Is She Really Going Out with Him? was genuinely everything I wanted it to be and then some!

Anna was a character that was so easy to root for. My heart hurt for her as she navigated her fairly recent divorce and parenting as a single mom, and I rooted for her through every date and meetup as she tried to keep her job from becoming redundant. This book had me laughing and swooning and everything in between. I even shed a couple tears at the end!

This was my second Sophie Cousens book, and it most definitely will not be my last. I truly cannot recommend it enough!

Sophie Cousens has done it again! Is She Really Going Out With Him? is a witty, heartwarming, and utterly charming novel that had me hooked from the very first page. With a fresh and engaging premise, Cousens masterfully balances humor, romance, and just the right amount of emotional depth. The characters are relatable and lovable, the dialogue sparkles with wit, and the story’s twists keep you eagerly turning pages. Fans of Just Haven’t Met You Yet and This Time Next Year will absolutely adore this book. A must-read for rom-com lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic novel!

To compete for a position at her magazine against her rival, Anna agrees to write a column about post-divorce dating but instead of downloading the apps she's going to let her children choose her dates. Their choices lead to some interesting dates but also brings her closer to her coworker/rival.


Is She Really Going Out With Him by Sophie Cousens is a great rom-com with a leading lady in her 30s, some hilarious dates, and a delightful Jane Austen Regency Ball.


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Brb, adding every book Sophie Cousens has ever written to my TBR!!! I haven’t read a contemporary romance this good since I picked up Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez and realized I actually liked romance books. Is She Really Going Out With Him? was a blast to read! I got to fall in love with Will along with Anna and I can’t express enough how much I loved this. Anna was such a real person, you can tell Cousens spent so much time building her as a character and I related so much to her. There are people in my life who experienced the same kind of lost love as Anna, so I believe this was such an important story to write. The little details slowly revealed regarding Will’s character and mannerisms was artfully executed. Anna and Will had crazy intense chemistry, and for a closed door romance - it was so hot 🙈. Basically, even if you don’t read romance much or you’re constantly looking for a new book boyfriend/girlfriend, pick up Is She Really Going Out With Him? immediately!!!

Thank you to Putnam, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Every book by Sophie Cousens is a treat, and this new one is no exception. Anna, newly divorced, learns she's about to lose her job as a columnist. In a last ditch effort to become more "relevant", she agrees to a scheme where she will date seven new people and write about her experience. As you can imagine, it is a lot of fun -- but also has some serious things to say about social media, modern dating, and family life. I look forward to recommending this book.

I enjoyed this divorced Mom's hilarious journey of begrudgingly going on dates again (because of her journalism job) by being set up and/or going on dates with the most random guys available to her. Examples are her UPS guy, the famous actor she loves...who turns out to be the absolute worst, the grumpy neighbor, etc. 

I loved that this character was very adamant that she did not need a man to enhance her life, but in a true fictional romance fashion, she happens to find one anyway. This was a fun and quick read, and I loved not knowing who that mystery man would turn out to be. Read this one if you like a good rom-com.

In this hilarious and heartwarming new rom-com from Sophie Cousens, readers follow Anna Appleby, a recently divorced magazine columnist with a new workplace rival, as she attempts to keep her job. Pitching a new angle for her column, Anna suggests a combination of online dating sites and seven dates chosen by her two children. From a series of awkward first dates and unexpected connections with waiters, a mailman, and a celebrity, Anna has no idea where her romantic connection will form or whether she will be brave enough to take another chance on love and a happy ending. With a host of fun and cheesy romance tropes present throughout this novel, readers will love the familial and romantic and platonic relationships established and developed over the course of this novel. Anna and her kids are the stars of this novel, and readers will love following her adventures in this straightforward page-turner. With excellent and well-written characters and a fun modern setting that is well-developed over the course of the novel, readers will love this rom-com. With a great emotional heart and a fun plot readers will be invested in, this is a great fun read for romance readers of all kinds.

Obsessed with this book. I felt so connected to Anna and her struggle to date in 2024. I laughed a lot and really loved the way it ended!

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book. The realistic ups and downs of Anna's life post divorce and getting back into the dating the scene. And really, what wasn't there to like about Will?!!

I adore Sophie Cousens' books. She can do no wrong in my eyes.
Her stories are full of warmth and emotion, but for me, her unique selling point is the humour she punctuates through her novels. This latest book is hilarious, with the character Anna doing internet searches at the start of each chapter, which I loved. Reminded me of other books that do this, and it helps break up the story with a laugh.
I also had the audiobook narrated by Kerry Gilbert, and she was superb. She had a really easy speaking voice and I couldn't stop listening. I'll happily add her to my narrators to watch list!
I adored this, and it may just be my new favourite book from this author.

After reading Anna Appleby’s story, Sophie Cousens will now be an auto-read author for me. I had only read The Good Part and This Time Next Year before this book. I loved them both so I shouldn’t have been surprised by how much I enjoyed this story too. Anna is a 38 year old woman living in Bath, UK with her two children. She is recently divorced and working as a journalist . Her ex husband, Dan, has moved on to another relationship, while Anna is focusing on her kids and cat. To keep her job, she starts to write a dating column where her kids pick 7 people for her to ask out in person and go on dates. While her coworker, Will, writes a rival dating column for online dating. Based on Anna’s dates, Will must choose 7 people from online to go on dates and the columns are published together. I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions but the chemistry aand banter between Anna and Will is what kept me interested until the very end. The premise of the story is silly and fun. It takes the age old dilemma of how to meet people in the dating world. But the character development is what actually made the book so great. I loved Sophie Cousens other books for this same reason. The story may take you on a fun and emotional roller coaster but how she writes her characters and gets the reader invested in their outcomes is where her true magic lies. This will be the same reason I read more of her books in the future.

Age gap romance
Enemies to lovers
Workplace romance
Forced proximity
One bed

Thank you Putnam and NetGalley for the eArc in return for my honest review.

A recently divorced mother of two starts dating men her children recommend. What could go wrong!? This is Cousen's best and was a deliciously heartwarming tale of what happens when you throw caution to the wind and follow your heart.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

Columnist Anna Appleby is newly divorced, a single mother to two kids, with zero interest in pursuing new romantic entanglements. But when her office rival starts coming after her column, she’s desperate to save her job. Rather than subjecting herself to the hell of online dating, she proposes a new angle - seven dates chosen by her children. From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna is soon asking out waiters, her mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when sparks fly with the last person she could have expected, will she be brave enough to pursue real love again?

Sophie Cousens is truly on a roll with her last few novels! Quickly becoming one my favorite authors, this book had me grinning ear to ear, giggling, kicking my feet.

First of all, Anna Appleby is sooo giving Andy Anderson pitching a column about losing a guy in ten days. Except in this story, Anna is trying to find a man (kinda, she mostly just wants to keep her job.)

I adored her children, her sister, and the cast of characters she dates based on her kid’s whims. Will, her younger, confident coworker who she consistently butts heads with, was the source of major butterfly-inducing banter. And the Google searches at the beginning of each chapter were a fun and cheeky touch!

In short, I loved this!! One of my final favorites of 2024, and I can’t wait to see what Cousens writes next.

5⭐️

Sophie Cousens always has really interesting plots to her stories, and this one was no different. She has a woman who goes through a divorce with also the potential of losing her job. It's about finding herself, finding love, and creating a new supportive group of people. Super cute read, as always, I look forward to her next release. 3.5 stars

Is She Really Going Out with Him? follows Anna, a recently divorced mother whose office rival, Will, is looking to take over her column at the local magazine where they work. To mix things up from her usual content, and to avoid the trappings of online dating, Anna pitches a series about dating men she meets in real life, chosen by her children. Naturally, Anna and Will find themselves working together and we get to follow along on their journey.

I absolutely loved Cousens' last book, "The Good Part," and was so excited when I heard the premise for ISRGOWH? I'm happy to say that I loved this one as well, wishing I could jump into the story with Lexie and join the circle of friends she creates.

I will definitely be purchasing a copy to add to my collection of Cousens' other books, and I can't wait for her next one!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

CW: Divorce

FIVE STARS!! Sophie Cousens did it again! I was introduced to Sophie in 2023 when I was approved for an ARC of her novel The Good Part. It was an easy 5 stars, but this one was even easier! I was worried Sophie would be a one hit wonder for me, but she most definitely is not! I cried, I laughed, I kicked my feet and squealed! Her books give you ALL of the feels and NEVER let you down! Will is just everything! Please go read this! NOW!

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and this review in honest, unbiased, and completely my own.

I absolutely love this author and this book was so good. I really loved the sort of enemies to lovers theme and I thought it was really clever all the way around.

Aww, loved this! Even though I felt like I could see the ending from early on it was still such a delightful story to get into. Very complex and relatable characters. I love the different family dynamics. Love the grumpy neighbor. Love the little Jane Austen references. This would make such a cute movie!

Anna Appleby, a columnist who has sworn off love after a painful divorce, is focused on her kids, her cat, and the comfort of controlling her TV remote. But when her office rival threatens her column—and with it, her job—Anna decides to try something bold. To keep her position, she pitches an idea: she’ll go on 7 offline dates, all chosen by her children. As she embarks on these awkward, yet surprising, encounters—dating waiters, the mailman, and even a celebrity crush—she faces unexpected connections. When romance blossoms where she least expects it, Anna must decide if she’s ready to take another chance on love.
***
This is my 2nd time reading Sophie Cousens, after The Good Part (another 3 star read). It was cute - I liked how, throughout this 'work project', Anna got to almost rediscover her true self. What she wanted, what she needed - hell, what she liked. Her kids were charming, Will was sweet - it was a funny & lighthearted read, and I think it would be good for those who liked Summer Romance and stories about workplace romance(s).