Rating: Summary: Cute, but predictable...not as good as Shopaholic Review: First off, I must say, I love the Shopaholic books. The inventive way in which Kinsella advances the Shopaholic stories through notices from the bank and notes from Becky is really neat (and has been copied by numerous writers since). Unfortunately, there is none of that inventiveness here in "Secret"...just standard "chick lit" fare that screams "SCREENPLAY". Truth be told, it has already been sold and is scheduled to be made into a film with Kate Hudson.Knowing that colored my reading a bit because I only saw Kate in the role...and as appropriate as she seems for the role, I hope she makes Emma more spunky and less ditzy. But on to the real review: I knew when I picked up the book that I was getting a pretty standard "chick" book, but from a writer I really enjoy. Truthfully, until Kinsella really drops the ball, which she doesn't do here, I will read anything she writes, just as I do with Jane Green and Marian Keyes. I was not disappointed in the book. Just saddened that there seems to be no originality left in the "chick lit" world. "Secret" is a light and fluffy read that is a good "palate cleanser" after you've read something heavy. It's also a good book to read when you're traveling, as it shouldn't take more than a couple of days to plow through. The story is simple...Emma is an entry level person at a big UK cola company (which sounds a lot like Nike as a drink company). She is sent to Scotland as the company's representative for a big meeting. On the return flight, the plane hits turbulence and Emma thinks she's going to die in a crash. As a result, she blabbers on to the handsome stranger sitting next to her, telling him all her secrets. Of course the plane doesn't crash and Monday morning when she arrives at work, Emma finds the handsome stranger is the owner of her company...an enigmatic American named Jack. As the two begin to dance around each other, Emma is horrified that she can't hide anything from Jack since he already knows everything about her from the plane ride. And the things Jack remembers show a soft side to a guy who seems a bit rough on the outside. The interplay between the two is very funny and the way Jack uses what he knows to his advantage is both cringe inducing and sweet. And the way in which Emma tries to hide her workplace "pseudo-romance" is priceless. You know how it will turn out, but getting there is a sweet adventure. Of course the route of true love is never easy and the constant road blocks for Emma and Jack get a bit tiresome. It's enough of a problem that Jack is the owner of the company, but then Kinsella has to throw in some big secret of Jack's that really gets short shrift at the end. That secret alone could've made up a great subplot throughout the book...especially since Jack knows all of Emma's secrets but she's too blind to notice she knows nothing about Jack's. The only major complaint I have is that Emma is a bit too much like Becky from the Shopaholic stories, but with a bit less charm. I would hope that in her future books, Kinsella can find a different type of heroine to write about rather than disguising the same Becky character with different names and surroundings. In any case, I enjoyed reading it and am not sorry that it took up my time doing it. Though unlike the Shopaholic books, I probaby won't keep it on my shelf to re-read in the future.
Rating: Summary: Sophie Kinsella Has Done It Again! Review: I admit it. I am a major fan of Sophie Kinsella and all three of her Shopaholic books. I was so anxious to read her new book that I ordered it from Amazon(...) the day it was released there. I LOVED it. This is her best book since the first Shopaholic book. I could not put it down. Just like Shopaholic, the main character is awesome and funny and you care about her and want to root for her right away. I love Miss Kinsella's style of writing. The heroine's dialogue just draws you into the story. Just like Becky from the Shopaholic stories, Emma just gets into one hysterically funny situation after another and I had to keep reading to see what would happen next. There are some similarities between this book and the Shopaholic books particularly since both leads are somewhat neurotic English females and the books are all done in first person, but the situations are totally different and even though Shopaholic books were great and I and hated to see them end, I loved Emma and her story on its own merits. Two suggestions: Do not start this book late at night because then you will be up all night reading this page turner. Also, do not read it anyplace where you will be embarassed by laughing out loud.
Rating: Summary: Don't keep this book a secret- share it with everyone!! Review: This is the greatest "chick lit" author of all time, and this might just be her best book. Can You Keep a Secret? is the story of Emma, a girl who is just like you and me. She has dreams, frustrations, a funny family, awful co-workers- everything we can relate to. She also has an amazing ability get herself into hilarious messes. The book opens with one such mess. During a very turbulent and frightening airplane ride, she tells a total stranger all of her deepest and most embarrassing secrets. However, the airplane does not crash, and that is not the last she sees of this handsome stranger.... This book will have you laughing out loud. It is a very enjoyable story. I am a big Sohpie Kinsella fan, so I have so be honest, I mail ordered this book last year from England. (The author is from England, so this book has been out for sale there for a while) I enjoyed it so much and I shared it with all of my friends. It was a big hit. Everyone who reads it loves it. I guarantee this book is a "5 star" book!!
Rating: Summary: Great book! Review: This book rocks! The plot is original and interesting and the book is as riveting as the Shopaholic trilogy!
Rating: Summary: Even better than the Shopaholic books! Review: People that liked the Shopaholic books, should love this book... as for me - I thought this book was even better... altogether funnier! The character of Emma (she was a bit flaky) was very likable. I am sure that everyone can find some aspect of Emma's life that they can identify with (not getting the promotion they wanted, not being the favorite child, etc). She was a very REAL person. The way the book is written makes you laugh out loud as Emma finds herself in one predicament after another. I won't kid anyone - this book has no deep plot, no twists (you can figure out how its going to end from the beginning)... but its great fun!
Rating: Summary: LOVED IT!!! Review: I loved this book! Because I got this book from my friend who lives in the UK, the read it 2 weeks before it released here in the US. If you loved the Shopaholic series, I absolutely recommend this book for you! It is very funny and very much relatable! I enjoyed it very much and I can't wait for the movie to come out!
Rating: Summary: Hilarious!! Review: "Can You Keep a Secret" by Sophie Kinsella deals with Emma Corrigan who after a disastrous client meeting blabbed her darkest secret to a good-looking stranger sitting next to her when she thought her plane was going down. Thinking that she was going to die, Emma panicked and starting telling the strangers all sorts of things such as she wasn't sure if she has a G-spot, faking her examination grade, hating to wear G-strings, and so on. Her family secrets, work problems and relationship issues were all blurted out. Of course, it was only turbulence and the plane was not going down. Emma was completely shocked to find out on Monday that Panther Cola (the place where she worked)'s American CEO was visiting and he turned out to be none other than the stranger she confided a few days ago. Thinking that Jack Harper, the CEO was going to fire her for lying on her CV but turned out he didn't. Soon, Emma had to face Jack daily and he was aware of all her darkest secrets. She thought things couldn't get any worse. Totally not anticipating this, Emma attraction towards this good-looking stranger increased. But then, there is also Connor, her steady boyfriend whom everyone thinks is perfect for her but she finds him not that interesting. "Can You Keep a Secret" is extremely funny and fast-paced. There is no dull moments and it keeps leaving its readers wanting for more. There are times when I find myself laughing out loud (literally!). The characters are extremely likeable, and are extremely well-developed. Sophie Kinsella is definitely one of the best chick-lits authors out there and I highly recommend this book. If you enjoy her "Shopaholic" series, you'll enjoy this one too.
Rating: Summary: couldn't put it down!! Review: this was a great, fun, breezy read...i couldn't put it down! if you liked sophie kinsella's other books, this is written in a very similar manner and is just as entertaining. i like how sophie kinsella writes "chick lit" in a very entertaining manner where there actually is a plot--something that is lacking in other recent "chick lit" that i have read. definitely go pick this up, it is worth it!!
Rating: Summary: Hilarious! Review: Okay, Emma is slightly dopey with all her little secrets, but haven't we all at one time or another left the scene of the copy room when the paper got jammed? Believing she'll never lay eyes on the handsome stranger who sits beside her on a turbulent flight, Emma reveals her innermost secrets and most fatal character flaws. The fun begins when the stranger turns up on her job. He's the CEO! Be prepared to laugh uproariously.
Rating: Summary: Too Similar to Shopaholic Review: Although I love the Shopaholic series, I just couldn't get into reading about Emma as well as I could get into reading about Rebecca Bloomwood. I read the each of the Shopaholic books in 2 days max., but I couldn't stay interested in this one for more than 30 minutes at a time. The plot is similar to that of "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (ie- office girl in debt falls for rich boss) but it lacked the humor and in depth look at the characters. The story is a bit drawn out and lacking that "something" that makes you want to know what happens between Jack and Emma. Random attempts at creating tension (ie- the fight that ends the first date) are bland and are hardly believable. Despite its flaws, I enjoyed reading this book. It's not something I would read over and over like I do the other series, but it's worth one read. But I would have to say Kinsella's "Shopaholic" series is 10 times better!
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