The Good Part

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What is the worst that can happen if you could skip all the struggles in your life right now and jump ahead to The Good Part?  That’s what Lucy Young wishes for one night after a disastrous first day in a new role at the office, a horrible row with her best friends at girls’ night out, and an even worse first date with a guy from a dating app.  When she gets caught in the middle of a downpour on the way home in the dark, she stumbles into a neighborhood market to seek shelter, and finds a wishing machine.  Lucy makes her wish, but nothing happens…until she wakes up the next day, with a strange man next to her in bed, kids calling her Mommy, and a high-power job needing her creativity.

Sophie Cousens is known for her quirky, contemporary love stories like Just Haven’t Met You Yet and This Time Next Year – her latest release fits that category well!  Part 13 Going On 30, part Freaky Friday, part Quantum Leap, this book gives a humorous look at the question so many of us have asked when life gets tough – what would happen if I could skip ahead and miss all the struggles.  Cousens draws on her own personal history in the television production industry to develop the backstory of Lucy and her workplace.  She masterfully mixes the personal development of the characters with stunning love stories, loss, and suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout The Good Part.

I give The Good Part 5 out of 5 stars.  A hopeless romantic at heart, I enjoyed this novel as I have Cousens’ other works.  I did disagree with the final big decision Lucy makes in the book but was glad to see it come full circle by the end of the novel.  I also appreciated the way Cousens developed the relationship between Lucy and Sam as well as Lucy and the kids, given the obvious difficulties they faced – it was soft and caring, but realistic and challenging. 

I recommend this book to readers looking for a quick and fun distraction book – I read this in one sitting of about 4 hours.  This book would also be a great choice for a moms’ book club – the reminiscing about the past and the honest look at being a working parent with two small kids is very relatable.  Given the discussion of sex, I would recommend this for more mature audiences over 16.

When I saw The Good Part on NetGalley, I opted for it quickly.  Cousens’ writing always leaves me laughing till my sides hurt.  Each of her books I’ve read thus far could easily be made into a fil or television project and I always walk away from the final pages invested in the characters and wanting a sequel!  This book has made my list of Most Anticipated Releases of 2023, coming in Fall 2023 – pre-order your copy today!

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: Star-Spangled Banner, Marc Ferris
• Current audio book: Twelve Years a Slave, Solomon Northrup
• Book I’m most looking forward to: The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise, Colleen Oakley