Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

When nervous flyer Emma Corrigan is on a turbulent flight, she unwittingly spills embarassing details about her life to the handsome American sitting next to her, thinking either she would never see him again or they were going to die in a fiery crash. When he turns up the next day as the owner of the company she works for, she is completely floored.

As her boss, Jack Harper continues to show an interest in Emma's life, seemingly tormenting her with the (mostly) little white lies that she has based her life on, and as she responds to his interest, she begins to live a more honest, less duplicitous existence, beginning with splitting up with her seemingly "perfect" boyfriend and dating Jack.

While this chick lit tale is as formulaic as they come, Emma and Jack are both very likable characters - Emma is sweet, her little lies are things many of us can relate to, and very funny. Of course, Jack is ruggedly handsome, very sexy and also very droll. This quick read is a fun book with a satisfying ending just perfect if you are looking for a little pick-me-up!

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

With the movie version of this book being released soon, I thought it was time for me to delve into a little chick lit reading to determine how it might stack up with the film.

Something Borrowed follow the basic Chick Lit formula - single, professional woman suffering from relationship troubles. The woman in question, Rachel, is turning 30. Rather than the husband and children she anticipated having by this stage in her life, she remains not only single, but with no contenders on the horizon. This all changes, however, when she and her best friend's fiance take a little detour after her 30th birthday party, ending up in a very compromising position.

While she realizes that Dex is a great guy and one of her very good friends, she does not even consider the possiblity that he might be seriously interested in her - plus, after all, he is engaged to her best friend, the gorgeous Darcy. When she discovers that Dex does have feelings for her, she realizes that she reciprocates those feelings, and they begin a romantic relationship in spite of Dex and Darcy's continued engagement. How will this situation be resolved? Will Dex follow his heart and choose Rachel? Will Darcy discover the illicit relationship? Will Rachel ever find happiness? Anyone who has read any kind of Chick Lit probably knows the answer to those questions, but it's still worth the quick read to find out!

Fancy Pants by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

This is not your typical romance novel, although the "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back" element is certainly there. Our main characters, Francesca Day and Dallie Beaudine, are like oil and vinegar, or so it seems at first. Francesca, or Fancy Pants as Dallie "fondly" calls her, a member of the British upper class finds herself down on her luck. She heads to America for a great opportunity that turns out not to be so great and results in Franny walking down the road in a Scarlett O'Hara dress. Enter Dallie, a not-quite-professional golfer, and his caddy Skeet who stop to pick Franny up and give her a ride. These characters are richly developed and very likeable. It's not the "fast read" of a typical romance, but well worth the investment of time to get these characters.

The best thing is, if you like Dallie and Franny, they make cameo appearances in Lady Be Good by the same author.

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

Andie Miller has had 10 years to get over her divorce and her ex-husband, and now that she's getting ready to remarry, she is ready to put the past behind her. While visiting her ex to wrap up some final details, he asks her one last favor - to take over supervision of two orphans in a creepy haunted manor in a remote corner of the world - for which she will be paid enough money to begin her new life debt-free.

When Andie arrives at the home, she is greeted with open hostility by the housekeeper, Mrs. Crumb, and stony indifference by the two children: 12 year-old Carter and 8 year-old Alice. As Andie sets about debunking the ghosts that she keeps hearing about, getting through to the children and getting the house in order, she begins noticing some odd occurrences and strange characters hanging around the house.

The longer Andie spends at the house, the more determined she is to protect and stay with the children, and the more she starts believing in ghosts. Will she be able to protect the children from the malevolent spirits she has seen? Can she convince the children to leave the only home they have known? Will she marry her fiance and live happily ever after?

Jennifer Crusie has penned a spooky and fun story complete with romance, terror, humor and intrigue. Gothic chick lit! While it gets a little messy towards the end with a sudden storm of characters and plot lines, overall, it is still a quick and satisfying easy read.

Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines

In Maines' debut novel, she dreams of a marvelous world where cosmetics giant Carrie Mae not only employs women to sell makeup, but also operates a top-secret arm that works undercover to empower and fight for women's rights around the world. Not only do they hand pick women for this duty, they also outfit them with the most fabulous accessories: poisonous breath spray; blush brush knives; and, tracking device earrings, to name a few.

Nikki Lanier, educated as a linguist but struggling to find gainful employment, falls into the Carrie Mae company at the prodding of her overly-involved mother, and is quickly recruited by one of the upper management of the top-secret portion of the company. Lacking a better option, she undergoes rigorous training in preparation for her first mission - locating and rescuing a missing activist in Thailand. Teamed with an older and much more experienced partner, Nikki is thrown into the world of human trafficking and soon is not sure who she can trust. While the ending of the book is a bit clunky between characters, gadgets and plot, overall this is an entertaining twist on the chick lit genre.