I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before starting the book, I briefly scanned some of the reviews. I was surprised to read that Fixie is not an entirely popular character. Surprised and confused, because I've mostly loved and laughed out loud at Sophie Kinsella's books (and to my delight discovered a trove more she wrote as Madeline Wickham).

It was with this all in mind that I asked for an ARC from NetGalley, which I subsequently received and read in a single sitting. I was gripped by the plot, I wanted to know whether Ryan got the appropriate end. I wanted to know what would happen with Seb and James. I wanted to get to the end. In that way, Sophie Kinsella spun the story that I am familiar with and that I always enjoy, a plot that I find motivating until the end.

But Fixie, what to make of this woman? Fixie begins as a woman who is a doormat to her family. It's most obvious with the relationships with her siblings and the person she believes she loves. It's annoying how badly they treat her, it's painful to read. I can see why some of the reviewers found it difficult. I did too. But I can't help wondering whether that's because it feels like some truths I've seen around me in the past, rather than a problem with the character. I have a nagging feeling that my anger is perhaps actually a consequence of seeing it in real life, and deep down seeing parts of it in myself.

We see Fixie change. Slowly but surely her self-confidence develops, to some degree as a part of having a positive relationship with someone who treats her like an equal. Seb. Seb who has his own flaws. Seb's flaws, IMO, particularly around James get worked out a little too quickly. I would have liked a bit more time with him (perhaps that would have also counteracted some of the feeling that Fixie is rather weak as a character ... more balance with both character's issues that they need to address).

I also think Mum has a role to play here too. She seems to go from zero to party all the time. She leaves behind a family who has much to figure out, and which on her part seem recklessly laissez-faire. I can't help feeling that she was a bit passed over in the book.

In the end it's not my favourite Sophie Kinsella, but I don't dislike Fixie as much as some. I think I dislike those demons Fixie raises. It's 2019 after all, not 1959. And, to her credit, Fixie does eventually tell Uncle Ned this.

3.5 stars. I liked this--it was Sophie Kinsella, what's not to like!? (Except for the sequels to <i>Shopaholic</i> where Becky Bloomwood showed a pathological inability to experience character growth.) But it wasn't my favorite of hers. Definitely worth a read if you are a fan, but not a place to start if you've never read Kinsella's work. It had laugh-out-loud funny moments and I liked Fixie and her journey to developing a backbone, so this is not a negative review, but her relationship with Seb felt underdeveloped at times, and there just wasn't as much magic as in some of the author's other books. But overall an enjoyable and satisfying novel.

A few years ago when I was starting to get into Netgalley, I requested Sophie Kinsella's latest book and reviewed it. Since then, the gracious folks at Penguin Random House have offered me her books to review. At this point, I just want to tell them, "Just keep them coming. I'll tell you when I'm ready to stop reading her." Which will be never because I've loved her for ages and will continue to love her. She brings me joy.

In fact, if Marie Kondo was filming an episode of her show at my house and she made me pick up each physical Kinsella book I own and ask myself if it sparked joy, I would say yes to every one and we wouldn't discard any. I suspect we wouldn't get rid of any of my other books either and poor Marie (We're on a first name basis.) would get super annoyed. (Side note: Check out, "Tidying with Marie Kondo," on Netflix. She has the patience of a saint and has taught me to fold clothes better. She hasn't really taught me to get rid of stuff. Mainly because I don't hold onto too many things. Except books. Mostly, I just watch and feel smug. It's unbecoming.)

Some of Kinsella's books spark more joy than others but the last two were terrific and this one was as well. My only real complaint was that the heroine's name was Fixie which I kept reading in my head as Frisky or Trixie and it turns out this was just a nickname which you don't find out until near the end of the book and by then the damage was done. I was relieved her parents didn't name her that but sad that her real name, Fawn, wasn't any better. Also, the damage was done because I continued to hear it as Frisky/Trixie. You win some, you lose some.

All funny business aside, this hit the spot for me. Like most Kinsella books, there is a meet cute. This is a good thing, not a complaint. She writes the best meet cutes. While at a café, Fixie sits near Sebastian, who asks her to watch his laptop while he takes a call outside. (Definitely set in London. In America, he would just be rude and carry on a whole loud conversation at the table.) She saves his laptop from imminent danger and he declares that he owes her one and scribbles an IOU onto a coffee sleeve. She doesn't think she'll use it but ends up needing to cash in on it. Pretty soon, she's owing him and then it's back to him owing her. An adorable IOU war forms. It's enough to make me want to stake out coffee shops and find my own Sebastian. I'll keep you posted.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me this.

Sophie Kinsella has been one of my favorite authors since high school and I was so excited to receive an ARC of her latest novel, I Owe You One. This chick lit follows Fixie Farr who has a knack of fixing things. She always picks up the slack from her siblings at their family owned store. One day Fixie meets a handsome stranger at a coffee shop who asks her to watch his laptop. Once she saves it from a disaster, they ended up exchanging IOUs. Overall, I wasn’t impressed with this upcoming novel. There were some cute moments, however, the romance felt pretty weak. The plot was pretty weak as well which didn’t hold up for the entire book The characters go through the typical transformation in a Sophie Kinsella book, but I found all the characters to be a bit extreme and annoying. Fixie was too much of a doormat that after a while it was getting unbearable to read about her. Her siblings seemed too much of pretentious pricks and used Fixie’s lack of a backbone to their advantage. There were also some excess characters which served no purpose in the book. The only reason I even finished the novel was so I could give a fair review. I would recommend skipping this one as there are better books by Sophie Kinsella.

3.5 stars.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy reading Sophie Kinsella books. They keep my attention and are often humorous. Realistic, not really but entertaining. This book was no exception.

When we first me Fixie, she is trying to fix something in the shop her family owns. As expected, it doesn't turn out so well. When a stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop while he steps out to take a call, she does and of course, a disaster ensues. The stranger is so thankful he tells Fixie that he owes her one. She eventually claims that favor and it goes back and forth a couple times.

Meanwhile her family walks all over her and takes advantage of her being so generous and always putting family first. Eventually, things come to a head and Fixie has a choice to make.

At times, I got a bit frustrated with how her family was treating her but the story line kept me going.

While this book, is not a deep read, it is an enjoyable read.

I started reading Sophie Kinsella's newest book I Owe You One when I was on my way home from Texas. I wanted a nice light vacation read, and Kinsella's books always fit the bill. I received an e-ARC to read and review. It was sweet, and fairly predictable, as most of her books are, but it was perfect for the pre-Christmas holiday, and was even a significant gateway drug to Christmas Hallmark movies. I've turned a corner, friends, and there's no coming back from it.

My rating: 4 stars.

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella is a great read. Fixie, our main character, just can't let things go. Just as her name would suggest. She has a huge heart and just wants what's best for everyone around her. The problem is that while she is busy helping everyone else she seems to forget about herself, and what is best for her! This is another great novel by Kinsella, there were times when I was laughing out loud and times when I was heartbroken.

As someone who has read every single Sophie Kinsella/Madeline Wickham book, it took me a bit to become invested in this one. Usually, I finish her books within a day, but this one was a bit slow in the beginning. Sophie Kinsella creates strong, lovable female characters that you want to root for! Fixie is no different, although a little less entertaining at first. The book leaves you feeling happy and content with the conclusion. A light, entertaining read.

I love all of Sophie Kinsella's books BUT I just couldn't get into this one. I hated the main character. This book lacked the usual light, funny wit she writes.

In ‘I Owe You One’ Sophie Kinsella introduces the reader to a group of adults in their 20’s who are trying to figure out their lives. Three siblings - Nicole, Fixie, and Jake, live in London where they work with their mother in a local shop. Each has dreams of a life that is different than what they currently have and these dreams often get in the way of their day to day work obligations, as they negotiate relationships with one another and the rest of their friends and family.

Fixie is the primary character in the book, with the story told through her eyes. She is struggling from a failed business and the belief that she is to as good as her siblings. This mindset limits Fixie from moving forward with her life, which was frustrating to read at times. It was hard to not get aggravated with how she let people walk all over her when the reader could see the truth about select individuals in the book.

Once Fixie starts to recognize that people are not who she thought they were, she starts to take stock of her life and make changes. The book really took off from there and it was wonderful to see the protagonist take charge. Though I didn’t like Fixie’s character in the beginning of the novel, I understand why she had to come from a lower place of self awareness to have such a transformation at the end. Ultimately, this is one of Kinsella’s better novels given the character development throughout the book.

I Owe You One is about an adorable, caring lady named Fixie who watches out for everyone but herself. Fixie lives by the mantra "Family First" first stated by her father when she was younger. Unfortunately, she is the only one in the family besides her mother that believes this. After saving an important possession, Fixie receives a life-changing "IOU" from a stranger. This entertaining family drama is very relatable and easy to read. I love that Fixie becomes a self-reliant woman who saves the day for her family and friends.

Thank you Penguin Random House for allowing me to read the novel. I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All Opinions are my Own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advance copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. I am not one of the many who have read Sophie Kinsella from the beginning. I've read the last few, and I liked this one. It was fun, light reading. I felt like, Fixie, the main character was so much of a doormat that it drove me a bit nuts...but, it's exactly what it strives to be: chick lit. And, I'm not one who loves a lot of romance in my books, so this fit the bill perfectly for that. Recommended. I'd give this one 3.5

I adored this book. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a Sophie Kinsella novel and I’ve forgotten just how addictive they can be. Once I started it I could hardly put it down.

I really expected I Owe You One to be romance-heavy, but it wasn’t as central to the plot as I thought it would be. That wasn’t a bad thing, though. The story focuses a lot on Fixie’s relationship with her family and with her own issues of confidence and self-worth. Fixie got her nickname by always needing to fix things – messes, people, etc. Her siblings, Jake and Nicole, take advantage of her, as does Ryan, the man she’s had a crush on for most her life. Throughout most of the book I just couldn’t get over how awful those three people were. I was really frustrated by how Fixie let herself get steamrolled over and how she couldn’t speak up for herself. As the story goes on, though, she learns to speak up and practice a little tough love.

Even though the romance wasn’t as central as I expected, it did still play an important part in Fixie’s story. I just loved Seb. He was such a genuinely good person. I loved his sense of humor and how sweet he was. That’s not to say he’s perfect, of course. When he and Fixie first meet he’s dating someone else – who is of course awful and very ill-suited for him and that was frustrating. There’s a point where his and Fixie’s relationship hits a rocky spot and I wish they would have communicated a little more effectively, but I liked how it all turned out.

Overall, I really enjoyed I Owe You One. I liked Fixie and Seb and the quirky cast of supporting characters. I even liked Jake and Nicole by the end of the story. I liked Fixie’s character growth and her relationship with Seb. I was a little disappointed that the IOUs didn’t really pay as large a role in the book as I expected, but I did like how it was utilized. This is probably my new favorite Kinsella novel and I definitely recommend it to fans of Contemporary and Women’s Fiction.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

I am a newer fan to Sophie Kinsella’s work but having loved all of the books I’ve had the chance to read so far I was really looking forward to I Owe You One. Unfortunately though this contemporary romance just really didn’t live up to what I’ve come to know and expect from this author.

At the center of this story is Fixie Farr, and I was willing to try not to roll my eyes every time I read her name and give this book a fair shot. Fixie has gotten her nickname due to the fact that she likes to fix everyone and everything around her but usually has her own issues she hasn’t fixed, such as a long time crush on a not so nice guy.

So with Fixie trying to fix those all around her and ignoring her own dilemmas she ends up meeting Sebastian. Fixie happens to be in the right place at the right time to come to Sebastian’s rescue saving his laptop from some runaway coffee which leads to him giving an IOU and the couple beginning a relationship.

Now in typical Kinsella fashion our main character starts off a hot mess and does eventually make some improvements but it just wasn’t grabbing me the way it normally would. Most of the side characters aren’t that likable either which didn’t help matters but the romance was really incredibly lacking. We have a guy with a girlfriend suddenly in a relationship with the main character that is so so serious then they split and he goes back to the other woman. At this point Fixie gains the insight to not mess with someone in a relationship only to do just that yet again… sigh. In the end this one just didn’t end up a favorite of mine but I will still continue to look forward to reading more of Kinsella’s work in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

While somewhat predictable (it's obvious the stranger in the cafe is going to be a pivotal meeting for Fixie) this was a quick and delightful read like all of Sophie Kinsella's books.

Fixie can't help herself-- she has to fix things as she's done since she was a child. As an adult, Fixie is the only one of her three siblings who works full time in the family business, the one thing they all have left of their father. Her older brother Jake has turned into an egomaniac who wants nothing more than to become a posh international playboy, while her sister Nicole is a flighty yoga addict with a husband overseas in Abu Dhabi. Only Fixie's mother seems truly invested in the future of Farrs.

But a chance meeting with a stranger in a coffee shop is about to challenge everything Fixie knows about herself and about her family; not to mention her lifelong crush on her brother's best friend. Through a series of IOUs hastily scribbled on a coffee sleeve, Fixie begins to question everything. With her mother away on holiday, Fixie has to find a way to keep Farrs alive as her siblings inadvertently work to destroy it and her crush works to destroy her.

This was a quick, cute read with a few good laughs and a lot of soul-searching. I enjoyed it and it made for good filler reading.

I've read almost every book by Ms. Kinsella, her books are starting to become routine. While I enjoyed this work, and will keep reading her, you can start to see a pattern.

I love anything by Sophie Kinsella. She is one of the best at quirky rom coms. This book is no different. Fixie is aptly named, as she always feels she has to fix everything. Her family is used to that and seem to take advantage of this fact. A lost romance from the past and a possible new romance keeps Fixie on her toes, as well as taking care of her parent's shop.

I enjoyed this book and if you love British chick lit (which I adore), then this book is for you.

At first I wasn't sure about the main character in this book. Her nickname is Fixie and she was a little hard to like at times. She just lets people run over her more than anyone I've ever heard of. She grew her backbone in the end though and by that time I was rooting for her. I've read all of Sophia Kinsella's books but this one is definitely not a favorite. There was just something different about this book and characters. Anyway Fixie Farr is a young woman who is always unsure of herself and has to fix things in everyone's lives except her own. It starts out with her meeting a guy in a coffee shop and she saves his laptop from total damage. This meeting starts off a series of IOU's between them. Before they know it those little IOU's have become bigger than they even thought. Now Fixie has to figure out how to let go of her urge to fix everyone else and take control of her own life. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for my honest opinion and review. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone

I loved this book!! I’ve long been a huge Sophie Kinsella fan- since the first Shopaholic book- and this one did not disappoint! On the surface, her books seem to be typical “chick lit”, but not the case. This book, like so many of her others, had a great storyline, fully fleshed out characters, and tons of charm. I laughed out loud, felt Fixie’s heartache, and rooted for her. I would LOVE to see this made into a movie!

I give this book 3.5 stars.

While I Owe You One was a relaxing read, I think it would be best suited as a beach read — light fare that doesn’t require full attention.

I read most of the Shopaholic series years ago and enjoyed it. With those expectations, I Owe You One was a disappointment. While the story itself was interesting and the premise was unusual, the character development fell flat for me and I missed the humor that made the Shopaholic series so enjoyable to read.

The story follows Fixie, a nickname which encapsulates her need to fix everything and everyone sans herself. Yet she is the thing most in need of fixing but she seems oblivious to this fact.

The first paragraph drew me right in — I was intrigued and curious about the narrator:

The trouble with me is, I can’t let things go. They bug me. I see problems and I want to fix them, right here, right now. My nickname isn’t Fixie for nothing.

Fixie is somewhat pathetic and hardly relatable. While she is the main character, at best she is two dimensional whereas the other people surrounding her are one dimensional. Fixie makes it difficult to root for her as she is not a likable character. She’s had a crush on her brother’s bestie since she was 10 years old and let’s him treat her poorly and practically begs for more.

The plot device of I Owe You One was the most appealing aspect of this novel. Fixie saves a guy’s laptop from a collapsing ceiling at a coffee shop and he is eternally grateful and “owes her one” for saving his computer, which he describes as his “life.” The favor switches back and forth between the two and actually makes for a good plot. If only Fixie was likable or relatable, this might have been a more enjoyable read. While her brother’s life is spiraling out of control, his redemption happens too quickly and too easily, making it hard to believe and accept. Ultimately, the story is about family and its importance in one’s life.

I Owe You One is a fast read but also very predictable. While the first half of the book was slow-going, it does pick up in the second half when the reader begins to care what happens to Fixie. The secondary characters were only mildly interesting at best. The book has its moments and some of the writing, albeit not enough, was classic Kinsella — clever and witty.

Hi Greg acts in good faith, no one doubts that, but his logic is random and unnerving. He’s like a computer on its last legs that works perfectly until it suddenly decides to email your whole in-box to Venezuela.

Distantly, I’m aware that I’m not speaking appropriately. But I can’t seem to stop myself. Sense has taken a back seat for now. Alcohol is in charge of talking. And Alcohol says, “Woo! Anything goes!

Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.