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Book club questions for This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens takes a closer look at this story about fate. There will be spoilers so for more context about the story, check out my spoiler-free review first.
Well, this was a nice and easy story to read in December. I ended up reading it in one sitting. It reminded me a bit of One Day in December—it shares some similarities about pondering fate and choices. I’m always recommending that story so be sure to check it out if you haven’t already!
I thought Minnie was a solid protagonist. And wow, her mother really did quite a number on her confidence. I was glad to see her grow and evolve quite a bit—especially taking more control of her own life. I mentioned this in the review but I’m glad the author gave Quinn a bit more depth and context. If he was a simply just a rich and successful guy, it would have been boring. His mother’s illness has quite an impact on him and has made him scared to actually commit to a relationship. His growth was interesting as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one!
The synopsis
Minnie Cooper knows two things with certainty: that her New Year’s birthday is unlucky, and that it’s all because of Quinn Hamilton, a man she’s never met. Their mothers gave birth to them at the same hospital just after midnight on New Year’s Day, but Quinn was given the cash prize for being the first baby born in London in 1990–and the name Minnie was meant to have, as well. With luck like that, it’s no wonder each of her birthdays has been more of a disaster than the one before.
When Minnie unexpectedly runs into Quinn at a New Year’s party on their mutual thirtieth birthday, she sees only more evidence that fortune has continued to favor him. The gorgeous, charming business owner truly seems to have it all–while Minnie’s on the brink of losing her pie-making company and her home. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each fraught encounter leaves them both wanting more?
A moving, joyful love story, This Time Next Year explores the way fate leads us to the people we least expect–no matter what the odds.
Book Club Questions for This Time Next Year
- What did you think about Quinn and Minnie’s first meeting in 2020?
- Minnie was born after Quinn and that has had a long-lasting impact. Let’s talk about why Minnie thought she was cursed in many ways. How did her mother help enable this line of thinking?
- Why do you think her mother was bitter toward Quinn’s mother Tara for so long? How would have things been different for them if Minnie was born first and they won that money?
- Minnie and Quinn are drawn to each other, despite how different they are. What did you think about this slow burn romance?
- Quinn comes across as the kind of guy who has it all. But we eventually learn that is mother is agoraphobic and suffers from anxiety. Let’s talk about the impact of his mother’s illness on Quinn.
- Why is it hard for Quinn to sustain a relationship?
- Quinn introduces Minnie to his mother right away—something he has failed to do in the past. Why do you think he did so?
- Minnie is convinced she’s jinxed, and it all circles back to her birth. Both Quinn and her friend Leila try to tell her she needs to start taking responsibility for own life. What caused Minnie to start to change her line of thinking and take more control?
- The story is about missed opportunities. We learn that Minnie and Quinn’s meeting in 2020 is not the first time they’ve met or been in the same area. What did you think about the chapters dedicated to their missed opportunities?
- Do you believe in fate and that people are meant to be? Do you think that humans have free will or is fate already predetermined?
- After years of resentment, Minnie’s mother visits with Quinn’s mother. And they end up developing a friendship. Let’s talk about their friendship and how they helped each other for the better.
- What did you think about the ending when Minnie and Quinn finally get together? Do you think they’re fated to be with each other forever?
More recommendations
Hope you enjoyed book club questions for This Time Next Year! Here are some more recommendations along with links to book club questions.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Another story that looks at fate is In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren. It is a holiday story but you can always read it at any time!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.
But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.
The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.
Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
You can order the book on Amazon here. Check out my book club questions here.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle is another moving story about relationships.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Dannie Kohan lives her life by the numbers.
She is nothing like her lifelong best friend—the wild, whimsical, believes-in-fate Bella. Her meticulous planning seems to have paid off after she nails the most important job interview of her career and accepts her boyfriend’s marriage proposal in one fell swoop, falling asleep completely content.
But when she awakens, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. Dannie spends one hour exactly five years in the future before she wakes again in her own home on the brink of midnight—but it is one hour she cannot shake. In Five Years is an unforgettable love story, but it is not the one you’re expecting.
You can order the book on Amazon here. Check out my book club questions here.
Happy reading!
