Review of This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

 This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens 

Here's another feel-good novel that we all secretly needed. In a year filled with uncertainty, we get to dive into a story of what the year 2020 could have been if not for a few horrible events... This is beautifully written by Cousens and pushes the idea of fate or coincidence. A RomCom at its core but what I loved was that it also focused on friendship and family, and most of all self-discovery. The whole cast throughout the novel is wacky and hilarious all against an amazing London backdrop. This is a book about the idea that some people are born lucky or unlucky(or at least in their minds). It takes place in a fictional 2020 that we all wish we really got, but also focuses on New Year Eve's from the past of our two main characters. Yes, it is about allowing yourself to fall in love, but what I took away from it was finding a way to be comfortable in your own skin and to thrive in your own self-confidence. 

We meet your main character Minnie Copper (yes, that is really her name.) the eve before her 30th birthday and like every year before, NYE and New Year's day have never been lucky for Minnie. After a series of hilarious incidents, Minnie ends up locked in the bathroom while the ball drops. Que in our other main character Quinn Hamilton, it's also his 30th birthday and he helps Minnie out of the bathroom (The next morning!) and once the two get talking Minnie realizes she knows this man's name. He (or rather his mother) stole Minnie's name and luck the day they were born. Minnie was such a relatable character although she was stubborn and frustrating by the end of the novel you are rooting for her to better her life and hopefully find love. Honestly, I found myself loving Quinn much more than Minnie, mostly because Minnie is a glass half empty kind of girl. 

Stand out quote: 

" She wanted to fuel her own fire. If you got your fuel from men, they could leave, and you'd be left alone cold." p. 304

Some questions to ponder: 

1. Do you believe in fate? Why or Why not? 
2. On page 145, Greg describes the reality of love/relationships, do you agree or disagree? 
3. Do you believe in luck? Why or Why not? 
4. This books discuss anxiety quite a bit, what ways to combat anxiety in your own life? 

Thanks for popping by! 

-MDB