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This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
Genre: Romance
My Review Rating: ♥♥♥.5
352 Pages | Published: November 1, 2020 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Book Jacket Synopsis
Their lives began together, but their worlds couldn’t be more different. After thirty years of missed connections, they’re about to meet again…
Minnie Cooper knows two things with certainty: that her New Year’s birthday is unlucky, and that it’s all because of Quinn Hamilton, a man she’s never met. Their mothers gave birth to them at the same hospital just after midnight on New Year’s Day, but Quinn was given the cash prize for being the first baby born in London in 1990–and the name Minnie was meant to have, as well. With luck like that, it’s no wonder each of her birthdays has been more of a disaster than the one before.
When Minnie unexpectedly runs into Quinn at a New Year’s party on their mutual thirtieth birthday, she sees only more evidence that fortune has continued to favor him. The gorgeous, charming business owner truly seems to have it all–while Minnie’s on the brink of losing her pie-making company and her home. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each fraught encounter leaves them both wanting more?
A moving, joyful love story, This Time Next Year explores the way fate leads us to the people we least expect–no matter what the odds.
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Favorite Quotes
- “Minnie, you were like this light coming into my life – you dazzle me. But your light also made me see all these shadows in my own life, shadows I finally realized I had to deal with.”
Review & Thoughts
Initial Thoughts: I’d heard a lot of hype about this book and picked it as an add-on with a Book of the Month box.
Themes, Elements & Review Notes:
- I thought it was interesting how they wove in the timelines of previous new year’s eve and new year days from the past to present. I liked how they’d had previous meet-cutes and almost meet-cutes but I don’t think it was fully developed and tied together well. How do you have a connection with someone and then not even recognize them at all? I think some of the previous connections and missed connections were fun but they should have had more meaning.
- Important theme of perspective and communication: Minnie spent the first 30 years of her life with a chip on her shoulder with the mindset that she was unlucky. Perspective can completely change your outlook and life and it’s important to take responsibility for your life and your own happiness.
- Theme: unpacking previous experiences in order to move past an aversion to commitment. Normalizing therapy to help unpack those past experiences.
- Theme: connecting with others and offering support. I liked the story between Quinn’s mother and Minnie’s mother. Their growing friendship led both women to take small steps to improve their lives.
- Where do you want to be this time next year? For me, I’m hoping to be in a new home with a new baby or a baby on the way. Enjoying life and finding joy and celebrating the small things in life.
- I liked the acknowledgments where the author writes that stories connect us.
- I liked the quirky wall of clocks and loved the clever tie in later in the story on how it helped Minnie’s future.
In a Nutshell: Some people loved this book and some hated it. I’m right in the middle because I thought the book lacked character development and I didn’t particularly like the main characters, though I did like Minnie’s best friend. Might be a decent read if you’re looking for a New Year’s themed book and don’t mind under-developed and somewhat unlikeable main characters.
Book Format & Source: Hardback copy purchased in November 2020 Book of the Month box
About Sophie Cousens
From Amazon Author Page:
Sophie Cousens started her career in television, where she produced, among other things, The Graham Norton Show, Big Brother, Ant and Dec and Russell Howard’s Good News. Working in TV taught her three things;
1 – Wearing a lanyard makes you look as though you know what you are doing.
2 -The best phrase you can contribute in meetings is “let’s action that!”If you say it often enough, hopefully someone else will do your work for you.
3 – If in doubt, find someone wearing a lanyard – they’ll know what to do.
Sophie currently lives in Jersey where she now writes full time. She lives with her husband Tim and has two small children who keep her occupied with important questions such as ‘but did Cinderella have a toothbrush?’ and ‘do giraffe’s know they have really long necks?’ She yearns for a time when she will be able to add a miniature dachshund to the party.
Visit the author’s website.
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