Title: The Good Part
Author: Sophie Cousens
Genre: Romance, Magical Realism
Published On: November 7, 2023
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Source: digital (Netgalley)
Pages: 384
Synopsis:
By the New York Times bestselling author of Just Haven’t Met You Yet, a downtrodden twenty-six-year-old wakes up to the life she’s always wanted, but is it really a dream come true?
At twenty-six, Lucy Young is tired. Tired of fetching coffees for senior TV producers, tired of going on disastrous dates, and definitely tired of living in a damp flat share with flatmates who never buy toilet roll. She could quit her job for a better living, but she’s not ready to give up on her dreams. Not just yet. After another diabolical date lands her in a sudden storm and no money for bus fare, Lucy finds herself seeking shelter in a tiny shop, where she stumbles upon a curious wishing machine. Pushing her last coin into the slot, Lucy closes her eyes and wishes with everything she’s got: Please, let me skip to the good part of my life.
When she wakes the next morning to a handsome man, a ring on her finger, a high-powered job, and storybook perfect little boy and baby girl, Lucy can’t believe this is real—especially when she looks in the mirror, and staring back is her own forty-something face. Has she really skipped ahead to the future she’s always wanted, or has she simply forgotten a huge chunk of her life? And as Lucy begins to embrace this new life and new relationships, she’ll have to ask herself: Can she go back, and if so, does she want to?
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens is the feel-good, time-jumping, tear-inducing romance I needed at the moment. It’s refreshingly original despite also being familiar—especially if you’re a fan of films like Big, which I watched on repeat as a child. I wanted only the best for Lucy and everyone she loved.
At twenty-six, Lucy feels stuck. Stuck in a job where she is unappreciated, stuck in a leaky flat, stuck in her dating life, so when she stumbles across a mysterious wishing machine, of course she wishes to fast forward to the good part of her life.
…if you can’t buy yourself a ridiculously expensive suit to make yourself feel better about time-traveling through half your twenties and your entire thirties, then when can you buy one?
Sophie Cousens, The Good Part
Cousens is wonderful at creating empathetic characters, and I felt for Lucy from the start. She’s trying her best, but seems to be unfairly bombarded by life at every turn, although, with hilarious results. I definitely laughed out loud throughout this one.
While I adored the romance—Sam is a beautifully imperfect man, and I was even wishing for chapters from his point of view, although I knew that would ruin some of the plot—the heart of this story for me was Lucy’s relationship with her future son Felix. Their interactions stole every scene, and I wasn’t surprised to read in the afterword that the author’s own children inspired Felix.
And while it might have seemed obvious in the beginning how this story would play out and end, I found myself unsure about the direction the story was going at several turns, which was a pleasant surprise. In fact, I felt sure I knew the twist it would take, only to discover I was wrong—and not upset about it at all.
Besides the romance and Felix, much of the story is dedicated to Lucy’s career and friendships, and Cousens succeeds at showing how important both of these aspects are to Lucy, how they define who she is just as much as her family, making her a much fuller character.
The Good Part left me with a warm, gooey feeling in the center of my chest, that I found myself thinking about for days, returning to the feeling like a touch-stone. I feel confident it will be among my favorite books for the year!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s and Sons and Netgalley for providing me with a copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
Rating:
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About the Author
Sophie Cousens writes romantic comedies. Before becoming a full time writer, she worked as a TV producer in London for more than twelve years, working on shows such as The Graham Norton Show, Russell Howard’s Good News and Big Brother.
She now lives on the island of Jersey in the UK, and balances her writing career with taking care of two small children. Sophie yearns for a time when she can add a miniature dachshund to her brood, and wishes for the ability to read books faster than she keeps buying them.
A Song For A Book
I took my inspiration for my song choice for The Good Part from a fictional song mentioned in the book by Sam, who is a musician. I’ve chosen to highlight, “Promise of You” by Edwin McCain.
Promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it’s true
Don’t have to convince myself to believe
What secrets sleep in the heart of a man
So much love wasted
Slip right through my hands
See it in the eyes of the lonely
As they make their weary way
Shimmer in the eyes of longing
I hear it say
Promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it’s true
Don’t have to convince myself to believe
To believe…
Have you read The Good Part? Or did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I read the blurb of this one and wondered if it was any good. Now I know. 😀 Thanks for another great review and recommendation.
Yay!! I hope you decide to pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did. <3
YES! I had to five-star this one too. I loved Felix and Sam and all the focus on friendship, but I found myself hit hard by the idea that there are only good parts because of the bad parts and we need to experience it all for it to be meaningful. I was anxious about how this story would play out, but I was happy in the end
Yes! It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, “If it weren’t for the dark, we’d never see the stars.” I was also worried about how the story would wrap up. I kept wondering how she would be able to end it satisfactorily. When I first finished it, I didn’t know how I felt. I had to think about it a bit, and then I realized it was absolutely the perfect ending. I love books that make me think like that. 🙂
This blurb reminds me of that movie Thirteen Going On Thirty. Honestly, I expect that the book will likely play out the same way as the movie… but that’s not a bad thing. I loved that movie when it first came out! (Haven’t watched it in ages, though. Might be time to revisit it.)
I’ve seen that one, but not nearly as many times as Big, so yeah I have no memory of the ending. The big difference here is that she’s an adult when she jumps forward. And she jumps forward in the future to when she’s like 42, I think. She’s not just older in the present time. If that makes sense. Ha!
I cannot wait to read this book! I really enjoy Sophie Cousens’ books, and I really relate to the book. Your review has made me even more excited x