With Valentine's Day coming up this week it felt like the perfect time to review a new novel about marriage from an author I love. Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella is about a couple who have been together for ten years. In the course of getting their yearly physicals for insurance purposes their doctor, who's a specialist in longevity, informs them that they're both going to live to be 100. At least. This is great news, right? Yes, but…it means they'll be married for decades longer than they ever anticipated. And while they're the kind of gaggy couple that finish each other's sentences, Sylvie and Dan find this information a bit daunting. They already know everything about each other so how will they possibly stay happily married for another 70 years? Obviously, a plan is needed.

I'm known for not liking implausible plots so my really liking Surprise Me may come as a surprise. Here's the thing: my expectations for serious fiction are much higher than they are for cotton candy fiction-the kind that is sweet and yummy but melts away. If it's literary then I need it to be more real than unreal, but when I'm in desperate need of fictional fun, I'm not such a stickler for rules. Somehow that part of my brain goes back to sleep and I can relax and enjoy. The only thing that is non-negotiable? The writing has to be sharp and the humor sharper and Kinsella is a natural at both. So, even when things get silly, I'm fine with it.

In Surprise Me, it is Sylvie who plans, misreads, and hyperventilates her way through trying to make sure her husband stays in love with her forever. But as she does, Dan seems to withdraw and become secretive and soon she doubts everything about their marriage. Kinsella keeps the plot going while maintaining Sylvie's stream-of-consciousness snippets, which are recognizable to virtually every woman on the planet-and one of the things that makes the women in her novels so relatable. Plus, British slang?! And an ending that wraps up prettily? What's not to love? In the midst of the winter doldrums, Kinsella is like a cup of hot chocolate- you can always count on it (and her) to make you feel comforted.

If you are a fan of Sophie Kinsella, you are in for a real “surprise” with Surprise Me. This book is a little bit different from Kinsella’s typical novels, however the wonderful writing that we have come to expect is definitely still here. This book is a mix of humour and seriousness. The characters are super quirky and the themes of aging, friendship, and family really pull the book together.

I have yet to read a book written by Sophie Kinsella that hasn’t made me laugh out loud. Surprise Me begins with a bit of a serious discovery made by Dan and Sylvie. After finding out that their life expectancies and marriage will be 68 more years, they struggle to grasp what the future will hold. What becomes a fun and interesting exploration of how to spice things up through various surprises leads the couple on a path that is both revealing and at times quite funny.

Kinsella is definitely one for creating a cast of eclectic and off-beat characters that you just can’t help but fall in love with. Sylvie is one that is such an enjoyable and well-developed character that transforms throughout the novel. Her friends are the greatest side characters with their outlandish ideas which gives the book that classic humour seen in many of the authors books.

There are some really deep and meaningful themes that are explored in Surprise Me that give the book a real depth. The concept of aging and how it relates to a life that is both long and full is one that I have not come across before, and it really makes me think. I also loved the friendships that Sylvie has forged and how she seems to have so many different friends to count on. Also, Sylvie’s family is very important to her and these are the parts of the story that get quite interesting.

While Surprise Me may not be as light and fluffy as some of Kinsella’s other works, this is one that is just as well-written and contains lots of laugh-out-loud moments. I love the characters and the whole concept of this book. It is one to pick-up if you are in the mood for a book that has a mix of seriousness and fun.

Have read a few books by this author and have to say this wasn't my favorite. She could have done more. I don't know it just fell flat for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bantam Press, and Sophie Kinsella for the opportunity to read her latest work - loved it! This book is in the same tone as her previous one, My Not So Perfect Life - a reflection of our modern lives and relationships - with so many laugh-out-loud moments!

It all starts innocently - Sophie and Dan have to see a physician for insurance purposes. The doctor tells them that they are both super healthy and he expects that they will live another 68 years. Great news, right? Until they realize that it means that they will be married another 68 years - to the same person. All of a sudden, the roles they played in their lives and marriage come into question. How are they going to maintain their relationship for 68 years?

Just a lot of fun with some thought-provoking ideas to be taken away at the end. How do we make the best of our allotted time?

Highly recommended - Kinsella's many fans won't be disappointed!

I have read all of Sophie's novels in her different genres and I was really looking forward to reading this book. So, imagine how disappointed I was when I began it and it was just different - can't put my finger on it but I didn't really like it. I wasn't keen on the what I thought the book was going to be about and felt a little disquieted by it.

However, that all changed - thank goodness! - as I got into the book and project "Surprise Me" began and some real laugh out loud moments were forthcoming. The other thing that happened is that we got introduced to Sylvie's workplace and it was divine. I loved the descriptions and really could see myself being there. The owner of Willoughby House where Sylvie works was a brilliant character and so enchanting if not a little eccentric.

This book has a few different story threads to it beside the project "surprise me" so that kept my attention too. Tilda the hilarious neighbour and her son Toby (with his ingenious conspiracy theories) were well drawn characters and I could just imagine all the "secretive" exploits Tilda and Sylvie carried out together. I just loved the episode with the cardigan.

There is a thread in the book which is a little darker and not normally found in one of Sophie's books. It seems as if she has combined her different writing genres into this one book and very successfully too. My initial disquiet did disappear and I loved the book racing through it to find out what would happen.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a copy of the book for review.

4 silly, but surprisingly serious, stars to Surprise Me! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Sometimes I think I subsisted on Sophie Kinsella books in my 20s. I looked forward to a Becky Shopaholic book like Christmas. It’s hard for me to believe I used to be quite the shopper then. I also have fond memories of reading Kinsella books at the beach or on vacation. I read The Undomestic Goddess while cruising past Sardinia! Her books are perfect for vacations because they are easy to pick up and put down, and well, they are just plain engaging, fun, and easy reading. So when I saw Surprise Me was coming out, I was onboard, even though I’m not on a vacation currently and haven’t taken one in years!

Sylvie and Dan have a happy marriage, and when they find out from their doctor that they are healthy and are likely to live close to 70 more years together, they each have a different response! They come together and decide to keep their marriage fresh with lots of fun and quirky surprises. The second half of the book took a more serious tone for Dan and Sylvie, but I enjoyed the way it wrapped up.

Overall, Surprise Me had the same fun SK humor, with a little, new “grown-up” flavor.

This was a Traveling Sister read, and it was a joy to share in reading this with them. Please see Brenda and Norma’s fabulous blog for Traveling Sister reviews: https://twogirlslostinacouleereading.wordpress.com

Surprise Me will be published on February 13, 2018. Thank you to Sophie Kinsella, Dial Press, and Netgalley, for the complimentary copy.

A surprising book about love, marriage and family! I really enjoyed this story about Dan and Sylvie! I was honestly shocked by the surprise and didn’t see it coming but I felt it was done very well and turned it into a deeper story! This was a great book! * I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Whenever I read a Sophie Kinsella novel, I always feel that I must start with “I’m the biggest fan…but…” Today is no exception – but hear me out on this one!

For quite some time I have been a big fan of Kinsella’s work, but not as much when she writes under her actual name Madeline Wickham. As time has gone on, I find myself drawn more towards Wickham’s new books, and not liking Kinsella’s books as much as I used to. It could be in part because my life is changing – I am no longer the “single girl trying to figure it all out” as now I am “mommy with a toddler and a baby on the way.” It could also be that Kinsella is trying to find her new footing. I have seen her try her hand at young adult. At children’s books. I loved her last novel “My Not-So-Perfect Life.” And now with Surprise Me, Kinsella is tackling the life of a boring married couple, so I was excited to begin.

Sylvie and Dan. Dan and Sylvie. They have been together for ten years and they are going strong. They know everything about each other and have fallen into a comfortable rhythm with their lives juggling twin girls and their work schedules. I get that. My husband and I get stuck in ruts trying to take care of our one daughter while making room for our son. It happens. Now imagine their surprise when they go to the doctor and hear that they are so healthy, they should be able to live another 68 years together. Rather than looking at each other with hearts and stars in their eyes and buying the rocking chairs for their porch to grow old on, they instead both go into a panic. This is it? This will be my life for another 68 years?

Ever the planner, Sylvie comes up with a game plan to help keep their marriage fresh. It’s time for operation Surprise Me, where they will come up with surprises for each other in order to spice up their lives and keep it interesting. What could go wrong!? As the surprises begin, so do the secrets, and Sylvie discovers she doesn’t know Dan quite as well as she once thought. Couple that with an upheaval at work where she is trying to prevent the company she works for from shutting down, Sylvie has a lot to take on and figure out.

STICK WITH THIS ONE. If you are a fan of Kinsella – stick with it! Now I must preface this review by stating that I was pregnant with horrific morning sickness while reading this book. I could only read it in tiny chunks, so it took me much too long to read it. I found myself slogging through a lot of details to get to the main point of the story. Once I hit 70% on my Kindle, the story really took off, and that was where I felt I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to find out what secrets Sylvie’s mom was hiding. What was Dan hiding? Why won’t Sylvie just out and out ask everyone until they break down and tell her what these secrets are? And the ending made it worth the journey for me. I just wish it didn’t take so long to get there (it could be the pregnancy talking – I’m curious to see other Kinsella fan’s reviews on this one!)

I received this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is what I call my "cupcake diversion" read!

I needed something light and humorous to entertain me and this one delivered! I loved the whole concept of spicing up a marriage with some surprises. Sylvie and Dan have adorable twin girls and are about to celebrate "ten years" together. They have a joyful marriage, but Dan has had some issues with Sylvie's father.

They find out that they could potentially have 68 more blissful years together! They are both in excellent health and should expect long lives. Wait....this produces some "anxiety" for the couple. Can they really spend that many years and stay happy? This is when the surprise me plan is concocted and set in motion!

Lots of laugh out loud moments with the surprise antics they come up with. I enjoyed one in particular that gave me some hilarious visuals! The second half of the book deals with some more depth and brings out insecurities and second guessing that goes with it.

This was an entertaining and enjoyable book about marriage and making the journey exciting and fun.

I actually loved the premise of this novel but the heroine, Sylvie’s character got on my nerves. I can understand loving your father but she is obsessed with her dad. I felt like the story is more focused on father and daughter rather than husband and wife. I loved the hero’s character and wished he had more of a primary role in the novel rather than a secondary one.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

4 humorous but serious stars

I must admit this was my first Sophie Kinsella book and I am so very glad to have stumbled upon this little gem of a book.

I so enjoyed the hilarity of the first half of the book and having a British son in law, I could just see him involved in some of these escapes. The second half of the story is when things got serious. It seemed that as much as Sylvie and Dan thought they knew one another both inside and out, there were many surprises in store for them as they have found out that there is a possibility given their lifestyles that they could be married for the next sixth-eight years. Could they be together for that long without a) killing one another, b) being bored to tears, or c) find themselves so far apart. So, these two set up a plan with surprises involved in which they will continue to add zest and spice to their marriage.

Those surprises initially turn out to be fun, silly things that often made one laugh. However, the surprises soon turn out to be more serious and as the story continues, a scandal makes them realize that what they thought they knew about one another might just be an illusion.

Ms Kinsella did a wonderful job with wit and humor to show the readers the many intricacies a marriage can have. It was a well done treat for this reader and an author I will continue to seek out

AS Dr Seuss once said “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

Surprise Me revolves around the marriage of Sylvie and Dan. She comes from a privileged background and Dan calls her PS, Princess Sylvie. Already the reader sees a problem. The catalyst for this couple to make changes comes when the doctor declares them healthy and says that they will probably have another 68 years of marriage. This news stuns them and they go off track in an attempt to keep their marriage fresh. They decide to surprise each other occasionally and some surprises are not welcomed. Secrets are revealed about Sylvie’s father whom she idolized and she is finally forced to grow up. She turns into a mature woman as a result. Surprise Me is a quick and entertaining read.

I stuck with the book and was glad I did.
For whatever reason it had a really hard time hooking me. I just couldn't get in the main characters heads. Their thought processes made zero sense to this lady who has been married 18 years.
I even considered just putting the book down, declaring it wasn't for me and moving on.
I'm glad I stuck with it. Eventually there were some fun twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. just in the aspect I didn't expect this book to be twisty and turny. I thought I was reading a light romance. Which it sort of is, with a bit of a mystery thrown in.
Really good fun read.

I know I say this every time I start reading a new Sophie Kinsella novel but it is always such a joy and such a comfort to be back in her world and in her writing again. I know when I pick up a Sophie Kinsella book, I am in safe hands. And the feeling of comfort that I felt as soon as i dived into this book was just like that. I loved being back in a world where there is humour and feeling and just great characters and a great story.

This novel was really not everything I expected it to be though. I thought the premise was great and I loved everything that was going on between Dan and Sylvie, I loved the way they interacted in their marriage and with their friends and neighbours and then about two thirds of the way into the book, the storyline takes a whole different direction and it was me that was very surprised, never mind either of them. Now don't think that this meant that I didn't enjoy the book, the direction the storyline went in was a little darker that the first two thirds, but it was really intriguing and I read that whole last third in one big gulp, but it was really really unexpected!

Sylvie was a great character to lead this novel. She is completely relatable and has insecurities about her personal and professional life just like all of us. She is a mother and a wife but that isn't her only identity and I loved the fact that she asserted this throughout the novel. She provides some real comedy moments throughout the book, but because she is so real we have real sympathy and a real concern for her as well. Dan is one of those characters you love one moment, then hate the next, I think we really get to know him through Sylive's eyes and I really loved the ending that he got in this novel.

Despite the fact that this novel takes a turn in a different direction from the one I was expecting I really did enjoy it. I found myself furiously turning the pages, wanting to know what was going to happen to Sylive next. I laughed out loud in public and cried a little at the ending. It was really everything I look for in a book, but don't be expecting to come away from this one without a few surprises of your own!

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella is a nice little bit of humorous chick lit that is expected to come from this author. The book also had a rather interesting idea behind the story when a long time married couple goes for their check up and passes with flying colors with the doctor explaining just how long a life they should have together.

Sylvie and Dan are just hitting their ten year anniversary from the time that they first met when they get the news they just may have sixty eight more years of marriage. After a bit of a freak out the couple wonders how they will keep their marriage fresh and exciting for such a long time and decides to begin surprising each other to shake things up.

Of course the surprises and long life diagnosis are only the beginning to Sylvie and Dan’s story and there is much more involved as the book goes on. Sophie Kinsella took this set up and brought humor and fun to love, relationships, family and marriage. There’s plenty of secondary characters that are also well done being a bit on the eccentric side to just add even more laughs to the story.

Now while I didn’t find this one absolutely perfect I did enjoy it overall. To me I think I would have dialed back the angst and suspicions and gone more for the laughs but that’s just my own personal taste. Thankfully the way the story wrapped up showed a lot of character growth and uncovered a bit of a twist to keep the story fresh and exciting to make the angst worth it.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Sophie Kinsella's standalone novel is entertaining and heart-warming. The book is exactly what you'd expect if you're a fan of the Shopaholic series, though it was nice to see some evolution in the themes that were examined. Kinsella moves away from focusing on the "single girl finding love" trope that characterizes a lot of chick lit and I have to say that the shift is a welcome one. Unfortunately, Sylvie and Dan aren't particularly memorable, but that's fine with me, I don't pick up these books expecting to find favourite characters. I pick them up to have a laugh and be amused and that's what Surprise Me does.

Favourite quote:
“If life is like a box of chocolates, then getting married is like choosing a chocolate and then saying, “That’s it, done,” and slamming the lid closed. When you make your vows, what you’re basically saying is: “That’s all I want, ever. That one flavour. Even if it goes off. Yum. I can’t even see any other flavours anymore, la-la-la.”

Routine. This can strangle a relationship. How to avoid?
Before Sylvie and Dan's marriage went awry, they decided to make a drastic decision: SURPRISE ME PROJECT.
Every day one would have to surprise the other with something really unusual.
And it's from there that things can start to lose control...

Another novel with a very different perspective from the author.
Her books often have quick dialogues and comedy.
I believe that this book here is more attuned to readers who experience a similar situation (the fear of falling into the routine in the relationship)
3,5 stars