Dan and Sylvie are happily married, with twin daughters, when they go in for their annual physicals and get the news that they could live past 100 and hence be married for 60+ years. This sends some shock-waves through their marriage. The couple prides themselves on knowing each other inside and out, even being nearly psychic with one another, so they decide to help pass the years of marriage by "surprising" each other with various things. Needless to say, it doesn't go as planned. Meanwhile, Sylvie has a (perhaps unhealthy) attachment to her late father, who died two years ago in a car crash, and is still dealing with her grief. She works at Willoughby House, a museum run by an older woman, Mrs. Kendrick, who is quite set in her ways. Robert, her nephew, has been called in to modernize museum operations, much to everyone's dismay. Suddenly, Sylvie's well-planned life is upside down in every possible way.

A good Sophie Kinsella book is a great treat and a wonderful break from stressful thrillers. I enjoy her characters and a chance to get away in the world she creates. Sylvie and Dan, have five-year-old twin daughters, just as my wife and myself, so I was immediately drawn in. "When you have baby twins, you're in the trenches together... You hone your routines. You don't waste words." Exactly. I figured I would grow attached to Sylvie pretty quickly, and I wasn't wrong.

She's an interesting character, too. I won't lie--both Sylvie and Dan are a bit dramatic at first about the health news. I get that hearing your increased life expectancy and marriage time might come as a bit of a shock, but these two really took it to the limit. Sylvie was also a bit clueless and spoiled at times, but I like that she knew that about herself and sort of embraced it as part of her personality traits.

The book really kept me befuddled at times where things were headed. It's not your typical romantic comedy where you can sort of tell how everything will work out. At some points, I was quite surprised by some of the plot turns. I found parts of it tense. I was so invested in Dan and Sylvie that I didn't enjoy when they were fighting or having issues--Kinsella does a good job of getting you involved in these characters and their lives. You're along for the ride with Sylvie, trying to figure things out. I had an inkling of some of what might have happened, but I was certainly flipping the pages frantically, trying to work it all out.

I loved that parts of this one were just really very funny. Sylvie has a sense of humor and I just enjoy the dry wit that comes across. As the surprises backfire (you just know they will, right?), you can't help but feel sorry for both Sylvie and Dan. And, yes, laugh at a little at their expense. There's also a great supporting cast of characters -- Sylvie's best friend, her co-workers, the next-door neighbors. They are humorous and really add to the book, versus standing in as props.

Overall, this one really grew on me as I was reading. It was a great diversion and a quick read.

I'm generally a huge fan of Kibsella, so I was really sad to find myself so disappointed in this one. The premise sounded so interesting, but it's execution just lost me from the very beginning. I don't think there was enough really deep exploration done here to elevate the book to a level where it might have been a meaningful insight into the realities of marriage, rather than just your average, what some might deem, "chick lit" release.

"Surprise Me" has the fun and humorous protagonists that we are all expecting from a Sophie Kinsella novel. As a big fan of her work, I was excited to be given the opportunity to read and review a copy of Sophie Kinsella's newest book. Often in Kinsella's novels, the protagonist falls in love, or in some way develops a romantic relationship, however "Surprise Me" does not follow that typical theme. The protagonist definitely learns about life, relationships and trust, but if you are hoping for a happy cozy romance, then this book is not for you.

Sylvie, the protagonist, is a witty but naive woman who feels like her relationship with her husband Dan is pretty much perfect. They can even read each others thought patterns and guess each others orders in a restaurant. After celebrating a minestrone in their marriage, Sylvie and Dan are informed by their Doctor that they both are expected to live long healthy lives and have many decades (maybe too many) of marriage left. This revelation shocks their relationship and puts both Sylvie and Dan on the defensive. They are not sure if they are ready for so many years committed to each other. Sure Sylvie and Dan fell in love and made vows, but did they really intend to be married for so long?

As a side-note, Sylvie appears to be almost obsessive about her late father. Her father was an influential and wealthy individual who thought the world of her (ie. Princess Sylvie). This thread in the story is predictable and over accentuated in my opinion. I understand as a reader that we need to get the point early on that Sylvie's father was all consuming in her life, but I think it just got overdone and became unnecessary.

Sylvie and Dan's relationship struggle leads to many humorous moments and I love Sylvie's quick wit. That being said, I did find "Surprise Me" to be too predictable from the very beginning and to have a weak conflict/storyline. I felt like their should have been more tension, more exciting unpredictable events and that the "surprises" theme could have been better utilized. I enjoyed the surprises, but they are not what I will think of when I remember this novel. What I will remember is the humour of Sylvie and Dan's relationship when they realized they would be married for the next 6 decades. I will remember Sylvie's quirky character, but I will likely forget about Dan and forget about Sylvie's family conflict.

I am giving this book a 3 out 5 because I am not sure I would ever reread it and it fell short in a those few areas. I LOVE many of Kinsella's novels and always laugh out loud when listening to them on audiobook.

I also want to thank NetGalley and Penguin/Random House for the opportunity to read and review "Surprise Me" by Sophie Kinsella.

This one had a little more meat that her usual books. Superficial girl finally grows up and realizes what's important in life.

Fans of Sophie Kinsella will love this latest rom-com. As ,Sylvie and Dan, a happily married couple try to keep their relationship fresh by surprising
each other, the inevitable unintended consequences ensue.

This is my second Sophie Kinsella novel, and I must say they are predictably enjoyable. I enjoy that her characters are realistic, her storylines are current, and that I always find myself laughing out loud. She has a way of wrapping a meaningful message in humor and making it that much more meaningful. And while the plot of this one--a couple that is overwhelmed with the prospect of a long lifetime together--seemed silly and unbelievable in the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised in the end.

Sylvie and Dan have the kind of relationship everyone wants. They are always on the same wavelength, they finish each other's sentences and seem to fit perfectly together. When they go to the doctor together for a physical for their new insurance policy, the doctor remarks on their excellent health and predicts 68 more years together. This throws both of them into panic mode..... 68 years is a long time! So, trying to keep their marriage alive they start trying to surprise each other. And I will stop here because I don't want to give any more away.

This book was delightful. It started out a little slow, with Dan constantly computing how many more bowls of cereal he would be eating & how many more times they would make love, but the book quickly picked up from there and it was a whirlwind to the very end. I could not put it down. I would say this is definitely a must-read!

You have the perfect marriage and family. Or so you think, until your doctor gives you both even more good news...you are both perfectly healthy and will live to be 100. Sylvie and Dan, having just celebrated their 10 year anniversary of being together, realize this news means they will be married for 68 more years. The prospect of being with one person this long dismays them...how will then continue to stay interested in each other for so many years? Sylvie decides they should add surprises to their marriage. As you can expect, sometimes surprises, although well meaning, go wrong...sometimes very wrong. Surprise Me was a nice blend of chick lit and contemporary fiction. It was an easy, enjoyable read with humorous scenes speckled in between some of the serious subject matter.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! During my child rearing years, I didn't always have a lot of time to read. So, I only followed a few authors. Sophie Kinsella and Madeleine Wickham (Sophie's pen name) were one of the few. I could not, and did not, miss Shopaholic book. I loved them! Becky Bloomwood was hilarious. I always knew they would make good movies.

However, not since "Twenties Girl" have I not been able to get into a book by this author. I could not connect with the characters, at all. I did so much page skipping during this book that I'm not sure if it's a lie when I say I've read it.

I could not relate to either the husband or the wife. I felt nothing for them. As a matter of fact, they were driving me crazy with their "surprise me" theme.

I was so looking forward to enjoying this book. Unfortunately, the outcome was very different for me.

Thanks to Random House Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

2.5 STARS

I've read several books from Kinsella and have always enjoyed her light hearted humor and silly antics. Sadly, this one was a struggle and left me feeling disappointed in one of my beloved chick-lit authors. The first half of the book was slow and uneventful. While I enjoyed the closing chapters a little more, it was not enough to recover from my overall boredom and irritation at Sylvie and Dan.

I was excited about the premise of a book featuring a married couple. However, this one completely failed in execution. The heart of the book relies on misunderstanding after another. It annoyed me immensely that a couple who supposedly knows each other so well, really didn't. Also, so much of the issues were completely glossed over at the end.

The are girls are adorable, and I enjoyed seeing Sylvie and Dan interact with them as a family. I wish there had been more of those moments to compensate for the overly dramatic ones. Maybe my reading style is changing, but I didn't have the warm feelings I've experience previously with this author. If you are fan of Kinsella, I wouldn't discourage you from reading. If you're new to this author, I would recommend her other works over this one.

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for my advanced review copy.

I usually look forward to reading Kinsella's books but I'm sorry to say; I felt slightly disappointed by this title. I couldn't quite put my finger on my disappointment, it just didn't read as good as previous titles. Maybe there was some humour missing, some quick wit that normally raises a wry smile from me, I just felt let down.
The storyline was interesting but didn't make it a page turner that I couldn't put down. I think that if you're new to this author, you would find this book perfectly fine, it follows a normal family life with a dark secret and does hold attention. However, having been an avid reader previously, I just felt that this was missing its normal charm.

As a fan of the Shopaholic series, I was excited to read this advanced copy of Surprise Me, by Sophie Kinsella. Unfortunately, I didn't love this one. Young happily married couple, Sylvie and Dan get the "upsetting" news that they are both healthy and should expect to live a long time and be married for another 60+ years. The horror! They freak out and start causing all kinds of calamity in their relationship. I found both characters pretty annoying.. I just didn't get it. Maybe it's because I'm happily married to my best friend (22 years and counting) or maybe it's because I'm a cancer survivor, but I could not relate at all. Just be happy and rejoice in your good fortune. Ugh.

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella is a standalone novel. I have read a number of novels by Kinsella, who does write stories with humor and craziness. Early on though, I did have mixed feelings, as I thought some of the things were border line silly. Ok, lets review.

Sylvie and Dan have been married for 10 years, and have twin girls. They are very happy in their marriage and lives. When they go to the doctor for their annual checkups, the doctor tells them they can both live to 100. Instead of being happy, they think about spending the next 68 years together, and doing the same things. It freaks them both out (rolls eyes). They decide to come up with ways to keep things new and they call it Project Surprise. One after another, they surprise each other with food, tickets, furniture, clothes; trying to outdo each other. Frankly I did not really find this humorous, the craziness was more annoying. But that is me.
When the story centered on Sylvie’s job as a fundraiser, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and their two girls were adorable. The story also focuses on Sylvie’s deceased dad, who was a powerful fundraiser and well respected, though for some reason, Dan and her father did not get along. When Dan brings some old friends to visit, Sylvie meets Dan’s old girl friend, and becomes jealous. At this point, the story does change a lot, and I did enjoy the last half of the book.

What follows is Sylvie’s attempt to help fix her job’s fundraising money drive, which was well done and interesting. Sylvie is also begins to think Dan is having an affair, and this part of the story was at times funny and life changing. Sylvie will learn the truth about her father, and his disrespect for Dan; as well as the lies her family kept from her.

I really enjoyed the last half of the book, which became more about family, trust, perceptions, communications, and hidden truths. Surprise Me had a bit of everything, including Kinsella’s trademark humor, emotional drama, some suspense, family and marriage issues.

Kinsella is one of my go-to authors. I can always count on her for an easy read that makes me laugh. Surprise Me did not disappoint! I fell in love with the characters, enjoyed the storyline, and would recommend this read to anyone looking for some well written chick lit.

I was super excited for this one because I absolutely loved Confessions of a Shopaholic.

This story follows the lives of Sylvie and Dan. They have a perfect life and marriage and after a doctor's visit find out that they have another seven decades with each other.

They panic as they work to try to keep their marriage fresh. This book reminds you to keep open communication and appreciation in your relationships. This was a good read and I highly recommend it!

Dan and Sylvie have been married for ten years, and were told that they could have 68 more years together. This kind of freaks them out in different ways, Sylvie wants to add some surprises to keep their marriage alive. But sometimes surprises can go wrong. When a shocking truth is discovered, Sylvie begins to wonder if she ever really knew Dan at all. This story starts out slow, but as you get further into the book, it get more interesting and finishes strong.

At a doctor's visit for their yearly insurance coverage, Dan and Sylvie find they are in perfectly good health. Not just good health, but the fact of the matter is they just may have a long life to look forward to. Yet, when the doctor tells them they could easily have at least another 68 years of marriage ahead of them, they freak out. How are they going to keep a marriage that long from getting stale? How are they going to keep things spontaneous, not mundane? Their minds start working overtime with ideas on just how to solve a possible upcoming dilemma, after all they are now only married for 10 years, parents of twin girls and they have a long, long way to go. And so the fun begins, the surprises from each of them sometimes falling flat, which is equally as surprising! With a lively group of characters and an unexpected turn in events, you will never be bored.



Sophie Kinsella in her witty and humorous way takes us through the journey of a young married couple who are definitely trying to face their life head on and keep their marriage interesting, for the long run. This book had many laugh out-loud moments. Along with her sharp and on-point dialog, as well as the twists and turns that are unexpected, this is one book I would highly recommend. My thanks to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Sophie Kinsella, I’m a huge fan, and I was extremely happy to get a chance to read and review Surprise Me for Net Galley!

The story starts off lovely, happy couple celebrating ten years together, they have adorable twin girls, and they’re headed to the doctor together. For a minute you think about what that could mean... but, the doctor says it’s entirely possible they could both see 100 years old and celebrate another 68 years of marriage!

This idea causes them both to basically flip out and start overthinking EVERYTHING. I have to admit it was a little tough getting through the next part but, I’m glad I did. They both start calculating how many times they’ll do things over the next 68 years together and it’s nothing I’ve ever thought in my 23 years with my husband so I really struggled to relate. Honestly, to have someone say I could have even half that time with my husband would be a gift.

The surprises begin and it’s one ridiculous ordeal after another. They really overthought ALL the wrong things in the worst way! They think they know each other SO well but, it turns out they don’t and Sylvie, Princess Sylvie aka the wife, doesn’t know herself very well either! In true Disney Princess form, Sylvie realizes that she doesn’t want to be a Princess anymore and starts really living her life!

Basically, if you can get past the beginning of the story you should love the rest of the book. It’s SO good once it gets to the point. The ending is great too. I rated 4 out of 5 only because the beginning was tough but, would have given it a 4.5 if possible.

How well do you know the others? How well do you know yourself?

After being together for 10 years, Sylvie and husband Dan realize that there are years before them, years of them living together. Overwhelmed by the thought, they start the project to surprise the other one. Which backfires, obviously. But there are parts of her life Sylvie doesn´t know the whole truth about, and what starts as a game, is in reality a revelation.

I am fan of Sophie Kinsella (my favourite novel being The Undomestic Goddess), so I was waiting impatiently to her next novel. And I am sorry to report that I have not had the fully satisfying reading time. I am applauding the authoress to enter the more dark waters than usually, I really feel that she is trying to go deeper in this story about faithfulness, loyaly, perception and true reality. And I still love the antics her slightly silly heroines are having or doing.
But this novel really needs a better editor - more than a half of it are just the antics (with some slight echoes of untold truths here and there). The real reality unveils itself in the third part of the novel, which is a bit late for me.
I was not able to connect with Sylvie, the ultimate Daddy´s girl, too - I mean, she is not the bad girl, but she is exactly that - girl needing to grow up (contrary to the fact that she is 32-year-old and mother of two, at that). Dan is a decent chap, on the other side - and a nice reminder to appreciate the Dans in my life more!

All in all, this is not a bad book and would perform as a nice beach read, too. But an unsentimental cutting of some unneeded parts could make miracles, and it would be the book is had hoped to be - a bittersweet novel about the true values.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the access to an advance reader copy.

4.5 laugh out loud stars😂 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

Sophie Kinsella is one of my absolute favorite authors.... i’ve read every book in the Shopaholic Series and absolutely adored Becky throughout.... what I love so much about her books are her fabulous female MC’s and Sylvie was no exception.... strong, relatable, fun, self-deprecating, and a little out of touch with reality.... i’ve read so many twisty thrillers as of late and this was just the perfect pallet cleanser!

After Sylvie and Dan are told by their doctor that they will probably live to be 100.... they both start to panic, how can we keep our marriage fresh and fabulous for another 68 years? Sylvie and Dan decide to try to “surprise“ each other in order to keep their marriage on track.... soMe of Sylvie and her BFF Tilda‘s antics in trying to come up with “surprises“ left me laughing so hard I had tears coming down my face(I think my kids thought I had gone mad).....

Along with fabulous female main characters and tear inducing laughter....Miss Kinsella always has wonderful female relationships and almost too good to be true men in her books....Tilda was a truly fabulous BFF and Dan really had the patience of a saint....

The only “surprising“ part of this book is it had a bit of a more serious tone to it in parts... Sylvie, relationship with her mother, and her deceased father took on a very serious tone.... and admittedly I found it a little disturbing that Silvie still called her parents mommy and daddy.... in the end I thought this part of the book was done well and tied all the other pieces in the book together....

Absolutely recommend for a fun, fluffy, laugh out loud read... with some depth....

*** thank you to the publisher and Net Galley or copy of this book**