This isn’t my usual choice of novel but I do occasionally like to dip into the rom-com genre. I really enjoyed this feel-good novel about Lil who gets dumped and then ends up pregnant after a first date. Lil is a breath of fresh air, I absolutely related to her and I loved how her character didn’t need to grow she just appears fully formed (and still ends up developing by the end of the novel). Every step of Lil’s journey was wonderful to read and made me smile, laugh and maybe even cry a little.
Sophia Money-Coutts has a breezy and likable writing style which manages to balance serious and witty all in one. At first I was a bit taken aback by the detailed sex scenes but to be honest, they are few and far between. The characters are really relatable and honest in their actions with conversation flowing easily throughout the narrative. Lil in particular is a lovely character and focuses on herself more than the romance side of things (although it isn’t missed out) which was great, I honestly felt like Lil was speaking directly to me through her frank and sarcastic narration. On the romance side of things, Max has some realistic reactions to a believable situation. Max and his family have a difficult backstory which is used well and doesn’t distract from the narrative in any way, only supports it.
All over, a really positive read which I enjoyed and would probably read again. I would recommend this for anyone wanting a nice light holiday read and I will be looking for Sophia Money-Coutts publications from now on.

3/3.5 stars (I can't decide!), What Happens Now is a really cute, funny (in a laugh-out-loud way) and touching story - Max is obviously swoon-worthy, though he definitely (and understandably) had some less-than-heroic moments, but for me the absolute star of the book was Lil. She's brilliant and wonderfully relatable, with a cast of friends surrounding her who gave me all the feels while reading.

This is a romcom, but for me the story really came alive through the friendships it portrays, as well as Lil's family. A light-hearted, feel-good read - perfect for a day at the beach or an evening alone with a glass of wine.

I really enjoyed this book, was good to curl up and read on an armchair but even better would have been on a sunlounger.
I enjoy the author's style and will continue to look for books from her in the future.

A fantastic love (or is it) story with brilliantly well written characters. I fell for Max right along with Lil, then hated him, pined for him, loved him a bit more and felt the true trauma of meeting his family!
The author captured perfectly the awkwardness of each and every situation Lil finds herself in once she has peed on that life changing stick, making me cringe, laugh out loud and generally place myself firmly in the position of Lil best mate as I read- rooting for her all the way!

This book was fantastic I couldn't put it down it's a must read book great for a lazy day on the beach

What Happens Now? by Sophia Money-Coutts a four-star read that will make you wonder. I am going to be honest I started this one three times, I kept hearing such good things I picked I up again, but for the first couple I only got a couple of chapters in, then third time lucky I picked it up and it stuck, this time I found the Lil liked, she warmed me up and made me care, the first couple of tries I found her a little annoying. Overall this was a good read, not what I expected but still well rounded and with good characters, if you are looking for light romance then this isn’t it, but if you are looking for real and funny then give it a go and keep reading if you struggle at first, it is worth it in the end.

What Happens Now? is a breath of fresh air.

Laugh out loud funny and highly entertaining.

If you are in need of a little pick me up then I guarantee this book will do the job.

Loved this book!! Perfect holiday read. Poor Lil...a one night stand leads to all sorts of complications...not least of which is pregnancy. A hilarious laugh out loud account of the trials and tribulations of the aftermath of one mind blowing encounter with the delicious Max.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope to find more by this author.

Loved this book, and found it quite relatable. Will look for more from this author. Thank you for the opportunity to read the book

Thoroughly enjoyed this slightly off the wall story by Sophia Money-Coutts.
Lil, after the end of a long term relationship dips her toe into the dating world has a one night stand and becomes pregnant. The story, which is very amusingly told, of her pregnancy, and the growth of her relationship up to the birth of her child forms the main thread of the novel.
She is a fortunate woman with good friends and a supportive of slightly dysfunctional family. The interactions with her friends are well told.
A good light read which I thoroughly enjoyed. Look forward to the next.

This is type of of book that is perfect for the summer holiday. Found it easy to read and it made me chuckle.

Perfect holiday read, made me lol on many occasions. Reminded me of an up to date Bridget Jones novel with online dating and ghosting.. Loved the characters and would definitely recommend this author.

Do you ever read a book and think it is brutally honest? Yeah, I thought it was quite rare too. What Happens Now? is an exploration into the complexity of human relationships and emotion. It tackles complex situations with tact and humour and is a wonderful example of a book hooking you in on one level and opening your eyes on another.

The basic premise of the story is one that has been explored in the chick lit/rom-com world before: girl meets boy on date, they hook up, few weeks later she finds out she is pregnant, life ensues. To a point this book is no different, but in many ways, it is completely different, and this simultaneous feeling of being on well trodden ground and reading something fresh was, well, refreshing. The author has entwined humour into some very difficult situations and has created some really warm and genuine friendships and family relationships.

Lil is a pretty awesome character and I really liked her. Working as a normal girl in an extraordinary world (yes, all you Mona the Vampire fans will be singing the theme tune along with me), she tackles the frankly hilarious and alarming world of teaching the offspring of the rich and famous, and having a ‘baby-daddy’ as a rich and famous explorer and heir which frankness, maintaining who she is throughout. She is clearly intelligent and empathetic, and slots in all the areas with her life with ease, even if she internally questions her judgements and positions. She treats her friends with genuine warmness, and I think Max’s description of her as kind is absolutely spot on. Her relationship with her students is equal part inspiring and hilarious (and the seen where she explains how people become pregnant is possibly the best in the whole book).

Max is definitely attractive. I realise that’s not his only defining quality, but I have to point it out because I think he sounds like a pretty ideal Man. He’s described as brown haired, athletic, and charming, and his rich background (he’s the heir to a fortune and Viscount title) and his fame as an explorer and mountaineer was exciting to read about. It added a level of depth to both his character and the story and felt like a genuine rather than forced level of complexity that fuelled aspects of the plot. He is also wonderfully flawed. Yes, he does get her pregnant and isn’t there throughout the whole of her pregnancy, yes he is emotional and dare I say irrational when he first finds out, but he exudes warmth and the want to help and look after both Lil and their baby and I grew to really like him as a character and not just to fantasise about. Throughout it all, he is also grounded, as shown by the motivations behind his exploration and addressing the car he drives.

Their baby, whom they call E.T throughout in an adorable fashion, is the glue that binds this story. Some of the most emotional, funny, and brilliant scenes are when they interact about the baby. Their scans are an emotional rollercoaster and I think show the timeline for how their relationship develops in most clarity. Their ridiculous Antenatal classes, bought by an excessively wealthy mother of a son that Lil teaches. They are both out of their depth in a rich and ridiculous world but they find the humour and the joy in it and bond over life experiences and memories. The birth of the baby is, obviously emotional, and I like how the journey through the pregnancy and the birth actually plays out in full throughout the story, they have ups and downs and it’s not completely resolved.

I think it’s quite well known that I am a fan of the side characters within a book, and once again, I have not been disappointed by this novel. Her friends Jess and Clem are funny and undyingly there for her. They don’t always know what to do, or what to say, but their friendship triangle is built on honesty and respect, and I like that this shows as they battle both good news, bad news, big decisions, and continue to help one another.

Their families are also fascinating, funny, and well constructed, and reveal a lot about the character’s motivations and actions. Lil is close to her parents, her mother and step-father are caring academics who are constantly worrying about her wellbeing. Although surprised, they are ecstatic about their grandchild and embrace Max even though the baby is a product of a one night stand with their daughter. Their reaction and continued involvement is in stark contrast to his parents, who are standoffish and barely tolerant of the baby’s presence, and are annoyed that the union out of wedlock illegitimises their family and legacy. The tragic death of their son and Max’s older brother has left a mark on their family and relationship and definitely affects the way they and Max process the news.

One thing I really loved about this story was that respect for previous relationships. They both have ex-partners at the beginning of the story that are recently ended relationships. Their date is a result of taking a step into the dating pool after these failed relationships, and it leaves them on an equal footing. The reasons they ended are different, and even though there is some resentment and a small lack of trust as a result, they respect the people they were with before. Instead of constantly bitching and being rude, when confront with her ex and his new partner Indy (with whom he cheated on Lil with) she is as warm and genuine as she can be and acknowledges them both with quite a lot of grace. Max’s ex Prim pops up as his exploring takes a turn and even though she drives a slight wedge in proceedings, it’s not because the story screws her over, it’s more a genuine lack of understanding. This is not only discussed and resolved, but Prim’s integrity is actually maintained throughout and is something I really respect.

As you can probably tell, I really liked this book. It was emotionally complex and genuine, and was constructed from a place of love, honesty, and an understanding and acceptance that life is not always simple so we have to make the best out of what we do have. I devoured this book in super quick time and can’t recommend it enough.

I really loved this book and couldn’t wait to see what happened to Lil. It was well written and hearing about her students was a nice sub-plot to the book

What Happens Now

This is an enjoyable summer read, light as a feather and easy to engage with.
You can’t help but like the characters in the book, particularly Lil, but also her friends, family and also Max, who appears to be in a different social class to Lil., being the son of aristocracy.
Lil has recently broken up with a long term partner and uses a dating ap to find a new man. She has a one night stand with Max (watch out for a very steamy, explicit sex scene) and then he disappears from Lil’s life. When she discovers she is pregnant Max is none too happy and Lil prepares herself for a new life as a single mother (but with the support of a very strong network of friends and family. The book tells us about the ups and downs of Lil’s pregnancy with no holds barred and is quite funny in places,
Lil teaches in a private prep school and some of the book tells us about the trials and tribulations of teaching her rather spoilt pupils and the problems with their wealthy parents and these episodes can also be amusing.
The story is pretty predictable and there are few surprises but this has a nice feel to it and would make a great holiday read. I would definitely read another of Sophia Money-Coutts books on the back of this.

A really funny book! A great story of pregnancy following Lil’s one night stand with Max and how they navigate the route to parenthood. Very realistic as well as very funny. Hope there is a sequel!

This is the first book I have read from SophieMoney-Coutts and being a big fan of rom coms like the Shopaholic series I was interested in the sound of this book.

I loved this book the story was great and the main characters were well created and the plot of the book was funny having a positive test after a one night stand opps but Lil dealt with it and she was so lovable.

My only regret was that I wanted more I want to know what happens and where the story might go next, I really hope this is not the end for Lil and Max.

A great summer read and one you won't what to put down for long a real page-turner.

I was apprehensive about requesting this book as I wasn’t a fan of Sophia Money-Coutts first book. This book however was a great.

A perfect summer read with likeable characters and a fun plot. I devoured it in one sitting.

4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Sophia Money-Coutts and HQ for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished this book. Loved it from the start. Really lovely characters and a great storyline. Lots of laugh out moments. Would definitely recommend to my friends.

What Happens Now by Sophia Money-Coutts drops us into the life of Lil Bailey, having a first date with handsome adventurous mountaineer Max after her long term boyfriend cheats on her and dumps her. Max turns out not to be such a great catch after all as she wakes up alone in his flat and promptly gets completely ghosted! She’s really not having much luck in the dating department, but wait… there’s more. Things get rather complicated when she finds out that not only is he famous and his parents are peers – the Lord and Lady Rushbrooke… but she’s pregnant, and she’s keeping it.

Luckily she has some amazing friends and family who rally around to support her and maybe, just maybe, Max won’t turn out to be such a cad after all… but ultimately I liked the message that you don’t need a man to have the things you want. Lil has to decide what she wants in life and whether she’s strong enough to do it alone, and she is!

What Happens Now is one of the best romance books I’ve read in ages! It was genuinely funny, full of down to earth characters that just popped right out of the page with their personalities. Five Stars.