I've Got Your Number: A Novel

With I’ve Got Your Number, Sophie Kinsella has done it again…a delightful modern-day love story that is so fun it’s a guilty pleasure. The perfect summer confection. I laughed and eagerly turned the pages to see what kind of situation our heroine, Poppy, would get herself into next. Her earnest, wide-eyed excitement over her engagement to Magnus (so British, don’t you love it?) was endearing. Magnus is quite a catch. He’s a dashing and debonair professor at La-Tee-Da University, who comes from a long line of intellectuals. Poppy can’t believe her luck or the gorgeous emerald family heirloom ring he’s given her. But after a whirlwind engagement and only ten days till the wedding, there are some tiny, tiny red flags. I just knew things weren’t going to go smoothly for her.The book opens with Poppy losing the ring…in a typical convoluted, far-out there, yet totally plausible way that only Kinsella can dream up. Poppy is afraid to tell her fiancé, because it was just so careless. There’s also the small matter that Magnus’s family doesn’t seem particularly excited about the wedding. Poppy doesn’t want to rock the boat and prove to his family that she’s just a silly, dimwitted girl, as Poppy believes they perceive her. Poppy has some self-esteem issues, as well as some abandonment issues, because she lost both her parents in a car accident.In another so-crazy-you-can’t-believe-it twist, which I know may drive some readers crazy…but it’s a means to an end, so I suggest just going with it…Poppy’s phone is stolen. She miraculously finds another one in the trash bin, which she decides to “borrow,” claiming finders-keepers, rather than taking the time to go get another phone. Then of course, she gives out the new number to everyone and anyone, as a contact for her lost ring.The mobile turns out to belong to the PA of yet another dashing man, Sam Roxton. However, the PA quit her job and her final act was trashing the phone, quite literally. With-in minutes of finding the phone, Sam is calling it constantly, which perhaps should have been a sign for Poppy to toss it back in the bin. Poppy, comically and uniquely manages to save a big deal for Sam, and then informs him that he owes her, and pleads with him to let her keep the phone, until she finds her ring. Sam begrudgingly agrees, but only until her ring is found.Over the course of the next few days, Poppy gets to know Sam, both by texting him (she ends up acting as his defacto PA) and by reading basically all his e-mails (even the personal ones), which she can do, since all his e-mails seem to go through his PA. She totally snoops.Predictably, Poppy and Sam are opposites. She says (or writes) too much and is big on “lol,” “xoxoxo,” and lots of “s”. Sam is all business, direct and to the point, “Yes,” “No.” Poppy’s attempts to change the way he communicates with his colleagues gets her, and there for him, into all kinds of trouble. Then there’s also the fact that she’s gotten a few cryptic, anonymous messages that appear to be nothing, but in fact end up being HUGE deals. Before you know it, Poppy is totally wrapped up in all the corporate intrigue at his company. Sam can’t save his mentor or the company without Poppy’s help.The more time that Poppy and Sam spend together, instead of texting, they realize they have a lot more in common, than they realize. Fundamental things. Things that define a person, things only they can understand. Problem is they don’t communicate in the same way. Of course, Poppy begins to develop feelings for Sam, whom she’s not sure would be paying any attention to her, if not for the all corporate espionage. We can’t forget about Magnus, either.Poppy is a great character, with the obvious exceptions of stealing a phone, lying about her ring, and secretly having a relationship with another man, albeit mostly by text. I honestly couldn’t hold any of these things against her. Seriously. She was sweet, smart, funny, very kind and believed in the good in everyone. She’s also kind of alone in the world. In the end, I just wanted Poppy to have her happy ending.The texting angle, and our total dependence on “smart phones” was very timely and it really worked. I am probably one generation removed from texters, but perhaps there is hope for our fast fingered friends, that they do actually communicate and get to know one another….kind of a throwback to the letter writing of days past. There was one particularly romantic text exchange between Poppy and one of her suitors, which actually made my heart flutter.The ending was awesome, totally made you want to stand up and cheer! Oh, and the ring is eventually found, and has quite a little story itself. I must say, everything was connected and resolved at the end of the story, tied neatly in a bow. It was masterful. This book would be a perfect romantic comedy for the big screen. I’m thinking Colin Firth, Hugh Dancy and Emily Blunt.

When Poppy Wyatt loses her engagement ring, an antique, three-generation-old emerald and diamond ring given to her by her fiance, Magnus Tavish, in a hotel fire drill, her life as she knows it is over. Just when she thinks things couldn't get any worse, Poppy's mobile phone is stolen, immediately rendering the emergency contact number she distributed to the hotel staff in case they located the ring useless. Her luck begins to look up, however, when she discovers an abandoned mobile phone in a litter bin. Following the universal law of finders keepers, Poppy pockets the phone and immediately begins using it as her own, with hilarious, and often unexpected, results. Little does Poppy know that what she found was actually a company phone that formerly belonged to Violet Russell, the personal assistant to Sam Roxton, a brusque, no-nonsense public relations executive. Sam and Poppy eventually come up with a rather unusual phone-sharing arrangement, in which Poppy keeps the phone in order to intercept any calls about her missing ring, with the condition that she forward all pertinent emails and other work-related information to Sam. As their lives (and texts) become increasingly intertwined and Poppy becomes unintentionally immersed in the mercenary business practices at the White Globe Consulting Group, Sam and Poppy's lives will never be the same again.I have a very dysfunctional relationship with Sophie Kinsella. I adored both Confessions of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Takes Manhattan and continued to dutifully read the followup novels in the Shopaholic series in spite of a rapidly waning interest. Despite this, I was still interested in reading Kinsella's other work and began delving into her standalone novels. After being thoroughly underwhelmed by The Undomestic Goddess and Can You Keep A Secret? and actively disliking Remember Me?, you can imagine my reluctance to explore any of her newer standalone releases. But I am, if nothing else, a glutton for punishment with an innate curiosity, and I couldn't resist when I saw one of her newer releases for 40% off at Target. Thankfully, I am happy to report that my Sophie Kinsella standalone curse seems to have ended with her 2012 release I've Got Your Number.Poppy Wyatt is a classic Kinsella heroine in the same vein as Confessions of a Shopaholic`s Rebecca Bloomwood. Like Becky, Poppy is spunky, flighty and a little insecure, as well as harboring a secret that has the potential to change her life forever. Unlike Becky, however, Poppy is a much more nuanced character with a backstory and personal growth that had me crying and applauding in turn. Poppy is undeniably a people-pleaser and a bit of a doormat, too intimidated to assert herself lest anyone be the least bit offended or put out. Always thinking of other people's feelings first, Poppy invariably puts herself last. At times it was difficult to watch the more unscrupulous characters take advantage of her generous nature. Poppy is also a physiotherapist. Although she is passionate about her work and proud of the fact that it enables her to help an innumerable number of people, Poppy's occupation is simultaneously a source of shame and embarrassment when it comes to Magnus' family. Surrounded by a group of academics and intellectuals who are more interested in being published in academic journals than in the feelings of those around them, Poppy is intimidated by their intelligence and inevitably feels inferior when she's unable to keep up during particularly combative games of Scrabble or in conversations about the latest publications on the fourth-century virtues and the stoics. Poppy continually struggles to find acceptance and belonging within a group of people from whom she couldn't be more different.Sam Roxton is an absolutely charming love interest that stole my heart right along with Poppy's. Sam isn't an unrepentant `bad boy' or womanizer waiting to be saved by the love of a good woman. He isn't an angel with a heart of gold with a savior complex who wishes to rescue or help every woman who crosses his path. He is simply a good man. Hard working, intelligent, capable and not without a rather unique sense of humour, Sam Roxton is a man that any woman would be lucky to have in her life. Now, that isn't to say that Sam isn't without his fair share of flaws. He can be impatient and quick to temper. His curt, no-nonsense demeanor can often be interpreted as cold and distant. But this does not make him unlikeable in any respect. Rather, all these flaws and attributes coalesce to make a character that is undeniably real. Kinsella breathed new life into the often hackneyed, cliche romance-genre hero and instead crafted a character that was easy to root for and even easier to love.It is during Sam's increasingly frequent interactions with Poppy that his character truly begins to shine. Sam and Poppy are equals, and he treats her as such. He values and appreciates her and doesn't hide this fact. He is complimentary and thankful when she helps him at work. Perhaps most importantly of all, Sam challenges Poppy to be the best version of herself. Isn't that what we ideally strive for in all of our relationships, be they romantic or otherwise? Sam is supportive and empowers Poppy to demand what she rightfully deserves in her life, rather than settling for the sake of keeping the peace or to avoid being difficult.If there was one aspect of the story that felt a little lackluster, it would have to be the secondary characters. Lucinda and Willow are archetypal villains, utterly unscrupulous and, more often than not, patently ridiculous. Poppy's friends were relatively amorphous apart from a scant couple of identifying characteristics. Ruby is unfailingly nice while Annalise is an unapologetic trouble-maker and coquette who apparently has no qualms about flirting with her friend's fiance right in front of her (Remind me: Why was Poppy friends with this person, again?) If there was one instance where the secondary cast shone, it was in Kinsella's creation of Wanda, Magnus' mother and Poppy's prospective mother-in-law. Although she is initially portrayed as a formulaic antagonist, I was pleasantly surprised by the direction Kinsella eventually took with her character. She provided some much-needed insight into Magnus and I was fascinated by the twists and turns Wanda's relationship with Poppy eventually took.I've Got Your Number is Sophie Kinsella at her finest. Irreverently funny (There was a particular scene featuring Beyonce's `Single Ladies' that had me laughing aloud, much to the confusion of those around me) and achingly heart-warming, this is one novel that shouldn't be missed! I've Got Your Number is an utterly engrossing thrill ride from which one never wants to get off. How engrossing, you ask? Well, I was so absorbed in Poppy's story, I was awake until after 4:00am one morning because I couldn't bear to put this book down for an instant until I knew how it all would end! I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed in the slightest and wound up going to sleep with a smile on my face a mile long. I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a quick pick-me-up. I promise that you won't regret it!

Great read will be downloading more

Incredibly funny, tightly plotted and full of surprises. I loved it and had to pace myself, otherwise I would have finished it in one day. It didn't want it to end, it was just so entertaining. Cannot recommend it enough.

C'est un très bon roman, très drôle ! Se lit facilement au bord de la plage ou dans le train.J'ai un niveau d'anglais C1 et j'ai bien pu le lire, même si j'ai dû ouvrir le dictionnaire quelques fois.

One of my favorite novels by Sophie. So absolutely fun and so incredibly funny. Love the mystery and the romance, love the footnotes, love all of the characters, well written and special. Super recommend!

I love it. From the first chapter itself I started laughing. Its funny and romantic. I will recommend it all who wants a witty one. This is my first Sophie Kinsella novel and now I'm a fan of hers. And I want to read it again., that's the magic of this book.