Side-splittingly funny, hypnotic, steamy, honest and outrageous, this book was one that I didn’t expect to fall in love with, but I was engrossed and devoured it in practically one sitting. You couldn’t tear me away and I never wanted it to end.

When Lil braved the world of online dating and reluctantly headed off on her first date since splitting with her boyfriend of eight years, she gets much more than she bargained for. She is surprised to hit it off with Max, her charming and deliciously handsome date, and enjoys a steamy sleepless night with him, but when he ignores her afterwards she decides to forget him. Only that won’t be so easy. A few weeks later two little lines confirm she’s pregnant with his baby and she has no idea what to do next. It’s not the right time or way to have a baby but what if this is her only chance? But could she actually keep a baby alive? And how will she tell her feminist mother and strait-laced boss that she’s accidentally knocked up with the baby of a man she doesn’t know? And what if Max wants to be involved? This mesmerising book follows Lil as she tries to navigate her complicated situation and finds out what happens now...

Sophia Money-Couts now has herself a new fan. I fell in love with her writing style and immediately bought her first book after finishing this one. Riveting, saucy and hilarious, I was laughing out loud by the end of the first page and I it made me laugh more than any other book I’ve read. The characters are fantastic - I loved Lil, was seduced a little bit by Max, and Jess is the bestie every girl hopes to have. The author perfectly describes some of the perils of online dating and how daunting it is to be back out there after many years in a relationship. She managed to convey all the anxieties and concerns Lil had in a realistic way while also making me laugh. The sex scenes were hot and hilarious. Lil’s inner monologue in those scenes had me crying with laughter. I think all of us can relate to some of the cringy things in those scenes though I can honestly say I’d never before thought of others - I’ll just say dolphin on the duvet!

The romance genre is one I’ve never been a huge fan of but I’ve been expanding my reading with increasingly this last year. After a run of great books in this genre this one still stands out and has now left me declaring that I am in love with this genre. What better way is there to spend a glorious summer day that with an uplifting and uproarious book? Perfect for sitting in the sun with a drink in your hand, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. So if you like to laugh and don’t mind some steamy sex, this book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and Sophia Money-Cutts for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderfully funny, page-turner of a book!

Meet Lil, a teacher in a private school, just out of a long term relationship, and trying to get back into the swing of dating, especially since her ex is already firmly entrenched in a new coupling.
She braves the world of modern dating, by using an app, Kindling, which introduces her to her first new date.
What she doesn't count on is an unreliable pill, and after a wonderful evening and night spent together, he disappears, and she finds herself pregnant.

What follows is a funny tale of deciding whether this one night stand deserves to know she is expecting and the reactions of all those who are involved in her life.

How to tell the prim headteacher at her employment that she is expecting a baby out of wedlock?
How to explain her predicament to her mother, who had been a single mother herself, and had tried her hardest to make sure her daughter never ended up in the same boat?
How to contact the person who helped her get into this mess, especially since he was up a mountain in Pakistan?

I loved the characters, from her feisty best friend, Jess to Max, the mountain climbing father-to-be, along with all the others too.

Definitely worth a read, you won't be disappointed!

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After a long term relationship ends for Lil she takes a risk and agrees to meet Max a mountain climber/guide and explorer, from a dating site. The one night stand leaves Lil pregnant.
‘What Happens Now’ is quite a pick me up, it’s a funny and had me laughing out loud on several occasions. It’s a book that I was into straight away and the characters were easy to like and appreciate. I would recommend this book.

Sophia Money-Coutts' novels are a treat! I loved this book as I loved her first one too. She's a fantastic writer that makes her characters funny and relatable. I could not put down this down and I am waiting to see what she publishes next. Highly recommended!

There is such thing as a book hangover right? Well that’s exactly how I’m feeling after finishing ‘What Happens Now?’ I honestly didn’t want it to end so I made this read last as long as I could. As soon as I read the synopsis of this book I knew it would be right up my street.

Lil is such a strong character, she discovers she’s pregnant after a one night stand with Max. She is determined to keep her baby no matter what anyone thinks, she tells Max and leaves it up to him how involved he wants to be. Her life is super chaotic as she’s a teacher at an all boys school. I love how Lil has such a great support system in her mother and step father, also her best friend Jess and her brother Clem. How will Lil and Max navigate their relationship with a baby? I urge you to read the book and find out! 😊

I am now a huge fan of Sophia’s writing, how her characters have strong personalities and bonds with one another and how she had me engrossed to the point I didn’t want the story to end. ‘What Happens Now?’ deserves 5*/5* ❤️

Thank you to HQ Stories for an advanced copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. A proper feel good summer read. Amazing characters, well written & just a lovely book. I would love a sequel to this!

When you are sat in your local coffee shop and suddenly burst into laughter, nod in agreement your head because you know you would have been exactly like the main character had you been her at that age or even a tear wells up in sympathy you know you’ve got a great book infront of you. I was hooked by the initial scene, the author’s writing style and humour within the first few pages and can honestly say I thoroughly loved the characters from the get go - be it the slightly ditsy heroine, the bohemian best friend or the dreamy hero and every other character in between. This is the story of a modern “family” - not just the blood ties but the other people we choose to have in our lives (or maybe end up there by default).

My only issue would be that i would love to have known more about how the main characters move forward from the ending - but that is more to do with me than the story! I so often get to the end and scream “I really need a sequel to this! I want to know more! How do they move forward in life from here?” I think there would be so much potential for more fun from this group - so, Dear Author, maybe a follow up novel please with these funny, engaging characters as we see them move forward to face the challenges the final chapter allures too?

What Happens Now? by Sophia Money-Coutts is - wait. Before I talk any further about the book, I know what you're thinking: 'Is that the author's real name? Surely not?' I know because I had that exact thought, but it turns out, yes, it is her real name. A journalist by trade, she even wrote an article about how having a non-run-of-the-mill name builds personality.

I guess you're now expecting some wackily named characters in this book, but no, our lead narrator is named Lilian (Lil) Bailey, her close friends are twins Jess and Clem and her love interest is Max Rushbrooke. He's a Bear Grylls style adventurer and climber, a member of the aristocracy and the father of Lil's baby. Yep, after a one night stand with Max, Lil finds herself unexpectedly pregnant by a man she barely knows and who has minor-celebrity status. As her friend Jess puts it: 'Lil, you've shagged someone with a Wikipedia page! 'Modern romance.' This is the conundrum that the story of this book tackles.

We follow Lil as she comes to terms with her new situation and it covers the realities of pregnancy so well, for example, it's the first novel I've read that accurately depicts the non-lovely side of pregnancy such as the faff of weeing all over your hands when trying to do a pregnancy test or the horrors of excessive flatulence (I know, pregnancy is so glam, right?) and that was so refreshing to read!

It's the character of Lil that really sells this story; she is charming and likeable and although I've never been in her exact situation, she is so relatable as a person. From her judgemental inner monologue: 'I hated excruciating conversations like these. Conversations where I sounded rational in my head, but then, as soon as I forced the words out, seemed unhinged.' To her thoughts on last minute Christmas shopping: 'No offence to L'Occitane, but nobody ever deliberately set out to buy a gift set of soao and hand cream, did they?' You cared about Lil as she felt so real; just the right amount of vulnerability and paranoia mixed with a witty tone and laugh out loud one-liners. ('For the billionth time that day I wondered if there was anything worse than a first date. Waterboarding?') I always looked forward to opening up this book and getting back to Lil's company.

I have to say, What Happens Now? took me by surprise - in a wonderful way. I wasn't expecting it to be half as funny or insightful as it was and I ended up really admiring Lil, who found herself in a less than ideal situation and handled it with aplomb. Also, I love the book's message of family; that it is what you create and want it to be, rather than biological ties. This really is a great read that continues my run of cracking contemporary romance books this summer.

Enjoyable escapism. I really enjoyed this author's first title and enjoyed this one nearly as much. Light and funny - I looked forward to getting back it after long days at work and wrangling the children into bed. Would absolutely recommend for fans of women's fiction.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book however I was disappointed. I ended up enjoying the storyline and characters. I would recommend this book.

This is a funny book, a nice summer read, that makes you continue reading it to know what happens next.
Lilian is back into dating life and a one night standing turns out to be a life changing moment.
I cried and laughed with Lil, I felt her pain and her happiness. Sometimes it felt like I was living it all, it felt like my own life.
Lil turns out to be a strong women that faces the adversities as they came along.
This is well written book, with very realistic descriptions that make you “see” it all happening.

Now this is what you call a proper feel good book. A proper easy read holiday book!

Had me smiling throughout and laughing out loud in quite a few places.

Love the way Sophia has written the characters, each one outrageous in their own unique way.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. Will definitely be recommending on.

Really great easy read, a good story that keeps you hooked in there and not wanting to put it down. A great book for when you don't want anything too deep

I really enjoyed this book. I adored the story line and loved the main characters. I read this book in one sitting and would highly recommend this book.

I loved this book, it was a thoroughly entertaining read. Rich and famous mingling with us ordinary folk. A wonderful mix of true quirky characters. The names of the children in teacher Lil's (the main character) posh school were brilliant and some of the dialogue with them was pure Joyce Grenfell.
A perfect mix of real life with a generous helping of humour.
There was a little taster of Sophie's next novel (The Plus One) at the end and I am greatly looking forward to reading more work from this author.

I loved this book from beginning to end and found it hard to put it down. Following the story of Lil having a one night stand and finding out she is pregnant and going through all the emotions and problems she faced. At the end she has her baby and gets her happy ending. I hope there will be a second book in the series

This is the first book I have read by Sophia Money-Coutts, but I have to say it won't be the last. Fans of Lindsey Kelk, Carole Matthews etc will love this book. Great down-to-earth characters, a lovely story with a host of tears and laughter along the way. I highly recommend this book.

Great book, good storyline and hilarious.
I felt sorry for Lil after the way Max acted . He came through in the end though,just about. Lil seemed happy go lucky at the start but became very vulnerable when she got pregnant, which I could understand as she was practically ghosted by Max and left to possibly bring up a baby on her own. I loved Jess . She made me smile. The nappy scene at the baby shower was hilarious. I will read more books by this author.

What more can you expect from a light-hearted romance? Quirky, identifiable girl, check. Hot, rich, titled man, check!. Unpredictable circumstances, check! Some humour thrown in....all leads to a solid formula. Despite the predictability, I enjoyed this book more than expected. There was great situational humour where the main character thinks things we have all thought. And the story line skipped along at a good pace. Lots of interesting side characters and a peek into the lives of the rich and famous. Recommended for light beach reading or a good pick-me-up.

If I could give this more than 5 stars I would! Loved this book from start to finish. A fantastic blend of humour, sex and normality. The characters are loveable and our heroine is a breath of fresh air - level headed and not needy! There are times I laughed out loud reading this and others where I welled up. I miss the characters dearly - always a sign of a great read! Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!

Thank you NetGalley.