What Happens Now?

Written by Sophia Money-Coutts

Narrated by Sophia Money-Coutts

‘Will have you in fits of laughter… move over, Bridget Jones!’ New ‘Surprisingly funny and very saucy’ OK! ‘A laugh-a-minute page-turner, perfect for poolside reading!’ HELLO! ‘Surprisingly saucy and distractingly funny’ GRAZIA

‘No question about it, there are two little purple lines. I’m pregnant.’

After eight years together, Lil Bailey thought she’d already found ‘the one’ – that is, until he dumped her for a blonde twenty-something colleague. So she does what any self-respecting singleton would do: swipes right, puts on her best bra and finds herself on a first date with a handsome mountaineer called Max. What’s the worst that can happen?
 
Well it’s pretty bad actually. First Max ghosts her and then, after weeing on a stick (but mostly her hands), a few weeks later Lil discovers she’s pregnant. She’s single, thirty-one and living in a thimble-sized flat in London, it’s hardly the happily-ever-after she was looking for.

Lil’s ready to do the baby-thing on her own – it can’t be that hard, right? But she should probably tell Max, if she can track him down. Surely he’s not that Max, the highly eligible, headline-grabbing son of Lord and Lady Rushbrooke, currently trekking up a mountain in South Asia? Oh, maybe he wasn’t ignoring Lil after all…  

Praise for Sophia Money-Coutts:

‘So funny. And the sex is amazing!’ Jilly Cooper

‘Hilariously funny – I couldn’t put it down.’ Beth O’Leary

‘A laugh-a-minute page-turner, perfect for poolside reading!’ HELLO!

‘This hilarious novel proves Sophia Money-Coutts is mistress of the romp-com.’ The Sun

‘Howlingly funny’ Sunday Times

‘Wonderfully rude’ Red

‘Surprisingly saucy and distractingly funny’ Grazia

‘Funny and beautifully written … I loved it’ Daily Mail

‘Fizzes with joy’ Metro

‘Hilarious and uplifting’ Woman & Home

‘A thoroughly modern love story’ Woman’s Weekly

‘Does it earn its place in your beach bag? Absolutely’ Evening Standard

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Aug 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9780008288532

Reviews for What Happens Now?

[Kim Patience · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Funny and engaging really enjoyed the story. Beautifully written and narrated.

[stressedrach · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had read The Plus One from Sophie Money-Coutts and really enjoyed it and was so pleased that I was accepted to review her second book, What Happens Now?
It following Lil’s life from breaking up for a long term relationship and having her first date with Max, him ghosting her and then finding out she is pregnant and the following 9 months. It had me laughing out loud a lot of the time throughout the book. I love Sophie Money-Coutts writing, both her books have made me laugh but also have the emotion and rawness that is very real for most people too.
Absolutely brilliant!

[shelleyraec · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[birdsam0610 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’ve been reading some fairly serious books recently and I was looking for a change of pace. Something that yelled fun before I’d even opened to the first page. What Happens Now? grabbed my attention from the book stacks. Plus, the cover is the same colour as my footy team, so I couldn’t go wrong. This novel ticks all my boxes and earns extra credit for being a deliciously fun and hilarious read. It’s real with a heroine that hasn’t quite got it together and doesn’t look like achieving it soon. The quirks were original and the characters memorable.From a brief glance, you might wonder what makes What Happens Now? so unique. The story of a one-night stand ending in pregnancy isn’t an original one, but the details and camaraderie between the characters make it stand out. Lil has been dumped by her long-term boyfriend for a younger model. Encouraged by friends to swipe right, she meets Max in a pub and sparks fly. Max ticks all the boxes for a fling – not obviously a weirdo and hot. It’s all good that night but the morning after it starts to get weird with Max not answering Lil’s painstakingly thought out texts. Then Lil discovers she’s pregnant thanks to a dodgy curry and nerves. Lil reckons she can do it on her own (maybe) but it would be nice if Max would answer her instead of trekking up mountains and leaving his ex to fill the tabloids.The details in What Happens Now? make the story extra special. I was just as invested in Lil’s work life as I was in her love life. She’s a teacher at a very exclusive school and the stories of her students, their parents and the extravagances and demands were hilarious. Lil’s mum and stepfather are also well crafted with individual quirks that make them even more lovable. Lil’s best friend Jess is also a riot – she’s incredibly kind and has the most entertaining banter with her twin Clem. (I would love to see Jess get a story of her own, if only for the insults she can throw at Clem, well deserved or otherwise). Clem and Jess are quirky, yet the most loyal friends Lil could want. Even Lil’s flatmates and fellow teachers are cleverly constructed for ultimate friendship and laughs.What Happens Now? also stands head and shoulders above the pack because of its raw honesty. Even during the sex scenes, Lil is giving the reader a running commentary of what’s running through her mind (hint: it’s very rarely sexy, rather the kind of cringy things you wouldn’t confess to). Lil is blunt, but in a good way on many topics – not knowing her birth father, opinions on Max’s family and the bodily changes during pregnancy. While one of the main threads of the novel is romance (or lack of it), this book celebrates female friendship and girl power at any age. (Lil’s mum would set you straight on that). Sophia Money-Coutts is definitely an author to watch if you enjoy romcoms with unforgettable characters that truly do make you laugh out loud. I’m looking forward to her next novel, but in the meantime I’ll entertain myself with her debut The Plus One.Thank you to Harlequin for the ARC of this book. My review is honest.http://samstillreading.wordpress.com