I've read and enjoyed some of Sophie Cousens' previous books so I was keen to read this one.

The Good Part was a real feel-good read that has a great premise: wishing to travel to when your life gets to "the good part" and all that this entails, including some difficult decisions. I loved the characters and the wide gamut of emotions that run through the plot. I particularly enjoyed the imaginative but credible vision of the near-future and the technological advances that might be achieved.

A thoroughly good read that I would highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of The Good Part in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book- it really had me chuckling to begin with, particularly the disastrous hook up she finds herself with while she’s just trying to charge her phone! Watching her navigate and adjust to the “good part” was fascinating. I loved the references to the future but also got so utterly swept up in watching her have a crash course in parenting and face the grief of her friend and the other big loss she couldn’t even remember. Such a good premise for a story and so heart warming. You know a good book when it makes you laugh (out loud no less!) and also cry genuine tears. Very very sad to have finished it!

I'm a huuuge Sophie Cousens fan, having read her pervious three books, so I knew I would love this too. But wow, I really loved it!
Lucy is 26, skint, working on the lowest ladder of TV, living in a crappy flat share and generally not really enjoying her life that much. After a disastrous night with Dale the flasher, she stumbles upon a wishing machine in a newsagents and makes a wish to skip to 'the good part' where she doesn't feel like her life is floundering around her.
The next morning she wakes up 16 years later in a life she doesn't recognise and has no memory of. She has do make the decision whether to stay in her 40s with a life she imagined, or go back to being 26 and live every day.
This gave me serious 'Big' vibes which I loved, and the ending was beautiful and everything I'd hoped. Amazing. I'll definitely be recommending this book!!

Oh I adored this book! Yes, it's a storyline that has been visited in many forms already but Sophie's wonderful writing style and characters give it a fresh new take and I absolutely raced through the story. I really liked Lucy as a protagonist and it was a pleasure to stick with her and her alone as the only POV as she jumped from 26 to 42 and tried to get a grasp on her new, much-longed-for life, Similarly, the other characters were all really well fleshed out and Felix and Sam were especially a highlight.

Yes, you have to suspend belief a bit when reading this book but it really is a perfect blend of humour, romance and even fantasy - a real tonic.

I'm a big fan of Sophie Cousens, which is why I always expect big things from her and The Good Part did not disappoint.
It had such an interesting and captivating concept and even though I seem to be reaching for time travel-style books more often these days, I hadn't seen anything like this where they live their new life, which is over a decade in the future, for so long.
I adored all of the characters (Felix was a stand out) and loved watching Lucy attempt to get to grips with her new life while mourning everything that she has missed in the years in between.
I also liked all the fun nods to the future, like Stanley Tucci being the voice of her car and Richard Osman being on his twentieth Thursday Murder Club book.
It felt incredibly relatable the whole way through, while being incredibly insightful and funny at the same time.
The dilemma of choosing to stay in the present or go back to being 26 was also handled well and I really appreciated how it ended.
I left this book with a definite heartwarming feeling and Sophie Cousens has done it again with a fantastic book that I will be recommending to anyone who will listen.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was nothing like I expected. It was a little slow to get going, but I was hooked by chapter 8. There were plenty of twists and turns, as well as a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed, cried, gasped and cringed - it’s not often one book can get so many reactions from me!

This time jumping romance book is exceptional. I love time travel stories, but finding a good one is harder than you think - and this time skipping story, which has a 'be careful what you wish for' theme, has all the right ingredients to captivate you from beginning to end. Once started, I could not put this book down until the last page, partly because it was unpredictable - I really could not guess what Lucy would do, and although I was surprised and disagreed with her final big decision, I finished the book feeling satisfied with the outcome. The characters are likeable and relatable (especially Lucy's son Felix) and the story is heartwarming; demonstrating that you should appreciate all of life's hardships, as well as the more positive parts. This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and it did not disappoint - In summary, the whole of this book is 'The Good Part'. Many thanks to NetGallery and Hodder & Stoughton to allowing me to get an early copy of the book - it is out on November 7, 2023 and I highly recommend picking up a copy as soon as it is out.

I've read and enjoyed a few of Sophie Cousens books in the past but this one is definitely my favourite! Lucy is a very relatable character who is mid-20s and tired of being stuck in a cycle of bad dates and being under appreciated at work. She drunkenly makes a wish to skip to the good part of life where everything is settled and happy and the next day wakes up in her 40s. Here she has a husband, two kids, big house and the high flying job in TV production she always wanted and she has to adjust to this new life of hers. I loved how realistic Lucy's character felt, she was funny and lovable and felt very relatable to me. This is such a charming story with great characters and relationships. There are some more serious plot points too but overall this had such a heartwarming and charming feel to it. I was immediately drawn in by Lucy's character and felt like I was on this journey with her. One of my favourite recent reads!

I have read and enjoyed all of Sophie’s books but this one - wow. Definitely her best yet.

Lucy is 26, stuck on the lowest rung professionally and in a terrible house share personally. She has the best friends you could imagine but everything else is just meh. After a drunken row with her best friend and flatmate Zoya, a horrible journey home and an almost huge mistake with a man, Lucy makes a wish. To just skip all of this bit and get to the good part…..

When she awakens the next morning Lucy is 42. And married. And a boss. And has TWO kids. And a nanny, the big house, the fancy talking car and all the rest. But just how did she get there in one night? And can she ver go back?

I loved this book. It may help that’s a mum in my 40s but lots of this book struck a chord in me. Would highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

This is so different from Sophie Cousens usual books (I really wasn’t expecting that plot!) but I still really enjoyed it. The writing always flows so well and draws you into the story. The characters were all so loveable and I really would love to meet that hunky Sam…

I can’t wait for Sophie Cousens next book!

The Good Part is one of my favourite books of the year so far and I am extremely grateful for my advance copy. I adored every single second reading this story!

26 year old Lucy is exhausted and fed up with her flat share situation, being on the bottom rung of the career ladder at work and tired of having bad dates. One night, she stumbles upon a wishing machine in a newsagents and makes a wish to skip to the good part of her life. To a time where she’s no longer struggling financially, has met the love of her life, has a more settled career and somewhere nice to live. The next day Lucy wakes up in an unfamiliar bed, with a beautiful man next to her. She soon realises she is married, has two children and a high-powered job in her dream industry. She’s skipped 16 years ahead to her wished for life! As Lucy begins to adapt to her new reality, she realises it’s not all going to be plain sailing though and there will be harder surprises along the way to come to terms with.

I love books that have a time travel element to them so knew that The Good Part was going to be a perfect read for me. I was so invested in seeing what would happen next for Lucy as she navigated her way through the unexpected life she found herself in. It made me laugh so much along the way, yet also had so many heart warming and emotional moments too. I particularly liked all of the details of technological changes given Lucy had skipped 16 years into the future; they were so clever! One of my favourite non-technological future references was to a 20th Richard Osman book! I hope that does happen!

I really liked seeing Lucy get to know her husband Sam and her two children Amy (18 months old) and Felix (7 years old). My favourite interactions of the books were the moments she would spend with Felix. He was just adorable and so smart too and eager to help Lucy in as many ways as he could!

I tried to savour this book as I knew I wouldn’t want it to have to end, and I was right! I am missing being able to read more! It had the most perfect ending though and I feel hopeful thinking about what will happen next after reading that final sentence.

“The Good Part" by Sophie Cousens is a heartwarming and delightful romantic comedy that takes readers on a whimsical journey through the idea of skipping to one's happy ever after. Lucy Young, feeling stuck and behind in life compared to her friends, stumbles upon a wishing machine that magically transports her to her ideal future. Suddenly, she wakes up in a completely different life: married, successful, with children, and a booming career.

Cousens crafts a charming story that explores the concept of fast-forwarding through life's messiness to reach the desirable outcomes. Lucy's transformation into her older self leads to unexpected challenges and surprises, highlighting the complex realities that come with any stage of life. The novel strikes a balance between humor and introspection as Lucy grapples with the decision to embrace her newfound life or return to her original self.

The narrative captures the essence of self-discovery, love, and the importance of appreciating the journey, messy bits included. The characters are endearing, and Lucy's journey resonates with readers who've contemplated similar 'what if' scenarios. While navigating the contrast between dreams and reality, "The Good Part" reminds us that every phase of life holds its own value, making it a feel-good and enjoyable read that will leave a smile on your face.

This was a really fun romance book! I enjoyed the themes and character work, and I'm very intrigued as to what Cousens will write next!

Lucy Young is feeling a bit of a failure. All of her friends are getting on in life, good jobs, buying their own homes, steady boyfriend/girlfriend, getting married, solvent. And she's none of the above. She might be in her dream industry of TV, and she might have just got a promotion, but she still lives in the smallest room in a horrible flat share where water from the bathroom above her frequently leaks onto her bed. After a disastrous night out with her friends which ends in a row, and her having no money to get home, Lucy stumbles into a little newsagents with a wishing machine (a bit like that fabulous film Big starring Tom Hanks) and wishes that she was at the Good Part of her life, the bit where she has a home and a family and a good job.

Lo and behold, when Lucy wakes up the next morning she's in bed with a strange man, a bit older than her usual type but foxy nevertheless and surprise, surprise he's her husband! They've got two children, a big home in the suburbs, and Lucy runs her own highly successful company making children's TV programmes. The only downside? Well she's over forty, which is a bit of a shock when she first looks in the mirror. On the plus side she's got a talking car.

If you read my reviews you'll probably have a good suspicion that I love a time travel/alternate reality story and this one had the added bonus of being set in the future. I loved that Lucy's son knew she wasn't his real mummy (especially asking her his middle name - because an alien wouldn't know that but his real mummy would LOL). It was good seeing Lucy trying to cope with being a mother of two when she has no experience of children, of trying to run a company when she had only been making teas and doing photocopying the day before.

I also liked the way that Lucy was faced with the dilemma of staying or going back and what each choice would mean - that was clever.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Aaahhh, such a good read. Sophie is one of my favourite authors. I picked this one up and literally couldn’t put it down. Made me laugh out loud and also had a tear in my eye.
There seem to be a lot of books at the moment about time travelling or ‘sliding door’ moments and this is an absolute belter
Loved the main characters, particularly the relationship between Lucy and Felix.
It’s a 5 star recommendation from me.

Oof, this book hit me right in the feels. What a beautiful story of love, loss and how life is about the journey, not the destination.

Lucy is fed-up of feeling like her life is going nowhere, she wants to climb the ladder at work, find the one who she can settle down with and move out of the flat with the leaky ceiling. After one disastrous evening that ended with a wishing machine, her wish comes true - but what she discovers is that every stage of life comes with its own unique difficulties.

The writing style is as beautiful and easy to read as you’ve come to expect from Sophie Cousens. You’ll find yourself bursting out in laughter, holding back tears and falling deeply in love with the vast array of characters.

An excellent read and delightful story.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton for the ARC.

I loved the author's debut This Time Next Year so was looking forward to reading The Good Part.

Lucy Young is 26, single, living in a damp flat share and not progressing in her TV production career. After a night out she comes across a wishing machine and she asks to skip to the good part of her life. The next morning she wakes up to find she's in her early 40s, married with two children and has a successful career in TV production with no memory of the 16 years she has skipped.

This is a wonderful example of a time traveling rom-com, so well done that I didn't even question the time traveling aspects of the novel. It's beautifully written and just what I needed to bring some joy into my life. It's light and funny but also observant and insightful. I loved the characters especially Lucy and her son Felix.
A gem of a novel and I feel bereft now I've finished it.

4.5 stars. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Book Review 📚
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens - 4/5 ⭐

A light hearted, funny, romantic and memorable story. I've actually lost count of the amount of times I laughed while reading this book. I went in blind and based my choice simply on the cover. I don't regret it, this book was amazing!

Cousens has done a fantastic job mixing together rom-com with a dash of fantasy along the way. It works so well together and it's such a beautiful story that'll have you laughing and crying over and over. I actually couldn't stop reading until it was done, between the humour and romance I was smitten.

There was so much in this plot that's relates to everyday life and that is what made the book for me. The characters seem like everyday people with everyday problems and you can't help but feel like it's relatable. It was beautifully done and I loved every bit of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

Oh my goodness, let me tell you this is gone straight to one of my all time favourite books ever! It is honestly amazing! I actually read this all in one night as i just loved it that much I had to finish it to find out what was going to happen.

The characters I absolutely loved! I just want to keep reading their story to find out whats next for this lovely wee family.

The story itself was outstanding! Just a fabulous plot and the twist is brilliant.

I cannot wait to read more from this author because this book is one of the best!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Good Part is an endearingly charming time travel story; about Lucy who questions everything her single life at 26, only to end up fast forwarded into husband, children, high powered exec life at 42 with no memories of in between. It was a well paced, funny, well developed engaging story that was a joy to read from start to finish.