Every year, my spouse and I pick a few books for the other person to read. It’s a fun way to expand our literary horizons and connect in a new way. Some of my favorite annual reads come from this exchange. This year, for example, Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House was suggested to me. I’ve read thirty-odd books this year, but Ninth House is still my favorite. Sophie Cousens’ Is She Really Going Out with Him? was also given to me to read. While it’s not a hall-of-famer, I enjoyed spending time with the characters and Cousens’ warm, quirky version of Bath, England. 
Our protagonist is the alliterative Anna Appleby. She is a writer at a local struggling magazine. She is also the matriarch of a somewhat struggling family – her apathetic husband recently got into cycling, fitness, and the bed of a new woman. Anna has the old house and, most of the time, the kids. She is making sense of all aspects of her new life. Faithful little sister Lottie is there to help and encourage. However, Lottie is pregnant herself, and so Anna feels largely on her own. Not only that, but she is facing stiff competition at work where Will, an ambitious young writer, is making waves and bringing fresh ideas. He is also making many friends of the female persuasion, what with being handsome and charming, etc. To try and keep things fresh herself, Anna decides to write a dating column in which her kids get to pick out her dates. Will writes a counterpart article where he dates someone in a similarly-styled setting or setup. Anna and Will are now linked at work. Are they linked elsewhere?!? Time will tell.
I enjoyed Anna, her inner world, and the rich cast of supporting characters. Sister Lottie was a great encourager and brought some spice to Anna’s life. Without providing any spoilers, some friends and neighbors also have stories and depth of their own. Frankly, I was more interested in many of them and in Anna’s kids than in Anna’s love life. (This happens to me a lot in rom-com-type books.)
Cousens creates a comfortable and inviting world. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t too concerned about anyone’s amorous pursuits.
Which Cousens books do you recommend?
3.25/5