I Owe You One

The irresistible standalone from Sophie Kinsella is a story of love, empowerment and an IOU that changes everything . . .

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?

Author Profile

Sophie Kinsella is a writer and former financial journalist. She is the number one bestselling author of Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number, Wedding Night, My Not So Perfect Life, Surprise Me, the hugely popular Shopaholic novels and the Young Adult novel Finding Audrey. She lives in the UK with her husband and family. Sophie is also the author of the children’s series Mummy Fairy and Me / Fairy Mom and Me, and several bestselling novels under the name of Madeleine Wickham. Visit her website at www.sophiekinsella.co.uk.

Characters

Fixie (Felicity) Farr

• The heroine. Loyal, self-sacrificing, always putting family first (sometimes too much).

• Runs the family shop after her dad’s death.

• Lives by the motto:
  • Family First
  • Be Fair
  • Got to fix it. 

Sebastian (Seb) Marlowe

• Businessman whose laptop Fixie saves at a café.

• Leaves her an “IOU” note, which sparks their connection.

Ryan Chalker

• Fixie’s long-time crush and on-and-off love interest.

• Self-centered, unreliable — represents Fixie’s inability to say no.

Nicole (Nic) Farr

• Fixie’s glamorous but clueless sister.

• Obsessed with yoga and wellness retreats, not very helpful at the store.

Jake Farr

• Fixie’s ambitious but arrogant brother.

• Pushes for big changes in the family business that don’t always make sense.

Mum Farr

• Fixie’s mother.

• Strong but unwell; recovering from a heart attack, which is why Fixie takes on extra responsibility.

Hannah

• Fixie’s best friend and reality-check
• Obsessed with making lists

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Supporting Characters

Stacy

• Fixie’s friend who works in the shop; supportive but also caught up in her own life.

Leila

• Jake’s American girlfriend; not well-liked by Fixie.

Marge?

• One of the senior employees at Farr’s store.

Greg and Stacy

• Loyal staff members at Farr’s store, part of the team helping keep the shop running.

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Smaller or background characters

• Briony: Seb’s girlfriend (who is also a small-time villain apart from the other obvious ones).

• Various yoga friends of Nicole.

• Store customers, part of cake club who help paint the picture of the shop’s community feel.

Recap

Fixie Farr lives by her father’s motto: “Family first.” After her dad passes away, she’s trying to keep the family store running while her siblings (who are quite self-absorbed) complicate things.

One day, Fixie saves a stranger’s laptop in a café. The grateful owner, Seb, writes her an “IOU” note — and this small act starts a whole chain of favours, misunderstandings, and awkward run-ins that push Fixie to finally stand up for herself and figure out what (and who) she really wants.

It’s a typical Kinsella rom-com: clumsy heroine, family drama, and a slow-burn romance.

 

Review

Sophie Kinsella is an expert in writing characters that you want to smack in the face, and also characters who you want around you, and character you want to tell: oh, honey!

When I was reading about Nicole, I wanted to punch her and tell Felicity: oh, honey, you don’t have to keep up with that. 

Jake is full of managerial crap and Nicole throws around motivational lingo and it makes me gag just reading about it because I freaking deal with it 10 hours a day as part of my job. I should probably recommend this book to all the managers i work with.

Fixie knows she’s being a doormat and she continues to do so in the name of “Family First”. In the meanwhile, before she has that epiphany that she needs to put her foot down, I wanted wanted to bang my head against a wall because I couldn’t stand her selflessness (aka stupidity) for a second more, and another, and another. 

I liked Fixie’s clapback to Briony: if you do it do it well else don’t try (or something to that effect).

Also, what’s with the name confusion? In the earlier pages she’s named Felicity. Later, when she’s talking to Seb, she says Fawn. I have shelved the book already but someday, I will open it again, find those damn pages and attach screenshots as proof.

 

Three things I liked

1️⃣ Endearing heroine — Fixie is sweet, relatable, and a classic Kinsella heroine who fumbles her way into your heart.

2️⃣ Funny and light — Plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and witty internal monologues.

3️⃣ Themes of self-growth — Fixie finally learns to put herself first, making it a satisfying (if predictable) arc.

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Three things I didn’t like

1️⃣ Not much of love interest — I liked Seb but we didn’t see much of him, and therefore the romance feels rushed at times.

2️⃣ Frustrating heroine — While Fixie is endearing, her extreme selflessness and constant apologizing annoyed me. I could relate to her but also wanted to shake her really well and tell her: that’s enough, Fixie!

3️⃣ Unrealistic family dynamics — The siblings’ behaviour and the way conflicts resolve can feel over-the-top or too conveniently wrapped up.

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Favourite Lines

The trouble with me is, I can’t let things go.

You and I both, Fixie.

Stay tuned for more book reviews in my “one book review per month” series. This month, I have published two. Isn’t that nice?

Until next time, happy reading!