‘Fixie’ Farr can’t help putting things right, in fact it’s how she got her nickname. She will go to any lengths to help a friend, tidy up and fix nearly anything. So when a stranger in a café asks her to mind his laptop, she happily obliges. In his absence, the ceiling literally collapses from a water leak and she heroically saves the laptop from destruction. After introducing himself, Sebastian thanks her and insists on paying her back, which she flatly refuses. Seb scribbles her an ‘IOU’ on a cardboard coffee sleeve and they part ways, with Fixie never intending to call in the favour.
However, when Fixie’s teenage crush returns to her hometown and needs her help, she turns to Seb. But things don’t go according to plan and Fixie finds herself indebted to Seb. Quickly the pair end up in an amusing series of IOU’s, some which are likely to have lifechanging consequences.
I Owe You One is an entertaining, fast, fun read that will have you laughing within the first few pages. Sophie’s books can always be relied on to provide a dose of escapism and her latest novel is no exception. I Owe You One is a feel-good story of love and empowerment.
As well as being a romantic comedy, it is also the story of a family that has a motto of ‘family first’ but somehow over the years this has become words only, and the siblings have become disconnected. Their problems are highlighted when Fixie and her two siblings are left in charge of the family shop, while their mother has a long-deserved holiday overseas. Never has there been three siblings who are so different – Fixie, who just wants to make everything right, Nicole who is all about mindfulness and self-love but who is blissfully unaware of other people’s feelings, and Jake who enjoys the high life and wheeling and dealing. The family dynamics in I Owe You One give this novel extra emotional heart.
Sophie Kinsella has sold more than 40 million copies of her books, in 60 countries with translations in over 40 languages. She wrote her first novel, at the age of 24 while she worked as a financial journalist. Sophie lives in London with her family.
Reviewers: Andrea Molloy and Karen McMillan
Published by Penguin Random House