Warm, affecting, and extremely entertaining!

Surprise Me is a lighthearted journey into the lives of married couple Sylvie and Dan who have it all, beautiful girls, successful careers, and a rock-solid marriage until the suggestion of another 68 years of marriage sends them into a tailspin that makes them question their goals, dreams, and each other.

The writing is smooth and effortless. The characters are quirky, comical, genuine, and lovable. And the plot is an engaging, moving tale bursting with witty banter, embarrassing situations, awkward moments, hilarious hijinks, and sweet romance.

Surprise Me is, ultimately, a story about marriage, secrets, commitment, family, introspection, and enduring love. It’s classic Kinsella with well-crafted characters, humour, heart, a surprising twist and a delightful ending that will definitely make you smile.

Sylvie and Dan are both thirty-two, have been together for ten years (married for seven) and have five year old twins. When their doctor tells them they are healthy enough to have another 68 more years together, they are freaked out. To keep things alive and exciting, they decide to plan surprises for each other, which comically don't have the effect they had anticipated.

Sylvie's father had been larger than life and everyone idolized him. He passed away in a car accident two years ago and Sylvie and her mother are still grieving CONSTANTLY. Sylvie can't understand why Dan doesn't grieve for him as well. Sylvie still wears her hair long long long because that's the way Daddy like it.

Sylvie is working for a small museum that still functions as if it's still the 1980s ... the owner refuses to function with modern conveniences and make them use a fax machine, share a computer and write everything in books. When the owner's nephew turns up, Sylvie is sure he is there to close the museum and sell the land to condo developers.

I've read a lot of Kinsella's books over the years and they are usually a fun escape. This one started out that way but got really serious about halfway in. Instead of getting closer together, something is ripping Sylvie and Dan apart. It's written in first person perspective from Sylvie's point of view. As a head's up, there is swearing.

I wasn't overly crazy about the main characters. I found it weird that Sylvie and Dan had married until "death do us part" but freaked out at the thought of having to spend the next 68 years together. I thought it was a bit much how Sylvie worshiped her father and held Dan to the same standard, which was tough for him considering Sylvie came from money and Dan didn't (and he refused to accept any of her family's). Sylvie's mother (Sylvie called her "Mummy") was very annoying and stuck-up and didn't seem to have any sense of reality (and everyone let her). Dan seemed like a nice guy but put up with her snotty family. Sylvie's boss and nephew were stereotypical in that she was a rich dotty elderly woman and her nephew was the young jerk with no appreciation for the past. I did like the neighbours, Tilda and her son, Toby ... they added some humour to the book.

I have long been a fan of Sophie Kinsella, beginning with the first I read by her “Undomestic Goddess”. Her stories always seem to tie to my own life in some fashion. In this, her latest, novel, I easily relate to the issues which come up and evolve in a married life.

Sylvie is a 32 year old woman who, along with her husband Dan (also 32) has just found out from their doctor that they should plan on another 68 years of married life based on their great genetics. They both respond with a fear of that kind of longevity with a single partner and how to keep from getting bored with each other.


Their attempts to make their lives together more exciting kicks off other events which seem to be even more threatening to the couple and their two daughters than simply a long life together.

As always, Ms. Kinsella’s protagonist is a humorous woman who is trying to make sense of her life. We sees from her standpoint and each of the other characters take on their life from her point of view of them. When her opinion is changed, as a reader, my view of them changes as well.

I always enjoy reading one of Ms. Kinsella’s books. The humor is there but there is also an underlying topic that is being addressed. I highly recommend this book and will be looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

I just want to say first, I love this author's books and read all the Shopaholic series. Also, several others under Madeline Wickham which I adored. The only reasons I am giving these 2 stars is again I love this author and the last 4 chapters of the book were the best part. When Sophie finally woke up from her princess fog. The first 13 chapters were about whining and complaining by the main character Sophie. She and her husband Dan were trying to spice up her marriage due to it being boring and bland. She kept whining about if Dan was cheating on her due to the dynamic in place before her father died. I don’t want to give the ending away, read it for yourself and see if I’m right.

I loved Sophie Kinsella's [book:I've Got Your Number|12033455], so I was excited to read this book. I have to say I was disappointed with this book.

Sylvie and Dan are the "It" couple. They can guess what the other is going to order at a restaurant. They can finish each others thoughts. After 10 years together, they go to the doctor for their checkup. The doctor tells them they are both healthy and could live til 100 years old. Which would be another 68 years together. Instead of happiness, fear and panic sets in for both of them. Since they have so many years together still, Sylvie comes up with Project Surprise Me to make life together more exciting.

I couldn't stand any of the characters in this book, which made the book difficult to read. Sylvie comes off as whiny and such a daddy's girl. Honestly all that adoration for her deceased father wanted me to throw the book out the window. Telling her husband about all her vacations as a child and all the famous people her dad knew, and then when Dan wants to expand his business, she says it was because he was jealous of her dad. You would think I would feel for Dan but I thought he was just an ass. What kind of person panics and freaks out when you are told you have a long future with your wife?

There were some laugh out loud parts in the story which got me through the whole book.

Thank you to NetGalley for supplying me a copy of Sophie Kinsella's "Surprise Me" in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy a good fluff read every so often. And, some writers are just better at writing that fluff, you know? Sophie Kinsella has pretty much mastered her own niche – novels that are romantic comedies that involve plots that are slightly ridiculous, but entertaining. Her latest novel, Surprise Me, is no different.

A key difference in this novel compared to many of her previous novels is that it is focused on an already married couple. Particularly, a couple who has been together for ten years and when things begin to get a little bit commonplace.

The novel’s main character, Sylvie, becomes desperate to put surprises back into her marriage after learning that humans are living longer than ever before – meaning she will be “stuck” with her husband for a much longer amount of time than she originally imagined. To deal with the extra years ahead of them, they decided to surprise one another.

In typical Kinsella style, these surprises run the gamut – and leave the reader feeling quite proud of herself for not being as silly (or dumb) as the characters in the novel. And, Sylvie, makes some really REALLY dumb calls. The results of a boudoir photo session are hilarious, but the some of the surprises cause the couple to reevaluate what they think they know about one another.

This novel was standard Kinsella rom-com flair, but it wasn’t my favorite of hers. For me, it took a bit to get off the ground. I wasn’t thoroughly engaged until about halfway through. Also, I picked up on a major plot point very early on and spent most of the time just waiting for Kinsella to finally reveal what seems so obvious. (I’m not just a great reader – it really is that obvious.) But, it must be noted, predictability is part of Kinsella’s charm.

However, any fan of Kinsella will eat this one up, as well as anyone who needs an escape from reality and an opportunity to feel better about herself in comparison with the characters. Plus, Kinsella fans who are married or in long-term relationships will appreciate her take on this situation as compared to the stories about finding love as a single woman.

Overall I struggled with this book. The premise didn't pull me in, I thought it was a little too over the top. I found Sylvie to be somewhat irritating and whiny and her obsession with her dead father became annoying. I've read Sophie Kinsella's books in the past and loved them but there was something off putting about these characters and this story. I wish I could've connected with them and cared about their story but I didn't.

“Longevity, Loyalty, and Partnership...” This is how the author describes her motivation for writing Surprise Me and with that thought, she did an excellent job. The storyline was interesting and I can say I did enjoy it, however, I really felt no emotional pull from either Dan or Sylvia. That was the part of the book that was missing to me. I felt like I could have been reading an article from a magazine instead of a story that pulls the reader in and makes them not want to put the book down. This is just my opinion and I believe that most people will love this story. I liked it, but did not love it.

Dan and Sylvie have been together for 10 years, and they have two beautiful daughters. They finish each other's sentences and know exactly what the other one is thinking or is going to do. But when they hear they will probably spend the next 68 years together, they completely freak out. It's a lot of time to spend with the same person doing the same things. So they decide to spice up their lives with a few surprises that not always have good results, from awkward photoshoots to snakes to booking double appointments. Then Sylvie starts to suspect that Dan is hiding something from her.

This is another successful novel from one of my favourite authors. The female characters are funny and engaging and I wish they were my friends. There is never a dull moment, with a few dramatic scenes, a few awkward occasions, and hilarious situations that made me laugh out loud - especially the scene of the sexy photoshoot. Despite the laughs, I found this book a bit more serious than Kinsella's other novels, but it still has her captivating writing, lovable characters and witty dialogue.

Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite contemporary authors. Her books are always feel-good with lots of humor. That being said, this was not my favorite book of hers. I liked the concept of a married couple wanting to spice up their marriage by surprising each other. However, I found the main character Sylvie to be so annoying. She was selfish, paranoid, and delusional for most of this book. She was so unlikable and not relatable in the least which was a shame because I really liked Dan. She just came off as such a spoiled rich girl who was so single-minded. I literally almost DNFed this because I found her so annoying. It's such a pity because I usually love Sophie Kinsella's female protagonists. The story was also repetitive and predictable. If I had to read about how great a man her father was another second I would have thrown the book. Overall, not my favorite but I am still looking forward to reading Sophie Kinsella's next book because I generally enjoy them. I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Told with Kinsella's signature wit, Surprise Me is a cautionary tale of how, with the best of intentions, you can easily ruin the best thing in your life. In other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Marriage is a fragile relationship. It's also a living bond, not an institution, and is subject to the ebbs and flows of life. The partners in the alliance have to be ever cognizant of their decisions and the long-term effects of those decisions at every crossroads in their lives. Are they enhancing their situation or are they destroying it? Are they sacrificing their future for a short-term gain?

Sylvie and Dan have been together for ten years, most of them in marriage and some of them as partners. They have five-year-old twins, a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, and the uncanny ability of knowing exactly what the other is thinking and doing and of finishing each other's sentences to the point of having nonsensical conversations in shorthand.

To celebrate their tenth anniversary of togetherness, they have lunch at their favorite restaurant, where over the course of the meal they reaffirm their connection to each other, their love for each other, and that their marriage is on firm, secure ground. After lunch, they head over to their back-to-back appointments for physicals with their family physician, who congratulates them on their healthy bodies and healthy family tree. They enjoy hearing this, till he announces that they are sure to enjoy long lives and sixty-eight years of married bliss.

And their smiles just freeze. Sixty-eight long years suddenly sound daunting and feel like a life sentence. While Sylvie and Dan are confident in their love for each other and they're not remotely considering divorce, "forever" feels a lot longer than they'd bargained for. They had felt like they were running small local races but now find themselves in an ultra-marathon.

What will they look like in forty years, much less sixty-eight? How will they sustain the excitement through eleven thousand sexual encounters with the same person? When will they stop being attractive to one another? Lose the spark of joy? Become cohabiting ships passing in the night?

These thoughts start their crazy ideas to re-jig their life and make it more exciting. But as one person brings up an idea, the other shoots it down. And thus, they begin going down the path of disappointment and disillusion, hesitant and frustrated with each other. Each one feels the other lacks the right sentiments and attitudes, is interested only in the humdrum, and uninterested in keeping their marriage vibrant. They each wonder how they're going to fill the endless, soulless years of mindless drone work.

They're going around in an ever-darkening spiral, until one day, they realize that they both love each other and want a happy marriage. They just don't want to be bored together. So what are they to do?

Then Sylvie has a brain wave. "Surprise me!" she demands of Dan, little realizing that the pressure to continually surprise the other person is going to lead to the unraveling of their marriage.

I can say for sure that I did not like the protagonists. I found them shallow and unappreciative of each other and the people around them. They make calamities out of the commonplace and then flounder around trying to find a way out of the difficulties they have visited upon themselves. Yet despite this, I enjoyed the book; I don't have to like the protagonists in a novel to find the story worth reading.

There's dialogue in this book that made me gasp with laughter, and then there's dialogue that brought tears to my eyes. This story has so many facets, all of which go into the exploration of marriage and what it means when two people are willing to become vulnerable to each other, and in that vulnerability, make a vow to be together forever. The humor, like the pathos, in this book can be uncomfortable, because it comes so close to reality, and the central couple’s defenselessness against their emotions evokes a sense of pity and recognition. We've all been there where we try to enhance that which doesn't need enhancement and modify that which doesn't need modification and then get entangled in the web we've woven. And yet, these hapless people do manage to overcome their natures and work in concert to patch up their missteps for the greater good of their marriage. What, after all, is a better testament to their wedding vows: …to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse…

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

The premise sounds so promising but when I was 1/3 of the book, I truly got annoyed with the main character Sylvie who sounds so whiny and annoying to me. The synopsis of this book is about a couple (after being married for 10 years) found out from their doctor that they are so healthy they'll live longer than they anticipated and will be married for 68 years or more. The very thought of being together that long scared them that they started to have doubts about how their marriage will last.. So they came with a plan "Project Surprise Me"., so they can spice their marriage up. But through all the surprises, mishaps and disaster happen.

I love the other books of Sophie Kinsella and I get it, this is supposed to be a humorous, contemporary romance. But the whole concept of the book seems so stupid to me. Hello? Marriage is supposed to be a promise of being together until death, is it not? You marry the person because you commit to being with him/her. The gifts and surprises are just an icing on the cake and should not be the reason why you stayed married to each other. Obviously, since this is supposed to be humorous I should just laugh it out. But anyway, this book is obviously not for me. And I just can't stand the whining (which yeah subside towards the end but I can't get past it) of the main character and her obsession with her dead father. I actually have to force myself to finish this book which mercifully I did. The plot twist, in the end, did not help me to like the story. So yes, I still love Sophie Kinsella as an author (love her Shopaholic series) but I'm not fond of this stand-alone book. Thanks to NetGalley, Library Things, and the Dial Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted on Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read, 2/12/20 - http://mommasaystoreadornottoread.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-surprise-me-by-by-sophie.html

Fast-paced, witty, and entertaining. After reading the blurb, I'll admit that I went into this one expecting more fluff than substance, but the prologue had me rethinking that assumption. Then I get to the first chapter and was worried again - Sylvie and Dan are just a bit too perfect. And then the story takes an interesting turn. As this couple is faced with what should be good news from a physician, they react differently than what most would expect. They freak completely out. They then set about on a mission to surprise each other in order to keep things interesting in their marriage, but these surprises don't turn out quite like they planned. Ranging from the simple and sweet to outright hilarious bungles, these surprises lead to some miscommunication and suspicion. That's when the story takes a more serious turn. While the last part of the book is more serious, that same sharp wit is still present to keep things from getting too heavy. All in all, the story is a bit over the top at times, but it's well written and a surprisingly entertaining and at times compelling read.

Rather than the typical single girl looking for love, Sophie Kinsella has provided a story of a marriage. After a visit for annual physicals, Sylvie and Dan find out the are in perfect health...and should live a long and happy life...together....for another 65+ years.

Worried they will be bored with each other, they set off on Project Surprise Me. As expected in a book of this genre, not everything goes according to plan.

There's a great exploration into Sylvie's grief over her father's death. BUT it's distracting when adults call their parents "mommy" and "daddy".

All in all, this is chick lit. It's good for the right time and place.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When I pick up one of her books, I know Sophie Kinsella will deliver a sharp, funny novel every time. Surprise Me, her latest book, deals with marriage, and the pressures to keep love alive through the long haul. While this was a fun book, I did have some issues with it, starting with the premise.

The entire premise of this book is that the couple, Silvie and Dan, are told they are going to live to be over one-hundred. This means that their ten year relationship has about sixty-eight more years to go. They panic, and worry about how they are going to survive such a long time together. They act like this is a prison sentence!

As a person who will be soon celebrating thirty-five years with my partner (30 of them married), I immediately thought, "well, if you are that upset about the prospect of a lifetime together, you're with the wrong person".

First of all, it is a privilege to grow old with your partner. For me, the past thirty-five years have gone in the blink of an eye! One of the main reasons that I want to live a long life is so I can have more time with my partner (and my kids, too).

Also, Silvie and Dan seem to think that the person they are married to right now will be exactly the same person down the line. This is ridiculous. I know that I am a different person now than even just ten years ago. And the same goes for my husband. Everyone grows and matures as time goes by. The trick is to not grow apart.

What I Did Like:

Characters:

Silvie and Dan are like many thirty-something couples. Busy with work and family, they rarely have much time to be a couple. Often, they are more like roommates, getting their chores done. I liked that they could see this and it bothered them. They genuinely did want to make their marriage work, even if their methods were silly.

I also enjoyed Silvie's neighbor and best friend, Tilda. She is a solid character who is more than just a sounding board for Silvie's concerns. Tilda is dealing with her own adult son still living at home. She both wants him to become responsible and move on with her life, and also is afraid when he does he will never visit.

Themes:

I think this whole book is about how life changes. As the years move forward, we are not the same people. Relationships change, and not just in marriage. There is a big shift in how Silvie and her mother see each other by the end of the story, as well as how Tilda and her son, Toby interact. And romantic relationships change, and grow as well. Even companies and jobs evolve, as both Dan, and Silvie find out.

The Ending:

I was getting very annoyed with this book until it finally came together at the end. As I ranted about earlier in this review, I thought the premise was weak and I worried that the couple wouldn't realize how lucky they were. But the ending did redeem the book. Insights were had and lessons were learned.

Even with the problematic premise, I did enjoy this book. There are some genuinely funny moments, along with some sexy, married fun!

I love Sophie Kinsella. This book was a bit predictable but it really had some good laughs to it. I don't want to spoil anymore of it. Thanks again Netgalley.

I found nothing funny about the characters in this book. I wouldn’t even call it silly humor. The way in which Sylvie and Dan react to the news of how long they might live is not relatable and make them the most unlikeable characters ever. This book wasn’t for me; however, many fans do like it.

What I loved the most about this book were all the little wifey antics going on inside Sylvie's head. If you're married or have ever been in a long relationship I'm sure you'll absolutely relate to them. I mean, men, sometimes they're just so hopelessly men. So I laughed along with Sylvie and identified myself so much with her "investigator" approach, or the verbal sneaky traps she'd set for Dan, or the subtle provocations that, of course, Dan being a man, he would never get. That time she left her Google search history open on the kitchen table for everyone to see was just priceless. My LOL moment for this book.

I've noticed I've come to wait for Sophie Kinsella's books with the same eagerness I once had for Harry Potter, and the best part is that (hopefully) they won't come to an end. She's one of my favorite authors and her distinctive humor is amazing every time.

That said, Surprise Me is not going to be one of my favorite books from her, and the reason is pretty simple and also quite a reading pet peeve of mine. When it comes to romcoms, or any romance in general, really, I prefer new couples. I need that boy-meets-girl sparkle. I want a meet-cute. A book about a married couple is not going to have that, and, honestly, I think I would've enjoyed this book so much more if the entirety of Sylvie's family had not been there.

The mystery around which the plot revolves is, in Sylvie's own words, sordid. A bit too much for a romcom. As is the theme of grief: too sad, too serious. Sylvie's most annoying trait was her "daddy complex," she kept saying, "Daddy this, Daddy that," so much that at one point I wanted to bash her over her head and just yell, "Shut up!"
Her mom was just a big, fat "Heck, no!"
And Dan. I don't want to give away any spoilers, I'm just going to say that, since he was already married to Sylvie, I didn't get to fall in bookish love with him as I have, say, with Alex from My Not So Perfect Life last year.

So, if none of Sylvie's family was there, no marriage, no kids, no crazy parents, and this book had been a good old love-hate story between Sylvie and Robert (not telling you who he is, you'll have to find out for yourselves, just saying that I was bookish falling for him a little bit. Loved his persona and his humor.) I think I would've enjoyed the book so much more...

My only experience with any of Sophie Kinsella’s other novels is “Finding Audrey,” a YA book that came out sometime last year (or maybe even in 2016, I’m not good with determining the passage of time). I remember it being a sweet, true-to-form story about a young girl with severe anxiety. I myself have anxiety, although not to the protagonist’s extent, but I still found the story relatable. The only aspect that really remained with me was the humor, and that was the driving force behind “Surprise Me.”

Even in its ARC form, there were no mistakes, in general writing, grammatically, or otherwise. The whole story flowed so well. I didn’t feel bored at any time, nor was I annoyed with the pacing – neither too slow nor too fast. It was the perfect speed. I felt like I was listening to a story told to me by either a great friend or a phenomenal storyteller. Of course, the latter occupation fits best.

Humor, without a doubt, was the best part. Every character, from Dan and Sylvie and Tilda to the twins and Clarissa and Mrs. Kendrick, was beyond funny, whether they meant to be or not. Honestly, the humor was so enjoyable and witty and just all-around fun, it’s made me want to read more Kinsella books, and I didn’t necessarily feel that way after reading “Finding Audrey.” But this book just had a special something to it. The first half of the book was lighthearted and hilarious and sweet and just all around a really well-told story.

Sophie Kinsella is one of my ‘go to’ authors. In fact, her novel Can You Keep a Secret is the book that got me reading again. It was laugh out loud funny. So much so a coworker asked if she could borrow it. Many thanks to my aunt for giving it to me all those years ago!

I have enjoyed most of Kinsella’s books that I have read. If you want an entertaining chick lit read, she is an author I recommend. Sadly, Surprise Me will not be a favorite. Surprise Me starts out promising, but failed the mark with me. It starts out with our couple Sylvie and Dan(who have been married 10 years and have twin girls) finding out that they could live another 68 years together. Instead of joy and excitement that would be expected they have the opposite reaction: Panic.

They work on surprising each other in order to spice up the marriage. It becomes like a Bridget Jones or Becky Bloomwood type of novel with some hilarious results. Then here come secrets and the novel takes on a more serious unexpected direction. When I read a Kinsella novel I expect lighthearted fun, but this was not. In the end everything is fine and the message about marriage is clear. There is also light hearted humor again at the end, but the middle just doesn’t come across as a Kinsella novel. It is not her worst novel, but it is far from the best. I will keep reading Kinsella and hope her next one is better for me.
Thank you to the publisher for sending an e-arc via NetGalley for me to review.