REVIEW: Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens

In Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens, A year since she became a divorced mum of two, Anna Appleby is slowly finding her footing, one step at a time. Sure, she feels the burden of covering a mortgage on her own. But she has a stable job as a columnist at a local magazine that’s been her escape from the drudgeries of housework and wrangling kids for several years now. Then Anna finds out the magazine is having financial troubles. And with a new investor on tap, she and the other journalists will have to prove themselves to keep their columns. In a panic, when asked if she can come up with anything bold to breathe some new life into her work, she comes up with an insane plan on the fly: to have her kids pick out seven men that she will go out with on one date each, then write about her experiences.

‘How am I in this situation, where my children are pimping me out? And how did no one think it was weird when the boy in Sleepless in Seattle did it?’

The catch–there’s always a catch, of course–is that it won’t just be Anna writing about her dating life. Instead, her work enemy, Will Havers, will find seven women to date using online apps and will also be publishing his own experiences. Anna isn’t sure they can get along well enough to coordinate their columns and give readers the experience the new investor wants. But knowing her job is on the line, she’ll do what it takes to make it work. She didn’t expect to be pleasantly surprised with how cooperative Will ends up being. Or that she actually meets some great people (and some not so great) on her dates. It’s the one person that Anna can’t stop thinking about that makes things complicated. But as she figures out who she is now since her divorce, she’s pretty sure she’ll find the strength to carry on, no matter how things play out.

‘I’m still capable of this–of flirting, of wanting someone, of being wanted, of being someone other than an ex-wife and a mother.’

IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM was an absolute delight to read. A character-driven rom-com that had loads of heart and plenty of laughs, Sophie Cousens wrote a charming story that will stick with me for quite some time.

‘If I’m going to keep telling people that I am fine on my own, then I want it to actually be true.’

Depending on the scene, IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM was everything from outrageously funny to dry-witted to poignant–but overall, it was simply lovely. Exactly as I would expect from author Sophie Cousens. Told from recently divorced heroine Anna Appleby’s POV, we got to see firsthand how the single mom to a thirteen-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son tried to claw her way out of the grief and anger over her marriage ending. Cousens threw everything imaginable at Anna. Issues with her children, her patronizing ex-husband, her widower next door neighbor, and of course the awkward, sometimes hilarious dates her kids helped set up for her magazine column. So. Funny.

Then there was the coworker that both enraged and intrigued Anna. Will Havers became somewhat of a workplace nemesis, particularly when they were encouraged to team together to each write their own column about dating. They would both go on seven dates: Anna with guys her kids picked out, and Will with women he met online. And oh, you can imagine the fiascos that ensued. Aside from the cringe-worthy moments and the scenes that nearly made me cry with laughter, it was seeing Anna begin to learn who she was again, post-divorce, that I most enjoyed. Cousens made it feel like each date–whether or not it was a disaster–was a learning experience for Anna. And it was actually a way to include her children in that personal growth, as well, which was entertaining and heartwarming.

Anna and a certain someone (I won’t spoil who she ended up fancying most) had an undeniable chemistry that only grew with each interaction. The banter was ridiculously fun and oh so sexy. And while their love scenes were closed door, Cousens somehow kept that heat level elevated between Anna and her guy without it getting too graphic but still conveying how perfect they were together. In other words, it was exceedingly well done.

QOTD: Has a friend or family member ever set you up with someone on a date before? If so, how’d it go?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: November 19th, 2024 | G.P. Putnam’s Sons |

A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.

Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?