I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella Book Review

“You need to start thinking less about what you owe other people and more about what you owe yourself.”

About

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

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Synopsis

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, an irresistible story of love and empowerment about a young woman with a complicated family, a handsome man who might be “the one,” and an IOU that changes everything

Fixie Farr has always lived by her father’s motto: “Family first.” But since her dad passed away, leaving his charming housewares store in the hands of his wife and children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn’t take care of her father’s legacy, who will? It’s simply not in her nature to say no to people.

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. Turns out the computer’s owner is an investment manager. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, Sebastian scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. But Fixie laughs it off—she’d never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she?

Then Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie’s buttons. She wants nothing for herself—but she’d love Seb to give Ryan a job. And Seb agrees, until the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOUs between Seb and Fixie—from small favors to life-changing moments—ensues. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Does she have the courage to take a stand? Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants?

Review

Spoilers contained below

To those who like to fix things,

I love me a good Sohpie Kinsella book! Her novels are just the right bit of quirky and romantic and it’s just an all around good time. I Owe You One, was just that 😊

I quite enjoyed Fixie and her personality. She was nicknamed Fixie by her family because she is known to always fix things. Whenever something is wrong or she has a strong hunch that something is out of place or going to happen, she has to fix it. And I mean HAS to. Before every thing she fixes, she always does this back and forth rocking motion with her feet and has this interpersonal monologue where she debates on whether or not she should fix something, when inevitably she knows she’s going to take action because that’s just her nature. Even when there’s a Coke can stain on the tallest book shelf that no one would see, Fixie has to go wipe it and get rid of the can of Coke because she’s seen it and it’s out of place. Even when she goes to a guys office, to whom she just met, she sees his pots on his shelves are crooked and has to fix it.

The thing is Fixie always believed that fixing everything was her greatest flaw——her biggest tick. You don’t understand how much times I wanted to take Fixie by the shoulders and shake her and tell her that her need to fix everything wasn’t a flaw at all. Sure, sometimes fixing things that is none of your business or things you shouldn’t be concerned with has its pitfalls because that person should handle and fix his/her own problems, but to me it just highlighted the love and compassion Fixie has in wanting to help people; It showcased the caring nature of Fixie and the way she loves whole heartedly and wants to support others. So yes, fixing everything can be a flaw when it’s done too much or crosses a line, but I think trying to help fix things was her greatest strength as realized by her towards the end of the book——-her compassion and care.

Her family kind of always put down Fixie or walked all over her because they knew she loved to fix things. I wasn’t a big fan of her brother, Jake, in the beginning of the book because he came across as frivolous and demeaning. He was the successful “high millionaire” British success story of the family who liked to wear designer suits, talk big money for show, drink the finest wines, and spend all his money buying extravagant things when really he was in debt and was broke. Then there’s the sister, Nicole, who’s the Barbie blonde yoga extrodinare who can’t do anything for herself so she always finds a way to make Fixie do it for her. She claims that she has “separation anxiety” because her husband is in Abu Dubai, when really she’s scared she might not love her husband anymore and that’s why she doesn’t want to visit him in Dubai and claims “separation anxiety” because she doesn’t want to face up to the fact that she might not be in love and might want a divorce.

So deep down, her brother and sister have their own problems to which Fixie was completely unaware of until she started to confront them and stand up to herself.

Fixie sees her brother and sister as the perfect models of the perfect children and that she should be more like them—–that she should be as prosperous as Jake or as beautiful as Nicole.

But she’s not.

Because like every human being, Fixie isn’t perfect. She took out a loan and started her own catering business when she was done with school, but that failed and she was in debt because the people she worked for didn’t pay her fairly. So she gave up on that dream because she was a fail and took so much money from her family that she always had this overwhelming sense of guilt on her shoulders. In addition to that, Jake always made her feel bad for doing what she loved as a kid: figure skating. Fixie was the best at figure skating and had a genuine love for it. She loved twirling and putting on the sparkly costumes. But Jake had to go and psych her up one day before her big show and say how her figure skating was eating up so much time, money, and effort from the family. And that made Fixie fall flat on her butt during her big show/competition and since then she quit because she felt guilty for all the things her brother claimed she was taking away from her family, when in reality who was the brother to say or know what she was doing? If Fixie loved to figure skate, gosh darn it, she wasn’t taking up any money, time, or effort from the family, sure it cost money to skate and time to go to those competitions but it wasn’t this huge burden because she was doing what she loved!!!! And I just DISLIKED that Jake made her feel that way as a kid and to staunch that passion she had.

And I think part of the reason Fixie feels like she always needs to fix everything is because she lives with this guilt that her siblings have placed on her and that she has placed on herself. She feels like she owes it to her family—-whom she took all this “money, time, and effort”——from when she skated and tried to do her own business; She feels like she owes it to them to fix their lives and to mend the past time, money, and effort she “selfishly” took. That’s such a hard pill to swallow and feel that guilt from absolutely nothing. And I just felt bad for Fixie because she felt bad about all the things she felt she needed to owe to her family.

All this guilt and shame that she felt made her disconnected from her brother and sister and why she didn’t know them deep down and saw only the glossy things on the surface. That’s also why I think she was always so shaken and small whenever Jake or Nicole would talk to her as an inferior. I absolutely felt TERRIBLE whenever Jake and Nicole would team up and talk down to her or not listen to her. I wanted to give Fixie the hug she needed because she would say she would see ravens and she could hear her voice shaking or being more quiet around Jake and Nicole. I felt Jake was the main person she felt bad around. He literally belittled her into feeling so small and like she didn’t matter and that’s why she felt like she could never freely speak to him because she knew she would be put down and cower. And Fixie knew she would cower. She RECOGNIZED that and she hated herself for it. I just really wanted to reach through the pages and give her a hug and slap Jake off his high horse!

If only she knew Jake was no better than her.

Then in the beginning the mom had a stroke of some sorts and that prompted her to go on a relaxing vacation with her sister, which by all means the mom who lost her husband and had a store to look after and kids, deserved a break when she never had one after so many years. But I think what made this whole situation worse for Fixie was the fact that her mom added this pressure to her that she had to keep the family together so that when the mom came back, they would be one “big, happy” family. That’s yet another burden to put on her shoulders because now Fixie feels responsible to keep the family together because if the family falls a part, then it’s her fault. Or she’ll feel like it was her fault because her mom entrusted her.

And family is such a huge sentiment to Fixie.

Her dad instilled in her since she was little that family came first and you dod things fo family. you forgive family. Family was the priority. And that was a pretty difficult sentiment for Fixie to uphold at times because her family was the one who burned her with making her feel small or making her feel like it would be her fault if things fell apart. I get it why family would be important to her and the dad and why family is important overall, but I think there also comes a point when family becomes unhealthy for you if they aren’t supportive in the right way; a one sided kind of relationship. To me that’s what it felt. Like Fixie would give all her love towards this family in trying to keep it together when they didn’t really reciprocate that same amount of love to her because they took her for granted and stepped all over her rare heart.

Fixie is a rare and loving soul and I can deeply relate and understand that.

So then comes the day when she’s in the coffee shop, not minding her own business. She’s eaves dropping in on Jeb’s phone conversation, which makes me believe Fixie and I share another characteristic in being highly observant. Seb steps outside the coffee shop for a moment and asks Fixie to watch his laptop, so knowing Fixie, she does so with her life. I don’t know what kind of intuition radar she has, but I need me one of those 🤪

Who knew the roof would cave in and fall?

Well, besides Fixie, of course.

I was kind of surprised that she never got hurt in the process of jumping and saving his laptop. If I was Seb, I would also be internally grateful that she saved my laptop because gosh only knows what kind of important things laptops hold—–kind of like an enlarged phone. And even more so, considering he was the CEO of his own company.

To thank Fixie, he writes on a coffee cup sleeve that he owes her as and IOU. Thus, begins their long journey of owing each other things.

Now, let’s talk about the other man in this book, or should I saw scoundrel? Because, really, there’s no other way to describe Ryan Chalker than that. He was a user, a phony, a liar, and a flashy, rich snob. To say the least 😆 I detest users, especially if they’re flashy. Gosh, I couldn’t stand it (not that it was Fixie’s fault) when Fixie would get excited like a young school girl or talk about Ryan Chalker like he was a God. I was like Fixie, get your head out of the clouds! He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Or I would cringe when she would try to infalte his ego in saying things like how he’s great or that he was Ryan Chalker as if his name equated to Beyonce or something. Or can we talk about the AUDACITY of him to go to her house each night and treat her like some sort of maid where she cooks for him and rubs his feet. Like boy, you should be rubbing her feet for her cooking you meals. Who was he to show up after LA and stake claim to her life and act like he’s doing her a favor by being there?!

And then he has the NERVE, the nerve, to kind of threaten her that he would leave for good back to LA again because he couldn’t find a job. FIxie then offered him a job working with Seb, and at first he’s like nah, but then he got more intrigued about the whole idea and coaxed Fixie to claim her IOU for him. Like Fixie wasn’t even going to claim that IOU because she didn’t need anything, but she would do anything for him in a heartbeat and he knew it and so he used her. I DETEST USERS!

So she met with Seb and he was genuinely excited and jokey when he saw Fixie again. I could tell he really enjoyed being in her presence just by the lighter air he had. Then he tensed up when she mentioned Ryan and then Ryan walked into the room. He liked her. We all knew it 😉

I felt absolutely terrible when Fixie was so excited that Seb gave Ryan a job and she texted him about him becoming boss and working his way up. She was so excited, she even texted him that they should move in together with heart eye and house emojis and Seb texted back yes. But he was texting back yes to moving his way up in the workplace and not moving into her house!!!! I CRINGED!!! Apparently he never got those texts because they were delayed, so she deleted them off his phone before he could see it. But gosh, girl don’t offer him to move in with you when he was taking advantage of you!

And Fixie kept making excuses for him like, “oh, he’s tired,” or “oh, he’s busy.” Yea, he was busy making love to other WOMEN at the office!!!! GOSH! If there’s one things I cannot stand beside users, it’s cheaters. Red flag, honey, throw that sucker out! 😤

Then came the day when Ryan was all boo hoo about being fired from his job and how Seb was a horrible boss and Fixie, of course, tried to go fix everything for him and get his job back. Honestly, he didn’t deserve Fixie’s kindness. When she saw Seb again, he wass less enthusiastic than before because Ryan had been an utter pain, which I can only imagine. He’d been overzealous in meetings, talking too much, driving everyone else at the office insane, and caused drama between the women he slept with. And poor Fixie pales—–a pallid sheet——at that last part because here she was thinking he was “tired” and “busy” and playing “golf/chess?” three nights a week, when he was having his own kind of fun and using her the rest of the week.

But, bless his heart, Seb, saw that she never knew and felt bad in an instant because he didn’t know that Ryan was seeing anyone, let alone her, when he claimed to the whole office he was a single pringle. The AUDACITY of that man! She helped you get a job, fed you, housed you, and massaged your feet, and you repaid her by sleeping with other women? WORSE, IOU EVER!!! He owes her big time for all the things he’s put her through.

That’s when Fixie realized she deserved better. And I was like YOU GO GIRL! Because yes you do deserve better! I think she just idolized him for so long because he was her long-time-school-girl crush and it’s always hard to get over your first crush because that’s the first person you feel any intimate feelings for. But I was proud that she knew when she was being used and that it only made her heart break time after time again. He always led her on and never cared for her they way she cared for him.

But, she didn’t kick him out, because he moved away before she could confront him or he could explain himself. But how FUN would have that scene been with MAD MAX Fixie?!

You know what was cowardly? The way he didn’t even text her after he moved. I mean tsk tsk. What a tool.

You can’t fix him, Fixie.

With Ryan thoroughly out of the picture, we finally focused on Seb and Fixie, who I was rooting for. But here’s the thing, Seb has a blond Barbie of his own named Briony or should I say Whinny.

Oh, before leaving the office that day, Fixie wrote an IOU on the coffee sleeve Seb had—–you know, he casually had it with him in his office like it wasn’t important?! 😉 And then she saw Seb at a bar with Briony and they’re having a row and then broke up. And Fixie’s getting drunk off her butt at an event for Leila, Jake’s Fiancé. And Fixie tried to squat down on the ground so that Seb couldn’t see her, but he spotted her anyway and asked why was she sqauting on the ground. Not the best idea, Fixie.😂

I loved when they danced together and how she literally fainted because she’s drunk! It was a sweet, but hilarious moment because Fixie didn’t want to dance, but he said she owed him one and he wanted to dance with her because he liked to dance. And they were having such a good time and Leila took notice of the man she was dancing with and it was so good. Until it wasn’t.

Then there’s the part where, somehow, for some reason, Seb gets mobbed in a back alley by some teenagers and texts her that he needs her help. The text was actually supposed to be for his assistant to come help him and Fixie’s over here all panicked because he just got mugged and was acting like it was no big deal and that he would be okay. So she called the ambulance to go check up on him even though he told her not to. But being Fixie, she did and then she went to go check up on him and to make sure the ambulance got there to help him. Turns out he was mugged twice behind a dumpster. Like what the heck? Kind of a weird, random turn of events, but hey if a mugging brings Seb and Fixie closer together, than I’m for it .

Fixie went to the hospital where they’ve taken Seb and wasn’t allowed to visit him until the next day so she’s anxious all day. At the first second she could, she visited him and saw that he had a bruised eye, a sore foot, and that he was asleep. What I thought was cute was how she brought him a orchid, or should I say more of a stem because the kid in the elevator took off all the petals of the orchid. What was funny was how she went to the flower and plants store and was like, “I’m looking for a masculine plant.” What’s a masculine plant? I don’t know maybe a cactus or something 😂Anyway that was funny. And then she tried to put the plant down on his table and knocked over his water and awakened him.

It was cute how they just sat there and talked openly to each other. I liked how Fixie was saying how she had her childhood hairbrush stolen from her and that she went to her friend’s apartment to see if she had it and it was on her dresser. But when Fixie knocked on her friends door, she claimed innocent and lied to her face. Then Fixie came back the next day after with a mini chess set because they talked about how Seb liked playing chess. I thought that was so cute and so much better than a plant! They were playing chess happily when darn Briony had to come and ruin it! She wasn’t even the first person to visit her supposed boyfriend at the hospital after he got mugged, Fixie was! Let the darn cute couple play chess!!

Seb was kind of oblivious to how Briony didn’t actually like Fixie and was trying to stake her claim on Seb. But I loved how Seb invited Fixie skating with them because he had a thank you gift for saving his life. And you know what the thank you gift was, my friends?!

It was the hairbrush that was stolen from her!!!!

The fact Seb went out of his way to actually attain that hairbrush for Fixie meant a lot to her and was such a thoughtful thing to do. I found it funny that he served as the distraction when his assistant snuck into the back of the house to steal the hairbrush that was, again, sitting on that woman’s vanity. It was like she was asking for it to get stolen. But you know what, Seb stealing the stolen hairbrush back, was putting the world in order/ balance again.

My favorite part of the whole skating scene was when Fixie showed Briony up. When Fixie met Briony formally at the hospital, Briony makes this snide comment to Fixie how her dress with dogs on it was a knockoff. Fixie being a skater, did all her flips and twirls and tricks much to the surprised shock of Seb and Briony. And then Fixie goes up to her and says what Briony said to her about her dress. Eat your words Briony 👏🏼.I was grinning ear to ear. But I was also happy that Fixie was reunited with her love of skating. I felt her getting back into it, maybe highlighted to her how she should give skating another try.

Then thank goodness, Seb dumped that Whiny!!! That gave Seb and Fixie time to shine and shine they did! Gosh, they were so good for each other and were so happy together. It was nothing like the relationship that Fixie had with Ryan, where it was only one sided, but Seb and Fixie were both supporting each other and that’s the type of relationship Fixie needed. Seb also made fudge for her and liked to cook, which was cute. I also liked how Seb empowered her to stand up to her brother and be a ninja.

So Fixie took his advice and srood up to her brother and sister, much to their shock because they didn’t know little Fixie had a bite to her bark. Served them right for ever mistreating her!! But we have Seb telling Fixie to be more assertive and to not be afraid, but he’s battling his own kind of problems. Seb’s parents and brother passed away, meaning he has no real family to surround himself with. He claims to everyone that he’s fine and has moved on, but there’s a locked door in his apartment that has remained untouched since he passed away: his brother’s room. Fixie knows about the room and doesn’t want to mention it to Seb because she knows if she does he bats it away or acts tense.

But then they have a big row. I love how fighting is called a row. They argue about how she always tries to fix everything from meddling with Jake’s problems in how he thinks she wants him to give Jake money to live. Then Fixie’s brings up how he hasn’t moved on because he’s harboring all his brother’s things, which is unhealthy for him. Then comes to the big point that Fixie can’t stand——the IOU coffee sleeve. Personally, I think Fixie makes a big deal about the IOU coffee sleeve because honestly it’s just kind of a cute sentiment and a joke between them that started when they met. But Fixie feels like she wants more from their relationships than just owing each other things because they feel this sort of obligation—–you scratch my back, I scratch yours. She wanted a love that doesn’t feel obligatory—–where they didn’t owe each other things—–because love is when things are paid fully and you don’t expect something from someone else; you do something because you love that person. So what started as a joke became a burden because she didn’t want to have a love that’s a transaction. She wished she could go back to that day and do it over where they didn’t have to owe each other anything. But Seb’s was like:

“You can’t go back in time and do life a different way.”

(pg 428)

And no one can.

And it broke my heart that they parted ways for good.

I thought that they would make up or that they would talk things through, but they only had clipped conversations that never resolved anything.

So they fell a part. And I knew doing so, only her them both because they genuinely loved each other, but along the way something got miscommunicated.

Because of gosh darn, Ryan Chalker. I never, NEVER will like that man!

He showed up towards the end of the book when he was posing as a hair stylist and Fixie saw him and lost him his customer. And then he had the audacity to show up in her apartment because Jake gave him a key, and took something from her purse. But you know what else he took from her darn purse?

The IOU coffee sleeve!!!

Because that sleeze bag went to Seb and created this whole story of how Fixie and him were back together and how he owed him and blah blah blah blah blah—–NOTHING BUT RUBBISH!

Seb was all clipped, hurt, distant, and angry with Fixie because he thought she’d gotten back together with Ryan! AS IF! He wish Fixie took him back, but she’s smarter and stronger now.

Since the breakup, Fixie put her effort in saving the store and helping her family. The store had been in chaos with declining sales ever since Nicole has had her yoga classes, Jake had insisted on selling expensive things, and Uncle Ned trying to sell fishing things. Stock of the regular things had gone down and regular customers were mad, but until now Fixie had gone along with all these changes because that’s what the family wanted, so she listensd to the family.

But Fixie was the only one from the start who knew what the Farrs store and what the Farrs name meant. She had worked there for the longest and Jake and Nicole knew nothing about the store when they’ve never been a part of it. So good for Fixie in standing up to Nicole and Jake in saying she was taking control fo the store and making things how they used to be. During all this, Fixie discovered that her brother was in debt and that the mom bailed him out countless times and that he was taking loans from Farrs to pay for his livelihood. In turn, this was what was hurting the store.

I absolutely LOVED the moment when Fixie talked to Jake and had that good sister-brother heart to heart. I loved how she wasn’t scared. Her voice not wavering, she didn’t seeravens, because it symbolized how she knew she wasn’t less than her brother and that he was just as flawed and human as she was. I loved how she got Leila and Nicole on board to help Jake with his overzealous show of spending money and how they ganged up on him to sell the house. Leila’s someone who’s kind of underestimated in this book, but she always comes across strong. She always went along with Jake and in turn he makes small acts romantic affection towards her (buying her stuff), but I never think he fully appreciated Leila. At the end. Leila offered him to come live with her and that he had to want this—-a life with her—- and to want to change to be a better husband and have a strong relationship with her. I was like GO GIRL!! No more waiting around and playing complacent wife. She was being a proactive woman and I liked that!

I also loved the moment when Fixie stood up to Nicole.

Fixie was really on a roll and I was LIVING for it.

She was like you make your own coffee. But you know Nicole—-always making excuses and telling other people to do things or finish her sentences for her because she doesn’t want to try in fear of something. Can we take a side note to talk about how Nicole always leaves her sentences hanging. The fact that she actually does that is kind of comical, but I would also get kind of annoyed after a while. But back to what I was saying, Fixie told her that she had to learn to make her own coffee rather than boss her around to do it. Then they get into this whole conversation about why she’s so scared to go to Dubai and all of that. And, again, it was a much needed sibling bonding experience.

I feel like they never really bonded as siblings because they either looked down on each other or they held a person on a pedestal. When they just communicated, they finally were able to just think of each other as equal. Coming from a similar type of family situation where I have a highly intellectual brother, a model sister, I can relate to Fixie in feeling like you’re not good enough compared to your siblings and like you have something or sometimes even more to prove because you’re the youngest. I’m biased, but I like Fixie and was rooting for her throughout this entire story 😊 Are you the youngest of siblings?

Anyway, after they finally talked to one another, they got the shop in order and finally, finally, listened to Fixie. I liked how Jake swallowed down his pride and actually worked at the shop and even stood outside calling to people to make Gingerbread houses. I also liked how everyone got involved to help clean up the house when the mom said she was coming back for Christmas.

Because they were all focusing on fixing the shop, the house was in disarray from dishes in the sink and to the carpets all scattered with crumbs. Nothing was even remotely decorated with the holiday spirits. Nicole took responsibility in actually vacuuming the carpet and was going to ask Fixie how to vacuum, but she looked it up. My golly, but progress have we here with Nicole being self-sufficient. We love that.

The day the mom comes back, everyone’s “busy” making last minute touches and getting things in order at the shop, and apparently the coffee machine was out of beans even though yesterday it was fully stocked. Hmph? Coincidence? I think NOT!!! Nicole was acting suspicious, Leila was acting suspicious, Hannah, (Fixie’s best friend), was acting suspicious, it was a whole lot of SUSPICIOUS. And I was like, THEY”RE SETTING HER UP!!!!! 😉

Then they all started feigning excuses of why they couldn’t go to the coffee shop and this and that, so they told Fixie she should go and I was like, yup there definitely setting her up! I call it. And she was oblivious to it. Gosh, if only she knew.

Fixie went to Cafe Allegro all normal, enjoying the fresh air and the ambiance and she noticed how the coffee shop was empty and the roof was fixed. And I’m screaming in my seat for her to get a hint! 😆 Then she ordered her drink and when she turned around, guess who she sees?

Backlit by the sun like a clichéd movie scene, the love of her life: Seb.

And you know what he’s doing?

He’s sitting there on his laptop acting nonchalant, while I’m flipping out saying, “I knew it, I KneW iT, I KNEW IT!” DID I NOT KNOW IT???

And Fixie went to sit right next to him and then he pretended to answer his phone like when they first met and asked her to watch his laptop again. Like before, he went outside and then Fixie’s like, “Oh, this is a do over,” this went against what Seb said to her before in how:

“You can’t go back in time and do life a different way.”

(pg 428)

But here they were doing it over and it was just so DARN CUTE!!!! Like gosh, a roof could fall on me right now and I’d be too busy swooning at how cute this scene was.

And I just couldn’t stand it (in an excited way) how they introduced themselves to each other like they didn’t know the other person and how they were like let’s hang out instead of owing each other things because they loved each other. And did I mention how CUTE the whole thing was?!

Fixie took Seb back home for the dinner with the mom and when Leila and Nicole saw them, they start shouting that they’re together and I’m laughing in my seat because they are the perfect wing girls. I would be shouting with them!!

The thing that brought me to unabashed tears of pride and joy for Fixie was when she sat in her father’s chair at the head of the table. Gosh, my heart just swelled with so much emotion!!!

All the seats were taken because Seb joined them and the only seat left was the one that had been untouched all these years: the dad’s chair. But the mom and everyone agrees that she should sit on his chair and that it was fitting. The tears were just springing out my eyes, I kid you not. If anyone deserved to sit on that chair it was Fixie because she kept the family together because she always believed in family first no matter how badly they treated her or how hard things got. Fixie fixed things and made it better, but most importantly stronger. And everyone finally saw how important she was. So they all toasted to Fixie that night and it was just utterly perfect.

Fixie resonates a lot with me as someone who’s the youngest and who also doesn’t know how to assert myself. I think that if you’re like Fixie and you try to fix things for other people, you have such a rare and beautiful soul that cares so much for others. Sometimes you put others before yourself, but like Fixie has taught me, you have to put yourself first sometimes and fix the things for you so you can be stronger——work on you first. There was this saying I heard on a podcast I love listening to called Unsolicited Advice with the beautiful, hilarious, and most down-to-earth women you’ll ever hear on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts and it talked about how you can’t care for someone if you don’t take care of yourself. And I heard that and I thought, “Wow, how true.” How can you take care of the people you care about if you don’t take care of yourself? If you’re not in a good state of mind, then you aren’t in the right state to help others who are going through things and sometimes that does more harm then good. So you have to always take care of yourself first in knowing that it’s not selfish but selfless.

And realize that it’s okay if you don’t fix everything because not everything is easy to fix or maybe not even your place to fix. There’s will be those situations where you shouldn’t really interfere with something, but it’s always good to care and to make sure that person knows you’re there for them. So don’t go thinking that meddling of fixing other people is a bad thing, it’s a strength——just know when to appropriately wield it.

Anyway, what was your favorite parts of the book? Least favorite parts? Who do you resonate most with in the book? Any stories of people you tried to fix/help? Let me know below in the comments, I’d love to hear from you! 💕

Here’s to all the Fixie’s in the world. The world needs more people like you. And I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you’re reading this.

And as always, with love,

Rating

4.78 Full Bloom Flowers

Characters: There’s someone in here for everyone to connect with. Fixie is easy to love and understand as a person and it’s also easy to see the perspectives of Jake and Nicole and how and why they functioned as a family. Also, you have to love the workers at Farrs

Plot: I always love when a book includes family as a part of the story because most books only focus on the romance side of love. So I appreciated the family aspect as well as how they all learned to communicate and open up to each other. I also enjoyed how everything came together in the end in the best way.

Writing: Sophie Kinsella never fails to write a book that makes me smile and feel something deep in my bones

Romance: I absolutely enjoyed this book with the love it brought not only romantically but with family.