This was my first read by Sophie Kinsella and unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. I had to DNF it because I just could not get into it.

I have been a fan of Sophie's since the Shopaholic series, but....this one was not my favorite. The story surrounds Fixie and her quite dysfunctional family. Fixie's family runs a store but when her father passes away and her mother decides she no longer is in the capacity to run the operations and takes off on an extended vacation, things begin to go awry. Fixie's brother Jake wants to turn the business into a more "upscale" store and wreaks havoc in his attempts to do so while Fixie wants it to remain more family and community oriented.
By freak accident, Fixie meets Sebastian, a wealthy businessman who offers her an IOU for saving his computer. Fixie uses that favor to secure a job for ex boyfriend Ryan who she is still desperately in love with but it backfires when Ryan isn't the worker bee she promises Sebastian to be. Fixie again however lands in Sebastian's favor when she saves his life and lands yet another IOU. I won't give any more details because I don't want to spoil the book!
My biggest issue though was that there was just too much drama in this book between the siblings for me to really enjoy it. I like a little drama in a book but it kind of just was drawn out too much. It is a good read nonetheless, just not my favorite

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella is another laugh out loud book featuring a very likable heroine named Fixie. As her nickname tells you Fixie loves to fix things in the lives of her loved ones. She is quick to put her needs and wants to the side in order to keep all around her happy. This leads to an unavoidable confrontation that will change Fixie's life forever. Read and enjoy!

Sophie Kinsella does it again. This is such an interesting, intricate story with such a fun twist. Going through Fixies journey is such s delight. She’s such a well written character with a great personality that just makes you wanna keep reading.

Do yourself a favor and skip this book. It sounds like a lighthearted fun book, right? But it’s not. If you read the Shopaholic series and thought you’d enjoy another book by Sophie Kinsella be prepared to be disappointed. Our protagonist Fixie is a doormat. That would be fine if the story explored her standing up for herself but it won’t for about 75% of the book. As a reader you have to put up with her letting everyone treat her poorly and take advantage. For me that was unbearable. This novel made me feel tense and anxious on her behalf. When she finely asserts herself there is very little payoff and plenty of characters who deserved a comeuppance that never happened. We suffered with her and there’s no reward for it. To make matters worse at the “happy ending” Fixie was still being looked down upon by a character who should appreciate her. I was really looking forward to this book but it was beyond disappointing. Learn from my mistake and skip this one.

I should preface this review with the fact that I am a BIG Sophie Kinsella fan. I look forward to every single one of her books and my excitement for getting my hands on this one was no different. However, I started to read mixed reviews about this one before I opened it for myself and became a little nervous. I'm so glad I went for it, anyway. Because I.LOVED.IT!!! It was a true Kinsella read, complete with a fun, flawed character who you quickly find yourself rooting for, a love story, and all the good humor that is always found in her books. Admittedly, Fixie, her family, and Ryan (especially, Ryan!! and Jake and Nicole!!) were driving me so crazy it was giving me anxiety because they were truly awful people in the beginning, but I plowed thru and in her "Fixie" way, all was fixed in the end. Highly recommend this one! Get your copy on February 5, 2019!!

HUGE thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review also posted here on 1/20/19: https://www.instagram.com/meetmeinthestacks/

Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “I Owe You One” by Sophie Kinsella, Random House, February 5, 2019

Sophie Kinsella, Author of “I Owe You One” has written a delightful, witty, entertaining, enthralling, and heart-warming novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance, and Humor. The timeline of the story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her entertaining cast of characters as quirky, complicated and complex.

Fixie Farr, has a name well suited for her, as she tends to try to fix other family and friend’s problems and matters. Fixie lives by her late father’s rule “Family First” In Fixie’s case, her brother and sister are quite dysfunctional and too many things fall on Fixie’s shoulders. The family store and its problems seem to be handled by Fixie. As a matter of fact, her brother and sister have caused quite enough problems. Yet, Fixie has to learn to assert herself, and stand up for herself. Her childhood crush is back in town, and Fixie would do anything for him. Or would she.

On a rainy day, when Fixie goes into a coffee shop, a young handsome stranger asks Fixie to watch his computer, while he steps outside to talk on his phone. Unfortunately the ceiling collapses and Fixie manages to take cover, and safe his computer. To show his appreciate the young man gives Sophie an “I Owe You One” on the coffee sleeve promising her that he owes her one favor.

I love when Sophie Kinsella adds communication problems to many of her stories. In “I Owe You One”, this holds true as well. Her childhood crush needs a job, and Fixie had mentioned the I Owe You. I am sure you can guess what dilemma Fixie is in now.

I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of family, friendship, self-worth, empowerment, tough-love, communication, honesty, and hope, faith and love. I would highly recommend this amusing and pleasurable book for those readers who enjoy a delightful read. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

The main character, Fixie started out kind of weakly for me-her nickname comes from her habit of having to fix problems that she sees. Okay, that's a little annoying. I could see that she was going to be a doormat for her family. I spent much of the beginning of the book wondering if I could get over the vast injustices perpetrated on her by the rest of her family and her doormat personality. I wondered also if all of Kinsella's main characters would have frustrated me this way if I had read them at the age that I am now. All that being said, Fixie really grew on me. I liked the British chick-litness of the book and I enjoyed following Fixie on her journey of growing up and growing a pair ;). I'm a little confused by the romantic journey in this book-Seb seemed like a good guy and their chemistry was palpable. Why then was he constantly in a relationship -either with Fixie or with an awful ex-girlfriend? He seemed too self-actualized for that. All in all, an entertaining read for a cold winter month!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in return for my honest review.

My only previous experience with Sophie Kinsella was Surprise Me, which I really liked. A nice light and fluffy chick lit read is a great diversion from real life and from the heavier stuff that I seem to have been reading a lot lately, and I was excited about this one. But I just couldn't get into it... I found Fixie irritating and way too milksop to be relatable. Her family was horrible, and the whole thing just felt like a series of tropes piled one on top of the other. I may not be Sophie Kinsella's intended audience. From other things I've seen, it sounds like this book is more in line with her usual style, as opposed to Surprise Me. I wanted light and fluffy and it was that, but the plot felt a little disjointed and meandering for something that was supposed to be a light and easy read... There's nothing wrong with it per se, and if her style is to your taste, you will likely have a very different reaction than I did. But it was not for me...

This was a fun, well-written book. Fixie Farr is sweet, loving and always loyal to her family and friends. She meets a stranger, Seb, in a coffee shop and both their lives take turns they were not expecting. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Well, since I read My (not-so) Perfect Life I fell in love with Sophie Kinsella’s writing. This is the third book that I read (and I have lots on my tbr pile) and I have liked them very much. However, I have to say I expected a bit more from I Owe You One.
I did enjoy the book; it is amusing, funny and interesting. Fixie is a unique character, I liked the way she thought, almost all the time but I must admit I did not love her and she was a bit exasperating in many, many parts of the book. I also had trouble liking Jake and Nichole. It was hard liking the characters because they were, well…likeable, but I do get that was part of the story and they had to develop and they did.
It was easy to read, I read it quickly too and felt immersed in the story, but I think the final part was a bit rushed. The ending was great, though and I did love Seb.
Overall, it is a perfect weekend-with-a-glass-of-wine book, very entertaining and fun.

4 1/2 stars
One of the best things and one of the worst things about I Owe You One is the main character, Fixie Farr. She is the normal one in a world of quirky individuals, but while trying to see to everyone's needs, she is frequently a doormat, which made me want to shake her a little. However, I could also understand feeling flustered and backing down to an older sibling who makes one feel inferior. Again, while I grew annoyed with her behavior with her long time infatuation, Ryan, I could also understand it because I've seen that behavior in real life. Women and men who are so blinded by their crush and totally overwhelmed when their crush seems to reciprocate that they can't see that the person is not deserving.

Most of the characters are complex, which is a rom-com novelty. Even the ones who come across as superficial and very annoying, Fixie's brother, Jake, and sister, Nicole, have depths and change during the course of the novel, as does Fixie.

While I called this a rom-com, I probably should amend that because a reader going into I Owe You One might be disappointed that there isn't more romance. There is romance and many humorous moments, but I think that I Owe You One is more women's fiction than rom-com. All of the relationships are explored with each having their own "love" element. The aspect of "family first," Fixie's father's motto, is examined with Fixie deciding that family also describes those people you find along the way who are more family sometimes than the people with whom you share blood.

There is much to love about I Owe You One especially it's upbeat, playful, feel-good ending.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fixie got her nickname when she was just a toddler and she went around wanting to fix things. She still fits the name, but right now she has a plethora of things she wants to fix but can't. Her older brother Jake is trying to turn the family business into something it is not, her older sister Nicole is flaky and self-absorbed and absolutely no help with the store, and their mom had a health crisis on her birthday and has gone abroad for a few months to rest. When she left, she made everyone promise to keep the family business running and profitable and to stay close as a family. When it feels like everyone is working against her, how is Fixie supposed to fix this?
I really enjoyed this book. It was a captivating story, and there were both characters to root for and characters to hate. It was a very fun book, and as always there was a romance thrown in. I recommend this to anyone who likes chick lit or just general fiction.

This is my first 5-star book of 2019! It’s not a big surprise that Sophie Kinsella was able to hit the mark. I started and finished this book with a big smile on my face. I Owe You One was just what I was looking for. It had all of the wit, quirky characters, and heart that I have come to expect from this author. It was simply a delightful and charming reading experience.

I loved Fixie Farr. I was in her corner from the get-go, and I delighted in cheering her on. She was flawed, and she owned her flaws. She was a well-intentioned, caring, slightly obsessive problem solver. If there was an issue that needed fixing, Fixie was your girl. Her family, and the family store were of utmost importance to her. She took great pride in the store that her mother and late father nurtured. She had her finger on the pulse of her community, she knew what the customers wanted/needed, and she strove to provide it for them. Unfortunately, her brother and sister were less in-tune with the family business and neighborhood, trying their best to either make it into a high end shop or a spa-like, self-help boutique.

Sophie Kinsella knows how to create the most interesting cast of characters. I couldn’t help but be completely entertained and amused by them. Did I like them all? Absolutely not, and I’m certain that I wasn’t supposed to. Some of them were written with so few (if any) redeemable qualities that it would be impossible for a reader to like or sympathize with them. Between Fixie’s siblings, the employees, friends/acquaintances and love interests, this book was overflowing with personality.

Amid all of the drama surrounding the family and the business, there is a love story that emerges. While it’s not the main focus of the book, it was definitely a captivating, original storyline that kept my attention. From their initial introduction to their continued run-ins, there was just something magnetic about the relationship.

I Owe You One was everything that I had hoped it would be. This was just an all-around entertaining read!

I really enjoyed this book. I read it in a couple of big chunks, as you do with a sophie kinsella novel and yet this felt like a little bit of a departure for this author and something with a different feel from her usual rom coms . This was one f those novels where everything from the beginning and the middle makes sense when you get to the end, but not until you get to the end and this made it difficult for me at times when people would ask if I was enjoying it or what it was about and I couldn't really tell them, but by the time you get to the end you do get rewarded with some answers.

I loved Fixie as a main character, she had that same ditzy innocence as Becky Bloomwod but she had the weight of the world on her shoulders at the same time! I really felt for her, I identified with her and I was angry for her as the novel progressed. Yes this was one of those books where I shouted at the characters just a little! He family make up the rest of the cast of characters on the whole and oh my goodness did I hate them at some points over the course of the boo, some of the family friends too come to think of it. I think there are definitely some villains you will love to hate upon picking this one up!

As I say the storyline was definitely a slow reveal, a lot of things happened and I couldn't always work out why but by the time I got to the end of the book they all made sense. Although this didn't feel like the usual Sophie kinsella novel I have come to expect I definitely did enjoy it. It made me laugh and it made me angry, I even shed a tear at one point too. Don't come into this one with expectations of a 'usual' kinsella novel but I can defiantly recommend this one and I would definitely urge you to add it to your TBR whether you are already a fan or not.

In my humble opinion, Sophie Kinsella is the queen of romantic comedy!
Her books are populated with compelling characters you want to get to know. There's plenty of romance, and a satisfying ending that is not too predictable. All of these elements are present in her latest book, I Owe You One.

What I Liked:

Characters:

I love books where more than just the main character is a fully formed being. The Farr family is full of wonderful, annoying, and sometimes offensive people (kind of like an actual family). I loved getting to know each person, and why they were how they were. I also liked that all the employees at the shop (one of the main settings of the book) were distinct, quirky personalities.

Romance:

This book has all the elements of a satisfying romantic comedy. The main character, Fixie, is mooning after the wrong man at first. Then there's a meet/cute which was very funny. It takes a while for Fixie and Seb (short for Sebastian) to get together, but, I loved all the tension. And, this being a romantic comedy, you just know that there will be something that will tear them apart. They can't possibly be happy without a few bumps in the road, right? While I would say this book was a bit formulaic, it was so entertaining, that I was fine with that.

Love:

I also liked that the book explored the concept of love. In a family, does loving someone mean looking past one's faults? Or should we employ "tough love" in order to help them? How will we handle it when someone messes up? Do we get angry or reach out to listen and help? In romantic love, can we do the same, or should we use a gentler touch? There were no easy answers.

Family Dynamics:

There are lots of family dynamics that readers will recognize in their own lives. There's the sibling who's always trying to impress everyone. The self-absorbed sister who's checked out at family gatherings. And then there's the fixer. The main character is literally named Fixie! She's the one to always smooth things over with everyone. She jumps in when no one volunteers to help, because otherwise it won't get done.

Fixie feels a nearly physical need to take care of everything. Otherwise she gets anxiety. Although all of the antics of these personalities are taken to an extreme for comic effect, there's a lot of truth to the family roles in this book.

I’m in two minds about this one. I liked the romance, but I didn’t like the main character and many of the supporting characters. I know the girl in chick lit novels always starts out as a mess and gradually evolves into her own and finds her true purpose and all that, but I just couldn’t feel it this time. I still loved the fact that it was a light, fun read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love Sophie Kinsella so was really happy to receive an ARC from NetGalley of her newest book, I Owe You One. As a fan of the Shopaholic series, I expected the main character in her newest book to have similar qualities, and they do in the fact that Fixie and her life are a bit of a mess.

(Do Sophie Kinsella books remind anyone else of Amelia Bedilia sometimes? If something is going to go wrong, it will.:) ).

I Owe You One has everything I love in a Kinsella book...family drama, love twists and a chance for the main character to grow and redeem herself. If you are a fan of Sophie Kinsella and you are looking for a light, fun, but engaging read, definitely pick up Sophie Kinsella's Book I Owe You One on the publishing date of February 5th 2019. 3 1/2 stars for a solid, fun, easy read.

I was a little nervous to read I Owe You One, I ended up DNFing Surprise Me so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that I Owe You One was in the same vein as Kinsella's prior books. Filled with humor and hi-jinks and craziness with some softer sides too.

I enjoyed the premise of I Owe You One, it was fun and was a cute way for Fixie and Sebastian to meet each other and keep seeing each other. I Owe You One was a quick read and hard to put down. I was eager to see how Fixie "fixed" her life and how everything would work out.

The characters were a bit hard to like. Fixie's family was obnoxious, which I know was the point, but it was too the extreme. I wish she had had just one friend or family member that wasn't a mess.

I was most frustrated with Fixie herself. She let her whole family walk all over her, and in terrible ways too. It was super frustrating and I wished she had started standing up for herself a lot sooner. The family business could have been lost over all this crazy nonsense.

I wasn't at all surprised how the Ryan story line played out, and I'm glad he got what he deserved, as well as Briony. Most the family came around in the end in a way that made sense, even if it was neat and tidy.

While I knew what to expect - light, romantic comedy - this was not an enjoyable read for me. From the main character's nickname "Fixie", I was slightly annoyed. I didn't like a single character in this book, and only finished it because I very rarely won't finish a book once I start. I had read another book by author and sometimes like to just have a piece of fluff to read, but this one was just pretty bad.