I struggled with this one at times, overall it was funny and the last quarter pulled it back....but....I just felt a little underwhelmed considering how Sophie Kinsella always usually pulls it out of the bag.

Fixie (don't get me started on the name, although it is a nickname), was the main character and I really disliked how she let people walk over her, mostly her family, and her lack of confidence. So many people suffer this in reality, I just didn't expect it from this book. I kept thinking she would gain assertiveness in the next chapter, then the next and it was a long time coming!

I really liked the concept of her saving someone's (Seb's) laptop and him writing an IOU that she ends up taking him up on. This started a back and forth of IOU's that was an entertaining storyline but I felt their relationship (oops sorry, spoiler alert) lacked some depth. They break up suddenly and unnecessarily due to a misunderstanding that was easily sorted but I guess it needed a will they/won't they aspect to the story but I wasn't quite on tenterhooks to find out.

So why 3 stars when my review so far has been a bit doom and gloom?! Well Fixie did eventually win back some confidence and did so with some gusto, her character growth was positive and it was very witty and light-hearted in the main which is what I expect from Sophie's novels. Whilst it took me a while to get on board with Fixie's family, ultimately I was rooting for them and I felt there was a life lesson for us all within the pages.

It was closer to 3.5 than 2.5 stars and I will absolutely be buying the next book Sophie releases because they are always solid reads and overall highly amusing and entertaining, this one just had a dash more seriousness to it but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

My thanks to Random House UK via NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I Owe You One
Sophie Kinsella
Publishers: Bantam Press
#romance #family #ioweyouone

I wanted to read something light after reading a couple of historical fiction books and felt that this would nicely fit the bill. It did and totally exceeded my expectations. Fixie Farr,as her nickname implies, is the family "fixer". It was interesting to explore the family dynamic and realise why everyone acted the way they did. There were plenty of twists along the way and a satisfying ending where suddenly everything seemed to amje sense. I enjoyed it.
Id like to thank the author @KinsellaSophie, the publishers and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I realised as I was picking this up that I have never read this author? Why? I have absolutely no idea!

Fixie basically is trying to hold it all together....and is getting totally walked over, this irked me! But I will admit she is endearing and will do anything for her family which I loved.

I think I liked Seb, I just didn't connect with him....or anyone really but these words did resonate with me for my 'Fixie' side: 'You need to start thinking less about what you owe other people and more about what you owe yourself.'

I didn't love this but it was a fun read. I am defo going to try another book by this author.

I’ve read many books by Sophie Kinsella, and she’s one of my go-to chick-lit writers. So far, I’ve always loved her stories and her characters. Unfortunately, this latest novel entitled I Owe You One just doesn’t cut it.

I was disappointed by the plot, but most of all, I was really bothered by the characters’ personalities. Fixie, the female lead, quickly came across as spineless and a real push-over, especially when dealing with her pretentious brother, her scatterbrain sister or her obnoxious ex-boyfriend Ryan. She worships him and indulges him in ways that reach the disturbing point (the weird talk during the sex scene at the beginning first comes to mind). Anyway, I was completely put off by all that and it couldn’t be made up by the storyline.

I’m still a Kinsella fan and I’ll go back to her past works, while waiting for the next one.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

I’ve also enjoyed books by Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham and was excited when I was approved to read an ARC of her latest title. However, I unfortunately struggled with this book.

It’s almost like a tradition in Kinsella’s books that we see an improvement in the female lead character - they blossom and grow as a person. However, I found the lead character, Fixie Farr, a bit of a doormat, allowing everyone to walk over her, especially men, and I struggled to like her and connect with her at times.

Fixie’s romantic relationships with men seemed rushed in the timeframe - one minute they were on, then they were off, then he was back with his ex girlfriend, then within a few hours that relationship was over and it was back on with Fixie! It seemed like a bit of a teen relationship!

What I did enjoy about the book was the whole “I owe you one” plot, plus I loved the family’s shop business!

I adore Sophie Kinsella and her style of writing, I was so excited to be able to read and review her latest offering. I can assure you that I was not disappointed with ‘I owe you one’.
The story focuses on Fixie and her need to fix anyone and everything around her, she inadvertently saves Sebs laptop when a ceiling collapses on her and what follows is a series of IOU’s and an eventual happy ever after.
The character and the story is engaging, this was such an enjoyable and easy read that I couldn’t put it down and had finished it within days!
Hands down 5 stars, thanks for allowing my to read

Fixie needs to fix everything in her life, including her family. She is a bit of a doormat but in a likeable way. She meets Seb in a coffee shop and they slowly exchange I owe yous. Fixie starts to stand up to her family with a dose of tough love and communication and they work their problems out. This is a lovely book about the problems and trials of running a family business but also highlights how important family and community is and how important it is to recognise and embrace our differences. An enjoyable read. I would recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this book.

#IoweYouOne #NetGalley It's a long while since I read a Sophie Kinsella book, having enjoyed the shopaholic series many years ago. This book was in the same easy to read, light, slightly humorous style but, in my opinion, not in the same league as her previous novels. Starting with main character - Fixie - whose name irritated me throughout! Fixie was such a doormat in the first three quarters of the book that I just wanted to shake her. After a really slow and repetitious start I was initially heading for an even lower star rating but in the last quarter of the book when Fixie at last began to stand up for herself and not let everyone walk all over her, I finally began to enjoy it. An easy, light hearted holiday read but not a patch on her previous novels in my opinion.

Fixie has a flaw, she can't prevent herself from fixing stuff. When she meets Seb in a cafe, she saves his computer from a water leak and he gives us an IOU. She uses the IOU to help her boyfriend and then start the game of IOU back and forth between them. Throughout the story Fixie has to grow to help her family and herself. This was a funny and easy read, exactly what I was expecting from Sophie Kinsella.

I am a massive Sophie Kinsella fan and have read all her previous books. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this latest book and am pleased to say it didn't disappoint. It is written in the typical Kinsella lighthearted style with characters you just love and root for. Not as funny as previous books but enjoyable just the same.

It made a refreshing change to read this book, light hearted but actually very relatable on many ways!

Sophie Kinsella has written a great stand alone novel about favours and IOUs basically, but the needing to please and going the extra mile gets stretched and stretched until it has become your own therapy. Clever!

It is an easy read, but a very enjoyable one. I'll definitely reread this in the summer.

This is far from Sophie Kinsella's best, but even one of her less impressive efforts is streets ahead of most rom-com writing. 'I Owe You One' is far from the laugh-a-minute style of Shopaholic: a lot of the book is spent setting up the situation and all the family relationships that will eventually be disrupted and re-established in the final chapters. The climax did produce the odd laugh as far as I was concerned but most of it is a gentle examination of what family means and what we owe to ourselves and the people we love. It's safe, predictable and almost embarrassingly heart-warming.

One to enjoy in front of the fire (yes, Christmas features) with a hot chocolate (or chardonnay) and a gift-box full of chocolate.

This was a lovely change from my usual crime books. It was light hearted and easy to get through. I thought it was really entertaining and I could really picture the characters in my mind. It's quite a quirky story and the plot is a little bit different so it was a really refreshing read!

I love Kinsella books and this one had her usual light, witty touch. The only problem was, in order to achieve the character growth of doormat-learns-her-voice, the main character is at first painfully (and irritatingly) doormat-like. It wasn't that this was unrealistic - I could imagine someone being that passive in real life - it was just really annoying to see someone so in thrall to others. I also couldn't get past the main character being called Fixie because she likes to fix things. It felt like the kind of decision that might be made on a children's TV show. But, once the character began to be a bit tougher, I enjoyed the book much more.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, and Sophie Kinsella for this free ARC read.

Being an avid Kinsella fan, I was excited to receive a free review copy of this title and had high expectations. Perhaps that explains my problems with this book. I expected a fantastic read, which ultimately left me flat and disappointed.

First up, some word choices annoyed the life out of me, especially sentences like this: “I really don’t understand Jake very well.” ... bad enough that these non descriptive and lazy words are resorted to often, but to put two in one short sentence? Nope, this puts me right off. The same with the abundance of split infinitives... “Simon swiftly takes his cue.” And then the telling instead of showing.

Second up, the story starts slow and doesn’t pick up until about halfway through the book. The characters and plot are predictable. I saw what was coming from chapter two.

Otherwise, I Owe You One is a light-hearted romance read to enjoy over a relaxed weekend with your tipple of choice, which offers a few giggles along the way.

Fixie Farr gained her nickname from an embedded need to fix things, even things that aren't necessarily hers to fix; she's also been raised with the mantra, family first, always going out of her way and beyond to help them without asking too many questions. Fixie helps to run her late Dad's homeware store 'Farrs' in London, where she spends more time picking up jobs her siblings neglect or fixing their mistakes she's not really focusing on fixing Fixie.

When a stranger asks her to watch his laptop while he takes a phone call Fixie ends up protecting it from a collapsing ceiling, earning her an IOU scribbled on what must have been the biggest coffee cup sleeve the world has ever know; Seb and Fixie's relationship develops through a series of exchanged favours.

Generally I really like Sophie Kinsella novels so I was very excited to have the opportunity to read her latest offering a bit early; it may have been the expectations I had in my own head but for me this fell a little flat. That sounds harsh, this was not a bad book, I read this over a slightly lazy weekend and I did enjoy it, I just struggled to really get on-board with the characters and the plot. I ended up giving it 3 stars, still a good holiday read but not one I personally think I'll remember in a couple of months.

Without going into spoilers my main issues were around the characters but particularly the main romances; its not spoilers that in a romantic comedy novel, the main girl and guy eventually get it together but I think it takes the romantic shine off it if he's broken up with his previous girlfriend just 48 hours before.

Hurrah! A new Sophi Kinsella! Always cause for a celebration! Always a reason to lock the door, turn off the phone and hunker down in front of the fire on a winters day!

Sophie writes about wacky, silly, funny, quirky characters and Fixie Farr is no exception. Although on a personal note the name Fixie Farr just doesn’t work for me, absolutely not. Sophie can do better! Fixie works 8n the family store and feels obliged to fix things. Any things. All things.
This book is a little slow to start but it’s easy reading, warm and funny and you have the Kinsella guarantee of a happy ending so what’s not to love!

2.5 stars
I have read and enjoyed most of Sophie Kinsella's books and was really looking forward to this latest one. I was disappointed, however. There wasn't any usual Kinsella's wit, the plot was ridiculous and the characters stereotypical and irritating. I won't be rushing to buy her next book, although I am hoping it was 'just a blip'.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I’m absolutely gutted to only be leaving this three stars as I love all of Sophie Kinsella’s books and I’d been really excited to have had the chance to read this one as an advance copy and just simply delighted that she had a new book out!
I have such high expectations for a Sophie Kinsella book, but this one was just ok. It was well-written, and to the high standard you would expect, but the story left me wanting more from it. So much happened but at the same time, it felt really slow going. It seemed to take ages to get to 50%, but then it sped up afterwards once the story really hit its stride.
Fixie has gotten her name because she likes to fix things, but we don’t see an awful lot of that other than her straightening a few objects that have gone awry. It is more about her being a pushover and very naive. She likes to think the best of people, but it just made her seem like a feeble and not that likeable a character. She does throw off these shortcomings at the end, but it feels like everyone succumbs to her a little too quickly.
The ending also seemed rushed, I would have liked a little bit more of clarification, but it was just presumed that what was thought to have happened, did (don’t want to give anything away).
Overall, you could tell it was written by a high-calibre of author, but it just didn’t grip me.

Romance is a genre I really enjoy reading. It is heartwarming and pleasant, exactly like a Sophie Kinsella novel. I really enjoyed the story. The characters are realistic with many flaws. I liked the choice of Fixie's name. Ms Fixit as well as a Pixie. I could relate to her need to fix things; be it objects, relationships or people.

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