Surprise Me: The Sunday Times Number One bestseller

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Again: we don’t need to spell out that we need to talk about his mum’s birthday gathering and how we could go straight on from the girls’ ballet lesson. We both know. I pass him the bread basket knowing that he’ll take the sourdough, not because he likes it particularly, but because he knows I love focaccia. That’s the kind of man Dan is. The kind Also, for a light and fluffy, this had a substantial ending. I wasn't expecting the story to take its unpredictable turn, and this really impressed me. I feel that most women's fiction novels containing this scenario have a handful of options on how to end the book, and this wasn't one of those standard filler conclusions. I guess what I'm trying to say is, this was a fluffy with some substance. This is the type of "guilty pleasure" book that you can read and drop the guilt. Although, why people expect us to feel guilty about any genre we choose to read I'll never understand. I'm surprised at how connected I feel with the characters, as I'm still reminiscing about the story and feel a little blue about having to leave them behind and move on to something else. Recommended with gusto to those looking for a romantic read that's soft, moving, and hilarious. All in all, a light, enjoyable, predictable book and a nice break from more serious heavy reads. I liked it but not as much as the only other book I've read by this author, My Not So Perfect Life. After 10 years of marriage, Sylvie and Dan learn that they could potentially be married for another 68 years. Worried that they will grow bored with one another, Sylvie comes up with the not so brilliant idea that they need to add some surprises to their marriage and launches “Project Surprise Me.” Things don’t go as planned, and the surprises that Sylvie and Dan plan for one another go painfully wrong, causing Sylvie to question whether or not she really knows Dan. Surprise Me – only in the right way! I’m sure there are many of us who are not particularly fond of surprises in real life. But when it comes to books, it’s a whole different story. In fact, surprises are simply essential for a good plot. You can even go as far as to say that they “make” a book.

To sum it all up it was an engaging, fun, moving, fast-paced, and an enjoyable read that surprised me, made me laugh and had an ending that made me smile! Would recommend! By ten years, I don’t mean ten years since our wedding. I mean ten years since we first met. It was at my mate’s Alison’s birthday party. That was the day our lives changed forever. Dan was manning the barbecue and I asked him for a burger and… bam. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher and Love Your Life comes a witty and emotionally charged novel that delves into the heart of a marriage, and how those we love and think we know best can sometimes surprise us the most With a colorful cast of eccentric characters, razor-sharp observations, and her signature wit and charm, Sophie Kinsella presents a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage—its intricacies, comforts, and complications. Surprise Me reveals that hidden layers in a close relationship are often yet to be discovered. For two people who were meant to know each other inside out they sure jumped to a lot of conclusions about the other and gave each other surprises they really didn't want. Dan getting Sylvie a snake? He was meant to know her oh so well but somehow he thought buying her a snake would please her.Was I surprised about how much I enjoyed Sophie Kinsella's new novel Surprise Me? Not at all. I expected it to be an entertaining read and it absolutely was. When it comes to Sophie Kinsella, the only surprise for me is that I haven't joined the millions of readers who love the Shopaholic series. I can't seem to get into them and yet when it comes to her stand alone titles I'm an avid fan. Love. Them. So, when this title showed up I couldn't wait to start it. And once I started I couldn't stop till I'd finished. Like Norma, I am a big fan of Sophie Kinsella but somewhere in the flurry of thrillers, I forgot how great it is to read one of her books and how she always brings on a feel-good feeling with her signature wit and charm. I have not yet read My Not So Perfect Life but I have now bumped it up my list to read soon. Of course, I loved how British this was. I’m American, but I love reading books by British authors and books that take place there. This book, like all of Kinsella’s books, had that quaint British charm. I especially loved where Sylvie worked. Willoughby House sounds like a dream. Sylvie and Dan are just hitting their ten year anniversary from the time that they first met when they get the news they just may have sixty eight more years of marriage. After a bit of a freak out the couple wonders how they will keep their marriage fresh and exciting for such a long time and decides to begin surprising each other to shake things up. There are some really deep and meaningful themes that are explored in Surprise Me that give the book a real depth. The concept of aging and how it relates to a life that is both long and full is one that I have not come across before, and it really makes me think. I also loved the friendships that Sylvie has forged and how she seems to have so many different friends to count on. Also, Sylvie’s family is very important to her and these are the parts of the story that get quite interesting. ❀ Not Light and Fluffy

Last year I read another book by Sophie Kinsella - My Not So Perfect Life -- and was thrilled to find the perfect “palate cleanser”. This year’s offering was also a palate cleanser but this one ended up being just a bit too fluffy and disjointed for me. There were things I liked, but it I didn’t take to the protagonist in the same way I have with some of Kinsella’s other books. Ultimately Surprise Me is the age-old story of not really knowing who your partner is, and discovering who they are is the real surprise. Heartfelt . . . What at first seems like a light novel about familiar woes turns into a deeper story about trust, family, and perception.” — Publishers Weekly Sophie was born in London. She studied music at New College, Oxford, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She now lives in London, UK, with her husband and family. In 2014 she published a Young Adult novel Finding Audrey about a teenage girl with social anxiety and her madcap family, and in January 2018, Sophie published her first illustrated book for young readers about the charming adventures of a mother-daughter fairy duo, Mummy Fairy and Me (also published as Fairy Mom and Me).I can feel rising tears, mixed with rising incredulity. And rising dread. I’m not sure yet which is winning. Actually, yes I am. Incredulity is winning and it’s joining forces with anger. ‘Really?’ I feel like shouting. ‘Really, Dan?’ They find out that they could potentially have 68 more blissful years together! They are both in excellent health and should expect long lives. Wait....this produces some "anxiety" for the couple. Can they really spend that many years and stay happy? This is when the surprise me plan is concocted and set in motion! Sophie Kinsella does such a fantastic job of creating some likable, colorful and eccentric characters here. She does a great job developing an interesting and quirky character with Sylvie who we loved following along within the coulee. I highly recommend this clever, witty and charming story that just might surprise you with how deep and layered it is.

For each following novel that she publishes, part of me gets nervous that I won't like the next one. I am so happy to say that hasn't been the case for any of her novels and I have liked each with varying levels of enjoyment. Always, I have liked what she has written.With a colorful cast of eccentric characters, razor-sharp observations, and her signature wit and charm, Sophie Kinsella presents a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage—its intricacies, comforts, and complications. Surprise Me reveals that hidden layers in a close relationship are often yet to be discovered.