June 2025: Sophie Cousens' Is She Really Going Out With Him?

About this sermon

As a former TV producer turned bestselling novelist, Sophie Cousens has a gift for weaving warmth, wit, and emotional resonance into every page. Her previous novels—This Time Next Year and Before I Do—have been translated into more than 20 languages, and her newest, Is She Really Going Out With Him?, is our June JHBC selection. In this episode, Sophie joins Jen to talk about her decade working behind the scenes on iconic TV shows like The Graham Norton Show and Big Brother—and how producing real people’s stories helped her craft authentic characters and compelling plotlines as a novelist. They dive into her love for rom-com tropes (and why she doesn’t shy away from them), her writing process, and what it means to rediscover yourself—and love—in your 40s. Whether you’re navigating dating apps, raising kids, or wondering if your best years might still be ahead of you, Sophie’s insights (and this book) will make you feel seen, hopeful, and maybe even ready to believe in second chances. Thought-Provoking Quotes: “I've been a producer on shows that were much more produced—you've got a script, you've got a plan, you know exactly what you're getting; whereas with Big Brother we were just dealing with real people and real people's emotions and the experience of being in this slight madhouse.” – Sophie Cousens “Tropes are enduring because they are beloved. Sometimes, that word has a negative connotation but, in this case, it’s not true.” – Jen Hatmaker “I absolutely love films of that 90s and 2000s era. That’s very much the tone in which I write.” – Sophie Cousens “What if the one that got away turned up the night before your wedding? What if you picked up the wrong suitcase at the airport and then fell in love with the contents? What if you let your kids choose your dates for you?” – Sophie Cousens Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Russel Howard’s Good News - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00phwkz The Graham Norton Show - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006xnzc Big Brother - https://www.cbs.com/shows/big_brother/ Notting Hill (1999) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125439/ Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding - https://amzn.to/4dJsJ6y Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens - https://amzn.to/45IC4tt And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens COMING NOVEMBER 2025 - https://amzn.to/3Fq5SR4 Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion (1997) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120032/ Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton) - https://www.instagram.com/claudiajessies/?hl=en Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid - https://amzn.to/4mYRzUk Great, Big, Beautiful Life by Emily Henry - https://amzn.to/43IRYTp Julia Whelan, audio narrator - https://jmwhelan.com/narrator/ The Husbands: A Novel by Holly Gramazio - https://amzn.to/4dQnNx5 Holly Bourne, author - https://hollybourne.co.uk/ Guest’s Links: Website - https://www.sophiecousens.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sophie_cousens/ Twitter - https://x.com/sophiecous Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sophiecousensauthor Connect with Jen! Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.