Sophie Kinsella

A Novel

I Owe You One

The irresistible new standalone from Sophie Kinsella is a story of love, empowerment and an IOU that changes everything . . . Fixie Farr can't help herself. Straightening a crooked object, removing a barely-there stain, helping out a friend . . . she just has to put things right. It's how she got her nickname, after all. So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees, she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank her, the computer's owner, Sebastian, scribbles her an IOU - but of course Fixie never intends to call in the favour. That is, until her teenage crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and needs her help - and Fixie turns to Seb. But things don't go according to plan, and now Fixie owes Seb- big time. Soon the pair are caught up in a series of IOUs - from small favours to life-changing debts - and Fixie is torn between the past she's used to and the future she deserves. Does she have the courage to fix things for herself and fight for the life, and love, she really wants? ***** EVERYBODY LOVES SOPHIE KINSELLA- ***** 'Left me giddy with laughter. I loved it' JOJO MOYES 'Life doesn't get much better than a new Sophie Kinsella novel' RED 'One of the most relatable books I've read in a long time, I couldn't put it down.' LOUISE PENTLAND (SprinkleofGlitter)

nice story. but kind of weird connection. not too deep

Elvia Iraheta 

lexie

they all need therapy and family counseling. Fixie is funny.

Charlotte Horne

There was more focus on the family drama than the romance but it had amazing twists and discovery.

Hope Gamble

Have you ever wanted to reach in a book and smack a character upside the head? That's how I felt about Fixie for a good portion of this book. She finally got it together, but it took a while.

Lane Hokanson

This is a beautiful story that hits all the sweet spots: love, family, and self growth. Plus, some witty dialogue and a tight ending.

Rachel Kanyid

As usual I really enjoyed this Kinsella book, and it is probably one of my favorites from her so far!

Izza

Barbara Hellmich

** spoiler alert **
           This definitely isn’t the easiest review to write, because my whole opinion about it changed about 200 pages in. Before those 200 pages I was closer and closer to dnf-ing I Owe You One.
I did not like a single character with only a few exceptions (Margo, Greg, Hannah, Seb and Drew). They all had one character trait they were pushed into and never seemed to be able to be described by anything but one adjective (Nicole: spiritual, Jake: mean, Hannah: organised). I have never read a book, which characters made me so mad and irritated me. 
It only started to get better after Seb and Fixie finally got to some action, and their relationship was pursued. I couldn’t put it down when Fixie finally started to tell everyone off and she stopped being so goddamn naive and doormatty. 
All in all, the first half of the book deserves maybe 1.5 stars, the second part 4 Stars.

Sarah Kessler

It definitely took turns I wasn't expecting from the blurb (and took a few more chapters than I expected to develop into the story described in the blurb), but it is definitely a Kinsella page-turner. Unlike Bex (Shopaholic series), the cringes come more from Fixie's siblings than Fixie herself, but she's not without her self-induced stumbles and room for character growth. And grow she does! The first third of the book had moments where it was easy to put down; by the time I got to the last third and resolution, I couldn't stop reading.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via a Goodreads giveaway. The opinions stated here are wholly my own.

What an annoying set of characters. The best part was the ending (for the events and also for my relief)

Not a fan of the small amount of “the right one” love, took too long for the female character to realise how poorly she was treated, frustrating! 

Shanice Thomas 

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A gem of a novel.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Spark of Light and Small Great Things From the author of Surprise Me comes an irresistible story of love and empowerment about a young woman with a complicated family, a handsome man who might be “the one,” and an IOU that changes everything. Fixie Farr has always lived by her father’s motto: “Family first.” And since her dad passed away, leaving his charming housewares store in the hands of his wife and children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn’t take care of her father’s legacy, who will? It’s simply not in Fixie’s nature to say no to people. So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, she not only agrees—she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, an investment manager, scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. Fixie laughs it off—she’d never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she? But then Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life, and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie’s buttons. As always, she wants nothing for herself—but she’d love Seb to give Ryan a job. No sooner has Seb agreed than the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOUs between Seb and Fixie—from small favors to life-changing moments—ensues. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Does she have the courage to take a stand? Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants? Praise for I Owe You One “This book is a shot of pure joy!”—Jenny Colgan, author of The Bookshop on the Corner “A humorous exploration of family life, finding love and the difficulties of coming into one’s own as a young professional woman . . . The entertaining cast of characters . . . will certainly remind readers why nineteen years after her first hit Kinsella remains one of the reigning queens of women’s fiction.”—The Washington Post “I Owe You One is another impossibly delightful story by Sophie Kinsella, a must-read for her die-hard fans and new readers alike.”—PopSugar

I stopped reading this book twice and have never wanted to drop a book as much as this one. I picked it up because of the blurb it sounded like a great book at the time, however her entire family relationship is not ok. No one really gets along besides with their mom. Her siblings are basically rude and condescending and Fixie just lets them walk all over her. Their conversations and interactions were really hard to keep reading. I kinda understand her “I need to fix things” but it’s more on the obsessive borderline disorder side and not the helpful way. Her relationships were also kinda everywhere, the first relationship was very obsessive and pressured. Then what I thought was the plot with the IOUs was a little weird, and then that relationship felt sorta strained and really fast paced. The ending also comes off as really rushed, all the pieces were in places but it felt wrong. All in all it was a hard read for an ok book. There were many opportunities for character developments that were taken and the plot was hard to place. 

Emily Ines 🤍

Christina Rae Lu

Good humor but I’ve never read a book wherein all the major characters are annoying AF. 

Sophie Kinsella can do better.

Keylan 

This book....I only finished it because I liked the characters. Honestly the situations that furthered the plot were infuriating! And the fact that the end was so unresolved - as if the author was like “alright I’m just gonna finish this book now” was so annoying. The last two chapters were ridiculously bare compared to the long winded 300+ pages. Could have easily been a 4-5 star book if it wasn’t for the last two chapters being so rushed. Almost not worth it to have read tbh.

Juana 

Cute story. Enjoyed reading her books, as usual.

Olivia Wetten

It says 5 stars but i give it 4.5
I’m surprised it only has like 3.4 stars on here fr
i love this book so much!! it really is all about character growth and family! sure there’s romance in it but it doesn’t really revolve around them which i LOVE ! i am a sucker for “flawless” romances with a couple that is just good from the start, don’t get me wrong. but this, this was so much more relatable and real! 
but , i gotta say , they’re called red flag ryan’s for a reason!! i mean honestly, this man , fixie , bestie , open your eyes 
there is so much character growth in this book, jakes, and fixie’s and mum’s , and nicole’s, even hanna and tim’s like wow
and miss sophie really threw me there for a while near the end , and i honestly would have been fine with how i thought it was going to end , but it ended as i love 

really was better than i even hoped !!!!

Yerim Oh

Rating: 2.5/5 

Honestly, this book was a little bit of a struggle for me to finish. Starting from about 10% in, I found myself bored with the story, not very motivated to continue. However, some of the comments and reviews on this page encouraged me to give the book another try and I was curious to see what would happen to the main character and her story as well. I would be lying if I said that I didn't skim through most of the book, even skipping large chunks... 

I think what made it so hard for me to read was the characters. The main character, Fixie, has a slew of her own problems and I found her actions frustrating at times. The rest of her family members are quite unlikable and although Sophie Kinsella does give them a little bit of character development, they are still just okay in my opinion. And where do I even start with Ryan.... There were many moments where I wanted to punch him in the face. He is quite unbearable and the personification of a d*****bag. 

The only parts of the book I enjoyed were the interactions between Fixie and Seb. Unfortunately, the two main characters' love story seems to be put on the back burner and you don't really get to see a lot of them which is honestly a bummer. I felt like it took so long for the book to even pick up or catch my interest. 

Disappointed but considering trying another book of Sophie's before I make up my mind about her.

Laura Yaneth Martinez

This was so amazing. I really connected with this book. I ended up crying and ugh. I just FELT so much. With every book I read from Sophie Kinsella I just feel so much and I enjoy them all so much. This was such an amazing read.

Irina 

"An irresistible story of love and empowerment about a young woman with a complicated family, a handsome man who might be "the one," and an IOU that changes everything. Fixie Farr has always lived by her father's motto: "Family first." But ever since her dad passed away, leaving his charming kitchen supply store in the hands of his children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn't take care of her father's legacy, who will?"

Alexis 

3/5

While I like some part of this book , there were other parts I disliked. I didn’t really care for any of the characters and just couldn’t get invested in their lives. Sure the main character grew a little as the book went on, but I still found her annoying. This unfortunately just wasn’t the book for me.

Megan Leprich

I received a copy of this book from Random House Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Gosh where do I even start with this review? I loved this book so so much. I love that Sophie Kinsella doesn't only write books about Becky Bloomwood in her Shopaholic series, I love that she branches off and does independent books about other characters that are just as great as the rest of them.

This book is about Fixie, who if you couldn't figure out by the name always has to fix things and has a major case of OCD. Fixie works in her family-run business of selling quality products at value prices and never actually says what's on her mind in fear of hurting anyone's feelings or starting a drift within her family. When her crush of 17 years unexpectedly moves back she takes it as a sign that her wild dreams are coming true and she'll finally be happy. But a chance encounter at a coffee shop and a collapsing ceiling and Fixie meets someone that will completely change her outlook on life.

I loved the character of Fixie. I love how she went from a mousy twenty-seven year old just looking to fall in love with the rude, cocky, inconsiderate guy and changed herself into a confident woman that is no longer afraid to say exactly what's on her mind. She was my favorite character by far in the novel and honestly I wanted to reach in my iPad screen and throttle both Ryan and Jake. And then there was certain times I wanted to throttle Fixie with how much she put up with Ryan and from her siblings. 

I also loved all the family dynamics in this book. I loved how each character was so different from each other and each had their own set of problems that all got solved in the end. I myself don't have any siblings that I've ever had to bicker or disagree with but I love reading stories like this and I love how different this book was from her other books. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I haven't enjoyed every book she's written but I love how none of her stand alone novels are similar to each other. 

Anyone that knows me knows how much I absolutely love Sophie Kinsella. I honestly can't remember how or when I read my first book by her which was Can You Keep A Secret but I've been hooked since then. I was so excited when I saw that she had a new novel coming out and I am so thankful to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for sending me a copy!

Tilly

You know when a character is so unlikeable and dormatty that you find yourself being like “I cannot even root for this person she deserves the terrible people that surround her”? MEET FIXIE. 

At the moment I have DNF’d this book at 33% in. I cannot stand such a desperate spineless lead. I know she will have a big epiphany and bla bla bla but for now I can’t even finish the chapter let alone the book. She will end up having a happily ever after with Sebastian (because obviously) but all I can think is that he is very lovely and should run a bloody mile from her and the terrible people she surrounds herself with. Every man bar Sebastian is a useless misogynist, and every woman has no backbone ans spends all their time babying the men. Yikes. This is not an enjoyable read. 

UPDATE. Finished it but I stand by the above. Also, another commenter got it spot on, the relationship between Seb and Fixie is so weird the way he is dating here, then someone else, with a few hours between???

Kourtney

What a happy day when I saw that I was granted an early look at Sophie Kinsella's new novel! As most of her books do for me, this one did not disappoint.

This stand-alone story follows the life of "Fixie" Farr, who got her nickname from her family because she always needs to help "fix" things. After her father died, and a business venture of her own failed, Fixie finds herself helping her mom take care of the family store, and living at home with her mom. After a meet-cute with a stranger in a coffee shop where she saves his laptop from water damage, the stranger lets her know "I owe you one." 

Once the story is set up, it then begins to take off. We meet Fixie's siblings, who steamroll over her all the time and want to change the family store into their own visions. We meet Fixie's crush that she never got over from high school. And after a series of events, Fixie goes to cash in that IOU after all. 

Fans of Kinsella will be able to predict the overall story arc and how this one will play out. The journey to that point was so well written and had moments that would have me laughing out loud. I recommend this one for Kinsella fans and anyone looking for a light read after reading something with a heavy feel to it. I had just finished a Holocaust-esque story and this was the perfect follow up to it. 

This one is coming out next week - I recommend picking it up!

I received this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "A gem of a novel."--Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Spark of Light and Small Great Things From the author of Surprise Me comes an irresistible story of love and empowerment about a young woman with a complicated family, a handsome man who might be "the one," and an IOU that changes everything. Fixie Farr has always lived by her father's motto: "Family first." And since her dad passed away, leaving his charming housewares store in the hands of his wife and children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn't take care of her father's legacy, who will? It's simply not in Fixie's nature to say no to people. So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, she not only agrees--she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, the computer's owner, Sebastian, an investment manager, scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. Fixie laughs it off--she'd never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she? But then Fixie's childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life, and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie's buttons. As always, she wants nothing for herself--but she'd love Seb to give Ryan a job. No sooner has Seb agreed than the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOUs between Seb and Fixie--from small favors to life-changing moments--ensues. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Does she have the courage to take a stand? Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants? Praise for I Owe You One "This book is a shot of pure joy!"--Jenny Colgan, author of The Bookshop on the Corner "A humorous exploration of family life, finding love and the difficulties of coming into one's own as a young professional woman . . . The entertaining cast of characters . . . will certainly remind readers why nineteen years after her first hit Kinsella remains one of the reigning queens of women's fiction."--The Washington Post "I Owe You One is another impossibly delightful story by Sophie Kinsella, a must-read for her die-hard fans and new readers alike."--PopSugar

Chelsea White

1.5 stars. For roughly the first 75% of the book I hate nearly every single in the story, aside from Fixie and Seb. Jake is truly HORRID to Fixie, Natalie is an annoying airhead, Ryan is a manipulative snake. It takes Fixie forcing her family to get along for everyone to start feeling like people I could root for, but by that point the damage was done. I couldn’t empathize with Jake or Natalie when they were going through their little transformations, ESPECIALLY Jake. The briefly spelled out romance between Fixie and Seb was not nearly enough to balance out the rest of the book, nor was the power montage chapters of Fixie finding her strength. A very quick read, but ultimately not worth it.

I Owe You One A Novel

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