I Owe You One
A Novel
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4.1 • 155 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
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 #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher and Love Your Life 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
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kinsella (Surprise Me) offers another winning novel, this one revolving around Fixie Farr, the youngest of three siblings, and Farrs, the home-goods store her deceased father created. When Fixie's mother, who's been running their West London store primarily with Fixie over the nine years since her husband's death, visits her sister in Spain for a long overdue vacation, everything goes awry particularly since Fixie has trouble when it comes to facing down her siblings. Oldest brother Jake, dazzled by everything posh, wants to turn the store into an upscale shop of overpriced merchandise, while airheaded Nicole wants to transform it into a yoga destination both oblivious to the store's bottom line. Then Ryan Chalker, Fixie's forever crush who abandoned her to make it big in L.A., returns to the U.K. and keeps upending her life with on-again/off-again promises of a relationship. In the midst of the mayhem, Fixie does a favor for a handsome investment manager named Seb Marlowe, and the IOU he gives her becomes a back-and-forth transaction between them that starts as a flirtation, then becomes more complicated, and finally deepens into something more substantial. Kinsella's reliable mix of humor and spot-on insights into both romantic and familial relationships adds spice as Fixie finally learns to take charge and speak her mind, making this a surefire hit for Kinsella's fans.
Customer Reviews
I OWE YOU ONE!
Of the several books written by Sophie Kinsella that I have read, this one is my favourite.
I like Fixie and her mother who seem normal and sensible, but find Ryan, Jake and Nicole self centred. Fixie Farr has always lived by her father's motto: "Family first", but her brother and sister really test this motto when their mother goes to Spain for health reasons and leaves the three siblings to manage the family business.
When Fixie saves a man's computer, he writes her an "I owe you one" on a coffee sleeve. What happens next? Read the book to find out.
I read this light and entertaining standalone novel of family, love and empowerment in one setting. Novels written by Sophie Kinsella always put me in a good mood and make me laugh.
I highly recommend I OWE YOU ONE to anyone looking for a fun quirky read.
Thank you to author Sophie Kinsella, NetGalley, Random House Publicity and The Dial Press for a digital ARC of I OWE YOU ONE and the opportunity to write this unbiased review.