This Time Next Year
by Sophie Cousens, Hannah Arterton (Narrator)
Publication date: December 1st 2020
Publisher: Penguin Audio (first published August 1st 2020)
Summary:
Their lives began together, but their worlds couldn’t be more different. After 30 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 30th 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.
Source: Goodreads
Thoughts:
“This Time Next Year” starts on New Year’s Eve, an evening that Minnie Cooper always tries her best to avoid. Ever since her birth back on January 1st 1990, Minnie has had the worst luck at this time and the stain on her shirt at a fancy NYE party is just the start of her problems this year.
Back in 1990, Minnie was in competition with one other baby to become the first born in a new decade. Quinn Hamilton managed to beat her to the punch by a matter of seconds, starting the jinx that has stuck with Minnie ever since.
“This Time Next Year” tells the story of Minnie over the next year, dipping back into the past through occasional flashbacks too. Minnie and her best friend Leila run a pie business and that brings some great plot points to the story and Minnie seems to find herself bumping into Quinn everywhere she goes.
Each of the characters in this story is likeable and full of quirky personality traits that you can’t help but love. I was particularly fond of Minnie’s Dad and his collection of clocks, Minnie and Leila’s friendship was great too. I could really picture everything that was happening so clearly in my mind and I devoured the majority of this rom-com with a smile on my face.
Sure, some of the plot was predictable, but that didn’t matter in this light, easy read. Overall this was a really enjoyable book to wrap up the year with. Let’s just hope that New Year’s Eve 2020 isn’t an unlucky one!
Where do you hope to be this time next year?
Overall rating: “This Time Next Year” by Sophie Cousens is a quirky rom-com with a lot of heart. Minnie Cooper’s story makes for a really enjoyable read and a great pick-me-up at the end of a difficult year! 5 stars!
What Rebecca's Read 