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

Surprise – I really enjoyed this novel! The first half of the book was a little slow and similar to others that I have read. However, the second half picked up and was surprising good and became a fun fast read. The characters were well flushed and even likeable with all of the quirks. I could relate to Sylvie and Dan, who had been married for 10 years and beginning to worry if their marriage would last. By all appearances, the couple was happy and had the perfect most cherished life. Both agreed that they needed some surprise to add spice to their relationship. We see in Sylvie and Dan that not all surprises are created equal. Will their relationship continue or end after all of the surprises?

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for supplying me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Storyline: 5
Angst: 4
Tissue: 1
Value: 5
Panty Scorching: 2
Over All Rating: 4 Stars
Kindle eArc provided by Netgalley
Reviewed by Robin

For me, the story was incredibly angsty. The couple in this story on the surface seems to have a nice and happy marriage. But then they find out from their doctor that their life expectancy will be crazy long since they have such a healthy lifestyle and family history. You would think this would be a good thing, right? This steers them both into some type of mini marriage crisis. When you get married it's till death do you part...well, apparently these two didn't quite figure out that death would take that long. I think the idea of surprising your spouse and trying to do things to keep your relationship good is a nice idea but these two...they just keep getting it slightly off. And during this time, some of their marriage issues seem to pop right to the forefront. I liked that the story was about married life and some of it was quite humorous. BUT some of it was also very stressful since they are supposed to know EVERYTHING about each other and read each other's minds...and you can see that perhaps they aren't as in tune with each other as they think. Definitely a story with ups and downs and just the truth of quirky married life. In the end, it all works out.

I've had a streak of heavy books lately so I was in need of something lighter. This is exactly what I needed- a fresh, light, and witty read. Surprise Me is a book about Sylvie and her husband Dan, who after 10 years as a couple find out at the doctor that they could possibly have 68 more years together. Panic sets in, and hilarity ensues. One of my favorite conversations has Sylvie saying she can't imagine 68 more minutes with him, let alone 68 years. 🤣Anyone with a spouse knows that feeling- I love you so much but your very existence is annoying me right now. I laughed out loud quite a few times, and let's just say there is a photo shoot that had me wiping tears from my eyes from laughing so hard. There is some disparity in this book from the first half to the second half though, it's almost as if two books joined to make one book. I was about a third of the way done with it when I realized the first half was no longer carrying through and wondered where that went. I did enjoy it but I wish there was more consistency.

Entertaining, but not my favorite Sophie Kinsella.

I really like the premise of Surprise Me--rather than the typical Kinsella premise of a single girl trying to get her life together and in doing so ultimately finds love, we have a married couple worried that their marriage has gone stale. While the premise was fun, Surprise Me didn’t quite have the magic of some of Kinsella’s other books.

After 10 years of marriage, Sylvie and Dan learn that they could potentially be married for another 68 years. Worried that they will grow bored with one another, Sylvie comes up with the not so brilliant idea that they need to add some surprises to their marriage and launches “Project Surprise Me.” Things don’t go as planned, and the surprises that Sylvie and Dan plan for one another go painfully wrong, causing Sylvie to question whether or not she really knows Dan.

While Sylvie and Dan’s marriage plays a central role, Surprise Me is more about Sylvie’s relationship with her deceased father.

Sylvie’s character wasn’t my favorite. In the first half of the book she is super whiny, which I just couldn’t move past. However her whiny tone lessens as the book progresses, which helped a lot.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Sophie Kinsella novels; they often serve as my break from reality. Surprise Me isn’t a bad read, it just didn’t have that special something I often find in Kinsella’s books. Still I would recommend for a light, fluffy and fun mindless read!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

<i>"Fifty-nine years, loving one person. It's an achievement," I say.

John is silent a moment . . . "I am an early riser," he says at last. "So I watch Owen wake up every morning. And each morning reveals something new. . .Love is finding one person infinitely fascinating." John seems lost in thought again, then, "And so . . . not an achievement. A privilege."</i>

One of the many insights in this surprising story, which begins with Sylvie snooping through her husband's desk and finding something shocking.

Yes, this is a romance novel with the heroine married at the start.

We backtrack to Sylvie and Dan going in for a medical exam, and being told by a cheerful doctor that they should live very long lives, which means they will be married for sixty eight years.

Sixty-eight years? When they count up how many nights together that is, how many lunches, and so forth, both are pretty well gobsmacked. Meanwhile they go about their days, as we meet Kinsella's patented quirky friends and relatives: Sylvie's indefatigable next door neighbor, a middle-aged woman with a 24 year old son still living at home, hoping to somehow find cash for a startup; Sylvie's fragile mother, who seems to be using her days as a wealthy widow trying out various shopping party scams; Mrs. Kendrick, Sylvie's fussy, determinedly antiquated boss at the small museum where she works; and a host of others.

Events seem almost picaresque, as Sylvie and Dan decide they need to start surprising each other to pep up their marriage, which includes some crack-up disasters, and a horrible evening at a pub quiz show. Along the way we discover that Sylvie's apparently perfect life had a major blip when her beloved, charismatic dad was killed a few years ago, in a tragic accident.

Sylvie still misses him terribly, and resents the fact that Dan can scarcely hide his impatience with Sylvie's and her mom's worship of the dead man.

Then we come to the discovery in the desk, and events speed up. All the seemingly random incidents tie together in a fast, intense climax, which brings about major changes in Sylvie's life. Her apotheosis catapults her into hyper-competence in a way that I found hard to believe, but then this is a romance, not a Slice of Life novel, so I went with it.

The result is witty, sharply realized, and fun.

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

I have been a big fan of Sophie Kinsella since I stumbled upon her fist Shopaholic book years ago. This book didn't disappoint.

When you meet Sylvie and Dan, they are at the doctor's get a physical. The doctor tells them they have good genes and could live to be 100+. This freaks them out. 68 more years of marriage?? How will they make it work for that long.

Sylvie comes up with the idea that they need to do small things to surprise each other and keep their marriage fresh. That starts out as a good idea but quickly turns into a mess. Throughout the first half of the book, I kept thinking that Sylvie was a bit irritating for the way she kept putting her father on a pedestal.. As the story progressed you find out things that make Sylvie (and you) change your mind.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to marriage, family and the trust you have with them.

In her author note at the end of this book, Kinsella wrote:
"While writing this book, I reflected a lot on longevity, loyalty, and partnership."

That statement really summed up the essence of this story for me.

Dan and Sylvie were at that stage in their relationship where they could finish each other's thoughts and predict what each would order at restaurants, but after being told by the doctor that they have 68 more years of marriage to look forward to, they began to worry about their future together. Thus, Project Surprise Me was born. However, in an effort to surprise each other, they may have uncovered some flaws and secrets in their marriage that they were unaware of.

Surprise Me had many of Kinsella's signature elements present. There was a lot of humor, warmth, and the everyday chaos of life. As with most of her novels, we had that "serious" part, but I will say, this one took me by surprise, because it was quite a weighty issue she included in the story, but this did not dominate the story the story for me.

My interest was won by all the wonderful characters Kinsella jammed in this book. Each was a delight in their own way, and I really enjoyed getting to know them. A stand out for me, was Sylvie's neighbor, John. He did now have a huge role in this book, but he was just dropping all sorts of beautiful truth bombs, and I wanted to wrap myself up in his words.
Love is finding one person infinitely fascinating.

This book presented a realistic look at relationships. They can be hard, and require work and sacrifice if you want them to flourish. This is true, whether it be a romantic relationship, a friendship, or a familial relationship.
Vincit qui se vincit, keeps running through my head. She conquers who conquers herself.

I also loved Sylvie's growth. It's so important for me to see that people can still grow and change even after thirty. Sylvie may have started Project Surprise Me to keep that spark in her marriage alive, but really, it injected a new spark into her life. She learned so much about herself, and the kind of woman she could be. I wanted to cheer when she became Sylvie in Charge.

And let's give Kinsella a round of applause for that ending. She always writes these wonderful endings, that leave me with a huge smile on my face and joy in my heart.

Sophie Kinsella is on a short list of authors, who I vow, if they write it I will read it, because I can count on her to deliver a humorous story with great characters, depth, and a lot of heart.