Review: What Happens Now? By Sophia Money-Coutts

 

Title: What Happens Now?

Author: Sophia Money-Coutts

Published: August 22nd 2019, HQ Fiction

Status: Read August 2019, courtesy Harlequin AU

++++++

My Thoughts:

What Happens Now? is a light, funny, thoroughly contemporary romance novel from Sophia Money-Coutts.

Thirty one year old private school teacher Lil is still raw from the end of an eight year relationship when her best friend, Jess, convinces her to use a dating app. Lil chooses mountaineer Max, who likes like ‘a cross between a Jane Austen hero, and Jack Sparrow’. and the evening goes well, so well in fact that Lil goes home with him. But Max is gone when Lil wakes up the next morning, preparing to mountain climb in Pakistan, and fails to respond to her carefully worded texts. Six weeks later Lil realises thrush isn’t the only souvenir from her one night stand with Max, she’s pregnant. Letting Max know is the right thing to do, but he is missing somewhere on Muchu Chhish, so what happens now?

Max obviously isn’t the greatest of communicators which continues to be issue throughout the book, but Money-Coutts ensures he’s not short on charm. I thought his reaction to the news of the pregnancy was pretty realistic, and once he commits to fatherhood, he is kind and generous with Lil.

I liked Lil, her apprehension on finding out she was pregnant felt natural, and I admired her general equanimity once she’d made the decision keep the baby, with or without Max. I really enjoyed her interactions at the school where she teaches, especially with her small charges.

I enjoyed the friendships too. Lil’s bestie Jess, and her twin brother Clem are amusing, and the glimpses of Lil’s flatmates and work colleagues are fun. I also liked how sweet and supportive Lil’s parents are.

I appreciated the honesty with which the author described several scenes in the story, particularly how awkward it is to pee on a pregnancy test stick, and the delicate answers needed to satisfy the curiosity of five year olds (I fielded similar questions when I was pregnant and teaching). I could have done with a few less details about a particular act in the sex scene though.

I’m too old fashioned to not to be at least a little uncomfortable about the failure of Max and Lil to use a condom, especially during a casual encounter (with the knowledge that two of my children were conceived while I was on the pill and STD’s are still a thing people!).

That point aside, I was engaged by the wit and warmth of What Happens Now? An entertaining read.

++++++

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