Over the course of four novels, Sophie Cousens has quietly but reliably become one of my most anticipated authors of romantic comedies. Her fifth, IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM?, offers a return to more realistic fiction after her prior book, THE GOOD PART, which contained some fun and fantastical time slip elements. Here we are introduced to Anna Appleby, a somewhat harried mum of two who, in the opening pages, receives an emotionless email confirmation that her divorce has been finalized.

On one level, divorce is a relief. Anna had fallen out of love with Dan long before, but she also feels more pressure than ever. She is constantly stressed over his lackluster approach to parenting (which is made more complicated by his newly serious relationship with a young Swedish lifestyle influencer), along with the pressure of maintaining her job as a writer for the financially struggling lifestyle magazine Bath Living.

"This is the perfect book to give to a good friend this holiday season, or to cherish for yourself when you need a beautifully written, heartwarming hug of a novel."

The magazine's new publisher has given Anna a challenge: find a compelling hook for a column if you'd like to keep your job and help save the magazine. After a few fits and starts, she stumbles into a concept. She will go out on a series of dates with men she meets in real life, and they will selected for her by her children. Not to be outdone, her annoyingly competitive (and maddeningly attractive) colleague, Will Havers, pitches his own column idea. He will go out on a series of online dates, and they will see whose approach leads to greater success (and higher readership).

Sullen tween Jess and exuberant six-year-old Ethan hardly seem like the most reliable matchmakers. But they do have a knack for leading Anna's dates down some interesting pathways, including an injury-prone fishing outing with the father of one of Ethan's school friends and a house party at the invitation of a much younger waiter at the family's favorite restaurant. As she navigates single motherhood, her evolving relationship with Dan, and her tenuous status at work, Anna soon realizes that these dates and how she writes about them are as much about her own self-discovery as they are about finding love (which she's not sure she wants to pursue again anyway). The only complication? That pesky Will, who keeps entangling himself with her dates (and her thoughts) despite herself.

IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM? is a lovely exploration of a woman embarking on rebuilding her life and reimagining her future. While the romance aspect is genuine, enticing and central to the plot, Anna's story of learning to reprioritize herself and revive her friendship networks in the wake of divorce is almost as important. Although there are heart-tugging moments here, there is also plenty of humor (relinquishing oneself to a series of blind dates is an inherently funny plot setup, after all).

This is the perfect book to give to a good friend this holiday season, or to cherish for yourself when you need a beautifully written, heartwarming hug of a novel.