what I’m reading: this time next year by sophie cousens.

Minnie Cooper and Quinn Hamilton were both born on New Year’s Day at the same hospital. When Minnie meets her “birthday twin” on their mutual birthday 30 years later, she discovers that their lives have taken different courses. Minnie is trying to run a pie-making business with her best friend. Quinn has flourished and runs a successful company. As the two keep running into each other, they discover they have a connection together.

I really liked this book. It’s an adorable romantic comedy that kept me entertained while reading. The book takes place over the course of a year with some flashbacks to how Minnie and Quinn have spent previous New Year’s Eves.

Both Minnie and Quinn are well-developed characters with flaws and I enjoyed reading about them navigating their issues and figuring out who they are. I thought this book had some great messages about mental health and finding yourself and each other. I liked that neither Minnie nor Quinn were perfect and they both experience quite a lot over the course of the book.

There are many great side characters and plots that really make this story shine. The secondary storylines regarding mental health and the friendship between Minnie and Leila were terrific. There is a lot to digest and although every once in a while I thought the book strayed into a bit of a dark area, I also found this book to be filled with messages of hope.

I would have liked to see more of Quinn’s story. The story is mainly told from Minnie’s point of view so we really only get Quinn’s perspective in the flashbacks. I thought his stories and troubles were engaging and I would have liked to see how he dealt with everything in his viewpoint.

This book is set in 2020 and there is a note that it was written pre-pandemic. I found it optimistic and entertaining to read about a different 2020 than the one we just lived through.

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