Breakaway Books

Authored by Sophie Cousens; Published November 2024; Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️

Is She Really Going Out with Him? has a classic rom-com set up, with all of the hijinks and cringe-worthy moments to match. If you love your rom-coms, you will love this novel.

Is She Really Going Out with Him? is the story of Anna, a divorced journalist whose small magazine was just acquired by a large media company. As part of her bid to liven up her column for the younger generation, she agrees to go on ten dates on men picked out by her two young children. She quickly discovers that her frustrating colleague Will is the one who really captures her interest.

The highlights of this novel made me laugh aloud—Anna’s kids, predictably, choose some highly unsuitable candidates for Anna. (Picture: the mail delivery man who has a secret passion for Jane Austen re-enactments.) All of the characters that Anna met on her dates were depicted as quirky, but mostly compassionate and good people, and, while that is certainly a rosy view of dating, the end-result was heart warming. By the novel’s finish, Anna has developed real friendships with the people around her (including her former prospects); she has developed a supportive community. I love romance novels that include fulfilling relationships apart from the one with the soulmate.

Of course, it’s a rom-com, so expectations for realism should be set low. For most of us, going on a date with the delivery man would not be as enjoyable as it was for Anna. But, I liked the way that the interactions with Anna’s ex-husband and kids were depicted—awkward and frustrating, with a few glimmers of hope here and there. The romance between Anna and Will isn’t my favorite, but to the author’s credit, they are forced to deal with real obstacles; namely, the realities of career ambitions vs. prioritization of their relationship.

You’ll race through this rom-com. It’s a great one to pick up for some hope if you’re feeling lonely.