A sweet, hilarious, relatable romcom that is wonderfully narrated. Five stars. I love Anna and Will.
Huge thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this.

A rivals-to-lovers age gap workplace romance plays out between Anna, divorced mum of two, and Will, a serial dater as they compete for a column at their magazine and end up spending more time together than anticipated. It was interesting to see Anna's dating experiences, with some fun moments thrown in there as well as some ones that made me cringe in sympathy. There;s also more to Will than Anna thought and we get to know him through Anna, over different meetings and some forced proximity. While there were parts of the story I enjoyed, it overall fell flat for me. I didn't feel any spark or chemistry between Will and Anna and so it was a little lacklustre and though there were moments where we see them connecting, they didn't feel to me like a good fit overall and I felt more as though we were being convinced of a non-existent romance which was such a shame. However, I'm sure this is something other people won't find in this book so don't take my word for it. A side note to say the audiobook is well-narrated so a great option for audiobook lovers.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

This was a cute, fun easy listen and the narrator did a really good job as I found it easy to listen to and I wanted to know what happened next in their story. It was a bit hallmark at times but sometimes that isn't a bad thing and could definitely see this being made into a movie. This also made me laugh out loud in parts and I really overall enjoyed listening to this and will definitely be checking out more by the author in the future. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this audio arc.

Anna is a 38-year old magazine journalist trying to navigate life with two children being recently divorced from Dan, who is now living with his 25-year old Swedish girlfriend.

When her struggling magazine company has a takeover she finds herself competing with her colleague, Will, to prove her worth to her new bosses. In an attempt to offer something modern and different she ends up agreeing to do a feature on dating with the twist being that she will go on seven dates chosen by her children - twelve–year-old daughter Jess and seven-year-old son Ethan. What could possibly go wrong?!

The seven dates introduce us to a host of different characters all with their back stories bringing both depth and humour to the offerings. Alongside the dates Anna's competitive and intriguing relationship with Will continues culminating in them having to attend an eco retreat together. Perhaps Will isn't the person Anna thought he was after all!

Humorous, light and very entertaining. Rom-coms aren't my usual genre but this has a bit more maturity about it giving it that something extra that made it a compelling read.

The banter between Anna and Will was communicated well through the excellent narration and I thoroughly recommend this audiobook.

I am grateful to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced listener copy of this book and will certainly read more of this authors work in the future.

I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to enjoy this one but the premise intrigued me so much that I had to request it because I had hope that it would be a lot of fun - and it was! The pacing was a little off because at points I kind of thought ‘oh it should probably end here’ but then it carried on which did make it feel like it was dragging just a bit, BUT the fact it was so heart-warming and the scenes towards the end were so sweet made up for the pacing problems.

The narration was great and so easy to listen to. I also loved that it was set in the UK because it felt so cosy and familiar. Overall, it was a lovely, easy read and I actually think it would make a pretty fun movie.

I would recommend it if you like a book that feels like a fun rom com film, heart-warming moments or a swoony but closed door romance.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton Audio for providing me with an advance copy of this audiobook.

This was my first audiobook experience, and it didn’t disappoint! The narrator’s voice was so pleasant, making the story easy to follow and even more enjoyable.

Anna is divorced. And tired. Tired of everyone treating her divorce like it defines her entire personality. She knows there’s more to her than just being single; she just needs a little push and some time to figure out what that is. What does she like? What (and who!) does she want? Who is Anna?

One of my favorite things about this book is how Anna challenges the idea that being coupled up is the ultimate source of happiness. It’s refreshing to see a character who understands that relationships can sometimes make you lose sight of who you are and what you love in the name of compromise. Yes, love and being loved are both wonderful, but this story reminds us that life has so much more to offer.

Enter Will: intelligent, tall, handsome and completely annoying. He’s the bane of Anna’s existence, but their chemistry is undeniable from the very first interaction. I must admit that workplace romance is not usually my thing, but this rivals-to-lovers dynamic had some excellent banter that had me laughing out loud. Will is effortlessly charismatic, and (let’s be honest here) we all know it’s only a matter of time before Anna realises she’s more than ready to hop on board the Will train. But the best part is the unwilling journey to get there, isn't it?!

Will’s trying to take over Anna’s column, and in a desperate effort to keep her spot, she pitches a fresh, bold idea: offline dating, with men selected by her children. Leaving your romantic and, in this case, by extension, professional life in the hands of a preteen and an eight-year-old might not be the wisest idea, but I absolutely loved it! The kids’ unbiased and sometimes hilariously naïve approach made for such an entertaining read. It also gave us a deeper glimpse into their lives, something we might not have gotten otherwise.

I often find that children in books aren’t written very well. They’re either overly cute, unrealistically smart, irritatingly pedantic, or just there to make someone a single parent. But here, the younger characters were a delight. They felt real and relatable, not at all bothersome. I especially loved Jess. So much of what she says, does, and experiences reminded me of my younger self.

In conclusion, this was such an enjoyable romance! Anna and Will had me laughing and completely hooked on their love story. But this book is so much more than that. Is She Really Going Out With Him? is Anna’s journey of peeling off labels and discovering herself. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming, and at times bittersweet, romance with just the right amount of sexy.

‘Is She Really Going Out With Him?’ by Sophie Cousens, narrated in audiobook form by Kerry Gilbert, is a wonderful workplace romance about moving on after divorce, finding yourself and learning that love is worth fighting for. Anna and Will are rival journalists for Bath Living magazine, and a change of ownership leads to them reluctantly collaborating on a column about finding love… the twist: while Will is exploring the powers of online dating, Anna is bypassing the apps and courting men chosen in real life by her kids.

I absolutely adored Anna, whose drive to succeed at work and motherhood while being happy on her own was admirable. Her openness to trying new things, punctuated with moments of trepidation, was inspiring! Viewing the world through Anna’s eyes, I didn’t warm to Will immediately, but as his layers peeled back, I became obsessed with my new book boyfriend! The chemistry between the two leads was sizzling, and there were heartwarmingly sweet moments as Will interacted with her children and opened up about his motivations. I liked that their life situation, rather than just miscommunications, drove the third act, which felt realistic.

The series of dates were a mixture of hilarious, squirm-inducing and beautiful, and I loved that the novel was as much about Anna rediscovering her passions and growing her circle of friends as it was about the central romance. Loretta especially was a fantastic character, bringing light and joy to every page she appeared on. Also, Anna’s google searches, marking the end of each chapter, had me laughing so much.

This was a five star book, and the narration really brought it to life for me, conveying deep emotion well while remaining light and listenable! I’d wholeheartedly recommend this novel, in any format, to those who loved ‘The Hating Game’, ‘The Spanish Love Deception’ or Sophie’s own ‘The Good Part’.

I received an Advance Listening Copy of this book from the publisher Hodder & Stoughton Audio via NetGalley. Opinions my own.

I adore Sophie Cousens' books. She can do no wrong in my eyes.
Her stories are full of warmth and emotion, but for me, her unique selling point is the humour she punctuates through her novels. This latest book is hilarious, with the character Anna doing internet searches at the start of each chapter, which I loved. Reminded me of other books that do this, and it helps break up the story with a laugh.
I also had the audiobook narrated by Kerry Gilbert, and she was superb. She had a really easy speaking voice and I couldn't stop listening. I'll happily add her to my narrators to watch list!
I adored this, and it may just be my new favourite book from this author.

4.25⭐️. Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the e-audiobook of Is She Really Going Out With Him? I had so much fun with this audiobook and binged it in more or less a day.

The story follows Anna, a newly divorced journalist in her 30s who is managing life as a single mum after being in a relationship for all of her adult life. It’s set in Bath, in the UK and the magazine Anna works is facing hard times, having just been bought out by a new owner who wants to set a new direction. With her younger, ambitious colleague Will keen to branch out into Anna’s area of lifestyle reporting, she finds herself pitching the idea of a column in which she dates people she meets in the old fashioned way (I.e., in person), who are chosen by her two kids. While Will writes a comparison article of his online dating experience.

The dating set up led to some really funny moments - the fishing date made me cringe (the hook/cheek situation 🙈) but also laugh out loud! I also liked the little google searches at the end of each chapter, which often made me chuckle but also give you a little insight into Anna’s mind.

Both main characters are well fleshed out and there’s a really good build up to their relationship. Will was gorgeous - he’s a little bit sarcastic, funny and he notices all the little things. It’s so sweet seeing him seek Anna’s approval, despite her initial cynicism towards him. And also to see how she slowly warms to him and the positive changes he ultimately helps her embrace.

There’s a fairly typical third act conflict towards the end, but it makes sense in relation to the characters’ back stories. The audiobook narrator was also great, and I’d highly recommend consuming it in this format if you enjoy audiobooks.

Tropes:
- workplace enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- One bed

No spice.

Is She Really Going Out With Him is the first novel I’ve read by Sophie Cousens - I need to rectify that.

First off, I like a good rom com as much as the next person but they’re normally a bit of filler or a light distraction for a while. So I went into this expecting exactly that, what I got was so much more!

The comedy value is excellent. I was laughing within the first few minutes, but I was laughing at things I truly related to.

The romance was the perfect amount of romance for me it wasn’t eye rollingly cheesy it was just right.

I instantly connected with Annie, I’ve rarely rooted for a fictional character so much. What begins as a need to find a way to freshen up her career and save her job, where she agrees to allowing her kids to choose her dates then write about them for her magazine, turns into a life changing experience and I loved every single minute of it.

Every single side character brought something special to the story.

A lid for every pot springs to mind! Full of Hope ❤️

I can genuinely see Bridget Jones style success for this one. Look out for it in spring.

Kerry Gilbert has made the audio a joy to listen to.

So guess what?

All the stars 🌟
#Jorecommends

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC

Anna Appleby is a hot, divorced, and chronically single mum who has her kids play matchmaker to help save her newspaper column, and maybe even help her find love. The narrator perfectly captures the humour and heart of Anna's quirky dating adventures, from cringe-worthy setups to unexpected sparks with her workplace rival Will.

Anna's Google searches are funny and relatable and those priceless text messages (that window scene!) make Anna relatable. I especially loved how Sophie brought authenticity to the more mature themes of navigating divorce, career challenges, and finding love again in your 30s. I don't feel like this is a true enemies-to-lovers, more of a rivals-to-lovers story, and it was excellently done.

The narrator was an excellent choice for the role and the book. She is great at doing variations of voices, you can tell character voices apart. This is the perfect listen for fans of witty workplace romance with depth.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing a review copy.