I needed something to read to make me laugh and that was a bit on the quirky side and this did not disappoint. Kinsella is on point again with her fun characters. Once the book unfolded, I couldn’t put it down.

The wacky happenings of a married couple who contemplate the possibility of 60+ years of living and sleeping only with each other, Sophie Kinsella creates a world where two people believe they know the ins and outs of their spouse then find out they don’t, This book reminds me of the Pina Colada song (Escape) where a couple feels they are disconnecting then find out they love to do the things they never do together as much as much as they love each other,

Although I like this novel it was not one of my top Kinsella Novels. The two main characters- Sylvia and Dan are not as lovable or relatable as some of the other characters in Surprise Me. In that vein I am only giving this book 3 stars.

This feels like a new Sophie Kinsella to me. The wonderful story development and quirky characters are still there, but overall it feels much more mature. I love this new side to an old favorite author!

Sylvie and Dan are surprised to realize that they've been together for ten years; married for seven years and parents to five year old twin girls. They receive a wake up call (of sorts) at their annual physical when the doctor proclaims that they're healthy and likely to live another sixty odd years! Wow! They realize that change is necessary but they don't realize how much their lives will change in the next few months.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.

Sylvie and Dan try to spice up their marriage when it hits them that they have decades more of life together. In the midst of Dan working longer hours, Sylvie trying to save her employer from closing shop, and Sylvie still grieving for her late father, spicing up a marriage seems to be a tall order.

Kinsella brings to the forefront quirky characters (and I didn’t always understand their motivations until a scene was laid out for me, truth be told), family secrets, and the myriad ways people love each other. Cute, fun rom-com that was light on character development but full of charm.

I wanted to like this one, but it felt off to me right from the get-go. I’m used to the usual Kinsella magic, but this one fell a little flat. Still, a 3 star Kinsella book is better than many others so worth a read for sure.

I loved this latest book from Sophie Kinsella. In case you haven't read anything from her, she's brilliantly funny. I'm always chuckling throughout because her characters are quirky and relatable. In Surprise Me, we follow along in the story of Sylvie and Dan and their relationship. What's different from other romances is that they've been together for a decade already and it seems like there aren't any more surprises left in the relationship. Or are there? This was a fun and light read that I would recommend. It doesn't disappoint.

This is another successful novel from a talented author. The female characters are funny and engaging, the kind of friends everybody wants to have. There is never a dull moment, with a few dramatic scenes, a few awkward occasions, and hilarious situations that made me laugh out loud. The sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking moments in this book kept me glued to the my Kindle. I found lovable characters and witty dialogue like I knew I would. I cheered for Sylvie as she takes life and makes it her own. She does a whole lot of growing up in this story and it worked out perfect!

After spending time thinking about this book I think it is going to get a 3.75 rating... which I know is oddly specific, but here’s why.

This book is about the marriage of Sylvie and Dan. They have been married for 7 years and together for 10. On their dating anniversary they have to go to the doctor to get a physical and are told that they are very healthy and could have another 68 years of marriage together. This throws them through a loop and causes them to worry about how they are supposed to fill that many years.

I’ve been married for 18 years and I know how fast and slow those years have passed and the idea of 68 more would feel a little daunting. So they try to spice up their marriage by surprising each other. They ended up getting more surprises then either of them counted on.

The story was very cute, but a little slow at times. I know we were building up to a huge reveal but sometimes it felt like we just weren’t getting there fast enough. The reveal was amazing and huge!! Which totally made the whole book for. The way the end of the story was handled was pure gold!

So overall I thought it was super cute and well worth the read. I only brought it down because I felt like parts just took too long. But again, the end was PERFECT!!! I look forward to reading more from Sophie Kinsella, because this was my first, but far from my last.

It’s been a while since I have read a Kinsella novel, but Surprise Me, definitely didn’t disappoint!

I loved the characters and the plot. The raw story and emotions throughout. Kinsella had me interested from the first chapter with Sylvie’a witty character!

A great beach read! Highly recommend this one!!

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella brings us Sylvie and Dan. They are happily married thirty-somethings with two young children. At their annual insurance health check, their doctor mentions that with their fantastic health, they could live to be a hundred. Giving them 68 more years of marriage. How wonderful! Right?

Now that the number 68 has been thrown out there, both Sylvie and Dan start to wonder what their vows actually meant. 68 years is a long time. When they agreed to forever, did they really agree to 68 years? Trying to lighten the situation, Sylvie suggests that they can keep their marriage fresh by planning little surprises for each other.

Naturally, now that they are so focused on surprising each other, every little thing they do for each other turns into a small disaster. Nothing is working out quite right. With their close relationship thrown under the microscope, things are not looking all that great. And to make matters worse, Dan is obviously hiding something from Sylvie.

Will they make it through the current turmoil? Can they survive another 68 years? What is Dan trying to conceal from Sylvia? In typical Sophie Kinsella style, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry while you take this journey with them.

I found myself unable to continue reading this book and abandoned it at around 30%. I just found the whole premise improbable. I did not publish a review anywhere except for my comments here. This just wasn't my cup of tea, but I am certainly grateful for the opportunity to have been granted access to this book. Thank you very much.

I am a fan of Sophie Kinsella and have read several of her previous books. Usually they are riveting and i spend all night reading until I'm finished. However the writing style for this book just seemed different than usual, and not as compelling. Usually her books are laugh out loud fun reads, and I especially thought "My Not So Perfect Life" was her best yet. I was incredibly excited to start this one, and looked forward to the idea of spicing up a marriage with surprises. This book had some funny moments, but seemed to lack Kinsella's usual magic. Sylvie and Dan try to experiment to see if they can spice up their 10 year marriage after realizing that they will spend more than 60 years married. I couldn't relate to their idea that marriage was not for life, or a longtime commitment. Couples do need to stay on top of their marriages and make it a priority to spice things up, but to me, entering a marriage means a long time commitment by definition.
I love the author though, and highly look forward to her next book, while re-reading my favourites.

Funny and emotional in true Kinsella style

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have always loved Sophie Kinsella’s books. They are lighthearted, engaging and easy to read. Her books all seem to stem from a relationship mishap. In “Surprise Me”, Sylvia and Dave go to a physical and are told my the doctor that they will live for another 68 years. This translates to the couple as another 68 yeas of marriage. They decide to spice things up a bit by creating little surprises for one another. They also fleetingly consider having another baby. While the couple tried to spice up their marriage, the reader discovers that Dave doesn’t have the best relationship with his inlaws. Sylvia blames it on Dave being jealous of her late father- his wealth and charitable efforts. Until Sylvia realizes there seems to be more to the story that is being hidden from her. What are her mom and husband trying to hide?

Sophie Kinsella is supposed to be funny chick- lit... perfect when you want to read something light. Trouble is this is not funny and I can live with not laughing if it is an interesting or captivating read, sadly this was neither. Boring AF. I think I am officially calling it quits on this author.

I love Sophie Kinsella and have been reading her for years. Her 2017 release, My Not So Perfect Life was one of my favourites of last year (you can read my review here if you missed it). Because I adored it so much, I had really high expectations for Surprise Me, which was released last week. I don't know if it was my high expectations, my mood (it wasn't great when I was reading it), or the book itself but...I did not like this book.

I think my big problem with the book was I was bored. The story got itself set up and then...boredom. It just seemed like the same sort of things were happening. Sylvie and Dan tried to surprise each other and it went totally wrong. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. There was nothing new being added and it seemed like it was, dare I say it, sloppy storytelling.

I was also really frustrated with Sylvie and Dan. It reminded me of how I'd get annoyed with Becky in the Shopaholic series (and why I stopped reading them awhile back). I love chick lit and contemporary stories so humourous and awkward scenarios are common. Maybe it's just me but it drives me up the wall when the character is just so incredibly clueless and can't see what she's doing is totally bonkers.

That's not to say I disliked Sylvie and Dan. I really did like them. I'd love to have Sylvie as a friend and Dan seemed fantastic. But I just couldn't see why I was reading about them. They were just another couple facing a little bump in the road of marriage.

I did finally get interested at about 80% of the way through the story. Finally things were actually happening and Sylvie was becoming the woman I was sure she could be. Did the interest I had in the last part of the book make up for the boredom during the rest of it? No, not really. I'm happy with the way the story ended, I can say that much.

I'm so bummed I didn't love Sophie Kinsella's new book but my dislike of Surprise Me won't dissuade me from reading her books in the future. Have you read Kinsella's latest? What'd you think? I'd love to hear that other people disagree with me!

*An advanced copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House, via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Oh, this book! What a gem! I have been a massive Sophie Kinsella fan for ages, and she just keeps getting better! This was so NOW; so important and relevant! I adore Sophie's wit and humor, no one can quick lay out a scene with such hilarity and heart as Ms. Kinsella!

I often read a lot of historical fiction which I love but can be heavy at times. This book was great! It's just what I was due to read. It's refreshing and made me laugh out loud. It is about a couple, Slyvie and Dand who are totally sync with one another. They can finish each others sentences. They know what to order for the other one if they're at a restaurant. They are happily married raising twin daughters. They make a great team What could be better? One day they go to the doctor who tells them they are healthy and should plan on living another 68 years. With that news they panic. How will the next 68 years be? How will they keep each other happy? This is when Slyvie comes up with the idea to 'surprise" each other to keep this fresh. The surprises they give one another turn out to be funny, although not meaning to be. This is a great book club book because it will open up discussions on how well do you know your spouse. As well as what you might do to surprise your spouse. This light and funny book would make a great "beach bag" or vacation book, I plan on picking up another Sophie Kinsella book in the future.