Sophie Kinsella seems to keep upping her game with each new novel. This one, to me, seems as fresh as her first. Her main character, Fixie Farr, is one of those people who get taken for granted, whose competence and dedication end up encouraging others to walk all over her. Fixie, along with her mother, runs the family store according to her late father's motto, "Family first," picking up the slack from her entitled brother and sister. She a girl who believes the best of everyone and has a hard time saying "No" to anyone.
One day Fixie meets Sebastian, an investment manager, in a coffee shop and saves his laptop from destruction when the ceiling caves in. He gives her an IOU written on a coffee sleeve, which she never intends to use, but when Fixie's old boyfriend Ryan returns to the UK after a year in Hollywood she is anxious to rekindle their relationship, believing that her lifelong crush on him will develop into a lifelong love. The reader can see what scum Ryan is (he left for Los Angeles without even saying goodbye and is obviously a user), but Fixie, blinded by what she believes is love, agrees to cash in her IOU by asking Sebastian to give Ryan a job. At the same time, her siblings and uncle have stepped in to "improve" the family store in her mother's absence. Any astute reader can see where all of this is going, but it is so fun to watch!
Overall, I enjoyed this novel from start to finish. Sophie Kinsella's talent seems to be getting better with age. I hope she keeps writing for a long time to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment