Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: None, closed door
Genre: Women’s fiction, romance
Absolute perfection, I loved every chapter! This was heartwarming, unique, well written, engaging, lovely, hilarious. I could go on and on. After reading this and then Sophie Cousens’ The Good Part, I am officially a Sophie fan.
Since this was the first book I’ve read by the author, I didn’t really have any idea what I was getting into and I certainly wasn’t expecting to like it so much. Usually I like romance with at least a hint of spice, so I let this sit on my NetGalley shelf for a bit and waited for inspiration to hit. Then, I saw Sophie post about one of her books’ movie adaptations recently releasing on Netflix, with the lead being played by Alfie from Emily in Paris. Inspiration found.
Immediately, and throughout the story, I pictured Lucien Laviscount as the male lead. I refuse to believe the character looks otherwise and highly recommend doing the same if you find him appealing.
About
As soon as I read the opening scene, I was glued. Who can resist a woman telling a class of very young kids to smash the patriarchy? Not me. Why is our main character, Anna, doing this? Because it’s her turn to read to her son’s class and after 12 years of marriage, she receives an email letting her know she is officially divorced.
Skipping ahead a year, we follow Anna, who has carried on, business as usual. She has made no changes to her routine or her house and everything seems to be going okay. At least, that’s what she keeps saying-she’s happy being alone with her kids and her beloved cat. And maybe she is, until her pompous work rival starts gunning for her column, showing interest in writing a dating article that would take her usual spot.
When her boss lets her know that Will (the rival and MMC) has pitched a series about dating and the magazine is looking for something more personal/vulnerable, Anna has no choice but to volunteer to do it instead. Finally, she must step out of her comfort zone, starting with asking for help setting up a dating profile. Despite the advice, she quickly discovers that online dating is a messy hellscape and nothing like the usual meeting someone naturally IRL. To save her job, Anna decides to pivot to a new idea: Seven dates all chosen by her children. Her boss loves it, but adds a twist: Will’s column will be about online dating and hers will be “offline” dating. They match themes and have no choice but to work together.
With her kids piloting the ship, Anna goes on some awkward and sometimes hilarious dates with the mailman, a college waiter, and even her celebrity crush. While she might not have much luck still, she makes new friends, including the unexpected, Will.
Tropes/What to Expect:
Work rivals to lovers
Age gap
Younger guy
Forced proximity
Closed door
Thoughts
The concept of her kids picking out dates was brilliant and made this such a funny, feel-good read. Even though it is an easy, romcom read, this author developed such a full story that I could not put down.
All of the characters felt fully formed and unique, and I felt like each one added something to the story as opposed to being filler.
As far as Anna, she is cynical and a little uptight at first because she’s spent her whole life compromising and putting her kids first. Some books about divorce can be hard to relate to and a bit of a bummer, but this was nothing like that. Although I can’t imagine what a divorce and how difficult untangling your lives must be like, I could easily relate to the FMC. I really enjoyed the journey of her finding herself, growing, and going after what SHE wants for a change. She isn’t whining or laying down and letting life get the better of her, she takes steps to be more independent and makes it all happen!
I thought it was interesting when she’d learn these unexpected details on her dates with people she’s met, but never got to know. This helped Anna understand why they are the way they are, what their motivations are, etc. It goes to show how many different experiences you can have if you step out of your comfort zone and just say “yes” for a change.
Will is perfection. No notes. I mean seriously, they had the best banter! This wasn’t instalove either. We get to see their friendship develop, how they support each other, what their families are like, and the most delicious tension as they figure out their feelings. The window scene. The cabin?! UGH. I wish I could erase this from my memory so I could experience it all over again.
There were a lot of little things I liked about this, like the searches used as chapter openers. Do not skip those when you pick this book up!
So basically, I loved this book! It had depth, it was emotional, it was fun, it was everything. Do yourself a favor and pre-order it, place a hold for it on Libby, add it to your TBR, whichever will get it in your hands when it comes out on November 19, 2024.
Thank you to Penguin Group x NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own!
