Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens @sophie_cousens #kerrygilbert @prhaudio @prhaudio.bsky.social

the setup…
Anna Appleby is a divorced mother of two in her late thirties who writes a lifestyle column for a magazine called Bath Living. She’s good at her job and it provides the stability she needs to manage home and work life. While her social life consists of Netflix binge watching, she’s content with how things are…that is until her magazine undergoes a change in direction. Anna is a good journalist but what they need now is a ‘fresh” approach, one her nemesis Will Havers has advocated and is vying for her column spot. Now they’re pitted together to contrast their dating experiences with her’s having a unique spin…going out with men selected by her two children. Did I mention they’re twelve and eight years old?

the heart of the story…
Anna’s only been divorced for about a year and she’s definitely in a social rut. Her ex-husband left her and is now dating a twenty something. Though she has no desire to be with him, she’s adrift without a sense of her own identity without a clue how to date. Her rivalry with Will Havers who’s in his late twenties and seems to epitomize what the new management is looking for is the spark that motivates her. She wants to beat him at this game but in the process, is enjoying the experience and her columns are a wonderful expression of her own metamorphosis.

the narration…
Kerry Gilbert was fabulous in her performance! She seemed to inhabit Anna, capturing her every emotion, all laced with a wry sense of humor and vulnerability. Her storytelling skills were wonderful.

the bottom line…
I bonded with Anna so quickly as that prologue was priceless. She’s so authentic, as are the other characters, especially her children, pre-teen daughter Jess and Ethan who seemed to react as you’d expect them to for their ages. The dating experiences are often hilarious but it’s the insights they give to Anna that provides depth to the story. It’s her “coming of age’ that feels natural and real. And Will Havers serves as the perfect foil. It’s a mature style of romantic comedy that I wholeheartedly embrace.

Book Info

• Release Date: November 19, 2024
• Narrator: Kerry Gilbert
• Audio Length: 11 hours, 42 minutes
• Publisher: Penguin Audio

Listen to a Sample!

Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm