Monday, November 30, 2020

Book Review: "This Time Next Year" by Sophie Cousens

Sophie Cousens' debut novel, This Time Next Year, is a slow-burn rom-com about destiny, luck, and realizing you’re worthy of real love.

Quinn and Minnie were both born just moments into 1990 in the same hospital. Because Quinn was the first baby born in the new year his family won money—money that should have been Minnie’s, her family believes. And as a further injustice, Minnie was supposed to be named Quinn, but Quinn's mother “stole” the name from Minnie's mom. (So instead of naming her Quinn Cooper they named her Minnie Cooper. Yep.)

Minnie has always been led to believe that her birthday is unlucky, and it becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, with things going wrong or falling apart. When she finally meets Quinn at a party on their mutual 30th birthday, after losing her coat and having someone vomit on her shirt, it seems like luck has followed this handsome man through the years, while Minnie is barely hanging on, and trying to hold her pie-making business together.

Of course, appearances can be deceiving, and as they keep running into each other, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other. But will fate—and real struggles—intervene or serve as a matchmaker?

I loved the concept of this book and found the characters so fascinating and appealing. The book’s narration shifts back and forth between Minnie and Quinn, recalling past birthdays for each and not-quite encounters, then returning to the present.

This is definitely a slow-burn romance—a little slower than I would’ve liked—but it’s still really enjoyable. (And I might’ve teared up, but I’ll never tell.)

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