A light hearted, easy read. Likeable, realistic characters and enough plot to make it interesting.
A good one to save for your summer holiday
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

Sophie Kinsella knows how to write charming characters you root for and funny, entertaining stories. While this doesn't quite match up to the brilliance of the Shopaholic series this was a very fun book to read.

Another book that had me confused as to whether I actually enjoyed it or simply could not believe I was reading about a character handling situations in the worst way possible just because.

Fixie’s story starts when the sky falls on her head (quite literally too) and she ends up with an unexpected IOU notice. Will she redeem it?

There's this part of me that makes me think I should give this book four stars simply because I flew through it in 2-3 days (which is a quick read for me), I wanted to keep reading and I recognize how the author took everyday issues and turned them into a pageturner. I liked how Kinsella's writing makes that possible- it's uncomplicated, straightforward and not pretending to be something more, devoid of any overdone yet unnecessary embellishment. The main character can be viewed as very likeable and relatable, in the sense that even if you can't relate to her love-induced problems and the fact that she feels she has to take on the weight of the world on her shoulders, you're glad you're not in her shoes so you read on with sympathy.

There's this other part of me, however, a larger part to be honest, that's nagging me to give this book two stars, because it keeps reminding me that I scrunched up my nose more times than I could count. I also feel that I've seen Kinsella use this formula time and time again: quirky main character with antagonistic relationships between herself and close family members, a girl that has character and sass which only shines in her internal monologue, yet gets muted around said family members, because she's a plain Jane compared to them. Oh, and a romantic element that doesn't seem to work out, like at all, except that it the end... ha ha tricked you, not gonna tell, you'll have to read the book to find out!

Anyway you get the picture. I thought I'd split the difference and give it 3 stars. Would I recommend it? Sure I would. I'm confident that people looking for a quick read and Sophie Kinsella fans will enjoy this book. However, I couldn't deny how conflicted I was after reading the final page.


One of my main pet peeves was that I generally found all the side characters a bit blunt and superficial, each more self-centered than the other and in their own bubble. Considering that the protagonist is also underdeveloped and quite self-absorbed herself, I didn't get anyone to draw me into the story enough. Except Seb, that's a good guy yet human and prone to mistakes, you can't dislike him, but still I can't say he's an all-round developed character. I also thought that at the 50% mark the focus shifts and the protagonist’s changes with that. I don't like it when the internal voice doesn't match the way she behaves. Now that I think about it, reading the second part of the book felt like reading a different book altogether. I know that this is where the point of character growth comes in place, but to me it didn’t seem convincing enough. I couldn’t comprehend this change happened by such little shifts. I know why, but it still wasn’t justified enough for me, if that makes sense. However, there’s this wonderful message of speaking up so that your voice will be heard, which I appreciated. I also thought there was a hint at Fixie’s potential mental health issue (OCD), but I’m not sure on that point, as it is not dwelled upon or explored in the novel.

In order to illustrate my point as to why I physically cringed numerous times, I honestly need to go into spoilers in order to discuss a particular scene that is relatively in the beginning of the story, so I'm not sure it is a spoiler per se, but I would suggest everyone continue reading at their own discretion. I have to say that the more juicy stuff stars after this particular scene.
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MINOR SPOILERS
So Fixie was sitting in a cafeteria, where a ceiling fell on her(!) and instead of everyone asking after her and what actually happened when she got home, her siblings only apologised for being meanies after their mother chastised them? Same mother that is the only saving grace in Fixie's life doesn't bat an eyelash when she finds out that A CEILING FELL ON HER DAUGHTER? Does this honestly sound like an everyday occurrence? Because when I hear that a ceiling fell on somebody, oh I don't know, I'm inclined to think it is as surprising as it is disconcerting. But no, the only problem is that Fixie got all wet before the party and she looks funny. Ha ha. Not.

*ARC provided by NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed reading this book, a total break from the norm for me as I like a good thriller but needed a change. I engaged with the main character and wanted her to succeed in life. I would recommend this light hearted tale about Fixie and her work \ home love life.

Been a while since I have read any by this author. Wasn’t disappointed nice to read something which isn’t crime or a thriller for a change. Just a nice easy book to read.

The perfect pick me up book to give you that heartwarming feeling. Whilst the story may have been a tad formulaic, you can’t help but love how Sophie Kinsella threads the characters together in the tale. It was the perfect holiday read and I loved it!

For the last three years in a row, Sophie Kinsella puts a smile on my face every time I finish her newest book. I mean, there is a reason why she’s my favourite author, but I have to admit, I wasn’t in love with every book she ever wrote.
However, ever since she published My Not So Perfect Life it’s like we’re on a happy train and we’re not getting off. Every book she writes is pure perfection, and I Owe You One is one of those treasures.

The thing is, when you read a book by your favourite author, your expectations are high. You can’t help it!
So going into I Owe You One, I expected to like it, I wanted it to make me feel better, make me laugh, swoon and root for characters… and it delivered.

The story follows Fixie who got her nickname because she likes to fix things. She wants to make everything better for everyone, and to her, family always comes first.
One day in a coffee shop a stranger asks Fixie to watch his laptop while he goes away for few minutes. In that amount of time, the roof above starts to sink, but Fixie can’t leave the laptop, so she protects it with her body, and even though she ends up wet to the bone, laptop ends up untouched.
The story goes from there. The stranger, who’s name is Sebastian writes her a note with which she can ask him anything in return, because now he owes her one.

Going into the story, after few chapters readers can already assume how the story might end, because it is obvious from the start what a douche Ryan, Fixie’s love interest, actually is.
I mean, it’s been a while since I read about that kind of jerk in my books. A perfect character to hate, if you ask me!
However, it’s not always about the end, it’s about the journey!

I like how I Owe You One is characters based story, and we get to see not only different type of persons who functionate together, but also their development through the story.
I like how all of them have their flaws and the author really made them real, so by the end of the book readers will probably have the feeling like they know them. At least, that’s what happened in my case.

The writing style was amazing, as always. I flew through this book.

In the end, without spoiling anything, I just have to say there is one scene closer to the end of the story, that made me feel chills while reading (and they were good chills!). They were more like tingles.
It was such a beautiful scene, and out of everything this novel provides, I think that scene is how I will remember it.

I would recommend this book to everyone who likes funny scenes, romantic moments and family dynamics in their books.

An easy holiday read from Sophie Kinsella, but possibly a bit too predictable. Fixie Farr helps run the family's home ware shop with her mother. When her mother takes an unexpected trip away the rest of the family step in to help. They are rather an unlikeable bunch!

An easy read by one of my favourite authors. The main characters are great and the whole premise of the book works well. Definitely worth a read.

Another great read from Sophie Kinsella. Perfect for holiday reading as the story and characters are well developed with plenty of substance, but it's all very light and easy to dip in and out of.

For me, Sophie Kinsella’s novels are a certainty. Whenever one of her books comes out I go and buy a copy, sometimes without reading the blurb first. Her heroines are realistic, engaging, funny, and familiar; her stories are refreshing, entertaining, and completely immersive; the author’s writing style is always clear, fluid, and simple so that it’s impossible to put her novels down.

While waiting and hoping for a new Shopaholic novel, I am really enjoying her stand-alone novels and her last one, I OWE YOU ONE, has quckly become one of my favourite behind Can You Keep A Secret? and My (Not) So Perfect Life.

Who is the protagonist? Fixie Farr is a young woman living in London where she works for the family business. She is funny, loyal, and she wants to fix everything and everyone around her. When something is not right, her fingers starts to twitch and she has this urgent need to put in order, whether it is removing a stain that no one else notices or help her best friend figure out why her husband doesn’t want to have a baby anymore. She wants to make everyone happy so she follows her late father’s wishes and she always puts her family first, even when her older brother and sister don’t seem to care about her feelings or what’s best for the business. Then, there is Ryan, her teenage crush who just came back into her life and she would do anything to keep it there. That’s why she asks for Sebastian’s help. He is a stranger she met in a coffee shop and who owes her a favour after she saved his laptop from a collapsing ceiling. From that moment Fixie and Sebastian find themselves in each other’s debt and spending more and more time together.

Like in all Sophie Kinsella’s novels, romance has an important part but it’s not at the centre of the story. I OWE YOU ONE focuses on family, on Fixie’s relationship with her siblings, and learning to put herself first every once in a while. I liked how she developed and how she matured throughout the novel and how she conquered her fears. There are life lessons, some inspirational moments, and a few hilarious scenes that made me laugh out which are typical of this author’s novels.

I OWE YOU ONE is a brilliant and captivating addition to a fantastic collection of novels by an author that never lets me down and I am already looking forward to whatever comes next.

I don’t read my chicklit anymore preferring thrillers but I do love this authors books. You can’t help but fall in love with fixie. Even if the story is predictable most the time it was a page turner.

I, wholeheartedly, am a fan of Sophie Kinsella, so this was always going to be on my to-read list – even if some reviews had me approaching it in trepidation. But I Owe You One, a lighthearted, cute and purely delightful read, feels like classic Sophie all over again.

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The general gist, spoiler-free: Fixie Farr will do whatever she can in life to make sure everything is, well, fixed. Hence the name, right. She’s managing her family’s business, popping her dreams on the back burner, and trying to live up to the legacy of her dad (who passed away before the novel begins). She happens to be in a coffee shop when a gorgeous stranger asks her to watch his laptop for a moment – and she happens to save it from disaster. He’s grateful. He offers her an IOU, and she takes it, never intending to cash it in. But she does… and we wander through a few ups and downs, romances old and new, and family dramas simmering for years before hitting the boiling point.

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Let’s get the “I didn’t like this” out of the way: I honestly did not understand the idea of Ryan. I know, I know, childhood crush, long-standing romance, always wondering if he’d be the one. But really, there wasn’t anything to like about him. Whenever he appeared, I inwardly rolled my eyes; he was a giant red flag of “I’m just going to walk all over you, and have zero qualms about doing so.” Perhaps he was meant to be in contrast to Seb, who was a giver at heart, but even one redeeming quality would have made me understand why Fixie was so determined to adore him. Otherwise, Ryan's just one of those awkward teenage crushes we’ve all pretended never existed because we can’t remember why we found them attractive in the first place, right?

And now, onto the good: this felt like classic Sophie. Her last book, Surprise Me, really felt like a departure, and this took me back to all the highs I loved in Sophie’s other novels. It was just such a delightful little romp around London and in Fixie’s life – the banter between Fixie and Seb, the gloriously tanned aunt, and Greg, my new favourite shop assistant (thank you, Greg, for embodying the weirdness of retail, you are a gem). I spent a happy few hours in this novel, and would happily do it again when my TBR pile isn’t quite so enormous.

It’s the perfect candidate for a weekend read – the sort of escapist book we all crave eventually. If you’re a fan of Sophie’s work (particularly my last favourite, My Not So Perfect Life), this is for you.

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

This was an entertaining read, but a bit obvious and the characters were so annoying! “Fixie” seemed incapable of fixing anything, actually, and she should have known her family were trouble when they replaced her name with a patronising description. Her fabulous mother was clearly a fool also. I would just like to read one novel in this field where the characters have a bit of sense. Maybe I need to find a new genre. Otherwise, it did everything a romantic fiction should.

I enjoyed reading this but I'm afraid I found main character Fixie a trifle irritating , just because she is such a doormat at the start of the story. She does grow some backbone by the end but I guess I just prefer my heroines to be made of stronger stuff. That said, this is a fun family story and Seb is an excellent hero, sensitive, supportive and strong.

I love a Sophie Kinsella book and this was no different.
A great holiday type of read.
This story follows Fixie and her family and the shop they run. Her mother takes a break away with her sister and leaves Fixie and her siblings to run the whole place. It was never going to be straight forward was it?
The characters are fun and the story is easy to follow.
Light hearted, easygoing book that left me smiling ☺️

In this book, main character Fixie (kudos to the customary strange character name!) is a kind, hardworking young woman trying to honour her father’s memory and keep his legacy, the family shop, running while her siblings seem determined to run it into the ground by steamrolling over all her ideas and efforts. It’s something I think everyone can relate to on some level, which is what makes it so easy to read.

I found Fixie a little infuriating at times, she’s dangerously naïve and will rationalise her way out of anything only it isn’t as charming as the Shopaholic rationalising, it’s a bit more sad reading about her coming up with reasons why it’s ok to sacrifice her own happiness. To make it clear – this is an awesome book, it’s just a bit more angsty and thought provoking than I expected it to be.

The romance element is deliciously sweet, it’s a relationship between two people who have a lot to offer each other. The romance plays a secondary role to Fixie’s story, which was both empowering for her as a person, but also a bit of a shame for me as a reader as the romance is where the escapism is at!

I was disappointed with this book as all the characters were stereotypes. Even for holiday reading this would be too silly. I have read Sophie Kinsella before but this is definitely not one of her best.

THIS REVIEW IS HARD TO WRITE FOR ME BEFORE I'VE ENJOYED SOME OF SOPHIES OVER BOOKS IN THE PAST WHICH IS WHY I REQUESTED THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE

THE TWO STARS ARE FOR SEB ALONE AS I DID REALLY ENJOY HIM AS A MALE LEAD


This book has trigger warnings for emotional and abuse of power, control and manipulation.

Fixie and her family have owed Farrs, a family run business for many years and since her father has died everything is down to her, her mother and two siblings to look after the business. However, Nicole and Jake, her brother and sister have other ideas for the business that Fixie doesn’t think suits their usual customers. When Fixie is having coffee one day she meets a man, saves his laptop and he is now in debt to her, he owes her one, how will he pay her back?

I want to start of by saying I have a lot of feelings regarding this book, I’m going to start off from the very beginning. When I read the first few chapters I found them dull, not much was happening and then she met Seb and then I figured perhaps this will be an interesting book. I was very wrong.
Now let me tell you all the things I didn’t enjoy about this book, Fixie is a walk over, she’s a doormat she let’s everyone in her life walk over without so much as sticking up for herself and yes that could be part of her personality but the writer made this woman incredibly weak and she didn’t gain her true voice until the end of the novel.

Now onto the other characters, whilst I roll my eyes whilst typing this out. The other characters in this novel were so awful apart from Seb he was the only character that I thought was a genuine nice man, of course her mother and a few of the side characters were fine but they weren’t the core of the novel, the main focus of this novel followed Fixie, Seb, Jake, Nicole and Ryan.
Now let me talk about Ryan, Ryan was one of the most obnoxious characters I’ve ever read about in my life, he thought name dropping were he had been, who he had met give him more credibility as a human being when in fact he just treated people like they were below him.
Jake, the brother was super annoying, controlled Fixie and manipulated her and it truly made me sick, he was just not a very nice man.
Then there was Nicole, she was both completely stupid and I felt like she was pointless, she didn’t even need to be in this book, she was irritating
Side characters like their uncle was terrible too, he was sexiest and power hungry. This book was filled with deucebag men.

Overall I didn’t enjoy this book, I felt like I could have if the characters had have been different people and the only redeeming character was Seb, he was the only man who actually was a genuinely nice guy.

Would I read more by this author? Yes because I’ve read books that I’ve enjoyed before in the past by Sophie Kinsella which is why I’m disappointed by this one

Not really my taste but it was an easy read and a structured narrative that led to a pleasingly happy ending. Half way through this book I didn't feel like continuing but I persevered and enjoyed the way things turned out for the characters. Overall a lightweight, easy read.