Book Summary: 

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?

My Review:

When I first began reading romantic comedies, I wasn’t sure who to read or what to like. I recall picking up “Just Haven’t Met You Yet” and instantly falling in love with Sophie Cousens’ charm, wit, and female protagonists. She writes women any reader can relate to – they are vulnerable but strong, smart but self-aware, with an inner monologue that keeps you giggling. In “Is She Really Going Out With Him,” everything we’ve come to love about Sophie Cousens shines bright. Eight books in, and she still knows how to captivate her audience and make us swoon over a male protagonist we love to hate, then can’t help but love. Most importantly, in “Is She Really Going Out With Him,” she focuses on the hearts of every woman who needs a kindred spirit as they navigate dating, either post-divorce or in their late thirties or early forties. For those who are ready to be inspired, to find their inner Phoenix, to enter their rock era, this one is for you.

Anna Appleby never imagined that sixteen years after meeting Dan and twelve years after saying “I do,” she would be staring at an email confirming the dissolution of her marriage. The promises, the memories – all over with the touch of a send button. One year later, Anna is convinced that her life is as it should be, and her singlehood is a choice (one she is not willing to relinquish without a fight!). She is happy; she has her kids, her house, her job, her sister, and doesn’t need a man in her life to make her whole. Despite the efforts of her kids and her sister, she doesn’t need to meet someone new to prove she is over her ex-husband, who is apparently playing house with a twenty-five-year-old Swedish bombshell. All she needs is her job and for one annoying coworker named Will Havers to magically disappear. Not only has he become the bane of her existence, but it turns out he is trying to take her column! This means war! As the company she works for is taken over by new owners, Anna finds herself fighting to remain relevant and appealing, which means stepping out of her comfort zone and doing the one thing she swore off – putting herself back out there and creating content for a new dating column. The twist? She has to write about each of her dates, chosen by her children, to prove her value and save her job. Easy enough until Will decides to weasel his way in. If it’s a fight he wants, it’s a fight he will get, but remember: All is fair in love and war, but neither love nor war is ever fair.

As I said before, I have always loved Sophie’s writing. She knows how to write a female main character you just get! It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you are in life; you can relate to who she is, what she is going through, and how she feels. You may be in your twenties but have still experienced disappointment and heartbreak – whether it is from a friendship lost, a family withdrawn, a career that is letting you down, or a love that came to an end. You may even be in your sixties and look back and relate to the rollercoaster that Anna has been through, reflecting on your own wins and losses, triumphs and tragedies, and admiring where you have landed in life or feeling inspired to not give up just yet. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, Anna carries a piece of you as she picks up the pieces of the shattered life she thought she would live and uses them to rebuild a life she would never have imagined.

To be honest, out of all the things I enjoyed about this book, the Google searches were the best! If I was really into the book and realized I had moved on to another chapter without reading them, I would go back! I have never seen anything like that in a book, and it was an excellent touch. Each chapter (if relevant to what was happening in her life) had new ones, and they cracked me up every single time. Sophie also has a talent for creating a community of characters that breathe huge life into the story. From Noah, the grouchy next-door neighbor, to Jonathan, her boss with so much personality you can’t help but want to meet him in real life, to Loretta, Lottie, her ex-husband Dan, and everyone else that flows in and out of her life, leaving pieces of wisdom (or moments that recall strength she didn’t know she had – don’t EVEN get me started on Sylvie!). 

Speaking of secondary characters, I can’t forget to mention the dates – the first few were absolutely hilarious! From a man who took his job way too seriously to another who really needed to speak to someone about his concerning projection of rejection on cyclists, each date cracked Anna open more and more. She was forced out of her comfort zone to write the column, and the eccentric dates and even more hilarious characters started poking holes in her facade. Slowly, we got to see the real Anna seep out – her confidence, her sass, her strength, her voice, her belief in herself, her talent, and most of all – her true self. Seeing all the gifts the column brought her by the end reminds the reader that going for it, despite the consequences, doubts, and what-ifs, can be worth it. Even if it’s not, as Jonathan taught us, at least you tried and gave it your everything.

The book was definitely a closed-door, fade-to-black romance, but the moments before the curtains closed were just as enticing and spicy. We watched Anna fall more and more for Will without even realizing it. Each feeling, each moment was constantly downplayed and justified as something other than what it was because she was determined to protect herself from getting hurt again. It was lust, not love – a need for distraction, not growing infatuation. The worst part was that her efforts to protect her heart made it easier to keep the peace with everyone and everything around her rather than stand her ground. She didn’t want to deal with another relationship and a potential fallout. She didn’t want to stir the pot at work, push back against Dan, or intrude on her children – she just wanted to survive each day. She hadn’t lost her power, she gave it up willingly. 

Sophie addresses a number of points in this book – how she managed to cram all of them in without pulling away from the overall story is beyond me. Again, this book speaks volumes to older women, no matter what phase they are in their lives. It reflects on seasoned women in their careers attempting to stay relevant and hip in a trending world, women rediscovering themselves after divorce and revisiting a dating scene that has greatly shifted, single moms doing it all while holding it together, and women dealing with the significant other of an ex who wants the title of mom but not the responsibility that goes with it – all fun and fab, but never grim and dull. She also addresses bullying and the impact it can have on young women, how easily it can go unnoticed, and the damage it can cause. She sprinkles in the concept of rebirth as we see Loretta take on a second chance in life with no apologies, like a force of nature. Sophie illustrates our evolution as women, our waxes, wanes, and phases. We are constantly growing and shrinking, consistently changing, and while it can be scary, it is part of the journey and essence that makes us who we are.

I never know what journey Sophie is going to take me on when I open her books, and just like the ones before this, I am never disappointed. “Is She Really Going Out With Him” will make you feel less alone, no matter where you are in life. It will make you feel seen, validated, and, if you need it, provide that little push forward to stop being afraid and take a risk. We may find comfort and solace where we are, but life lasts only so long, and some opportunities happen only once in a lifetime. Stop making excuses and take a chance. Even if it doesn’t work out, the memory, the effort, the experience will still be a consolation prize worth having.