I was looking for something fun and light, and this book was just that, even if I had quibbles here and there. This was a cozy, enjoyable, light read. It did not feel particularly substantive, but I often felt a fizz/spark while reading it, and that counts for something.

Many of the characters felt like caricatures or stereotypes, who were unkind to Fixie or constantly failed to appreciate her. Fixie put up with it so often that I found myself annoyed with her at times, and I wanted to say to Fixie, “Enough already! Just say what you want to say! You can do it!” I agree with others who note that the character development for most characters took too long and seemed to happen almost instantaneously.

I did find Fixie and Seb’s developing relationship engaging, but I wish Seb had been a bit further drawn out.

I received an ARC of this book (with thanks!) from Net Galley/Random House Publishing House in exchange for an honest review.

In Sophie Kinsella's new book, we meet her new heroine, Fixie Farr. Fixie is just like her name - constantly fixing things for her family. After her father's death, she feels compelled to handle things in their family lives and store, always putting herself last. When her mother decides to go on a holiday with her sister, Fixie if left to handle her excessive brother and her yoga focused store as well as the store. Then she meets a wonderful man and that only adds to the things that she has to handle. Fixie grows throughout the story and comes to the realization that loving someone doesn't always mean handling things for them; it means supporting them as they are forced to handle their own issues. Fixie has to be strong and back away from trying to handle everything for her family. She learns to handle less and love more, especially the new wonderful man in her life.

Light and lovely - I found this one a quick read, turning pages to get ahead of myself just dying to know when and if they'd get together. Although not much depth to characters in this particular story, I still loved the banter and cherished the reprieve from my alternate choices. Highly recommended for a chance a pace.

I loved this book. I was glad to see the characters work through their dilemmas with a happy ending. I’d recommend this book to fellow readers for sure. Another great book by Sophie Kinsella.

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A fun read! It definitely started out slow and I had trouble connecting to the characters. However, once I got into it I couldn't put it down! Definitely worth reading if you are a Chick Lit fan

*Sigh*

This review is difficult to write. I adore Sophie Kinsella’s books for many reasons. Unfortunately, I found I Owe You One to be a letdown.

I had an issue with the characters, the plot, and the romance.

I started off reading with an eye roll with the introduction of Fixie and her cliched nickname. Right away, I knew something was off. I would have appreciated something a little bit more clever and nuanced than a character who is defined by a stupid nickname. Fixie’s character annoyed me in the beginning, but she did grow on me. She does go through the typical Kinsella transformation and develop somewhat. The side characters are uneven and encompass one cliche after another.

Then there is the plot. It’s just one giant mess.

The romance: Fixie’s relationship with Seb was bizarre, to say the least. One minute he’s dating someone else, then he is dating Fixie, then they break up and he is back to the old girlfriend, and then he is back with Fixie--just like that. There was very little tension and depth to their relationship, leaving much to be desired.

There are some bright moments that shine through and reminded me of classic Kinsella. However, these moments were not enough to save I Owe You One.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Fixie Farr fixes everything. But she is also somewhat of a doormat with her siblings riding roughshod over her, She saves a laptop of businessman Seb and he commences the debt cycle. Eventually, the two become involved, but things go awry. Meanwhile, the Farr family shop is quickly going downhill. Honestly, I didn't really care for any of the main characters for half of the book. But then Kinsella turns the novel Around as Fixie turns the shop around after finding her backbone. There is much growth in the characters in this story. Ultimately, it's worth reading. Some of my favorite parts were when Fixie was giving certain people some hard truths.

As I read through my Kindle highlights and notes to craft an even-keeled and fair review so I don’t loose my access to advanced copies of books, I find a highlight with the note: “This heifer is beyond hopeless, I hate this book.” And I am overwhelmed with the need to be honest. So if I’m being completely honest, this book does not have the range. “What does it mean to have the range?” I’m glad you asked; per urban dictionary, "She doesn't have the range" is a way to dismiss people who don't live up to your standards. Sophie Kinsella is a legend in her lane and this story just does not live up to the high standards I’ve come to associate with her romantic storytelling.

“F*%k you, Fixie” is a direct quote from the book and makes more sense as the title.

This book is about Fixie Farr, an emotionally manipulated and undervalued 27 year old that has to continuously save whack men from themselves. She’s helped her Mother run their family’s grocery store in London since her father died 10 years prior. She’s the youngest of three with a golden boy brother (Jake) who lives to decimate her confidence and a super model looking sister (Nicole) who has the most minimal intelligence and awareness a person can have without some sort of official medical diagnosis.

Fixie’s life is turned a bit upside down when Ryan (a horrible human being and her brother’s best friend), she’s loved since she was 10 years old, hits rock bottom and turns to her for love and ego stroking. And her mother suffers a medical emergency leaving Fixie and her siblings to manage things without their mother’s personal or professional support.

Fixie might be the saddest contemporary romance protagonist I have ever read. There is literally a sex scene where Ryan gets off on her describing everything she has loved about him since they were teenagers and she is grateful for the opportunity to be with him. It was beyond sad and cringeworthy and sets the tone for about 90% of the book (I mean this quite literally, my Kindle percentage was at 88% before the narrative began to shift in a acceptable way).

In the middle of all of this, Fixie meet cute’s Seb, a handsome and successful CEO with emotional baggage. For more than 60% precent of the novel, Seb is barely a part of the story and he seems to be a solid and refreshing representation of the male species, unlike every other man alive that Fixie cares for. But the progression is slow, short-lived and veers toward happily-ever-after too abruptly.

The book is not poorly written but the Characterization is a tough pill to swallow, it leaves the reader thoroughly discouraged through most of it.

One of my biggest issue with this book is the treatment/framing of women:
- Fixie’s mom leads a successful business and saves her children from them selves weekly but allows her brother in law to dismiss and diminish her work and leadership.
- Leila, Jakes long-term live in girlfriend is constantly taken for granted or advantage of by him. She’s a smart and practical girl and she is devalued and erased in her relationship and she is just okay with it until someone gives her permission to not be okay with it.
- Nicole is some weird caricature of a hopeless empty-headed pretty girl, I can’t even dislike her as a character, I can only hope that people like her don’t really exist.
- Briony, Seb’s on-and-off again girlfriend that he has a genuine love-hate relationship with, is such a basic mean girl.

A big chunk of the book involves women saving men from themselves and not fully holding man-boys accountable for their actions while also making excuses for it because of their friend circle or a difficult life experience:
- Jake is emotionally manipulative, verbally abusive. A pathological liar. And a thief.
- Ryan is a sociopath and con artist.
- Seb, the nicest guy of the bunch and the romantic protagonist, didn’t even leave Briony for Fixie, his horrible girlfriend left him and he defaulted to Fixie, which is peak disrespect. AND when they broke up, he went back to sleeping with her, with his excuse being “better the devil you know.” NAWL
- Weird grocery store employee (I can’t remember his name) says inappropriate things to customers and undermines Fixie’s authority but still has a job.

Again, I really struggled with this book. I found it discouraging and painful because of the characters, all of them and can’t in good conscience leave a review without critically discussing this component. This book just was not for me but I think there maybe a population of readers that will not feel as strongly about the characterization. Beyond it, the book has engaging dialogue and is memorable.

I’ve been a fan of Sophie Kinsella for years. Sadly, I haven’t enjoyed the last few books as much as I’d hoped, but I still wanted to give this one a try.

As expected, this was a quick, fluff read. However, unlike other Kinsella books, I found it hard to connect with these somewhat annoying characters. I understand Fixie’s desire to want to fix everyone and everything. (It’s likely relatable to many readers.) However, she came across as a bit of a doormat, and I’m not crazy about that trait in lead characters. It was hard for me to stay engaged with the story. There are some humorous moments, but not enough to redeem the novel overall. I will continue to read upcoming books, but I do hope they show some of the key components I’ve loved in Kinsella’s past stories.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

I requested this book from NetGalley because I’m a fan of Kinsella’s novels. She is witty and manages to write about huge themes with humor.

I enjoyed this one just the same. Fixie is very unassertive when it comes to her family, but when her mom takes a much needed break from running the family business, she has to step up and try to keep the store running smoothly. Her brother Jake and sister Nicole have other ideas about the store, wanting to turn it into something more modern and posh than what it currently is. Fixie’s character development through this time was often frustrating but ultimately satisfying.

At the same time, Fixie is developing a relationship with Seb, a man she meets by chance in a coffee shop. He has a girlfriend and Fixie has a sort of boyfriend, so the relationship has many stops and starts and leaves the reader screaming at the Kindle for them to get themselves sorted out.

Overall, this is a nice, fairly lighthearted read that’s worth picking up. Fans of Kinsella may feel some Shopaholic vibes from Fixie - I definitely did!

If you love Sophie Kinsella this book won't disappoint! Thank you to netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy of I Owe You One!
This book was a fun and lively read. Telling the story of Fixie and her family as they try to work together to maintain the famiy business while their mother is away on holiday.
It is a quick and enjoyable novel that touches on the importance of understanding family values while at the same time realizing the complexity of individual perspectives and personalities.
I found this book to be super fun and I really enjoyed getting to follow Fixie on her journey self worth.

Overall an enjoyable read but a few of the characters drove me crazy. Fixie, one of 3 Farr children, has a knack for fixing problems. Always the crutch for her brother and sister, Fixie stands true to their family motto of “family first.”

Fixie’s character is anything but likeable. A true doormat with no backbone in sight. I found it frustrating that time after time she would fall for gimmicks that you could see a mile away. She’s portrayed as a very naive passive business owner and I found it irritating. BUT I’m a sucker for fiction love stories so I read it through.

I've enjoyed all of Kinsella's novels, but this one just didn't keep my interest as the others. I felt it was too flat and there was no warmth and exuberance.

I enjoyed this book significantly more than expected. Many of Sophie Kinsella's books center around a self-obsessed woman with little to no brains, but I Owe You One is different. It tells the story of Fixie, who believes that family is more important than anything else, even when her family is full of self-absorbed jerks. It was an entertaining story, and I enjoyed it.

***Advance copy provided by Net Galley***

This is going to sound negative but I mean it as a positive. There are some chick lit authors that as they have gotten older their books have changed to reflect where they are in their lives. I still love those authors but sometimes you want to pick up a favorite author and have something light and nostalgic. Yes, I am now old and married myself but dang it, I like a little romance! This book is what I was looking for.

The character of Fixie was definitely relatable. The age difference between her and her siblings, especially with their success and her business failure would throw any younger sibling off their game. Also being the youngest makes it hard to speak up. Some of the characters (Uncle Ned) were a little shallow/stereotypical but his character was important to the story. Ryan was incredibly predictable but I get the lasting impact of a childhood crush. Seb was just adorable and realistic. There was cuteness without cheesiness as they were both mature characters.

Side notes
- I have picked up quite a bit of British slang over the years but was does “strewth” mean?
- How much did you come to love the character of Leila? I just wanted to hug her! Same with Bob
- Kind of wondering what happened to Briony

I Owe You One is another delightful read by one of my favorite authors. I was surprised that Fixie couldn't see Ryan's true colors earlier as it was obvious to the reader what a heel he was. But I loved how we got to see Fixie through Seb's eyes, and watching her change and start to believe in herself was what kept me reading. As always, I hated for it to end. Fun and charming story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Dial Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Sophie Kinsella, The Dial Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a typical Sophie Kinsella - a light, easy read and perfect by the pool or beach. I needed something not heavy during the holidays and this book did the trick!

Recommend.

This wasn’t one of my favorite Sophie Kinsella books, but it was still a pleasant read. I just got a bit frustrated by the main character’s lack of confidence and didn’t laugh as much as I expect to when I read one of her books. But nevertheless, I’m sure I’ll read the next one as soon as it comes out!

After a string of thrillers and heavy books, I was ready for a lighter read. The newest Sophie Kinsella did not disappoint! What started as an overwhelmingly frustrating read quickly became a feel good story and I’m glad I stuck with it.

Fixie Farr is just that- a fixer. She works in her family’s shop, picking up the slack for her ungrateful siblings. Her motto is “family first”, leading her to putting everyone else’s happiness above her own. Until one fateful day at the coffee shop, when she saves a strangers computer and sets into motion a series of IOUs passed back and forth from handsome Seb. The rose colored glasses start to come off and she begins to see the people in her life for what they are. Will she be able to put her foot down and stop being used as a doormat to create the life she deserves?

I adored Fixie and found myself protective over her, getting so frustrated by how people were treating her. The character development was fantastic and the plot moved seamlessly. For me, I Owe You One was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars, rounded up from 3.5. Thank you @randomhouse for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Fixie lives up to her name, always fixing things. The story begins when Fixie saves a strangers laptop. The stranger, Seb, writes Fixie an I Owe You on a coffee sleeve. Fixie has no intention of calling in the I Owe You but her feelings change as the story progresses. I truly loved this story. Fixie begins the story as a timid, mind in the past, putting everyone before herself girl. I enjoyed watching her grow through the story. The book is a light hearted, funny book and fits in very well with Sophie Kinsella’s book. I highly recommend this book!!!