why she doesn't remember anything, and whether she will decide to stay in her future or return to age 26, if she has the opportunity, to live out the 16 years she has lost.

I didn't find Lucy very likeable at the beginning of the book, but she grew on me. I enjoyed her experiences with her aging parents, her oldest friends, her longtime coworkers, and especially her "new" family. My favorite characters included her delightful son Felix, her unbelievably understanding husband, Sam, and her loyally supportive friends, all of whom are realistically drawn and relatable. I found it fascinating how Lucy was able to address an important work project with very little information about how to do it. The end of the book will be a polarizing event for some readers, depending on which decision they would like Lucy to make. It's a time travel story that absolutely requires suspension of disbelief, but I truly enjoyed Lucy's journey once she decided to give it her all. It is, by turns, frustrating, humorous, heartbreaking, and life-affirming.

My thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I loved the characters in this book; Lucy’s relationships with her friends, flatmates, and future romantic partner were so vibrant and the banter with Felix was charmingly realistic. Parts of her travel through time felt similar to Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella, but the ending was not what I expected. I wanted to rate this five stars but I do wish there had been a content warning (death of a child).

This is the third book I’ve read by Sophie Cousens and is my favorite! This is a heartwarming book about a 26-year old girl who is tired of being broke, fetching coffee for TV executives, her damp apartment/terrible roommates and she cannot go another bad date. After disaster night, she stumbles across a wishing machine where she wishes to skip to the good part of her life.

The next day she wakes up in a strange house with a husband, two children and her face has aged more then a decade overnight. It is very funny watching her try to navigate parenthood with the help of her 7-year-old son, but also romantic how her husband adores her and would do anything to help her with her “memory loss.”

I was delightfully surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, as I’m not a huge fan of fantasy.

A big thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
Publishing date - 11-07-23
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC. I loved this one! Finished reading this one in less than 24 hours because it was so good! Loved the characters, the plot, and the ending. Would love to see her write a sequel in the future. Highly recommend this one when it releases on November 7th 2023.

This story follows Lucy who finds herself at rock bottom with nothing to lose. So when she stumbles upon a wishing machine in a small shop in London... she decides to make a wish. She wakes up the next day 16 years in the future. As she embraces this new life and new relationships she'll have to ask herself: can she go back? And if so... does she want to?

This story gave me all the feels and it really makes you look at the hard times in your life with a different perspective. We all wish we could just fast forward to the good parts sometimes, but life is about so much more than just the good parts. It's about the journey and learning to appreciate all the highs and all the lows.

I was rooting for Lucy the whole time. I fell in love with little Felix! He really made me laugh! Especially him thinking Lucy was an alien. Felix and Lucy's relationship was such a joy to read. Sam's love for Lucy jumped off the pages. I really enjoyed this entire book from start to finish. Wow it was GOOD!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam / G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review #Netgalley #TheGoodPart

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Good Part
Author: Sophie Cousens
Source: NetGalley ARC
Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023

Author Sophie Cousens has written another wonderful book called The Good Part about Lucy, a young 26-year-old girl who can’t catch a break, lives in a crummy apartment, no money, a dead-end job, and she’s losing hope. Then Lucy wishes for her luck to change (more details in the book) and take her to the good part of her life, where she travels forward 16 years and a great life with a husband and two kids. Readjusting to her “new” life turns out to be more of a challenge, although she is happy, and her family is fantastic. But ultimately, she has to decide whether to go back 16 years and live her journey or stay locked into her “new” future. This book is a heartwarming story about love, loss, life, growth, time travel, hope, patience, learning, and choices. Sophie Cousens writes stories with heart and depth, and they always have a life lesson as part of the romance. Life is hard, and there are no shortcuts, but sometimes, we might wish to skip to the good part of life. Book friends, you will LOVE this story, and I will remind you in early November to pre-order or buy the book. I know I will do so. #TheGoodPart @sophie_cousens #romance #fiction #timetravel #magicalrealism #fantasy #chickLit #family #future #GPputnamsSons @netgalley @putnambooks
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#book #books #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #reader #booklove #bookreader #reader
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to G.P Putnam Sons, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: Nov. 7, 2023.

This book was so cute! Loved everything about it. Sophie does romance so well and every book she puts out is always a wonderful read.

How would it feel if you could fast-foward to the part of your life when you have it all together? What would things look like when you've finally gotten to the point of "figuring it all out?" Is missing out on the years of struggle worth and just get to the good part? Sophie Cousens wrestles with these questions in her latest novel, The Good Part. Lucy is a struggling 20-something year old living in London, trying to make it on her own. When a chance encounter with a wishing machine transports her 16 years in the future, Lucy finds herself married, successful in her career, with two young children, a large home and even larger bank account. But is it too good to be true? Did missing out on so many years make the good part worth it?
I enjoyed this book as a cute, quick, and light read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group, Putnam for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

I'll admit that at first I felt like I'd read this book already (young woman makes a wish and wakes up in her future life with a spouse, a house, and two kids then wonders how she got back there and tries to return to her "old" life.) Despite the familiar storyline (which Cousens nods to in the acknowledgments), the characters kept me hooked. She paints them all so clearly and so endearingly that I loved watching the story unfold as I read. I didn't even know what I wanted most for Lucy--to stay there in "the good part"--or return to her younger self so she could live out her life and experience arriving at "the good part" along the way.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC. It was a delight!

Sophie Cousens is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! The Good Part is Cousens’ latest novel and it’s a smashing success. Haven’t we all wanted to skip ahead in life, to when there’s enough money to pay all the bills, we’ve found our soulmate and our careers are skyrocketing? This is exactly the wish that Lucy makes one night, frustrated with the trajectory of her life in her late-twenties and desperate to get to the “good part.” Lucy wakes up, but quickly discovers she’s jumped ahead in her own life. Now in her 40s, Lucy is married to a handsome man, a mother to two adorable children and at the top of her career. She did it, she skipped past the ‘hard’ parts, but she’s become someone she doesn’t recognize. The Good Part is such a great ride, reminding readers that life is really about the journey and not the destination. Sophie Cousens is witty, delightful and filled with energy. The Good Part comes out just in time for the holidays and should not be missed!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of Sophie Cousens’ prior books and their heartfelt and humorous moments, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Good Part.

Lucy is 26 and struggling with a crappy apartment, awful job, and lack of a love life. She makes a wish on a wishing machine to skip to the good part, and wakes up 42, married with kids and a fantastic dream job. Yet, she struggles with holding no memories of the 16 years she has skipped and the losses that have occurred that she can’t even remember.

I’m still struggling with my thoughts on this one a bit. I never felt fully connected to Lucy, perhaps because she felt like a very immature 26 trapped in a 42 year old’s body and the clash of her attitude and her new responsibilities was a bit much for me. There were moments here that could have felt so much deeper had I felt connected to the character, but I didn’t feel much about them at all. I didn’t like or understand most of her choices, and was quite taken aback with how she treated her own kids.

I adored Felix and thought Sam was fantastic. There was a part towards the end that I did love that felt just like. a movie montage, but then the ending just took me back out of the whole thing. I really don’t know what I wanted to happen and my thoughts are just all over the place here! I did love the magical element, a fun addition!

Cousens writing is light hearted, with good dialogue and a fun friend group. I was missing the magic of feeling a strong connection to the story this time, but will continue to read this author in the future! I’d give this me 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lucy Young was building her life, but let’s be honest - your 20s are HARD. Life wasn’t working the way she had planned. She got a promotion but was still be treated as the runner. Her dates never worked out. The ceiling above her bed was always leaking water from the upstairs neighbors baths.

So when she finds a “wishing machine” after a long night and a fight with her friends, she wishes to “skip to the good part” of her life.

When she woke up the next morning in bed with some random (hot) man - she’s awfully confused, but it gets even more confusing as she looks in the mirror the realize she aged 16 years over night, the random man leaves her with his kids and they keep calling her mama? And the office keeps calling the cell phone you found in that fancy purse.

Come to find out, she skipped 16 years of her life with 0 memories in between, but as time goes on, she realizes, this is truly the good part she was wishing for.

She finds that wishing machine again, the portal back 16 years, and she’s presented with a choice - stay and remember or go back and forget.

————

This story was so beautiful and had me laughing several times throughout the book. I honestly didn’t know which way she was going to go with that choice presented at the end.

She now had her dream life, but she had so many missing pieces. If she chose to stay she would eventually get those memories back, but she would have also missed out on experiencing those 16 years. On the other hand, if she left she might not end back up there.

This was my first Sophie Cousens book and it certainly will not be my last. ❤️

Thank you netgalley + the publisher for an e-arc of this book!

Thank you so much for this ARC! Sophie Cousens is a wonderful writer that truly does transport her readers into her books.

This story was a literal "transport!" Such a fun read. A theme we have all read or seen in movies before but a really cute spin. Makes you think about your life and how your life would have turned out if you could completely skip the bad times and hard lessons.

Highly recommend for a summer read or if you are in need a palette cleanser from other genres. Will have you feeling light and happy.

I want to thank Putnam and Net Halley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. As I read this book, I couldn't help but be drawn to memories of some classic movies: Big, 13 going on 30,and Freaky Friday. As I read the authors notes, it turns [put that was the whole point. She was inspired by these moves . The difference is that in the movies, the character changes, but not the scene. In this one, Lucy , the main character, actually time travels forward 16 years. She has changed, but so have her friends, her family, and the world really. Lucy,. at the start is 26 years old. She is in a cruddy apt, with a job that is going no where. Her love life is also pretty bad. After a disasterous day, at work and at home, she finds a wishing machine. She wishes to get to the good part of her life, where things are sorted out. The old lady running the machine cautions her, but Lucy makes her wish. The next morning Lucy is 42 years old, with a husband, a god job , 2 children and a car that talks to her and drives itself. The rest of the book follows Lucy as she tries to manuever this new life, and deal with the changes the 16 year jump brought about. I liked this book. It was a bit implausible, but it was fun and the character were engaging. Lucy's son Felix was especially delightful. While it does harken back to those old movies that I mentioned earlier- those were good movies. And this is a good book!

This delightful story had me so enthralled I lost track of time and didn’t want to put it down. Sophie Cousens’ books seem to get better with each one I read, and this is my favorite so far. This was a beautiful romance but the best part for me was her growing relationship with Felix. I went through a box of tissues as Lucy bonded with her forgotten family.

I also loved the magical realism element of the “wish” machine. The story in itself was at times so funny I found myself laughing out loud. Who can resist a book that makes you laugh and cry at the same time? Definitely not me. 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This story spoke to me so much. I remember being in my 20s and wanting to know how my life was going to work out. I'm sure most people have been there, where their life isn't quite what they want and wish to skip to the part of life where everything is right. This was so well done! It wasn't too cheesy, but there were cheesy moments. They work, though. Lucy wishes on a wish machine to go to the part of her life that is "sorted" and with the person she marries. The story jumps 16 years into a future where everything is plausible with technology that is well thought out and doesn'tdistract from the storyline. Lucy and her husband Sam explain her situation as having amnesia. I thought that was great, and the story didn't go down a path of her being crazy.

Lucy and Felix were a part of the story I wasn't expecting. I loved the mother/son relationship. It wasn't just about her falling in love with Sam but also with her children. It thought that was a great addition to the story instead of just focusing on romantic love. This book is full of great life lessons about family, love, and self growth.

The magical realism with the wishing machine was well done. It seemed real and not silly or fake. This is a quick read, and it's a feel-good story. There's calmness and peace at the end. As the reader, you get to feel that with Lucy. I enjoyed this story. I recommend to romance lovers and anyone who feels their life isn't what they are hoping

Wow, I really loved this one! Each Cousens book has just gotten better and better, in my opinion, and this is my favorite by far.

If you grew up loving Big and 13 Going on 30, then you’re going to be familiar with this type of plot. What Cousens did here instead of an adolescent wishing to be an adult, this one has the main character go from 26 to 42. I think a big part of the reason I enjoyed this was the fact that it really hit on a personal level. I’m at a stage in my life where I wish I could just fast forward to the good part, where the hard work is finally done. But what about all the good memories and life lessons along the way that I would skip? And life never really does get easier because each stage has its own challenges. I feel like I really read this book at the right time and it was an excellent reminder to be present, live in the moment, and appreciate everything I get to experience in this crazy little life.

As usual, Cousens writing is absolutely hilarious and she has such lovable characters. Compared to her other books, I feel like this one was much heavier. There was so many sad moments throughout the middle of the book that brought tears to my eyes. And the romance! So unique! Sam was an amazing love interest and reading their love story almost in reverse felt so special. The romance was more a subplot to Lucy’s story but a real gem.

If it’s not obvious enough, highly recommend! If you like romcoms with profound themes, magical realism, and time jumping plots then this is absolutely for you

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Putnam Group for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

My heart is bursting with joy, hope, and warmth as I write this review.

Lucy Young is in her mid-20s, finds herself stuck at a job with little opportunity for growth, and a dating life that is less than desirable. She wakes up one morning 16 years in the future after drunkenly making a wish to breeze straight through to the good part of life. From here, Lucy finds herself navigating a life that is completely foreign and full of surprises.

I absolutely LOVED this book! The story instantly pulled me in, and I could not put it down. Sophie Cousens had me feeling all of Lucy’s emotions—the love, uncertainty, heartache, tension, and her determination rippled through the pages. All the characters were lovable and perfectly placed. This is easily my favorite Sophie Cousens books to date!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Cousens and Penguin Group Putnam for a digital ARC of The Good Part in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own and may not be reproduced (except quoted synopsis).

“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?”

I fell in love with Sophie Cousens with Just Haven’t Met You Yet. Then she fell from her pedestal just a little bit last you with Before I Do. So I had high hopes that The Good Part would take me back to the magic she gave me in Just Haven’t Met You Yet.

SHEEEEEEEE’S BAAAAAAACKKKK!

Thank you, so much, Sophie for rebounding!

I LOVE the magical/fantasy aspects of this sweet romance. This is a fabulous Fall read that I will definitely be promoting to my followers.

With that said, it wasn’t a completely original concept, but I don’t even care! The characters were so loveable and their story was so sweet. I’ll sign up to read this plot every single time.

I highly recommend!