Book Review: ‘This Time Next Year: A Novel’ By Sophie Cousens

There’s a good reason the Good Morning America pick This Time Next Year as its book club pick and that’s because it’s a really enjoyable book. Filled with interesting characters and a fun story that readers can get invested in and root for them.

Minnie Cooper hates birthdays, especially when it’s on New Year’s Day. And this year is no different. At a party she gets her dressed ruined and she gets locked in a bathroom stall all night. She’s rescued the next morning by Quinn, who was born the same day and in the same hospital as her by a minute. He also has her name. Minnie’s mother was going to name her Quinn until Quinn’s mother stole the name. And soon Minnie breaks up with her boyfriend and finds her baking business in serious financial trouble. And Quinn has been coming around and they’re becoming friends. And then her business goes under, she has to move back home with her parents and they keep running into each other and Quinn wants more. They’re two broken people and they have to decide if trying to be together is really worth it.

The story is told with flashbacks to various birthdays and the details of both Minnie and Quinn’s days of birth. It’s an effective use to understand the characters and why they are how they are.

You can pick up the book in stores now from Putnam.