strictly literary: surprise me by sophie kinsella

whenever i read a sophie kinsella book, i inevitably find myself laughing out loud at least once. there are some moments of pure physical comedy in surprise me, and they lightened the at times highly emotional subject. sylvie and dan have been married for years, after a physical, their doctor informs them that they have sixty-eight more years of matrimony to look forward to.

suddenly they find themselves thinking of the long road ahead. and are slightly concerned by the monotony. so they decide to surprise each other to keep things interesting. 

and, while surprises sound good in theory. the reality is that they are not always good. and sylvie and dan learn this lesson quickly. and when additional tension arises, sylvie begins to suspect that she's getting the worst kind of surprise. 

it's not what she thinks, but the truth isn't good either. there are some surprising emotional twists in this novel, but as always kinsella counterweighs the heavy with some truly delightful comedic moments. at times the scenes from the marriage are a bit too real, the arguments a hair too familiar. but that realism is what makes this something more than chick lit. 

**surprise me will publish on february 13, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/random house publishing group (the dial press) in exchange for my honest review.