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‘“Be careful what you wish for,�� the old woman says.��

26-year-old Lucy Young is tired of her damp flat, inconsiderate flatmates, being unappreciated and undermined at work, and suffering through one bad date after another. After a particularly trying day �� while seeking shelter from the rain in a newsagent �� Lucy spies a fairground type ‘wishing machine�� in the back of the store. She inserts a quarter and wishes away her frustration.

‘I wish I could skip to the good part, where my life is sorted��.

The next morning Lucy wakes up in her 42-year-old body. She lives in a beautiful home, works at her dream job, is married to an amazing guy named Sam, and has two adorable children, seven-year-old Felix and baby Amy. Her wish has come true. All of her old worries and problems are no more. But there are new heartaches, and obstacles to contend with. Because no one’s life is ever perfect, at any stage. And more to the point �� Lucy has missed out on sixteen years of her life �� the good, and the bad.

The Good Part was a contemporary romance with a time travel/magical realism twist. Overnight, Lucy had gone from being a carefree single girl to having marriage and motherhood thrust upon her which made for hilarious, heartfelt, tender, sweet, and fun reading. The chapter where Lucy wakes up in the future with no idea where she is or how she got there was laugh out loud funny. Her reactions, confusion, and horror were spot on. No one copes well with change, so you can imagine how alien it would be if you lost sixteen years, how foreign everything would be. Sophie Cousens included some creative technological advancements. Lucy’s son Felix was so wonderful �� you’ll fall in love with him I promise. This author sure writes believable children.

The romance was unique since Sam had loved Lucy for years, had all of the memories of their 12-year relationship, but to her he was a stranger. It also contained some serious and moral topics centred around grief, loss, the shock and pain of not remembering, embracing and living life to its fullest, and not taking a single day for granted. The Good Part is perfect for those who like their contemporary romances with a side of child-rearing and family life, or who love the idea of time travelling to the future. Reminiscent of 13 Going on 30 or Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella. The Good Part is my second read, and also my second five-star read by Sophie Cousens. An utter delight from start to finish. I can’t wait to read more of her backlist.