I'll be honest, I did not finish this book. Including a epigraph created by ChatGPT was enough of a reason for me to not keep reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book.

After reading a string of dense novels, this was exactly the breath of fresh air I needed, a love triangle with a twist. The story leans into familiar tropes like fake dating and romantic rivalry, with a sci-fi component. While the sci-fi concept isn’t new, Cousens delivers it with charm and warmth, crafting a lighthearted romcom that still invites deeper reflection on love and relationships.

One of the takeaways that stayed with me: what we think we want in a partner may not align with what we truly need. Sometimes the traits we prioritize aren’t the ones that matter most. Imperfection is part of being human, and loving someone, flaws, disagreements, quirks and all, is what makes a relationship feel real and grounded.

I especially enjoyed the male characters, who felt well-developed and engaging. I did wish Chloe had been given more depth and growth beyond a quick resolution, but overall, this was a cute, fun read that left me smiling. I'd recommend for anyone looking for a refreshing escape.

I love all Sophie Cousens and this book was one that really went out on a limb, but seemed fitting for today's AI technology being all the rage.... Chloe is STUCK STUCK STUCK. Living with her parents, single, and might I say depressed a bit with her current situation - is debating about going to her college reunion at Oxford. Cue the romance - she decides to work with a 'dating service' and ends up with a Robot Perfect Boyfriend, Rob. At first, she is FREAKED out - he is perfect. Looks perfect. Talks with that Irish accent she loves. Seems 110% compatible...... but he is not real.

BUT in an effort to seem a sliver of successful to her former friends, she takes him to the reunion... and slowly a love triangle of sorts unfolds. She realizes she might be chasing the wrong idea of what success is and starts to do some serious inner work - and realizes that maybe love was in front of her the whole time and is now just opening up to it all.

Unfortunately, a DNF for me as the story wasn't something I was interested in reading after I discovered the "twist". But I love Sophie Cousens and hope to read her book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

First of all, thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC. Sophie Cousens is one of my favorite authors and I was highly anticipating this book. However, this story fell a little short for me. While entertaining at times, I did not enjoy overall theme and sci-fi twists. With that being said, I still love Sophie and her creative spins on the typical rom com. I will read anything she writes!!

I always enjoy Sophie Cousens for a fun easy read. This was different from a lot of her other books, but also had some of the familiar banter and lovable characters.

I love that Chloe has to figure things out for herself, even when an easy door presented itself!

Thanks to NetGalley, Sophie Cousens, and Putnam/ G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advanced ereader!

"And then there was you" is not your normal romance. It has a sci-fi/AI twist. Chloe is looking for love and is having no luck. A chance run in with an old coworker leads her down a path that I honestly did not see coming. Wanting to make a good impression at an upcoming college reunion she decides to bring her new love interest Rob. She ends up reconnecting with some friends she had lost touch with and has to explain to one of them that things with Rob aren't exactly what they seem. There is so much more to this story than just finding love. Along the way she finds herself again and gets her confidence back. The writing is good but there are some times where I felt more details could be given or more depth with the characters were needed.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Sophie Cousens is an author that I will gladly drop everything if I see she has a new book. I love her writing that is always a comforting balance of humor and heart, so I was ecstatic to get another ARC of hers!

I did not read the blurb or anything about this book beyond the author before requesting it on NetGalley, so I had no idea where this was going, although I did have an inkling about this secretive dating service. It would’ve been very easy for this story to take a very non-romcom turn, so I was glad that this stayed on the path I had expected when I first picked this book up. Of course, authors can do whatever they want with their characters or make genre shifts, but I was glad that Sophie Cousens did not do that in this instance! I appreciated the end note about how difficult the story was to write because of this as well.

I loved going on this journey with Chloe. She has some self esteem issues from a past emotionally abusive relationship along with constantly comparing her life to both her friends’ and to her 20 year old expectations of where she thought she’d be in her thirties. She’s currently single, living with her parents, and stuck in an unfulfilling job. There were a couple of big storylines happening in this book for Chloe and I love how neatly everything tied together at the end. This is a sweet and funny read that is a great choice if you’re looking for something a little bit different from the typical romcom!

This was my first Sophie Cousens book and while I really loved John and Chloe and their love story, the AI bot part of the story was jarring, unexpected, and a little too creepy for me and what I’m looking for in a romance story. It just felt bizarre that Chloe was going along with the whole thing, and distracted from the love story. I think the book would have been great without that aspect.

Usually I very much enjoy anything Sophie Cousens writes, so when I received the ARC for her latest I couldn’t wait to jump in. This book is not like her other books and I just could not get on board with the concept. Without spoiling, it was just too far fetched and ridiculous for me. I stuck with the book in order to review it but it was a slow process and overall just didn’t enjoy this. If you can suspend all disbelief and just want a light hearted read, then maybe this book would appeal to you. Even when I tried telling myself “it’s just fiction”, it still fell incredibly flat. You win some, you lose some…

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication date November 18, 2025

Chloe is headed back to Oxford for a college reunion, but like many, she is worried that she won't measure up to her fellow graduates. She signs up for what she thinks is an online dating service to take a date, but it has a twist (no spoilers!). She does end up with Rob, who is the perfect date.. Once there, she sees John and Sean, who were her best friends. She has to come to terms with how things ended with one and how things could move on with the other.

Sigh. Even before I got too far into this book I was rooting for Chloe to end up with who she did (I don't want to give it away) and I am so glad that she did! I love that she came to terms with her past and that she started to stand up for herself and what she deserved. This is now my favorite Sophie Cousens novel. The Rob concept threw me for a loop and almost stopped me, but once I saw the gem that was Chloe and the one that I cannot name, I was hooked.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Chloe is dissatisfied with her life. Her friends from
Oxford have gone on to big things, and she’s treading water. When she stumbles upon an unusual matchmaking company, she decides to take her date and pretend at least her love life is on track, but being with old friends brings back some old feelings, too.

My mind kept going back to And Then There was You, and the idea of relationships. Why do we have them? One of my favorite scenes involves Chloe trying to understand her best friend.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

My rating is more like 3.75 stars. I really enjoyed the writing and story overall but the sci-fi twist really threw me for a loop.

I do see where Cousens was going with it though so I appreciate the visual metaphor. Perfection versus real. It was a fun read and different.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam || G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC.

When Chloe receives an invitation to a reunion at Oxford, she starts to reevaluate her life. She’s single and struggling to date, hates her job, and is living at home post breakup. While she’d love to reconnect with her wildly successful friends, she’s nervous to go alone. Enter the perfect boyfriend, Rob. When a matchmaking service produces the man of her dreams, she’s dumbstruck - until she finds out he’s not quite what he seems.

Sophie Cousens is a must read, and this is no exception! I loved the sweet story of Chloe finding love for herself and falling in love with herself in the process. Not a straightforward love story in the way we’ve come to expect, but one that reminds that genuine love is the best love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Cousins is a fantastic author but this book wasn’t for me at all. I was very off guard with the AI plot. I’ll still pick up a Sophie Cousens book but this one wasn’t for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I have read 4 other books by Sophie Cousens & thoroughly enjoyed her subtle touch of magical realism in her romances. However, when the FMC in this book ends up dating a robot, created by a mysterious dating service to be her perfect partner & then it talks about her having a sex dream about WALL-E, it was time for me to DNF. I felt like what I just read was nothing like the description I was given.

The story started with the most cliche plot but the truth about Rob shook me. I was as shocked, disgusted, confused, and intimidated by the 'PP'' offer as Chloe. I condone the disappointing state of men in dating but would never have accepted Rob as a boyfriend.

Chloe is relatable as a burn out daughter who has all the potential in the world. Her desperation and low self-esteem can be well understood. The self-loathing after spiraling over "What went wrong?" or "Why am I at rock bottom with all the potential?" is well portrayed and justified too.

Akiko is the girl's girl, and I love her for it. The way she took a stand for Chloe against Peter has to be my favorite.

Sean appears to be a good friend in Chloe's memories and John defends him too. However, he didn't impress me. No response to her email, took credit for Imp's efforts, unable to take rejection, and blamed his GF for friendship breakup. Not a single gentleman trait. However, I understand his vulnerability and urge for validation.

John has to be my favorite. He is not bitter about his unrequited love or unappreciated efforts. However, he didn't let go of the chance to get his disappointment registered in a respectful way. His equation with Richard is adorable. He is an empath who calls out Chloe for not being understanding/good friend to Sean and Akiko.

I was quite uncomfortable until 60% of the book because of the Sci-Fi trope. However, the writing and plot kept me hooked. The Sci-Fi trope was handled well despite making me uncomfortable. The way CON-PROS list kept changing throughout depicted her esteem raise and closure. It got enjoyable after 60% mark, and I was rooting for Chloe. I loved it that the ending was not rushed after the revelation. Chloe took her time to resolve her issues before getting into a relationship. The whole recording session was cherry on the top. I have beef with the cover design because it has the worst spoiler. This was my first my Sophie Cousens book but now I will look for her work.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC.

Fake relationship romances are my absolute weakness, so the moment I see that trope in a book, I am instantly sold. That was definitely the case here, and I could not wait to dive in. I have to say, I did not expect the turn this story would take, and it kept me hooked the entire way through.

One thing I have been loving more and more lately is when books include flashback chapters. For stories that use them well, they really add something extra, and that was true here. I did not realize this book had them going in, but because it also has a reunion storyline, they felt essential and helped bring the whole story together.

Based on a few other reviews I had seen, I went in expecting a bit of a sci-fi twist. I will not spoil anything, but I ended up having a love/hate relationship with that aspect. In the end, though, I liked how it was handled, and there were even a few moments that made me laugh out loud—loud enough that my husband asked what I was reading.

All in all, I really did enjoy this book, and I liked the way it all came together in the end.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Well, I really enjoyed this book! It was very different than any other romcom I read. This was my second book by Sophie, and I cannot wait to read more by her ❤️

This book follows Chloe who is a personal assistant, in her thirties, single and living with her parents. She is not where she thought she would be in life, and with a ten year college reunion coming up she is really feeling the pressure! Chloe goes through the journey of healing from a narcissistic ex, and figuring out what she truly wants in a relationship and how it feels to be truly loved.

I overall loved this book. It was unique. It made me laugh out loud. I would definitely recommend this book to others. With all of that said, something was missing that would make it a 5 star, and I can’t put my finger on what! But it didn’t deter me from reading the book or from recommending it to others.

Read: September 4th - September 12
Format: E-book
Rating: 3 stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Many others have said it, but I will reiterate: this book is badly blurbed. As such, let me give you a quick pitch of this book that IS accurate: Chole decides to go to her college reunion to reconnect with an old friend, but feeling too much like a failure to go by herself, she turns to the mysterious Perfect Partners dating service. As it turns out, the partners they provide are super advanced androids/AI, and Chloe has to wrestle with her feelings toward this 'perfect partner', all while feelings rekindle with an old friend and she assesses what success really means.

Is it great? No, but it gives you a WAY better idea of what to expect.

I like the idea of this book. It assesses what makes humans MORE than AI could ever replicate. Cousens delivers another cute romance within these pages as well. I like the MMC for the most part, though a reveal right at the very end made me want to flick him in the forehead.

I struggle a lot rating this book, because all the above is true, and it originally made me want to go 3.5 stars rounded to 4. But the more I think about it, the more this book just didn't hit for me. Yes, you have that typical Cousens style, but this felt like a puzzle where the pieces didn't actually really want to fit together, so although the overall picture is there, it's not a cohesive one. I don't know if too many things were going on or if the things going on didn't have synergy, which is weird, because they all stemmed one way or another from Chloe's key journey.

Maybe it's just that to make sure each aspect was good, none of them going to be really great.

That said, I still appreciate what this book did. I especially appreciate the way it didn't want to play its cards too quickly. I still think the blurb needs re-worked, but there are other aspects kept close to the chest rightly that I ended up liking a lot. I think I wouldn't have even minded the AI Boyfriend being a secret if Chloe didn't find out until way later, instead just always noticing something that made him a bit not-real. Honestly, that may have been more fun...

I don't know. Something didn't quite stick the landing here for me, but it was still a good book overall.