3.5 Stars. Review to come post 24 in 48

------

I love Sophie Kinsella books. They are my book version of Hallmark movies, but with some sexual tension and not just a kissy kiss. I occasionally turn to them when I need to clear my head or de-stress, or a pallet cleanser.

I Owe You One is not my favorite of her books, but it is definitely an upswing from last year's novel. Fixie (Fawn) Farr has to (wait for it) fix everything, including her family store and the love of her life's life. Fixie is a fun character, but the overload of almost cliched characters really took away from my enjoyment of the book. It's not just a crappy potential boyfriend, it is an overbearing brother (that honestly, I did worry was going to punch her a few times) and a sister that is so flighty that it's too much.

Still, I love Kinsella books and I will always devour them.

I have always been a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella, especially her Shopaholic series. Just like all her other books, this book does not disappoint. Highly recommend!

Fixie Farr is 27 years old, lives in London, and has a compulsion to fix everything! Her family owns a small home goods store. But, when her brother’s best friend returns from Hollywood, her life is turned upside down. Will past instances escalate into an actual romance? At the local coffee shop a handsome stranger asks her to watch his laptop while he takes a call. But, when the ceiling caves in she saves the day. How will he ever pay her back? When family matters escalate Fixie takes it upon herself to save the family business, and the family. Can she juggle all the pieces of her life successfully?

Sophie Kinsella has written another fun, whimsical read for her fans. Readers will find themselves cheering Fixie on and yelling at her at the same time. This is a classic Sophie Kinsella novel with an Amelia Bedelia like character and a happy ending. This is a great new adult humorous romance for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Genna Burgess, and Meg Cabot.

This was my first novel by Kinsella and I wasn’t crazy about it. The characters were bland and Fixie drove me a little crazy. Definitely a lighter read without much depth. I can see how Kinsella’s work would appeal for those looking for a quick “beach read” but it’s not for me.

4.5 stars
I've read most of Sophie Kinsella's novels (even some that she wrote under the name Madeleine Wickham) and this one ranks right near the top. It really seemed to showcase all the things I have previously loved in her books but yet also didn't feel something I have read countless times before. The main character clicked with me and I enjoyed her interactions with her family and love interest.

Fixie Farr has always tried to follow her late father's wishes with putting family first. But why should she always be the one pulling up the slack at the family's housewares store when her brother and sister get to do whatever the hell they want? The problem with Fixie is she just can't say the word "no" and everyone likes to take advantage of that fact.

While in a coffee shop, Fixie manages to save the day and a handsome stranger thanks her by giving her an IOU on a coffee sleeve. She brushes it off as a joke, but the more she gets thinking the more she actually considers taking the man up on his offer. He might be able to provide a solution to her problems and get people to stop coming to her because she is "Ms. Fixit".

It was pretty easy to relate to Fixie because most of us have felt like our kindness was being taking advantage of at one point or another. So right off the bat she was an easy person to root for and someone you wanted to be happy. Sometimes with the author's books I feel like the stories and characters can be a little over the top but this one seemed toned down in that respect. It had a little bit of quirkiness but in a fun way and in no way did it hurt the story.

While Fixie growing as a person is certainly a key part of the story, the romance is really what kept me reading. I thought Fixie and her love interest had good chemistry and I liked seeing the ups and downs of their relationship.

Overall, another fun read by Sophie Kinsella! If you have loved her other books, I highly recommend checking this one out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of Sophie Kinsella's standalone books - they tend to be a bit on the sillier side of chick lit but are always fun to read. This one isn't her best but it isn't the worst either - somewhere in the lower middle. Her last book, "Surprise Me," was actually my favorite, and one of the things I liked about it was her protagonists were actual married adults - and I thought maybe like some of her other contemporaries she would shift to writing books about slightly more mature characters. But no, with this book she's back to the hapless 20-something single narrator. The one in this book, Fixie Farr (nicknamed for her compulsive need to fix everything and everyone), works at her family's store, and is trying to prevent her older siblings from dragging down the family business while also pining away for a guy who is so obviously not right for her. Fixie was not without charm, but she spent much of the book acting like a passive idiot, surrounded by extremely annoying caricatures of other characters. It was a quick read, predictable but fun enough.

** I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **

I continue to love Sophie Kinsella’s books. While the Shopaholic series started to get a little ridiculous after the first few books, Kinsella’s stand alone books are such fun reads. She writes relatable main characters and You Owe Me One’s Fixie is no different. She is charming and adamant on being helpful and trying to “fix” people’s problems. She shows growth during the book from someone who gets taken advantage of due to her all-out willingness to help others to someone who takes charge and shows real leadership. And she matured when navigating her love life. I really enjoyed this book and I’m sure anyone who is a fan of Kinsella’s books will be a fan too!

This is a hard review to write, but I just could not get into this book. I really liked both Surprise Me and My Not So Perfect Life by this author. They were funny and sweet with endearing main characters. I didn't get any of that from this book. The plot and character development seemed more shallow and I never warmed to Fixie. It's a shame, because reading the blurb I thought for sure I'd connect to the story. I don't want to say other readers shouldn't give it a try, because they might still like it. Maybe a lighter read for times when you're more distracted. I would definitely recommend the other books I listed from the author and will continue to read her books in the future. Thank you to Random House Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

By one of my favorite authors, but this one didn't quite live up to my expectations. Clever and interesting idea to set up the story, though. I liked the family setting, and how they resolved their issues.

Sophie Kinsella’s new book I Owe You One may as well be about a Muslim South Asian family: the 27- year-old protagonist Fixie lives with her mother and works in the family’s shop, she competes with her domineering brother Jake, and she lives by the family motto ‘family first.’ Her codependency- spending her time with her selfish siblings and misogynistic uncle- shocked me because I assumed Westerners ‘cut off’ ‘toxic’ relatives.

And yet, unfortunately I could not connect with the book. Although it had a great concept, unconditional love, it was not executed well. Unlike most of Kinsella’s hits, this one was plot-driven, rather than character-driven, which I think is the key to a good book. I did anticipate the ending and kept turning the pages, since there were so much action. However, the numerous, mild characters kept popping in and out at random, minimal scenes and I was unable to connect with them. And although as a first-generation South Asian- American, I related to Fixie’s guilt-ridden habits, she was too wimpy to be likeable. Her character arc didn’t change much throughout the book; although she pursues someone nicer than usual (Seb), she still throws herself at him and gives too much of herself. Fixie is unlike most of Kinsella’s powerhouse heroines, most notably Becky in Confessions of a Shopaholic.

One bright spark was the scene towards the beginning when the title is explained. My interest was sparked because Muslims also take debts very seriously: we will stalk someone until we can repay the penny we owe them.

Kinsella’s last book, Surprise Me (which I recommend and rated four stars on Goodreads), did surprise me in the end with a deeper concept and plot twist than her usual chick lit. I Owe You One also attempts a more adult, philosophical conversation about relationships with healthy boundaries, however it fails to inspire and only confuses.

Fixie starts off timid, similar to Lara in Twenties Girl, but lacks the charm and inner strength to win the reader over. Her eventual confidence and independence come too late and sudden in the story to be believable or endearing.

I’m a long-time and big fan of Kinsella’s work, in fact she got me into chick lit with Undomestic Goddess. My other favourites include Twenties Girl, Can You Keep a Secret?, and Finding Audrey. Therefore I am sad to rate her latest, I Owe You One, 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I always love a good Sophie Kinsella book. They're the right amount of fluff without numbing your brain. This time round Fixie (ok, that was a stupid nick name) learn a to stand on her own and confront the people in her life that are doing her wrong, all while eventually finding love. Cute story.

3.5 rounded up

Fixie Farr got her nickname by always needing to fix things. It’s a big on the nose as a nickname, somehow signaling how this novel seems to be assembled from well-loved plot elements, but they don’t quite fit together as well as in the author’s previous books that I’ve read.

Except for the meet-cute with Seb (she rescues his computer from spectacular damage in the first few pages) a lot of the first half makes painful reading as our Fixie, a bit of a Cinderella, tries desperately to handle an obnoxious family, while swooning over her first love, who is so slimy that when she sleeps with him I just shuddered. I don't want to shudder at sex scenes in romances.

And this is a romance, so eventually our Cinderella (the other word is doormat) begins to grow a spine, which in turn follows romance tropes. That is, her tough love improves the others instead of escalating the dysfunction into modern-novel angry nihilism, so I was grateful for that much.

And that’s the main problem, I think: the elements for a terrific romance are there, but they don’t quite fit together well.

Seb has a girlfriend, which didn’t help endear him as a hero, in spite of his genuinely nice qualities. The family becomes less awful, but the denouement . . . really isn’t. We never see Seb get rid of Whiny, the girlfriend, nor why he comes back to Fixie. Suddenly he’d just there, movie-style, ready to do a do-over. .

I always enjoy a book by Sophie Kinsella! She's funny, irreverent, and tells a good story! This one gave me what I expected!

The characters were engaging and likable, and while the plot wasn't particularly new or unexpected, it was enjoyable!

I have to say that although this book started off slowly for me, it turned around and I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would! (Fixie’s name did irritate me though!) I enjoyed that while it was a love story there was more focus on the strained family dynamics. I found myself hating some characters (Ryan, Jake, Uncle Ned) and LOVING others (Seb, Bob, Stacey). I found this book to be filled with emotions and very much enjoyed it.

4 1/2 ⭐️‘s
What better way to spend a blustery day than curled up with Sophie Kinsella’s newest novel. When reading a Kinsella book, it’s like hearing a new story from an old friend. Filled with her signature wit and wisdom, this book was a fun read through and through. The cast of eccentric characters meshed together perfectly for a story about family first and just what unconditional love really looks like.

A fun title from Sophie Kinsella. I wish that the guy who was wrong for her was slightly more nuanced, but I liked the way her family eventually rallied around her and she found the strength to do what was best for herself rather than always putting her family first.

Fixie Farr's mother needs to step away from the family business. As she takes off on an extended vacation, she leaves her adult children in charge of running the business. Fixie Farr spends the whole time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of sticking up for what is right.
In the background, Fixie saves a stranger's laptop. He writes out his information and an IOU on a coffee sleeve. It isn't long before Fixie feels pressured to redeem that favour and sets off a back and forth exchange of what Fixie and Seb feel is owed to one and other.
No good relationship can work on a system where someone is always owed a favour and Fixie and Seb struggle to find a balance between love and debt.
Recommended for anyone looking for a little bit of funny, family, and love.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

While I’ve been a huge fan of SK for years now her last couple of books haven’t been my favorites, but I will always read her books simply because I’m a huge fan. I’m so happy to say that I Owe You One reignited my love for her and reminded me more of her earlier work.

One thing that I can always count on in a SK book is being able to connect with her characters and this was no exception. Fixie was an adorably flawed heroine and I found her to be genuine and believable. She was quirky enough to be unique but not so out there that you think, no way would anyone really behave like this. The supporting cast was interesting enough, I really liked Fixie’s family with their various antics and their family dynamics made for some funny moments. Her developing relationship with Seb was sweet (if predictable) and the owing each other concept was cute.

I was in the mood for a light and easy read and that’s exactly what this was. There was enough depth of character to keep me engaged but it was funny enough to be a true escape. If you’re a fan of the author you’re in for a treat, her trademark charm is in full effect here!

I Owe You One in three words: Sweet, Uncomplicated and Engaging.

Sophie Kinsella can be counted on for a light, funny romance, and this one does not disappoint in that respect. Fixie Farr has a pathological need to fix everything around her, including the people. Unfortunately, she doesn't see that she is the one most in need of fixing. This was a decent book if you can overlook just how much of a doormat Fixie is. The other characters are quirky and eventually get fixed. If you are new to Sophie Kinsella, skip this one and read any of her other books first.

Dare I say it? Dare I say it? That this may very well be Sophie Kinsella's best book yet? Those are very big shoes to fill, and I do believe that I Owe You One does it!

At this present moment in time, I'm reading a book I've been dying to get my hands on, but it fell to the wayside once I started this one. I couldn't put it down! It is chock full of that characteristic Kinsella quirky humour amid strife and turmoil that is exactly what I need, when I need it. Her books are like that song you always play to cheer yourself or put you in a dancey-mood. You've experienced it a million times and keep coming back because results are guaranteed.

I ran the entire spectrum of emotion a few times with this one. Anger and frustration with her siblings, happiness with the romance that develops, anguish when that little inevitable blip works its way into that romance, savage joy when the main character finally finds her footing, and a little bit of tears at the end. There was so much to get attached to and follow along with in this book that it's no wonder I couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed the premise. It took a little while for it to really get going in the main plot, but it blossomed into something I didn't quite expect. Which is good, by the way. Very good. The romantic interest had something a little different to him, I thought. In fact, of all of Kinsella's male love interests, I daresay Seb is the one I want for myself.

The character development in this was unreal! Not only for Fixie, but for just about every focal secondary character. Best of all, it was believable and so damn relatable. Fixie herself was an adorable heroine. Again, the relatable factor was through the roof. Kinsella knows just how to wedge her characters into your heart, and as peculiar a name as Fixie is, she'll be in my heart for a long time to come.