  Author(s): Sophie Kinsella Genre: Women's Fiction Review: I like reading Sophie Kinsella’s books because they are a lot of fun. Can You Keep a Secret? is no exception. Emma Corrigan is a 20-something marketing assistant who has worked at the Panther Corporation for nearly a year.
She anticipates earning a promotion when her boss allows her to represent the company on a business trip to Glasgow. Unfortunately, the meeting doesn’t go well and as Emma frets about her career on the return flight to London, the plane encounters turbulence so violent she becomes convinced she (and all the other passengers) are about to die in a crash.
Her tongue loosened with a few too many drinks and the fear of her ultimate demise, Emma clutches the hand of her seatmate – a handsome American – and begins spouting her many secrets. Secrets running the gamut from trivial (the g-string underwear her boyfriend gave her is too small but she wears it anyway) to more damaging (She lied on her resume; she has doubts about her relationship with her boyfriend, who resembles a Ken doll) and many more. Many, many more . But the plane lands safely and Emma bids farewell to the stranger who bore witness to her confessions.
Later, she’s horrified to learn the man on the plane – who knows things even her best friend doesn’t know – is Jack Harper, owner of the Panther Corporation. Some of the funniest moments in this book are when Jack uses his knowledge of Emma’s secrets to tease her in front of oblivious coworkers, friends and family.
Ms. Kinsella has a light, comedic touch and I constantly giggled at Emma’s escapades. For example, when Emma anticipates a romantic tryst with Jack, she worries she’s less experienced in the bedroom than he is. She reassures herself by comparing sex to ballet, quoting her ballet teacher’s instructions to keep the toes pointed out and always wear a smile. While the author provides a good characterization of Emma, she’s very similar to Becky Bloomwood of the Shopaholic books. This is not necessarily a bad thing because both Becky and Emma are very likable, awkwardly funny characters. The secondary players are characterized in a satisfactory fashion, but I always find myself wishing the heroes were more fleshed out. Jack Harper is handsome and has a wry sense of humor – which is great for scenes showing the initial attraction between him and Emma – but I don’t really get a complete sense of who he is.
The book is a bit longer than necessary and if the author had weeded out some of the secrets (I think Emma really gets carried away on that fateful confessionary flight) and some of the histrionics toward the end, the story would be a perfect light-hearted read. Verdict: I’m a Sophie Kinsella fan and I love romantic comedies that are actually funny .
Can You Keep a Secret?
is one of the more successful books in the genre and I recommend it. 
