Review: Surprise Me

 

 

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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. . .

Genre: contemporary romance

Publication date: February 2018

Mature content: yes

Review: I usually love Sophie Kinsella’s books and I had this one on my reading list for a long time. Unfortunately, I found it a bit disappointing. It’s just as well written as Sophie Kinsella’s other books, but the story just didn’t work for me. 

It started out more or less ok, but when Sylvie and Dan get to the part where they are traumatized because they’ve been told they will live a long and healthy life - honestly, I found it even slightly offensive. If I was told I would be healthy for a good many years and able to spend that time with my husband and the rest of my family, I would be very happy and feel very blessed. Instead, they are worried because they never thought they would have to stay married for so much time. What did they expect then?

The part where they try to surprise the other is funny - just in Sophie Kinsella’s usual way - but since it stemmed from the fact that Dan and Sylvie are only doing it because they are afraid of their long, boring marriage, after a while it sounded just silly and not as funny as it should have been.

The last part of the book is more serious, and sort of makes up for the other issues, but at that point I was a bit irked with the whole story to properly enjoy it.

Surprise Me is definitely not my favorite book by this author and I can’t bring myself to actively recommend it.

 Happy readings otherwise, 

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