I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

Synopsis: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, 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 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 her nature to say no to people.

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. Turns out the computer’s owner is an investment manager. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, Sebastian scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. But Fixie laughs it off—she’d never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she?

Then Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie’s buttons. She wants nothing for herself—but she’d love Seb to give Ryan a job. And Seb agrees, until 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?

Review: I usually have a very good time with Sophie Kinsella’s novels, so when I saw the release of this one, I was quite intrigued. A little comedy was just what I needed to relax.

Fixie puts her family first, even when it’s hard for her. She has been trying to keep the family’s business with her mother since their father died and her brother and sister have been getting in her way. Yet her mother is always there to fix the situation because our heroine can never stand up to them. But then, her mother goes away for a long vacation and the business becomes disastrous without her being able to do anything about it. And what about Ryan’s return to town, her childhood crush who has broken her heart several times? Will she fall under his spell again in spite of everything? And then there’s this little game with this stranger, a debt game that is as fun as it is intriguing.

I really like Sophie Kinsella’s writing and I had a hard time letting go of the novel before I finished it. It’s really hard to have a story where the heroine is so unbearable because she’s everyone’s doormat and she never says anything. She lets herself be manipulated and does whatever is asked of her, even if she doesn’t want to. You want to shake her up, you want to ask her to wake up and it’s very complicated because you’re frustrated throughout the whole thing and I really hated her behaviour. But I wanted to see what was going to happen, I wanted to see how she was going to save her store and I wanted to see what was going to happen with this mysterious Seb. But I also found that about the latter, that he goes from one woman to another like that so quickly, it was a bit of a shame.

So it’s a novel with which I’m quite mixed, but which, at the same time, was very well written.