I love Sophie Kinsella. I don't read a lot of so called "chick lit" books, but I rarely miss a Kinsella. I adored her last release "My Not So Perfect Life"

What I love about Kinsella is that on the surface her books seem like frothy reads, but there's always something deeper and more meaningful beneath the surface.

"Surprise Me" is the story of a seemingly perfect marriage. Sylvie and Dan are stunned to learn at a doctor's appointment that they could be married for another 68 years. Suddenly, their marriage looms before them. Is it possible to be happy to that long?

They decide to start surprising each other, with one disastrous result after another. But along the way, family secrets are revealed and the couple learns more about one another and themselves than they had before. It was a very sweet book. I didn't love it as much as "My Not So Perfect Life", but it was still very enjoyable.

The latest from Sophie Kinsella was certainly surprising. In a good way, of course.

This book felt like two books in one--the first half was very happy-go-lucky, the second half was full of twists and turns, so much so that I had no idea what was going to happen next, which means good storytelling is taking place. I think anyone would daunted at the idea of spending nearly seven decades married to the same person.

Of course, I'm a single, twenty-four-year-old, so marriage is nearly a foreign concept to me. Still, Kinsella made the topic approachable, appealing, and fun--without the couple splitting up (that's not a spoiler alert, is it?)

Admittedly, I am a bigger fan of Kinsella's previous novel, My Not So Perfect Life, but I'll keep reading what she puts out into the world.

I was able to read Surprise Me for free from Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have read most of Sophie Kinsella's books and love them. When I was approved to read this book I was super excited. This is a stand alone story but I hope it can be turned into a series. It would be nice to know how Sylvie and Dan marriage last, since due to their healthy family genes they learn they are likely to live for another 65 years. How Tilda and Toby work out, if they keep Dora the snake or what happens to Joss.

I have always enjoyed Sophie Kinsella's books. When I received an advanced copy of her latest, I was excited. This is a stand alone novel. It seems like it could be a pretty serious read, but it's actually a bit funny. A comedy of errors. But don't get me wrong, there are some heart warming moments and some heart breaking moments. It was a fairly quick read once I got into the story. Made me think about my own marriage.

This is my first book by this author. I’ve seen her books everywhere and decided to give her a shot. Perhaps, this wasn’t a good one to start with, but I was disappointed. I found the couple to be irritating and their lack of communication that led to all of the drama was juvenile.

Basic plot: When Sylvie and Dan find out that they're going to live into their 100s, they begin to worry about what that will mean for their marriage. In order to combat a life-sentence of boredom, Sylvie comes up with a game where they each try to outdo one another with surprises. But surprises have potential to bring dark secrets into the open...

WHAT’S COOL…
1) The story is told through first-person narration (the voice of Sylvie). Sophie Kinsella does this really well. Sylvie comes across as very sympathetic.

2) I love Sylvie's workplace at the historical society. I love the quirkiness of her boss, and the nephew who comes in to upset the balance of things. (I'm still not quite sure, though, why she doesn't want to stay on with them by the end of the book. This didn't make sense to me.)

3) Sylvie definitely grows up during the course of the story. She's so proud of how she and Dan finish each other's sentences. (Yes, they're that couple!) But the book is about how she matures. And I love how this is symbolized by her long "princess hair".

4) I loved the friendship Sylvie has with her neighbour, Tilda. There was a nice mentor-thing going on there. Tilda warns Sylvie about the whole "Surprise Me" idea. And she's right. But she doesn't rub it in when so many of the surprises turn out badly... (Many are quite relate-able, like the one involving the lunch with Claire.)

5) The secrets and surprises revealed in the book definitely keep us reading. I had my suspicions about a few things. Although, there were some twists I didn't predict.

WHAT’S NOT COOL…
1) I didn't understand why Dan and Sylvie keep freaking out about 68 years of marriage. As if the doctor is a fortune teller or something. Why are they worried that they'll become bored with each other?

2) I didn't understand the apparent need of the subplot regarding the other neighbour, John. It seemed unnecessary to the story. Like it was thrown in because "you have to have a gay couple in the book." Why??

3) Warning about the foul language. This is one thing I hate about these types of books. It's no better/worse than in other Sophie Kinsella books (although, for some reason, I don't remember this from the Shopaholic books). I just glaze over these words.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My rating is 3 Stars (out of 5) – Overall, this book is a fun and engaging read. It has some delightful moments. But it also touches on the real need for communication in relationships.

*Note: I received a copy of this title from the people at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This stand alone book by Sophie Kinsella was a delightful read. I found it differed a little bit from her usual premises as it starts with a relatively happy married couple with children. Sylvie and Dan are great characters and I loved them from the start. The premise of this novel is a reality that many couples and people will face nowadays. With good health and access to medical care, we all have to face the possibility of living long lives and with people we are committed to. I loved how this novel takes a real life issue and puts Kinsella's spin on it. I was super lucky to receive an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who want to read a good chick flick and any fan of Kinsella. A true 5 out of 5 stars!!

Sophie Kinsella has a style and character type, and if you’re a fan, you’ll love Surprise Me. I am a fan, and enjoyed the familiar quirk of Sylvie, but also appreciated the marriage issues, parenting questions, and real-life heartache and resilience in this book.

This book was truthful. What happens after 10 years of marriage? Lives meshed. Kids. Work. Love. Sophie Kinsella conveys these thoughts in this book. We can forget why two people chose each other. Sylvia and Dan have a moment that in 68 years - they will still be together? Do they want to be? I really enjoyed the unfolding of this story. So well done.

This book is quite fun as per usual with all of Sophie Kinsella's work. It starts out a little slow with lots of emphasis on 68 years of marriage left as the two main characters Sylvie and Dan find out in the beginning of the book. Sylvie plots out ways to make their marriage last as they both seem to be scared of all of the years that are going to be spending together. A few fun twists and we find Sylvie fearing for the worst in her marriage - that she has sent Dan to the arms of another woman. The reader will soon find out she is all wrong and an interesting plot twists enters here. By the end of the book the characters are together and stronger and feel that 68 years is not enough! They renew their vows in front of their children and it's a happy ever after so to speak. Sylvie's character goes through a lot of growth and this was great to see her to come in to herself. Great read!

I have always loved Sophie Kinsella books and it took me a little bit into the story to get lost in Sylvie and Dan's journey, but once I did, I couldn't put this book down. I was enraptured by the little things they started to do for each other and found myself laughing at the hilarity of their surprises. It was a sweet, endearing read that held me captive. I wanted to find out what surprise was in store for them next, what was going to happen to Sylvie's job and what Dan was really doing. I enjoyed the realness to their story and what was happening in their lives. I felt for Sylvie as the truths started her on a new and different journey. I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend this read!

Not my favorite Sophie Kinsella book, but I definitely won't shy away from her books in the future. Great idea for a storyline, but it moved a bit too slow for me.

I was an ardent fan of the Shopaholics books and really wanted to enjoy this one. It was just very trite and didn't seem to go anywhere. Several funny moments but not up to her usual caliber.

I received an advance copy of this ebook for review. I was excited to receive it, because the last Sophie Kinsella book I started to read, I was unable to finish because it made me sneeze. I picked up a paperback of one of her older titles at a free lending library and it must have had water damage or something because I sneezed a lot, but I was enjoying the book so I decided to just read faster and finish quickly. That was dumb because that just extended exposure to an allergen. I finally couldn't deal with the sneezing and gave up about halfway through and decided to read it again some other time. That was two years ago and in retrospect, maybe I didn't really like it as much as I thought I did. I never put much effort into finding another copy.

So, fast forward a few years later, and NetGalley has the new Sophie Kinsella title available (ebook version, no sneezes!) and I jumped at the chance to read her new book! I love the premise - a couple thinks they're perfectly happy until a doctor suggests they will live to be 100, and the reality of continuing their routine for another 68 years is a sobering thought that prompts them to reevaluate their marriage. I think it sounds delightful, and I enjoy Kinsella's characters because they are funny and flawed in a relatable way. But in the end, the way I felt about finishing 448 pages of this book was not unlike the characters themselves felt when they were told how long their marriage would last. I was along for the ride for the first half, but 2/3 of the way through the book, I just wasn't having fun anymore.

I'd prefer not to give this a star rating because I think it's a personal preference that I'm not that into this genre. I should have known when my ocd didn't mind when I suddenly stopped reading her other novel right in the middle. That's unusual for me to have to stop reading without moving heaven and earth to find another copy to finish. I can see why she has so many fans, and I don't think someone would be disappointed in Surprise Me if they enjoy her writing. It's just not for me, I guess.

I enjoyed the premise of Surprise Me, although certain parts of it did miss the mark for me. It was difficult to empathize with the main characters at times, especially Dan. I connected with Sylvie more. Her work scenes and the time she spent with Tilda, who I loved, were my favorites.

Fun weekend read the author has a uniquely conversational style while capturing the heroine and her inner monologue. You think you are reading the infidelity plot but the twist happens and is timely in the current me too climate

OK, so I wound up liking the end of this book, but getting there was torture. More than the last 15% of a book has to be enjoyable. The primary conflict in the beginning of the book is that the main characters find out they're going to have a long and happy life together, and they freak. Sorry, it's hard to empathize with people who are too healthy (in a country that, you know, has health care), or that have such a perfect marriage they.... don't want it to last forever? It makes no sense.

The surprises predictably go largely wrong, but Kinsella's trademark hilarity is missing here. The things that happen are more weird and sad than funny. Which means that as I was waiting for the big surprised promised by the prologue (which is more than SEVENTY PERCENT into the book), I was bored.

The other basic conflict is that the MC (who was so uninteresting to me, I found myself just calling her Sophie for most of the book) idolizes her dead father to the point that she's comparing him to her husband and her husband is coming up short. And then she has the appalling lack of self-awareness to think her husband just didn't like her father because he was rich, and not because she constantly made him feel inferior. I get it, she's daddy's little princess, but... uggggggghhh.

Sure, the end fixes a lot, but it's too little, too late. The whole book has to be entertaining. I've read and loved everything Kinsella's written (including the Wickham books), so maybe it was time for her to miss the mark. Maybe the book was rushed, I don't know. But I'd recommend re-reading any of her other books over this one.

***I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

If you enjoy Sophie Kinsella, this book will not disappoint. Sylvie & Dan's story seems like a somewhat predictable one...married for a while with young twin girls, feeling a little bit like they are in a rut (at least from Sylvie's point of view). Trying to add some spice to their marriage with surprises leads to some interesting discoveries. Sylvie is another fun female character by Sophie Kinsella. I love how the story plays out & highly encourage picking this book up to find out what chaos ensues.

It was a solid book. A little slow for me but not bad.
Thanks Netgalley

**Review will be published to blog in end-of-year reading roundup on 27 Dec 2017 at 10:00AM EST, and full review on blog in early February.**

I chose this book because:

I was sent an email about Sophie Kinsella’s new novel Surprise Me, as I had previously read and reviewed her novel My Not So Perfect Life. Sophie Kinsella was one of the authors of my child/teen-hood, so I’m always excited for one of her books. When I checked out the blurb on Goodreads, I was skeptical/concerned(?) when I read the part about the couple not expecting to be together for seven decades, because aren’t most couples like, I’m gonna love you forever for the rest of our lives which is forever, rather than, damn I’m stuck with this person who I love for this long?? Maybe it’s different when you’re married haha. But anyways, I’m intrigued by the mishaps and secrets that get revealed.

Upon reading this book:

I was a bit skeptical of the storyline when I read the blurb, but I was open to it because it was Sophie Kinsella. Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me, which is a shame because I love her books. I guess I was never able to wrap my head around the premise of this book though. I couldn’t help but think, “What. They’d rather die than continue being married for so long? How in love could they be?”

From the very beginning, I couldn’t help but think that the couple was dysfunctional. I didn’t get the sense that they finished each others sentences, except for at the beginning of the book when it was explicitly stated, but I didn’t feel that connection. Their bickering felt like the trivial bickering of high school kids and I couldn’t believe that they were married with kids; I couldn’t take them seriously and I couldn’t sympathize with the challenges of their marriage.

However, what I did appreciate about the book was how fast-paced it was. It dove right into the problem shown in the blurb and didn’t drag it out, so I was carried along with the story, rather than experiencing it like I was waiting and expecting certain things to happen.