I Owe You One | Sophie Kinsella

Title: I Owe You One

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Length: 432 pages

Publication date: February 5, 2019

Genre: Adult contemporary

Rating: 4/5

Sophie Kinsella has been a favourite author of mine for at least half of my life. I remember reading Confessions of a Shopaholic as a teenager, and since then I have read every book that she has put out. Sometimes I'm not sure if they're genuinely good or if it's just nostalgia for me. But I really have enjoyed her last few releases, and I Owe You One was no exception.

Fixie Farr has always lived by her father’s motto: “Family first.” But since her dad passed away, leaving his 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. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, the computer's owner 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 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?

There were things I really enjoyed about this book; mainly the emphasis on family and the personal growth of the characters. There were things that drove me crazy - Fixie's crush on Ryan was the wooooorst and it made me upset. Like, wow I hated reading any scene that he was in. There was also a bit of that miscommunication trope that I hate but SK likes to use in every book (seriously, just use your words, people). It wasn't the worst instance but it was there. The romance was also a little weird - I did like the two characters together but just the pacing of it was off. Even with those things, I did enjoy the story and how things wrapped up. 

I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.