Title: This Time Next Year
Author: Sophie Cousens
Publisher: Cornerstone
Synopsis
Quinn and Minnie are born on New Year’s Eve, in the same hospital, one minute apart.
Their lives may begin together, but their worlds couldn’t be more different.
Thirty years later they find themselves together again in the same place, at the same time.
What if fate is trying to bring them together?
The clock strikes midnight, their moment passes, and another year begins. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each frustrating interaction somehow seems to push their lives in the right direction? Could it be that instead of clashing, their different outlooks might complement each other?
Perhaps now is the time to take a chance…
My review
This Time Next Year is a sweet, enjoyable novel following Minnie, who is a New Year’s Day baby (like me!) born on 1st January 1990 (LIKE ME!). Minnie is convinced she has bad luck every New Year’s Eve/ Day. The book jumps back and forwards in time, to the present day – when she meets Quinn, who was also born on New Year’s Day – and back to her childhood and teenage years. We see a lot of why Minnie believes her New Year Days are ‘cursed’ in these various timeframes, and we learn more about her friendships, family and past relationships – and we also get some insight into Quinn’s life, too, as some of the narratives focus on him.
This book is a very sweet and light-hearted read, with a really likable protagonist, but I felt it was quite predictable. I also felt that some characters (don’t want to give away who) had a complete turnaround quite far into the book, which didn’t feel very realistic.
However, the characters are well developed and, along with the lighter themes, there are some more serious themes addressed too. Despite this, I think This Time Next Year provides a nice dose of escapism as we see the characters’ romance blossom, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a romance with a bit more depth.
Rating: 3.5/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Cornerstone, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review, and for inviting me onto the blog tour!