Name: Surprise Me
ISBN: 9780399592881

Sophie Kinsella

When they learn they will live another sixty-eight years together, Sylvie and Dan plan to create little surprises for each other to keep their relationship fresh, but a scandal from the past reveals how little they truly know about one another.

A Novel

Surprise Me

Sarah Sammis

If you've read through the Shopaholic series, you'll recognize plot elements that featured in Shopaholic and Sister but this time around they're taken more seriously. Rather that adults owning what they did when they were younger and rolling with it and the consequences of their actions, this book is about the fallout of bad decisions made worse by hiding the truth.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2018/comm...

Courtney

This was pretty cute. It was definitely classic Sophie Kinsella writing with the main character’s personality and all of her quirky nuances.

menna

i can now say confidently that i love books that's centered around couples after marriage.

while this was not my favourite thing ever, i've really enjoyed that aspect in the book and loved the couples dynamic!! also this was really funny and cute and i loved the twins so much???

Stefanie Sugia

"I thought I knew everything about my husband and he knew everything about me...
We've always been that couple. Blended. Intertwined. We read each other's thoughts. We finished each other's sentences. I thought we couldn't surprise each other any more.
Well, that shows how much I knew." Sophie Kinsella is my go-to author when I'm looking for a light, contemporary read that will instantly cheer me up. The last time I read her book was My (Not So) Perfect Life; which I didn't absolutely love, but I do find the message behind it relevantly important. As for Surprise Me, I was drawn by the quirky plot about a married couple who just realized that they'll still be together for about half a decade—which sounds totally ridiculous for me right from the get-go. I find it funny because whenever talking about marriage life, my parents always reminded me that I will be with this significant person for another fifty-years, that's why I have to choose my partner carefully. So even before I'm married, I knew about it already. On the other hand, Sylvie and Dan, who's been married for 10 years, just realized that fact. 😂😂 Anyways, despite everything, I was quite excited to pick this book up and was looking forward to be entertained by Sophie Kinsella's writing style.'You warned me,' I say miserably. 'You said, "Surprises have a bad habit of going wrong." Well, you were right.'The story is written from the first point of view of our main character, Sylvie. As a reader, we get to see everything that went through her mind—including all the weird stuff that she thinks about. Which is totally hilarious at some point, but at times it can become quite frustrating to read as well. Aside from her relationship with her husband, Dan, we also get a glimpse of Sylvie's relationship with her parents—especially her father who was recently deceased due to a car accident. I'm not going to go into much details in this review so I won't spoil it, but one of the things that I liked was Sylvie's character development throughout the book. At the beginning, Sylvie was portrayed as someone who thinks she's got it altogether: happy family, great marriage, adorable children, and thriving career. Until she finally realized that something's wrong with the way she's living her life due to a revelation that she discovered later on in the story.

Since the book is written from Sylvie's point of view, it's a bit sad because we can't possibly know what's happening with Dan. It certainly does add an element of mystery because Sylvie kept speculating all of Dan's words and actions. The mystery keeps me intrigued and I'm always eager to finally know the truth behind it all! But I feel like Dan is often misunderstood, because Sylvie just assumed that she knows everything even when she doesn't."If life is like a box of chocolates, then getting married is like choosing a chocolate and saying, 'That's it, done,' and slamming the lid closed. When you make your vows, what you're basically saying is: 'That's all I want, ever. That one flavour. Even if it goes off. Yum. I can't even see any other flavours any more, la-la-la.'""I can't protect the girls forever, and I shouldn't. Stuff will happen in their lives that they don't like. Shit happens. And they will have to cope. We all have to cope."Another thing that I really like from the story is the message it conveyed about marriage. One of the most important things that I learned was no matter how well you think you know your partner, never have any assumptions without confirming it with one another. And the next thing is, your good intention to protect your partner from the truth might not always be the best decision to make. Sometimes letting the other person know the hard truth and helping them deal with it is better than keeping it a secret from them. Because I believe that keeping a secret from your spouse can lead to suspicion and distrust. Through a series of events, Sylvie and Dan each learned something and definitely changed for the better.

Aside from the marriage conflict, there are other issues happening at the same time; but everything tie in beautifully at the end. As I've mentioned earlier, all these events contributed to Sylvie's character development and growth. I was really pleased with her transformation. From a spoiled, well-protected Sylvie, into someone who finally figured out what she wants to do for herself without trying to conform to anyone's opinion about her; and she's finally brave enough to cope with difficult situations.
  "Love is finding one person infinitely fascinating."
Overall, it's an entertaining and easy read. Even though it's not the best Sophie Kinsella's book that I've ever read, I still enjoyed it nevertheless. It's a book about marriage, family, and self-discovery that has an unexpected plot twist and a heartwarming ending. Sophie Kinsella's writing always managed to make me smile and laugh. Most importantly, the message behind her stories consistently serves as a valuable reminder for me. Definitely looking forward to her next book release! 😊😊

Read the full review here:
http://www.thebookielooker.com/2018/0...

Juana 

Caitlin Snyder

Laura Yaneth Martinez

** spoiler alert **
           Wow, this book surprised me... oh hehe I really didn’t mean to make that pun but yeah. At first I thought uhhh where is this going?? What’s up with daddy?!? And so it was a slow read I just had no idea where the direction would go. Especially since I’m so used to reading stories where the build up to the romance is the main plot, but here they were already married. HOWEVER, once I got to Through 75% of the book. I really couldn’t stop so much was happening and I I I - I couldn’t NOT read. I had to know especially since I wasn’t piecing anything to together. So many secrets but no real bread crumbs. The ending had me in awe. So many great quotes & overall such a quite story. I’m always pleased with Kinsella. Definitely an author that I could endlessly read

Annalee Harris

DNF @ 19%

The characters are completely insufferable, overdramatic, and unrealistic in their expectations. I cringed every time the main characters interacted, and they're married! If you're so opposed to being together until the day you die, then why bother getting married at all?? I dreaded every time I reached for this book so I just put myself out my misery.

Kymberly L McNabb

I wasn’t sure what to think about this book at first. Was it just going to be a good time or something more? I’m pleased to say it was both. I liked the lesson of trying to control the impossible the most. Life happens and it’s what we do during it that matters most. This narrative really resonated with me, making it another of my must read recommendations.

Kourtney

Whenever I read a Sophie Kinsella novel, I always feel that I must start with “I’m the biggest fan…but…” Today is no exception – but hear me out on this one!

For quite some time I have been a big fan of Kinsella’s work, but not as much when she writes under her actual name Madeline Wickham. As time has gone on, I find myself drawn more towards Wickham’s new books, and not liking Kinsella’s books as much as I used to. It could be in part because my life is changing – I am no longer the “single girl trying to figure it all out” as now I am “mommy with a toddler and a baby on the way.” It could also be that Kinsella is trying to find her new footing. I have seen her try her hand at young adult. At children’s books. I loved her last novel “My Not-So-Perfect Life.” And now with Surprise Me, Kinsella is tackling the life of a boring married couple, so I was excited to begin. 

Sylvie and Dan. Dan and Sylvie. They have been together for ten years and they are going strong. They know everything about each other and have fallen into a comfortable rhythm with their lives juggling twin girls and their work schedules. I get that. My husband and I get stuck in ruts trying to take care of our one daughter while making room for our son. It happens. Now imagine their surprise when they go to the doctor and hear that they are so healthy, they should be able to live another 68 years together. Rather than looking at each other with hearts and stars in their eyes and buying the rocking chairs for their porch to grow old on, they instead both go into a panic. This is it? This will be my life for another 68 years? 

Ever the planner, Sylvie comes up with a game plan to help keep their marriage fresh. It’s time for operation Surprise Me, where they will come up with surprises for each other in order to spice up their lives and keep it interesting. What could go wrong!? As the surprises begin, so do the secrets, and Sylvie discovers she doesn’t know Dan quite as well as she once thought. Couple that with an upheaval at work where she is trying to prevent the company she works for from shutting down, Sylvie has a lot to take on and figure out.

STICK WITH THIS ONE. If you are a fan of Kinsella – stick with it! Now I must preface this review by stating that I was pregnant with horrific morning sickness while reading this book. I could only read it in tiny chunks, so it took me much too long to read it. I found myself slogging through a lot of details to get to the main point of the story. Once I hit 70% on my Kindle, the story really took off, and that was where I felt I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to find out what secrets Sylvie’s mom was hiding. What was Dan hiding? Why won’t Sylvie just out and out ask everyone until they break down and tell her what these secrets are? And the ending made it worth the journey for me. I just wish it didn’t take so long to get there (it could be the pregnancy talking – I’m curious to see other Kinsella fan’s reviews on this one!)

I received this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jolie

Reading Surprise Me I thought that it was a book about a couple rediscovering themselves after drifting apart in their marriage. While it was that, I was not expecting it to be deeper. The blurb did hint at it but that hint barely scratches the surface of this book. Barely scratches it. Put it this way, I was surprised at what came out in this book.

Surprise Me starts off with Sylvie and Dan coming out of a Dr's appointment stunned. They had been told that they had 68 more years together. Shortly after that, Sylvie notices that Dan is very stressed out. That he is hiding things. He starts to come home late and is acting sneaky. After witnessing a moment between Dan and his ex-girlfriend at a dinner party and finding a secret cell phone, Sylvie comes to one conclusion. Dan is cheating on her. While Sylvie is dealing with her personal issues, she is also dealing with issues at work. Her boss's nephew has come and is making changes to the museum she works at. Sylvie's personal and work issues catch up with her. But, everything is not what they seem. The truth behind why Dan is acting the way he is and the nephew's changes will come out. Will Sylvie be able to handle the truth once it comes out? Or will she lose everything?

I liked Sylvie and thought she was hilarious. Her reaction to living with Dan for another 68 years would have been the same reaction I had. I was dying laughing when I read those scenes. I also felt bad for Sylvie. She had a breakdown when her father died. She hero-worshipped her father. The growth of her character during this book was amazing. She came into her own in all areas of her life. She went from this sheltered spoiled princess to a confident woman who could handle everything that was thrown at her. I loved it!! What I also liked is that she was willing to do anything to keep the spark in her marriage. Her "Surprise Me" take on that was very good. Except Dan kept one-upping her....lol.

I was with Sylvie with Dan cheating on her until she got to the lawyer's office. Then I had the same reaction that she did when confronted with the truth. I wanted to hug her. I also wanted to smack her mother upside the head. I thought she was a selfish person. 

I mentioned above that I liked Sylvie's transformation. It was not only physical (cutting her hair) but mental too. When she discovered the truth about things, it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. I loved reading that.

The end of Surprise Me was wonderful. I loved seeing Sylvie's complete transformation. Her acceptance of everything was wonderful (she did have help). 

Surprise Me is written in 1st person and is told only from Sylvie's perspective. While I liked it, I do wish that the book flashed to Dan so we could get a hint at what was going on. Other than that, I loved the book. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 16. While there is a couple of sex scenes, they aren't graphic. There is language, but it is mild. I would reread this book too.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, The Dial Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Surprise Me.

All opinions stated in this review of Surprise Me are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Chantale

I think maybe my taste in books have changed in the past few years because seem like lately I have not been enjoying Sophie Kinsella's books as much as I used to or maybe I am just getting too old. 

I found the story to be ok. I found the main characters are dumb and they just frustrated me so much because of it. 

I am so disappointed that I haven't liked this one.

Yuki Reads

Loved Surprise Me! Sophie Kinsella is such a fun author who writes characters you can really connect with. It was such an original story with lots of...surprises!

Erin 

Not my favourite Sophie Kinsella book. While I do tend to enjoy her standalones more than the Shopaholic series, this one fell a bit flat for me. Not only did the subject matter seem impossibly domestic and not as entertaining as she probably expects, but I found myself more than halfway through the book and wondering why nothing of substance had happened yet. Also, this main character is spectacularly annoying. She reminds me quite a bit of Becky Bloomwood actually, which explains why I wasn't as enthralled with her. Always sticking her nose into business that doesn't involve her, and making assumptions leaps and bounds away from actual real life problems, I did not enjoy how obsessive and clueless she was. In the odd moment that she was bearable, I found it difficult to believe that this tolerable person and the incessant busybody were the same person. Even the "plot twist" at the end was impossibly boring - oh, your father wasn't the picture perfect romanticised version of himself that you built up in your head? How extraordinary. Who would have thought. It's so unfortunate that these books are becoming quite predictable. They probably always were, to be honest, but I'm starting to get tired of it. By the time I finished, there wasn't a single character I felt any connection to or any empathy for, except perhaps the twins, and even then it was just sympathy for the fact they had to have such a mother who will almost definitely become far too involved in their personal lives when they grow up. I'll still read any Sophie Kinsella book just because they are, more often than not, mindlessly fun, but this one certainly isn't in the running for her best yet.

------------------------------------------------------- THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER Surprise Me is Sophie Kinsella's emotionally charged, witty new standalone novel about love and long-term relationship survival - and how those we think we know best can sometimes surprise us the most . . . After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other's sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it's casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years... and panic sets in. They quickly decide to create little surprises for each other, to keep their relationship fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me - anything from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to photo shoots - mishaps arise with disastrous and comical results. Gradually, the surprises turn to shocking discoveries. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all... ***** EVERYBODY LOVES SOPHIE KINSELLA: ***** 'Left me giddy with laughter. I loved it' JOJO MOYES 'One of the most relatable books I've read in a long time, I couldn’t put it down.' LOUISE PENTLAND (SprinkleofGlitter) 'Life doesn't get much better than a new Sophie Kinsella novel' RED

Surprise Me A Novel