I love Sophie Cousens’ writing. There’s a reason she’s an autobuy author for me, and this book continues with the same charm that all her books have.

With that being said, this felt SO different from her usual books. It still is witty and hysterical and has a lovable woman at its center, but the sci fi element totally threw me for a loop. The genre-blending was done overall really well, though. It just took me a bit to get used to this fresh take on romance, and just know that you might be the same.

I LOVED John so much. As someone who is married to a John (literally his name is John and also his personality is identical), I love a quiet, smart, and soft spoken leading man, and he is so swoony. He was kind and supportive with Chloe, but held her accountable.

There’s a running theme throughout the book around the importance of not placing your value and happiness on another person, and I loved that about this novel. There are many lessons to be learned and quotes to take to heart in here about the expectations of the modern world and the impossibility of always meeting those expectations. The author’s note at the end had some great points about Cousens’ decision to write the story that she did, and I think it’s an important note for anyone reading the book to also read.

I needed light and fluffy this week so I moved this eARC up in my queue! And Then There Was You is the story of 31-year-old Chloe, who thinks she should have her life together by now. Nervous to face Sean (the one that got away?!) at her college reunion, Chloe enlists a fake boyfriend to join her.

And this is when we steer into “hm that’s interesting territory,” but it wasn’t blurbed so I will not blab so I’ll just say - huh! Fake boyfriend Rob seems perfect, but Chloe is now realizing she might have missed John (the one who had been there all along?!).

If you’re keeping count at home - that is THREE men we are now keeping track of, which is honestly two (IF NOT THREE) men too many. Chloe doesn’t handle everything the best but of course true love will prevail in the end!

Listen, I didn’t love this, but I certainly didn’t hate it. It was sweet and quick and predictable and sometimes that is exactly what I need in a book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued between the cover and synopsis, and I have heard a lot about this author, so I was excited to receive an ARC for one of her new titles.

Again, I think I maybe am just into as into contemporary romance as I try to be. Or I keep trying to give it chances, and it just simply is not for me. Also, I was not a huge fan of the sci-fi curve ball thrown into the book.

I enjoyed the book overall, but found the FMC getting on my nerves more often than not. Similarly, it seemed like several of the characters—AI and human—had a lot of repetitive thoughts/actions, and sometimes their reactions just didn’t seem realistic. The first third of the book also felt very slow.

I’m a big fan of this author but this book wasn’t for me. Something about the robot gave me the ick. The love connection with John felt like it came out of left field? I think he needed to be introduced better on the bus because I pictured him as a weird, nerdy, 60 year old man with his dog from how he was initially described. Maybe if Sean wasn’t involved at all, it would have made more sense to me?? Idk.

I really liked this novel. It was interesting idea and plot, pretty current with ai being what it is! It’s also just a really fun read, and I loved the MMC! It was obvious attraction, but I enjoy that in a romcom.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the advanced reader copy

*SPOILERS AHEAD

I try to rarely give books less than three stars because I know how hard it is to put together tens of thousands of words in a way that can be appealing for many readers, but this book really didn't work. The premise given felt misleading for what the book is. The fact that we get thrown into a world where the "perfect date" that the FMC brings to her college reunion is a robot isn't hinted at in the marketing materials, which changes what this book is, for me. Instead of a sweet love-triangle, second chance romance, this feels more like a cautionary tale of what happens when people rely on AI to solve romantic problems. Even the strong line-level writing and quirkiness of the main character couldn't save this one.

Yeesh, this was grim. The sci-fi elements to this story didn't feel fun or quirky, they felt unsettling and bizarre. It just didn't lend itself well to a "love triangle" romance when you know one part of that triangle is not, ahem, capable of real love. The author notes that she wanted to take a more lighthearted tone towards AI but it just felt.. irresponsible? I don't think we're at a place where an AI-influenced romance can be a light, fun story - it's too real, too scary, and too unpredictable. Unfortunate since this was my first Sophie Cousens book - but I'm still willing to give her older stuff a chance as it seems this is an outlier.

I was a bit confused by the premise of this book. Could a person fall in love or have a relationship with an AI generated person? Not the usual path I expected from this author, but overall a fun read.

Everyone knows that dating gets harder the older you get, and Chloe is not exception. She's a thirty one year old who feels stuck in her dating life and after one too many bad dates she turns to a special dating service. Its quite an interesting service that offers the perfect dating partner, but there are still some kinks and malfunctions in it.

I loved chapter 21. The author is so humorous and throws in little things like that to make you laugh. You do know what direction the story is going to take even early on in the book, but it's still fun to read. I liked the humor between the characters and just the humor in general throughout the story. Comparing Rob to a beautiful Tamagotchi definitely made me giggle. On the other hand, Rob did make me a bit sad when he compared himself to a sourdough starter. Overall, this book was a joy to read and is so unique plot wise compared to others in the same genre. Thank you to Netgalley, Putnam, and Sophie Cousens for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

Chloe is heading to her college reunion. She doesn't want to show up alone so she brings a fake boyfriend. You think you've heard this story before, but trust me, you haven't. Keep reading.

With a twist I wasn't expecting, this book left me intrigued and wondering about the future. Check this out if you're looking for something different.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Two and a Half stars for me. I’ve really loved the previous five books from this author. But I just did not enjoy the twist in this one. If I had known that’s what the book was about I don’t think I’d have read it. Additionally, I found Chloe pretty unsufferable and I never liked her.

I’m always excited when I get to be transported into a Sophie Cousens story - and this was no different! While I really enjoyed the premise and characters of this one, I know that it may not be for everyone. Unlike her other books, it definitely leans more heavily into sci-fi and futurism, but within the confines for a romance story. I won’t spoil it for you, so you can be just as surprised as I was, just know it is a bit different than the rest of her catalog.

Chloe is in her early thirties, and isn’t happy at how her life turned out. She is working as a PA for a boss that sucks, living at home after a difficult breakup, and trying her hand at dating on apps (and hating every second of it). She has zero interest in going to her ten year college reunion to face her former classmates that voted her most likely to succeed. That is until her boss strong arms her into going, so she can reconnect with her former classmate (and almost ex) turned rising movie director to give him a screenplay. Desperate to hide her real life, she encounters a mysterious dating agency that offers her a way out. Introduced to her dream man, Rob, she decides to have him attend as her plus one (despite her misgivings). The reunion weekend definitely becomes one to remember!

I was drawn into this book from the start and couldn’t put it down; I ended up finishing it in like a day. I really enjoyed the characters of this one, especially Chloe. I appreciated her character growth and getting to see her develop over the course of the book. As someone who is at a similar age, Chloe’s story just hits super close to home and felt super relatable. I also adored her parents - they were so funny and helped liven the story in places. Like I mentioned earlier, I liked how the author weaves in futuristic elements into the story, with some clear social commentary that isn’t overly heavy handed either. I struggled with some plot editing issues around chapter 19 that I hope get fixed before publication. However, my biggest complaint was the plotline of John using his dog, Richard, as an emotional support animal, despite him not actually being one. I didn’t love this storyline, and didn’t feel like it added anything to the story. It just felt a bit insensitive to those that do use service animals, since they are constantly under scrutiny of others for this reason (just perpetuating this stereotype).

Overall, this was a fun afternoon read that would be great for time at the beach or park. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC!

And Then There Was You is the newest romantic comedy by Sophie Cousens, and the twist in this one is completely unpredictable. Chloe was a star in college but her life after graduation hasn't turned out quite as well as she - or her Oxford classmates- had expected. Chloe.decides to trust an unconventional matchmaking service to find the perfect date for her reunion, and Rob checks every box on her dream man questionnaire. As ideal as Rob may seem, there are glitches that Chloe isn't sure she can ignore.....

Chloe thought that by 31 years old she would have achieved more in life. Instead she finds herself living at home with her parents, single and working as an an assistant mainly running errands for her boss. She thought she would be writing and producing films.

Now, it is time for her college reunion and she is dreading going by herself. She decides to try a a new dating sight recommended by a friend to find her perfect match. She meets Rob and he is gorgeous, fit, has an accent, can talk about books and art, he listens and is attentive. She decides to bring him as her plus one to the reunion. He has one flaw but he makes her feel so seen and heard. This twist was something I wasn't prepared for and had to pick my jaw up off the floor and keep reading.

At the reunion she connects with old friends Sean and John. This makes her question everything from the past and just what she wants out of life. She does some soul searching and decides to trust her heart and take a risk.

This was different than what I expected and parts made me cringe and question things but overall a fun happily ever after read.

This was not my favorite but it’s my personal preference so I’m not going to hold it against Sophie

The miscommunication, the love triangle, and the one twist was not it for me. But everything else was great… especially the last half of the book.

Things I did like. The pacing. Chloe’s journey of self discovery. Sophie’s creativity is always something I love. I will still recommend and I will still auto buy/read everything by her.

This was such an interesting idea… The introduction of AI and bots into the dating platform. Leave it to Sophie cousens to take that idea and make it cute, romantic, and emotional! In this book, a woman must attend her school reunion. and reconnect with old classmates that all seem to be leading golden lives. She is in a dead end job, is unhappily, single, and doesn’t feel like she measures up to any of her old classmates. When she is introduced to an agency that can provide her “perfect partner“ she gives it a try, but then wrestles with her morality, when trying to decide whether to take her love match./bot to the reunion with her as her +1. I won’t give it away, but what happens next is sexy, funny, and tells a story of true love. The setting is perfect for a story that is about past blending with present… the old gothic college campus and the stone buildings and gorgeous grounds! I really loved the ending and can’t wait to see what Sophie cousins comes up next time! Thank you, Netgalley for the early digital release… All opinions are my own

I am a huge Sophie Cousens fan. I enjoyed the writing of this one for sure, but there were some problems in the storyline for me. I didn’t understand all of the talk about Peter when we literally never meet him. I kept having to remind myself that Peter isn’t Sean. Also the Imp was weird to me, like I enjoyed the secret gestures but I didn’t understand that the imp was the mascot until further. Also the “I’ve always loved him” about John was just not true she never saw him romantically until the reunion. Overall I still enjoyed the writing just the story li e wasn’t my favorite of hers. The use of AI was wild and I loved how she wrapped it up, also such a fan of the authors note on AI/trch vs the real thing at the end!

Cute rom com with some laugh out loud moments. Will definitely be reading more books by this author.

Thank you so much to Sophie Cousens, Putnam Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc prior to its 11/18 release.

I have mixed feelings about And Then There Was You. The surprise sci-fi element really threw me. I honestly feel like it should have been mentioned in the description, because it completely shifts the tone of the book. Because of that twist, it didn’t really read as a love triangle to me.

On the positive side, I liked the main couple and could see why they fell in love, and the ending was cute. But overall, the story leaned more into feeling like an “anti-AI” message than a romance, and that part just wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t dislike the book, but I can’t say I loved where that storyline went. 🤷🏻‍♀️