Book review: I Owe You One

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By Sophie Kinsella
Published by Transworld Books

 Synopsis: 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?

 How did this book end up in my hands? Another spot on serialisation by The Pigeonhole, which at the moment is my go-to online library!

 Was it a page-turner? The ten-part serialisation worked well for me. Even though I sometimes wished the daily instalments wouldn’t fly by so quickly, I felt like I was able to take more details in instead of just rushing through the pages.

 Having read the synopsis, did the book meet my expectations? An upbeat romance is what I was expecting and I wasn’t disappointed. There were so many likeable characters in there too. I loved the staff at Farrs and I wouldn’t mind a sequel (or a prequel, I’m not fussy) to get to know them all better.

 Did I like the ending? [no spoilers] Yes, although I think it’s safe to say that I could see it coming from the very first chapter but this didn’t take anything away from the reading experience.

 Three words to describe it. Romantic. Heart-warming. Funny.

 Do I like the cover? I do inasmuch as it matches the covers of the other books by the author. As a standalone novel, however, I would have expected the famous IOU coffee cup sleeve to make an appearance on the cover.

 Have I read any other books by the same author? I think I have shockingly only ever read The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic!

 Will I be recommending this book? It’s warm, it’s fluffy and it’s the perfect read to snuggle up with when you need a break from the world out there. As someone who would generally reach for the nearest psychological thriller, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

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