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ladyflash's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
3.5
If secondhand embarrassment is not your thing you're going to hate the first third of this book, but then I promise it gets better, but it was very close to being a DNF for me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Death
sarabook's review
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Dementia
meredith_williams_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Once again, Sophie Cousens takes a plot you think you know and manages to turn it into the most heartfelt and endearing story you’ve ever read! 26 year-old Lucy is tired of being broke and single. After a disappointing night out, she wishes to skip to “the good part” of her life and wakes up 16 years in the future. She must fill in the gaps of her future life or find her way back to the past. This story is magical and cozy and warm. The characters are well written (especially Sam 😭) and the overall themes of love and friendship are well developed. If you’re a fan of the book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, the movie 13 Going on 30, or the song Invisible String by Taylor Swift, pick up this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death and Pregnancy
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol
lololovesthings's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars!
I simply adored "The Good Part" by Sophie Cousens. I think this is my favorite book by her. It's like an even more magical "13 Going on 30" with a British sense of humor. This book tickled me from start to finish. I was invested in the life of Lucy, who is a down-on-her-luck late 20-something who hasn't quite found her place in the world yet. She wishes on a wishing machine and wakes up the next morning with a doting musician husband, two wonderful kids, and a rock-solid career that she loves... but is she happier in the future than she was in the past? Skipping out on over a decade of time means Lucy must now come to terms with being a parent, being stretched thin at work and losing sight of what really matters at her job, having an aging body, and not necessarily being as solid in her marriage as she thought she might be when she was a youthful 26-year-old. In cutting to "the good part" of her life, Lucy has to realize that her actions in trying to find happiness and solidity also come with a heavy price. I think Sophie Cousens is very good at creating these little worlds her readers can relish in while also teaching them a life lesson on the way. I was along for the ride every step of the journey. This is a delightful, hilarious, heartbreaking, deceptively heavy book that is one heck of a pleasant surprise. I laughed, I cried, and I hugged my dogs and my husband when it was over. I loved Lucy, I loved Sam (her husband), I loved her interactions with her friends and coworkers, I loved every part of this book. So good! Please read it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Cousens, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I simply adored "The Good Part" by Sophie Cousens. I think this is my favorite book by her. It's like an even more magical "13 Going on 30" with a British sense of humor. This book tickled me from start to finish. I was invested in the life of Lucy, who is a down-on-her-luck late 20-something who hasn't quite found her place in the world yet. She wishes on a wishing machine and wakes up the next morning with a doting musician husband, two wonderful kids, and a rock-solid career that she loves... but is she happier in the future than she was in the past? Skipping out on over a decade of time means Lucy must now come to terms with being a parent, being stretched thin at work and losing sight of what really matters at her job, having an aging body, and not necessarily being as solid in her marriage as she thought she might be when she was a youthful 26-year-old. In cutting to "the good part" of her life, Lucy has to realize that her actions in trying to find happiness and solidity also come with a heavy price. I think Sophie Cousens is very good at creating these little worlds her readers can relish in while also teaching them a life lesson on the way. I was along for the ride every step of the journey. This is a delightful, hilarious, heartbreaking, deceptively heavy book that is one heck of a pleasant surprise. I laughed, I cried, and I hugged my dogs and my husband when it was over. I loved Lucy, I loved Sam (her husband), I loved her interactions with her friends and coworkers, I loved every part of this book. So good! Please read it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Cousens, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Infidelity and Grief
znvisser's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Ever since reading The Time Traveler's Wife as a teenager I've been a sucker for (romantic) time-travel stories. And yay for me, this was a wonderful execution of that trope! I definitely understood Lucy's need to get out of her 26-year old life, because eesh, every aspect of that gave me stress. The story after the jump is built with so many lovely human elements: a hot and capable husband, a group of loyal and loving long-time friends, a smart kid that forms a friendship with a lonely older person... The story effortlessly switches between funny and emotional and it never looses its pace while you go along with Lucy to figure out the pieces of her 'new' life. With this I finally found the fun and easy read I was craving two weeks ago!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Dementia, and Grief
readingwithmeredith's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, and Grief
Side character with alternative lifestyle, closed doormrsjoylovesbooks's review against another edition
4.5
Thank you Putnam for the digital ARC and PRHAudio for the audiobook. I started with the audiobook and read the last half on my Kindle. The Good Part is like the movies 13 Going on 30 and Big mixed together into a women's fiction romcom. I'd say this one leans more toward women's fiction because the focus is on Lucy, but there is some romance involved as well. This book really makes you think about life and what matters most. Lucy jumps from age 26 to 42. As someone who is slightly older than 42, I thought it was perfect the way Lucy reacts to her new body and her lifestyle in general. Skipping 16 years would make the change to being a 40-something wife & mom a drastic change. There were some very tender moments with her friends, with Sam, and with cute and smart Felix. I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and the audiobook is great.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Grief
shawnna_reads2's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Grief
abookwanderer's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
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.
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.
Check out my reviews and book playlists at A Book Wanderer
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.
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.
Check out my reviews and book playlists at A Book Wanderer
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Dementia, and Grief
inkandopinions's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Hey fellow bookworms! The Good Part (like the AJR song) is an absolutely captivating story of dreams and self-discovery that I couldn’t get enough of! It’s a solid 4.5 out of 5 and highly recommend it if you're looking for a heartwarming and thought-provoking read.
Lucy Young, the main character, is so relatable and lovable. You'll find yourself cheering her on as she embarks on her quest for happiness. The author's descriptive writing will transport you to a world full of wonder and endless possibilities. Plus, the book touches on important themes like appreciating the present and embracing life's journey, which will stay with you even after you've finished reading.
The author's writing style effortlessly combines humor and introspection, making it a joy to read. The characters are well-developed and their relationships add depth and emotion to the story.
Join Lucy on her journey of self-discovery and be reminded of the magic in every step of your own journey. Don't miss out on The Good Part - coming to bookstores near you November 2023!
Thank you NetGally for allowing me to read the eARC!
Lucy Young, the main character, is so relatable and lovable. You'll find yourself cheering her on as she embarks on her quest for happiness. The author's descriptive writing will transport you to a world full of wonder and endless possibilities. Plus, the book touches on important themes like appreciating the present and embracing life's journey, which will stay with you even after you've finished reading.
The author's writing style effortlessly combines humor and introspection, making it a joy to read. The characters are well-developed and their relationships add depth and emotion to the story.
Join Lucy on her journey of self-discovery and be reminded of the magic in every step of your own journey. Don't miss out on The Good Part - coming to bookstores near you November 2023!
Thank you NetGally for allowing me to read the eARC!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Grief