“Surprise Me” by Sophie Kinsella
Description: “After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have all the trimmings of a happy life and marriage; they have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other’s sentences. However, a trip to the doctor projects they will live another 68 years together and panic sets in. They never expected “until death do us part” to mean seven decades.
In the name of marriage survival, they quickly concoct a plan to keep their relationship fresh and exciting: they will create little surprises for each other so that their (extended) years together will never become boring. But in their pursuit to execute Project Surprise Me, mishaps arise and secrets are uncovered that start to threaten the very foundation of their unshakable bond. When a scandal from the past is revealed that question some important untold truths, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all.”
Review: I love Sophie Kinsella’s books, they are always fun. While this book is certainly entertaining, it is not my favorite Sophie Kinsella novel. Sylvie and Dan are a relatable couple, looking to spice up their love life. Sylvie gets the idea of surprising each other but of course chaos ensues when a snake gets brought home and two dates are scheduled in one day. I felt like there are two distinct parts to this book, there is the first half where Sylvie and Dan try to reconnect and their is the second half that investigates Sylvie’s relationships with her family, husband and herself. I found the first part of the book to be funny and extremely relatable (who hasn’t gotten a well meaning present from a significant other that they secretly hated?). The second part of the book takes a more serious tone. The second part is about Sylvie, her idolized father and her insecurities about her husband. I found the second part to be difficult to read at times because it was so exaggerated. I love Sophie Kinsella’s books because they are realistic but this one was a little too far fetched and predictable. I also felt that the two parts of the book were disjointed and wish there was a better flow throughout the book. I did like the inspection of relationships and how our perspective can change so quickly. Overall it was a fun, quick read. If you’ve never read Sophie Kinsella before I would suggest you start with a different one.